Thursday, February 22, 2018

02/26/2018-Special Call Commision Meeting Agenda

CALL FOR A SPECIAL MEETING 

OF THE 

GOVERNING BODY 

TO:  MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNING BODY: 

A Special meeting of the Governing Body of the City of Pratt is hereby called to be held in the City Commission Room located at 619 South Main Street at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 26, 2018 with the object and purpose of said meeting to be the following: 

1.     Executive Session to Discuss the Solar Farm.
                                                                       
SIGNED: 

____________On file __________________
Commissioner


___________On file___________________
Commissioner
                                                                         

___________On file___________________
Commissioner

 

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC: 

A Special meeting of the Governing Body of the City of Pratt is hereby called to be held in the City Commission Room located at 619 South Main Street at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 26, 2018 with the object and purpose of said meeting to be the following: 

1.     Executive Session to Discuss the Solar Farm.

WITNESS MY HAND AND THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF PRATT, KANSAS, THIS 20TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2018.
 
(SEAL)

 SIGNED:

 ____________On file____________
LuAnn Kramer, City Clerk
 
 
TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE, HIS DEPUTY, OR A POLICE OFFICER OR OTHER CITY EMPLOYEE:

You are hereby directed to serve the above notice at once personally to each Commissioner or to leave it at his/her place of residence or business before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 21, 2018.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

02/05/2018-Approved Regular City Commission Meeting Minutes

MONDAY
 

FEBRUARY 05, 2018
 

The Governing Body of the City of Pratt met in Regular session in the Commission Room located in City Hall.
 
PRESENT:  
  
Doug Meyer  Mayor
Lucus Kumberg  Commissioner
Gary Schmidt  Commissioner
Don Peters  Commissioner
Jason Leslie  Commissioner

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

CALL TO ORDER: 
 
The regular meeting was called to order by Mayor Meyer.  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 Peters led the staff and audience in the invocation and Mayor Meyer led the Pledge of Allegiance. 
 
CONSENT AGENDA: 
 
·        Minutes:          January 15, 2018 Regular Commission meeting 
 
Commissioner Leslie made a motion to approve the consent agenda.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Peters and carried unanimously. 
 
BUSINESS: 
 
CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF RESOLUTIONS PROVIDING FOR A HEARING ON UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS STRUCTURES:
 
·        Resolution 020518 – 211 Austin St.
·        Resolution 020518A – 215 Austin St. 
 
City Attorney Goff stated that the resolutions were statutory requirements that provide for a hearing to occur on February 19th on the homes involved in the recent fire.  Ms. Goff commented that this gives any parties of interest time to appear and discuss objections they might have.  Building Inspector Blankenship stated that he had posted notices at both residences since there was inherent danger.  Mr. Blankenship stated that he had visited with Mr. Craig Bates, owner of 211 Austin, and he wanted to get it down as soon as possible, which would be February 19th.  Mr. Blankenship explained that the City retains 15% of the insurance and that would allow us to clean it up.  Ms. Goff added that this was due process that the lien holders were given notice that the structure should be destroyed and to get the resolution published two weeks in a row. 
Commissioner Kumberg made a motion to approve Resolution 020518 and Resolution 020518A providing for a hearing on the unsafe structures at 211 Austin Street and 215 Austin Street.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Leslie and carried unanimously. 
Mayor Meyer extended the City’s condolences to Mr. Bates and his family.  Mr. Bates stated that he had visited with Mr. Blankenship earlier and he had needed to remove a few things from the house.   Mr. Bates commented that they wanted to get the property cleaned up and removed; however, they had no wishes to rebuild.  Mr. Bates added that they would like to put a monument there.  Mr. Bates stated that Mr. Blankenship had asked him to come to the meeting so that the Commissioners could hear that they wanted to wave the thirty days, but he understood that the City had to get the legal stuff over with.  Mr. Bates thanked the City for all the support.  Mayor Meyer stated that they appreciated his cooperation.
 
CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE APPOINTMENTS TO THE KMEA BOARD:
 
Director of Electric Utilities Huber stated that it was that time of year for renewals on the KMEA Board.  Mr. Huber explained that former Commissioner Hlavachick had been Director #1; however, he would need to be replaced since he had termed out.  Mr. Huber stated that his recommendation would be to have City Manager Eckert as Director #1, him as Director #2 and Evan Hance as Permanent Alternate.  With no further discussion, Mayor Meyer made a motion to approve Mr. Huber’s recommendations.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kumberg and carried unanimously.  City Manager Eckert informed the Commission that they had found out that there could be a potential conflict having a Commissioner on the board and coming back to vote on certain things.  Mr. Eckert added that Pratt was the only City with a Commissioner on the board. 
 
CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE LEASE OF A 2018 AERIAL TRUCK: 
 
Director of Electric Utilities Huber commented that he had gone out for bids; however, he had only asked for a bid from Altec.  Mr. Huber explained that Altec could send out a service guy and work on all the trucks and he had a good relationship with them.  Mr. Huber stated that he had talked to them about a five year lease and the cost to purchase a truck outright would be $132,541 and the five year lease would be $1,927 per month for a total of $115,620.  Mr. Huber commented that there would be no maintenance and they would take care of testing the truck.  Mr. Huber stated that the R2 trucks cost about $100,000 in labor and materials to run everyday maintenance.  Commissioner Peters questioned if that was over the life of the truck.  Mr. Huber stated that it was and that did not include testing the trucks. 
Mr. Huber stated that he had visited with Finance Director Garten and, since it takes ten to twelve months to build the truck, it would be the end of the year before we got it.  Mr. Huber added that that would give him a whole year’s budget before having to make a payment.  Mr. Huber explained that that would keep from having to drop a chunk of money out for it with reserves being down.  Mr. Huber commented that the monthly payment would be $1,927 per month plus tax.  Mr. Huber stated that he was asking for one and then he would change out every two and a half years.   
Mayor Meyer commented that the truck was seventeen years old.  Mr. Huber stated that that was correct and he added that it was beat.  Mr. Huber explained that he was not going to trade off or sell it, but they would give it to another department who would use it minimally.  Mr. Huber stated that he would not fix it if the boom or truck fails.  Public Works Director Rambat stated that they would only use it every couple of weeks vs. every day, so it was still valuable to keep in the family without having to spend a lot of money.  Commissioner Leslie asked if they had looked at used trucks.  Mr. Huber stated that he would not put a man in a used truck, because it would not be specific to us.  Mayor Meyer stated that they would be certified trucks.  Mr. Huber stated that you still would not know what it had been through.  Commissioner Leslie commented that certified vehicles were safe and functional.  Mr. Huber explained that every piece was specific to us and it fits our needs.  Commissioner Leslie stated that the budget was tight this year, but they were trying to get him what he needed.  Mr. Huber stated that he had budgeted for this for six years and he thought leasing it would be appealing since you would not have to fork over the whole amount.  Mr. Huber added that a lot of Cities were going to the lease program and we would be able to get fifteen years out of this truck.   
Mr. Huber commented that the motor in the 2009 would need to have work done on the motor and that was a $15,000 fix.  Commissioner Peters asked how many miles it had on it.  Mr. Huber stated that it had 54,000.  Commissioner Peters questioned if they would turn it back in for fair market value five years from now.  Mr. Huber stated that they would.  Commissioner Kumberg questioned if they take care of the maintenance.  Mr. Huber stated that they do except for oil changes, etc. and we pay travel time.  Commissioner Kumberg asked how often they come out.  Mr. Huber stated that it was once a year to test the trucks.  Commissioner Leslie questioned the cost of maintenance per year.  Mr. Huber stated that it was thousands a year with tires costing $2,000.  Mr. Huber added that they had spent $28,000 in 2009 and $76,000 in seventeen years on the 2001.   
Commissioner Kumberg asked if we carry $1,000,000 insurance policy and if it was capped at $9,000 per year and anything over that we had to pay.  Mr. Huber stated that was correct and added that we carry a normal policy.  Commissioner Kumberg pointed out that there was 15,000 mile per year on this vehicle.  Mr. Huber commented that they had put 54,000 on the old one in ten years, so that was not a problem.  Mr. Huber stated that running them around town was what beats them up.  Commissioner Kumberg asked about the cost of insurance and taxes.   
Mr. Huber stated that he would like to get this done since these were their tools and putting it off would end up costing money on repairs.  Mayor Meyer stated that the trucks are eight and seventeen years old, so he did not see having to do it today.  Commissioner Kumberg commented that he felt it could wait another two weeks.  Mr. Huber questioned what they were waiting for.  Mayor Meyer stated that he did not know that this had been budgeted for.  Mr. Huber explained that he was in the sixth year saving for this truck and they could buy it outright next year.  Mayor Meyer stated that he would like to get the Finance Director’s input.  Commissioner Leslie stated that he would like to wait another two weeks before making a decision and that was nothing against Mr. Huber, but it would give them a chance to talk about it.  Commissioner Peters stated that he thought they could do it but he wanted time to think about it so he was more comfortable.   
 
CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE ESTIMATE FROM FAIRBANKS MORSE ENGINE TO ASSIST IN THE START-UP OF PC 2.6 PIELSTICK ENGINE: 
 
Director of Electric Utilities Huber stated that Fairbanks Morse had been out last week and Unit #6 was good and this was money well spent.  Mr. Huber explained that they ran natural gas and worked it hard with no problems.  Mr. Huber asked that the Commission approve the estimate of $136,000 for the work that had already been done.  Commissioner Leslie made a motion to approve the estimate from Fairbanks Morse Engine to help with the start-up of the PC 2.6 Pielstick Engine in the amount of $13,650 plus extra charges incurred.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Peters and carried unanimously. 
 
CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE FEDERAL FUND EXCHANGE AGREEMENT: 
 
 
Public Works Director Rambat stated that this was an annual thing where the Federal Government gave money to States and they funnel it down to Cities.  Mr. Rambat explained that $68,000 was to be held back for Federal projects or projects involving Highway 54.  Mr. Rambat stated that we usually jump on board and, in the past, the State had been holding 10% and we got 90%; however, that had changed in that the State gets 25% and the Cities get 75% of those funds.  Mr. Rambat commented that you could bank that money for five years and those funds went into a special street fund.  Mr. Rambat recommended the approval of the Federal Fund Agreement.  Mayor Meyer questioned that we had no choice on what projects we finance with this money.  Mr. Rambat stated that we were supposed to use it on a Federal project and Highway 54 was the only Federal highway we have.  Commissioner Schmidt asked what the balance was in that five year account.  Mr. Rambat explained that they had recently withdrew that amount and he thought it was around $200,000.  Mr. Rambat added that it was put into the street fund and would be used on a mill and overlay project.  Commissioner Schmidt made a motion to approve the Federal Fund Exchange Agreement.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Leslie and carried unanimously.
 
CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF THE PURCHASE OF A 2019 SANITATION TRUCK:
 
Mr. Rambat stated that he had gone out for bids to replace a sanitation truck that had 96,000 miles and 600 hours on it.  Mr. Rambat commented that they had averaged about $10,000 a year to keep it running and this one was twelve years old.  Mr. Rambat added that they had already spent $8,000 this year on repairs.  Mr. Rambat explained that they had gotten into a brand in the early 2000’s that they had not had good luck with and they were taking money out of reserves to keep the equipment running.  Mr. Rambat stated that he got one bid back in the amount of $147,000 with lead time of 120 days.  Mr. Rambat commented that this was a good time because they could get along with three trucks and the fourth one was for compost. 
Mr. Rambat stated that, if the purchase was approved, they would look at financing through one of the local banks on a five year payoff and then keeping the truck.  Mr. Rambat commented that it was pretty good if a trash truck lasted eight or nine years.  Commissioner Kumberg asked why they were not looking at leasing.  Mr. Rambat explained that trash trucks were used so hard and they would not go more than three years. Commissioner Peters stated that this was discussed during budget.  Mr. Rambat stated that reserves were down and they were spending that to maintain what we have.  Mayor Meyer commented that the rate increase should help.  Mr. Rambat stated that he was presenting what they were faced with and he did not want to lose the ability to provide the citizens this service.  Commissioner Kumberg asked about trading it in.  Mr. Rambat commented that you would not get anything, but they could try selling it on Purple Wave or contact some of the smaller Cities in this area.  Commissioner Leslie questioned if he had looked at the option of used ones.  Mr. Rambat stated that he had, but it was limited.  Mr. Rambat added that he had narrowed the search and had not specifically looked at used ones, but looked at demos.  Commissioner Leslie asked about getting only one bid back.  Mr. Rambat explained that when you start specing a specific brand, there was only one person that could basically bid or spec that particular vehicle.   
Mr. Rambat recommended the approval of the purchase of the 2019 Freightliner in the amount of $140,704 contingent that there was good financing through a local bank.  Mr. Rambat added that he had also sent out bids for that and it would come back to the Commission for their approval.  Commissioner Peters made a motion to approve the purchase of a 2019 Freightliner in the amount of $140,704 contingent with financial approval.  Commissioner Schmidt seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. 
 
CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF BID TO REPAINT THE MUNICIPAL POOL: 
 
Mr. Rambat stated that a paint representative had told him that getting five years out of a paint job on the pool was pretty common.  Mr. Rambat commented that ours was not a complete failure, but there were places where it was coming loose and they had sharp edges.  Mr. Rambat informed the Commission that he had sent out bid specs to seven contractors and received two back.  Mr. Rambat added that we did not have a small pool, but it was a landmark and needed to be kept up.  Mr. Rambat stated that Utility Maintenance Contractors out of Wichita bid $59,674 and Carrothers Construction Company out of Paola bid $69,998.  Mr. Rambat stated that Utility Maintenance Contractors had not done work for the City before, but they had gotten high marks from Liberal where they had worked on a few projects.  Mr. Rambat stated that they had put some money back in reserves and if we want to maintain the pool and keep it running, it was going to cost money.  Mr. Rambat added that parks and recreation should be able to fund it. 
Mr. Rambat stated that the job was not a complicated process; however, it was labor intensive.  Commissioner Peters questioned if it would have to be sandblasted again.  Mr. Rambat stated that it would not and would just be power washed.  Commissioner Schmidt asked if there were any separation areas.  Mr. Rambat stated that there were some last year, but we would get by another year.  Mr. Rambat explained that the pool would be better preserved in the winter if the water stayed in it, but ours was emptied and that causes problems.  Commissioner Leslie made a motion to approve the bid from Utility Maintenance Contractors in the amount of $57,674 to repaint the pool.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kumberg and carried unanimously. 
 
CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF A REPLACEMENT FOR BILL HLAVACHICK ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS ADVISORY BOARD: 
 
Mayor Meyer stated that the Commission could appoint anyone willing to serve on the South Central Kansas Community Corrections Board.  After little discussion, Mayor Meyer made a motion to approve the appointment of Commissioner Leslie to the South Central Kansas Community Corrections Board.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Schmidt and carried unanimously.
 
OPEN AGENDA: 
 
·        Rate increases:
 
Mayor Meyer asked that Mr. Huber explain the reason for the rate increase and why the new bills went up.  Mr. Huber stated that the fuel adjustment was now the energy cost adjustment and that was basically when the City buys power at a certain price and we sell it to the customer; however, we should make back what we bought it for and that had not been happening for the last eight years.  Mr. Huber explained that the revenue from the sales was not coming back to make us whole.  Mr. Huber commented that it had been decided eight years ago that we would level out the fuel adjustment and we were recently told by the auditors that we were in the hole.  Mr. Huber stated that we hired a rate study firm upon the recommendation of the auditors and this was when the Commission had to make the decision to start making it right beginning January 1st. 

