HUMBOLDT — Humboldt will spend $12,800 for repairs along Central Street near Humboldt Elementary School.
City Council members voted Monday to hire SE-Kan Asphalt of Gas to grind down the existing asphalt surface along Central Streets, between Ninth and 12th Streets.
Crews will grind down the street to a lower layer of concrete to get a better handle on whether the street should be rebuilt.
Also, removing the upper layers could help improve water drainage along the street, City Administrator Larry Tucker said.
Council member Dan Julich suggested the city once again approach USD 258 to determine if the school district would help fund repairs for off-street parking along the elementary school.
Money for the project will come from Humboldt’s consolidated street fund, which comes from fuel tax revenues.
In a related matter, the city will once again apply for Kansas Department of Transportation funds to repair about 10 combined blocks of Central, Bridge and 13th streets.
The project would require about $70,000 in matching funds — the city would be responsible for 20 percent; KDOT the other 80 percent — although the city would not have enough money in its street fund, Tucker said.
Council members approved transferring $60,000 from Humboldt’s gas utility fund on top of the $28,000 remaining in the street fund.
The city previously applied for KDOT funds for the project to take advantage of federal stimulus dollars made available to the state. That project was rejected.
Since then, KDOT has discovered that bids for earlier projects have come in less than estimated and remaining funds are available if municipalities such as Humboldt can increase their match.
That means Humboldt’s share would jump from $35,000 to about $70,000.
Still, Tucker described the opportunity to improve the streets as a “once in a lifetime” chance.
HUMBOLDT residents will be given an opportunity to hear the city’s “state of the streets” at a public forum June 28.
The Council’s Streets Committee will discuss potential projects and how to fund them.
“This is being done so folks understand the struggle we’re going through in order to maintain our streets,” Tucker said.
The 7 p.m. meeting will be at Humboldt Public Library.
COUNCIL members approved a pair of change orders regarding ongoing renovations to the new City Hall building. Carpeting will be added to the north side of the building for $3,292.45. The second is to place added signage on the north and east sides of the building at a cost of $3,265.67.
Council members agreed to handle the projects as change orders rather than bid them separately to eliminate the need for publications, bids and other costs.
The vote for the change orders passed 6-1 with Wayne Carson opposed and Sam Murrow absent.
Council members also voted 7-0 to direct crews to install a series of single-stage climate control systems rather than a single, multi-phase system.
Having the single-stage systems is beneficial because it would lower heating and cooling costs, despite being slightly more expensive to install, architect Richard Zingre explained.
In addition, local contractors are more familiar with single-stage systems, he said.
That vote passed 7-0.
COUNCIL members directed Police Chief Dan Onnen to cite Roy Fritch into Humboldt Municipal Court for nuisance violations at 916 Cherokee St. and at 8th Street Auto, 821 N. Eighth St.
The largest issue, Onnen said, was the plethora of inoperable vehicles at both properties. City ordinances mandate that such vehicles be shielded from public view.
Council members also noted that Steven Weilert received a weed notice violation for property he owns at 1104 S. 10th St. Weilert for years has cut and baled the weeds after they were tall enough for agricultural purposes.
The problem is that the property is zoned residential, Tucker noted.
Council members said Weilert should apply for a special use permit through the city’s Planning Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals.
