Here are a few of the issues...

Here are a few of the issues the council considered Monday.

FAIRVIEW PARK TRAIL

The council unanimously approved a $261,174 contract to construct

a system of trails, including an 8-foot-wide paved bicycle path and a

4-foot-wide pedestrian trail of decomposed granite in Fairview Park.

Sol Construction of Riverside will be the builder. An important

part of the park’s master plan, the trails will be built on the east

and west sides of the park, and they’re slated to be connected later

with a bridge.

The city will use a federal grant to cover $208,000 of the trail

project. The total cost was expected to be $300,000, but it exceeded

that amount because of environmental requirements and standards of

federal agencies that administer the grant.

WHAT IT MEANS

Improvements at the park were an earlier source of controversy to

some residents, who wanted to restore the parkland’s natural habitat,

but the city modified the trail to meet those concerns. Now the

Fairview Park improvements can proceed.

The council also added $84,400 in unused funds from another

project to cover the excess costs.

USE OF THE CITY SEAL

It’s now a misdemeanor to put the city seal on anything other than

official city documents or property without the approval of the

council. The council voted unanimously to make it a crime to use the

city seal without permission because it’s been used by non-city

entities before, such as one recent instance when a business used the

city seal on its letterhead.

WHAT IT MEANS

The city already had a policy protecting its seal, but without a

specific ordinance, it was unenforceable. Now, to use the seal

without authorization is against the law.

COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS

The council voted 4 to 1 to approve a second reading of its new

rule on appointments to city boards and commissions. Councilwoman

Katrina Foley dissented.

Under the ordinance, members of the Planning Commission and Parks

and Recreation Commission are now appointed by a majority vote of the

council.

For roughly the past two years, each council member directly

appointed someone to the planning and the parks and recreation

commissions.

WHAT IT MEANS

The rule will go into effect in time for the Feb. 7 City Council

meeting, when the council is expected to choose five commissioners

for each board.

-- Compiled by Alicia Robinson