The city council met in adjourned session from the meeting of April 21, 2008 with the following present: Mayor Jack E. Rowden; Councilmen Gary Baughman, Mike Eshbaugh, Greg Gill, and Kim Harper. Absent: Councilman Bob Mason.

Others present were Outside Utilities Supervisor Dean Banker, City Clerk Thomas G. Hicks, Chief of Police Steve Lewis, City Inspector Tony Martin, Electric System Supervisor Gary Rowden, City Attorney Wayne R. Tate, Berneice DeWitt, Neal Gillespie, Courtney Leslie, and Ruthie Winget.

Mayor Jack E. Rowden presided.

BIDS

The temporary note issued last year to finance the water main replacement project along Main Street comes due May 15, 2008. Because the project is not complete, bids were opened for $425,000.00 in temporary notes to renew the financing.

Citizens State Bank 2.05%

Commerce Bank 3.00%

DeWaay Financial Network 3.30%

Motion by Councilman Gary Baughman, seconded by Councilman Mike Eshbaugh, to accept the bid of Citizens State Bank. In favor of the motion: Councilmen Gary Baughman, Mike Eshbaugh, and Greg Gill. Abstained: Councilman Kim Harper. Motion carried.

Motion by Councilman Baughman, seconded by Councilman Gill, that Resolution No. 2008-3, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION TEMPORARY NOTES, SERIES 2008 OF THE CITY OF HUGOTON, KANSAS, IN THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF $425,000 FOR THE TEMPORARY FINANCING OF A PORTION OF THE COSTS OF CONSTRUCTION OF CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CITY; RENEWING GENERAL OBLIGATION TEMPORARY NOTES OF THE CITY PREVIOUSLY ISSUED FOR SUCH PURPOSE; ESTABLISHING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE TERMPORARY NOTES AND APPROVING AN INCREASE IN THE ESTIMATED COSTS OF THE IMPROVEMENTS FOR PAYMENT OF INTEREST COSTS, be passed. Motion carried.

The minutes of the meetings of April 7, 2008 and April 21, 2008 were approved as mailed.

Each member of the governing body was provided a copy of Municipal Judge Sherri Leonard’s report for the month of April, showing 11 new cases brought before the court and $2,440.72 remitted to the city.

City inspector Tony Martin presented a monthly activities report.

The city inspector has been working with Mick Whetstone to get the property at 101 S. Jackson cleaned up. Motion by Harper, seconded by Eshbaugh, that the city tear down the house and clean up the property for $500.00 plus the concrete tonnage costs at the landfill. Motion carried.

Motion by Greg Gill, seconded by Mike Eshbaugh, that Kim Harper be elected "President of the Council". Motion carried.

Motion by Baughman, seconded by Eshbaugh, that Citizens State Bank and First National Bank be designated official depositories for the city. In favor of the motion: Baughman, Eshbaugh, and Gill. Abstained: Harper. Motion carried.

Motion by Baughman, seconded by Gill, to designate the Hugoton Hermes as the official city paper. Motion carried.

Economic Development Director Neal R. Gillespie provided the city council with the results of the Stevens County Economic Development Board’s strategic plan. Motion by Harper, seconded by Eshbaugh to adopt the plan dated 2-7-2008 as presented. Motion carried.

Motion by Harper, seconded by Eshbaugh, that Resolution No. 2008-2, A RESOLUTION RECONFIRMING SUPPORT FOR THE QUALIFYING REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN AND REQUESTING THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE & HOUSING REAPPROVE THE COUNTY OF STEVENS AS A KANSAS ENTERPRISE ZONE DESIGNATED NON-METROPOLITAN BUSINESS REGION, be passed. Motion carried.

Berneice DeWitt appeared before the governing body to question the decision to spend such a large sum of money for the downtown improvements. Ms. Dewitt also asked about the type of improvements and the timeline for the project. A notice will be published in the newspaper to notify interested citizens of the next meeting of the downtown improvement committee.

Mayor Jack E. Rowden announced the re-appointment of John Akers and Tony Hall to the golf course board. Motion by Kim Harper, seconded by Mike Eshbaugh, to confirm the appointments. Motion carried. The terms will expire in April, 2011.

City Clerk Thomas G. Hicks presented comparisons of the 2007 mill levy rates for 2008 for second class cities in Kansas as compiled by the League of Kansas Municipalities. The City of Hugoton’s mill levy rate of 40.308 ranked as the thirty-second lowest out of 92 cities. But for mills levied in the city by all taxing units, Hugoton ranks as the sixth lowest.

The city clerk reported the city has been paid for last summer’s hail damage to the roof at the south power plant. The insurance company’s adjuster alerted the city about the condition of the roof. In 1993, the Duro-Last roofing material was installed over the vents, causing the roof to balloon and to pull the fasteners off. Both Duro-Last Roofing, the manufacturer, and Garden City Roofing and Insulation, the installer, were contacted about the problem. Duro-Last sent a representative out to examine the roof and reported the damage was due to hail. Garden City Roofing did not respond. Motion by Gill, seconded by Harper, to accept the bid of Moore’s Roofing Company, Inc. for $52,248.00 for a new Duro-Last roof system. Motion carried.

Claims against the city were presented and audited. Motion by Harper, seconded by Eshbaugh, that Appropriation Ordinances No. 1861 and 1862 be passed. Motion carried.

Motion by Harper, seconded by Gill, that the meeting go into executive session in regard to personnel matters. Motion carried. Mayor Rowden called the meeting into executive session at 6:30 p.m. with the meeting to reconvene in open session at 6:45 p.m.

The meeting reconvened in open session at 6:45 p.m.

Motion by Harper, seconded by Gill, that the meeting go into executive session in regard to personnel matters. Motion carried. Rowden called the meeting into executive session at 6:49 p.m. with the meeting to reconvene in open session at 6:59 p.m.

The meeting reconvened in open session at 6:52 p.m.

Outside Utilities Supervisor Dean Banker presented a bid to insulate the back of the shed at 105 East Fourth. No action was taken.

Motion by Harper, seconded by Gill, to add the west side of the intersection at Second and Jackson to the list of improvements approved at the April 7, 2008 city council meeting. Motion carried. McBride Construction is replacing the east side and had bid $6,655.00 for the west side.

Mayor Rowden announced the following annual appointments.

Outside Utilities Supervisor Dean Banker

City Treasurer Belva Hickey

City Clerk Thomas G. Hicks

Municipal Judge Sherri Leonard

City Inspector Tony Martin

Electric System Supervisor Gary Rowden

City Attorney Wayne R. Tate

Motion by Greg Gill, seconded by Kim Harper, that the appointments be confirmed. Motion carried.

Mayor Rowden announced the appointment of Courtney Leslie as Interim Chief of Police. Motion by Gill, seconded by Baughman to confirm the appointment. Motion carried.

Motion by Gill, seconded by Eshbaugh, that the meeting go into executive session in regard to personnel matters. Motion carried. Rowden called the meeting into executive session at 7:50 p.m. with the meeting to reconvene in open session at 7:55 p.m.

The meeting reconvened in open session at 8:00 p.m.

Motion by Gill, seconded by Harper, that Interim Chief of Police Courtney Leslie’s wage rate be set at $20.00 per hour. If she does not apply for the chief of police position or is not selected as the chief of police, her wage rate will return to her prior salary on the date a new chief of police is appointed. Motion carried.

Motion by Baughman, seconded by Gill, that the meeting be adjourned to June 9, 2008 at 5:15 p.m. Motion carried.