From: Clay Center City Clerk [cityclerk@claycenterks.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 10:46 AM
To: Mayor Brown
Subject: DECEMBER 1, 2009

Council Chambers

City Hall

December 1, 2009

7:30 P.M.

 

 

 

Council met in regular session with Mayor Sharon Brown presiding and roll call showing Councilmembers:  McKenna Porter, Butch Hess, Sterling Meals, Connie Jordan, Steve Fox, Justin Begnoche, Daton Hess and Rhys Baker present.

 

Copies of the minutes of the previous meeting were presented and approved by the Council.  Copies of the minutes of the previous Public Utilities Commission meeting were presented.

 

Cash balances for the month of November 2009 were presented.  Expenditures with balance of the budget for the month of November 2009 were presented.

 

Appropriation Ordinance Nos. 3304 and 3305, were presented.  Moved to approve payment by Councilmember B. Hess and seconded by Councilmember Meals.  Upon being put to a vote by roll call the motion carried by a unanimous vote of all Councilmembers present.

 

City Clerk read “Thank You’s from:

            City of Green, Kansas thanking the City of Clay Center for allowing them to borrow park benches for the Green Holiday Festival.

            Clay Center Area Chamber of Commerce for the City sponsorship of Wednesday morning coffees during the month of October.

 

Mr. Wohler announced to the Council and Public that the deadline for 2010 business applications are due December 14, 2009.

 

Joshua Hanson appeared before the Council with his updated plans to finance the restoring of the condemned building at 812 5th Street.  Mr. Hanson is still asking the City for funds in the amount of $25,000.00 but not to be paid to him until the building is open for business.  Moved by Councilmember B. Hess to grant Mr. Hanson $2,500.00 from the City to match what the County has offered.  The motion died for lack of a second.

 

Moved by Councilmember Begnoche, seconded by Councilmember B. Hess, to have the Ways and Means and Laws and Ordinance Committees discuss whether or not to create an EDG policy to help persons restore old downtown buildings.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

City Attorney, Dustin Mullin presented several items for action/review.

 

Ordinance No. 2239, entitled “AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO ZONING IN THE CITY OF CLAY CENTER, KANSAS, REZONING LOTS 4,5,6,7,8,9 AND 10 IN BLOCK 63 OF THE ORIGINAL TOWNSITE OF THE CITY OF CLAY CENTER, KANSAS, TO ZONE 1-EA, THE WAREHOUSE AND LIGHT MANUFACTURING ZONE, AS DEFINED BY SECTION 16-201 OF THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF CLAY CENTER KANSAS.”, was read and considered by sections.  Moved by Councilmember B. Hess, seconded by Councilmember Baker, to adopt Ordinance No. 2239 as presented.  Motion carried unanimously.  Councilmembers Porter, B. Hess, Meals, Jordan, Fox, D. Hess, Begnoche, and Baker voted “yea” and no councilmember voted “nay”.

 

During the work session before the Council Meeting, four Resolutions were reviewed.  Council will study the Resolutions and hopefully adopt at the next Council Meeting.  Codification of the code book was also discussed.

 

Mayor Brown asked each one on the Council to sign a “Get Well” card that she passed out.  The card will be sent to Fireman Steve Cooper, who is having health problems.

 

Committee reports were as follows:

 

Ways and Means-Moved by Councilmember Jordan, seconded by Councilmember D. Hess, to have a Public Hearing on December 15, 2009 at 7:30 P.M. in City Hall for the purpose to amend the 2009 budget.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

 

 

Council Meeting

December 1, 2009

Page 2

 

 

 

 

Streets and Alleys-There is some problems with downtown alleys.  Some buildings get water in the basement due to drainage problems.  City Administrator, Cheryl Beatty has visited with an Engineer and received an estimated cost of $2,850.00 to have engineering done on the alleys and roof drainage to see what can be done.  Moved by Councilmember Fox, seconded by Councilmember D. Hess, to have the engineering done as stated above.  