Mr. Huber stated that, through the rate study, numbers were put together and the residential rate was now sitting at 8.4 cents per kw instead of a rationing rate depending on how many kw were used.  Mr. Huber informed the audience members that the ECA would be raised or lowered every month, which was much like the stock market.  Mayor Meyer stated that the City buys power all day long every day.  Mr. Huber stated that December was extremely cold and there were people using space heaters and taking care of their animals.  Mr. Huber commented that social media had every one thinking that their bills doubled when they should compare their kw’s from the previous month.  Mr. Huber stated that kw’s had increased and in some cases doubled.  Mayor Meyer stated that he had doubled his usage from last month.  Mr. Huber explained that most people did not realize that they used that much, so the more energy you use, the more it will cost you.   
Mayor Meyer asked Mr. Huber to explain why we did not run the generators and produce our own.  Mr. Huber stated that it would be very expensive and we had two contracts that allow us to buy power cheaper from another company.  Mr. Huber commented that our plant runs for emergencies.  Commissioner Kumberg stated that we had to have usage through our demand contract.  City Manager Eckert stated that there were several citizens that came in concerned about the rate; however, they were leaving their thermostat flat and, on those cold days, their furnaces were going to work harder and pump out more energy to keep it at that temperature.  Mr. Huber also explained that we had to take into consideration the losses, such as street lighting, City buildings, line loss, transformer loss, Lemon Lights and traffic lights.  Mr. Huber commented that the only way to lower that would be to shut them down. 
Ms. Stephanie Thompson stated that Mr. Huber had explained some things; however, she commented that she would have liked to have known about the rate increase before the bills were sent out.  Ms. Thompson commented that, if they had been notified earlier, they could have been more cautious.
Sierra (no last name given), who lives on West Sixth Street, stated that the City was forcing her to move and her family wants her to move to Hutchinson or Wichita.  Sierra commented that she could not afford this and she had spent $10,000 this summer to replace windows.  Sierra stated that she would be gone come spring, because she just could not do this.  Sierra explained that she had lived here since 1994 and she was angry because the City was ruining this town. 
Ms. Janie Kemp stated that she was happy with Pratt; however, she was on a fixed income.  Ms. Kemp commented that the City bill goes down in the winter and gas goes up and reverses in the summer, but this bill was 44% higher than the last one. 
Ms. Brenda Dean stated that they use a lot of energy, but her City bill had gone from $286 to $401.  Ms. Dean commented that she understood that the rate was 8.4 cents per kw and that the ECA would change every month, but she did not know how she could plan for that.  Ms. Dean questioned if it would be better to up the kw per hour rate and pay a flat ECA.  Mr. Huber stated that she had used a lot if her ECA went that high, because it was based on the usage.  Ms. Dean stated that she would rather pay more per kw.  Mr. Huber explained that we had tried to do that and levelized the fuel adjustment and it did not change for eight years.  Mr. Huber added that the City was not trying to make up for back losses.  Mayor Meyer asked if everyone’s rates were the same.  Mr. Huber stated that they were.  Commissioner Peters commented that the adjustments to offset the cost to the City to purchase energy varies during the day and the cost goes up with a lot of usage.  Ms. Dean questioned why there was such a fluctuation.  Mr. Huber stated that we were passing on to the customer what we bought that energy for.  Mr. Huber further explained that transmission costs change and that was what gets passed on to the City and we were just a drop in the bucket.  Ms. Dean asked what happens if we use more than we contracted for.  Mr. Huber stated that we had a contract that was going to end and we would be able to buy cheaper off the grid.  Commissioner Kumberg stated that it works like the stock market, supply and demand.  Commissioner Leslie stated that the Commission and Mr. Huber had met a lot of hours on this and the budget was tight and we would not have any reserves if we had kept going like we had been.  Commissioner Leslie commented that it was not fair doing it as we had been.  Ms. Dean stated that most people could take a little swing.  Commissioner Kumberg stated that the City was looking at other electrical options.  Mr. Huber stated that we were not taking this lightly and we hope to be able to do something in the future.  Mr. Huber added that this was in the best interest of the City and the citizens and it was where we had to be.
Mr. Danny Quint stated that his business and house had increased by about $800 and he was concerned that this would affect stores and restaurants.  Mr. Quint stated that he had confidence in the City officials.  Mr. Quint commented that fuel had gone down lately.  Mr. Huber stated that that was why we had gotten rid of the fuel adjustment.  Commissioner Kumberg stated that the City could not continue on the path that they were going and we were fixing what should have been fixed eight years ago.  Mr. Quint commented that he was concerned about the summer and the effects on everybody.  Mr. Quint stated that citizens would not be spending money if they had no extra money.
Ms. Terri Siroky questioned the three tiers for businesses.  Mr. Huber explained that those worked off of the demand meter.  Mr. Huber stated that most businesses were small general service and there were only five customers in the large general rate.  Ms. Siroky asked about having the two meters on her building converted into one.  Mr. Huber stated that that would take an electrician. 
 
