Several committee reports were heard at the Eureka City Council meeting on Monday, April 14, including the budget committee who recommended raising water rates to offset some of the current costs the city is facing. The proposed rate increase is fifty cents per tier. In water utilities, a “tier” refers to a pricing structure where water consumption is divided into different price levels based on the amount of water used. Each tier typically has a different cost per unit of water (e.g., per cubic foot or per gallon), with higher tiers having higher prices. In Eureka, the proposed increase would take effect after the first tier (2,000 gallons), which is currently set and would stay at $11.25. The increase of fifty cents would apply to each 1,000 gallons thereafter. Mayor Stephen Coulter advised that this change would not take effect for 90 days to give adequate notice to Rural Water, which would also be affected.
The council expressed concern about the effect of the rate increase on the city’s debt load and into the next budget cycle. “What people need to understand is we’re not really anxious to raise rates, and that’s part of our problem because we’re sympathetic to everybody, but when we look at the cost of everything, we’re not doing a good job of doing good,” said Coulter. The council decided to continue the discussion at the next meeting when additional data will be available.
The transportation committee spoke about upcoming street maintenance. Jeff Marks stated that there has been some discussion on doing chip seal this year. Chip sealing is a pavement preservation method that involves applying a layer of asphalt binder (like liquid asphalt) followed by a layer of aggregate (chips) to an existing road surface as a way to extend the life of roads, improve traction, and seal cracks. Marks said that they will need to get figures and additional information before moving forward.
The Development Committee discussed housing. “I would like to see the population of Eureka increase,” said Coulter. “One of the ways we might do that is by increasing housing,” he explained. Coulter’s hope is to build at least one house a year in Eureka, sell it, and build another. Council member Dan Campbell agreed, saying if such a project could be proven to work, then more people would jump on the bandwagon and also build houses in Eureka. No decision was made in regards to a housing project.
The utilities committee suggested that repair of the line at W7 to the water department should be a main priority. Mayor Coulter proposed a request for qualifications (RFQ) for an engineer to address water and sewer issues from an informed standpoint. The council agreed to request bids for the RFQ.
The Quality Of Life committee (QOL) discussed projects at the lake, including areas that might be suited to have hookups installed. The sites would have gravel pads and individual electrical connections. Campbell, QOL committee chair, explained that there would be good demand for these sites. Next steps will be to survey the potential sites and prioritize needs. Campbell went on to tell the council about the great progress that has been made at Eureka Downs. “They are moving ahead with the funds that they have and making lots and lots of progress,” he said. Campbell suggested that an upcoming city council meeting be held at the Downs so everyone can see what is happening.
Public Comments
The council heard public comments from Robin Wunderlich on behalf of Greenwood County 4-H Shooting Sports, seeking approval for use of the area east of the Eureka Lake Dam for the county archery shoot. The council approved the request. The archery shoot will be held on Saturday, June 21, at 9 a.m.
The council heard comments from a community member on behalf of his parents-in-law about an incident last summer. He stated that his in-laws had purchased a historic property in Eureka and had made many improvements there. On one occasion, though, the couple had mowed, and grass clippings had gone into the street, which is a code violation. The citizen shared a recap of the event in question and noted that instead of addressing the issue at the time, a city employee, believed to be the code enforcement officer, waved at the residents. It was later shared they received a citation (no fee) but included a copy of the ordinance. The family feels that this situation could have been handled better. For example, the code enforcement officer could have spoken directly to the homeowners before issuing the citation. “All that does is cause resentment and rebellion,” said the community member. No request was made of the city for this issue. The citizen said he just wanted to vocalize and make the issue known. Councilmembers sympathized, saying that the situation could have been handled in a more positive manner.
Aquatic Park
Coulter presented information about a plan to put in a baby pool at the Eureka Aquatic Park. “The baby pool is important because babies don’t know when to stop in a pool that is zero-depth entry,” said Coulter. Ramsey Concrete has bid on the work at the price of $26,500. The funds for the project will come from the remaining sales tax that went to benefit the library and the swimming pool. The project will involve expanding the footprint of the city pool grounds, which will help with overcrowding. The council approved the bid from Ramsey Concrete. Completion of the baby pool is expected prior to the pool opening in May.
The council reviewed the new airport manager agreement. One change was made before the council approved the agreement. This was in regards to the provision of certain tools that may be needed for Airport Manager George Turner to complete his duties. Turner will provide a list of the tools to Director of Public Works Chris Mitchell, who will review and approve it at his discretion.
