Tom Kaleko, of Springstead Inc., the city’s financial advisers, said a consortium of Country Club Bank NA, Community National Bank and First State Bank and Trust bid an interest rate of 3.71 percent for the pool bonds. Kaleko’s estimated an interest rate of 4.63 percent. The winning bid for the public works building also went to Country Club Bank NA with a percentage rate of 3.88 percent. Kaleko estimated the bonds for the public works building to come in around 4.84 percent.

Council member Steve Gumm abstained.

Post Office petition

Tonganoxie resident John Evans told council members he plans to wait in front of the post office next week to gather signatures on a petition to keep the post office downtown.

“If I had 700 (petition signers), if I had 1,000, if I bring a petition signed by people of his community, would you write the post office a letter stating the city citizens of Tonganoxie would like to keep the post office downtown?”

“I think we need to ask for everything that we want, but we need to understand that there is that potential that they will tell us no and go somewhere else,” said Council member Jim Truesdell.

“We are not in a position to push the post office around,” City Administrator Mike Yanez said.

Yanez said that he has spoken to two post office officials and tboth told them too much opposition would result in the money for a new building to go to another community.

Trash pick up

Representatives of Honey Creek Disposal presented council members with a list of services they could provide to the community of Tonganoxie.

Their proposal was for a semi-automated waste pick up system that would involve everyone in Tonganoxie getting 96-gallon trash carts.

Kevin Weldon, representing Honey Creek, said aesthetics were one reason for the carts, but the carts are also rated to stand winds up to 45 mph.

Honey Creek also would offer drop-off recycling for Nos. 1 through 7 plastics as well as glass, aluminum, cardboard and chipboard. There was also an option for a compost system where yard waste could be used to fertilize city projects.

He also said smaller containers were also available.

The deadline for bids on trash service is Oct. 1

City staff will present the bids at the Oct. 8 council meeting. The city’s contract with Deffenbaugh Industries ends Dec. 31.

Willow Pointe Subdivision

Cit council approved to vacate 8 feet of utility easements between two houses in the Willow Pointe Subdivision.

It was recently discovered that the two homes were built on a 20 foot utility easement that had a sewer line running between the lots.

In previous council meetings, Jim Perry, the lots developer said he was not aware of the utility easements when the built the homes. After surveying the location of the sewer line, Brian Kingsley, of BG consultants, the city’s engineering firm, determined the proper amount of easement that needed to be vacated.

Site Plans

The council unanimously voted to approve an ordinance that amended Chapter IV, Article 2, Section 4-211 (12). The amendment will require all site plans for new residential and commercial structures to be signed by a licensed surveyor before approval.

Chieftain Trail

A $17,636.8 change order for the completion of chieftain trail was unanimously approved. KDOT is responsible for 80 percent of the total cost of the change over leaving the city with $3527.36 of the total.

Robin Bell Memorial Fund

The council unanimously approved a special event application for an event to be held at Chieftain Park on Sunday,

Sycamore Drive

Monday night, the council officially changed the street names of Sycamore Drive and Sycamore Court to Sycamore Street.