REPORTS: 
 
City Manager: 
 
·        Projects: 
 
City Manager Eckert stated that he had been working on projects with Ms. Heather Morgan and it was taking a lot of hours getting things for her.  Mr. Eckert commented that things were coming together well. 
 
·        State Water Board: 
 
Mr. Eckert stated that he had been contacted by the State Water Board about hosting the next meeting on March 12th.  Mr. Eckert commented that he accepted and the meeting would be at the fire station from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Mr. Eckert added that there were twenty-five members in our district.
 
·        Solar bids: 
 
Mr. Eckert commented that he had been going over the solar farm bids with Mr. Huber and they were down to two.  Mr. Eckert stated that they hoped to wrap it up in the next ten days or so and that they were keeping it in house for now. 
 
City Attorney: 
 
·        Busy time: 
 
City Attorney Goff stated that Ms. Morgan had been keeping her busy also, but it was all very productive.  Ms. Goff commented that Municipal Court was going well and the crime numbers were down from a year ago.  Ms. Goff informed the Commission that she was also working on contracts the City was engaged in.  
 
Public Works:
 
·        New lift station: 
 
Public Works Director Rambat stated that the new used lift station was installed at the airport and was working perfect.
 
·        Champa Street water lines: 
 
Mr. Rambat stated that the water department was busy installing a new service line in the 300 and 400 blocks of Champa.  Mr. Rambat explained that they would lay a new water main and tie the service lines in, which should help the customers with pressure and volume.  Mayor Meyer asked if the street would get better.  Mr. Rambat stated that they would get all the patching done and then go in and do a chip seal. 
 
Inspection Department:
 
 
·        Expand on fire: 
 
Building Inspector Blankenship stated that he wanted to expand on the fire and discuss 215 Austin.  Mr. Blankenship commented that he had been contacted by the insurance adjustor today and they had not deemed it a total loss.  Mr. Blankenship informed the Commission that the owner wanted it settled and then taken down.  Mr. Blankenship stated that the adjuster told him that no one was to go in there and that a company from Wichita had come and boarded it up to make it secure.  Mr. Blankenship added that the 15% insurance lien would be in place for this property also; however, we would have to do an asbestos abatement.  Mr. Blankenship stated that the gas line was removed as well as the City removing the electric and water services.
 
·        McDonald’s plans: 
 
Mr. Blankenship stated that he went over the plans for McDonald’s and made corrections. 
 
Electric Department: 
 
 
·        Executive Session: 
 
Director of Electric Utilities Huber requested an executive session after reports to discuss non-elected personnel to last fifteen minutes. 
 
Recreation Department: 
 
·        Moving along: 
 
Recreation Director Pinkall stated that things were moving along and operating well.  Mr. Pinkall added that he was looking forward to spring and summer. 
 
·        6th Street complaint:
 
Commissioner Leslie stated that he had received a call at his office and they had complained about the vehicles going through the shrubs and tearing them up.  Mr. Pinkall stated that he would visit with Park Superintendent Eckhoff because they had been cleaning up in that area. 
 
Fire Department: 
 
·        Amazing Support: 
 