A letter received by Mayor Coulter stated that two members of the Library Board of Trustees’ terms are expiring. Trudy Evans is eligible for another term, and her name was submitted for reappointment. Teresa Detwiler is not eligible for another term, with Sherrie Hall being submitted as her replacement. Both appointments were approved by the council.
Eureka Fire Department Update
The council heard a follow- up report from Eureka Fire Chief Luke Westerman regarding the early delivery of an HV507 4X4 chassis for the new rescue truck. Several options had been considered regarding financing for the chassis. Citizens State Bank of Hamilton has offered a loan at the interest rate of 4.98%, which was chosen after receiving quotes from Home Bank & Trust and a leasing company that specializes in municipalities, both of whose interest rates were higher. Westerman told the council that the Greenwood County Commissioners have approved providing their share of the 20% down payment this budget year toward the purchase. The total cost of the truck is $321,900. 20% of this is $64,380. Greenwood County and the City of Eureka will split the cost, with the county paying two-thirds and the city one-third. The city’s share is $21,502, which Westerman said he felt comfortable with taking that amount from this year’s fire budget. The council approved the expenditure.
Westerman also told the council that work has started on the new firefighter training facility at the mixing grounds. The containers have been stacked and welded together, said Westerman. The next steps will be to install steps and railings. Zach Lindsey, Assistant Professor of Fire Science at Butler Community College, will be coming next week to lend his expertise on the setup of the interior of the facility and make recommendations on burn rooms and things that go in the interior that help with firefighter training. The fire chief invited the council to come by and take a look at the progress.
In closing, Westerman updated the council on the design plans for the new fire station. Once the architectural drawings are finalized, he said, they will be presented to the council for review. Renee Burk presented the council with a budget report but explained that, due to a software issue, some parts of the information, including delinquent reports, have not been made available. A delinquent report details overdue payments or other financial obligations related to city services, taxes, or other city-related commitments. Burk assured the council that everything possible is being done to obtain the report soon.
Other Business
In old business, Karen Simon presented the council with a housing plan regarding the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), which detailed eligibility requirements for eligible households. She explained that although the grant states $25,000 per unit, there has been a contract signed for weatherization, so over $30,000 per house may be available. Additionally, Simon presented an addendum to the procurement policy for the CDBG grant. She explained that this would allow a shorter minimum posting period for bids, speeding up the process from a 30-day minimum posting period to 14 days. In closing, Simon told the council that a meeting has been scheduled for April 24 at 6 p.m. at the Eureka Public Library. Contractors have been invited to talk about what is going on, and then, at 7 p.m., the target area has been invited to come for questions and answers regarding the project.
Also included in old business, City Clerk Burk told the council that proposals had been received from engineering companies, Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC) and JEO Consulting Group for the Safe Streets For All (SS4A) grant. The SS4A program provides financial support for planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets. The council approved using JEO, as they had helped write the grant.
The council voted to accept hay bids for areas related to the city. Bids accepted are Chris Steindler, Airport, whose bid was $6,175; Brennan and Aubrey Lowe, Eureka Lake, whose bid was $7,540; Nutsch Feeder, Inc., Cemetery, whose bid was $175; and Larry Hayes: Mixing Grounds, whose bid was $155.
At a previous city council meeting, the Eureka Planning Commission had recommended to the council that the city deed the property located south of 916 E. River and north of Highway 54 to the owners of 916 E. River (Lo Mar Drive-In) and deed the property located south of 118 S. Adams and 1012 E. River abutting Highway 54 to the owners of 1012 E. River (Nuessen Retail Liquor), subject to easements. Mike Nuessen, who was at this Monday’s council meeting, explained that his mother, who was the previous owner, had given the city permission to use the land in order to create better drainage for the area. The council agreed to return the land as recommended. Legal documents will be drawn to complete the transfer.
The council discussed a proposal by local web designer Taylor Hunt to take over the city’s website at a cost of $1,620 per year. Hunt has worked with Greenwood County as well as other local sites and is known to the council as a skilled professional. The council agreed to review the current cost of the city’s website before making a decision.
Two brief executive sessions to discuss personnel and legal matters were held. No actions were taken.
The consent agenda, including the March 24 meeting minutes and the claims list totaling $88,784.11, was approved as presented.
The next Eureka City Council meeting is slated for Monday, April 28, at 7 p.m., at the Eureka Public Library.
