Public meeting set to evaluate city's use of cleanup funds

Monday, September 18, 2006

A public hearing will be conducted at the Fort Scott City Commission meeting on Tuesday that will evaluate the performance of a state grant used to fund the cleanup and demolition in the aftermath of the March 2005 downtown fire.

The hearing, scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., will coincide with the regularly scheduled commission meeting starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

The grant provided funds for removal of asbestos left behind when buildings were torn down after the fire, repair or replacement of utilities also damaged by the blaze, purchase of property within the damaged area by the city, and stabilization of the Miller and Nelson Block Buildings. The stabilization effort was the result of a controversial decision the commission made last April.

The grant was funded by a Kansas Department of Commerce Small Community Block Grant the city acquired in the months after the fire.

A city agenda indicates that all aspects of the grant will be discussed.

The following are items scheduled to be discussed or up for consideration at Tuesday's meeting:

* Kansas Rural Water Association consultant Pat McCool is expected to brief commissioners on his findings of an organic compound at the Fort Scott Water Plant. Elevated levels of the substance, called total organic carbon, caused a violation of federal standards twice in the past year. However, McCool has written extensively about TOC, concluding that the tests are unnecessary.

* Commissioners will decide whether to approve a $25,000 loan request by Sekan Printing, Inc. for Community Development Block Grant funds from the city's revolving loan fund, which will be used to purchase equipment that retains low and moderate income jobs. The money, if approved, will be used along with company funding. A public hearing scheduled at 7:45 p.m. will be conducted to decide the issue.

* Commissioners will consider bids from the Public Works department for multiple bids of equipment. The department received two bids for a combination flusher/vacuum truck that will be used by the Wastewater Collection Department to flush sewer mains, manholes and holding tanks throughout the collection system. Also, the body will consider approving the purchase of flow monitoring equipment to monitor inflow and infiltration throughout the collection system. Next, the commission will decide to approve buying a computer software system that's compatible with a sewer camera purchased last year.

* The Fort Scott Police Department is requesting commissioners to take bids to replace all sidearm weapons officers carry while on duty. Total cost will be approximately $7,000 including leather components and trade-in allowance for current department-issued Sig Sauer .45-caliber handguns. The new guns will be Glock .40-caliber handguns. Also, the department received a grant to replace six handheld radios and bids opened for the purchase on Monday, according to city documents.

* Commissioners will decide whether to approve installation of two handicap ramps, along with curb, gutter and sidewalk repair, at the northwest corner of Fourth and Crawford streets. The bid also includes repair of a utility cut in the alley behind 308 Crawford St. that resulted from the repair of a sewer main.