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The Goodland Star-News / Friday, January 8, 2010 5 Water plan would save city millions in interest WATER, from Page 1 Volk had with Ransom, a company of everybody. $1.457 million on the other water Daniels said he did not have a Commissioner Annette Fairbanks doing water rate surveys for the Daniels said he likes the base loan. The interest is 3.74 percent problem with raising the base to said she was fine with raising the in trying to stretch this out. state, had recommended water rates better than trying to raise money plus the service fee of .35 percent $14.50 to give them more for im- base to $12 and keeping the usage “The water lines on main are not about $40 a month. through consumption especially makes the total 4.09 percent. The provements. rate as it is. addressed in this project. I agree He said the state recommendation when the usage has gone down in city could save about 3 percent. “I would like to keep it a bit “If the city was not financially we need to make an adjustment in for figuring water bills is based on the past few years. Billinger said if the city pays the lower,” Billinger said. able we would have to pay another water rates. 2 percent of the median income of a Dechant suggested a bump both first loan off as well as the new water Garcia said he felt it would be easy $1.3 million in interest,” Dechant “Loaning ourselves the money is person in the town. He said based on on the base rate and one on con- project it would take less to service to explain and beneficial to the cus- said. the right way to go, and looking at the current median income in Good- sumption. the total and the city could put more tomers to keep it down to the $5. “I am glad we are having this paying the other loan off would give land that would be $60 a month. Commissioner John Garcia said in for maintenance. Billinger said paying off the first conversation,” Gerber said. “We are us more options.” Currently residents pay $7.60 a he felt people are being conscien- Gerber said the two loans together loan would give the city $185,000 to furnishing a legitimate product and Gerber said the commissioners month as a base for a water meter tious and looking at where they would be about $6.3 million, but the put toward the repayment, and with should not be afraid to tell the people could sort of back into the rates, and and $1.07 for consumption of 100 can cut back, and increasing the total would depend on the final cost the $5 increase the city could repay we are doing a good job.” asked what the members felt people cubic feet. base easier to plug into your budget of the new water project. the reserves and have about $50,000 “I think the public will be behind would be able to pay monthly. He “I think we need some sort or rate — everyone pays — think from a Garcia said he could agree with to put into further improvements this,” Daniels said, “as it will much included several options including a adjustment,” Gerber said. “We need financial standpoint it is better. raising the base to $11 or $12 a and maintenance. lower than what we originally talked base water meter increase and an op- to be fair to the people and we need Dechant suggested starting with month, which would be about a $4 Dechant agreed it would give the about.” tion of increasing the water meter rate to keep improving the system.” an increase of the base to $12 a to $5 increase. city something to work with and Gerber said he would run the plus an increase in the usage cost. Billinger said he likes the base month. Gerber said a raise of $5 would be able to tackle other water issues numbers and bring back a recom- He said a conference call he and rate increase because that takes care Volk checked and the city owes bring in about $126,000 a year. such as Main Ave. mendation. City employee health insurance costs drop slightly for third year CITY, from Page 1 Commissioner Dave Daniels the city to add in things like the than having a person sit and fold all mail as he usually gets all of the bidding on vinyl fencing rather than said he had to ask again about any newsletter. the bills and newsletters. city bids. chain link. about what else might be out there possible insurance program for the He said he was not recommending Daniels made the motion to ac- Darin Neufeld, engineer from Neufeld said the area cannot have for the future. He said most of the commissioners. the low bid from Pitney bowes be- cept the staff recommendation. The Evans, Bierly, Hutchison and As- a metal fence, and looked at wood programs are optional and are noth- Krull said the to get insurance the cause the city had recently switched motion passed 5-0. sociates, said they were having and vinyl. He said the city had wood ing mandatory. commissioners would have to work away from that company’s postage • Approved a bid from Ninemier trouble getting a local person to bid out there at one time and felt the The total cost for the city for the 30 hours a week. machine and had some negative Fence Construction of Hoisington when the city was doing the project vinyl would last longer. year is $551,021, Krull said, and Commissioner John Garcia made reports on the company’s folder and for $8,800 for replacement fencing for the FAA. told the commissioners to expect a the motion to approve the insurance inserter machine. around the airport marker damaged Daniels asked why they were refund from the prior year of about renewal. Commissioner Annette Volk said she had more than one by the hail storm in July. $100,000 because of the lower than Fairbanks seconded and the mo- person tell her about problems with Gerber said the city got back one SUNFLOWER HARVEST SYSTEMS expected usage. tion passed 5-0 with Mayor Josh the machine. bid, and the city will be reimbursed “I plan to be proactive with insur- Dechant and Commissioners Rick Billinger asked if there was any- $7,800 from insurance. Ê ance,” Gerber said. “I feel we owe it Billinger and Daniels voting in one local who could provide the Billinger asked if the bid was sent Ê CALL FOR LITERATURE to the taxpayers to be reasonable and favor. same machine. out locally. LUCKE MANUFACTURING to do as much as possible to keep our In other business the commis- Volk said she had checked locally Volk said it was sent to everyone employees healthy. sioners: and no one was able to furnish a on the local list. (800) 735-5848, (701) 240-5953 “We have been somewhat lucky, • Approved a bid from Midwest similar machine. Billinger said he was surprised but Mary Volk, city clerk, has Mailing Systems of Kearney, Neb. Dechant said he was in the market because he did not get one in the WWW.LUCKEMANUFACTURING.COM worked to stay on top of this pro- for $11,228 for a folder and inserter for a similar machine for where he gram.” machine. Gerber had recommended works, and was finding it hard to Krull said the city will always the middle bid of the three received find one. have some usage and cannot help and said the city had budgeted Gerber said it looks like a lot of Sports television it when a person is injured, but it $11,000 for the machine and was money, but it will be more efficient is better to keep on top of the pro- confident the small additional could be found in another budget item. schedule gram. Saturday 5:30 p.m. >ESPN2 Women’s College Basket- He said the city employees can Gerber said the machine would ball Maryland at Virginia. (Live) help the city transition from the 10:00 a.m. =ESPN College Basketball Connecti- use several on-line program for cut at Georgetown. (Live) 6:00 p.m. FXSKS NBA Basketball New York current monthly billing cards to a Knicks at Oklahoma City Thunder. From the Ford things like a wellness plan or stop >ESPN2 College Basketball full sheet bill, and it would allow SUBSCRIBER Florida at Van- Center in Oklahoma City. (Subject to Blackout) smoking help plus others. derbilt. (Live) (Live) < Ruth Nichols FXSKS FXSRM Women’s College Basket- 7:00 p.m. =ESPN College Basketball Oklahoma SOFFIT DOOR AND WINDOW REPLACEMENTS ball Kansas at Kansas State. (Live) * * * You receive two free passes State at Oklahoma. (Live) NEW CONSTRUCTION NEW *NBC )NBC High School Foot- to see 11:00 a.m. 8:30 p.m. FXSKS College Basketball St. Louis at From concrete to roofing and ball U.S. Army All-American Bowl. From the Alam- Richmond. (Joined in Progress) everything in between. The Blind odome in San Antonio. (Live) 12:00 p.m. @,CBS Women’s College Basketball Tuesday Side Ohio State at Michigan State. (Live) 5:00 p.m. =ESPN College Basketball Ohio State at Purdue. (Live) (PG-13) =ESPN College Basketball Duke at Georgia Ron Lucke Tech. (Live) >ESPN2 College Basketball Texas A&M at REMODELS Kansas State. (Live) CUSTOM BUILDING >ESPN2 College Basketball Kansas State at Clip and bring to the show.