Sioux City Council to weigh new utilities field office

A new office is needed because the current building at 1723 18th Street has foundation issues. The new office would also be located at the intersection of 18th and Steuben streets and include a new garage.

“The project shall include but is not limited to, site work, concrete footings, foundations, concrete floors, steel columns and beams, steel trusses, steel bar joists and deck, insulated metal panels, TPO roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, lighting, cameras and fencing,” city documents stated. 

The city engineer’s opinion of probable construction cost for the work is $10,324,084. Site work is estimated at $1,968,137, the administrative office at $3,257,607 and vehicle storage at $5,098,340, according to the documents.

The project currently has an available balance of $6,518,074.32. The documents state that $2,200,000 is being requested for the project in fiscal year 2026, as well as $1,000,000 in both fiscal years 2027 and 2028.

The notice to bidders would be advertised on Aug. 28, with a public hearing taking place on Sept. 16. The project has a completion date of Oct. 1, 2026.

Field Services includes city streets, underground utilities and parks maintenance.

Inclusive Sioux City Advisory Committee reappointment

The council is also expected to vote on the reappointment of Glenn Moore Jr. to a four-year term on the Inclusive Sioux City Advisory Committee.

Moore’s term expired Dec. 31 and he was not replaced on the committee, which provides guidance to the council on matters relating to diversity, equity and inclusion. Under municipal code, members whose terms have expired continue to serve until a successor is appointed by the majority of the council.

The council can approve Moore’s reappointment or wait for additional applications to be submitted for committee vacancies. If Moore is reappointed, his term will expire on Dec. 31, 2027.

During the council’s last meeting, City Manager Bob Padmore said there are currently six active voting members on the committee. They are Sara Berntson, Erica Carter, Trisha Rivers, Peggy La, Margarite Reinert and Angel Wallace.

The committee at full strength has 12 total members. City Manager Bob Padmore and Councilman Matthew O’Kane are non-voting members, according to the city’s website. The following voting members resigned from the committee around the time of the suspension and subsequent firing of Semehar Ghebrekidan, the city’s first community inclusion liaison: LaShawna Moyle (April 12), Jim Jung (June 1), Ricardo Osorio (July 22). 

Ghebrekidan, who was hired in 2021, had been on administrative leave since Feb. 21. She was ultimately fired on May 28 for violating general standards of conduct, work rules, Iowa code and city administrative policy, according to documents obtained by The Journal. 

The city is seeking to hire a diversity and inclusion coordinator, which replaces the inclusion liaison position. The coordinator will continue to oversee the Inclusive Sioux City Advisory Committee, but will “have more emphasis on diverse recruitment” for the city. The job description changes were approved at the last council meeting by a vote of 3 to 1, with Mayor Bob Scott casting the lone “no” vote. O’Kane was absent from the meeting. 

“Not because of anything that happened, but I think Mr. (Bob) Padmore can confirm I said a long time ago, I question this position, and I’m not blaming anybody. We all have responsibility, us included as council members. We’re probably not giving the type of direction that we needed to give,” Scott said. “I’m just not comfortable, especially in this age where you have to be even careful doing this type of stuff, because the state has laws now. This position is going to have a real significant impact on our operations.”