From gavel in to gavel out took a little over three minutes Tuesday night, Jan. 2, as the Hastings City Council made quick work to its agenda.
With no public appearances and just the consent agenda that is approved on a single vote, Mayor Mary Fasbender ended the session and proclaimed, “That’s a record for us, I think.”
Approvals at the meeting included:
•Accepting donation of $1,200 to be put toward a memorial bench valued from the Rousch and Koren families that will be put in a city park or along a trail. Also accepted for the same purpose was an $800 donation from the Runtsch family.
•A one-day temporary gambling permit for the Knights of Columbus, Council 1600 for April 20, 2024 for a raffle to be held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.
•City code amendments regarding mobile food unit licensing and regulations. A memo on the changes from Deputy City Clerk Emily King to the council states:
“The City adopted licensing and regulations for Mobile Food Units in 2018. Since then, Mobile Food Units have grown tremendously in popularity. The current provisions are listed in the Solicitor and Peddler section of City Code which do not fully address the unique features of and regulations for mobile food units. Staff are proposing to repeal the current language from Chapter 115, Section K, remove language referencing mobile food units throughout Chapter 115, and enact a new section dedicated for mobile food unit licensing and regulation. The proposed ordinance amendment supports a licensing process, provides consistent language with state statutes, and includes the provisions previously listed in Chapter 115, Section K. Previously, City Code did not provide language to support the formal licensing process. The proposed changes define the license and application requirements, liability insurance requirements, and performance standards to help protect the interest of the public. Additionally, the new language highlights the required criminal history background investigation for ice cream truck vendors that travel through residential districts.”
•Resolutions allowing electronic fund transfers and approving banking depositories for city funds.
•The designation of the Hastings Journal as the city’s newspaper of record for 2024.
•Appointment of Rylee Maner and Sue Wagner to the Hastings Arts & Culture Commission. Maner will fill the balance of a term that ends Dec. 31, 2024, and Wagner was appointed to a term that ends Dec. 31, 2025.
•Approval of an easement agreement with CenterPoint Energy which intends to install a natural gas line from 4th Street to an AT&T service generator at the 4th Street water tower.