Council discusses ordinance fines, grants and more

COLFAX — The Colfax City Council met for its second meeting of the month on Monday, Sept. 18, at City Hall, 409 South Mill Street.

Mayor Jim Retzer called the meeting to order, followed by the flag salute.

The floor was open to discussing the good of the city. Council member Anne McRae mentioned that she noticed the planters along the main street are coming down slowly.

City Administrator and Financial Director Chris Mathis mentioned the Downtown Association hosted their grand reopening of the Coco Bee and Kim Dehart’s wine cellar.

“The fair was awesome,” MaCrae said, adding that there were approximately 20,000 people through the gate this year.

Mathis mentioned that the City-wide yard sale hosted by the Chamber of Commerce last weekend was successful.

Council members then passed the motion to pay the bills before discussing several ordinances on the agenda.

Mathis said that all the ordinances listed are just updates to the language, which would remove specific issues with fines.

Chief of Police Bruce Blood said that the language corrections formalize the information. “The Judge and Clerk know how to do the tickets,” he said.

Council member Blaine Golden asked if the ordinances determine fines.

Mathis responded that their most significant issue was that all fines were auto-charging at $500, and the state would double the ticket even for a dog barking.

“It was dismissed through the court,” Mathis said of the $1,000 fine.

Mathis said they took that $500 out to reference the fee schedule, so they don’t have to do an ordinance.

Each ordinance was voted on and passed separately.

After the ordinances were passed, Mathis mentioned that a no-match grant they applied for was due and needed to be voted on.

Mathis said the grant would go to lights at the tennis court, replacing and getting 32 new tables at Schmuck Park, and a John Deere Gator utility vehicle and attachable plow for maintenance at McDonald Park.

“All of that together comes out to $100,000, so we are applying for the max,” she said, having mentioned that the grant goes from $35,000 to $100,000.

Council members voted to accept the grant application and moved on to talking about Budget workshop times.

After discussion, Budget meeting times were set for Oct. 2 and Oct. 16.

In Department reports, the Fire Department reported that they had their new part-timer trained.

Blood said that the Police Department is losing an officer who is going full-time with the Air Force, so they are working with the front office to find a new hire.

The officer, Joseph McCall, will give his two weeks. “We wish him the bet of luck,” Blood said.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:22 p.m.