MORAN — Moran council members agreed to add playground equipment to the city park when they met Monday evening, but delayed signing an agreement with LaHarpe Communications for use of its water tower for an Internet relay antenna.
Council members mulled buying a swing set and another piece for the playground on which children could climb, but backed off to just the swing set when City Clerk Lori Evans pointed out the Park Department fund had $9,200 remaining in its budget. It was noted that mowing and other maintenance would require part of what was available.
Councilman Jim Mueller said the two pieces of equipment would cost more than $7,000 and when ground cover, a necessity under rules governing public playground safety, entered the mix, cost likely would top $9,000.
That led council members to propose funding within their 2015 budget for additions to the playground.
“It would be good to add some each year,” Mueller said.
Harry Lee, owner of LaHarpe Communications, handed council members a lease agreement to consider for the water tower antenna.
Following a 15-minute executive session to discuss the contract, the decision was to have Lee look over a contract Moran proposed and discuss any differences with the city’s attorney, Bret Heim.
“We reviewed your contract and had lots of questions,” said Councilman Mueller, without being specific.
Discussion about the city’s 2015 budget had council members turn to department heads for recommendations.
In addition to including money for playground equipment, they will consider bleachers for the ball field, a copier and new computer terminals for the city clerk’s office, and a trencher for the city crew. They expect to have a preliminary budget to consider at their July 7 meeting.
IN OTHER NEWS:
— Council members will look into cost of purchasing a digital information sign to place outside of City Hall to alert citizens of goings on, such as council and fire meetings and public events. Nelda Cuppy, who came to the council session from a Moran Library Board meeting, said a bulletin board in public view would be helpful, she and other library board members thought.
“We talked about it in the past,” said Mayor Phil Merkel. “We’ll do some research and see what’s available,” and what cost would be.
— A merger of Moran and Marmaton and Osage townships volunteer fire departments continues in the discussion stage, as it has for several months.
Councilman Mueller said some members of the three departments “just don’t want to sit down and talk together. If it goes on much longer maybe we should forget it.”
Merkel, Moran fire chief, agreed personality conflicts were getting in the way and for the good of a merger the path to resolution might be for each department to decide on its own, rather than all in one place at one time.
