February 19
CITY OF HIAWATHA
CITY COMMISSION MINUTES
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2007
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 on Monday, February 19, 2007, at 5:35 p.m at City Hall with Mayor Gernon, Commissioner Gamble and Commissioner Collins present. Commissioner Schmitt and Commissioner Shamburg were absent.
2. CONSENT AGENDA
a. Approval of minutes of the February 12, 2007, City Commission meeting
b. Payroll appropriation #1077 in the amount of $38,381.95.
c. Approval of Utility Refunds in the amount of $178.34.
d. Approval of Payment to the State Treasurer for Interest in the amount of $126,052.11 and Principal in the amount of$30,975.00 for the Series A 2005 G.O. Bond for the Waste Water Treatment Plant, for a total amount of $157,027.11.
e. Approval of Construction Contractor’s License for Michael S. Hundley Construction, Inc.
Mayor Gernon noted a correction to be made on page one of the minutes of the February 12, 2007 City Commission Meeting, in Item 3b, to change “in” to “it” in the second sentence and change “25” to “20”.
Commissioner Gamble made a motion, seconded by Mayor Gernon, to approve the Consent Agenda with the noted correction to the minutes. Motion carried. 3 ayes.
a. Public Hearing for the Owner, his Agent, Lien Holders of Record, and Occupants of the Real Estate at Lot 1, 1310 Iowa St., Hiawatha, Kansas, may Appear and Show Cause Why Such Structures and Conditions Should not be Condemned and Ordered Repaired, Demolished, or Removed or Made Safe as to the Said Dangerous Structures or Dangerous Conditions.
Mayor Gernon opened the public hearing at 6:38 p.m.
There being no public comments, the public hearing was closed 6:39 p.m.
Old Business
New Business
4. Consider Authorizing the City Administrator to Complete and Sign Cooperative Agreement between Kansas State University Kansas Forest Service and the Hiawatha Fire Department.
Administrator Ladner explained that the Hiawatha Fire Department had received notice from the Kansas Forest Service that as part of the program that allows us to receive cost-share grants and/or federal excess personal property, it is necessary to complete and sign an updated Cooperative Agreement.
She said that she would like the Commission to authorize her to complete and sign the agreement.
Mayor Gernon asked if this had been done every year.
Administrator Ladner said that it had not been done every year, but that the State is currently updating their records and is making everyone redo this agreement.
She explained that some of the grants that the Fire Department applies for come through this cost-share program, and that the Fire Department does receive from time to time federal excess property. She said that according to the State we have signed these agreements before.
Commissioner Gamble and Commissioner Collins did not recall having seen one in the past, and would like to have the City Attorney look it over before they sign it.
No further action was taken. It will be scheduled to come back before the Commission at a later date.
5. BG Consultants to Discuss Options for Construction of the Post Lantern Project.
Administrator Ladner explained that she had met last week with Brian Kingsley, Mayor Gernon, Mike Lynch from Torgeson Electric and the Post Lantern Committee concerning the options for construction of the Post Lantern Project.
She said that there were four options in the memo provided by Brian Kingsley, BG Consultants.
Item No. 1 Staff and the committee recommended that the City purchase an additional ten fixtures for the Post Lantern Project. The fixtures for the project have custom components due to the lack of hand holes in the existing pole bases. The most economical time to purchase spare fixtures is with this original order.
These additional fixtures would cost $455.00 each for the fixture and $39.00 each for the globes for a total of $4,940.00.
Administrator Ladner explained that the cost of these fixtures could double if purchased later due to the custom components inside the fixture.
Item No. 2 The committee reviewed and confirmed the prior decision to utilize the Sternberg standard color of “Park Green” for the project. This color is a slightly darker shade of green than the existing poles in the sample pole project.
A custom color could have been used on the project for an additional charge. General consensus of the committee concluded that utilizing the standard color rather than a custom color will be better in the long term for the cost of replacement and ease of matching the color.
During the review of the colors for poles and fixtures on the project, it was noted that the color of 15 poles to remain and receive new fixtures would not match the new color. Upon further observation, the committee and staff concluded that the condition of the poles warrant replacement. These 15 poles are a part of the original Post Lantern example project and have acorn style heads.
The refinishing of these 15 poles and bases, including new foundations and poles would cost $16,620.00.
Item No. 3 The City may be able to utilize the existing poles discussed in Item No. 2 above in other areas of town including city park areas or along trails. This option includes the cost of new bases so the poles can remain assembled until utilized by the City at other locations around town.
The cost of providing new bases in addition to Item No. 2 above would be $7,575.00.
Administrator Ladner said that Rick Koenig, Lights Superintendent, suggested that we could use those 15 poles to put along the walkway between the Aquatic Center and Noble Park. He also said that the City has more of these poles, bases and fixtures of that style which could be combined with some of the poles in Item 2 and add to the Hiawatha Lake lighting.
Item No. 4 Although the color of the existing poles and the Sternberg standard color “Park Green” are similar, they are still different. After a brief debate of whether the color was substantially different the committee and staff decided to quantify the option of disassembling and refinishing the 18 pole example project to match the new standard color.
The cost of disassembling and refinishing the 18 pole example project to match the park green color would be $14,958.00.
Administrator Ladner said that those are the recommendations of the committee. It is up to the Commission to decide which option they would like to exercise.
Rance Hixson, Post Lantern Streetlight Committee Member, stated that the consensus of the committee was that the 18 pole demonstration project on Delaware Street be left as it is. He explained that the difference in the color of the Sternberg fixture in comparison with the color of the demo streetlights looked like quite a difference when compared side by side, but from across the street one could barely notice the difference. They felt that the standard color would keep down costs later on when it came time to repaint them. He said that it was the committee’s decision to leave the 18 light demo project as they are, and to replace the 15 in the residential area under the same program they are doing the other 351. The reasoning behind getting an inventory of globes and heads was because of the custom design work that has gone into these heads. They felt that the vendor may take advantage of the custom design to charge a substantial cost to replace the heads ten years down the line. It was their understanding that according to the original bids, there was a substantial cost on the replacement globes to start with.
