City council highlights
In other business,
— The council approved payment of vouchers totaling $294,867.94.
— The mayor presented Jeanie Hellman, with a certificate of appreciation and pin for 10 years of service to the city; and volunteer firefighter Mike Duerksen with a fireman's pin for 30 years of service to the fire department.
— The council heard from three insurance brokers vying for the city's property and casualty business, including the current broker, IMA insurance. The council will choose its agency at the next meeting.
— Approved the release of $16,929 to Hillsboro Community Medical Center to pay the final invoice from Jantz Construction for work done on the long-term care unit.
— Approved 3-1 a revised job description for Hillsboro volunteer firefighters, which requires them to live within a five-minute response time of the city. Citing concerns about limiting those who might wish to volunteer for the city, council member Len Coryea voted against the restriction.
— Postponed a vote on new job descriptions for workers at the city's new water treatment plant, pending a clarification about who should or shouldn't be exempt from receiving overtime pay. The vote was postponed until after the council can be updated regarding changes to exempt/non-exempt laws, which were revised in 2004. Garrett was instructed to find an expert to address the council on the matter.
— Authorized the mayor to sign a loan agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation, binding the city to repay $373,000 it has borrowed for Adams Street improvement project. With accumulated interest, the loan will cost the city $521,600.69 if payments are stretched out until August 2026.
— Approved a final payment of $19,455.86 to APAC-Kansas, Inc. for completing the airport improvement project, which included taxiway improvements and a new heli-pad. The project, which was 90 percent paid for by a government grant, totaled $210,042.25.
The council also approved the final $4,000 payment of $8,000 it owed to Reiss & Goodness Engineers for supervising the project.
— City engineer Bob Previtera gave an update on the Adams Street construction project, presenting a total base bid of $465,000, which was higher than the initial estimates by almost $100,000.
Additional costs for asphalt, tree removal, moving the water main to the other side of the street, and using larger water pipe, have added to the original estimate, he said.
"This is a job that kind of evolved over the job process to fit the extenuating circumstances," he said.
At the mayor's request, officials at APAC, which has been contracted to do the work, will review the cost estimates and submit a new estimate at the next meeting.
— Authorized the city to write off $69.87 on unclaimed meter deposit accounts over two years old.
— The city postponed the approval of a new fee schedule for costs charged by the city for services.
— In the city administrator's report, Garrett presented a request from Hillsboro United Methodist Church to use the circle at Memorial Park for a citywide Christmas event.
— Garrett informed the council that he had sent an employment survey to employers in the city, asking them for the number of employees they have, and obstacles to hiring more in the future.
— Saying it had proved to be "a handy tool for the city," Garrett presented a lease contract to the council for a skid-loader to be used by the city, at $3,600 a year.
— Dalke asked council members to prepare a list of the top 10 projects they would like to see completed in 2007. The lists will be compiled into a master to-do list for the coming year.
