Turner resigns from city council
Water, sewer, and solid waste rates to increase
Following an executive session at the end of Monday's Florence City Council meeting, councilman Rick Turner turned in his resignation effective immediately.
Turner sighted "conflict of interest" as his reason for resigning from the position to which he was elected in April.
Mayor John Lehman and council members Randy Mills and Tim Parmley accepted Turner's resignation with regret.
An item added to the agenda by Mills was a discussion of the city's solid waste, water, and sewer fees. At budget work sessions held during the summer, fee schedules were increased across the board and the increases were included in the city's budget hearing.
A .75 percent city sales tax later proposed by the council would have negated the necessity of raising the fees according to Mills.
Citizens of Florence voted Nov. 4 on the proposed sales tax increase and the measure was defeated 52 to 35.
"We have more than $600,000 worth of debt to be serviced," said Mills to audience members unhappy with the higher fees. "Where are we going to get the money?"
"We have water upgrades to pay for, a building, and we bought a fire truck," he added. "The funding to keep Florence going has to come from somewhere."
Final votes on each of the rate changes passed two to one with Mills and Parmley voting in favor and Turner voting against the measures. Councilman Dan Ludwig was absent.
In other business, the council:
— announced it will hold a special meeting Friday night for the purpose of meeting with each of the city employees in executive session.
— heard that all the necessary easements have been signed to accommodate water and sewer service to CW Liquor owned by Jim Steele. The council was informed that work on the project is ready to start.
— agreed to meet with Pat Zogelman of Westar Energy at 6 p.m. Thursday to review the lighting situation at the turn-off to Johnson's and CW Liquor from U.S.-50.
— clarified that the ordinance that allows truck parking along the city truck route was entered in the ordinance book incorrectly. The ordinance does provide for citizen complaints and allows the chief of police to ask a truck owner to move his vehicle if a complaint is made.
— tabled until a later meeting the decision to grant a request to make a pick up truck owned by the fire department into a "Haz-mat command vehicle" with tool boxes and have the Cascade air system installed on it.
— heard that Elliott Construction, the firm building the new water treatment plant, cannot bury the water line that will carry the raw water being discharged daily from the plant. It will be laid on top of the ground with dirt mounded over it to keep it from freezing. The council agreed to review the work before signing off on the water plant upgrades.
— approved hiring Water Tower Paint and Repair of Joplin, Mo., to clean the water tower.
— heard an economic development report from Sarah Cope. A plan to prepare row markers for plot identification at Highland Cemetery is being addressed by the planning commission. The group also is planning a survey of the city parks to prepare a strategy for equipment and landscaping in each. Cope also presented preliminary information on a new brochure for the city.
— heard from PRIDE chairman Sue Klassen that the group is launching a monthly newsletter in December, sponsoring a Christmas home tour Dec. 14, and hanging home holiday decorations for anyone who needs to have the job done.
