Staff writer
Marion County Commissioner Randy Dallke, new Road and Bridge Superintendent Randy Crawford, and Road Foreman Bud Bruce attended Peabody City Council meeting Monday night to discuss proposed repairs to Peabody Street.
The street is divided north to south down the middle with the west half in the county and the east half in the city. Street repairs and improvements costs are split equally.
Cost sheets for repair options were presented. After discussion, the council agreed to meet with Peabody Public Works Director Darren Pickens as soon as possible and then select the number of culverts to install and the method of surface repair to use.
Pickens was able to come to the meeting a short time later and add his preferences to the discussion.
The council approved cleaning out the ditches from Ninth Street to the park on the east side, installing four new culverts, a catch basin, and sheet piling. The surface work will be a blade patch with a two-inch overlay.
The project should be completed by the end of October. The cost will be approximately $16,500, split between the city and county. City funds will come from the street budget.
In other business:
- The council approved registration and lodging costs to the annual conference of Kansas Association of Fire Chiefs from Oct. 20 to 23, for Peabody Fire Chief Kelly Cook and assistants Mark Penner and Ty Schreiber. Funds will come from the fire department budget.
- Barricades were approved for a school cross-country meet Sept. 15. Students will cross Peabody Street at Greg Topham’s driveway and enter the city park by the back gate. A detour sign will be placed at 60th Street on Nighthawk.
- Council members approved a proposal from Knudson Monroe and Company to conduct the 2011 audit at a cost of $7,250.
- City Administrator Mac Manning announced APAC will be in Peabody this week patching areas of concern on city streets.
- The council heard the city had a break on the 8-inch water line on the north side of Seventh Street between Walnut and Sycamore as well as a service leak at Second and Vine just west of the Veterinarian Clinic. Gary Markham was hired to assist with repairs, as the Federal Safety Laws require an employee to remain top side while another is in a trench.
- Frank Woodruff addressed the council during the public comment session to thank the city employees for fixing two water leaks and the city for approving the employment of a second person as per safety regulations.
- Samantha Weerts resigned her part-time position as health and safety officer and animal control officer. For the time being, the council postponed hiring a replacement. Members would like to see if on-duty police and city employees could report nuisance properties and animals running at large.
- Janice Woodruff asked if the city could survey the number of light poles at alley entrances. She also asked if Manning could figure the cost of providing electricity to each pole so that the council would know how much it spends each month on the extra lighting.
- The council convened into the Peabody Development Corporation to approve an expenditure of $4,635 for insurance on the Baker Buildings. It then reconvened as the Peabody City Council.
The next city council meeting will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 26 at the city building.