Monday, February 20, 2017

02/06/2017-Approved City Commission Meeting Minutes

MONDAY
 
FEBRUARY 06, 2017
 
The Governing Body of the City of Pratt met in Regular session in the Commission Room located in City Hall.

PRESENT: 

Lucus Kumberg   Mayor
Doug Meyer       Commissioner
Gary Schmidt     Commissioner
Don Peters          Commissioner

ALSO PRESENT:

Roy Eckert                  City Manager
LuAnn Kramer           City Clerk
Diana Garten              Finance Director
Gary Myers               Chief of Police
Brad Blankenship      Building Inspector
Jamie Huber              Dir. of Electric Utilities
Bruce Pinkall            Recreation Director
              
CALL TO ORDER:

The regular meeting was called to order by Mayor Kumberg.  The Mayor instructed the City Clerk to note that all Commissioners were present with the exception of Commissioner Hlavachick who was ill.

The Mayor reminded the audience that this meeting may be taped and/or recorded.

INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:

Commissioner Schmidt led the staff and audience in the invocation and Mayor Kumberg led the Pledge of Allegiance.

MINUTES:

Commissioner Meyer made a motion to approve the minutes of the January 03, 2017 regular Commission meeting and the January 30, 2017 Special Call meeting.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Schmidt and carried unanimously. 

BUSINESS:

PROCLAMATION FOR GIRL SCOTT COOKIE MONTH (FEBRUARY 2017):

Mayor Kumberg thanked the Girl Scouts for coming to the meeting and bringing cookies.  Mayor Kumberg stated that the Girl Scouts consistently form young women into fantastic adults and he then read the proclamation in their honor.

CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF COLOR RUN ROUTE ON MAY 20, 2017 AT 10:00 A.M.:

Dr. Pam Howell, PAHS representative, informed the Commission that the Humane Society would be having their annual 5K run on May 20th and they would be using the same route as previous years.  Dr. Howell stated that they would not be using color due to the FDA findings.  After little more discussion, Commissioner Peters made a motion to approve the route for the PAHS 5K run on May 20th in Lemon Park.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Schmidt and carried unanimously.

DISCUSSION ON A LOCAL MEMORIAL AT MERCHANTS PARK:

Ms. Donna Rawlings approached the Commission concerning making Merchants Park into a local hero’s park.  Ms. Rawlings commented that they would sell bricks and install them in the new area and she had someone who would do the bricks, but she did not have a cost.  Ms. Rawlings stated that she had visited with Ms. Kerry Thieme at the high school about having some of her art students design a mural for the wall.  Ms. Rawlings added that she had talked to the owners of the building, but they wanted the Commission’s approval before committing to letting it be done. 

Mayor Kumberg asked if she had talked to the Recreation Board.  Ms. Rawlings stated that she had not and she had not been sure where to start.  Recreation Director Pinkall suggested that she do a presentation for the board.  Ms. Rawlings stated that she would do that.  Mr. Pinkall commented that she could get on their next agenda the last Monday of the month at noon at the Municipal Building.  Ms. Rawlings commented that they would like to set up a scholarship for officers and firefighters who were injured on the job or for their families.  Mr. Pinkall stated that she could bring anything she thought they would be interested in for her presentation.

CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF COMMISSIONER HLAVACHICK AS DIRECTOR #1 ON KMEA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Mayor Kumberg stated that the Commission does this every year for the KMEA Board and Commissioner Hlavachick had been on that board for some time.  With no discussion, Commissioner Peters made a motion to re-appoint Commissioner Hlavachick to an additional term on the KMEA Board of Directors.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Meyer and carried unanimously.

CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE FINAL PLAT FOR THE PARK HILLS COUNTRY CLUB ADDITION:

City Inspector Blankenship stated that this was the final plat for the Park Hills Country Club Addition and had come about after seven months of working with EBH and Park Hills.  Mr. Blankenship commented that the subdivision was on the west half and all lots center to that side.  Mr. Blankenship stated that there had been a hearing through the Planning and Zoning Commission in November and only about twenty people were there.  Mr. Blankenship added that, with few changes needing to be made, the Planning and Zoning Commission had no objections and the final plat passed unanimously. 

