Randy Mills is new Florence city councilman
City may receive
tax credits if grant project is approved
Randy Mills was sworn in as councilman Monday afternoon by Florence Mayor John Lehman. Mills will fill the unexpired Ward 1 position vacated last month by Larry Timm.
After Mills took his chair at the table, Lehman recognized former Florence Mayor Jeanne Meirowsky who was on the agenda to address the council. Meirowsky congratulated Mills on his appointment and thanked Councilmen Dan Ludwig and Tim Parmley for their past support.
Meirowsky rebuked Lehman and Councilman Rick Turner for what she termed "fueling the rumor fires" in the community since the last council meeting when her name was brought up by Ludwig as a possible replacement for Timm's seat on the council.
Meirowsky ticked off a laundry list of rumors and stories she said had circulated the community in the last two weeks. She said she felt that a great deal of what had been stirred up came from the mayor and council.
She also asked Lehman and Turner to explain to the citizens of Florence why they had contacted the SKEDD office in an attempt to refuse the new water plant upgrades. "You did make contact with them," she said. "And you were considering undoing all the planning that has gone into this until they told you that Florence would probably never get another grant if you pulled a stunt like that."
While neither man made an explanation, Lehman said, "Yes, I had some concerns about the cost."
Meirowsky said she felt that the animosity was due to her outspoken support for the new city building when she was mayor. She told them that it was "time to let it go."
"It's over," she said. "It's done, guys. It's done and it is time to let it go and move on."
No one on the council addressed any of the charges leveled by Meirowsky.
Related to the water project about which Meirowsky spoke, was the necessity of approving the bid for the water plant upgrades. A bid from J&N Elliott Construction of Morrowville for $238,371 was unanimously accepted by the council.
In other business, the council heard a progress report from Fire Chief Travis Parmley about the new fire truck. He said the department had been looking at financing for the truck, but that he had no final proposal as yet.
Parmley requested permission to purchase two red helmets for the department chief and assistant chief at a cost of $262.96. The council approved the purchase. It also approved the recommendation to allow Bob Ogle to become a member of the fire department.
City employee Rick Burcky told the council he continues to have problems with smoldering items left in dumpsters that eventually end up in the trash truck. Burcky felt that if he could order a template with a list of unacceptable items, he could spray paint that message on the front and back of the dumpsters and perhaps eliminate some of the problem.
He also requested the city let him implement a "door knocker" program. He would have the necessary signs printed and, when a customer left unacceptable items in the trash, he would hang the sign on the door knob to let them know that was why their trash had not been collected.
Burcky will return to the next meeting with estimates of costs for the template and the door signs.
The council discussed the resignation of longtime city clerk Ann Brenzikofer. It was generally agreed that a more complete job description needed to be made before the job could be advertised and applications taken.
The council also:
— heard from Economic Development chairman Sarah Cope that the city has been granted more than $800,000 in tax credits from the Kansas Department of Housing and Commerce to be used on the duplex project if the grant for the project is approved.
— approved a request from Charles Svoboda to mow the grass on the dike providing the city has no liability connected with the work.
— heard the first of three public readings by Atmos Energy representative Randy Dallke, of the ordinance to charge a three percent franchise fee on natural gas bills.
— appointed Bob Madsen to the Florence Housing Authority.
— approved the appointment of the following to the Florence Library Board: Sandy Vetter, June Nightengale, Shirley Grimstead, Jolene Gayle, Virgil Britton, Paul Morrison, and Gayle Scriven.
— heard from Trayce Warner that the Florence Ambulance Department will have a training session on how to handle an anhydrous ammonia emergency such as the train derailment near Matfield Green.
