Alexander council gives retroactive approval on big ticket purchase

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.