Staff writer
Peabody City Council members heard Monday night that emergency repairs had been made to the swimming pool during the past week.
On April 7, city employees pulled the cover from the pool to begin the process of getting it ready for opening in May, and discovered a large crack on the west wall where the fiberglass lining had pulled away from the wall.
Bill Germaine, who had given the city a bid for relining the whole pool before the upcoming season, was contacted about making emergency repairs. The city council had elected not to schedule the full lining replacement for this year because of limited funds. The lining is on the list of proposed expenses in the 2015 budget that will be created in July.
Germaine was willing to come do the immediate repair work and fix a similar crack in the wading pool for $2,500 and a signed agreement for complete installation of the lining before the 2015 season.
Germaine’s bid to completely repair and reline the pool before the 2014 swimming season was $26,000.
In a related matter, City Administrator Mac Manning distributed a capital improvement budget covering proposed expenses for 2014 through 2019. Manning, interim public works director Ronnie Harms, and Police Chief Bruce Burke created the document as a road map for the council to consider as they work through budget workshops this spring.
Manning asked council members to familiarize themselves with the proposals. The improvement schedule will be on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting.
In other business:
- Chris Eldridge showed the council a jar of rusty water that came from the water lines at his home at 408 N. Maple St. He also told the council he had replaced all the lines for which he was responsible as the homeowner and had installed a filter system. He exhibited filters he had taken from the system, heavily stained by rust after only two weeks. He noted that his parents live less than a block away and they don’t have that kind of problem. He asked the council what his next step should be. Larsen said someone from the public works department would come to Eldridge’s home this week to see if a solution could be found to the problem.
- The proposed price increase agreement with Hillsboro for treated water was approved as presented. The cost of water will increase from $1.40 per thousand gallons to $1.84 per thousand gallons with an annual cap of 50 million gallons. The price would rise to $2 per thousand if the usage topped 50 million gallons. Increases may be requested by Hillsboro annually, but must be made by June 15 of that calendar year.
- David Orcutt addressed the council with a proposal to renovate the building at the corner of Vine St. and Second St., until recently occupied by Peabody Veterinarian Clinic. The building was a grocery store operated by Orcutt’s grandmother from 1930 to 1980. He would like to restore it and open a small retail auto parts store. After discussion with the council, it was apparent that Orcutt and the building’s owner, Virginia Skinner, needed to work out some ownership issues that did not involve the city council. No action was taken.
- Manning reported the operating system for the city hall computer server is out of date and no longer supported by Microsoft. He presented three bids for server replacement. The council accepted a bid from Pixius Advantage Outsourcing for $8,729, the least expensive of the three bids.
- Manning also reported the computer in the police department needs to be replaced. After discussion, the council authorized Manning to purchase a computer for the department keeping the cost less than $1,000.
- Council members voted to contribute $25 to the Peabody-Burns High School after prom party.
- Manning reported a refund of $3,546 from Kansas Municipal Insurance Trust Co., which provides the city’s worker’s compensation insurance.
- The council, Mayor Larry Larsen, and Manning went into executive session for five minutes to discuss personnel. No action was taken on return to open meeting.
The next meeting of Peabody City Council will be at 7 p.m. April 28 in the city building.