Marion County commissioner Randy Dallke came to the Nov. 17 Goessel City Council meeting to discuss a street project, but he first commended the city for its recycling efforts.
Because ?we have to pay El Dorado to put (trash) in the ground,? Dallke expressed pleasure that the community supports recycling so well.
Dallke said the county would like to double or triple the amount of recycling that is currently collected by the county.
Councilor Jim Wiens said people from several miles all around the city of Goessel support the recycling effort and bring their materials to the bins in Goessel.
Councilor Larry Schmidt agreed that a lot of Goessel people recycle.
?Recycling is going great,? he said, adding that a lot of cardboard had been collected lately.
The council then discussed North State Street with Dallke. State Street is known as Alamo outside the city limits. The portion of State Street that is south of Main Street has been surfaced, but the portion north of Main Street has not been surfaced. It is bumpy, with a ?washboard? effect.
Dallke said the city should send a ?letter of intent? to the county and also get a bid for the project. He suggested ?chip and seal.?
When Councilor Rollin Schmidt asked how the city would pay for the project, Public Works Director Karen Dalke said the city?s portion of the expense would come from the city?s highway fund.
However, Dalke and Mayor Dave Schrag said half of State Street belongs to the city and half belongs to the county. They wondered if the county would pay for half of it.
The council voted to send a letter to the county.
Other business
In other business, the council:
? heard that Santa Claus would be available at the city building from 5-7 p.m. Satur?day, Dec. 6.
? went to the library to look at the north door and the carpet. The library is in the city building; therefore, it was noted that the city owns the library.
The north library outside door does not seal properly, and water comes in under the threshold. The carpet has been damaged from the water. The carpet in the library is still the original carpet; it has never been replaced.
?We have to remember this building is not new any more,? Wiens said. He said sidewalks do shift and suggested that the sidewalk on the north side of the library had perhaps heaved up and might be contributing to the water issue inside the building. It was pointed out that the community room floor gets wet, too.
? listened to Jill Droge and Tim Spieser from IdeaTek Telecom describe the Internet service they will provide to the bank. They are working with Moundridge Telephone Co. They will use the city?s right-of-way and requested an ordinance allowing them to do so. The council passed the ordinance.
? passed an updated Standard Traffic Ordinance.
? heard that City Clerk Jennifer Whitehead had attended the city clerk institute. She also planned to attend a training session in Udall addressing the city?s software.
? heard that a ?doggie pot? had been attached to the electric pole near the fire station. Anyone who walks a dog in town is welcome to use it, and the council encourages dog owners to use it for dog waste in an effort to keep the city cleaner.
? authorized Councilor Larry Schmidt to buy a box for Frisbees and balls at the city park. The box would need to be bolted down.
? heard from Dalke that the park has been winterized; the water has been turned off. The building at the baseball diamonds has been winterized, too.
? heard that Dalke got salt for the streets for winter. ?The price went up a little bit,? she said, by 50 cents a bag.
? authorized the purchase of a new heater for the city shop to replace the old one that does not work well.
? heard Schrag?s report on a possible test hole for a well at the baseball diamond. He said it might cost about $19 a foot for a test hole. Dalke said the hole needs to produce 100 gallons of water per minute.
? expressed appreciation for trimming trees.
? heard there had been a report of two people breaking into vehicles. The sheriff?s office handled the case, and most of the stolen items have been recovered.
? heard of vandalism inside the park building. The parents of those involved were cooperative.
