By Lucky Kidd
LYONS, Kan. — The City of Lyons has been notified by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment that a Consent Order is being issued that would require improvements to the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. This notification starts the process for the city to look at its options as to how it will address problems that have been especially acute over the past three years, specifics on which will be set out once the formal order is issued.
Information on an email received last week was presented to the Lyons City Council during their meeting Monday.
The Council discussed a renewal of the lease agreement for the Lyons Public Library. The lease arrangements have been in place since September 2003, and the lease was extended in August 2013, shortly before it was moved to the current City Hall.
That lease expired July 21, 2023, and the Library Board is asking that a new lease be considered that would eliminate a $100 per month rent. The library would continue to be responsible for their share of utilities and insurance. A new contract is in the process of being drafted.
Also discussed was an updated draft fee schedule/final action which is expected at the commission meeting Feb. 20, and an update was presented by Seth Cordell on plans he has for his building on the south side of the square, which he had sought a CDBG grant for last year but later withdrew the applications.
A Community Rating System Progress Report connected with the National Flood Insurance program was presented to the Council. That progress report was submitted last week by staff to Verisk, an agency used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for updating rating system data.
As part of this the city is required to provide an update on mitigation efforts as documented in the Region G Hazard Mitigation Plan for South Central Kansas. That report details all of the work that the city has done over the year on the 36 miles of drainage areas within the city, including things like mowing and maintenance of floodways. This also includes clearing debris from them which includes things ranging from tree limbs to 55-gallon drums.
The Council approved an ordinance amending the city code related to terms of office for Council members and the mayor, which will change both back from four-year to two-year terms as had been done in prior years. As part of this, the council members elected in November will serve a three-year term, and those up for election in 2026 will serve two-year terms, with terms staggered so there will be a council election each year.
The ordinance brings code into compliance with current state laws related to municipal elections, and also establishes Council ward boundaries, to which a correction was made to address a typographical error in the boundary of Ward 3.
The Council agreed to ask for a 90-day extension on a Community Development Housing Block Grant. There has been a recent uptick in interest for the rehabilitation grant program which focuses on a designated area of the city with a number of applications currently being processed.
The Council approved a $3,000 consulting agreement with Guv Guy Consulting to provide training services for the Council. Last year the Council had entered into an identical contract, but due to a number of factors including the change in city administrators, this training did not happen, and for audit purposes that contract was terminated in December. Current plans are for that training to be done during a Council work session in April.
The Council approved issuance of a request for proposals for insurance brokers interested in working with the city, and the agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation connected with a CCLIP resurfacing project on South Grand that is scheduled to be let in July.
The Council also approved the designation of Doug Higgins as acting Council president, to fill in for expected absences of Fred Long due to family health issues. The Council President presides over the Council in the absence of the mayor.
