The Iola City Council is once again a full eight-member governing body.
Danny Mathew, 34, a lifelong Iolan, was appointed Monday to fill the unexpired term of Councilman Bob Shaughnessy, who resigned his seat in April.
Mathew has worked for the past several years at Advantage Computer Enterprises,
Mathew said he was very much interested in city matters, prompting him to reach out to City Hall.
Mayor Jon Wells announced Mathews appointment, which then was approved, 5-0, by the other Council members. Councilmen Aaron Franklin and Mark Peters were absent from Mondays meeting.
I look forward to working alongside you, Mathew told the other Council members. I hope to bring well-educated, informed decisions.
COUNCIL members agreed, albeit with a split vote, to provide a free electric meter to a pocket park on the east side of the courthouse square in downtown Iola, but stopped short of offering free electricity as well.
The request came from Thrive Allen County, which is spearheading an effort to improve the pocket park.
The electric service will be used to power a small fountain and a small performance stage, Fleming said.
Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock said the free hookup was valued at about $125. The property owner, Sophisticated Rose, would be responsible for paying for the electric service, although he anticipated another entity, such as Thrive, footing the bill.
The 3-3 vote to install the meter sent the matter to Wells, who said, Lets go ahead and vote yay.
Voting in favor were Nancy Ford, Michael Middleton and Gene Myrick. Ron Ballard and Chase Martin were opposed. They were joined, eventually, by Mathew, who initially did not vote, but eventually did when Wells noted he had not yet responded.
A BOOKKEEPING change approved will better allow the city to know how much funding it has earmarked for capital improvements, City Administrator Sid Fleming said.
The Council voted, 5-1, to move unencumbered utility equipment reserves into newly established Capital Improvement Plan line items.
The Council approved the CIP line items last summer while setting Iolas 2018 budget, Fleming explained.
Mondays transfers of $59,633.99 from the water utility fund, $2,272,694.76 from electric and $241,131.25 were a combined $500,000 more than the Council originally projected. Thats because each of those funds has more in their equipment reserves than the Council anticipated a year ago.
