The Wamego City Commission reviewed the recent election results at Tuesday’s meeting. City Manager Merl Page said the special question on the ballot regarding the Contractor Licensing Ordinance received a favorable vote. He questioned what procedurally needed to be done next. After contacting the City Attorney, the existing ordinance needs to be changed to read verbatim as it was written on the ballot, with no need to pass a special ordinance.
Also, Commissioner Tom Beem was elected to a 4-year term on the City Commission.
In other business:
Claudia McAllister and Jamie Balderson were appointed to the Library Board for a term that expires in August of 2019.
A new resolution was passed to amend the Personnel Policy changing the meal reimbursement from $15 per meal to $15 per day. Page said that was an oversight from the beginning.
Page reported the Bandstand renovation is complete and ready for use by the Kansas Sampler Festival on May 2nd and 3rd.
Also, Page reported the recent auction of surplus items netted the City $11,500 and everything is gone.
And the commission heard annual reports from public entities. Page introduced the Planning Commission Chair, Cliff Meyer, who reported 2014 as a mild year. He reported that in early 2014, the Planning Commission initiated the concept of a City of Wamego Sidewalk Master Plan. The draft version of the Sidewalk Master Plan was reviewed in March of 2014, and the Public Forum Open House was held in March of 2015. Monday evening, the City Commission and the Planning Commission held a joint work session to review the public comments from the Open House that related to the draft for the Sidewalk Master Plan. According to Page, adoption will happen shortly.
The Zoning Appeals Board Chair, Woody Surs was not in attendance, but submitted a summary of the 2014 decisions. Page said it was a busy year for Zoning Appeals, with four (4) Special Use Permits and eleven (11) Zoning Variances.
Library Board President Eric Benson reported good year for the Library. He highlighted the 2015 Summer Reading Program as ‘Super Hero’s, focusing on all the day-to day heroes (i.e., Police Officers, Superheroes, Firefighters, Military, Sports Heroes, and The Hero in Me). The annual report showed a total of 707 participated in the 2014 summer reading program. Library Director Peter Vopata reported there were 47,551 visits to the Wamego Library in 2014, with over 73,000 items checked out. Vopata sees an increase in everything the Library offers in 2015.
