Sheldon, Iowa — The Sheldon City Council met in regular session on Wednesday evening.
Neither Mayor Greg Geels nor Mayor Pro Tem Pete Hamill was available, so the meeting was led by an acting mayor pro tem, chosen at the beginning of the meeting, Shantel Oostra.
The council passed the consent agenda. There were no general public comments.
After receiving some clarifications and some minor changes from City Attorney Micah Schreurs, the council approved a contract with Center Benefits for HR services. A question about if city employees would be allowed to contact HR representatives directly without going through their supervisor was answered. Schreurs showed the council where in the agreement that was addressed, and said that employees may contact HR directly. Citizen Marv Van Riesen spoke up to say he doesn’t think the City needs HR services, and certainly doesn’t need the help of the City Attorney to figure out how to offer them.
It was then time for the public hearing on the 2026-27 budget. Van Riesen rose to speak again, stating that there was no reason in his opinion to raise the levy. It was his opinion that the City is already spending too much. He also stated his opposition to Tax Increment Financing or TIF, his feeling that the City is using the services of the City Attorney too much, and what he stated as fact that City employees get $7100 per year in a health savings account.
The budget did pass, but it was noted that items in the budget can still decrease, but they cannot increase. Councilman Tom Eggers told the public that they are invited and encouraged to attend budget workshops when these decisions are being made.
The council also passed a resolution authorizing advancement of costs for urban renewal projects identified in the FY 2027 budget. City Manager Sam Kooiker stated this was an attempt to get ahead of legislation that is proposed at the state level.
At the end of the meeting, without going into detail, councilman Jeff Wagner noted it had been a very frustrating meeting, but he said it does not reflect on city staff, and he said he appreciated everything the staff had done. He said it was “frustrating the way the meeting played out.”
