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CITY
COUNCIL MEETING October
11, 2011 5:15
P.M. The city council met in
adjourned session from the meeting of September 6, 2011 with the following
present: Mayor Jack E. Rowden;
Councilmen Gary Baughman, Mike Eshbaugh, Greg Gill, Kim Harper, and Bob Mason.
Others present were Outside
Utilities Supervisor Dean Banker, City Clerk Thomas G. Hicks, Chief of Police
Courtney Leslie, City Inspector Tony Martin, Electric System Supervisor Gary
Rowden, City Attorney Wayne R. Tate, Deanna Burkhart, Beth Looney, Alvin Riley,
and Ken Roberts. Mayor Jack E. Rowden
presided. The minutes of the meeting of
September 6, 2011 were approved as mailed. Each member of the governing
body was presented a copy of Municipal Judge Sherri Leonard’s report for the
month of September, showing 31 new cases brought before the court and $3,488.50
remitted to the city. Councilman Gary Baughman
arrived at 5:18 p.m. CITY INSPECTOR City Inspector Tony Martin
presented his monthly activities report. CHARGE OFFS Motion by Mike Eshbaugh,
seconded by Bob Mason, that uncollectible utility accounts in the amount of
$3,959.71 be charged off with every effort made to collect the accounts.
Motion carried. ORGANIZATIONS Deanna Burkhart, with Black
Hills Energy, made her annual public relations appearance on behalf of the local
natural gas provider. GOLF COURSE Alvin Riley reported
$2,000.00 remains from the financing for the golf carts shed.
The golf course board wants the city council to add an additional
$3,000.00 to the left-over funds for concrete around the shed.
Motion by Kim Harper, seconded by Greg Gill, to approve the $5,000.00
expenditure. Motion carried. GOLF COURSE Riley reported the golf
course needs to pump an additional 23 ˝ million gallons of water by the end of
the year to perfect the additional water rights at the golf course. POWER SUPPLY Beth Looney and Ken Roberts,
representing Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Sunflower Electric Power
Corporation, presented two offers for the City of Hugoton to consider for the
city’s future energy needs. The
first offer of a power supply and capacity agreement would provide for the city
to purchase all its energy requirements from Pioneer Electric and for Sunflower
Electric to purchase the capacity rights to the city’s electrical generators.
Pioneer would bill the city for Pioneer’s cost of energy plus three
mills for the first three years of the contract, plus four mills for the next
three years of the contract, and plus five mills for each year thereafter until
the contract is terminated by either party.
Based on 2010 data, Pioneer is estimating the city’s purchase costs
would increase approximately $360,000 over the city’s current contract that
expires May 31, 2012. The second
proposal was for the purchase of the city’s electric system.
The preliminary value range was for all assets of the distribution system
and for the lease of the power plant for 15 years.
The generating resources would remain the property of the city.
The city would be required to maintain and staff the power plant at the
city’s expense. All mandated
environmental upgrades would be the responsibility of the city, although
Sunflower would contribute $160,000.00 towards the costs of complying with RICE/NESHAP
regulations. Hugoton customers would
be required to pay an additional $.005 to $.01 per kWh, excluding large power
accounts, for 15 years. Rates to
Hugoton customers are projected to be only slightly lower than the new rates
under the power supply and capacity agreement.
And, if Pioneer’s system was down due to storms, the city would not be
able to generate to Hugoton customers. Motion by Bob Mason, seconded
by Greg Gill, that the meeting go into executive session in regard to personnel
matters. Motion carried.
Mayor Rowden called the meeting into executive session at 6:37 p.m. with
the meeting to reconvene in open session at 6:57 p.m. The meeting reconvened in
open session at 6:55 p.m. PARKS Motion by Councilman Bob
Mason, seconded by Councilman Gary Baughman, to have city employees, under the
supervision of Dean Banker and Pat Hall, install an underground sprinkler system
in the three east blocks of Raydene Park. Motion
carried. PERSONNEL Councilman Mike Eshbaugh
circulated a proposed change in the on-call time policy for city employees.
The proposal calls for three hours of regular time be paid for each day
of on-call time with time and one-half paid for hours actually worked.
Currently, on-call employees under the supervision of the outside
utilities supervisor receive six hours of regular time for each day.
Those employees spend two hours each day reading and recording the water
wells and checking the sewer system. The
proposed change would result in three hours of regular time and two hours of
overtime, the equivalent of the current practice of six hours of regular time.
The city clerk was instructed to prepare a revised ordinance. WATER RATES An annual review of the city
water rates was conducted. No
changes were made at this time. TAX ABATEMENT Motion by Harper, seconded by
Mason, that Ordinance No. 785, AN ORDINANCE EXEMPTING CERTAIN PROPERTY IN THE
CITY OF HUGOTON, KANSAS FROM AD VALOREM TAXATION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
PURPOSES, be passed. In favor of the
motion: Councilman Baughman, yes;
Councilman Eshbaugh, yes; Councilman Gill, yes; Councilman Harper, yes; and
Councilman Mason, yes. Motion
carried. DRAINAGE The National Flood Insurance
program was again discussed. The
consensus was not to pass a resolution for participation in the program. FINANCE Motion by Harper, seconded by
Gill, to accept the contract with Hay – Rice and Associates for an amount not
to exceed $9,950.00 for the audit of the 2011 city records.
Motion carried. Claims against the city were
presented and audited. Motion by
Harper, seconded by Gill, that Appropriation Ordinances No. 1943 and 1944 be
passed. Motion carried. BIDS Motion by Harper, seconded by
Gill, to accept the bid of White Star Machinery to purchase a S650 Bobcat
skid-steer loader for $3,636.68. Motion
carried. TRAFFIC Keeping non-local truck
traffic off Washington Street, West City Limits, and First Street was discussed.
Prior to taking action, Councilman Harper suggested a meeting be set up
with the County Commissioners. TRAFFIC Chief of Police Courtney
Leslie suggested stop signs be placed at Eighth and Polk, Eighth and Harrison,
Eighth and Van Buren, Eighth and Jackson, and Fourth and Van Buren.
Motion by Harper, seconded by Mason, to install the stop signs.
Motion carried. PERSONNEL While short-handed, the
police department was operating on 12-hour shifts.
The police department would like to continue the 12-hour shifts on a
permanent basis. The 12-hour shifts
leave the officers short of 40 hours one week and over 40 hours the next week.
As a result, the city is paying out more in overtime than under the
eight-hour shift method. The city
can limit the overtime exposure by use of a 7 (k) exemption for public safety
personnel. With the city’s
bi-weekly pay period, officers would not receive overtime compensation until
after 86 hours. The city clerk was
instructed to prepare an amendment to “Section 1-511 of the Code of the City
of Hugoton, Kansas” to provide for the 7 (k) exemption. Motion by Eshbaugh, seconded
by Harper, that the meeting go into executive session in regard to personnel
matters. Motion carried.
Rowden called the meeting into executive session at 7:52 p.m. with the
meeting to reconvene in open session at 7:57 p.m.
The meeting reconvened in
open session at 7:55 p.m. TRANSIENT GUEST TAX Gardell Schnable, a member of
the board of convention and tourism activities, has moved from the community.
Mayor Rowden announced the appointment of Gregg Errebo to fill the
unexpired term. Motion by Kim
Harper, seconded by Mike Eshbaugh, to confirm the appointment.
Motion carried. Motion by Harper, seconded by
Gill, that the meeting be adjourned to November 7, 2011 at 5:15 p.m.
Motion carried.
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