B
(USPS No. 679-660)
Vol. 132 No. 16, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016
Official Newspaper for City of Coldwater and Comanche County
Box 518 • Coldwater, Kansas 67029-0518 • (620) 582-2101
Commissioners Meet Twice This Week
The Comanche County Com- this week, agreeing to consider the road and bridge department.
missioners met twice this week it at a later time. --Heard Hemandez report
-- on Monday and Tuesday. In other business, the com-on problems with bad fuel in two
Monday they met as the missioners: county trucks, apparently be-
board of canvassers, finalizing --Approved payment of billscause someone dumped some-
the general election process by in the amount of $161,741.55. thing into the fuel tanks.
checking and certifying the re- --Met in executive session --Again discussed Heman-
suits of last Tuesday's election, with County Clerk Alice Smith dez' request thatthe commission-
That meeting was completed and and Deputy County Clerk (clerk- ers consider purchasing an at-
over by noon Monday. elect) Beth Bayne to discuss tachment for the county's exca-
Of the 27 provisional ballots personnel matters, vator or a tractor which could be
the board of canvassers had to --Talked with Deputy used to trim brush and trees up
decide whether they were valid, County Appraiser Penny to eight-inch diameter in and
10 were counted and the rest Bruckner about her plans for the along road ditches. Hemandez
deemed improper, appraiser's office and her plans said one to fit on a tractor would
As a result, no changes in the for certification as an appraiser cost about $22,000, as opposed
outcome of any of the races on within the next two-three years, to $13,000 for one to be used on
the ballot resulted from the ad- --Met with County Road and the large county excavator.
ditional 10 ballots. Bridge Supervisor Dennis Her- Again, the commissioners took
Meeting in regular session nandez about hauling away no action on the matter.
this Tuesday, the Comanche some trees the county crew had --Heard the road and bridge
County Commissioners faced a cut down along a road in the supervisor report that he is in the
short, routine agenda. That meet- northwest part of the county, process of finding out what the
ing, too, was concluded by --Heard Hernandez report cost of having asphalt hauled in
noon. that part of the county crew is from northwest of Ashland on
Early in the meeting, they busy cleaning out auto gates back-haul runs by trucks now
again talked with Jake Stockton today, hauling rock to the Minneola
of Stockton Restoration Corn- --Met in executive session
wind generator farm expansion.
pany in Wichita. That firm has with the road and bridge super- --Heard Hernandez report
been awarded the contract to visor to discuss personnel mat- that the electrical wiring in the
repair and refurbish the windows ters. new recycling building has been
throughout the courthouse at a --Discussed road and bridgecompleted and the cardboard
costof$37,500.Hetoldthecom-department equipment needs baler has been moved into the
missioners Tuesday that he and equipment repair needs with
planned to begin the windows Hemandez. building. He still has not gotten
the doors for the recycling bins,
project within the next couple of --Discussed a long-range
days. projection of budget needs for he said.
The commissioners also re- --Heard a report from the
ceived a proposal from Stockton deputy county clerk on the ef-
to maintain all the brick and feet that a new federal law would
stone work in the courthouse, as have on some of the salaried
well as the windows, at a cost of employees. After some discus-
S 10,000 per year over four years sion, the commission voted to
or $40,000. The brick and stone change the ambulance director,
work would be done one side per assistant ambulance director,
year, with the entire building and the road and bridge super-
being completed in four years, visor from a monthly salary to
The commissioners took no ac- hourly wages. The change will
tion on the maintenance contract not change their current wages.
Council H
Comanche County USD 300
is inviting you to spend the
evening with Joe Coles as he ad-
dresses current issues facing
today's students. The meeting
will be held at South Central High
School on Wednesday, Novem-
ber 30th at 7:00 p.m.
Coles will be holding indi-
vidual assemblies with South
Central Middle School (grades
5-8) and South Central High
School (grades 9-12) prior to this
meeting.
The presentation is spon-
sored by Comanche County USD
300 Board of Education.
of Park
Improvement Planning
Monday evening in regular attorney report on two other
session, the Coldwater City properties within the city which
Council talked about improve- need to be cleaned up, and the
ments at the city park proposed fact that the owners will be taken
by members of the Civic Im- to city court over the matter.
provement Club. --Agreed to Shaw's sugges-
Club spokesman Barbara tion that the city help out people
Crane spoke to the council about in their cleanup efforts with city
the improvements in the park manpower and equipment.
and Civic Improvement Club's --Discussed possible chan-
proposal to raise funds for im- ges in the city zoning regula-
provements in the city park. tions, relative to commercial use.
