Council Grove City Council members delayed action Tuesday night on the appointment of a new city attorney while they review costs, contract options and possible ordinance changes.
The regular meeting was held on Tuesday, July 7 at City Hall, 205 N. Union St. Council President Jason Booker led the meeting in the absence of Mayor Ryan McDonald, who was out of town because of a family medical matter.
The council first moved discussion of the city attorney appointment to the beginning of the meeting. Attorney Stuart Symmonds joined by Zoom to discuss an engagement letter. Council members asked about his $300 hourly rate, the possibility of Zoom attendance at meetings and municipal court, and whether a flatrate contract could be considered later.
Symmonds said travel time would be included in the hourly rate but said he would try to avoid unnecessary travel. He also said Judge Viar had indicated she would be comfortable with many municipal court matters being handled by Zoom, although some trials might require in-person appearances. Symmonds said he would be open to reviewing a flat-rate arrangement after about six months, once he had a better understanding of the city’s workload.
City Administrator Nick Jones told the council the city currently has $31,200 budgeted for legal services, based on the former city attorney’s arrangement of $2,600 per month. Council members expressed concern that an hourly rate could increase costs, especially if Council Grove requires more legal work than smaller municipalities.
Councilor Stephen McKnight suggested the city consider using Symmonds for municipal court while continuing to review other legal options. Councilor Taylor Adams said he believed the city’s current ordinance requires the appointed city attorney to also serve as municipal prosecutor. Jones said an ordinance change would be needed if the city wanted to separate those duties. He said current court cases had been pushed back, giving the council some time before the next meeting.
The council voted 6-0 to postpone the appointment until the July 21 meeting, have Jones look for other attorney options, and prepare for possible ordinance changes that would allow the city to contract separately for municipal court work.
During public comment, city lake resident Karen Exon addressed a later agenda item involving possible milling and overlay work on lake roads. Exon said she was not objecting to the importance of road repairs but said the lease outlines processes for expenditures from City Lake capital improvement funds, including review and recommendation by a committee that includes representatives of the Council Grove City Lake Association.
Jones said the proposed work was not intended to be paid from the capital improvement fund. He said road repair and maintenance are addressed under the rent section of the lease and that the road work would be considered repair and maintenance. Exon and Jones also discussed whether past lake expenditures had been sufficiently itemized, with Jones saying an itemized list had been provided and Exon saying she would have to agree to disagree. Councilor Taylor Adams said he wanted to make sure the city was being transparent and doing its part under the lease.
CVB Director Zoey Wadick reported on Washunga Days, saying the festival ended essentially flat in terms of revenue and expenses while keeping most of the festival free to the public. She reported more than 1,000 people attended the Saturday night concerts, 391 students received free admission, 104 parade entries participated compared with 68 the previous year, 103 children took part in the fishing derby, 31 vehicles were in the car show, 21 vendors participated in the flea market, 41 vendors were part of the craft and vendor fair, 17 teams played cornhole, and eight food vendors were in the Washunga food court. Wadick also reported that Washunga communications reached 685,872 people, had 36,514 engagements, and gained 348 new followers.
The council also approved changing the date for Cooper Blackledge’s Graveyard Games special event to July 25, the same day as Girls Getaway in the Grove.
Police Chief Shawn Wangerin reported the department had handled approximately 40 new cases since his previous report, including domestic batteries, a fleeing and eluding case, an aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, theft, unattended deaths, stalking and threats. Wangerin said the department got through Washunga Days and the Fourth of July with minimal issues, despite limited staffing.
Wangerin said he has begun advertising for officers on Indeed because standard police hiring websites have not generated enough applicants. He also reported applying for a $40,000 grant for stationary license plate reader cameras and a $20,000 grant for speed signs at the city limits. He said stationary cameras could be a useful tool if managed carefully, though he acknowledged they can raise concerns.
The council approved Ordinance No. 2282 concerning food trucks and trailers. Jones said the ordinance was the same version previously presented and that he had not received public feedback after additional time was allowed for review. The motion passed 6-0.
Mary Yoder, representing the Community Arts Council, received approval for a youth art camp at the park known as Crim Park or Council Oak Park. Yoder said the group 1976
Mr. and Mrs. James Adkins, Dwight, parents of Rita Rosalyn… Dennise Jackson is winning pitcher when CG’s girls softball team defeats Eskridge…Wayne Knuth is named Topeka district “driver of the month” by Ryder Truck Rental.
