Community center activity picks up

After a slow summer, a number of new programs are starting at the Franklin P. Norman City/County Community Center.

Dana Redburn, the city's new parks and recreation director, told the city council during its regular meeting Tuesday that there will be a youth dance program starting on Oct. 25 that will be taught by Cottey College dance students under the direction of their instructor at Cottey. This program is for pre-school through sixth grade students, and focuses on creative movement.

Also, there will be an adult basketball program starting at the community center this fall.

Redburn said that the program is slated to start on Nov. 13. "Registration ends Nov. 4 and there will be captains meeting before the Nov. 13 start date," she said.

According to information on the city's Web site, participants must be at least 18 years old. The registration fee for each team will be $275. The season will run from Nov. 13 to Jan. 29, with the games on Sundays, between 2 and 8 p.m., at the community center.

In other business the council:

* Voted 5-0 to accept the low bid of $25,400 for a new pump for a lift station at the old wastewater treatment plant. City manager JD Kehrman told the council that there is $25,000 in the budget for this item. Shawn Middendorf, Alliance Water Resources local manager, said this pump had been installed in 1996 and was near the end of its life expectancy and the cost of repairing it would be nearly half of the cost of replacement.

* Voted 5-0 to appoint Bryan Breckenridge as the city's personnel hearing officer for city employees who wish to appeal disciplinary action or termination.

* Voted 5-0 to approve a traveled portion right-of-way solicitors application for Jeff Taylor LLC-The Windriders Motorcycle Organization, for Nov. 12, at the intersection of Osage and Austin. Money raised will be used for needy families for Christmas. All of the money raised will stay in Vernon County.

* Held a public hearing and voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance accepting an additional right-of-way easement from the property owner for sidewalk improvements that are part of the Safe School Sidewalk Enhancement project. The current right-of-way is not wide enough for an ADA compliant pathway from the crosswalk to the sidewalk.

* Held a public hearing and voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance changing the zoning from R-1, single family, to R-3, apartment house district, at 721 N. Ash St. Chris Hendren and Wes Ogle plan to renovate the existing church and school building at the location and turn them into studio apartments.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance accepting the COPS Grant of about $140,304 to cover all the costs of hiring an entry level police officer for three years. The city is required to pay for a fourth year.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance approving a contract with the Council on Families in Crisis for reimbursement of emergency shelter grant funds. The $15,991.68 grant will support the Moss House operations.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on first reading a special ordinance approving an agreement with the Western Missouri 911 Center to allow the Nevada Police Department access to the MULES router at the 911 Center. This will allow the officers in the eight police cars equipped with mobile data terminals to directly access criminal information on the MULES network while on patrol.

* Voted 5-0 to pass on second reading a special ordinance approving change order No. 1 to the city's contract with CDL Electric for improvements to the lighting at the U.S. Highway 71 and Highway K intersection. The change order will reduce the cost of the project by $11,206. The cost savings will be shared by the city and Missouri Department of Transportation on approximately an 80/20 basis.

* Voted 5-0 to give final approval to a special ordinance giving Jim and Ronda Hardin the right to continue farming property at the closed city landfill. The lease with the Hardins was terminated to allow the city to offer it for the possible use as a solar farm.

The council also set 5:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24, as the date for the council's first budget work session, to be held in the city hall conference room.