Bicycle safety, drainage top Goessel council agenda

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN CYNTHIA GOERZEN
The Goessel City Council issued a warning to bicycle riders at the Aug. 16 meeting: Be careful.


Children had been seen using a jump ramp and landing on Main Street in front of vehicles-without looking for traffic.


Mayor Peggy Jay said she saw two children racing their bikes on Main Street. Another child had turned right in front of a school bus that morning.


“I don’t want to hit a child.” Council member Larry Lindeman said he would like to “let the kids have a good time, but they need to be safe.”


It was noted that the council had considered a dirt bike area some time ago, but liability issues prevented it from becoming a reality.


In other matters, the council listened to engineer Melanie Thrower of McPherson for an hour and a half as she explained improvements that could be engineered for the Emma Creek tributary that runs through Goessel.


But it would cost $200 to $300 for her time to do a simple study and $1,000 for a more complete study.


She talked about partially lining the tributary, which would reduce erosion, cleaning out the channel, and creating a small pond for storm-water management.


A three-acre pond would cost about $65,000 for the earth work, lining and protected overflow structure. But with engineering and other overhead costs, the total would be about $97,500.


Thrower said there is little space to create a pond and saw only one place that would be suitable. She also talked about funding such a project through either creating benefit districts or obtaining grants.


Thrower said there is a 1 percent chance that a 100-year event will occur, and an 80 percent chance that a two-year event will occur. But, she said, “Hydraulic events are created by God, and nobody can predict that.”


Council member Jim Wiens suggested that bigger pipes going into the lift station could help the water-flow problem. A few culverts could be improved, and maybe a new bridge on Main Street could be built.


It was pointed out that two properties just south of Goessel on State Street have obstructions to the flow of water, which helps cause the flooding that Goessel sometimes experiences.


The property on the east side of the road has low-hanging tree branches that obstruct water flow in the ditch. The property on the west side has trees that have fallen into the creek and ditch. The properties are not in the city limits.


Said one councilor: “That’s where our problem is starting-out there. When that backs up, we have flooding in town. So why put money into water-control projects in town?”


Pat Flynn attended the meeting to discuss the wastewater system with the council. He encouraged the council to answer the questions: “What do you want, and what are you willing to pay for it?”


He felt the first step toward improving the wastewater system would be a rate increase so the city can set aside money for the project and reduce debt.


“Plan ahead for the future,” he said.


He suggested raising the minimum water rate from $5 to $6. Amounts above the minimum would only be increased by a nickel per 100 gallons. He suggested raising the connection fee for new buildings to $1,000. He pointed out that would only be 1 percent of a $100,000 home.


“I know people who are paying $5,000 for a connection fee,” he said.


Jay thanked Flynn for the study he had conducted and encouraged the council to follow his advice.


In other business:


n?Public works director Arlen Goertzen reported vandalism to the lights north of the city building again.


“They keep getting broken,” he said, despite all his efforts.


n?Police Chief Rollin Schmidt reported that the two policemen had driven 774 miles during the past month, issued seven warnings, issued 10 notices to appear, attended four hours of training, answered one bank alarm, assisted the sheriff’s department with traffic control for a funeral, responded to a domestic disturbance, assisted the sheriff’s department with an arrest on K-15, and took one suspicious-person report.


n?Goertzen reported that two water samples had tested positive with bacteria.


“I don’t know why it’s doing that,” he said. “It’s the first time in 11 years that it’s done that.”


n?Council member Larry Lindeman expressed appreciation for the work on Main Street.


“I’ve heard good comments about the overlay,” he said.


At a special meeting Aug. 2, the council accepted an offer from Ritchie Paving to pave Main Street at a reduced cost of $26,000. Goertzen said he has been spreading rock on the shoulders of the pavement.


n?Lindeman said he had also been asked about possibly black-topping State Street north of Main Street. Goertzen has been granted authority to maintain that street by the county, but it is considered under county jurisdiction.


n?Goertzen said the crosswalks are going in.


n?City Clerk Anita Goertzen thanked the council for supporting the Main Street Event that occurred during Threshing Days weekend.


n?Goertzen said a few time slots still need to be filled with volunteers to oversee the Goessel booth at the state fair. City businesses are encouraged to send a representative.


n?The board approved the $90 registration fee for the clerk and public works director to attend a public relations and accounting conference in Abilene Oct. 2-3.


n?Following a budget hearing, the council approved the proposed 2002 budget of $480,073. The council passed an ordinance to raise the mill levy by five mills since the general fund has not had sufficient carryover.

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