City looks to expand acreage to build new waste lagoon system

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN DON RATZLAFF
The Hillsboro City Council, at a special meeting Feb. 23, accepted a contract to purchase additional land east of town if it proves to be an acceptable place to build the city’s proposed wastewater lagoon system.

At its Feb. 15 meeting, the council had approved the purchase of 62 acres adjacent to the east boundary of the Hillsboro Industrial Park for the purpose of building the lagoon system. The contract price for the land, owned by Kim Koop, was $2,000 an acre.

Additional land was needed that was of the appropriate soil type, City Administrator Steven Garrett said.

The additional plot, expected to be just under 80 acres once it is surveyed, lies immediately east of the 62-acre plot. It is owned by Vic and Myrna Jost of Hillsboro. The price for purchase, which is subject to core-drilling testing, also would be $2,000 per acre.

Cheese company

On another matter, the city received a written response from Cottonwood Cheese Co. regarding the city’s recent offer of land and other incentives to locate its plant in Hillsboro.

The letter called for continued negotiations, particularly regarding the proposed pre-treatment facility for wastewater, which the company would repay in 10 years.

City Administrator Steven Garrett said the letter indicated the company is continuing to weigh its options regarding the location of its plant.

Garrett said, “This is how I would put it: If this was a game show, they’re the host and we’re the contestant right now.”

Aquatic center election

Garrett reported that Burbach Pools Inc., the company the city has been working with to design the proposed aquatic center in Hillsboro, has offered to help the city explain and promote the project prior to the April 5 election.

The initiative on the ballot will ask residents to approve a half-cent increase in the local sales tax to fund the project.

Garrett asked for the council’s input because he believes this local election will likely attract much more voter participation than normal-not only because of the sales-tax question, but because the state will ask all Kansans to vote April 5 on an amendment to ban gay marriage.

Garrett said he didn’t know how the prospect of a significant voter turnout would affect the sales-tax measure, but he asked the council if they felt Burbach’s expertise would be useful to promote the project.

After some discussion, council members agreed the money required to pay Burbach for those additional services would be better spent elsewhere.

As an aside, Mayor Delores Dalke said she was surprised more civic groups had not asked for a presentation on the proposed aquatic center, which is projected to cost around $2.5 million.

Garrett said he thinks more groups will be looking for presentations from the city as the election draws nearer.

Dalke said one of the things she wants to communicate is that, contrary to the misinformation floating around town, admission prices for swimming will not increase significantly if the aquatic center is built.

Mowing contract

The council approved a contract with JAMM Mowing of Hillsboro for cutting the grass this summer in and around the Memorial Park area.

Garrett said the city’s experience with the local company last summer was positive.

“I was pleased with the work,” Garrett said, adding that it would cost the city about as much or more if it mowed the areas itself.

The areas to be mowed by JAMM Mowing are Heritage Park, Memorial Park, Memorial baseball field, the county fairgrounds, the pond area in Hillsboro Heights, the corner at Ash and Third streets and the welcome-sign lot along U.S. Highway 56.

The council met in executive session for 20 minutes to discuss personnel, but took no action when the public session resumed.

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