Burke named top cop
Bruce Burke is named top law enforcement officer
By SUSAN MARSHALL
News editor
The final meeting for outgoing Peabody Mayor Tom Schmidt and councilmen Gene Schmill and Alan Yock began Monday evening with a presentation to each. Plaques were presented thanking them for their years of service to the city.
Schmidt later closed the meeting with a request for someone to run for city council since Ed Slocombe is running unopposed for mayor, thus creating a likely council vacancy that will need to be filled.
More information on fulfilling Slocombe's term can be had by calling the city building, 983-2174.
Following two executive sessions for the purpose of discussing personnel, upon return to open meeting Gene Schmill made a motion, seconded by Alan Yock, to appoint Bruce Burke to the position of chief of police, effective immediately, at an annual salary of $37,500. The motion carried, 5-0.
A motion was then made by Tim Peterson and seconded by Steve Rose to raise officer Travis Wilson's pay by $.50 an hour retroactive to Sept. 1, 2006, when he completed police officer training. Wilson will also receive a cost of living adjustment retroactive to the first of the year. The motion was unanimously approved. It was noted that Wilson's compensation increase had been overlooked, but resolved as of the March 26 meeting.
Additional clarification was made by council members regarding residency requirements for police chief Burke. The council determined that Burke's residence, while not in the city limits, meets the distance requirement for the amount of time needed to respond to an emergency.
A second determination was made by council regarding the private use of city vehicles and liability concerns. It was decided that as long as the employee is on duty, acting in his capacity as city employee, or on call he is covered under the city's insurance. If the employee is on extended leave or vacation, the vehicles should be locked up at city hall, not in their private drive.
David Oursler was present to address the council about his company, Middlecreek Corp., being unable to finish the demolition of the former sewer plant because of the state-ordered mercury remediation.
"It's been 18 months since we were pulled off the job," said Oursler. "In the meantime the city has our bond and our money is tied up. We would like to get paid and have an agreement to do the work for $1 when the state finally decides the mercury is gone."
Schmidt said the city has been told repeatedly that these issues are to be handled by Al Reiss, project engineer. After further discussion city administrator Jeff Benbrook was instructed to contact Reiss and have him on hand at the next meeting and to put Oursler on the agenda as well.
In other business, the council:
— heard that a resident is claiming the city killed a tree in her yard when city employees used a chemical spray in 2005 to kill weeds that created a nuisance condition she refused to abate. Benbrook was instructed to contact the homeowner and inform her the tree to which she referred was not part of the abatement process and is out of the abatement area.
In November 2005, the city contacted her for an estimate of the cost of replacing shrubs that were killed and received no response. Benbrook will offer again to replace the shrubs, but council members want a response by the next meeting, April 9.
— heard the property owner at 204 N. Maple had, in fact, applied for and been granted a building permit to install the metal structure discussed at the March 12 city council meeting. A misunderstanding regarding the address caused the mix-up during discussion that followed a complaint by a neighbor about the installation of the metal carport.
— approved the city's general liability policy for the coming year including a $1,000 increase in premiums.
— heard city office staff is still working with Harris Corp. and Data Team on a software program for billing and municipal court records.
— postponed until the new council takes over, a decision on the selection process for city compliance officer.
— heard that Marvin Lirley has resumed duties as animal control officer.
— heard Kansas Standard Traffic Ordinance has no law on the books that would help reduce the bottleneck of traffic at the Maple Street co-op elevator during harvest. Burke has been in touch with Mid-Kansas Co-op staff and public works superintendent Darren Pickens to come up with a solution for the area.
— heard that officer Wilson has been working on inoperable vehicles, but that police staffing problems have restricted work on the problem. Only seven vehicles currently are listed.
— unanimously approved basic SWAT training for part-time police officer Jeremy Wilkerson and a June course in police administration for Bruce Burke.
— approved a work agreement between the city and seasonal employees, Dennis Pickens and Bobby Kyle.
— reviewed the new franchise agreement with Stutzman Refuse.
— reviewed an agreement entered into years ago with Kansas Department of Parks who gave money to maintain the city tennis courts with the provision the courts not be destroyed or used for any other purpose. The tennis courts are inspected annually by KDP in accordance with that agreement.
— heard a group interested in planting trees at the park will have a meeting April 5 to finalize a tree replacement program.
— agreed to have Benbrook contact grocery store owner Rick Turner and request he remove a weight limit sign he has wired to a city utility pole.
