The Concordia City Commission spent most of its three and a half hour meeting, Wednesday night, hearing information. They made few decisions.
In a late addition to the agenda, Thaniel Monaco, with BG Consultants, of Manhattan, spoke to the Commissioners about possible solutions to the existing water pressure and flow problems at Cloud County Community College.
Over the past several months, the city has been going back and forth with the college about how best to remedy the low water pressure the college experiences. In March, the city approved a $3,450 engineering study to determine what would be the best solution to the problem.
Monaco listed two options: A large booster station with multiple stages of pumps to maintain pressure and flow; or a small booster station with an elevated water tower. Not only do both options solve the problem of low water pressure, but both also provide for adequate fire flow demand.
Monaco said that, based on information the city had provided regarding water usage, a constant supply of 60 gallons per minute would be the minimum supply rate the city should consider.
With the option of constructing a new water tower came additional options of different tank sizes. Monaco presented four different sizes (in gallons) - 250,000, 178,800, 150,000, and 100,000.
While either a booster system or water tank would work in the college area, Monaco said the 100,000 gallon tank was sized accordingly for the city’s current needs.
However, should there be additional development in the Walmart area, or a hospital built near the airport, a larger water tower would also benefit future expansion.
In answer to Mayor Greg Hattan’s question, Monaco said that the 250,000 gallon water tower would be too large for the city at present. He explained that there could be issues with the turnover rate of the water in the tower. Based on current water usage, with a 250,000 gallon tank, the water would stay in it for 14 days.
“There could be a problem now with the turnover rate, but a larger tower would provide for expansion,” Monaco said.
Commissioner Joe Jindra asked if Monaco thought the city should look at the larger storage facility if it were planning for expansion.
“If you’re looking at the potential for growth, I would look at greater storage,” Monaco said.
Monaco said the costs for a 250,000 gallon tank would be approximately $1.3 million, while the 100,000 gallon tank would run around $1 million. Costs for a booster system would approach $500,000. Monaco cautioned the Commissioners that those numbers were only estimates, and did not include design or inspections.
Another item that resulted in a lengthy discussion, but no action, was a 2010 budget presentation by Concordia Fire Chief Larry Eubanks.
Eubanks proposed adding two additional members to the fire and EMS staff, to allow for additional long distance transfers.
Eubanks told Commissioners that he felt increased revenues in his department, along with higher ambulance rates, would support two new staff members.
Long distance transfers, when the ambulance transports a patient to another hospital, are important to Cloud County Health Center, Eubanks said. Taking patients by ambulance, rather than helicopter, usually allows for a quicker transport, he said.
Before Eubanks could go any further, Hattan asked if he and the hospital were on the same page. Hattan said the Commission had been asked to lend its support to a new hospital, to be located by the airport, which would allow for more flyouts. Now, Hattan said, Eubanks was requesting additional personnel to decrease the number of flyouts.
Eubanks said having additional people would allow for there to be three people at the fire station at all times, rather than the present two. If the hospital were to call to request a long distance transfer, Eubanks said, two people could respond immediately, while the station was still staffed with the remaining person.
When Hattan asked if any long distance transfers had been turned down, because of lack of staff, Eubanks told him they had refused two this year, and four in 2008.
“If you only turned down two transfers this year and four last year, why bring on two more people?” Hattan asked.
Eubanks said it revolves around getting patients where they need to go quicker. Currently, there can be an hour to hour and a half wait for the ambulance to get to the hospital.
“We’re slow,” Eubanks said. “Sometimes, it can take 45 minutes to an hour to get the personnel (to cover the transfer).”
Dr. Justin Poore told the Commission that Eubanks has done a great job over the past six years.
“The ambulance service is as close to what the hospital wants it as we’ve ever been to getting the long distance transfer issue resolved,” Poore said.
There will always be patients who need to be flown out, but getting patients to Salina by ambulance is quicker.
“I think Larry’s thought process is justified,” Poore said. “Ideally, it would be great to keep that income in the community (by doing transfers).”
No decision was made, and the Commission agreed to discuss the budget more in study sessions and special meetings.
The Commission took no action, either, on four budget requests from several Concordia entities.
