_ , ................... ~40
-- ---.w.
S#=eiton ?da ........
!! hl|hiddlldu d ii.ih !l!i.,dli,h iil.m , .... -
"" =====¢=* ======= =-= = - = -~ ~-- =- =---===='-===~=~=I
..... .===~ : :=:=== == : :==
$1.00
(USPS No. 679-660)
Vol. 131 No. 50, Thursday, July 14, 2016
Official Newspaper for City of Coldwater and Comanche County
Box 518 • Coldwater, Kansas 67029-0518 • (620) 582-2101
Commissioners GiveTentativeApproval
To 18 Per Cent Increase in 2017 Budget
The Comanche County Com-
missioners met in special session
this Tuesday morning, with the
development of the 2017 county
budget amounting to the bulk of
their business for the day.
They met with the county's
auditor Randy Hofmeier who
was at the meeting specifically
to help the commissioners de-
velop their 2017 budget. He had
been given the list of requests
by the various county depart-
ments, and compiled them as a
"starting point" prior to meeting
with the commissioners.
Most of the department
heads were also present for the
meeting with the auditor.
That made the "starting
point" for the discussion a bud-
get requiring 109.61 mils -- up
almost 18.5 mils from its current
level of 91.175 mils.
That, they agreed, was too
much of an increase.
The main problem facing the
commissioners in trying to make
it all fit was that the valuation in
the county has dropped from al-
most $40 million a year ago to
about $32.25 million now. That
means that it would take a higher
mil levy to fund a department's
budget request -- even though
most of the department heads
had asked for the same, or
slightly less money, than in the
current budget.
Department by department,
the commissioners and the au-
ditor went through the budget,
seeing where they could trim out
additional dollars.
After going through the bud-
Weather
as recorded by
John Lehman
Date High Low Precip.
7-6 95 70 0.00
7-7 97 79 0.00
7-8 97 68 0.62
7-9 93 70 0.04
7-10 96 77 0.00
7-11 94 78 0.00
7-12 94 72 0.00
get item by item -- and making
reductions where they felt they
could -- they had lowered the
proposed levy by a little more
than two mils to 107.282.
That still represents an in-
crease of almost 18 per cent or
16.107 mils.
The commissioners and au-
ditor talked for some time about
the fact that a Kansas law comes
into effect next year which would
force them to call a special elec-
tion to approve a raise in the
amount of funds raised. An in-
crease this year might help to
avoid that situation next year.
After considerable discus-
sion, the commissioners voted
to approve the budget for publi-
cation as they had changed it,
and set the public hearing for 9
a.m. Aug. 8.
That will be just prior to sit-
ting as the board of canvassers
and canvassing the ballots from
the Aug. 2 primary election the
week before the meeting.
At the recommendation of the
auditor, the commissioners also
passed a resolution to move $1.7
million from the oil and gas
depletion trust fund into the
2016 general fund.
The commissioners also dis-
cussed the fact that they will hold
their regular "first-Tuesday-of-
the-month" meeting to pay bills
and handle regular business on
Friday, Aug. 5, since the elec-
tion will be on their regular meet-
ing day, Tuesday, Aug. 2.
The only other person on
their agenda for the special meet-
ing this week was Comanche
County Road and Bridge Super-
visor Dennis Hernandez.
He reported that former
county employee Jody Alley had
agreed to contract with the
county to patch and overlay
several sections of the county
blacktops, preparing it for the
contractor who will be putting a
chip-n-seal coating on the roads
the last part of August. The
commissioners agreed to let Her-
nandez contract with Alley to do
that job.
Hemandez and the commis-
sioners also discussed a bridge
three miles south of Protection
near the Clark County line. After
some discussion, they in-
structed Hernandez to have his
crew remove the trees around the
bridge and clean the silt out from
under it to allow more water to
flow beneath the bridge.
uncil
Meeting this Monday Broussard's attorney, Josh
evening, members of the Cold- Nocolay from Pratt, further ex-
water City Council wereoffered plaining the situation which
a new water well -- at no cost -- boils down to the fact that
to help supplement the city's Broussard's irrigation well was
water supply, drilled to close to the city well,
But there was a condition infringing on the city's water
along with the offer, rights. The two offered to give
Steve Broussard who owns the well to the city so it could be
land near the northwest corner tied into the city water system
of Coldwater (the old Thompson -- in exchange for permission to
place) told the council that, be- allow Broussard to use the well
ing from Louisiana, he was un- for irrigation.
familiar with some ofthe laws and Broussard's well would
regulations in Kansas. prove to be a 115 gallon per
As a result, he had hired Pratt minute "boost" to the city's sup-
Well Service to drill an irrigation ply. They noted that the city wa-
well -- and it was drilled too ter well there was drilled in the
close to the city water well just 1940s.
northwest of Coldwater. The council agreed to con-
When he found out there wassider the matter later in the meet-
a problem with his new well, it ing, and let Broussard know the
was already completed, and he decision.
can only operate the well if given Council members discussed
permission by the city council. Broussard's request at length, as
He said he wants to plant seven well as discussing and looking
acres of alfalfa at that location, at a photo of a dam across Cav-
and irrigate from the well, ifpos- airy Creek near that location.
sible. They expressed concerns about
His other option is to plugthe dam across the main source
the well (which he said had al- of water for Lake Coldwater.
ready cost him nearly $90,000) After some discussion, the
and drill a new one farther away council agreed to talk to the rela
from the city well. (continued on page 3)
All business was the look on the face of six-year-old Colt Yoder as he took his
turn competing in Monday night's Kids Pedal Tractor Pull at the Comanche
County Fair. See the results of the contest on page 3. photo by Donnies D. Anderson
