May 15
CITY OF HIAWATHA
CITY COMMISSION MINUTES
MONDAY, MAY 15, 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, May 15, 2006 at 5:35 p.m. at City Hall with Mayor Gernon, Commissioner Collins, Commissioner Gamble, Commissioner Schmitt, and Commissioner Shamburg present.
2. Approval of minutes of the May 1, 2006 City Commission meeting.
Mayor Gernon requested that a correction to be made to page 3, paragraph 7, to remove the per cent signs from the 2.5 and 3.9 mills phrase. Commissioner Schmitt made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to approve the minutes with the correction. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
Commissioner
3. Presentation of petitions, public comments, memorials.
a. Jerry Gifford, Summerfest.
Mayor Gernon presented Jerry Gifford, who presented the commission with some Summerfest information and had Interim City Administrator Tom Armour distribute some sketches of the layout. He asked the commissioners to block off Seventh Street from Oregon to Utah Street and Sixth Street from Oregon to Utah Street back around to Seventh Street, leaving open the area in front of the post office, on June 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 or 4:30 p.m.. He also said that a few changes had been made from last year’s Summerfest. This year the tractors will be unloaded at the Ag Museum to avoid unloading problems. They will have the miniature horses this year, but no carnival. They are going to bring the rides from Everest so that the kids can have something to ride. There will be Geo-caching, a treasure hunt, put on by K-State through the Extension Office. There will be no bicycle rodeo this year. They are aiming for a more diversified crowd. Police Chief Evans Woehlecke & Street Supervisor Dennis Hartter usually help put up the barricades.
Commissioner Schmitt made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Collins, to approve the request from Jerry Gifford for Summerfest 2006. to block off the streets from Seventh Street from Oregon to Utah Street and Sixth Street from Oregon to south of Utah Street, leaving open the entrance to the post office, from 7:30 a.m. until approximately 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
Old Business
4. Reservoir Pump Repair Accept Quotes (Bid).
Interim City Administrator Tom Armour reported that the city had received three quotes on the repair work for the reservoir pump. Layne/Western Company declined to submit a quote because they felt they couldn’t provide a quote unless they pulled the pump first. Sargent Drilling submitted a quote for $5,592. Alexander Pump submitted the low quote for $4,936. All three companies indicate or imply that additional work may be necessary after the pump is lifted and the inspections of the pump, piping, packing box, and bearings, etc. have been completed.
Interim City Administrator Tom Armour recommended that they accept the quote from Alexander Pump Co. for $4,936.
Rick Koenig, Water Department Supervisor, mentioned that we have a maintenance contract with Layne/Western Company, and that we have had work done in the past by both of the other companies.
Commissioner Schmitt asked about voiding the contract with Layne/Western if we have another company come in and do the work. Koenig replied that the contract is for maintenance only, that it would not be necessary. Commissioner Schmitt asked what part of the bid was for materials, since Layne/Western Company offered a 10% discount on parts. Koenig gave the commission a copy of the bid information. .
Commissioner Schmitt said that it looked like about $3000 was for parts on both bids. She asked if he had been satisfied with Alexander Pump in the past, to which Koenig replied that he had been.
Commissioner Schmitt made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Collins, to accept the quote from Alexander Pump in the amount of $4,936 for the repair of the pump at the reservoir. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
New Business
5. Appointment of Jerry Aller to the Tree Board.
Commissioner Collins made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to appoint Jerry Aller to the Tree Board. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
6. Re-appointments of Betty Griebat and Dr. Delbert Larson to a second term on the Morrill Public Library Board.
Commissioner Collins made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to re-appoint Betty Griebat and Dr. Delbert Larson to the Morrill Public Library Board. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
7. Manhole Work.
City Administrator Tom Armour recommended accepting the Wagner Excavating, LLC, bid of $6400 to install two new manhole structures ten vertical feet in depth. Roger Engemann Drainage Co., Inc. bid $7400 for the installation.
One manhole is located at the northeast corner of the Carl Reid property where two sewer lines intersect with no way to clean the line running west under 73 highway with the city sewer jet. The second manhole is located in the alley south of the Marianne Schmitt CPA office where there is no way of getting the sewer jet in that sewer for any necessary cleaning.
Commissioner Collins asked if funding was in place for this project. Interim City Administrator Tom Armour replied that the money was in the budget.
Mayor Gernon asked Dave Grimm, Sewer Department Supervisor, if he was satisfied with work that Wagner Excavating had done in the past. Grimm replied that he was.
Commissioner Gamble made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Shamburg, to accept the Wagner Excavating bid for the installation of two manholes in the amount of $6400. Motion carried, 4 ayes. Commissioner Schmitt abstained.
