City hears from Tabor about resurfacing plans
by Eric Clark
News Editor
Kirby Fadenrecht, Tabor College's Vice President for Business and Finance, told the city council on Tuesday that the college is in the process of discussing initial plans to resurface several parking areas and alleys on the college campus.
According to Fadenrecht, the college approached the city because some of the potential resurfacing involved some public right-of-ways.
The areas of significance for the city include the alley west of the college library, the parking lot north of Tabor's tennis courts, and the alley east of the East Hall dormitory.
The college will also be looking at resurfacing the campus recreation center parking lot.
Once plans to resurface the various parking lots and alleys are completed, the city would be responsible to maintain the areas there after.
City Administrator Steve Garrett said he sees the value in the project, but wanted the council to think about the city's obligation to the new surfaces after completion.
"It would look great, but suddenly we'll have this hard surface and then we have to keep it up," Garrett said. "We have to decide if that's something we'd like to do."
City Engineer Bob Previtera, who will design the drainage for the project, said the college plans to work in increments and does not plan to complete all of the resurfacing projects at once.
Previtera also said surfaces would include six inches of base stabilization material and seven inches of pavement when completed. He added that several trees will be taken out and some new trees will be planted in some of the areas.
Mayor Delores Dalke questioned whether or not a project like this needed to be presented to the Hillsboro Community Planning and Development Commission.
"It's a great idea and needs to be done," Dalke said.
The mayor also asked if residents with adjoining property in relation to the college's alley way west of the library have been notified or informed about the college's resurfacing intentions.
"I'm wondering if we're going to be butting up against private property," Dalke said. "Have those folks been talked to? I wouldn't want to ram it down anyone's throat. I just don't want to see conflict with the neighbors."
"I'm hoping they'll see it as an improvement," Fadenrecht responded.
The council advised Fadenrecht to communicate with the neighbors west of the library about their future plans, and then report back to the Planning and Development Commission and the city council at a later date.
The council also:
n approved a final pay estimate to Wichita Electric for $2,497.80 for the renovation of the airport lights.
"I haven't heard any complaints about what they've done," Garrett said.
n passed ordinance No. 1077.
The ordinance is in regard to the franchise agreement with Sprint. The Kansas Legislature redefined "gross receipts" recently, to include all charges on telephone bills, such as caller ID, call-waiting, ect.
The amount of franchise fee the city receives would be based on all services rather than just basic services.
n heard from Previtera about the city's intentions to "wrap-up" final projects left on the Main and Grand Street renovation. APAC, the company who remodeled the streets, has been working closely with Previtera on "punch lists," or final fix-ups.
"We had an Oct. 28th meeting and generated eight more things (on our punch list)," Previtera said. "I think they're giving me assurance that they'll be done next week."
Garrett asked what Previtera thought the city could do to motivate them to get the final punch list done by next Friday.
The city will owe the company $55,000 after completing the project, according to Dalke that holds some motivation in itself.
"(Fifty-five thousand dollars) would be an incentive for me (to get the job done,)" Dalke said.
"Until they get here and get things done, anything that goes wrong with it they have to take care of it," Garrett said. "The longer they let it ride the more they've got to fix. The picture changes after next Friday."
n appointed Doug Faul to the Recreation Commission, and Joel Klassen, Cynthia Fleming, and Stan Harder to the steering committee for Hillsboro's 120-year old anniversary next year.
n heard from Garrett about his communication with Stan Harder, Hillsboro Historical Society director.
"I don't understand what our current relationship is," Garrett said about the society's relationship to the city. "The way were handling it (currently), it doesn't exist. The Historical Society has acted as a private organization, but it's actually a public organization. (The city) needs to behave like we're in the museum business.
"I've been pleased with Stan's work and I think he's done an outstanding job. We're extremely lucky to have him.
Garrett also spoke about some of the issues at the latest Planning and Development meeting. He said developers of the new low-to-moderate housing project north of town spoke at the meeting about their future intentions. The city will eventually need to rezone the area which was purchased by the developers Garrett said.
The administrator also said that the commission discussed the intention of drawing up an ordinance that would disallow adult businesses in the city of Hillsboro. Garrett said council member Len Coryea suggested the idea after noticing the recent explosion of adult-based business on Highway I-70.
