Formal Actions dominated the agenda at the Beloit City Council meeting Tuesday evening as the council discussed the engineering agreement for the North campus they are entering into with Schwab-Eaton, the airplane grant application, the reaction engineering bid and the North Campus land swap.
At the September 3 council meeting Schwab-Eaton Engineer, Stuart Porter, was present to discuss an agreement to provide the City of Beloit with engineering services for the entire North Campus Area at one time. Last night, on the recommendation of Glenn Rodden, City Administrator, the council voted 7 to 0 to hire Schwab-Eaton to prepare plans for the North Campus as a whole at a cost of $72,500. This will include grading, street, storm sewer, and storm water detention and erosion control improvements of 7700 LF of paved street 1100 LF of various sized storm sewer piping, 8 curb inlets, site grading and various appurtenances. Funding for this project will come from the city's 2013 capitol improvement projects fund which currently has a balance of $695,689.92. Councilwoman Pat Struble was absent from the meeting.
At the present time Rodden said they do not have an actual plotting map of the project from Mike Cooper. The map is done but has to go through the Planning Commission and then come it back to the council.
The council approved the Airport Grant Application with the Kansas Department of Transportation as it was presented to them. Project Engineer Brad Waller from Alfred Benesch had been working on the application with the Kansas Department of Transportation. This is for the grading portion of the airport runway expansion project. KDOT is now offering a grant that matches FAA funding with a 90%/10% split. If the city is funded under that program they will stay on their original schedule for this project. If the application is not approved they can revert to the FAA funding without losing any time.
The Reaction Engineering bid for boiler chemicals and services for the North Campus was approved at a cost of $15,546.73 as submitted by Parks and Recreation Director Lynn Miller. Miller explained why the chemicals are needed and the condition of the present boilers. The second boiler is so old it is obsolete and no repair parts are available. They have another option to use if the need arises, Miller said.
The North Campus land swap was to be on next months agenda but due to the urgency to get it finalized and turned in to the Planning Commission it was moved up to last night. Representatives from the Beloit USD 273 Board of Education are proposing a land swap to project the trees directly behind the Trojan Football Stadium. They care asking the city to swap land with Mike Cooper and Blass in order to give this land to the school. James Johnson, Attorney at Law, was present to explain how this trade would work. Johnson said this would not affect the walking trail and would allow a 50-foot bumper strip on the north said of the stadium. The council approved the proposal 7 to 0. Johnson will draw up the proposal and bring it back to the council.
During the Administrator's report Rodden introduced Ken Fairchild, project engineer on the Catalytic Converter Project, at the water plant. Fairchild discussed
where they are at on the installation process of the converters. He said they have been in service for something over a month but there are still some things left to do on them. After a test of the system a report has to go in to KDHE and a certification contract sent in.
Administrator Rodden, talked about the Water District Meeting that was held recently and said there was a good turn out for it. There were two Schwab-Eaton Engineers present and representative from all three water districts. He hopes to have another meeting in early November. He feels this is the next step to working together on water issues in the future.
The Administrator also discussed the Comprehensive Planning Meeting. He plans to have the City's financial advisor come and speak at the next meeting. City Attorney Katie Cheney reminded council members they need to discuss a plan to comply with the new concealed carry law at the next meeting.
After the meeting was adjourned the council went into a work session and discussed the airport hanger bill of sale and lease Agreement. They discussed two lease agreements for the new airport hangar with Travis Lattin who was present at the meeting. After the new building is finished Boettcher Enterprises will transfer the new building to the City. Lattin is requesting he be allowed to take over the water, gas and other utilities in the new building and switch the blue building he presently uses to a storage area. The contractors plan to have the new building done by October 1, he said.
City Attorney Katie Cheney rose to make sure the council understood it says in this contract if something happens to the new building the city has to replace it in a prompt amount of time. Mayor Tom Naasz said they would put this on the agenda for the next council meeting since this was only a discussion item only at tonight's meeting.