The Madison City Council meets bimonthly on the first and third Mondays of the month. The following report was generated from the official minutes of the Aug. 3 meeting, which were approved during their most recent meeting.
The Madison City Council met Aug. 3 for its regular meeting, with Mayor Daryl May calling the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Council members present were Tony Fankhauser, May, Kyle Engle, Terri King and Evan Casey. Mayor Paul Dean was absent. City Clerk Alice Grimm also was present.
The council approved the agenda, July 20 regular meeting minutes and accounts payable, all by 4-0 votes.
The council also approved a sewer credit for Renell after discussing an issue with her water bill. May explained the billing issue had been corrected and that Renell would receive a credit. The council discussed that September would be her final month of watering for the year.
During the clerk and treasurer’s reports, Grimm presented daily log sheets and timesheets as requested by the council. She also presented a building permit for 714 S. 4th, which was approved by a 4-0 vote.
Grimm updated the council on 414 Cherry St., stating a pre-violation letter had been sent and a response had been received. Casey suggested having city employees mow the property and place the cost on the tax roll. Grimm also reported issues with people accepting certified letters. The council agreed to table the matter until Dean could attend. Casey suggested forming a small committee to examine other properties for possible violations.
Grimm presented the council with KDOT’s final punch list of items that remained unfinished or needed repairs. She also reported that the landlord of 223 Lincoln said a mailbox had been removed and damaged during road work. Fankhauser said the matter was the responsibility of KDOT or the construction company. May agreed and suggested the landlord contact Vogts Parga or the state.
Grimm said Leiser would finish work on Lynn Hess’s house Wednesday after discovering a cistern and an old rock well. The council agreed with the schedule. Fankhauser said filling in the well was not the city’s responsibility.
The council discussed cameras at the park after Grimm reported that the cameras were not working. She said Advantage Software planned to work on the internet connection and determine whether the existing cameras could be connected to her computer. Grimm also presented pictures showing cameras that were missing or damaged. May said the council should review the cameras and discuss the budget when Dean returns.
Grimm said the current price for the water update system was valid through Aug. 31. May requested a ballpark figure of the general fund from Peroo so the council could review its financial position. Grimm said the city’s budget meeting is scheduled for Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. Casey said the council needed to know where the city stood financially before then. Grimm also reminded the council that it could not exceed the revenue neutral rate of 91.863%.
Grimm presented registration information for ATVs and micro utility vehicles, along with the applicable city codes. May and Engle said they had reviewed state law and determined drivers must be at least 16 years old and have an active driver’s license. Casey suggested sending the registration information with water bills.
The council also discussed a building permit for a chicken coop. Grimm said there had been two or three attempts to contact the property owner without a response. May said he had reviewed ordinances in Eureka, Emporia and Marion and found none with a specific ordinance for chicken coops. He said some requirements called for chickens to be kept in the backyard. May said the property was in violation because the structure had been built without a building permit.
Under reports from the governing body, the council discussed mowing and spraying on Davis Street and other properties. Fankhauser said Corey would get it sprayed. It was noted that other areas were reviewed along with other locations that needed mowing or spraying and asked residents to report additional properties.
The council requested that a pre-violation letter be sent to 326 S.W. Boulevard. Members also discussed other vacant houses and properties that could have possible violations.
Casey reported that the council had met with the electrician, who said the $49,000 quote the city received was very reasonable.
The council discussed campers and living in campers but agreed to table the matter until Dean could attend.
Grimm presented pictures from Dean concerning the Evergy substation. Fankhauser questioned whether the city had purchased the property for the lot only to have Evergy take most of it.
During old business, Fankhauser reported that Leiser had completed three of the four houses.
Fankhauser also said the swim dock had been installed and that the city needed to order a new ladder.
The council discussed road repairs on 5th Street, where the road is cracked and needs chip sealing after being used as a detour. Easy Street and Sherman Street also were identified as needing repairs.
Fankhauser said he and Casey had discussed putting off work on Standpipe because they believed the bid might no longer be valid and traffic had helped the situation.
Casey reported water had been coming up from the street in front of Randy Harris’ property for three or four days. Harris said the problem had actually been occurring for three or four months. May directed city employees to inspect the issue and have it repaired.
Engle asked whether cleaning the ditch on Garfield Street was still on the city’s list of projects, saying it had been scheduled for some time.
Engle also asked whether the city would be interested in an American flag owned by her husband. The flag has 48 stars.
The meeting adjourned.
