The Morris City Council met in regular session last Monday as they heard several updates, including the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The council reviewed and approved the minutes from the May 13 meeting. The motion to approve was made by Councilman Dugas and seconded by Councilman Lamb, passing unanimously.
Councilman Lamb moved to authorize the payment of claims, seconded by Councilman Dugas. The motion carried with unanimous approval.
— Departmental Reports
• Police Department: Chief Bell reported issuing 12 citations in May 2024.
• Fire Department: In Chief Stewart’s absence, Mayor Berryhill reported two first response runs, one lift assist, one public service run for flooding and one gas leak response for the city. The rural department responded to three motor vehicle accidents and one lift assist.
• MPWA: Superintendent Christianson reported five cemetery openings/closings in May 2024.
— Key Approvals & Discussions
• Commercial Lease Agreement with C.A.R.D., Inc.: Councilman Dugas moved to approve the lease for the community center, seconded by Councilwoman Simmons. The motion passed unanimously.
• Agreement with ECO Services L.L.C., d/b/a EcoLINK: Councilwoman Simmons motioned to approve the agreement, seconded by Councilman Lamb. The motion was unanimously approved.
• Budget Amendments for FY 2023-2024: Councilman Seamans made a motion to approve the budget amendments, seconded by Councilman Lamb. The motion carried unanimously.
• Resolution #24-01 – City Budget for FY 20242025: Councilman Lamb motioned to approve the resolution, seconded by Councilwoman Simmons. The motion passed unanimously.
• Escrow Credit Application for OMAG Workers’ Compensation: Councilman Lamb moved to apply $13,415 of escrow credit towards the 2024-2025 premium, seconded by Councilwoman Simmons. The motion was approved unanimously.
— Council Inquiries & Comments
Mayor Berryhill addressed prior questions from Councilwoman Simmons about AEP-PSO streetlight outages following a recent tornado. The mayor reported that 8,500 residents were without power during the storms, delaying repairs. AEP-PSO representatives will provide training the following day. Additionally, the mayor noted his availability by phone while out of town next week. Councilman Dugas raised concerns about nighttime neighborhood patrols, which Chief Bell confirmed were ongoing despite being short one officer.
— Morris Public Works Authority Meeting Following the city council meeting, the Morris Public Works Authority (MPWA) meeting began at 7:19 p.m., also led by Mayor Berryhill.
The minutes from the May 13, meeting were approved, along with payment of claims.
— Key Approvals & Discussions
• Purple Wave Contract: The council approved a contract with Purple Wave for the 1995 dump truck and New Holland 575D backhoe. Councilman Lamb made the motion, seconded by Councilman Dugas, and it passed unanimously.
• Budget Amendments for FY 2023-2024: No action was taken on this item.
• Resolution #24-02 – MPWA Budget for FY 20242025: Councilman Seamans moved to approve the resolution, seconded by Councilman Lamb. The motion carried unanimously.
— Council Comments
Mayor Berryhill praised Ethan Christianson and Chuck Brock for their assistance during the recent tornado.
