By Lucky Kidd
LARNED, Kan. — The Larned City Council has approved a $130,000 contract with JTP Painting for renovation of the basin of the Larned Swimming Pool. The city has done recent work at the pool to address various safety issues, and issues regarding the basin have become more concerning, including cracks and other problems.
Two companies were contracted by City Manager Brad Elits after the 2024 pool season, and JTP came in and looked at it. JTP presented a proposal that would include power washing and sandblasting, repair of all cracks, and installing three coats of a pool lining with a two-part epoxy product. There are sufficient funds in the pool reserve fund to cover the cost.
The Council also approved a quote from Eakin Enterprises to replace a valve on the pool drain, failure of a bypass plug on which caused an early closure of the pool last year.
The Council agreed to move forward with an application to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Sewer Revolving Loan Fund for a pre-treatment wastewater system. The project is intended to process wastewater from state facilities west of Larned on site before sending it down four miles of pipelines to the city’s treatment plant, which would address potential issues of toxic H2S gas.
The 20-year loan would carry an estimated 2.3 percent interest rate. A public hearing on the application will be held Feb. 3.
The council also heard a report for airport manager Steve Gross on a five-year capital improvement plan the Airport Advisory Board is recommending. Cost estimates on the five projects on the list will be developed.
The Council gave $20,000 to the Christmas Decoration Committee in support of new Christmas lighting in downtown Larned. A committee has been working to raise funds for new lights, and right now they are looking at this as a multi-phase project, the first phase of which would be on Broadway from 4th to 7th. This phase would cost about $40,000. In addition to the city contribution and other fundraising, grants will be sought for this and other phases of the project.
The Council authorized refunding a $4,000 assessment for demolition costs on a property at 116 South State. Chad Eakin purchased this property at a delinquent tax sale in November, three other lots on that sale did not have demolition assessments included where the city had to remove condemned structures, but this lot did. Ironically, Eakin’s company, Eakin Enterprises, was the one that did the demolition.
The Council selected Benesch Group to do the engineering work connected with a Safe Routes to Schools Grant the city was awarded in October and tabled proposed changes to city codes pending further review by the Planning Commission.
The Council discussed but took no action on a suggestion the city designate its website as the official publication of the city rather than a newspaper. Over the past few months City Manager Brad Elits has been approached about changing the official publication from The Tiller and Toiler to the city’s website as a cost saving measure.
Because state law on the subject is not uniform in application the city has the power to make this change, something a number of Kansas cities have already done There are some legal notices which would still require a newspaper publication, but it was estimated moving publication to the website would save the city a little over $4,000 a year.
Discussions continued on the city’s electric demand. Among things that have been talked about demand and capacity charges which typically would be imposed on larger customers who at the same time usually pay a lower per kilowatt hour rate. Another subject brought up was the possibility of adding solar generation to the city’s electric power mix, which along with other electrical issues will be on the agenda for the February Council meeting.
During the meeting, the council approved annual GAAP waiver related to preparation of financial statements, contracts with Adams Brown for auditing and non-auditing services, and designation of depositories, and a charter ordinance to increase the city’s transient guest tax. It also heard a brief presentation from Welcome Inn Senior Center about cuts endangering the future of Friendship Meals programs including the one that serves the Larned area.
