By Lucky Kidd
LYONS, Kan. — Final approval was given by the Lyons City Council Monday to a two year contract with new City Administrator Eddy Truelove. Truelove was named earlier this month to be the replacement for Chad Buckley who resigned May 1st. Truelove, is coming from Neodesha where he has been City Administrator for the past 8.5 years and is a former Chief of Police in Sterling. Truelove was in attendance at Monday’s meeting and visited with council members, taking part in a budget roundtable at the end of the meeting.
During the roundtable discussion, interim City Administrator Howard Partington reviewed for the Council where the budget process stands. He explained there are still some things that need to be finalized with that budget, for which a Revenue Neutral Rate hearing and budget hearing will be held Sept. 18.
The Council approved a proposal to allow Second Story Books and Tavern owner Monica Kelly to move her existing drinking establishment license from its present location at 208 West Commercial to former lumber yard at 113 East Main. Kelly told the council in addition to providing greatly expanded space and an outdoor seating area, would also let her pursue licensing to let her establish a microbrewery.
If the Alcohol Beverage Control Division approves the location change, Kelly said her goal is to be in the new space around the first of October.
The Council approved a contract with Southern Star Central for for natural gas transportation services to the city for the winter period between November 2023 and March 2024. The agreement has been place through the Kansas Municipal Gas Agency, sets the daily contracted volume to be transported, and based on the historical volumes over the past three years.
The transportation cost is broken down in the monthly bills the city city receives for gas purchase. The council also approved the quarterly payment on a loan it took out from the state of Kansas to cover excess natural gas charges incurred during a February, 2021 extreme cold snap.
The Council has approved allowing use of fireworks and waiver of permit fees for Lyons High School home football games this season. The fireworks will be discharged from a field east of the school, and will be discharged generally during pre-game, scores and a Lions football victory.
One exception to this is connected with the halftime show of the homecoming football game Sept. 22 . The fireworks will be set off by the same group that does the fireworks for the 4th of July Boomfest in Lyons.
Partington and the Council also discussed progress on the OPEN program, which had Council members and city staff visiting local businesses. Partington did this while he was city administrator in Great Bend, and it was a very good project, which had a side benefit in that those visits led to the creations of 100 jobs there. Mayor Dustin Schulz said he has heard many favorable comments about the contacts made so far from local business owners.
There was a discussion about the process of complaints regarding junked properties. Council member Debbie Metzger asked if it would be possible for Council members to get a list updating the status of complaints that have been given to the city and where they stand in the progress. Metzger said this would enable her to answer a lot of questions she receives from constituents.
There were some questions raised about the kinds of information that could be released and to whom. Police Chief Justin Holliday had some concerns about the legal aspects of what could be released and more importantly what cannot be released. Holliday cautioned the Council of that aspect once they have that information in hand.
