The Beloit City Council conducted their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, February 21. All councilors were present as well as Mayor Tom Naasz, City Administrator Jason Rabe, City Attorney Katie Schroeder and City Clerk Amanda Lomax.
Mayor Naasz recognized the attendance of a few Boy Scouts who were observing the operation of their City government.
City Attorney Katie Schroeder urged everyone to stay informed on current events in Topeka with the Kansas Legislature. Schroeder said that contacting Representative Susan Concannon and Senator Elaine Bowers to express your views on the issues at hand is key in making our voices heard. Concannon can be reached at susan.concannon@house.ks.gov. Bowers can be reached at Elaine.Bowers@senate.ks.gov.
City Administrator Jason Rabe called the councilors attention to the upcoming Tree City USA conference to be held in Beloit. The 41st annual meeting of Tree City USA will take place on March 22 and 23, 2017. The Beloit First Christian Church will be the headquarters for the meeting. Rabe said between 100 and 150 attendees are expected for the conference.
Ordinance 2204 was unanimously approved. This ordinance finalizes the zoning of the North Campus.
Ordinance 2205 spurred a great deal of discussion. This ordinance, as written, would restrict the use of all-terrain vehicles on private property. The impetus for this ordinance was the existence of ATV’s being raced and/or being driven recklessly on private property creating safety and noise issues. As written, Ordinance 2205 could be interpreted as restricting any and all use of ATV’s on private property. The council voted to table the ordinance and to have the city attorney review the wording.
Resolution 2017-3 revising and adjusting the fee schedule for the City of Beloit was unanimously accepted. The council then appointed Jason Rabe as the voting delegate at the KMEA conference and Ron Sporleader as the non-voting delegate.
Mr. Rabe proposed the purchase of a used pickup to be used by the code enforcement officer. Currently he is driving a car which often proves unsuitable for the work he is performing. Rabe suggested the council approve the purchase of a 2005 Dodge Dakota pickup with a purchase price of $8,995. A 2006 Crown Victoria will be traded-in with a value of $1,845. This would make the cost of the pickup at $7,150.
The Beloit City Council is next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building in Beloit.