Does the city of Tonganoxie have a job opportunity for you.

Both the city’s fire and police department are seeking applicants for entry-level positions.

In the 2005 city budget, city council members had approved funding for an additional full-time, paid firefighter and another full-time police officer.

At last week’s city council meeting the fire and police chiefs were on hand, asking for permission to advertise their new positions.

Fire Chief Dave Bennett said he’d like to advertise for a new firefighter soon. And he’s hopeful the city will receive a grant that would pay 90 percent of the salaries for two more firefighters.

Bennett said he likely would use the applicants for the budgeted firefighter position to choose the two additional firefighters, if the city does receive the grant.

Acting Police Chief John Putthoff told council members that he, too, would like to start the process of hiring another police officer. Police Chief Ken Carpenter, who is deployed to Iraq, is scheduled to return to the police department in February.

“But with the way things are going, it’s hard to say,” he said.

In addition, some part-time officers will be unavailable this winter.

At last week’s meeting, council members also:

• Approved seeking up to $2.6 million from the Kansas Public Water Supply Loan Fund, administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The money would be used for construction of a water line from 142nd Street and State Avenue to Tonganoxie. The new line would carry water provided by the Board of Public Utilities. The city has not determined the route the water line will follow, City Administrator Shane Krull told the council.
• Approved a contract for engineering services with BG Consultants, which is based in Lawrence. BG bills the city on a per-call basis, and the cost is determined by which BG employee provides services.
• Agreed to pay up to $21,060 to BG Consultants for design work on improvements to Fourth Street — from just east of Pleasant Street to the Tonganoxie Creek bridge. The work, which would be performed in 2005, would include street upgrades, curbs, trees and sidewalks. An early estimate for the cost of the project is $193,776.
• Approved Mayor Dave Taylor’s appointment of Cecil Vinyard as part-time police office and bailiff for Municipal Court. Vinyard will receive a $45 stipend for each court session. Council members also OK’d paying $2,470 for the upcoming year for court services, provided by the Leavenworth City/County Probation Office.