City Council - Regular Meeting

This council meeting will now come to order. Would you please stand for the pledge of allegiance and remain standing for invocation by uh given by Reverend Isaac Chiwa, Wellington Methodist Church. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all

forever. Let us pray. Gracious God, we thank you for your presence with us. We thank you Lord um that you are always giving us hope, giving us light, giving us life. We thank you even as we just celebrated Easter. Remember Lord that you are alive. You are always present and working in our hearts. So Lord we do pray your blessing, your protection upon all of us, upon our city in Wellington. Lord watch over us and be with those who are struggling. Be with those who are are hurting. Lord send forth your mercy and grace. Grant that um all that we have to do here um be be faithful to you. Lord pray us in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Rover.

All right. Uh Heidi, can I get roll call, please? Sure. Uh Miss Antinich gave prior notice that she was going to be absent. So, Mr. Elmore here. Miss Grace here. Mr. Haye here. Miss Lucas also gave prior notice. Mr. West Morland here. and Mayor Sora, I am also here. All right, turn up the volume on my hearing aids here. Okay,

that's what I'm doing on this phone. So, anyhow, I'm not playing video games or anything. Uh, all right. Uh, audience particip uh, we have roll call. Okay, so uh, consent agenda. Audience participation. Nothing on that. All right. Next, I have the consentive agenda with approval of minutes, approval of appropriations, uh, receipt of council and correspondence. Move to approve. Second. I have a motion and a second. All those in favor? All those opposed. All right. Next, we have reports of mayor and council. I'll start with Councilman Elmore.

Thank you, mayor. U I'd like to thank Rean Chuah for the um inspiring uh invocation prayer. Uh, I heard he always uh delivers a good sermon, so I'm glad to hear the prayer in person. Uh, second, I'd like to thank Irma Ratcliffe, the business sponsors, community sponsors, and volunteers for uh what by all accounts was a really successful uh community cleanup. I didn't get final numbers. I heard that it was well utilized there in Sellers Park um a week or two ago. Also want to announce um we have a walleye and wiper tournament out at Wellington Lake on Saturday, May 9th. uh which looks to be a fantastic time and they're going to accept uh pre-registrations at the Wilington Lake office, not at city hall, at the Willington Lake office until 4:30 p.m. on May 7th, the day before. And then finally, uh one of our uh community members uh reached out and asked that we share some information uh related to upcoming uh tax season. So, as folks know, taxes due April 15th. Uh he wanted us to remind um Wellington senior citizens uh that they can uh file for the Kansas Homestead SVR or the Homestead uh exemption uh or a u the KS or K40 PT. Uh he says that the Sumar County, Kansas County Clerk's Office, it's a great resource to uh help citizens out if they have questions and they can at least get partial uh if not full refunds. It looks like what he has uh said. So thank you, Mr. Uh Wellisfeld, for that information. That's all I have. there. Councilwoman Grace,

I personally heard that you guys had a great time with lampshades on your head and passing around stuffed animals and that at the cleanup. But other than that, yes, I heard it was a great success. Um, I'm glad you guys not only was successful, but you had a good time. Uh so Councilwoman Antonich wanted me to be sure to thank uh Valerie Earl and the chamber for putting on a fantastic ladies night out. They outdid themselves again. There was a lot of people. It was a great time and it was a huge success. So she wanted that to be passed on to everyone that once again it was phenomenal. And I don't I think oh the library is um sending out donation letters and looking for grants for fixing up our Carnegie library because from the time we submitted the original grant to now u costs doubled and so we need to get all the work done to keep that beautiful building going and stuff. So, don't be surprised if if you're a patron of the library and if you also hear things in the news. Um, our city manager Jeff Porter is heavily involved in also trying to get us money which is greatly appreciated to get that going. And for uh lastly, for the fourth time, I'm telling people since I'm president of the library board, I cannot vote or nominate anyone that's going on the library board because that's a conflict. So there you go. That's all I have.

