Staff writer
Joe Vinduska, Lincolnville City Council member in charge of the sewer and burn site, informed the council at its Oct. 6 meeting of the condition of the sewer system. It includes 14,000 feet of pipes.
He said the system was built in 1958 or 1959, and interior videos taken of the lines reveal several weak spots where the lines could cave in. He said the sewer ponds also are in need of renovation.
Vinduska presented a possible way of repairing lines but didn’t know if it would be feasible or could be done to the entire system.
He suggested the city consider doing away with its monthly sewer billing, keeping the funds it has, and replacing the sewer system, funding it to include a tax increase that would also cover maintenance costs.
The idea was presented for discussion only. Treasurer Clay Simons said the sewer fund contains approximately $19,000. The sewer fee is $9 per month.
The council struggles every year with a large amount of delinquent sewer bills, most of which are collected through property taxes. In September, current billings were $655, but a total of $2,259 was delinquent.
Mayor Scott Gutsch said it was important to maintain a monthly sewer fee but that the council needs a more efficient way of dealing with delinquencies.
“It’s not fair for those who pay every month,” he said.
He is investigating the possibility of using quick court action to collect a sewer fee as soon as it becomes delinquent.
The council authorized Vinduska to bid up to $1,000 on a gas-powered generator for the city if it is in good operating condition and meets the city’s needs.
A generator is for sale at Kansas State University’s Salina campus. It mainly would be used at the community building when electricity outages occur.
Streets chairman Sherri Pankratz was given the go-ahead to purchase a metal canopy for the city’s tractor. She noted that Victor Burns, Travis Burns, Vinduska, and Lester Kaiser have offered their services for snow removal this winter when they are available.
The council approved a motion to pay an hourly wage of $12 for operation of the motor grader for snow removal.
Marion County Commissioner Dan Holub presented facts about the jail proposal to be voted on Nov. 4. He said the jail won’t be built if the measure fails to pass, but alternatives would be considered to bring the current jail to meet standards. He added that a new emergency communications facility would have to be built.
Holub said if a new jail facility was funded by a sales tax, revenues could cover the cost of staff and maintenance. On the other hand, he said, the cost of staffing and maintaining a renovated jail and an emergency communications facility would have to be funded by property taxes.
“There will be a huge cost to saying, ‘No’,” he said.
Treasurer Simons reported the city is doing well financially. He said they need to keep monthly expenditures around $3,000.
General fund receipts in September totaled $8,567.14 and expenditures were $3,185.50.
Simons reported that Pilsen State Bank will be reimbursed by the city for a fraudulent yellow pages ad it inadvertently paid after the city stopped payment on the check.
The city recently received approximately $200 after a class-action lawsuit settlement with the company selling the ads. Because the bank paid the bill, the council conceded it only was fair to return the money to the bank.
The council voted to meet for a work session from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 29 to begin work on a city emergency plan.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at city hall.