The Hillsboro City Coun?cil approved during its May 5 meeting a street-seal plan for 2015 that will include all of Main Street and several street sections in various parts of town.
Circle C Paving of God?dard submitted the low bid of $116,500 among three competing companies.
In addition to Main Street, the plan includes:
? one block of Grand Avenue on either side of Main Street;
? Adams Street, between A and C streets;
? Wilson Street, between A and D streets;
? the road into the Sports Complex;
? the streets within the Willow Glen housing development.
The streets will receive a standard chip seal with a fog seal?except for the downtown business district. On Main Street between B and Second streets, plus the two blocks of Grand Avenue, the chip seal will be overlayed with Axys mastic surface treatment.
City Engineer Darin Neufeld of EBH Associates, said the Axys product is more expensive than fog seal?adding $8,250 to the cost of the project?but it will keep rock chips from penetrating the seal, protect the streets almost twice as long and provide an attractive black surface.
Airport seal coat
Circle C Paving also submitted the lowest bid to seal coat the asphalt areas of the local airport, including the runway.
The winning bid was $101,626. Ninety percent of the project will be covered with an aviation grant through the Kansas Depart?ment of Transporta?tion. The rest wil be paid by the city.
A group of volunteers from an area flying club will supply the labor to paint the pavement markings after the seal coat has been applied.
Eco-devo pillars
The council agreed 3-0 to continue using the ?five pillars? emphasis as the basis for the city?s economic development philosophy. The pillars are: entrepreneurship, people attrac?tion/youth engagement; infrastructure; community leadership; and funding/philanthropy.
?As we move forward to recruitment of a new economic development position, we wanted to formalize these five areas to focus on as a new individual picks up the responsibilities of the position,? City Administrator Larry Paine said.
Clint Seibel, current economic development director, is planning to retire at the end of June. A search is under way for a successor.
Compost relocation
The council approved in concept a proposal by street supervisor Dale Dalke to move the city?s com??post site from its present location adjacent to the east end of the city maintenance yard with access off Adams Street, to the west end of the maintenance yard with access off Ash Street on East Orchard Drive.
The new location was prompted by the purchase of land by Grace Com?munity Church for the location of a ministry facility.
The plot suggested for relocation is owned by the Hills?boro Development Corp. The city will need to purchase the plot and build a gravel extension of about 950 feet from the east end of East Orchard Drive so the public can access the new site.
The gravel was estimated to cost $5,000.
?We would plan to make a screen with trees and/or wood fencing partly around the compost to stop blowing debris,? Dale Dalke said.
Recycling containers
The council deferred action on a recommendation by Dale Dalke that the city purchase four eight-yard Dumpsters for the city?s single-stream recycling needs.
The Dumpsters would cost $9,062, but he said the expense would be more than offset by ending the $28,000 annual fee paid to the McPherson Area Solid Waste Utility to provide containers and haul away recyclables.
Dalke proposed that the city would haul local recyclables to the Marion County transfer station in Marion, which would then sell them to a material recycling facility. Proceeds would benefit county taxpayers.
Paine said MASWU?s recent change to single-stream recycling has been a positive move, but local users have offered ?a lot of negative feedback? about the utility?s new containers, which restrict the amount of recyclables that can be put in a container at one time.
Mayor Delores Dalke said she could support the proposal, but would prefer waiting for the results of the city?s solid-waste study currently under way before investing in new Dumpsters.
Dale Dalke said regardless of the report?s recommendations, the larger Dumpsters could be put to good use around town.
The council decided to table the issue until its May 19 meeting.
Other business
In other business, the council:
? heard Paine report that the Safe Routes to School project is scheduled to begin June 1. The first phase is to pour wider sidewalks along A Street from the elementary school to Adams Street.
? approved a bid from Ranson Financial to serve as the administrator of a Com?munity Development Block Grant that could pay for a sidewalk project along Birch, Cedar and Date streets this summer.
? heard Paine report that a preconstruction conference is scheduled soon regarding the turning-lane project at U.S. Highway 56 and Adams Street.
? witnessed fellow council member Bob Watson taking the oath of office following his re-election last month.
? chose Dave Loewen to be council president for the next year.
? chose Watson as chair of the Public Building Com?mission for the next year. The mayor and council members comprise the PBC, which manages city-owned buildings, including the facilities currently used by the local hospital and Salem Home.
Councilor Shelby Dirks was absent from the meeting.