Mr. Blankenship informed the Commission that they were the next step and the plat needed their approval.  Commissioner Peters questioned if the concerns had been satisfied.  Mr. Blankenship stated that there were some concerns that were beyond what this subdivision regulates and this was done in a way to conform to this subdivision.  Mr. Blankenship commented that this may not have made everyone happy; however, no one had contacted him since the meeting.  Commissioner Meyer asked if they had a homeowners association.  Mr. Blankenship stated that he did not know, but they were not recognized in the City of Pratt.  Mr. Blankenship added that the City takes care of that through zoning. 

Mayor Kumberg questioned if we were responsible for the roads since the County was not.  Mr. Blankenship stated that we were not, but there was a State Statute that gives us the right to do this in case the City grows out that way so that it meets our standards.  Mr. Blankenship requested that the Commission approve the final plat as presented for the Park Hill County Club Addition.  Commissioner Meyer commented that he had a lot of experience with the Planning & Zoning Commissioner; therefore, he made a motion to approve the final plat as presented for the Park Hills Country Club addition.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Peters and carried unanimously.

OPEN AGENDA:

• Sewer Rates:

Pratt resident Gerald Brooks, owner of Contemporary Home Improvement, commented that he owned the truck wash at the airport.  Mr. Brooks stated that the former City Manager and others had been a great help getting it going; however, the bill he got had him miffed.  Mr. Brooks informed the Commission that there had been two hundred oilfield trucks out at the airport when he started building the car wash and it was not struggling.  Mr. Brooks stated that the problem he was having was with the bill he got and having the water cost $82 and the sewer bill was $140.91.  Mr. Brooks stated that something needs to be addressed on the sewer being that much higher than the water bill.  Mr. Brooks commented that the commercial fees and the taxes were why people were not coming here and going to Medicine Lodge.  Mr. Brooks asked that the City take a look at this and get the fees down and help commercial endeavors.  Mayor Kumberg thanked Mr. Brooks and stated that he would have the City Manager look into this.

REPORTS:

City Manager:

• KMEA issues:

City Manager Eckert stated that we were still dealing with KMEA issues.  Mr. Eckert informed the Commission that he had been to Kansas City with Director of Electric Utilities Huber and Energy Agent Kreutzer to meet with Rainbow and KMEA the following day.  Mr. Eckert commented that this was consuming a majority of their time lately, but it was very interesting.

• Recommendations from Paula Downs:

Mr. Eckert stated that the staff had gone through the recommendations from Paula Downs from WSU and they had been advised of what they would be working on.  Mr. Eckert added that this should be done by the end of the month.  Mr. Eckert commented that we would also be working on the vision and mission statements to see where Pratt was going.

Mayor Kumberg informed the audience that the Commission and staff had met on a Saturday with Ms. Downs from Wichita State University and she was getting us ready for vision and strategic planning.  Mr. Eckert stated that one of the first outcomes was expanding the utility payment hours from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., which should help serve the people of Pratt better.  Mr. Eckert explained that the counter would be open ten hours a day Monday through Friday and the staff had worked out their schedule to accommodate the change.  Mayor Kumberg stated that he had heard a lot of positive things about this change.

City Attorney:

• Comments:

Ms. Regina Goff, interim City Attorney, stated that she had been doing the duties of the City Attorney since January 17th and had had discussions with department heads about their needs as well as listening to the concerns about crime from law enforcement.  Ms. Goff commented that she would bring a new prosecuting style to the City and she was forming a relationship with the district attorney.   Ms. Goff added that she was enjoying it and the feedback had been good and she encouraged the staff to continue to ask questions or come to her with their concerns.
Building Inspections:

• Public Works update:

Building Inspector Blankenship stated that he was going to update the Commission on a few things that Public Works Director Rambat usually does, but still out after having back surgery.  Mr. Blankenship commented that the street department continues to clean-up limbs, but they were just about done.  Mr. Blankenship stated that the water department had helped them out with man power and their 30’ trailer and the backhoe with the clam claw.

