The Hugoton City Council met for their regular meeting Monday, August 8 in the basement of the City Office. Attending were councilmen Frankie Thomas, Shannon Crawford and Jason Teeter. Also present were Mayor Jack Rowden, City Inspector Joshua Grubbs, Outside Utilities Supervisor Paul Nordyke, City Clerk Tom Hicks, City Attorney Wayne Tate and Chief of Police Courtney Leslie. Councilmen Dan Corpening and Dean Banker were absent.
The minutes of last month’s meeting were approved after a small correction. The municipal judge’s report for July 2015 was also approved. The council then heard from Joshua Grubbs. He reported the weed violations have decreased.
The council heard from two representatives with Black Hills Energy. They said Bernard Smith’s retirement went smoothly, and the transition to the employee has been almost unnoticeable. Ronnie reported Black Hills is now contracting out all their one calls with a company called USIC. He assured the council a qualified employee would be available at any time in the case of a gas leak. Black Hills now has three employees in Hugoton, and one is always on call.
Marc Chaffin issued his report about the progress of the Safe Routes to School project. He projected the work would be complete within the next week or two. Mark also stated they had received no complaints from homeowners. He thanked the city for their help grinding down some asphalt along the route, so the sidewalk would be ADA-compliant.
At 5:30 p.m., the city’s budget hearing commenced. Clerk Tom Hicks distributed extensive documentation detailing the 2017 budget. The documents are available at the City Office for anyone wanting to look over them. After some discussion among those present, the council opted to approve the budget for 2017. He also gave the councilmen some figures to look over regarding the city’s mill levies over the years since 1978. The city’s current mill levy is 43.95 and is projected to be 45.00 for 2017.
Robert Rich was up next, and presented some figures regarding the Stevens County Fitness and Wellness Center’s expenditures. The council discussed with Robert his plans for funding in the future, as well as possibilities to keep the Fitness Center open for residents. Robert reported he was speaking with several other fitness center administrators in the area, and is considering a keycard system so the Center can be used at any hour. He also went over the equipment, utility costs and general upkeep of the building. Robert and the council agreed, once the Fitness Center is gone, it won’t be replaced.
At the last council meeting, the city agreed to enter into a inter-local agreement giving the county the city’s statutory share of a county one percent sales tax for a period of two years, should a county sales tax election be successful. At the end of two years, the agreement would be reviewed. After having had time to think about that arrangement, the city clerk suggested to take the two-year review out of the inter-local agreement and to be specific about the future division of the sales tax. As a starting point for discussion, Hicks offered a proposal to give the county 100% of the city’s share for two years, 75% in the third year, 50% in the fourth year, 25% in the fifth year, and the city would keep its share beyond year five. The city attorney will check with the county attorney to see what the county’s plans are for the wording of the ballot question.
Sealed bids for the 1980 sprayer truck, the 2005 Trailblazer and the 1996 Case IH 4240 tractor were then opened. Jan Leonard had the high bid for the tractor at $6378, while Gary Mostrum won the bidding for the Trailblazer with a bid of $2001. Coltlyn Hale’s bid of $364 was accepted for the 1980 sprayer truck. The council accepted all three high bids.
Joshua Grubbs then discussed the building project for My Father’s House on First Street. He spoke with Pete Earles about the plan, and Pete expressed some concern about potential stormwater buildup. Joshua was instructed to speak with his contact at the church and urge them to come up with a plan to contain stormwater. Mr. Grubbs also encouraged the council to consider enacting a stormwater drainage policy.
Paul Nordyke was up next, and reported the samples from well #15 were back. It is now up and running with the rest of the system. His department is still working out the First Street water line issue. Paul reported he is also researching how to conduct water from one end of town to the other better.
Wayne Tate reported about the tower lease extension with Plains Tower. The current lease doesn’t expire until 2020, but the company likes to have at least 15 years’ lead time to ensure their investment is secure. Currently, the lease is for $1900 per year. Wayne agreed to renew the lease until 2035, as long as the company paid $7000 per year, with a compound increase of three percent every year, ending at $10,600 per year in 2035. Wayne also asked the council to approve a resolution for a property on Adams Street. The owner was contacted in March 2016; he requested – and was granted – an extension. The property is still not cleared as of the council’s August meeting, so the council opted to give the owner 20 days to clear the property before the city crew cleans it up.
Police Chief Leslie had nothing to report. Council members Frankie Thomas and Jason Teeter had nothing further. Shannon Crawford asked Paul Nordyke when the church demolition was supposed to occur. Paul said his crew will wait until the Sno-Ball is closed for the season, due to safety concerns. He is also waiting for a firm date from the company who will demolish the building. City crews can carry off the debris, but a qualified company must come in to knock the building down.
The council moved to approve the Appropriation Ordinances No. 2059 and No. 2060. They then moved to adjourn. The next council meeting will be Tuesday, September 6 at 5:15 p.m. in the Council Meeting Room.