Administrator Ladner said that Sternberg has agreed that if we purchase additional globes at this time, to meet the price of the competitor of $39 per globe. Their original replacement price was $105.
Mayor Gernon asked if the 15 poles on the acorn head project were going to be repainted.
Administrator Ladner said that they would be repainted. She said that the question was whether or not to replace the cast iron bases. She said that the 15 poles have the bases that were done by Schuetz Tool and Die. They have an access panel in the bases. In this new project, the bases will not have an access panel, which is why they have all the customization in the fixture head. Therefore, those bases will look significantly different than even the new replacement bases which will have to be used with this project. She explained that those poles were very faded in comparison with the new ones. The poles would cost $55 for new ones.
She said that she would like to see them repainted black and put between the Aquatic Center and Nobel Park, and use whatever is left for additional lighting at Hiawatha City Lake.
Mayor Gernon asked Mike Lynch with Torgeson Electric for an update on the progress of their crew.
Torgeson replied that they had not done anything this past week nor had they scheduled anything for this week because of the bad weather. They had estimated it would take a month to take down all of the light poles, and two weeks into the project they have about one-half done.
Rance Hixson said that if the bases were all painted the same color, they would not be able to notice the difference in color.
Mayor Gernon asked how much contingency was built into the bid
Administrator Ladner explained that she thought there was 10 to 15%.
Mayor Gernon said that he was in favor of ordering the ten additional fixtures at this time. Also, he was in favor of saving the money on the bases, and matching the color. He thought they should also replace the 15 acorn fixtures.
Mike Lynch with Torgeson Electric said that they would have to have the commitment to do the 15 bases because the bid only included replacing the head on those 15 poles.
Rance Hixson pointed out that BG Consultants had only put in a 5% contingency. Administrator Ladner said that she herself had put in a 10% contingency.
Mayor Gernon asked Mike Lynch how soon he would need to have a decision on the options, and if he could wait until they had a full commission present to make the decision.
Lynch said that they would need to know by the time they were finished removing the poles, approximately two weeks from now. He said that he was hoping to do all of his ventilation at the same time, and those 15 poles would affect that. He said that if that was a problem he could probably hold off a little longer.
Administrator Ladner said that Sternberg was holding the City’s order until they found out how many they needed for sure, and if we were going to order the extra ten fixtures. If the Commission does not make a decision on Item No. 1 this evening, then it could delay getting the fixtures in.
Administrator Ladner showed the Commission what the customization involved in the fixtures, that it concerned the fuses in the fixtures which were normally in the bases; since we were reusing the old bases and would not have an access panel to get to those fuses, the fuse panels had to be built into the head of the fixture.
She explained that the reason we needed to have the extra fixtures was because if one became damaged or became defective, it could be replaced right away, and if it had to be ordered the cost would be significantly higher because it would be a special order.
Commissioner Collins made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to approve Item No. 1, to purchase ten additional fixtures at a cost of $455.00 each and ten additional globes at a cost of $39.00 each for a total of $4,940.00 for the Post Lantern Project. Motion carried, 3 ayes.
Discussion on the remaining options was tabled until the meeting on March 5.
6. Executive Session to Discuss Sale of Real Estate.
Commissioner Collins made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Gamble, to go to Executive Session for a period of ten minutes and include City Administrator Lynne Ladner. Motion carried. 3 ayes. The Commission went into Executive Session at 6:07 p.m.
Commissioner Gamble made a motion at 6:17 p.m., seconded by Commissioner Collins, to return to regular session. Motion carried. 3 ayes.
7. Lynne Ladner, City Administrator.
Administrator Ladner told the Commission she would be attending the Main Street Workshop in Topeka on Tuesday, February 20. She said that this was a required session if the City wanted to be considered for a Main Street Community.
8. Mayor Crosby Gernon.
Mayor Gernon said that he will be gone next week and would like to move the administrator’s evaluation until the following week, March 5.
9. Com. William Collins.
Commissioner Collins said that he had been contacted by Russell Stover concerning the hay bids for the city. Russell Stover was present to discuss the situation with the previous bidding on the hay ground. He stated that according to the advertisement and also according to Dave Grimm prior the bidding selection that the bids for the hay ground could be bid separately from the crop ground and were to be bid by the bale. He said that the bid form plainly said “and/or,” that you didn’t have to bid on the row crop on the other property, and that it specified bid per bale, not per acre.
Administrator Ladner explained that there was a misunderstanding concerning the “and/or” in the ad. She said that on the advice of the City Attorney Don Cashman, the City would be putting that property [Hansbury Springs] back out for re-bid. She said that the new bid will be per acre, with the option to be used for hay ground or row crop.
Stover said that it stated that it could not be used for row crop. Administrator Ladner said that it only stated chemicals could not be used there, not that it had to be used as hay.
Mayor Gernon apologized for the confusion, but said that the City needs to follow the advice of the City Attorney and put the property up for re-bid.
Commissioner Collins apologized that the process was not done properly the first time. He had thought that all of the ground had been put up for a “per acre” bid initially, and that hay ground was not involved.
10. Com. Curtis Gamble.
11. Com. Marianne Schmitt.
12. Com. Steffen Shamburg.
13. Adjourn.
Commissioner Gamble made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Collins, to adjourn. Motion carried. 3 ayes. The meeting adjourned at 6:27 p.m.