Okay. Councilman Hayes, I have nothing. Councilman Westmore, I don't have anything this evening. Thank you. I myself, Jeremy, the street department been busy picking up limbs and all sorts of stuff with all the wind and everything. So everybody's okay. So we're everybody's doing great and I do appreciate them being out there and filling in the streets

and it's kind of like stuff gets blown and then the next day the wind comes up again and they're right back at it again. So thank them for doing a good job for us. Okay. uh reports of the city officials. Heidi uh special alcohol drug fund allocations for 2026. Yes. Uh mayor and council, this is something we do um every April actually. The special alcohol and drug advisory board met Tuesday, March 17th um before our last council meeting to review the funding requests. Members present were uh Mayor Joe Joe Sorya, council members Elmore and West Morland, city manager Jeff Porter, and myself. The board reviewed the request, the annual amount budgeted, the anticipated funds from the state of Kansas for the year, and it is the recommendation of the Special Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board that the governing body approve the following: Big Brothers and Big Sisters, $3,000. Sumar Mental Health Center, $5,000. USD 353 Red Ribbon Committee, 2,000. Uh Wellington Police Department, uh more specifically, DARE, 30,000. Project Prom 3,000 for a total of 16,000. We need a motion and a second.

Move to approve. Second. We have a motion, a second. Uh all those in favor. All those opposed. Okay. ID again, board commission commission appointments for 2026.

So, uh, mayor and council, this was in your packet. It's just a little over a page. Um, if you will please review all the different vacancies and those citizens that have filed for those particular boards, then we can um make those appointments at our next meeting on April 21st. I would like to make one correction which I'll have it corrected for the next um meeting but the planning commission I had included Marvin White on there as a new applicant but he's actually already on that board um and he should not be listed. There's actually four positions for that and only three people filed so there's still a vacancy um as for that one. Uh, also yesterday we received a resignation for the park board. So, we'll have to look at putting that back out and we'll bring that to you um probably in May sometime.

All right, moving on. Uh, we have a public hearing. Uh before I open up the public hearing, I just want uh whoever is going to speak, please uh come up and state your name and um please uh you're going to have like five minutes and stay on the subject, please. And uh there should be no personal tax on any member of of governing body at all. So, I'm just putting that out there. I'm sure everybody wants to be civil tonight. We are, too. So, uh, is we're what you're going to talk about is the property should be deemed or not deemed. So, I'm going to open up the public hearing. Public hearing is open and whoever wants to come up and speak, please come up.

Hi. Is a is a mic on? Can you tell? Okay. My name is Anna Reynolds. Okay.

And I'm would like to address the properties at 1310 and 1312 Northb. Um I live right across the alley from one of those homes and I've lived in my house for 19 years. Um in that 19 years, we've never had issues with rodents like we do now. The last four months we have been fighting with mice the whole neighborhood. Um I even found out today that even a block over they're having issues with mice. Um I've actually had big old black rat snakes get in our garage. Um so I ask if there's any way possible that these properties can be cleaned up. It's um a nuisance when you're, you know, trying to mow your yard and you're having to deal with the snakes or you go in your garage and have to worry about your grandkid getting bit by a snake or the nastiness of what mice carry. Um it's frustrating. Um it's a health issue and I just ask that um you guys consider, you know, if you were living there, how would you feel if you had to deal with that on a daily basis? Um I'm got neighbors here with me that also feel the same way. Okay.

Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Anybody else, please? Hi, I'm Marilyn Sears. I do live a block south on Sea Street from the properties. And I want to just speak to the fact that there are neighbor kids that attend Washington School or live in the neighborhood. They often go to Washington School to play on the playground. and they are walking sometimes down that alley or even on B Street in front of the houses and I just feel like it's a concern like she stated that there are mice and the snakes and just a hazard possible safety hazard for those kids. And then also I have noticed in the last one to two years where I've had rodents in our house more than we had had ever and I've lived there for 35 years. Uh, so I just feel like if it were to be cleaned up, that would possibly help with that situation.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Tara Golden. I live on Sea Street. I share the alley with these properties. I'm Anna's neighbor. Um, I've lived in my house for over 20 years. And um, the rodents, yes, we're battling those. I've never had to do that um until the last year for sure. Um mosquitoes have during the summertime they're they're awful. You you can't hang out outside um without dousing down with bug spray. Um and even then it doesn't necessarily help. Um I have family that come to visit and they are appalled at what they're seeing. you know, they live from out of town and and they just don't understand how this property is allowed to stay the way it is. Um, and we would just like your help in cleaning our town up.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else?

Anybody else? Okay. Is anybody here to talk for the the property? Okay, I'm going to close this public hearing and thank you everyone for coming up and speaking. Public hearing is closed. We're going to go to uh no ordinance. So, we're going to go right straight into the resolutions. A resolution finding that the properties located at 1310 North B Street on lot six, block six of Ei Browns Edition, City of Wellington, Sumar County, Kansas, and 1312 North B Street. uh described as lot 5, block six of EL Brown's edition, City of Wellington, Sar County, Kansas, may appear and show cause why the property should be declared a nuisance persistent to uh KSA 121617 ESQ. Jamie,

yes. This is a resolution to the premises. Um, within the resolution, it gives uh the owner 10 days. If they don't get any make substantial uh abatement of the property, then we would be afforded the opportunity to bid it out and get the get it cleaned up. uh according to our ordinances and and regulation process that we that we go by. So So he has he has 10 days after. Yes. All right.

When you when you say can I speak you say bid out we're not going to do that on our own. Well, presently we don't plan to. No.

Uh why can't we do why can't we do it with our crews? I have reservations, but um I would say that predominantly if you read what is it KSA 121617E um because it contemplates the recovery of fees. Uh it is much more easy to point to a bid and that we have bid it. A contractor charged X dollars to do that. Uh typically forced labor uh ends up in a lot of wrangling uh over costs and appropriateness and um it isn't quite as clean.

Yes. Uh Jamie. Uh so if the property is declared a nuisance, uh they have 10 days to abate. It's not abated. Uh and then the bid goes out. I I'm sure the uh the neighbors are just looking when can they expect it to be cleaned up. Can you give us a estimated date between today or whatever date that might be? Um well, this this the resolution needs to needs to be uh public public uh public published. Um so the 10 days will start of the date of the publication date of publication

and then he's got the 10 days then we'll in the meantime we'll we'll probably bid it out by then. So that way we can have bids in and get ready to have it as soon as that time, okay, gets out. We'll try to get it within the next I would say maybe 20 days, maybe the the latest at 30 days, but I mean we'll try to get it as soon as we can. So it's within within the process. Yeah. So I'm sorry. So when will it be published in Jeff? Will it be published? It'd go in next week's paper. 16. The deadline's already been reached for this week's, right? Yes. Yeah. Mr. Mayor. Yes.

Excuse me, Jamie. Even though we've worked with them in the past, is it in the statute that we have to give them the 10 days or is that just something that city staff recommend? It's in the statute that we've got to give them that. That's their due process in the statute. Thank you. Yeah. One more thing. I just hope we don't let this get to this point again on our code enforcement. Let it get this large. It's ridiculous and it's going to cost us more when it gets this large. We need to soon as the courts fail, we need to be jumping on these and not let them sit there for months or years. That's all I have.

It's kind of no different than the weed notices. You know, we put out the weed notices and we're out of money on that half the time. Fortunately. Anyhow. All right. Um, I move that we approve the resolution. Second. Motion in the second. Heidi, can I get a roll call vote? Miss Grace? Yes. Mr. Haye? Yes. Mr. West Morland? Yes. Mr. Elmore? Yes. So that is four affirmative votes for resolution number 6434.

