Willow Road moved up on city improvements plan
A new water line on Willow Road and improvements to the Schaeffler House are just two items on the agenda for this year's Capital Improvement Plan.
The Hillsboro City Council reviewed the five-year plan at its biweekly meeting Tuesday evening. Right now, projects set to be completed in 2003 include the Willow Road water line, the Schaeffler House, and a section of Main Street stretching from the post office on the north to A Street on the south.
The total cost for these projects is estimated at $715,000.
The council decided to postpone work on the alley behind the first block of South Main Street. The city would like to wait and see what's done with the east half of the alley when Vogt's IGA moves to its future location along Highway 56. The Hillsboro M.B. Church has purchased the IGA building but not made public any definite plans for the property.
Arguably the most ambitious project set for 2003 is construction on Main Street. That will feature new curbing and streets for two full blocks of Main, encompassing most of the downtown business district. Bids will be accepted for this project on March 18.
More information about the Main Street construction will be published in a future issue of the Star-Journal.
Also at Tuesday's meeting, the council agreed to consider changing the fireworks code to allow all ages to buy fireworks.
Right now, the recently passed fireworks ordinance only allows 16-year-olds and older to buy fireworks, or younger children when accompanied by an adult.
Fireworks vendors Randy and Mary Caruthers of McPherson were at the meeting to ask that the age requirement be dropped. There is no such age restriction in state laws dealing with fireworks, they said, and with more than eight stands across the state they've never had an age restriction in place
"Fireworks are designed for the kids," Randy Caruthers said. "This is the first (age restriction) that we have heard of."
The couple also questioned how such a restriction would be enforced — would children be required to bring a birth certificate to prove their ages?
Under the current code, it is not illegal for children under age 16 to simply possess fireworks, said City Attorney Dan Baldwin.
The council agreed to look into the change.
"I personally don't feel it would be a problem," said councilmember Barney McCarty.
In other news:
— Megan Kilgore, executive director of the Hillsboro Management Board, reported that the HMB is working with Joel Klaassen of the Hillsboro Free Press to develop a joint HMB-City of Hillsboro Web site. The city needs one Web "portal," Kilgore said.
"We need a professional-looking Web site," she said.
The future address of the site would be http://www.hillsboro-kansas.com. Print Source Direct, Klaassen's company, owns this domain name. Kilgore didn't know who would host the site.
The site would have information about all the entities under the HMB as well as city information, Kilgore said. Her office is working with local Web designer Ty Klein to develop the site. He would be paid through the HMB entities.
The HMB may ask the council for extra money in the future to help pay for the site, Kilgore said.
Currently the City of Hillsboro doesn't have an official Web site. The Hillsboro Development Corporation does have a Web site on Southwind, but that will be eliminated once the new site is built, Kilgore said.
— The city is still talking with cellular phone company Alltel about putting up a cell tower on the former AMPI property now owned by the city.
But before that can happen, the city needs some concerns answered — namely, whether or not the tower would interfere with local air traffic patterns, said City Administrator Steve Garrett. One estimate has put the tower's height at 140 feet.
— In board appointments, Mayor Delores Dalke named Penni Ens to the Hillsboro Historical Society board.
Garrett reported that some residents have been concerned about proposed low-income housing.
He stressed that right now, the city has only applied for the tax credits from the state. That's the extent of the low-income housing for now.
Garrett asked that citizens with questions come talk to him.
"I've been hearing second- and third-hand information," he said. "Apparently there are some folks concerned about it."
— The city has accepted a change in the airport lighting project. The new method of light installation is cheaper and better than the previously considered one, said engineer Bob Previtera.
With the extra money saved from the project, contractors have agreed to install a new beacon for just over $4,600. Construction will begin in two weeks.
— The council held two executive sessions: one for trade secrets, including members of the HMB, and one with the city attorney, dealing with potential litigation.
— The council will hold a special meeting on Feb. 27 at 1:30 p.m. to discuss more about the Main Street project and tax abatements.
