November 23, 2009 City Council Minutes
Meade, Kansas

The meeting was called to order in the Council Meeting Room by Mayor Bud Doerflinger at 7:00 P.M. Council members present were: Richard Knott, Lance DeLissa, Edward Dye, Chris Hartnett, and Cliff Hailey. Also present were: City Administrator Dean Cordes and City Clerk Tiffany Neel. Visitors were: Joe Mertens, Max Papay, Mike Gillen, Kalani Spurgeon, Trevin & Angela Bachman, Roy Seybert, Tom Kuhns, Wilma Pennington, Barb Feldman and Jim Woodruff.

First on the agenda was the utility hearing, 1 person was given an extension.

The Cemetery Board was present to talk to the Council about a letter they have received from the City about the leakage problems with the water line from the park to the cemetery. Mertens said he does not think they need to put in a new line and stated that it would not cost too much for the City to fix the line. Trevin Bachman said there are other non-money making things the City helps take care of; for instance, the swimming pool and the City park. DeLissa asked what would be the cost effectiveness if the cemetery drilled a Well of their own. Feldman asked when the line was put in and how many times it has been repaired. Cordes said the easement was signed in 1932 and we have patched the line several times. Dye asked if the City and the Cemetery could do a joint venture to help pay for the cost. The City is to get prices on repairing the line and the Cemetery Board is to get prices to drill a Well.

Annexation was discussed at this time. Cordes presented a map to square up the City of Meade. This map was for information only. Papay asked the Council why they were looking at annexing property at this time. Hartnett said there is a grey line if you currently have utilities with the City then you should pay to be in the City. Dye asked the Council how they would like it if it was their property. DeLissa said there are some properties in total underbrush and there may be a liability to bring them into the City.

The November 9th, 2009 minutes were approved as written.

Building permit #9037 was approved on motion made by Hartnett, seconded by Hailey with all in favor. Cordes presented the revised Ordinance #618 for the Councils review. Discussion will be had at the next council meeting.

Cordes updated that the concrete access road at the airport is almost poured. They have 2 parking lots to finish. Dye asked how wide it will be, Cordes said the access road will be 24 feet.

Neel asked the Council if they would like to approve the 1.98% increase for the Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance premium. The consensus of the Council was to approve the increase of 1.98%.

Cordes informed the Council that a notice to abate nuisance has been served to the citizens on the corner of Adams and Baltimore.

New Business:

Cordes said Borger has been in contact with him about having the color of the new police vehicle silver.

Cordes asked if the Council would like to put the old bucket truck up for sealed bid or keep it. Cordes said we could use it to trim trees, repair electric poles and it is small enough to fit in tight alleys. Dye said it would be fine to keep it if it is not costing the City a lot of money. DeLissa asked if the hydraulic valve was fixed, Woodruff said it is not giving them any problems at this time.

Cordes said he had talked to Joe Boatwright a few weeks ago and Boatwright said there is a pole line company that went out of business and had to send their digger trucks back to the leasing companies. At this time there are a few trucks to choose from at a cheaper rate and Cordes was wondering if the Council would allow the City guys to look the trucks over. Knott said it should be Cordes’ judgment.

Cordes said at the Zoning Meeting there is a couple that wants to put a business in a residential district. They will need a special use permit and it will have to be published in the paper 20 days prior to the public hearing. The Zoning will meet on the 23rd or 28th of December but the special use permit will also need the approval of the Council.

Neel brought the proposed raise sheet for the Councils review. Dye said the insurance went up 1.98% and the cost of living is at -0- this year. Knott stated that if you do not give a raise now then you will have to give a 4% to 5% raise in the future. Knott made a motion to give the employees a 2% raise, seconded by DeLissa with 4 in favor, Dye voted no.

Neel asked if the Council would like to give a Christmas turkey or ham to the employees and committees that work for the City. Dye stated that he would like to give turkeys to the full time employees only because the City is already giving too much. Cordes stated that the people on the committees do not get paid and the only thing they look forward to is a turkey for Christmas. Hartnett made a motion to give the same as last year to employees and committees, seconded by Hailey with 4 in favor, Dye voted no.

Neel asked if the Council would like to give Christmas bonuses to the employees as they have done in the past. Knott asked what the general publics’ thoughts were. Bachman’s said they reward their employees for their work. Knott made a motion to give employees the same bonuses as in the past, seconded by Hartnett with 4 in favor, Dye voted no.

Neel asked the Council if they would like to have Hays-Rice & Associates audit the City for the 2009 business year. Dye made a motion to accept Hays-Rice & Associates, seconded by Hailey with all in favor.

Neel asked if the Council would like to change anything on the airport lease agreement contract. Every 5 years a new contract is signed by all lessees. No changes were made.

Neel asked the Council if they would approve the software and support contracts for CIC and Municipal Supply. Hartnett made a motion to approve the contract for CIC in the amount of $5,555, seconded by DeLissa. Hartnett made a motion to approve the contract for Municipal Supply in the amount of $750, seconded by Hailey with all in favor.

Neel told the Council that $75,000 of the city sales tax has been collected for the year and asked if she could transfer $25,000 from the general fund to the curb and gutter fund and $50,000 from the general fund to the special equipment fund as was set up to do when the money had been received. The Council agreed to do so.

Mayor’s Report:

Mayor wanted to let the citizens know that Alco/Duckwalls are sponsoring a canned food drive from November 23rd to December 6th, 2009. Please help support the local food drive.

Dye wanted to know why we did not mention the name of the citizen who wanted to put in a liquor store. He asked if the Council knew this person and why they allowed him to come in if they did not know him. DeLissa said we have not given this citizen a permit to sell we just opened up the door to whomever wanted to open a liquor store. Dye also wanted a copy of the last 2 months phone bills.

Hartnett made a motion to go into executive session for personnel matters of non-elective personnel with Dean Cordes for 15 minutes, seconded by Dye with all in favor. No action was taken.

Hartnett made a motion to go into executive session for personnel matters of non-elective personnel with Tiffany Neel for 15 minutes, seconded by Dye with all in favor. No action was taken.

With no further business to come before the Council Hailey made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Hartnett with all in favor.

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Bud Doerflinger, Mayor

Attest:

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Tiffany Neel, City Clerk