• Casey’s:

Mr. Blankenship stated that they were doing concrete at the Casey’s location and Smiley Concrete had told him that they had never had the volume of concrete that this location has.  Mr. Blankenship added that they were pouring 5,000 yards of concrete and they only had 5,500 all of last year.  Mr. Blankenship explained that there was a lot of psi and fiber mesh which strengthens the concrete.  Mr. Blankenship stated that we should be doing the sewer in the next couple of days.  Mayor Kumberg commented that they should make their target date.  Mr. Blankenship commented that they have the inside refrigeration units running and the rest would be the portable shelves and stocking shelves.  Commissioner Peters questioned the depth of the concrete.  Mr. Blankenship stated that it was 8” and normal residential was 8 ½”.

• Limb pick-up:

Commissioner Peters stated that the City had done a great job picking up the limbs and it was good of them to do that.  Commissioner Peters commented that it was a blessing for some people to have that service once they got them to the curb.  Mr. Blankenship stated that we had a good crew.  Mr. Blankenship commented that the street department had come to the Commission about getting the load-all with an extended arm and that helped the guys when the limbs were farther back.  Commissioner Peters asked if there was much overtime.  Mr. Blankenship stated that he did not think so; however, the water department had had a few water leaks where the bricks had not been put back but it all balanced out.  Commissioner Meyer asked if we were going to recoup any of our expenses.  Finance Director Garten stated that we could get about 85% back since Dodge City was hit really hard.

• Casey’s concrete question:

Commissioner Schmidt questioned what they were using for expansion joints at Casey’s.  Mr. Blankenship stated that they were using cold joints in between the rebar.  Mr. Blankenship added that it was like a highway.  Mr. Blankenship explained that Terracon had a density meter so they know if there are any soft spots that need to be dug out and redone.  Mr. Blankenship stated that you have settling and cracking in any situation.    Commissioner Schmidt stated that he was thinking about the heat and no room to expand.  Mr. Blankenship stated that they would cut them in.
Electric Department:

• Off the grid:

Director of Electric Utilities Huber stated that we would be untied from the grid for a while on the 15th.   Mr. Huber explained that Sunflower was going to be repairing some equipment and we hoped that it goes quick and do not have any issues.

Police Department:

• 2016 Activity:

Police Chief Myers stated that his department had had a very busy year logging 112,342 miles.  Chief Myers commented that they had 944 traffic citations and twelve DUI arrests.  Chief Myers pointed out that they had 1,075 cases filed in Municipal Court in 2016, which was an increase of 399 from 2015.  Chief Myers stated that they had received 10,736 calls for service and had investigated 1,715 criminal cases and accidents.  Chief Myers explained that 470 of those cases were felonies in 2016 and there was an increase in property crimes with 225 burglaries in 2016 and 110 in 2015.  Chief Myers commented that there were 258 larcenies in 2016 and 237 in 2015.  Chief Myers informed the Commission that there were 95 drug cases in 2016 compared to 90 cases in 2015.  Chief Myers stated that the police department maintains an aggressive enforcement of the drug activity and will continue to be pro-active. 

Chief Myers stated that animal control impounded 127 dogs, five cats, two armadillos, six possums, twelve raccoons and two skunks.  Chief Myers commented that the animal control officer does attempt to return an animal if they have identification tags.

Chief Myers reported that the Municipal Court case load was at 997 in 2014, 718 in 2015 and 1,075 in 2016 with revenue in 2015 being $109,409.50 and $137,011.41 this year.
Commissioner Peters questioned the 20% increase in calls for service in 2016.  Chief Myers stated that there was an increase in crime in the City and he had put out a press release asking people to call in any suspicious activity contributing to that increase.  Commissioner Peters asked what constitutes a felony.  Chief Myers explained that they were filed in district court and were $1,000 or more and aggravated felonies were drug related, burglaries or damage to property in excess of $1,000.  Commissioner Peters questioned how many convictions there were.  Chief Myers stated that he would like to discuss that in an executive session.  Commissioner Peters questioned if the 95 drug cases were meth related.  Chief Myers stated that they were not necessarily, but could be opiates.

Executive Session:

Mayor Kumberg made a motion to go into executive session for non-elected personnel to last thirty minutes.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Myers and carried unanimously.

