BELOIT CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

SEPTEMBER 4, 2007

The Beloit City Council met in regular session on September 4, 2007 in Council Chambers. Mayor Phil Roberts called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. City Council members in attendance were Tom Maxwell, Bill Foreman, Craig Cousland, Pat Struble, Raymond Pontow, Susan Concannon and Chad Thompson. Also present were City Administrator Doug Gerber, City Attorney Harry Gantenbein and Assistant to the City Administrator Stacy Thompson. Councilor Denis Shumate was absent.

Department heads in attendance were Frank Gent, Murray McGee and Jerry Blass.

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

Mayor Roberts reminded the Council of the upcoming League of Kansas Municipalities Annual Conference being held October 6 – October 9. Councilors should let staff know whether they plan to attend. He also congratulated the Transportation Department on getting the street done and open for traffic. Councilor Foreman also thought Mill Street looked great.

City Attorney Harry Gantenbein had no report.

City Administrator Gerber stated that Mill Street is open and in the next couple of days the crew will finish the sidewalk on the east side of the street.

Mayor Roberts asked for comments from the public. Max McGaughey commented on the cemetery. He believes more weed eating should have been done this summer around the headstones. He would like to see the Council take some action to correct the problem.

The Consent Agenda consisted of the minutes of August 21, 2007 City Council meeting and Appropriations 9A. A motion was made by Councilor Pontow and seconded by Councilor Maxwell to approve the Consent Agenda in its entirety. Roll call vote: Yeas: Thompson, Foreman, Cousland, Concannon, Struble, Maxwell and Pontow. Nays: None.

Resolution 12-2007, a proposition of levying a six tenths percent (.6%) retailer’s sales tax in the City of Beloit, for the purpose of all money collected and allocated for the building of a library and to provide an adequate level of public service was discussed. Councilor Foreman stated that everyone he has talked to would prefer sales tax only instead of a combination of sales tax and property tax. Max McGaughey made comments regarding the Armory and why the library has not considered renovating it as opposed to building a $3.4 million dollar building. He would like to the see the library utilize buildings that are currently available. Gerber replied that he believes McGaughey has some legitimate points, but at this time the City is using the Armory. Library Director Pat Heidrick commented that the Library Board considered several options, but did not believe that any were as good as building on the lot that was given to the library. Councilor Concannon felt this was hammered out in a previous work session and at this time the Council is voting on whether to put the issue on the November ballot and she made a motion to approve the adoption of Resolution 12-2007. Councilor Cousland seconded the motion. Councilor Thompson was still concerned with the timing of the vote for the library and it being on the same ballot as the capital improvement vote. Gerber suggested that if the resolution passes, a work session would need to be scheduled for the mechanics of funding a new library, what to do with the old building, and other areas of concern. Roll call vote: Yeas: Thompson, Concannon, Maxwell, Cousland, Struble, Pontow and Foreman. Nays: None.

A recommendation has been made that Kevin Denney be hired as a Police Officer. Kevin is currently a Deputy Command Information Officer in the United States Navy. A motion was made by Councilor Foreman and seconded by Councilor Struble to approve the recommendation and hire Kevin Denney as a Police Officer at Grade 22, Step 2. Motion carried 7-0.

The Systems Operations Department recently put bids out for 35-foot class 3 poles, 45-foot class 3 poles, and 50-foot class 2 poles. Councilor Cousland wondered if the bid from Thomasson Company including shipping. Shipping was specified on the bid form and was included in all the bids received. A motion was made by Councilor Maxwell and seconded by Councilor Pontow to approve the pole bid from Thomasson Company at a cost of $243 per 35-foot pole, $353 per 45-foot pole, and $468 per 50-foot pole and that staff be given the authority to purchase electric poles as needed at the current bid price. Motion carried 7-0.

The League of Kansas Municipalities has requested the City register voting delegates and alternates for their upcoming annual conference. Mayor Roberts and Councilor Cousland volunteered to be the voting delegates and Councilors Maxwell and Pontow volunteered to be alternates. Councilor Foreman made the motion and it was seconded by Councilor Concannon. Motion carried 7-0.

