LAHARPE — The LaHarpe City Council signed off on its second attempt to procure grant funding to help pay for electric upgrades throughout the city.
The Council voted, 4-0, to apply for a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant as part of a citywide electric conversion to a new three-phase system.
About half of the city remains under an old “delta” electric system, prone to partial outages, brown-outs and electric surges. Aging utility poles and other issues are growing worse as well.
Mayor Mae Crowell recounted at least three times in recent months when a loose screw has been the culprit of power lines connecting with something they shouldn’t, causing short-term outages.
For now, the city’s primary focus is on trimming trees away from power lines, one of the primary culprits for recent outages, Crowell said.
The city has hired a professional trimmer, although residents are being allowed to trim their own trees if they wish, Crowell said. However, those doing their own tree trimming have only about six more weeks before the city will do it for them, she said.
A 2015 estimate pegged a citywide upgrade project at about $725,000.
The hope is to couple the $400,000 with bonds that would be paid off through higher electric rates.
The electric rate issue remains under discussion.
The Council agreed to meet at 6 p.m. next Wednesday to look at potential rate structures.
“It’s been long enough,” Crowell said. “We need to decide this.”
MICHAEL DUVALL, in the process of moving to LaHarpe from Moran, was offered the job as LaHarpe’s next police chief.
The job will be a full-time position, Council members agreed.
The city remains in the market for a code enforcement/animal control officer.
RUTH JACKSON asked the city to consider purchasing shock collars to loan to residents in an effort to train their dogs.
Jackson, who has taken in a number of cats, said her yard has become a popular target for dogs in the area because of the food she leaves out for her cats.