Fire Chief Kramer stated that he appreciated all the thoughts and communications since the fire.  Chief Kramer commented that Mayor Meyer had visited the firemen at their training meeting and the family had all come down to see them also.  Chief Kramer stated that the family wanted to see if the firemen were okay.  Chief Kramer commented that the department was trying to make something positive out of this tragedy by continuing their smoke detector campaign.  Chief Kramer stated that a lot of people had reached out in the fire end of it and one was from a New York firefighter and he stated that we were no different than they were and the main thing was to take care of our people.  Chief Kramer stated that the Chief from Wichita had also contacted him.  Mayor Meyer stated that the department was incredible and heroic.  Commissioner Leslie stated that he had listened to the call from beginning to end and, even though it was not the outcome that we wanted, the guys did a fantastic job and their heroism was unparalleled to anything.  Commissioner Leslie commented that he heard Chief Kramer tell the guys to back out, but they wanted to stay in there until they got everybody.  Commissioner Leslie added that the Commission was here for them if the needed anything.   
Commissioner Peters asked if there was any counseling for the firemen.  Chief Kramer stated that they had a debriefing from Harvey County the Sunday after the fire that lasted 2 ½ hours.  Chief Kramer commented that they were wondering if it was going to be okay, but it came off very well.  Chief Kramer stated that they were watching the young guys who had been on the department five years now and had seven fatalities.  Chief Kramer added that they had been together a lot since the fire and that made a difference.  Chief Kramer also stated that the hospital had reached out, but it was during the investigative part and they could not attend their debriefing.  Chief Kramer commented that this had been a horrible experience, but one of those things that lift you because of the support.  Mayor Meyer stated that they had done well. 
 
Police Department:
 
·        January stats: 
 
Police Chief Myers reported on the stats for January and they are attached. 
 
·        K-9:
 
Chief Myers stated that he had been doing research on the K-9’s and reaching out to different agencies.  Chief Myers commented that it was expensive and the expense depended on the purpose or purposes.  Chief Myers stated that the Highway Patrol had a good training program and it was at no cost except for lodging for the K-9 handler.  Chief Myers informed the Commission that they also purchase their K-9’s from Texas.  Chief Myers stated that the Highway Patrol would take a City official and help pick out a dog.  Chief Myers stated that they were expensive and could cost $10,000 along with the purchase of a K-9 vehicle, which could cost anywhere from $16,000 to $18,000 used.  Commissioner Leslie asked how much more a dual purpose K-9 would cost.  Chief Myers stated that it was about $2,900 more. 
Commissioner Leslie stated that there was about $17,500 in the slush fund and there was going to be some grant writing; however, we could still move forward and be reimbursed.  Commissioner Leslie added that we were open to private donations also.  Mayor Meyer asked about needing another officer.  Chief Myers stated that it would be a dedicated position and that officer would get paid one hour overtime per day to maintain the K-9 and training would also be overtime.  Commissioner Peters asked if they would take a drug dog out to the college and school.  Chief Myers stated that they would cooperate with the schools, but the school did have a company that brings in a K-9 and it also detects tobacco. 
Mayor Meyer thanked Chief Myers for getting this started and for Commissioner Leslie’s help.  Chief Myers stated that this would get out in the public that we were moving forward and some in the community would donate.  Chief Myers commented that personnel would be the most expensive.  Commissioner Leslie stated that he did not think there would be any arguments from the community and he asked if the Commissioners were all in agreement to move forward.  Commissioner Peters commented that he would like more information.  Mayor Meyer commented that it should start with the grant writing process.   
 
·        Police at the fire:
 
Chief Kramer stated that the police department had done a super job on that fire also.  Chief Kramer commented that there were many man hours and all the emergency services did a great job.  Chief Kramer added that this was one of the times that everything and everybody comes together.
 
Mayor and Commission: 
 
·        Executive Session: 
 
Mayor Meyer made a motion to enter into executive session for fifteen minutes to discuss contract reimbursement for non-elective personnel.  Commissioner Schmidt seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
 
Mayor Meyer made a motion to return from executive session with nothing to report.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Peters and carried unanimously. 
Mayor Meyer made a motion that the prior motion made to approve the contract with Kreutzer LLC, which was made on December 04, 2017 and never executed, be rescinded since it did not comply with KPERS laws.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kumberg and carried unanimously. 
Commissioner Schmidt made a motion that the City of Pratt pay Kreutzer LLC $25,000 in consideration for any services provided to the City from the time his full time employment ended on August 31, 2017 through today’s date.  This is to be a final offer made and must be accepted within forty-eight hours after he receives it.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Leslie and carried unanimously 
 
ADJOURN:
 
Commissioner Kumberg made a motion to adjourn.  The motion was seconded by Commissioner Leslie and carried unanimously.                                                          
_______________________________
DOUG MEYER, Mayor
ATTEST:               
________________________________
LUANN KRAMER, City Clerk