April 10
CITYOF HIAWATHA
CITY COMMISSION MINUTES
MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2006
5:35 P.M.
HIAWATHA CITY HALL
723 OREGON ST.
1. Pledge of Allegiance/ Call to Order
The Hiawatha City Commission met in regular session Monday, April 10, 2006 at 5:35 p.m. at City Hall with Mayor Trant, Commissioner Collins, Commissioner Shamburg, Commissioner Gamble, and Commissioner Schmitt in attendance.
2. Approval of minutes of the April 3, 2006 city commission meeting.
Commissioner Schmitt made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to approve the minutes of the April 3, 2006 city commission meeting. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
3. Presentation of petitions, public comments, memorials
Old Business - None
New Business
4. Public Hearing on Neighborhood Revitalization Plan
Mayor Trant opened a public hearing concerning the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. There has been a small revision of the document, which has been available in City Hall the last two weeks. There was an official notice of the public hearing published in the Hiawatha World. The plan was originally adopted about eight years ago, and is being extended. It provides a property tax rebate for property owners that accomplish improvements to their property that will raise assessed valuation more than $15,000. The rebate is 75% of the property tax associated with this increase in property evaluation. This rebate is granted for a period of five years after completion of the project.
In 2004, the rebated taxes amounted to $11,594.26. Those are property taxes that went back to the property owners, and that were not distributed to the city. The resulting increase in property evaluation in 2004 was $275,013.00 within the City of Hiawatha. The increase in valuation for Brown County for 2004 was $1,178,201. Brown County rebated $49,520.53.
No public comments were made. Mayor Trant closed the public hearing.
Commissioner Collins made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to approve the updated revitalization plan by adopting Resolution No. 2006-01. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
5. CONSENT AGENDA
a. Appropriation Ordinance #1089 in the amount of $24,356.89.
b. 2006 License Renewal for a Drinking Establishment for Rosey’s Cantina.
c. Applications for License for Electrical (3), Plumbing (1), and Construction
Contractor (14).
Mayor Trant told the commission that the electrical and plumbing license application count in section 5c need to be corrected to 3 electrical and 1 plumbing licenses.
Commissioner Schmitt made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Collins, to approve the consent agenda as corrected. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
6. Interim City Administrator Tom Armour.
a. Auditors will be here April 17th.
Auditor Tom Singleton will be here at the April 17, 2006 meeting to discuss the GASB 34 proposition. Singleton recommends that Hiawatha should opt out of the GASB 34 due to accounting procedures unnecessary for small cities such as Hiawatha.
Airport Inspection
b. George Laliberte of KDOT Aviation Division was in Hiawatha Wednesday, April 5 to make the biennial airport inspection. We can expect their report in a few weeks.
c. HFED/Industrial Roundtable Meeting on April 12th.
d. KDHE Water Well Compliance Request
Interim Administrator Armour indicated that the city had received a letter from KDHE stating that the city had corrected the deficiencies found during an August 29, 2005 sanitary survey concerning plugging the Meisenheimer and County Farm wells. KDHE commended the city for completing this project and eliminating both a potential safety hazard and means for contaminating the surrounding aquifer. Interim Administrator Armour commended Rick Koenig and his crew for taking care of the deficiencies.
e. KMU Conference May 3-5, 2006.
f. Requests for Burn Permits
Interim City Administrator Tom Armour told commissioners he had received some requests for burn permits, but because of the dry weather and wind, they had not been approved.
c. RDA of Northeast Kansas
Interim City Administrator Tom Armour said that the RDA of Northeast Kansas would like to be scheduled at an upcoming meeting, possibly in June or July.
Commissioner Schmitt suggested checking with them to set a date that would be convenient with them.
d. Road Safety Audit
Interim City Administrator Tom Armour indicated that he had received a letter indicating that the Kansas Department of Transportation is going to be conducting a road safety audit in Brown County. They want suggestions for any trouble areas within the city of Hiawatha. Mayor Trant asked if there were any traffic problems with the new Wal-Mart area. The commissioners indicated that they had not heard of any.
Commissioner Collins brought up the access to the Silver Lake Bank. Sheila Schwalm of Heartland Realty reported that the bank already has an easement through the old Wal-Mart parking lot, and presented a map showing the area to the commissioners.
Tom indicated that we have parts and equipment estimates on the traffic signals. These will be presented at the next meeting.
7. Mayor Leon Trant
Mayor Trant asked Dave Grimm to tell about the grant for the city lake which he is working on.
Grimm is applying for a grant through the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks to fund a project which would stabilize approximately 2000 feet of the lake shoreline and put in two fishing peers. $23,693.33 in grant funds are being requested, which represents approximately 65% of the total project cost. $11,846.66 in available local funds would be needed, for a total project cost of $35,540.
Commissioner Collins asked if the dam was included in this project. Grimm replied that it would not be included.
Grimm indicated that this would be a 2007 budget item, and asked for approval to submit the grant.
Commissioner Gamble made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Shamburg, that the City of Hiawatha apply for the Community Fisheries Assistance Program Grant, for a total project cost of $35,540.00 and have the mayor sign the necessary documents. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
Mayor Trant indicated that they have an executive session after the commissioners discuss any items they have.
8. Com. William Collins
9. Com. Curtis Gamble
Commissioner Gamble asked Interim City Administrator Tom Armour if former City Administrator Carl Slaugh had had any discussion with him about the water leak adjustment policy and whether he had checked with other communities on their policies for this. Currently there is no allowance for people unable to pay the entire amount to be able to pay in installments. Commissioner Gamble would like to set up a policy to enable customers to do so.
Interim Administrator Armour indicated that he had not discussed this with him, but that he would try to get some information on it.
10. Com. Marianne Schmitt
11. Com. Steffen Shamburg
Commissioner Shamburg made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Collins, to go into executive session for the purpose of discussing non-elective personnel for a period of 15 minutes, and to include Interim City Administrator Tom Armour and Mayor-elect Crosby Gernon. Motion carried, 5 ayes. Commission went into executive session at 6:18 p.m.
Commissioner Shamburg made a motion at 6:38 p.m., seconded by Commissioner Schmitt, to extend the executive session by another 10 minutes. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
Commission returned from executive session at 6:48 p.m.
Commissioner Collins made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Shamburg, to return to open session. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
Mayor Trant reported that no action was taken in the executive session.
10. Adjourn
Commissioner Collins made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to adjourn. Motion carried, 5 ayes. Meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m.