Mayor Kumberg made a motion to return from executive session with nothing to report.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Meyer and carried unanimously.

Mayor Kumberg made a motion to enter into executive session to discuss confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of second parties to last thirty minutes.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Meyer and carried unanimously.

Mayor Kumberg stated that the executive session was at the end of the thirty minutes and made a motion to return to executive session to continue discussing confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of second parties to last an additional thirty minutes.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Peters and carried unanimously.

ADJOURN:

Upon proper motion, the meeting was adjourned.

______________________________________
LUCUS KUMBERG, Mayor

ATTEST:
________________________________________
LUANN KRAMER, City Clerk

02/02/2017-Approved City Commiission Special Call Meeting Minutes

THURSDAY

FEBRUARY 02, 2017

The Governing Body of the City of Pratt met in a Special Call session in the Commission Room located at City Hall. 
 
PRESENT:    

Lucus Kumberg    Mayor
Bill Hlavachick   Commissioner
Doug Meyer        Commissioner
Gary Schmidt      Commissioner
Don Peters          Commissioner

ALSO PRESENT:  
 
Roy Eckert          City Manager
LuAnn Kramer    City Clerk
Regina Goff        Acting City Attorney (by Phone)
Diana Garten       Finance Director
Jamie Huber        Dir. of Electric Utilities
Kenny Kreutzer  Energy Agent   

CALL TO ORDER:

The Special Call meeting was called to order by Mayor Kumberg.  The Mayor instructed the Clerk to note that all Commissioners were present.

BUSINESS:

EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS CONFIDENTIAL DATA RELATING TO FINANCIAL AFFAIRS OR TRADE SECRETS OF SECOND PARTIES TO LAST ONE HOUR:

Mayor Kumberg made a motion to enter into executive session to discuss confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of second parties to last one hour.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hlavachick and carried unanimously.

Mayor Kumberg made a motion to return from executive session with nothing to report.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Meyer and carried unanimously.

ADJOURN:

Commissioner Hlavachick made a motion to adjourn.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Peters and carried unanimously.

______________________________________
LUCUS KUMBERG, Mayor


ATTEST:

________________________________________
LUANN KRAMER, City Clerk

Thursday, February 16, 2017

02/20/2017 - City Commission Meeting Agenda


 
MONDAY
FEBRUARY 20, 2017
PRATT CITY COMMISSION – REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING
COMMISSION ROOM – 5:00 P.M.
1.      CALL TO ORDER (Remind audience that meeting is being recorded and/or taped.)
2.      ROLL CALL
3.      INVOCATION & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
4.      MINUTES  January 30, 2017 Special Call Meeting
                             February 02, 2017 Special Call Meeting
                             February 06, 2017 Regular Commission Meeting  
5.      BUSINESS:
5.1             Consideration and Approval of April Fool’s Day 5K – Linda Lanterman

5.2             Consideration and Approval of Bid for a New Police Vehicle – Gary Myers, Police Chief

5.3             Consideration and Approval of Bid for a Geographic Information System (GIS) – Jamie Huber, Dir. of Electric Utilities 

5.4             Consideration and Approval of Resolution 022017 Updating the Bidding Policy Guidelines – Rick Eckert, City Manager; Regina Goff, Acting City Attorney

5.5             Discussion Concerning Hinkle Law Firm Representing the City in KMEA Issue – Rick Eckert, City Manager; Regina Goff, Acting City Attorney

5.6             Consideration and Approval of the Updated Employee Personnel Policy Manual – Rick Eckert, City Manager; Regina Goff, Acting City Attorney

6.      OPEN AGENDA (City Matters Only)(3 Minute Time Limit)
7.      REPORTS:
7.1             City Manager
7.2             Acting City Attorney
7.3             Department Superintendents
7.4             Mayor
7.5             City Commission

8.   RECESS until March 06, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. for City/County Joint Meeting at City Hall.

Monday, February 6, 2017

01/30/2017-Approved City Commission Special Call Meeting Minutes

MONDAY 

JANUARY 30, 2017 

The Governing Body of the City of Pratt met in a Special Call session in the Commission Room located at City Hall. 
 