Fund-raisers will include a draw- --Heard Shaw report that he
ing for a beef bundle, a bake sale, had met with Steve Broussard
possible grants, an alumni solici- about his irrigation well that was
tation, and other projects, drilled in violation of the state
With the funds raised, the regulations safeguarding the
club would like to install new city'swaterwellandwaterrights
playground equipment, as well at the northwest edge of Cold-
as a half-mile walking trail, water. Since he had begun ne-
After hearing the presenta- gotiations with the city over the
tion the council voted to ap- matter, he has run the well with
prove the idea of the Civic Im- no permission from the city for
provement Club's efforts to raise several hundred hours, accord-
funds and pay for a walking trail ing to Shaw. After some discus-
and additional playground sion, the council voted to re-
equipment at the park. scind the council's previous of-
In other business, the coun- fer to Broussard, and inform both
cil: Broussard and the state of their
--Voted to approve payment action.
of monthly bills in the amount of --Voted to approve the ad-
$172,689.84. dition of a nepotism rule to the
--Heard a request from Bank city handbook.
of Coldwater President Joe --Heard planning consultant
Murphy that the city's $900 David Yearout ofEI Dorado dis-
mowing assessment be waived cussing the role of the mayor
on a property which the bank and the city council members.
had taken over after the bill had --Received no report from
been incurred. Chief of Police Tyson Rosen-
The council consulted with berger.
City Attorney Allison Kuhns --Heard the city attorney rec-
about collecting from the previ- ommend that the city council
ous owner. Councilmembers vote to change the election cycle
then voted to waive the assess- for city council and mayor due
ment to the bank of Coldwater to changes in the state law. At
and pursue the matter with the their instruction, she will return
former owners, John and Jenni- at a later meeting with an ordi-
fer Schmeidler. nance to make those changes.
--Received a report from --Heard the city attorney re-
City Clerk Kristal Sherman that port on an instance where dogs
the city's oil and gas income had are being raised in a house in
amounted to $1,442.92 for the Coldwater, and recommend up-
month of October. dating the city's ordinances to
--Discussed with the city at- address the health and safety is-
torney the continuing problem sues involved.
of getting Dennis Daniel to clean --Heard the city attorney rec-
up several properties around ommendation that the council
Coldwater. After discussing the change its definition of quorum
matter at length, the council back to a quorum of three mem-
agreed to proceed with the bers instead of the current four-
cleanup process at 707 and 709 members quorum. That would,
East Main, with the city crew pro- however, prohibit the current
ceeding to handle the cleanup council practice of having two-
after 10 days. City Council- member committees meet outside
woman Loretta Heft said that she the council meetings to discuss
felt the council had attempted specific city departments or mat-
every other avenue to get the ters.
problem resolved, and was --Voted to waive the Veter-
forced to use this approach, ans' Building rental fee for the
--Heard Shaw and the city Christmas Bazaar.
Holiday Shopping Starts in Coldwater
Weather
as recorded by
.lohn Lehman
Christmas
With only 37 shopping days
left until Christmas the Annual
Date High Low Precip. Christmas Bazaar in Coldwater
11-9 63 35 0.00 gives everyone a chance to get
11-10 74 38 0.00 some gift shopping out of the
11-1172 46 0.00 way.
11-1259 30 0.00 Sponsored once again by
11-1370 38 0.00 WEPAC, the bazaar will run 9 a.m.
11-1474 42 0.00 to2p.m, this Saturday, Nov. 19,
11-1584 42 0.00 in the Coldwater Veterans'
• r, dvaY,
.ui,.ar Is This S ataU
bazaar
Such a variety of gift ideas goers can even get massages to
will be available, that everyone help relieve that holiday shop-
will be able to find just what they ping stress.
are looking for-- from all sorts WEPAC will have cinnamon
of goodies to eat to uniquerolls and coffee in the morning
clocks and other hand-crafted as well as broccoli cheese soup,
and homegrown items, chili ,and vegetable soup for
The Comanche County Hos- lunch.
pital Auxiliary will again be sell- Don't miss the big event.