Okay. Hopefully it's going to happen this time around. Okay, folks. Thank you for being so patient. You guys have been way over patient. Okay, so we're going to get it done. Uh the next resolution, a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a purchase order with Buckley Roofing of Witchaw, Kansas for the roof replacement on the Armory building located at two 218 Lbur Drive in the amount of $174,592. Jeremy,

yes. So last year staff noticed that uh up on that up upper level of the armory that the seams on the along the edges were starting to come loose. So uh we did get $130,000 approved in the in this year's budget. Um the rubber membrane roof was installed with in 1999 at the same time a lot of our roofs were done. That was after the 98 hell storm. um of the rubber membrane roofs, this is the last one that we have not replaced from that cycle. Um so we had already sent bid requests out to a number of contractors. We were in the process of site visits and um the 50 plus mph winds we had about a week and a half ago on that Sunday kind of finished it off. Um at that time winds were coming north, they were coming south. Um, so we've blown basically all of it into the middle up there. Uh, we've lost a lot of the underllayment. So that's where we currently sit. Um, we, I believe, opened uh, four bids, five bids, uh, one EPDM rubber from Webcon, and then we had four four vendors with the TPO material roof. um Webcon and Buckley uh were within about $900 of each other and then uh we had two others that were 12 to 14,000 more than that. So we were concentrating on on the two. Uh we feel that Buckley uh provides maybe the best overall product. Um, a couple things we look at is is they can get to the job almost immediately as soon as we give them the notice to proceed. Uh, Webcon was also pretty timely in that. But when you look at

the, uh, installation methods and how the seams are put together, uh, the TPO has a welded seam. EPDM just has, uh, sealant and we've had some issues with those on these other roofs over the years. they're very difficult to get get fixed. So, um maybe the bigger issue here is the fact that we're regardless of what we do here, we're 35,000 over budget. Um the number we put in the budget was based on an estimate that was given to us and then we patted it on top of that is how we got to the 130. Um prices have done nothing but go up this year. So, uh, if there we even looked at a temporary fix and we were still looking at 36,000. So, um, I think we're still maybe waiting on response from insurance as far as a claim, possible claim on that, but, uh, one way or another, uh, we have basically an exposed roof there on that, which is over the the gymnasium floor. Uh, but that's where our park department's now housed. So, um, pretty dire situation going into the spring. So, I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Yes. Thanks, Jeremy. Uh, the So, I look as I look at this breakdown here, um, the the memo states that Webcon and Buckley are within a few dollars of each other, but as I look at the spreadsheet, I don't see that. Did some numbers get switched around? So Buckley's price I includes the option one of new gutter. Um okay I see. And then webcon that's that was an option we had. Buckley was the only contractor that really gave this opinion but in order to get proper termination on the material the gutter had to come off.

Gotcha. Okay. So that was just a given for them. whereas so we had to add that and and that's where the the $900 difference came in. I see that now. Thank thank you for clarifying questions. All right. Um motion motion to approve. Second. Have a motion and a second. Heidi, can I get a roll call vote, please? Mr. Haye, yes. Mr. West Morland. Yes. Mr. Elmore. Yes. Miss Grace. Yes. So that is four yes votes for resolution number 6435.

Okay. Next, we have a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a purchase order with Ozone Roofing of Dodge City, Kansas for the roof replacement on the sanitation collection building located at 330 Southwest Road in the amount of $18,680. Jeremy again.