PRESENT:  
 
Lucus Kumberg  Mayor
Bill Hlavachick  Commissioner
Doug Meyer  Commissioner
Gary Schmidt  Commissioner
Don Peters  Commissioner

ALSO PRESENT: 
 
Roy Eckert  City Manager
LuAnn Kramer  City Clerk
Diana Garten  Finance Director
Jamie Huber  Dir. of Electric Utilities
Kenny Kreutzer  Energy Agent 
                      
CALL TO ORDER:

The Special Call meeting was called to order by Mayor Kumberg.  The Mayor instructed the Clerk to note that all Commissioners were present.

BUSINESS:

EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS CONFIDENTIAL DATA RELATING TO FINANCIAL AFFAIRS OR TRADE SECRETS OF SECOND PARTIES TO LAST THIRTY MINUTES:

Mayor Kumberg made a motion to enter into executive session to discuss confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of second parties to last thirty minutes.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Meyer and carried unanimously.
 
Mayor Kumberg stated that the executive session was at the end of the thirty minutes and made a motion to return to executive session to continue discussing confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of second parties to last an additional thirty minutes.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hlavachick and carried unanimously.

Mayor Kumberg made a motion to return from executive session with nothing to report.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Meyer and carried unanimously.

ADJOURN:

Commissioner Hlavachick made a motion to adjourn.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Meyer and carried unanimously.
 
______________________________________
LUCUS KUMBERG, Mayor
 
ATTEST:
________________________________________
LUANN KRAMER, City Clerk

01/16/2017-Approved City Commission Meeting Minutes

MONDAY 

JANUARY 16, 2017

The Governing Body of the City of Pratt met in Regular session in the Commission Room located in City Hall.

PRESENT:  
 
Lucus Kumberg  Mayor
Bill Hlavachick  Commissioner
Doug Meyer  Commissioner
Gary Schmidt  Commissioner
Don Peters  Commissioner

ALSO PRESENT: 
 
Roy Eckert  City Manager
LuAnn Kramer  City Clerk
Diana Garten  Finance Director
Russell Rambat  Public Works Director
Gary Myers  Chief of Police
Brad Blankenship Building Inspector
Jamie Huber  Dir. of Electric Utilities
Bruce Pinkall  Recreation Director 
                       
CALL TO ORDER: 

The regular meeting was called to order by Mayor Kumberg.  The Mayor instructed the City Clerk to note that all Commissioners were present. 

The Mayor reminded the audience that this meeting may be taped and/or recorded. 

INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: 

Commissioner Meyer led the staff and audience in the invocation and Mayor Kumberg led the Pledge of Allegiance. 

MINUTES: 

Commissioner Hlavachick made a motion to approve the minutes of the January 03, 2017 regular Commission meeting.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Peters and carried unanimously.  

BUSINESS:

CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE RE-APPOINTMENT OF DENIS RASMUSSEN TO THE CEMETERY BOARD: 

Public Works Director Rambat stated that the term of Mr. Denis Rasmussen was up on the Cemetery Board and he was willing to serve another three year term.  Mr. Rambat stated that he was very involved with what goes on at the cemetery.  Commissioner Meyer made a motion to approve the re-appointment of Mr. Denis Rasmussen for another three year term on the Cemetery Board.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Schmidt and carried unanimously. 

CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF CHARTER ORDINANCE 21 EXEMPTING THE CITY OF PRATT FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF K.S.A. 14-205: 

City Manager Eckert reminded the Commission that the City of Pratt was a home rule City and could exempt themselves from certain portions of State laws and this Charter Ordinance would exempt us from the requirements of the City Attorney having to reside within the County or adjoining County.  Mr. Eckert stated that he had not known that this law existed and he had talked to the League, which told him that this happens a lot.  Mr. Eckert commented that we had used contract attorneys before, such as the attorney out of Wichita working on the KMEA issues; therefore, he wanted to submit this ordinance for the change.  Mr. Eckert added that it could be difficult to find the specific skill set that we needed and it helps the staff out also. 