8. CONSENT AGENDA
a. Appropriation Ordinance #1091 in the amount of $54,777.02.
b. Payroll Appropriation Ordinance #1058 in the amount of $33,397.49.
Commissioner Schmitt made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Collins, to approve the consent agenda as presented. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
9. Interim City Administrator Tom Armour.
Interim City Administrator Tom Armour said that he had ten items on the Administrative report.
He told the commission that the first item was a procedural item, that in looking over the ordinance he discovered that there was an ordinance which required that bids/quotes were to be made available for public inspection. This was not being done currently, and asked commission if this had this been done in the past.
Mayor Gernon asked how it had been done in the past.
Dave Grimm, Sewer Department Supervisor, said that [on the manhole project in item 7] he had solicited bids from the two companies he had used in the past. He did not advertise the bids.
Interim City Administrator Tom Armour suggested that the bids should be kept on the counter in the office for public inspection.
Commissioner Schmitt indicated that they have not been kept on the counter as far as she knew.
Interim City Administrator Tom Armour asked if he should draft an amendment to the code, but the commissioners didn’t feel that it would be necessary.
Commissioner Collins said he didn’t have a problem with the way the bids were being solicited. .
Mayor Gernon asked if it would be a problem to post the bids on the board or on the counter. They agreed that this should be done in the future.
No further action was taken.
Interim City Administrator Tom Armour requested that the commission have a short executive session for non-elected personnel before adjournment.
Interim City Administrator Tom Armour informed the commission that Dennis Benner had sent a letter indicating his desire to donate a park bench in memory of his father, George Benner, in the value of approximately$1500, and to place the bench at the Maple Grove Apartment Complex. Armour mentioned that native limestone products were available in the area, if that type of bench was selected. Benner also would like to have a stand-alone plaque or one embedded in the bench. He would also like to have a dedication ceremony with himself and city officials present. Interim Administrator Armour had visited Maple Grove Apartment Complex and located an available site.
Interim Administrator Tom Armour noted that the commission needs to have meetings at 6:30 p.m. on both Tuesday for an interview with John Kirk and Wednesday night for an interview with Eric Larson.
The substantial completion certificate for Schunemann Addition needs to be signed off. Interim City Administrator Tom Armour wanted to discuss it with the commission before he signed off on it. He said that for this type of government it should have gone to the Commission and Mayor instead of the City Administrator.
Interim City Administrator Tom Armour told the commission that the city had gotten notice from KDOT that they had turned us down on the application for the streetlight grant.
Also, a work session on the budget was scheduled for tonight after the meeting.
He also noted that Kevin Cowan [with Gilmore & Bell, P.C.] has asked to be on the agenda next week. Paperwork will be available for pubic inspection as to what went out to potential bidders on the bond sale.
Interim City Administrator Armour told the commission that the last payment request on Schunemann addition has been received from A.H.R.S. Construction Company for $77,134 and asked if it needed to be pre-approved or put on the agenda.
Commissioner Schmitt noted that they are usually a separate item on the agenda.
Commissioner Collins suggested that they also look at the sign-off on the Schunemann addition. Interim City Administrator Tom Armour indicated he had done a walk-through and came up with the $350 change order, which has been taken care. He expressed concern about doing that [signing off] without something in writing from the engineer and said that they need to follow up on that.
Mayor suggested that Armour should get the information for the next meeting.
10. Mayor Crosby Gernon.
Mayor Gernon asked about the procedure to schedule special meetings. Interim Adminstrator Armour answered that they need to schedule them officially and send out a notice to the radio and newspaper.
Mayor Gernon suggested that the city send a nice note to Dennis Benner.
He also mentioned that we need to keep after sesquicentennial funding. Interim City Administrator Tom Armour said that since it was not a budgeted item, the department heads would have to be asked to cut something in their budgets to come up with the funding.
Mayor Gernon also brought up that the Municipal Code also needs looked at, and asked what the status was. Interim Administrator Armour said that they were on Chapter 7 or Chapter 8. Commissioner Shamburg said they had skipped a portion of that. Commissioner Gamble explained that was because they needed to some kind of research on it. Mayor Gernon stated that he would like to see the revised copy.
11. Com. William Collins.
12. Com. Curtis Gamble.
13. Com. Marianne Schmitt.
14. Com. Steffen Shamburg.
Commissioner Shamburg made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to go into a short executive session for 15 minutes to discuss non-elective personnel and to return at 6:30 p.m., and to include Interim Administrator Tom Armour. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
Commissioner Collins made a motion at 6:32 p.m., seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to return to regular session. Motion carried, 5 ayes.
15. Adjourn.
Commissioner Schmitt made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to adjourn. Motion carried, 5 ayes. Meeting adjourned at 6:33 p.m.