Lyons Council Meeting 08/19/24 Highlights
By Lucky Kidd
LYONS, Kan. — A representative of Austin Peters Group met with the Lyons City Council during Monday’s meeting to discuss the search process for a new City Administrator.
Austin Peters president Beth Tatarko provided an overview of the process including development of a recruitment profile, a draft version of which was presented for Council review and expected adoption at their next meeting on Sept. 3. She also went through the remainder of the process from advertising the position to final selection.
Following show cause public hearings, the Council adopted resolutions ordering repair or demolition of structures at 608 West Main and 526 North Grand. In each case the council has given the owners of the properties involved 30 days to either demolish the structures or make repairs to resolve issues making them unsafe or dangerous.
The Council authorized publication of a proposed 2025 budget that, while exceeding the Revenue Neutral Rate by just over 2 ½ mills, is projected to be very close to the final levy for 2024. The current estimated levy is 51.949 mills, but the final levy will depend on what the valuation is certified by the Rice County Clerk. When the city submitted its notice of intent to exceed RNR last month, it had set the maximum projected levy at 60 mills.
Total revenue to be raised from property taxes, at just over $1.07 million, will be $54,651 more than was levied in 2024. The final levy will be what will raise the budgeted amount. The hearings on the budget and exceeding RNR will be held Sept. 16.
Related to the budget, the Council approved a budget engagement letter with Loyd Group, which the city has used for budget preparation for the past few years. The Council had declined to approve this contract at the meeting on Aug. 5 opting for a fee for service approach, but it turned out that route would end up costing the city more.
Danielle Hollingshead from Adams Brown presented the 2023 audit report which the Council accepted.
The Council approved a firm transport contract through the Kansas Municipal Gas Agency with Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline for transportation of natural gas purchased through KMGA to the city’s delivery point. This covers transportation of gas from November 2024 to March 2025.
Approval was given to a new agreement with Lyons Recreation Commission for water usage. Under the new five-year agreement, the city will cover 50 percent of the annual irrigation water for the golf course Little League fields and Battershell Field, up to a maximum of 12 million gallons per year. LRC will be responsible for the standard monthly meter charges and will abide by any water conservation measures the city may enact including those for drought conditions.
The Council also approved a new lease agreement with the Lyons Public Library’s board for the space the library occupies in City Hall. This lease, which replaces one that expired at the end of 2024, calls for a $100 per month rental fee, along with 40 percent of the total monthly utility cost for the City Hall building.
A $106,000 purchase of gas meters from DC&B Supply of Pratt was approved. This involves purchase of one thousand rebuilt meters, with installation of automated meter reading equipment included for the rebuilt meters. Many of the existing meters are not capable of AMR.
Sitting as the Land Bank Committee, the Council approved the $2,000 sale of a property in the Rice County Industrial Park to Palleton of Kansas, which is located adjacent to the lot in question on Industrial Drive. Initially the company plans to use it for parking but has plans in the works for a future expansion project.
