GAS — Gas Council members Tuesday evening discussed purchase of the old Gas School, abandoned by vote of the USD 257 board Monday night. The district offered the school to Gas for $1, provided Gas paid closing costs, which Albertini said should be about $500.
Council members deferred taking action on the board’s offer until the city receives a formal offer, noting Tuesday night their only information was “what we read in the Register” from a report of the district board meeting.
Purchase of the school cropped up earlier when Mayor Darrel Catron, also a school board member, mentioned it likely would become available. Discussion then centered on moving City Hall to the school, making it a community center and building a large community storm shelter nearby.
Gas may gain a handful of residents, at least temporarily, if plans to refit the old Norel Homes property for recreational vehicle parking works out.
Councilman Mark Henry told his contemporaries Tuesday evening Kevin Pargman, who owns the property, wanted to open it to construction workers living in recreational vehicles. Many have descended on the area to rebuild U.S. 54 between the east edges of Iola and LaHarpe, as well as construct the massive crude oil Enbridge pipeline through the area.
Council members were receptive, and said Pargman’s avenue was to seek a special use permit for the area, which could hold a dozen or more units. That will entail application, a hearing before the Board of Zoning Appeals and then a decision by the council, a process that could play out in a month or so.
Henry said Pargman would put in pads and utility connections, with electric, water and sewer already accessible to the site.
Prior to their business meeting, council members had a public hearing for the city’s 2014 budget. No one came to comment.
Tax support of the budget increased .016 of a mill, from 29.237 this year to 29.453. Net expenditures in 2014 were forecast at $604,142. This year’s are expected to be $531,476.
Condemnation proceedings were started against a property at 606 N. Main, which was substantially damaged by fire earlier this year. Ross Albertini, city attorney, will send the Beaman family a letter announcing plans for condemnation, with their recourse being to argue against it.
By city policy, Gas has in escrow $3,000 of the Beamans’ insurance proceeds to pay for removal of the structure, which Steve Robb, city superintendent, said was damaged beyond repair.
Council members also unanimously passed an ordinance banning pit bull and Rottweiler dogs in the city.
School purchase on hold
