BELOIT CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

NOVEMBER 20, 2007

 

The Beloit City Council met in regular session on November 20, 2007 in Council Chambers.  Mayor Phillip Roberts called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.  City Council members in attendance were Butch Pontow, Bill Foreman, Craig Cousland, Denis Shumate, Pat Struble, Tom Maxwell and Chad Thompson.  Also present were City Administrator Doug Gerber and City Clerk Charlene Abell.  Councilor Susan Concannon and City Attorney Harry Gantenbein were absent.

 

Department heads in attendance were Caite Kendrick, Ryan Stocker, Mike Haeffele and Jerry Blass.

 

Councilor Maxwell offered the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

 

Mayor Roberts wished everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.  The Isle of Lights will open on Wednesday, November 22nd at 6:00 p.m.  Mayor Roberts reminded everyone that the City Christmas party will be December 7th and to call in your RSVP.  The Veteran’s Day Parade was great and Mayor Roberts thanked everyone that was involved with the parade in any way.    

 

Councilor Cousland reported that he thought that the Veteran’s Day Parade was very good.  It was a beautiful day for a parade.  Councilor Shumate commented on the anonymous letter that some of the Governing Body members had received.  Councilor Maxwell thanked the Police Department and the Transportation Department for their help with the parade.  He commented that he was appalled at the voter turn out on November 6th, 2007.  People have been given the right to vote and they need to exercise that right. 

 

City Administrator Gerber wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  The Veteran’s Day Parade was great.

 

The Consent Agenda consisted of the minutes of November 1, 2007 and Appropriations 11B and Resolution #13-2007 setting a public hearing for street improvements.  A motion was made by Councilor Foreman and seconded by Councilor Maxwell to approve the Consent Agenda in its entirety.  Roll call vote: Yeas: Thompson, Foreman, Cousland, Pontow, Maxwell, Struble and Shumate.  Nays: none.

 

A draft version of the City’s residency policy has been reviewed at several work sessions in the past.  The current policy requires City employees reside within the City limits within 30 days completing probation.  Staff has suggested that the Council consider changing the policy.  Certain positions will be exempt from this policy, such as the City Administrator and Department Heads.  All other employees will be required to live within a 15 minute legal drive of the City limits.  A motion was made by Councilor Maxwell and seconded by Councilor Pontow to approve the residency policy.  Motion carried 7-0.

 

Bids were recently accepted for crack sealant.  A recommendation has been made to approve the bid from Paving Maintenance Supply in the amount of $0.392 per pound.  The order will be approximately 15,000 pounds of crack sealant.  A motion was made by Councilor Cousland and seconded by Councilor Shumate to approve the bid from Paving Maintenance Supply for $5,880 for the crack sealant.  Motion carried 7-0.

 

Bids were taken for a grinder pump for #8 lift station.  This lift station provides service for El   Puertos, Waconda Motel and a residence. The #8 lift station has two pumps that alternate.  The lift station will continue to work as long as the one pump does not fail.   If there is a failure on the pump that is currently working, the City would have to come up with a way to replace the pump right away.  One pump is already on order to replace the one that is not working.  Staff would like to have a spare pump on hand in case that there is a problem in the future.  A motion was made by Councilor Pontow and seconded by Councilor Struble to approve the bid from EnviroLine Co., Inc. in the amount of $3,533 for another pump.  Motion carried 7-0.

 

A motion was made by Councilor Struble and seconded by Councilor Maxwell to recess into an executive session for preliminary consideration of specific personnel matter of non-elected personnel for a period of thirty minutes.  Motion carried 7-0.  The session is to include the Governing Body and City Administrator.  The session began at 7:18 p.m. and ended at 7:48 p.m.  No motions or decisions were made in that session.  

 

A motion was made by Councilor Shumate and seconded by Councilor Pontow to recess into an executive session for a period of fifteen minutes to include the Governing Body and the City Administrator.  Motion carried 7-0.  The session began at 7:49 p.m. and ended at 8:04 p.m.  No motions or decisions were made in that session. 

 

A motion was made by Councilor Maxwell and seconded by Councilor Cousland to adjourn the meeting.  Motion carried 7-0.  The meeting ended at 8:05 p.m.

 

The work session began at 8:10 p.m.  Those present were Mayor Roberts, Councilors Thompson, Cousland, Foreman, Struble, Maxwell, Pontow and Shumate.  Also in attendance were City Administrator Gerber and City Clerk Abell.  Councilor Concannon and City Attorney Gantenbein were absent.

 

Department heads present were Littrell, Kendrick, Blass and Stocker.

 

Correspondence and Staff reports included the October Police report, thank you letters from Heart Choices and Todd and Marla Catlin, official results from the sales tax election, a letter from the Kansas Ready Mixed Concrete Association announcing that the City of Beloit will be receiving an award for our Mill Street improvements.  There was also a report on the Neighborhood Revitalization Act program from October 2006 to October 2007.

 

City Administrator Gerber passed around more thank you notes for the Council.  The City of Beloit will host the Isle of Lights on December 11th.  Councilors Pontow and Councilor Thompson will meet for lunch with Doug next Tuesday.  The City will close on the new Park building next Thursday.  The City approved the purchase of the building at 1515 N. Walnut at the last meeting.  Administrator Gerber reported that Sunflower Electric has filed suit against the Kansas Department of Health and Environment concerning the denial of a license for the proposed coal fired power plant at Holcomb.  Bids for the City checking account will be due November 26, 2007 and a selection will be made on the December 4, 2007 City Council meeting.  Applications have been received for positions that are open in the Police Department.  The Police Department has three vacancies; one Sergeant and two officers.  Interviews will be held on December 3, 2007.

 

Discussion items consisted of the Mid-Kansas Electric Company Agreement and the Mitchell County Recourse Council grant.

 

The Council reviewed several agreements associated with the city’s long term power supply needs.  Number one is an interconnection agreement between the City of Beloit and Mid-Kansas Electric Company.  This agreement between the City of Beloit and Mid-Kansas Electric Company allows the city to hook into MKEC’s transmission lines.  Second is the delivery operating agreement between Kansas Municipal Energy Agency, Southwest Power Pool, and Sunflower Electric Power Cooperation.  This agreement would allow the transmission of power to the City.  There is also a local delivery service agreement between KMEA and MKEC which allows the city to take power out of the lines.  City Attorney Harry Gantenbein has reviewed these agreements and they are in order.  These agreements will be on the next Council meeting for formal consideration.

 

The Mitchell County Resource Council has applied for a grant to help with the prevention of underage drinking.  The details concerning the grant were attached for the Council’s review.  Jodie Beisner, president of the council, has contacted the City of Beloit to see if we have an interest in helping them with the grant.  If the grant is approved, it will pay for a part-time position.  The part-time position would be paid $15,000 annually through the grant.  If the Council is successful and receives the grant, staff has had the idea of making it a full-time position and adding some recreation duties.  If the grant is approved, the committee should hear sometime in December.  Twenty nine applications were submitted in and only six or seven will be chosen.

 

The work session adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

 

 

_________________________________

PHILLIP ROBERTS, Mayor

 

ATTEST:

 

______________________________

CHARLENE ABELL, CMC

City Clerk