Alexander Mayor Paul
Mitchell has been searching for a generator for city hall to be used
during power outages. He hasn’t kept it a secret so when a bargain
made itself available he couldn’t wait for another council meeting.
His spending limit without approval from the council is $5,000. The
generator was $6,600. Close enough.
Mitchell told
council members the generator was being used by an out-of-state
hospital but had been replaced. The only time it ran was during its
weekly automatic test run and battery charging cycle, which totaled
about 54 hours. Mitchell said the generator is worth between $20,000
to $30,000 new.
The generator runs
on natural gas and powers-up automatically when the electricity goes
out. And lately, it’s been going out a lot from storms and
lightning strikes.
“I’m tired of
sending staff home because of no electricity,” Mitchell said.
Besides shutting
down city hall the police department operates out of the same
building. Mitchell noted the police department has only
battery-powered radios, which can’t be recharged until the
electricity returns. And, like the rest of city hall, their computers
are dead during a power outage.
Mitchell said his
goal all along has been to not only keep city hall and the police
department functioning during power outages, but to have a building
that can serve as a cooling or heating center when city residents
lose power during summer or winter and need some place to go.
Council members
approved appropriating $10,000 for the generator, concrete pad and
hiring an electrician to connect the generator to city hall. Street
Superintendent David Durham took a truck and trailer about two weeks
ago to pick up the generator. The installation process has already
begun and Mitchell says the gas company is studying what size gas
line is needed to run the generator.
The only
other action item on the agenda had to be tabled for another meeting
when at least six council members are available. Only five were at
the August 20 meeting; Joe Pollard, Joy Gray, Harold Timmerman,
Melissa Ratliff and Juanita Wilson.
A vote on an
ordinance giving the mayor authority to sign-off on a quitclaim deed
needs only five votes to pass. But, to override the required three
readings at three separate meetings and to enact an emergency clause
that allows the ordinance to go into effect immediately six council
members, or two-thirds, are needed.
In July 2016 Doug
and Cindy Loften filed a quitclaim deed with the Saline County
Recorder giving the City of Alexander two lots on Cornerstone Road
near Central Avenue. The problem is one, they didn’t alert city
officials of their magnanimous gift; and two, the finance company was
foreclosing; ie. it wasn’t theirs to give away.
All this came to
light when someone tried to buy the property for development. Once
the ordinance is approved with the emergency clause Mayor Mitchell
will sign the quitclaim deed giving the finance company ownership of
the property. It will then be sold to the developer and there will be
a new business in town.
Next year’s
budget will include a position for one full time park employee.
Currently street department employees are used to work in the park.
In those situations hours worked in the park must be tracked
separately and paid for out of the park fund. An employee assigned to
the park will, for the most part, alleviate that problem.
Mitchell said with
the addition of the former Human Development Center there’s enough
grass to mow and other work to be done to warrant a park employee
separate from the street department. He also noted the park employee
can help the street department when needed.
After voting to add
the item to the agenda council members voted to include the new
position of park employee to the new budget. Mitchell said street
department employee Rod Chapman has already indicated he would like
the park job. That will create an opening in the street department
that will have to be filled.
The next regular meeting of the Alexander City Council is
Monday, September 17. Meetings start at 6 PM and are held in the
courtroom at Alexander City Hall. The public is invited to attend.