With no more discussion, the following Charter Ordinance 21 was then presented to the Commission for their approval:  A CHARTER ORDINANCE EXEMPTING THE CITY OF PRATT, KANSAS FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF K.S.A. 14-205, PROVIDING SUBSTITUTE AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS ON THE SAME SUBJECT AND REMOVING LIMITATIONS ON RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY.  Commissioner Hlavachick made a motion to approve Charter Ordinance 21 exempting from certain provisions of K.S.A. 14-205, providing substitute and additional provisions on the same subject and removing limitations on residency requirements for the City Attorney.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Meyer.  Commissioner Schmidt questioned if we had been on the other end of that in previous years where the City Attorney was the attorney for another County.  Mr. Eckert stated that it was fairly common.  Commissioner Peters asked if this would be an issue with the public.  Mayor Kumberg stated that he did not think so.  Mr. Eckert stated that we would be hiring a contract attorney until the Charter Ordinance took effect.  With no more discussion, the motion and second passed unanimously.

CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE 2017 PUBLIC DEFENDER AGREEMENT:

Mr. Eckert stated that he had received three applications for the public defender position and, with a lot of deliberation, he recommended that the Commission hire Mr. Ken Van Blaricum for that spot.  Mayor Kumberg asked if this was a standard contract.  Mr. Eckert stated that it was; however, he had offered him $200 for monthly expenses, such as postage, etc.  Commissioner Schmidt made a motion to approve the 2017 Public Defender Agreement with Mr. Ken Van Blaricum.  Commissioner Hlavachick seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

OPEN AGENDA: 

·        Disc Golf: 

Mr. Jason Winkel informed the Commission that it was time for their annual food drive and disc golf tournament in Lemon Park and it would be the weekend of February 25th.  Mr. Winkel stated that they had forty-two players last year and they donated $800 cash and 800 cans of food to Pay It Forward.  Mr. Winkel added that they hope to beat that number this year.  Commissioner Meyer questioned how many of the out-of-towners spend the night.  Mr. Winkel stated that probably ten percent.  Commissioner Hlavachick asked how long the tournament takes.  Mr. Winkel stated that it was Friday to Sunday with enough time on Friday to set-up and have a League round on Sunday.  Mr. Winkel commented that the tournament would start around 8:00 a.m. and be over about 5:00 p.m.  Commissioner Meyer questioned if the park remained open.  Mr. Winkel stated that it did and he always reminded the players to be careful.  Commissioner Schmidt questioned if they play in icy conditions.  Mr. Winkel stated that it was more fun when it was cold.  Building Inspector Blankenship stated that there would be less obstacles in the park due to the storm.  Mr. Winkel commented that he had been down to May Dennis Park and his group would be pulling stuff out to the parking lot and get it cleaned up.  Mr. Winkel added that there was no damage to the signs or the baskets.  With no more discussion, Commissioner Hlavachick made a motion to approve the request from Pratt Disc Golf to use Lemon Park the weekend of February 25th for their annual food drive.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Meyer and carried unanimously. 

REPORTS: 

City Manager: 

·        Applicants: 

City Manager Eckert stated that he had been working on interviews and backgrounds for the City Attorney and Indigent Attorney.  Mr. Eckert commented that he had two very good candidates. 

·        Lemon Park: 

Mr. Eckert informed the Commission that he had met with Mr. Blake Himmelwright and they had a good talk about the architectural things for Lemon Park.  Mr. Eckert stated that he learned a lot about the park and there were a few inexpensive things that would make it better and other things could be phased in.  Mr. Eckert commented that it was very productive and he would continue to meet with him.

·        Personnel policy: 

Mr. Eckert stated that he was working on the final draft of the personnel policy handbook and reminded the Commission that the last update was 1995.  Mr. Eckert added that he was matching the pages with the index.  Mr. Eckert stated that he was modeling ours with the League’s updated example; however, there were some things in the book that were good.  Mr. Eckert stated that it was a lot of work but it would be on the next agenda. 

·        City Attorney: 

Mr. Eckert stated the he knows who the hire will be for the City Attorney, but they had to get through the motions of the Charter Ordinance before he made an announcement. 

·        Executive Session: 

Mr. Eckert requested an executive session at the end of the meeting for non-elected personnel to last thirty minutes. 

