Iola City Council meetings will soon be videotaped in order for the meetings to be broadcast on the city’s public access channel.
Council members voted 6-2 Monday to purchase recording equipment from Advantage Computers of Iola for $12,023. The council then directed Steve Prasko of Advantage to look at the configuration of the New Community Building at Riverside Park, where the bi-monthly meetings are held, to ensure the highest quality broadcast possible.
“I’ve had a tremendous amount of people tell me this is a good idea,” Councilman Ken Rowe said, because it promotes the council’s transparency. “This $12,000 is money well spent.”
Council members Joel Wicoff and Donald Becker opposed the expenditure, both citing costs.
Becker also pointed out the city would have to find a place to store the recording equipment and have somebody set up the system prior to each meeting.
“This is money we don’t need to spend,” Becker said.
Wicoff, meanwhile, asked if the cost could be pared by utilizing fewer microphones or a cheaper camera.
Fewer microphones would not work, Prasko responded, because the cavernous interior of the meeting room would make it hard to pick up audio from all eight council members.
Council member Kendall Callahan voted in support of the purchase after being assured the equipment could also be utilized to stream the meetings on the Internet at some point.
Prasko said he would begin investigating software packages to stream the meeting on the Internet. Prior to the council’s directive, Prasko said he was hesitant to look into the matter further because of the anticipated cost. A software program allowing for easy online access could cost the city as much as $6,000.
But that scenario is well into the future, council members said. For now, their goal is to simply have the meetings broadcast.
COUNCIL MEMBERS took no action — yet — on a request by David Burke to build a fence on a city right of way near the 5 o’clock Somewhere Tavern, 105 E. Jackson Ave.
Burke is requesting permission to build the fence directly north of the building to create a “beer garden” and an area open to smokers.
Because the fence would be in the public right way at the corner of Jackson and Jefferson avenues, Code Services Officer Jeff Bauer denied Burke’s request for a permit.
At the meeting, Burke pointed out the right of way has no utilities on the grassy area, and he is responsible for maintaining it. Bauer acknowledged the six-foot fence would not interfere with sight lines for motorists at the Jackson-Jefferson intersection.
Council members promised to study the request further.
THE COUNCIL approved tourism fund disbursements totaling $31,000 to eight local non-profit groups: $20,000 to the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce; $4,500 to the Buster Keaton Celebration; $1,500 each to the Farm-City Days Committee, Charley Melvin Mad Bomber Run organizers and Allen County Fair Board; $8000 to the Veterans Day Committee and $600 apiece to a youth basketball tournament and the Iola Reads Festival.
The tourism funds are generated by transient guest taxes assessed to hotel and motel guests in Iola’s city limits. A portion of those taxes are earmarked for the Allen County Historical Society.
WITH LITTLE fanfare, the city’s voluntary home buyout program has ended, which now allows the city to proceed with condemnation hearings on other homes damaged and rendered uninhabitable from the 2007 flood.
A public hearing was scheduled for July 25 to begin condemnation hearings on houses at 814 South St., 411 W. Campbell St., 512 N. Sycamore St. and at 624 and 706 S Chestnut St. All but the North Sycamore house were extensively damaged in the flood, although the North Sycamore house also has sustained flood damage.
PRIVATE donors have pledged $2,100 to help the city pay for fencing around a proposed dog park at the intersection of South State and Irwin streets.
Last month, council members approved the dog park if private funds totaling $10,000 could be raised.
Councilman Steve French provided the update, noting more funds will come in soon from Thrive Allen County. Thrive’s donation is an unknown amount and will depend in part on the success of the upcoming Charley Melvin Mad Bomber Run For Your Life July 8 and 9. Other donors have pledged money but those funds have not been deposited. In addition, Wilma Krokstrom said proceeds from a rummage sale Aug. 12 and 13 will go to the dog park.
The city has agreed to match up to $10,000 of its own money if the private funds can be raised.
ALLEN COUNTY Sheriff Tom Williams lauded the efforts of Iola firefighters Tim Thyer, Trevor Shannon and Corey Isbell, who responded to the May 23 train derailment south of Moran.
“Their assistance was an absolute must,” Williams said.
Williams also noted several Iola firefighters assisted later in the day after spending several hours as part of a search and rescue effort in tornado-ravaged Joplin.
“Rather than just go back to the station, they stopped by to help,” Williams said. “For them to do that was extraordinary.”
Williams presented a framed certificate of appreciation to Iola Fire Chief Donald Leapheart.
COUNCIL MEMBERS approved annual evaluations and subsequent pay raises of 2 and 3.2 percent to two employees.
The council’s next meeting is June 27.
