The Washington City Council adopted the 2021 budget and heard construction updates when it met Monday night at City Hall. Present were Roxanne Schottel, Don Imhoff and Kevin Elder. Absent were mayor Ryan Kern and council members Theresa Herrs and Melanie Bryant.
The city’s 2021 budget will be funded in part by a tax rate of 46.011 mills, a decrease of .364 of a mill from a year ago. The total includes 28.990 mills for the general fund, eight mills for the library and 9.021 mills for employee benefits. The library and employee benefit levies are unchanged from the 2020 budget. The general fund levy is down .364 of a mill from last year.
City administrator Carl Chalfant said crews were ahead of schedule on the water project. The council authorized payment of $418,698 to Orr Wyatt Streetscapes for the fifth project payment. The contractor is close to installing everything north of U.S. 36, except for the work around the square and on C Street, Chalfant said. He would like to see the work on College Street finished before school starts.
The contractor will bring in separate concrete and landscaping crews when it is time for that work, Chalfant said.
Curing and testing continue on the portions of B Street where concrete has been poured. Chalfant said it may be possible to open B Street from Second to College on Aug. 10. Then, B Street will be closed from College Street north to begin work on the box culvert that needs to be replaced at the intersection of B and College. Water lines are in on College and have had a pressure test and been disinfected. The chlorinated water has been flushed. Once results of a water sample are received, crews will start tying in individual services before the box culvert construction begins. Chalfant said he is in contact regularly with USD 108 about the construction work as the district prepares bus routes for the start of school. The council approved the third payment of $120,874.79 to Vogts Parga Construction and change order 2 for the city’s share of the B Street project.
Chalfant said he would like to ask Vogts Parga Construction for a price to replace failed concrete north of Short Stop on Sixth Street.
Gene Martin asked the council if it planned to proceed with its housing demolition program during the public comment portion of the meeting. Properties, with pending applications, were inspected in March and photos were taken, but the program was suspended in April due to changes at the landfill because of the coronavirus. City Attorney Libby Baskerville Hiltgen said applications could be reviewed at the council’s next meeting. Martin said his project was not funded last year and he was hoping it had moved up on the list. Council members said they had more requests than funds a year ago.
In other business, the council:
• Approved a motion to offer employment to journeyman lineman Alexander Crane, St. Marys. Chalfant was authorized to negotiate a starting salary. The motion followed a 17-minute executive session that included the city administrator, attorney and clerk.
• Amended a city ordinance to bring the period for selling fireworks and shooting them off into alignment. The dates will be June 27-July 5.
• Authorized the city administrator to spend up to $45,000 for a dump truck.
• Learned that the Washington Ambulance had passed inspection by the Board of Emergency Medical Services with no deficiencies.
• Met in executive session for five minutes to discuss employee performance. The closed session included the city administrator, attorney and clerk. No action was taken after returning to open session.
• Accepted the resignation of Kylee Nikkel as summer help.
In his report, Chalfant said the last day for the swimming pool would be Aug. 15. Chalfant said the bank stabilization project was finished and paperwork was completed.
The Kansas League of Municipalities meeting will be virtual this year. Employee years of service typically are honored by the League during this meeting. Anniversaries include Mike Manning and Meyler Gibbs, 40 years; Denise Powell and Leland Cook, 20 years.
A large cottonwood tree below the dam fell over in the middle of the fishing hole there. Chalfant said the city will need to do something to avoid damage to a wing wall.
The council decided to wait to purchase new copies of Standard Traffic Ordinances and the Uniform Public Offense Code until next year in anticipation of several changes due to COVID-19. Usually, the city updates the manuals every two years.
Materials for the new library roof arrived last week and work began on Monday.
Schottel asked if the city had submitted its request for coronavirus relief funds that had been distributed to the county. A meeting was scheduled Tuesday morning to discuss the distribution of the funds. Powell said some of the COVID-19 expenses the city thought might be covered are not.