Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008

City to pitch in with 338 project

by Clarke Davis

   The city will provide the meter, boring, and line to get water to the new industrial arts building at the school in Valley Falls.
    Construction project manager John Kearney visited the city council Nov. 5 to inform the council of what was needed and asked for whatever help the city was willing to provide on the project.
    The price tag with the city doing the work and contracting the boring was put at $4,500 and the council gave a thumbs up with two thumbs down. Council members James Durand and Mark Boyce objected in the 3-2 vote.
    Speaking to the issue, Durand thought the city should follow its policy of charging for the meter as it does with businesses and residences. A business meter is $1,500. The other council members, Paul Burns, Roz Jackson, and Tony Trower, disagreed.
    A joint project to bring a larger water line to the new addition that will allow sufficient pressure for a sprinkler system is also on the table but was not discussed. The city wants someone with credentials to say it will work before it commits.
    Attending the meeting with Kearney were Superintendent Loren Feldkamp and board member LaVerne Clark.
    Housing administrator Paul Heinen brought the council a check for $5,604, a payment in lieu of taxes for Sunset Haven, a 24-unit HUD housing complex.
    Heinen presented the council with a complete rundown on the fiscal year that ended June 30. The complex took in nearly $76,000 in rent and made several capital improvements including new ceiling fans in all the apartments.
    A breakdown in expenses showed the average electric bill for each apartment was $28.19 and $24.92 for gas.
    The Housing Authority board consists of Gerry Metzger, chairwoman, Lynn Saathoff, Lisa Cook, Denise Streeter, and Polly Schneider. The complex opened July 1, 1975.
    “It still has one original clothes dryer,” Heinen told the council.
    Utilities superintendent Daryl Courter reported that the city of Topeka had inspected nearly 8,600 feet of sewer line and were returning to run video in five locations where problems were detected.
    Courter told council members that he had received 25 tons of salt out of New Mexico for the city streets this winter plus some sand and salt mix from a local source.
    “We’re prepared for winter!” declared Mayor Susan Grey.
    Her joy was quickly subdued when told more vandals had been wreaking havoc at the city park. Courter said workers winterized the parks and locked things up, but vandals broke down the doors and threw the padlocks in the toilet among other things.
    Administrator Terry Urban asked to have pay day for employees moved beginning after Jan. 1. Currently the checks are cut on the final day of the two-week pay period, before the hours have actually been worked.
    Urban was also concerned that it provided little time to prepare the payroll. Pay day will now be on Thursday following the Friday cutoff.
    In other business:
    • Police Chief Tammy Gross reported that officer Mark Isenberg was back on duty following an injury to the hand he received in September. “He was arresting someone who didn’t want to be arrested,” she said.
    • Approved $1,100 to remove tree stumps from various city parks.
    • There were no vouchers prepared because of a problem with the office computer.
    • Pat Reyle, a resident and local DJ, addressed his concerns about the lack of signage on the highway about local business. He said travelers need to know there is a restaurant open up town. It was suggested he take his concerns to the Chamber of Commerce.
    • Urban reported that concern has been raised about shooting fireworks at football games. He said the city ordinance only allows fireworks from June 27 through July 4. “We might look at this issue and then require a permit,” he said.