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City Council briefs

By Staff | Oct 24, 2001

Council approves full-time inspector

Tonganoxie City Council members, on a 3-1 vote, agreed on Monday to establish a full-time building inspector position.

Currently, Tim Pinnick works as a part-time building inspector.

City Administrator Chris Clark said he’s hopeful the city can hire an inspector for about $35,000 which is comparable to Pinnick’s salary. A full-time employee would be more efficient and able to respond better to developers’ needs for an inspector, Clark said. The administrator said he believes the inspector also could help with enforcement of city codes, beautification efforts in the city and, possibly, public works duties.

“That person will be kept busy year-round,” Clark said.

He said the city has paid Pinnick about $20,000 so far this year. The city set a cap of $35,000 on Pinnick’s annual salary.

“We have $35,000 cash in the budget to provide this service,” he said. “The money is there to pay for a full-time salary already.”

City council member Kathy Graveman voted against the measure.

“I still don’t believe it’s a full-time position,” she said. “I would like to form a committee to look at job descriptions in the city.”

Mayor John Franiuk said he would take Graveman’s idea about a committee under advisement.

Voting to establish the position were Emmett Wetta, Steve Gumm and Pat Albert. Council president Janet Angell was absent.

Local resident named to planning board

Dennis Bixby, a Tonganoxie resident, has been appointed by Mayor John Franiuk to serve on the Tonganoxie Planning Commission.

Another vacancy exists on the commission, and Franiuk said he plans to make that appointment at the city council’s next meeting, on Nov. 13. In addition, he plans to make an appointment to the city’s library board at that meeting.

City begins process to obtain right of way

Tonganoxie City Council members on Monday approved condemnation orders for properties at the intersection of U.S. Highway 24-40 and Kansas Highway 16.

The city is seeking right of way for an intersection improvement project that should get under way next summer.

City to explore options on water

Mayor John Franiuk told city council members on Monday that he’d like to talk with representatives of other cities and rural water districts about whether Tonganoxie could provide water to them.

“I’d like to get some input from those folks,” Franiuk said.

Within a year, the city will drill water wells on land it owns near the Kansas River, west of Linwood. City officials are discussing whether to construct a water treatment plant in Tonganoxie or near the river wells or somewhere in between.

As the city considers its options, Franiuk said, he wants to know if cities, water districts or landowners might be interested in purchasing water from Tonganoxie.

At its Nov. 13 meeting, the city council is expected to meet with the city engineer to further discuss the matter.

City orders shut-off of electrical service

Just before the conclusion of Monday night’s city council meeting, Mayor John Franiuk ordered that electrical service to Galyean Subdivision be shut off.

The city had given Kenny Galyean numerous deadlines to submit a site plan to the city. The final deadline was Monday night.

The subdivision is on the west side of U.S. Highway 24-40, north of First Street.

At a previous meeting, the council had authorized Franiuk to order the shut-off of electricity to the property, if Galyean did not comply with Monday’s deadline.