A motion was made by Councilor Thompson and seconded by Councilor Pontow to recess into an executive session for the preliminary consideration of specific personnel matter of non-elected personnel for a period of 45 minutes. Motion carried 7-0. The session is to include the Governing Body, City Attorney, and City Administrator. The session began at 7:26 p.m. and ended at 8:11 p.m. No motions or decisions were made in that session.

A motion was made by Councilor Maxwell and seconded by Councilor Struble to recess into an executive session for the preliminary consideration of specific personnel matter of non-elected personnel for a period of 20 minutes. Motion carried 7-0. The session is to include the Governing Body, City Attorney, and City Administrator. The session began at 8:13 p.m. and ended at 8:33 p.m. No motions or decision were made in that session.

A motion was made by Councilor Pontow and seconded by Councilor Maxwell to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 7-0. The meeting ended at 8:34 p.m.

The work session began at 8:39 p.m. Those present were: Mayor Roberts, Councilors Thompson, Concannon, Cousland, Maxwell, Foreman, Pontow, and Struble. Also present was City Administrator Gerber and Assistant to the City Administrator Thompson. Councilor Shumate and City Attorney Gantenbein were absent.

Department heads present were McGee and Caite Kendrick.

Correspondence and Staff reports included the August Economic Development reports and the Vision Development team minutes. Councilor Maxwell wondered what happened to the sign at the entrances that used to read “Queen City of the Solomon Valley”. Councilor Concannon said it could be addressed at the next Vision Development Team meeting.

City Administrator Gerber reported that the Planning Commission will meet on Monday to consider a fence variance and to make changes to the fence ordinance. Gerber did a sales tax presentation at Rotary that went well. The next presentations will be at the Chamber Board meeting, Lions Club, and a public meeting on October 4. He gave another reminder about the League Conference. The Council will be touring Sunflower Manufacturing at their next work session. Gerber gave a lunch reminder to Councilors Pontow and Cousland. Finally, he commented on the public comment earlier in the meeting. The Parks Department has struggled with the cemetery this summer, but is working to correct the problem.

The first item discussed was the Tree Board. District Forester Jim Strine was in attendance to give the Council an update on the tree maintenance program he has been working on with Parks and Recreation Director Kendrick. Tree Board members Jim Hurley, Brian Dillner, Michelle Ellenz, and Ginny Underhill were also in attendance. Strine developed a 5-year plan for the trees that includes if and when they should come down. The Tree Board plans to remove hazardous trees this winter and replace them this spring so there is not such a negative image on the process. They plan on strategically planting a variety of trees in order to keep one diseased tree from affecting several trees. Trees will not be provided to the citizens next year. The board is planning on sending 30 trees to Greensburg to replace their loss of trees from the tornado. The 30 trees will be in honor of Beloit’s 30^th year as a Tree City USA. Kendrick commented that the City is lucky to have such an active Tree Board.

The Council then discussed the follow-up from the Site Selection consultant visit. The consultants put their presentation on paper. Their ideas include: keeping updated materials on sites and buildings, having a template that can be filled out right away when people are looking for information, and promoting the local incentive policy. Councilor Concannon likes the idea of marketing stories and testimonials. Councilor Thompson would like to see this list of ideas again at the Council planning session next spring.

The last item of discussion was the Aquatics Facility. Gerber gave a power point presentation. Councilor Maxwell agrees something needs to be done or the City will not have a pool while Councilor Foreman thinks there are more important things in the community that need attention. The Council wondered how much it would take to repair the current bathhouse. Staff believes saving the current bathhouse in some form is accomplishable, but could be expensive. Councilor Concannon commented that the current facility is deteriorating quickly compared to when the consultants were here a couple years ago. The Council discussed upgrading the pump system and getting the current facility up to standard and then upgrading the water features in segments. Councilor Concannon added that it is the Council’s responsibility to make something that will last as long as the current facility has as well as be unique and draw people to Beloit. Councilor Thompson believes the financing should be done all at once, but would like to see each piece of the project associated with a cost so the Council can be knowledgeable and piece together which parts they believe are important. Councilor Cousland added that he would like to know the time span from when the project could start to when it would be done and how much of how many seasons would be lost. Staff will bring more information back to the Council at a later work session.

The work session adjourned at 10:02 p.m.

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PHILLIP ROBERTS, Mayor

ATTEST:

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CHARLENE ABELL, City Clerk