Joshua Meyer, president of the Frank Carlson Library board, requested funding in the amount of $143,301 for 2010.
Meyer said there are several projects on the horizon for the library, which include studying a new layout, and changes in technology.
Through June of this year, Meyer said 1,400 people have attended programs at the library, and circulation is well over 7,000.
Susan Cantine-Maxon, executive director of the Brown Grand Theatre, asked the Commission for $54,461 for a new air conditioning system.
Cantine-Maxon said the Brown Grand Board had applied for a grant to fund the replacement, but was unsuccessful in obtaining it. With the current air conditioning system more than 50 years old, she said its days are numbered.
The refrigerated air system is becoming almost impossible to fix, she said, and the lack of climate control has caused damage to a number of items in the theatre, such as the main curtain and the grand piano.
“The Board feels that since we are a city-owned building, that the replacement of the air conditioning system might be within the scope of the city’s budget,” she said.
Cathy Feriend, with the Cloud County Resources Council, requested $12,000, which is the same amount the organization has received for the last two years.
She said the Resources Council is responsible for a number of programs, including Club 81, the Food Bank, 2nd Street Lunch Program, and Crisis Assistance.
Gary Dvorak, with the Concordia Senior Center, asked for $4,000 to supplement employee salaries, which is the same amount as last year.
Dvorak said Concordia is number one in the number of meals it serves per day in the 18-county area served by the North Central Kansas Flinthills Area Agency on Aging. Fifty-five meals are served at the Center each day, and another 48 meals are delivered.
During Commissioner comments, Jindra said he has come to see the budget process as tedious and torturous. Rather than spending hours on making sure each number is in the correct column, he said, the Commission needs to focus on the bigger picture.
According to Jindra, at a special budget meeting Monday night, Hattan had said the Commission needed to focus on the large projects in Concordia’s near future. Jindra said he agreed with that approach.
“This year’s (budget) process will be more difficult than ever with the tighter economy,” Jindra said. “Sales tax went way up last year, and there’s no way it’ll be that high in 2010. On the other side of the coin, the opportunities we have are fantastic.”
Jindra said the possibilities in the north development, as well as Hattan’s idea to refinance some bonds to finance capital improvement projects, give Concordia some “wiggle room” for the capital improvement fund.
He suggested that Commissioners who had questions or concerns forward them to city staff, who would in turn, keep all those in a book, so the public can be informed on the budget process.
“We need to spend time on prioritizing,” Jindra said. “We have some serious decisions to make, and I think we need to spend our time doing that.”
Hattan said he agreed that there are several large projects that need to be focused on, such as the north development, the Broadway Street sewer project, and the college water pressure situation.
By refinancing some current bonds, he said, the city could, in effect, create its own stimulus package to take advantage of those opportunities.
Also during Commissioner comments, Cheryl Lanoue wished resigning Police Chief Danny Parker well, but then said she did not agree with paying him more than 160 hours of vacation time.
Unlike other department heads, Parker has an employment agreement, or contract. The contract was entered into in February 2007, and signed by then city manager Larry Paine.
Last night, Lanoue said she didn’t know how a city manager could go against city policy by drawing up a contract.
“No department head has a contract with the city,” Lanoue said. “The police chief was hired by a previous city manager on terms and conditions not provided to other department heads.”
Interim City Manager Larry Uri said the contract probably shouldn’t have been done, but it is only two weeks from being finished.
In action items, the Commission approved the following curb and gutter projects: 510 Washington, Blade-Empire, $3,827; 506 Washington, American Legion Post 76, $7,958; 605 Matthew, Gregory Gallagher, $3,968; 619 Matthew, Leon and Loleta Deaver, $3,476; and 615 Matthew, David and Sharon Dutton, $3,968.
The city provides the labor for the projects, as well as the removal costs. The landowner is responsible for the cost of materials, a per-foot charge for saw cuts, and administrative costs.
Kirk Lowell and Ray Palmer were both reappointed to three-year terms on the Airport Advisory Board.
After a 10-minute executive session to discuss nonelected personnel–where no action was taken–the Commission adjourned to a special budget meeting on July 13, at 7 p.m.