Coryea elected president of Hillsboro City Council for 2002

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JERRY ENGLER
Leonard Coryea was elected president of the Hillsboro City Council at the May 7 meeting.

As president, Coryea will sign checks or conduct meetings in the absence of Mayor Delores Dalke, or succeed her if she were unable to continue in office.

The councilors voted to turn over ownership of the Hillsboro Command Bus to Marion County under County Emergency Communications.

Michelle Abbott-Becker, county director of communications and emergency management told the council in a thank-you letter that the bus will be housed at Markley’s Service in Marion for minor work, and then transferred to the county shop for regular garaging and maintenance.

The councilmen approved 4-0 a 30-day contract for $16,157.85 with Utility Maintenance Contractors, LLC, to rehabilitate sealed systems on 14 manholes.

Steve Garrett, city manager, said there was enough money in the sewer contingency budget to cover the rehabilitation.

He said that acid buildup contributes to leaking of the sealed manholes which has resulted, in times of rain downpours, in as much as three times the normal amount of water going through the sewer plant.

The council approved raising utility deposits to $125 on residential accounts and $150 on commercial accounts to help prevent delinquencies upon closing.

The council approved Dalke signing a proclamation designating May “Older Americans Month” in Hillsboro in recognition of the contributions of the elderly and the non-profit institutions such as Parkside Homes that care for them.

The council approved a management-commitment program to lead by action, and not just by words, to reduce risk and promote employee welfare in a city plan that has earned an insurance gold award to reduce workman’s compensation costs 5-percent.

The council designated annual appointments of Keith Collett as municipal judge, Garrett as city administrator, city treasurer and zoning administrator; Dan Baldwin as city attorney; Glenda Wodke as deputy city clerk; Janice Meisinger as city clerk; Kermit Dirksen as public officer, Dan Kinning as chief of police; and Ben Steketee as fire chief.

The council discussed what to do about repairs of sewer lines that don’t run on city easements in older parts of town, but may run across yards or under alleys and homes.

Dalke said the problem partly arises because many second homes were built to the back of larger home lots in the ’40s and ’50s.

Baldwin said if a sewer has been run in a location, it may give the city “prescriptive rights” to maintain it even though there is no recorded easement.

The council approved a pay estimate of $97,200 on a contract with Walters-Morgan Construction Inc. of Manhattan for water plant sand filter rehabilitation with $53,910 now due.

The council approved the 2001 audit report by Knudsen Monroe & Co.

The council approved paying a $614 invoice to Precision Environmental Services of Wichita for asbestos surveys on buildings demolished at 306 and 309 Washington from grant funds.

Garrett recommended the council have all boards appointed by it submit agendas and minutes to the council to enable councilors to go to all meetings when they wanted to maintain control. He said boards could assume funds for projects could be forthcoming from the city when their proper function is to carry out the will of the council.

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