1986
Sgt. Ronald Ritter, Bushong, named outstanding non-commissioned officer of the quarter for 10th Field Artillery; Ritter is a cannon crewman in West Germany…Morris County experiences second major rain in less than a week with rain measuring over three inches; Wilbur Pritchard, Dunlap, measures seven inches in his rain gauge…Vernis Good, Wilsey, re-elected chairman of Morris County chapter of American Red Cross.
1996
Population of Council Grove is 2,278 with Morris County having 6,321 residents, according to Census Bureau statistics…Ritz Theatre and “Trailside Jamboree” are subjects of feature articles in The Topeka Capital- Journal.
2006
Molly Aldrich, Hali Baker and Brenda Pracht, Council Grove Amy Reif, Dwight; and Ryan Albrecht, Sean Darby, Nolan Haire and Jenna Haire, Herington, place on KU Honor Roll…Brian and Kari Anderson, Leavenworth, parents of twins, a boy, Jonas Walker and a daughter, Anya Grace.
2016
Carol Smith, Alta Vista, returns from a Kansas Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.; there were 27 Viet Nam veterans, seven Korean War vets and one World War II vet on the flight… Dr. Patricia Schroeder, All Around Veterinary Mobile Service, announces the sale of her practice to Dr.’s Taylor and Kara Green; the veterinary mobile unit will be based out of Hope under the name of Countryside Veterinary Services… Cody Sankey represents the American Angus Association at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Young Cattlemen’s Conference.
(Continued from Page 1) group wanted to take art camp outdoors this year for messier projects, including outdoor cooking, garden stepping stones and a mural project. The council also approved allowing participants to paint two benches and three trash cans with chipping paint. The council approved a Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation to rezone property on Spencer Street from industrial to residential. Building Inspector James Masters said the property is owned by Christopher Michael and Mary Katherine Myers, who plan to use the building as a home and for hobbies and restoration projects. The Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended approval 4-0, with Chris Myers abstaining.
The council approved 5-1 a City Lake Committee recommendation for R-13, owned by the Marty Wright and Debbie Wright Trust, for a 145-foot boundary extension to allow construction of a retaining wall. Masters said the project was intended to address driveway and safety issues and would help make the driveway safer and easier to maintain. The dissenting vote was by Councilor Nathan Adams.
The council denied a boundary line adjustment 5-0-1 request for J-14, owned by Richard Warsnack and Lorenda Duncan. The request sought an additional 13 feet, 3 inches for construction of a cabin. Masters said the City Lake Committee did not recommend approval because the project could be adjusted to fit within the existing lot while maintaining required setbacks. Warsnack told the council the request was based partly on a similar previous adjustment granted to a neighboring property and on the desire to keep the new structure in roughly the same area where the former structure and parking had been located. Council members ultimately voted to accept the committee’s recommendation and deny the request. Taylor Adams abstained from the vote.
The council also tabled proposed additional milling and overlay work by Bayer Construction until the July 21 meeting. Jones said the city had obtained prices for additional work while Bayer was already mobilized for the state highway project, which could reduce costs compared with doing the work separately. Proposed areas included portions of Sunset Drive and roads at the City Lake. Councilor Nathan Adams asked that Fox Street also be considered, saying it is in poor condition and heavily used. Council members agreed to wait for additional information and possible pricing before making a decision.
The council approved increasing Utilities Department employee Curtis Watson’s pay to $22 per hour, based on a recommendation from Utilities Superintendent Derrick Craige and Jones. Jones said the Water Department is funded through user fees, not property taxes, and that Watson had earned certifications and was working toward additional qualifications.
Council members also approved merit raises for eligible city employees. After discussion about evaluation procedures and budgeted raise amounts, the council approved 4 percent raises for department heads and 2 percent raises for other eligible employees, excluding Watson and Jones. The motion passed 5-1.
The council voted to allow Jones to file notice that the city may exceed the revenue neutral rate. Jones said the notice preserves the city’s option while budget work continues but does not require the council to exceed revenue neutral when the budget is finalized. He said he plans to present budget options, including a revenue neutral scenario, the current mill levy scenario and a scenario reflecting additional expenses.
Council members also discussed city committees, including wheth-