The Goessel City Council listened to Terry Weldin make a pitch during its Feb. 16 meeting for Goessel to begin a Lions Club in town.
The district governor for the Lions International, Weldin is a charter member of the Lions Club in Burlington, which has been in existence for 15 years.
He said 20 individuals or 10 couples would be needed to start the club. The cost is $30 per individual or couple.
?When we have a 20-people group identified, then we would move forward,? Weldin said, noting that not all members have to show up at every meeting. ?Busy people are the…people we?re looking for.?
Weldin said anyone can ?Google? Lions Club International to find out what the organization is doing around the world. He said Lions Club has liability insurance.
Weldin said the Hillsboro Lions Club would be interested in helping start a Goessel group.
Tonja Wienck, vice district governor from Hillsboro, also attended the meeting and expressed interest in helping Goessel re-establish a Lions Club. Weldin?s term will end June 30, when Wienck will become the district governor.
City Clerk Anita Goertzen asked Weldin to write about the organization for the Goessel newsletter, which he agreed to do. Interested individuals can contact Weldin at 620-364-5371, 620-490-1461, or weldicat@hotmail.com.
The council also discussed the recent community meetings about state-funding issues. USD 411 Superintendent John Fast and Linda Peters, representing Bethesda Home, spoke at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, Goessel Mennonite Church, Tabor Mennonite Church, and at the school in an effort to inform the community how state budget cuts could affect the Goessel community.
Mayor Peggy Jay said to the council: ?We need to show a united front and be supportive of our school and the nursing home…. They are our biggest employers.?
Councilor Duane Duerksen agreed: ?These are very vital pieces to the survival of our town.?
Regarding the seriousness of the budget issues, Councilor Jim Wiens said: ?The state has a shortfall of income…. We can probably be looking at a shortfall, too.?
The council and employees were asked to think of ways to make cuts in expenses.
Other business
In other business, the council:
? heard Jay say a community foundation can help communities survive. Goertzen said Sandy Fruit, representing Central Kansas Community Foundations in Newton, plans to hold a community meeting to talk about establishing a foundation in Goessel.
? heard that Goertzen was planning to attend a workers compensation meeting in El Dorado Feb. 17.
? heard that public works employees Karen Dalke and Joe Base planned to attend a safety meeting the next day.
? heard that Goertzen plans to attend the City Clerk and Municipal Finance Officers Association conference in Wichita in March.
? heard that Goertzen, Dalke and Base plan to attend the Kansas Rural Water Association conference.
? heard that Rita Clary of the Kansas Rural Water Association plans to talk to the council about water rates March 15.
? heard that Paula Flaming, court clerk, plans to attend the Kansas Association of Court Management conference in Salina.
? heard that Dalke has been working at the lagoon ponds.
?It?s been a big project,? she said.
? heard from Dalke that winter has been hard on streets, especially the freezing and thawing. She tried to grade the streets right after they thawed and has put sand and gravel on them. She said she had attended a class on asphalt and street repair.
? heard that Dalke had installed a small water meter at Sunflower apartments, and it ?checked out fine.?
? learned of the need to install meters at the wells. ?I can?t do it by myself,? Dalke said.
? denied a request for three dogs because of concerns of neighbors.
? discussed water service with Terry and Louann Soukup, who would like to erect a building on property they recently purchased. They said construction of the building is scheduled to begin in May and they wondered if the city could bring a water line to that property line.
Louann Soukup said, ?We know everything will be our expense from our property line to our building.?
Flaming suggested the Soukups go to the county to inquire if the property has an easement. The city will check options.
? passed an anti-fraud resolution recommended by city auditors.
? met in executive session for nearly an hour and a half, but took no action in open session.
