Staff writer
Peabody City Administrator Shane Marler announced at the Monday evening city council meeting that Peabody American Legion had settled the claim with its insurance carrier and work on the façade repair would begin as soon as the contractor can schedule the job.
“Obviously everyone is glad to be looking at the end of this project,” Marler said. “All the paperwork is signed and the checks have been issued. It is now just a matter of getting on the contractor’s calendar.”
Mid-Continent Restoration Company of Fort Scott will do the work on the façade.
Fiber-optic agreement tabled
Marler presented an ordinance to permit Wildflower Telecommunications to install fiber optic cable in Peabody and hook into the Verizon (formerly Altell) tower at the Mid-Kansas Cooperative elevator.
Marler recommended the council not accept the proposal as it offered the city almost nothing in compensation or services. After discussion, Marler was instructed to contact the company and see if an agreement more equitable to the city’s interests could be worked out.
In other business:
- A consultant for Kansas Department of Transportation met with Marler to review progress on the KDOT directional signage grant for Peabody. The council should be able to review the preliminary plan in April and the project will be completed in the summer.
- Marler presented several suggestions for reducing the cost of services used by the city and its employees. He requested and received permission to review the city’s phone service from AT&T and the computer technician service from Konica-Minolta in hopes of trimming those expenses. The city spent more than $7,000 for phone service and almost $9,000 with Konica-Minolta in 2012. Marler will research the services available and report to the council.
- Linda Lemmons submitted a written resignation as cleaning staff for city hall. Marler told council members the city building employees will each take care of their own office space and see if the cost of a part-time cleaning person can be eliminated.
- Marler asked the council to consider eliminating the council minutes from the monthly newsletter, as the minutes are available on the city web site or at the front desk for those who do not use a computer. He will figure savings in paper, postage, and per copy price and present it at the next meeting.
- Council went into executive session for 15 minutes to discuss confidential data relating to trade secrets. No action was taken when members returned to open meeting.
- Council went into executive session for 10 minutes to discuss personnel. No action was taken when members returned to open meeting.
The next meeting of Peabody City Council will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 25.