Interim administrator attends 1st Hillsboro council meeting
Staff writer
Interim administrator Michael Webb had his first full meeting with the Hillsboro City Council on Tuesday as city leaders moved from a prevention update to utility work, public art, and a delayed nuisance hearing.
Adrien Piercy, event coordinator for the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Marion County, told council members that efforts to reduce youth drug and alcohol use across the county rely on school programs, community outreach, and shifting grant funding.
“We are always seeking funding,” Piercy said.
Terry Bebermeyer, director of Families and Communities Together, programs told council members that the coalition supports classroom education, community events, and naloxone distribution built around an “every choice matters” slogan.
Electric superintendent Todd Helmer told council members that underground infrastructure projects tied to housing development, Tabor College, and other expansion had kept his department busy.Work at Orchard Ridge, Grand Oaks, and the college continues, with additional connections expected as development moves forward.
“It’s been kind of a busy year for us,” Helmer said.
More than $252,373.02 in vouchers were approved along with the purchase of a 500-kilovolt-amp transformer for $32,976.15 tied to work with Tabor College, with that cost expected to be reimbursed, Webb said.
Council members reviewed design concepts for a proposed mural tied to a Kansas Arts Commission project. Feedback will be sent before a final selection is made.
The council accepted the city’s 2025 financial audit after receiving it earlier this month.
A public hearing for a potentially unsafe structure at 211 N. Washington St. was reset for June 16.
Financing a new fire station will require additional analysis and difficult decisions as costs continue to rise, Mayor Lou Thurston said.