City commission approves grant for Dumbbells

An application from Dumbbells Fitness and Tanning Salon for a grant award of up to $25,000 from the Concordia Revolving Loan Fund, to be used for disaster relief, was approved by the Concordia city commission, during its regular meeting on Wednesday.
Dumbbells Fitness will receive funds for working capital invoices and receipts submitted, and has until December 15 to submit additional working capital receipts for reimbursement, up to the $25,000 limit.
The grant funds awarded will be used for working capital, which will aid in the retention of 1.25 full-time equivalency (two employees) at 80 percent low to moderate income jobs.
In presenting the grant application, CloudCorp executive director Kim Reynolds informed the commission that the CloudCorp finance committee has vetted an application from Dumbbells Fitness, and agrees to ask the city for approval of the grant.
In an effort to provide economic aid to small businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kansas Department of Commerce encouraged all cities and counties that have Community Development Block Grant Revolving Loan Funds to utilize them for disaster relief for area businesses.
Because it is unknown how the pandemic will continue to impact businesses, the city commission had previously approved forgiving the Revolving Loans awarded prior to August 5 and opening up a second round of grant funds.
Reynolds reported to the commission that CloudCorp continues to receive numerous inquiries, and is working with individual businesses on putting together applications.
The deadline for applications for grant funds is November 1. Businesses must meet all established guidelines to qualify.
The city commission has now approved 10 applications for Revolving Loan funds totaling $224,500. There is $308,764.57 still available.
Direct Aid purchases
In other action taken during the meeting, the commission approved future Coronavirus Relief Fund direct aid purchases totaling $283,813.50, contingent upon approval by the State Office of Recovery.
Cloud County was awarded $1.7 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund from the Office of Recovery.
The county was directed to share the funds with the other local governments within the county, including cities and school districts.
The city of Concordia’s allocation was $291,065.74.
The allocation to each government was further divided into items purchased between March 1, 2020, and July 31, 2020, for response to and mitigation of COVID-19 (reimbursable expenses) and items purchased on or after August 1, 2020, and received by December 31, 2020 (direct aid plan).
The city submitted for reimbursement $9,252.24 of COVID-related response and mitigation expenses. Payroll expenses were excluded from the request because of the lack of clear guidance on what constituted payroll expense.
A direct aid plan for future purchases, totaling $283,813.50, was then submitted by the city.
Items approved for purchase and the quoted prices include: City Commission Meeting Room furniture, $16,781.70; Digiticket software system, $31,025; legal services, $570; video conference equipment, $5,596.44; transport ventilator for ambulance, $12.711.75; defibrillator/monitor Zoll-X for ambulance (x2), $68,490.50; backseat covers for patrol vehicles, $3,540.36; picnic tables and benches, $51,232; bleachers and benches, $29,800.
Items which were purchased as part of the direct aid spending because they were needed to continue COVID-19 mitigation efforts,( but because they did not exceed staff spending limits  were not brought to the commission prior to purchase), include no-contact thermometers, $549.90; and face masks for employees, $1,957.41.
The Office of Recovery is expected to provide notification of approval and/or disapproval of direct aid plans by September 15. Items purchased on the direct aid plan must be received, and preferably paid for, by December 31.
In an effort to expedite the purchasing process, and because some items are beyond staff spending authority, it was requested that the commission provide approval of the purchases, contingent upon approval by the Office of Recovery.
Water  tower contract
An addendum to the east water tower maintenance contract with Suez Utility Service Co. was approved by the commission.
It was determined after discussions with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the east water tower does not require the FAA orange and white checkerboard pattern.
Because it is considered a flight hazard, the water tower does require new lighting around the catwalk and on top of the tank.
The water tower will be painted white, and the first five annual fees paid to Suez Utility Service Co. were reduced from $54,575 to $52,167.99. That includes  the design and painting of the city logo on two sides of the tower and the FAA required flight hazard lighting systems on specified areas of the tank.
The annual fee for year six of the contract is $22,444.27. Each anniversary thereafter, the annual fee shall be adjusted to reflect the current cost of service.
Charter Ordinance
Charter Ordinance No. 27 establishing the city’s website as an official publication site was approved by the commission on a vote of 4-0.
Commissioner Keaton Snavely was not in attendance at the meeting.
For a charter ordinance to become effective it must be adopted by two-thirds vote of the governing body, which is four votes.
Kansas statute requires a city to designate a newspaper to be the official place of publication.
That statute is not uniformly applicable to all cities in Kansas.
City Clerk Stacey Smith informed the commissioners that she suggested approving the charter ordinance in an effort to be proactive.
The Concordia Blade-Empire has been designated by the city as the official place of publication.
Naming the city website as an official publication would provide the city with another avenue of publication in the case that time-sensitive material, such as a public hearing notice, could not wait for the publication date.
In a memo to the commissioners, Smith stated that suggesting the charter ordinance is in no way a reflection of the service we are receiving from the Blade-Empire. Going through this process is a way of being proactive in order to prepare for any possible changes in the future.
Smith stated that it is the recommendation by staff to continue to foster a good relationship with The Blade-Empire by publishing all legal publications in our local newspaper, as well as other publications that arise, such as help wanted ads. At this time, we see no reason not to continue to use The Blade-Empire for all our advertising needs.
The charter ordinance must be published twice in The Blade-Empire. There is a 60-day protest period before it becomes effective. If during that 60-day protest period a protest is signed by 10 percent or more of the electors, who voted in the last preceding regular election, is filed, then the charter ordinance must be submitted to a vote and does not become effective unless approved by a majority of people voting at that election.
Pool numbers
Smith provided the commissioners with attendance numbers for the Concordia Municipal Swimming Pool.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pool was open just 50 days.
The total attendance for those 50 days was 8,203. That is an average of 164 per day, up 26 from the previous year.
Average daily income at the pool was $357.82, as compared to $292.43 in 2019.
The city was in charge of the concession stand at the pool for the first time.
Concessions income was $7,694.48, with expenses totaling $4,072.41. That does not include wages to staff the concession stand.