Florence council handles old business
Florence city council members were able to move forward at their meeting Monday night on several recurring agenda items.
A work order was finally received from Westar Energy to begin updating the lighting at the entrance to Johnson's General Store on U.S.-50.
A bid from Alan Hayes for new rest rooms at Grandview Park was approved by both the council and Harold Van Buren, a former Florence resident who is donating the park project to the city. Hayes will begin work when the weather improves.
Stuart Funk announced that he has been working with the water plant engineers, Schwab-Eaton, to come up with a solution for the cracks in the roof of the clear well. Funk told the council the engineers thought they had an answer for filling the cracks on the underside of the roof, but were still working on a topside solution.
Funk also reported that there have been no problems with the water plant discharge pool or drainage pipe. Even with below-freezing temperatures, Funk told the council it was running just fine.
The council approved sending city employee Ken Hoffman to school to become certified as a water plant operator. Hoffman will attend a weekly class until May.
In other business, the council:
— reminded those present that the volunteer fire department will be holding its annual pancake feed from 8:30 a.m. Sunday until they run out of food. The event will take place at the Florentine Center.
— approved expenditures by the ambulance department for annual defibrillator maintenance as well as repairs needed on ambulance #2.
— approved a two-day court clerk school and a two-day city clerk school for Darla Gore.
— scheduled a work meeting for Feb. 17 to go over the employee handbook and the revisions needed to bring it up to date.
— entered a 30-minute executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel. No action was taken when the council returned to open session.
— tabled until a future meeting a decision to renew the city web site, plans for staffing and support of the municipal swimming pool, and a payment request on the city's KDHE loan.
