Cities unite to address lake mussels

A preliminary plan is now in place for a project that should protect the water supply for the majority of county residents from the impact of proliferating zebra mussels.

The Hillsboro City Council approved at its March 1 meeting an interlocal agreement that will enable Hillsboro and Marion to work together to prevent the mussels from plugging the intake system at Marion Reser?voir.

The Marion City Council had approved the agreement the previous day.

Both cities use raw water from the reservoir to produce a potable water supply for their residents, as well for the city of Peabody.

The agreement states the two cities will share the cost of an engineering pilot study and design engineering up to $100,000.

The cost will be divided between the two cities according to the average gallons of water each city produced from 2006 to 2010. Estimates indicate that Hills?boro, which is the supplier for Peabody, will pick up 66 percent and Marion 34 percent.

Evans, Bierly, Hutchison and Associates P.A. of Great Bend is designated as the engineering firm under contract to move forward with the project.

New floodplain ordinance

The council approved a floodplain management ordinance recommended to them by the city?s Planning & Development Commission after three months of work.

The plan affects the insurability of structures existing or constructed in an area designated by the state?s Division of Water Resources as a floodplain.

City Administrator Larry Paine said the plan identifies three floodplains within the city limits: the property surrounding the drainage pond in Hillsboro Heights, an area of land situated south and east of Parkside Homes? Park Village campus, and the creek that runs through the municipal golf course.

The plan states that structures can be built and reasonably insured within these areas if they are engineered to be elevated above the floodplain, according to Paine.

The 18-page plan includes a section written by city attorney Dan Baldwin that outlines the city?s enforcement procedure when violations occur.

As an aside, Mayor Delores Dalke noted that the last time the city received a letter from the Division of Water Resources, no floodplains were designated within the city limits.

Paine said no structures currently exist within the areas now designated as floodplains.

Sidewalk resolution revisited

Based on feedback from the Hillsboro Arts & Crafts Associa?tion, the council amended the resolution it approved at its previous meeting outlining the association?s authority to use sidewalks in the downtown business district to accommodate fair vendors.

The resolution was changed to designate the start of the designated period to 5 p.m. Friday from the previously stated 7:30 p.m. The period ends at 8 p.m. Saturday.

More eco-devo discussion

After revisiting the issue of identifying a funding source for the city?s economic-development office, the council agreed to wait until summer to decide on a course of action.

Councilor Byron McCarty, who asked to have the issue placed on the agenda again, said the economic development office ought to have its own budget, and that he preferred the funding source not be the current one: the city?s electric utility.

McCarty voiced his support for the economic-development position, but said he would not support a council initiative to pay for it by raising the local property-tax levy by an estimated five mills for next year?s general fund budget.

McCarty said he preferred that local voters be allowed to indicate via an election if they support adding five mills to the one mill currently designated for the separate fund to support ?industrial development.?

McCarty said having an election would address the original concerns raised by Councilor Shelby Dirks several months ago.

But Dirks affirmed Mayor Dalke?s suggestion that Dirks? original intent had been to have the issue placed on a local ballot before the position was formally approved. Now that it?s already in place, calling for an election at this point would be ?after the fact.?

Dalke suggested the council wait until the annual budget process in June and July to determine what course of action to take. By then, the council should have a better idea of the city?s financial situation.

McCarty said he was content to wait until summer, and that he supported Paine?s suggestion that the council develop a plan for promoting passage of a ballot initiative if a special election is deemed to be the best route to go.

Other action

In other action, the council:

? watched Mayor Dalke present a plaque to Paul Jantzen for the 30 years of service on the city tree board. She said, to her knowledge, no one has served that along as a volunteer on a city board. Jantzen thanked the city for having a tree board.

? approved the mayor?s appointment of Lenna Knoll to the Convention & Visitors Bureau.

? heard Paine report that the city?s sales-tax receipt for February was $103,000, which is an increase from last year?s total of $90,000.

? heard Paine report that the police department?s new patrol car has finally arrived in Hills?boro after being shipped to multiple places across the country and even Canada. Paine joked that the car?s circuitous route reminded him of a ?Flat Stanley? project.

? heard Paine say the city?s electrical crew was busy re-routing fiber optic cable from Hillsboro Elementary School, which was USD 410?s previous permanent central-office location, to the new permanent location at D and Date streets.

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