Public Works: 

·        Ice Storm: 

Public Works Director Rambat stated that his guys were busy dealing with the ice storm and trying to move stuff out of the street and up against the curb.  Mr. Rambat commented that a lot of the ice was gone, so he suspected that people would be getting their limbs to the curb and the guys would be coming around to pick them up.  Mr. Rambat suggested that people haul them to the landfill themselves if they want it done in a timely fashion.  Mr. Rambat explained that the guys would hopefully be making one sweep through town starting tomorrow or Wednesday.  Commissioner Peters questioned if a person was responsible to cut down their own limbs so they were manageable.  Mr. Rambat stated that we had the equipment to grab larger limbs, but we were prepared for multiple stuff.  Mr. Rambat commented that they do have to be at the curb and not the alleys.   

Commissioner Peters asked if this would be published.  Mr. Rambat stated that he had already talked to them.  Mr. Rambat explained that we have an opportunity to help the citizens out; however, after a first or second sweep, we would ask that they contact the entities that do that for hire.  Commissioner Schmidt questioned where it would be disposed of.  Mr. Rambat stated that the landfill takes it for free.  Mr. Rambat added that we did have a burn permit west of town that was used if the landfill was closed.  Commissioner Schmidt asked if we had used Sixth Street Park at one time.  Mr. Rambat stated that we had, but we would have to get a temporary permit from the State to do that. 

Inspection Department: 

·        Donut Shop: 

Building Inspector Blankenship stated that the donut shop was still a go and they were waiting on the contractor to return the contract.  Mr. Blankenship added that the remodel was already at $100,000. 

Electric Department: 

·        Storm update: 

Director of Electric Utilities Huber stated that it had been a busy twenty-four hours for the line crews, but this was a storm that they had prepared for.  Mr. Huber commented that the storm did not come when it was expected to, but they had gone out around 7:00 p.m. yesterday and he still had ten linemen out.  Mr. Huber explained that they had taken around 130 to 150 calls of no power and some of those were where the service had been ripped from their house which would require an electrician.  Mr. Huber commented that the rural areas fared well, but they always start in the City and then go to the rural areas.  Mr. Huber added that they went to the rural areas around 10:30 a.m. and they were still at it.  Commissioner Peters questioned if it was dangerous for them to be out doing this for so long.  Mr. Huber stated it could be, but he had shut them down at 6:00 p.m. tonight after working throughout the day. 

Mr. Huber stated that their tree trimming had paid off, but there were a lot of services on the ground.  Mr. Huber commented that he had contacted KMEA and other communities were going through the same thing.  Mr. Huber explained that the ice thawing could cause problems when the limbs go back up, which was in the opposite direction of what they had dealt with earlier today.  Mr. Huber added that they would be dealing with widow makers for the next couple of weeks.  Mr. Huber stated that it had helped to have all the equipment ready to go.  Mayor Kumberg commented that he appreciated that and we were lucky that this did not happen very often.  Mr. Huber stated that there were five of the guys that had not experienced an ice storm, so they would learn a lot and they were working in pairs.  Mr. Huber added that the power plant guys had done the same thing and made sure they were ready to go and he had put an extra guy on duty just to answer the phone so that the guys would be getting information from just one place.  Mr. Huber informed the Commission that Timberline owned their own lines and they had five broken poles so they might hire us to fix that and Iuka had a few minor issues.  Mr. Huber added that Iuka kept up on tree trimming also.  Mr. Huber stated that they did not have to go to any of the previous FEMA spots. 

Former Commissioner Gary Skaggs asked if the City had any responsibility for tree limbs on the Cox lines.  Mr. Skaggs stated that there was no preemptive work done and he hoped that the City would have leverage to tell them to come and take care of their lines.  City Manager Eckert stated that he would have to look at the contract to find out.  Mayor Kumberg stated that we were obligated to lease them space on our poles, but their service was theirs.  Mr. Skaggs commented that it was not fair to neighbors when some did not trim their trees. 

