Contributing writer
Ginger Becker attended the council meeting July 5 to solicit the council’s view on a proposal presented to her by county economic development director Teresa Huffman. Huffman had suggested an event to promote the city, similar to Octoberfest at Lincolnville, Rednecks in Ramona, and the Santa Fe Trail Fest at Tampa. Becker said grant money was available to cover the cost of most of the events. She had suggested the second Saturday in October as a possible date.
“We already have a Christmas event,” Gary Unruh said. “Maybe we could just expand that.”
City clerk Joyce Medley said the community activity association was planning a hamburger fry in August.
After discussion, Becker said she would confer with Huffman and provide information to the council before the next meeting.
Mayor Mike Sorenson presented new guidelines for recycling. The county will no longer send a trailer to cities once a month as before. Instead, large trash bins will be placed in each city. Recyclables will no longer be sorted. The council discussed procedures and decided the bin would need to be locked except for a designated time when it could be monitored. Unruh and Medley volunteered to help monitor the recycle site.
The council decided to have the site open the same time the trailer has been coming around. No. 1 through 7 plastics will be accepted. Plastic bags will not be accepted.
Sorenson asked if any of the council members wanted to attend a business seminar, “Get Motivated,” in Wichita or apply for an award through Kansas Ready-Mix Concrete Association. There was no interest in either opportunity.
Westar Energy sent a letter to the council regarding any changes that could affect the franchise, which is due for renewal.
The city was having problems finding water leaks, Verlin Sommerfeld said. He attended a class that promoted equipment to detect leaks but there was nothing available to detect leaks in plastic lines. He said Donald Mueller had helped him look for leaks and wanted the council to compensate him. Mueller worked 1.5 hours and drove 34 miles. The council approved a payment of $40.
Sorenson reported 435,800 gallons of water was pumped in June and 350,259 gallons passed through meters for a loss of 19.6 percent. The sewer pumps ran 38.1 hours.
Bills approved for payment included $50 for maintenance of a burn site for the first half of 2011, $43 for flowers and other items to maintain the park, $19 for paint also used at the park, and $86 for Clorox to add to the water.