Wamego’s 2013 budget was approved without comment. At Tuesday’s City Commission meeting, City Manager Merl Page announced the 10-day period had passed after the Public Hearing Notice was published for the City’s 2013 budget, and with no opposition, it was approved as written. Another ordinance was presented and approved. According to page, there is a computation page in the budget that takes into consideration how much is levied for debt service. If the City levy’s more than the computation, the City needs to notify the public, and this required an ordinance to implement.
In other business, the Commission approved two separate ordinances that incorporated changes from last year that were prepared and published by the League of Kansas Municipalities. One was the Standard Traffic Code Ordinance for Kansas Cities, and the other was the Uniform Public Offense Code for Kansas Cities. Another ordinance was approved amending the City Code to temporarily permit selling and serving alcoholic liquor and cereal malt beverages at public places during sanctioned events. The latter ordinance was at the request of the OZtoberfest Planning Committee.
City Manager Page went over the current Mutual Aid Review. He said the City of Wamego became a member of the Kansas Mutual Energy Agency many years ago. In the event of any disaster, mutual aid is coordinated to the affected community by calling out protocols, so cost can be controlled. He said with the Greensburg disaster, it became apparent there were multiple agencies that were called in, and after evaluation, it was determined one program could reduce the redundancy so everyone was calling the proper agency.
According to Page, the different programs dovetailed into KSMAP or Kansas Mutual Aid Program, which consolidates all the mutual aid programs into one. He asked the Commission for approval to evaluate the resolution in order to bring the membership request forward again. Approval was given.
In other business, Page reported the City sales tax is up 6 point 8 percent, while the County-wide sales tax is up 1 point 3 percent for the same period a year ago.