Okay. Well, I have better news on this one. Uh, we came in well under budget. Um, metal roof. This is a sanitation barn where they keep their their refuge collection trucks south of the landfill. Um, been fighting this roof for a number of years. Um, I I don't think there's really been too much done to it, at least in 30 years I've been there outside of, you know, just trying to do some patches and and put new screws in and things like that. But it's a losing battle at this point. So, uh, the bid would be to remove the existing metal and what's left of the insulation and put new insulation, new metal on the whole building. Um, sent out to a number of contractors. Uh, just got three bids back. Uh, ozone roofing came in well below the other two. So, uh, I did speak with Jamie a little bit. not real familiar with ozone, but he's indicated that they've they've done some work here and reput reputable contractors. So, uh we feel good about going with this um and uh they can get on it relatively soon. So, by the end of the month hopefully question.

Yes. Um so, I have to ask I just got to do my due diligence on this. When I look at this, um, the two expensive, uh, biders are within 150 bucks of each other and the nozzone is literally half the cost. So, I know you guys have gone through and double checked that the bids and they were aware of what they were quoting on and everything is comparable. Yes. Okay. Yeah. I I I mean, even two days on that. Um, well, week or two, we might be watching that one. Yeah. Might learn some tricks of the trade or something. Okay. I think I think Ozone is a little smaller shop and that's why they're a little a little bit hungrier. They're a little under. They don't have so many so much overhead.

So much overhead to do. I think that's why they can get on it so quick. Okay. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Anybody else? Move to approve. Second. Oh, go ahead, Tim. Second. We have a motion and a second. Heidi. Roll call. Mr. Elmore. Yes. Miss Grace? Yes. Mr. Haye? Yes. Mr. West Morland? Yes. So once again, that is four yes votes for resolution number 6436.

All right. Uh fourth resolution authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement with CJ Waste Handling of Lafayette, Minnesota for cleaning of the North Lagoon at the water treatment plant in the amount of $194,650 650 Jeff. So this is something we do every four or five years uh to clean the lagoons at the waste water or not the wastewater the water treatment plant um to make sure that the process runs smoothly. We sent out three bids. We got back two uh from four different vendors. Uh CJ is not one that we have normally worked with but they appear to be reputable and their bid uh was significantly less than the other bidder. Uh we had budgeted about $230,000 this year. Uh and we recommend going with CJ. They're willing to use the same process that Hodgees used who had done it previously.

Questions? Well, and so uh we supervise them in that work just to ensure that it's up to our standards. How how does that work out? Yeah, we'll make sure that they're they're doing the things so they don't damage the liner and that kind of stuff. they are instead of using heavy equipment, they'll actually be uh basically doing the the pump dredging versus actually getting a dredge in there and doing it. So, they'll blow the stuff off the bottom and kind of pump it out and then it'll get land applied. Okay. Thank you, Jeff. Move to approve. Second. Motion to second. ID roll call.

Mr. Elmore. Yes. Miss Grace. Yes. Mr. Haye. Yes. And Mr. West Morland. Yes. That's for affirmative votes for resolution number 6437.

Okay. Fifth resolution. A resolution rejecting all bids for the relocation of the 50th Street water main. Jeff. So, we were asked by the county to relocate a water mane in support of one of their projects. We worked with PEC to design the project and to bid the the uh project out. We received one bid from Mi Construction for $295,74. We had budgeted about $50,000 for this project. Uh so we are going to have to go back and figure out why and if there's a way we can make this more affordable to accomplish. So we recommend that uh the bids be rejected and we go back to the drawing board.

Questions? Question. No question. Not this time. I need a motion. I I move that we reject the bid and coordinate with Sun County again. Second. We have a motion to second. Heidi roll call, please. Miss Grace, yes. Mr. Haye, yes. Mr. West Morland. Yes. Am I missing Mr. Elmore? Yes. So that is four yes votes for resolution number 6438.

Okay. Sixth resolution. Resolution authorizing the city manager to sign an agreement with Mice Construction of Witchaw, Kansas for the repair of a 24inch water man in the amount of $72,797. Jeff,

so we actually bid this one at the same time we bid the other. Uh we were trying to see if we could get some kind of economy of scale when it came to mobilization cuz they were going to need some rather heavy equipment to do both of these projects. Uh, this one did come in, I would still call it high but affordable. Uh, but this is pretty important because this leak is on our 24-in transmission line. So, uh, we need to get that moving so that we can make sure that we can provide water uh, going forward. So, um, we recommend that we accept the the old bid for me. Questions? Yeah.

