Bronaugh aldermen deal with citizen concerns

At its last regular meeting for 2018, the Bronaugh Board of Aldermen addressed citizen concerns approved the treasurer’s report, paid the bills and approved the city’s tentative budget for 2019.

Mayor Sherry Brown opened the 90-minute meeting a little past 6 p.m. on Monday evening. On-hand were Aldermen Nancy Pitts, President; Rachel Jones; Keri Yount; Jim Gransbury; as well as Treasurer Ann Loudermilk, Clerk Rauni Brown and Water Operator Derek Brown. City Septic Operator Gary Loudermilk was absent.

The first of four citizen concerns were brought by Angela Stringer, with her mother, Carolyn Blom, seated next to her.

“I just moved an 80-foot trailer onto our lot and had the meter put in but asked that the water not be turned on because we weren’t ready to move-in yet,” began Stringer. “The meter read 100 and we didn’t have the water on but I got a $150 water bill and I checked and the meter still read 100.”

After a further rehearsal of events which included later having the water turned on, Alderman Yount said, “I don’t think it’s fair to charge her.”

Alderman approved a motion to void that bill, with Stringer and Blom thanking the board.

Next up was resident Tracy Murphy who was speaking on behalf of his two adult sons who have a place in Bronaugh, although currently his sons, daughter and wife are working on an oil pipeline project in western Kansas.

Murphy said they would have paid the bill on time but it was delayed in getting to them.

“We’d be happy to mail it wherever or I’d be glad to take a picture of it and email it to you and that way you’d have plenty of time to make payment,” offered the mayor. “And I understand, Louis (Brown’s husband) is gone all the time and if I wasn’t here we’d be late on our bills.”

After further discussion, Alderman Pitts said, “I think they need to pay the bill and the late charges; we need to treat everyone alike.”

Alderman agreed with Pitts which led to Murphy saying it wasn’t right but agreed he’d try to find a way to get the billing relayed faster so that it would be paid on-time.

The third to address aldermen was Charles Williams. He asked to be permitted to install an exterior style faucet – such as one to which one would attach a garden hose – but place this in one of his houses.

“I need to put the water line and faucet in for insurance purposes,” said Williams. “If there’s a fire, I can’t tell the insurance company there’s no water. I’m willing to pay the deposit for water but I want you to change your policy about having to pay a sewer deposit because there won’t even be a toilet in the house.”

While admitting it was likely he would eventually install and use a toilet, he said he did not want to pay for a backhoe to dig up his yard twice, once for water and later for a sewer line.

Said Yount, “Charlie, we have to treat everyone the same. You may be trustworthy and won’t turn around and hook up the toilet and start to use it but what about the next person? And how would we even know?”

After considerable back and forth, Williams suggested having the city’s water operator inspect the sewer line and see that it is capped off as claimed; he said he did not trust or get along with the city’s septic operator, Gary Loudermilk.

Yount again reiterated, “Charlie, we have to treat everyone the same; it’s why we have the policy. My job is to look after the city.”

After a few tense moments, silence ensued which was finally broken as Gransbury asked Derek Brown if he would be willing to inspect the capped off sewer line.

If directed by the board, he indicated he was willing.

Pitts added, “We’ve already let some run a line to water their cattle but never have any sewer.”

A motion was made for Brown to conduct the inspection and if it was as represented, Williams would not have to pay a sewer deposit until he completed the inside septic plumbing.

To this motion, Pitts and Gransbury gave a quick and audible “Yes” while Jones paused before saying “OK” while Yount shook her head and paused before quietly saying, “I guess.”

The last resident concern was presented by Doris Ricketts. She came to the meeting a little after 7 p.m. even as her son, Charles Williams, sat next to her.

Concerned about a friend and fellow resident whom she claimed was being taken advantage of by her grandsons, Ricketts asked if she could help her friend so the friend would not lose her water or deposit as she was likely moving to another residence in town.

After some back-and-forth on the situation, Mayor Brown suggested, “To avoid late-charges, we have to be told to shut off the water today. Have her call Ann (Treasurer Loudermilk) or myself by midnight tonight and we’ll work with her on the rest.”

With aldermen having a copy of her written report for November in front of them, Treasurer Ann Loudermilk briefly noted that each fund – General, Water and Sewer – recorded a net gain for November.

Aldermen approved payment of bills, gave the treasurer permission to make final adjustments to the budget so that it matches with actual receipts and expenditures and adopted an ordinance directing City Clerk Rauni Brown to conduct the annual audit for the city’s United States Department of Agriculture loan.

“If you’re ever interested in making an extra payment on our loans – and that would save us interest and shorten the life of the loans – I would advise doing it on our USDA loan. The interest on our DNR loan is 1.22 percent while for our USDA loan it’s four and an eighth (4.125 percent).

This prompted Mayor Brown to mention that Charles Williams had spoken to her in November about seeing if the city could consolidate or refinance its loans and save money.

“To get a loan we need collateral and they can’t repossess sewer lines or a water tower,” began Brown.

She said the bank normally asks a municipality to put up land it owns or set aside part of its levy but the city does not own enough land or have a high enough levy. Brown said the lowest rate she found was 5.5 percent.

To this, Loudermilk informed all in the room that the present the interest rate for the USDA loan is 4.125 while the one with the DNR is 1.22 percent.

The treasurer asked aldermen if they had any questions about the proposed budget she had distributed at last month’s meeting; it was approved as the tentative budget for 2019 by a vote of 4-0.