 

Parks and Pool-Park Department has received two bids for a new Grasshopper mower with no mowing deck.  The bids were for an outright price or less a trade-in of an old mower.  The Cemetery Department could use the old mower from the Park Department.  The low outright price for a new mower less deck is $11, 238.00.  The Park Department’s share would be $6,013.00 and the Cemetery Department’s share would be $5,225.00.  Moved by Councilmember Porter, seconded by Councilmember B. Hess, to purchase the above mentioned mower from Bruna Implement Company at a total cost of $11,238.00.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

City Property-The plans for the Animal Shelter are on going.  The current plan is to have city staff disassemble the current shelter building and reassemble at a new location.  A site has been selected near the front gate of the WasteWater Plant entrance, if the ground is suitable.  Moved by Councilmember Fox, seconded by Councilmember Jordan, to have soil testing done at a cost of approximately $3,000.00.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Cemetery-Department has received information about a weed trimmer that attaches to a riding mower.  This attachment would drastically reduce hand trimming at the Cemetery.  The trimmer is made by Noah Mowing System and the cost is $2,299.00 with spare parts.  Moved by Councilmember B. Hess, seconded by Councilmember Porter, to purchase the trimmer attachment as described above.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Building Permits-Moved by Councilmember Meals, seconded by Councilmember Jordan, to approve a permit for Vernon McGee for a house being moved to 120 S. 5th Street and an addition of a garage and bedroom.  The motion carried 8-0.  Councilmember B. Hess abstained.

 

Airport-Committee met to discuss rent of land in the Industrial Park.  Crop Production Services wants to lease ten acres in the Airport Industrial Park.  Moved by Councilmember D. Hess, seconded by Councilmember Porter, to lease ten acres to Crop Production Services for ten years at $300.00 per acre per year.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Police Advisory-The Police Department employees are wanting to purchase two Electro-Muscular Disruption Weapons, commonly known as Tasers.  A policy for use of a Taser was presented for review.  A Police Department that use Tasers must have a policy in place that defines how and when they can be used.  Police Chief, Bill Robinson, appeared before the Council to explain how a Taser can protect an officer and/or the person they are trying to subdue.  Moved by Councilmember B. Hess, seconded by Councilmember Begnoche, to approve the Taser policy pending the approval of the City Attorney.  The motion carried unanimously.  Moved by Councilmember B. Hess, seconded by Councilmember D. Hess, to purchase two Tasers at a cost of $1,865.40 after the approval of the City Attorney of the policy.  The motion carried 7-1.  Councilmember Meals voted “nay”.

 

Recycling Committee-The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes at CCCMS had a contest to see which class could recycle the most.  It was a successful program.

 

Mayor Brown gave a report of her activities to the Council.

 

Old Business-City is planning to sell some unused park properties in the City.  The property on Huntress Street in the Goodin addition has a 60’ proposed street right-of-way with city property on both sides.  If the City would abandon the street it would make the property more marketable.  Moved by Councilmember D. Hess, seconded by Councilmember B. Hess, to have the City Attorney write an Ordinance to abandon the 60’ street plot in Goodin’s addition.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

There is another question regarding the Street plated at 14th and Clarke Streets that may be considered for abandonment.  If someone purchases it to build a new house they could ask for a set back variance.

 

 

 

Council Meeting

December 1, 2009

Page 3

 

 

 

 

 

New Business-Ms. Beatty explained to the Council about an energy audit for the City that we can have done.  The Kansas Corporation Commission has grants available for cities to have the audits done.  The audits are designed to hire contractors to improve energy consumption therefore using the savings to pay for the project.  Councilmembers informed Ms. Beatty to move forward with the energy audit.

 

Moved by Councilmember B. Hess, seconded by Councilmember D. Hess, to adjourn the meeting.  The motion carried unanimously.  The meeting was adjourned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEAL                                                                                                            ___________________________________

                                                                                                                     Calvin Wohler

                                                                                                                     City Clerk