The Beloit City Council met on Tuesday evening at the Municipal Building. City Manager Jason Rabe reported that it was discovered, after the fact, that upgrades to the runway at Moritz Memorial Airport were not constructed at the proper grade. The pitch was made too steep. They will either have to shorten the runway to compensate for the error or redo at least part of the runway. One of the points of the work being done was to lengthen the runway. The city will make a determination of how address the issue at a later date.
City Attorney Katie Schroeder shared a reminder to residents to be aware of and follow city codes. She said she and City Manager Rabe are working with the Beloit Planning Commission on additional zoning regulations. She also said they are working on amending certain sections of the city code which she hopes to present to the council within the next month or so.
Rabe reminded everyone about the ongoing county-wide cleanup. Fees at the county landfill are waived now through Saturday, May 6, up to $20,000 in total, for the cleanup effort financed by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. For more information about the clean-up and a list of acceptable materials call 738-3880.
Rabe also discussed a meeting he attended with the EPA along with Mayor Tom Naasz, City Attorney Schroeder, City Engineer Stuart Porter and John Brummer of Trek Design. He called it a “productive meeting”
“The EPA is impressed with the effort that Beloit is making,” Rabe said.
The process the city is trying to complete to work toward updating and improving the water supply and system is being slowed down by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, largely due to short staffing. They are currently down to one engineer for the entire state according to Rabe.
He also said repairs made to the roof of the Municipal Building are leaking. It was discovered that the wrong materials were used by the contractor. Rabe said they are getting in contact with original contractor and getting the issue corrected. They will also be looking at other city structures which the same contractor did similar work on to find additional issues, if any.
Rabe also covered the Sunflower Trail Grant which started in 2012. The original grant was $30,000. There is still money left, and the city got the go-ahead to put more money into the project from the grant to finish-up where it was left off.
Pawnee Mental Health Board Member Terry Bailey presented a declaration for the city to approve designating May as Mental Health month in Beloit. The declaration’s theme is “End the stigma. Tell your story.”
Mayor Naasz signed the declaration which states, in part, “Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being and mental health conditions are real and prevalent in our nation. People with mental illness make important contributions to our families and communities. Stigma and fear of discrimination keep many who would benefit from mental health services from seeking help.”
The council then approved Appropriations 5A including payments totaling $376,987.
Ordinance 2208 was approved for a special event request for Kettle and their Jammin’ Under the Stars event on Saturday, June 3. The ordinance allows alcohol to be served outside of Kettle in a blocked-off section of Mill Street on the night of the event.
Golf cart usage inside the city limits was approved via Ordinance 2209. Visit or call the Beloit City Office for details on the usage regulations.
Resolution 2017-6 was approved to satisfy a Western Area Power Administration requirement. Every five years this plan is renewed, and the city receives an allocation from the federal government. The report assesses the current energy needs while providing information about the future growth and development of the city’s electric system.
The council then accepted a mower bid of $11,900 on a John Deere mower with a 60-inch deck and 30hp diesel engine from Carrico Implement. Their bid was the only one that met the city’s criteria.
Councilor Andrew Grabon was reappointed to the 12th Judicial Juvenile Corrections Board for a two-year term. His current term ends in June.
Also approved was a contract with Civic Plus to build and publish a new City of Beloit website. Completion of the new site and Implementation is estimated to take six to nine months. The new site will be more advance and less expensive than the current website to build and maintain.
The council then discussed the streets on campus at NCK Tech. The council agreed to proceed, in principal, to provide a seal coat on those streets this summer. The council will officially address the matter at a future meeting.
The City of Beloit Sports Complex Parking Lot was discussed. This is the southeast corner section of the BHS parking lot near the ballfields. Rabe said it needs to be dug up, a new base poured and filled with millings and sealed. It will then need re-sealed every five years. Estimated cost is $4,000. The city will coordinate with the Mitchell County Fair Board and USD 273 to complete the work.
To end the work session, Rabe provided a spreadsheet for a proposed pricing structure for available lots on the North Campus addition. The proposed pricing on the lots ranged from $9,500 to $24,900.