Light Agenda for September 9 Council Meeting

Kevin Surbaugh

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The printed agenda for the Baldwin City Council meeting on September 9, 2017 had no  old or new business. However, a late addition was the only agenda item the council  was an extension of water line improvements. The work that had already been approved was less than the amount budgeted from the Kansas Department of Health. So Alex Darby with PEC (Professional Engineering Consultants) spoke to the council and explained that the aging waterlines will know be replaced on Dearborn between Third to Fourth and on Eighth Street between Indiana and Orange Streets. In response to questions from the Council, he told the council that the Department of Health has already approved the proposed changes. Council-Member Kathy Gerstner moved to accept the amendment and Council-Member Christi Darnell seconded. The motion passed 4-1, with Council-Member AJ Stevens dissenting.

In other business the Council:

learned that the cities Blue Cross representative Todd Chapel had informed the City that the Blue Cross premiums won't increase as much had been feared.

City Finance Director Brad Smith, reported that the change in water billing from the current cubic feet to gallons will not be a hard in the software, as he had thought.  No one understands what cubic feet are, but everyone knows what a gallon is.  While the bottom line will be the same, some may be shocked when looking at the line by line charges.  Currently, the Cities billing is $7.53 per 100 cubic feet, while the charges under the gallons would be $1.01 per 100 gallons. Smith said, that a change in the billing would require trying to educate the public before any change in the billing took place.