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Durham City Council: Citywide cleanup scheduled for April

Contributing writer

Mayor Glennon Crowther informed the Durham City Council at their meeting Feb. 7 that he had talked to the operator of the transfer station and scheduled the citywide cleanup for the first week in April.

Crowther remarked since the bank was no longer collecting utility bills, Joyce Medley was doing more work. He suggested she should receive a raise retroactive to the first of the year. "Would $50 be enough?" he asked her.

Medley said trips to the bank in Hillsboro do entail more time and car expense, but indicated she would be happy with whatever the council chose to do.

"I'd say $75," Mike Sorenson said.

Tom Harmon moved and Steve Miller seconded to raise Medley's wages $75 per month retroactive to Jan. 1. The motion carried unanimously.

The council discussed the purchase of a metal detector for locating buried pipes. They examined some catalogs and found prices ranging from $460 to $565 depending on the size of the head and whether the implement operates automatically or manually. Crowther had talked with a representative of one company. Harmon volunteered to consult the other company about different types. Verlin Sommerfeld moved to authorize Harmon to buy the one he thinks is the best bargain. On a second from Sorenson, the motion carried.

The mayor brought up the possibility of putting new sidewalks on the west side of Main Street and doing something to shore up the roof in front of the community building and cafe.

"I think we should look into doing it," Sommerfeld commented.

Sorenson asked, "Is there any way we could raise the sidewalk, so it would be more than just a few inches above the street?" Others agreed that when streets are paved, there will eventually be a drainage problem with the shallow gutters.

"It's something to be thinking about," Crowther concluded. "We wouldn't want to do it before late April, because of the weather."

Information had been received about a one-day training session for water workers at Andover to be sponsored by the Kansas Rural Water Association. The council discussed whether Sommerfeld and Sorenson should attend. "If either or both of you want to go," the mayor said, "I think the city should pay your mileage."

Both men expressed interest, and Sorenson said he would find out whether he can get the day off from work.

As water and sewer supervisor, Sommerfeld reported everything now is working all right at the lift station. The cover at the lift station is cracking, and Sommerfeld and the council speculated on whether repairing or reinforcing it is feasible.

"I don't know whether we'll be looking at getting a new cover or what," said Sommerfeld. "I'd like for someone else to look at it and see what you think."

It was decided that Sommerfeld should find out the cost of a new cover before making a final decision on what action to take. If cost is prohibitive, the council will seek means for repairing the old one.

The water system pumped 352,400 gallons in January for a loss of 28 percent, which cannot be explained. "We did flush some of our hydrants one night," said Sommerfeld, "but I don't think it would be that much."

Sommerfeld said he had inquired about changing the color wheel in his chlorine tester, but was told it looked all right. However, the tubes are plastic, which tend to get cloudy, while the newer ones have glass tubes. After changing to glass tubes, he found that tests of chlorine content are running higher.

The mayor read a letter from the school district thanking the city for its contribution for after-school programs.

Joyce Medley offered an end-of-year financial report. The city's funds total $99,658.24, which is up about $3,000 from a year ago. The general fund remained stable with $3,031.91 at the end of 2005 as compared to $3,661.17 on Jan. 1, 2005. Money in the sewer fund increased from $5,656.22 to $8,811.25. Only the street fund ended the year with substantially less than at the beginning — $1,998.97 as compared with $2,763.50. The city has a total of $76,552.16 in certificates of deposit.

Bills approved for payment included $154.99 for a brush cutter and saw, $64 to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for water testing, and $833.50 for repairs at the lift station.

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