Florence council adopts budget
Changes to several city ordinances and approval of the 2004 city budget were among the items of business the Florence city council tackled Monday night.
The council approved a request from Fire Chief Travis Parmley to change the dismissal procedures for fire fighters who miss meetings. The new ruling will allow firemen to miss only three consecutive meetings with a review board hearing at the fourth meeting.
The open burning ordinance was changed to allow citizens to apply to the city clerk for a burn permit instead of applying to the council. The issuance of the permit still hinges on the approval of the fire chief.
Open fires for the purpose of cooking are generally approved if they are in a contained structure such as a barbecue pit or in an open area approved for outdoor cooking.
A fireworks ordinance similar to the one on the books at Peabody was adopted. The city will allow the sale of fireworks and the shooting of fireworks within the guidelines of the ordinance.
Increased fees at Highland Cemetery were officially accepted by the council. The cost of plots, the cost to open a grave, and the cost to move a casket all were increased. Additional increases in burial fees were approved for services held after 3 p.m. or on Sundays or holidays.
An ordinance concerning building permits was changed to reflect a $5 increase in the cost of permits and a limited time to complete the work on the permit. The council allowed for consecutive permits, but will charge for each one.
The sales tax ordinance was briefly discussed, then tabled until a later work meeting in September.
The council approved the 2004 budget as printed with an agreed change in the mill levy from 92.771 to 81.656 mills. The budget hearing was held prior to the city council meeting.
Travis Parmley was given permission to purchase a new fire truck for $33,000 with $28,500 to be financed by the Cottonwood Valley Bank at 5.5% interest for 10 years on a lease-purchase agreement.
The council voted to purchase a bullet-proof vest for James Parmley, acting city police chief.
It was announced the four-way stop at U.S.-50/-77 was operational as of Monday noon. Several citizens in the audience expressed their displeasure with the KDOT solution.
Dan Ludwig announced that millings and gravel from Sherwood Construction Company would be offered to city residents who wished to use it on alleys and minor repairs at the edge of streets adjacent to their property. There will be no charge for the materials. Anyone wishing to take advantage of the offer should sign up with city clerk Darla Gore.
In other business the council:
- approved a contribution of $200 to Communities in Schools for the Marion-Florence district on a three to one vote. Parmley voted against the motion. Mills also asked the city clerk to find out how the program affects students from Florence.
- authorized acting police chief James Parmley to hire additional officers to work in Florence during the Labor Day celebration.
- approved an expenditure of $200 to the Labor Day committee for portable toilets. The total cost of the units is $760.
- heard an offer from Harold Van Buren to build rest rooms at Grandview Park and instructed the city clerk to contact local contractors for bids on Van Buren's behalf.
- urged community members to keep track of volunteer hours and report them to Sarah Cope because the hours are often instrumental in grant applications.
- planned a 7 p.m. work session at the city building for Sept. 9 and changed the next council meeting to Sept. 2 because of the Labor Day holiday.
- congratulated Sarah Cope on her graduation from Leadership Marion County, agreed to pay for an ad in the Free Press sponsoring her, and heard from Cope that she will serve three years as a board member of the organization.
- accepted an offer from Randy Mills to move the street department materials from the library lot to another designated area before Labor Day.
- tabled until the next meeting a decision on whether or not to forgive one half of the bill for a water leak at a house owned by Dave Dahl. The city clerk was instructed to research the original intent in the city's policy on forgiving such bills.