Commissioner Schmidt stated that he had come down to the City office last week and visited with Mr. Huber because he was curious about what we do.  Commissioner Schmidt commented that Mr. Huber went through the whole thing and had also informed him that they already had their teams ready and it had worked well.  Commissioner Schmidt added that the Municipal Building had also been prepared as a shelter.  Mr. Huber explained that we had a generator that runs the Municipal Building and could run the Community Center.  Mr. Huber stated that it was also nice that Ampride had their own generator, as well as the hospital, wastewater treatment plant and one water well at the airport.  Commissioner Schmidt stated that it was a good plan and had come together nicely.  Commissioner Meyer asked if they had used the hospital generator that the City had purchased.  Mr. Huber stated that they had not, but it did work. 

Recreation Department:

·        Merchants Park: 

Recreation Director Pinkall stated that the ginkgo tree had been planted in Merchants Park as promised to former Commissioner Skaggs.  Mr. Pinkall commented that the bench company had said that they should ship in the next couple of weeks along with the trash receptacles. 

Police Department: 

·        Welfare checks: 

Police Chief Myers stated that the weather had not created any issues for the police department; however, they were willing to do welfare checks during power outages. 

·        Burglaries: 

Chief Myers stated that the weather was good for the police department since burglaries were down.  Chief Myers commented that the burglaries slowed down when the weather got cold.  Chief Myers informed the Commission that they had made an arrest the weekend before last and had executed a search warrant that resulted in one of the individuals having firearms.  Chief Myers explained that they would be turning that case over to Federal authorities.  Chief Myers commented that they had also found items that had been taken and other information that would result in more arrests.  Chief Myers stated that they had had another purse stolen from a vehicle and he encouraged people to lock their vehicles and not leave valuables in the car. 

Mayor and Commission:

·        Thanks to City staff:

Mayor Kumberg thanked the City staff for their planning for the storm and their hard work.  Mayor Kumberg commented that he was glad it was not as bad as predicted. 

·        Compliment to Gary Skaggs:

Commissioner Peters stated that he had talked about former Commissioner Taylor at the last meeting and he wanted to acknowledge former Commissioner Skaggs this evening.  Commissioner Peters complimented Mr. Skaggs on his years of service and stated that he had always asked good questions and took an interest in the City, which he appreciated. 

·        Thank you: 

Commissioner Meyer asked that Mr. Huber tell his men thank you for their hard work.  Commissioner Meyer commented that the guys had their own personal things that had to be done also.  Mr. Huber stated that a few of the guys asked what happened if their family needed them and they were told that they were to take care of them first. 

EXECUTIVE SESSION: 

Mayor Kumberg made a motion to enter into executive session for non-elected personnel to last thirty minutes.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hlavachick and carried unanimously. 

Mayor Kumberg made a motion to return from executive session with nothing to report.  Commissioner Hlavachick seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. 

ADJOURN:

Commissioner Hlavachick made a motion to adjourn.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Peters and carried unanimously.
 
_______________________________________
LUCUS KUMBERG, Mayor
 
ATTEST:
________________________________________
LUANN KRAMER, City Clerk

Thursday, February 2, 2017

02/06/2017-City Commission Meeting Agenda

MONDAY
FEBRUARY 06, 2017
PRATT CITY COMMISSION – REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING
COMMISSION ROOM – 5:00 P.M.
1.      CALL TO ORDER (Remind audience that meeting is being recorded and/or taped.)
2.      ROLL CALL
3.      INVOCATION & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

4.      MINUTES  January 16, 2017 Regular City Meeting
                              January 30, 2017 Special Call Meeting   
5.      BUSINESS:

5.1             Proclamation for Girl Scott Cookie Month (February 2017) – Mayor Kumberg

5.2             Consideration and Approval of Color Run Route on May 20, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. – PAHS Representative 

5.3             Discussion on a Local Memorial at Merchants Park – Donna Rowland  (No information) 

5.4             Consideration and Approval of Commissioner Hlavachick as Director #1 on KMEA Board of Directors – Mayor and Commission 

5.5             Consideration and Approval of the Final Plat for the Park Hills Country Club Addition – Brad Blankenship, City Inspector 

6.      OPEN AGENDA (City Matters Only)(3 Minute Time Limit)
7.      REPORTS:

7.1             City Manager
7.2             City Attorney
7.3             Department Superintendents
7.4             Mayor
7.5             City Commission
8.   ADJOURN