Um, so I understand the the need to move this forward pretty quick. Um, are do we just not have the in-house capability to do this repair ourselves and that's why we have to bid it out? Yes, we're going to need actually a very large excavator that we don't have uh for both of those projects because the both projects are are large pipe, but also um there's something to be said for having a warranty when you're dealing with 24in mains. Okay, move to approve. Second. Motion a second. Heidi, roll call vote. Mr. Elmore. Yes. Miss Grace. Yes. Mr. Haye,

yes. Mr. West Morland, yes. So, that is four affirmative votes for resolution number 6439. Okay. Mr. Mayor, I have one question. Where's the location of this? Do you know exactly where that's at? It's coming from the maker. I think this was the one on the Wellfield. So, yeah, it's out that direction. So, it's a newer line. Says east of Sum Road on 50th Street.

That was I think the bridge.

Oh, this Well, it says 72,000. I mean, unless they just put it on on both of them. They they could have done that. Yeah. Sorry, I'm pinch hitting for Jason today. Um yeah, it was part of the transmission. So that should be coming from the lake towards town. Uh seventh resolution resolution authorizing city manager to sign an agreement with professional engineering consultants PA of Witchaw Kansas for the comprehensive plan updated service services in the amount of 69,600 excuse me um so uh planning commission had met with PEC we also uh solicited input from another firm um that has done some other work with area communities. PEC uh was responsive and came and met with the planning commission uh developed some scope based on their feedback and uh at the last planning commission meeting. They voted to forward this recommendation uh to uh the city council to update the comp plan um at the price and scope that is laid out in the exhibits that were attached to the packet.

Questions on this one? Thank you, Mayor. So, I see that the funds were already budgeted. Um, is this is this a one-time uh cost for us and then they'll work with us as long as it takes to get everything put together? Is this something that we got we're going to have to pay annually on? Yeah, so this will be a one-time cost. It'll probably end up getting spread over the current fiscal year and the next fiscal year, but we have the the funds to pay for that. So basically ideally what we would do is we would do this process and then every five years or so we might do an update.

Um but this is kind of a trying to get the process moving so that we can get to that where we do updates on a more frequent basis in every 20 years. So uh 20 years ago was our last comprehensive plan update is what you're saying. Correct. Okay. I don't have any more questions, mayor. I think roll call vote. We need a motion. Second first. I don't have that yet. Move to approve. Oh, I'm sorry. No, Mike did. My bad. Second. Motion. Got it. Got it. Okay. Now, Mike and then Tim. Mike and Tim. Okay. So, Mr. Elmore, you're up. Yes. Miss Grace. Yes. Mr. Haye. Yes.

And Mr. West Morland. Yes. So that is four yes votes for resolution number 64 4 right there.

Yes. Uh we uh will need to move into executive session. So I move that we recess into executive uh session to discuss uh consultation with the city attorney about contractual enforcement positions including matters that may be subject to negotiation. developing a strategy for neg negotiations and instructing the negotiators. Uh the justification for the executive session by state statute is consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney client relationship uh via KSA 754319B2. Um the session shall include the council mayor and city attorney and city manager. Uh we will reconvene in open session in the council chambers in 15 minutes. That would be uh 7:22. Okay.

Second. Second. Second. Second. All those in favor? I. All those opposed. We are now in executive session, folks. Thank you for coming out.

on this session. Uh the council reconvenes an o open session at 7:22 uh city of Wellington. The council took no biting action during executive session. Jeff, do you have anything that for us down the road or anything like that?

Okay. Anything else? All right. We have a motion, a second. All those in favor? All those opposed? We are journed.