Hopkins’ new alderman takes the oath

Bryson Allen was sworn in as the new alderman at the September 11 Hopkins City Council meeting.

The board was reorganized with Alderman Allan Thompson named as president.

City Clerk Theodore Phipps updated the council on the city audit. He has sent all minutes and treasurer’s books for 2022-23 to the auditor. The city had to pay Becker Accounting LLC $5,000 up front for the audit. The aldermen requested a monthly update from Phipps.

Phipps asked and received permission to post the city’s financial records and minutes on the city website.

Two Hopkins residents had qualified for help with their utilities from Community Services. The program ran out of money and the city was asked to do a payment plan on their past due water, sewer and trash bill. Discussion was held on adding 10 percent of the past due bill to the current bill and cutting late fees as long as the customers’ payments are made by the due date.

Phipps will rework the “leak” contract to apply to past due bills and the aldermen will take up the issue at the October meeting.

Chief Operator Chris Bird wants to put in a concrete pad in front of the salt shed. He also needs concrete around a light pole and the rural water pit to protect it. He requested to use concrete and pipes to build a barrier around the pit to keep semi-trucks away from it. The salt shed pad had previously been approved for concrete. The cost of concrete for the additional items was approved.

The insurance adjuster for the April 4 hail storm finally arrived to assess the damage. Bird discovered there was no insurance on the buildings at the ball field. He priced adding insurance to some of the buildings at a cost of $2,440 per year. He was instructed to find out what it would cost to cover all the buildings, the fence and the scoreboard at the ball field.

North Nodaway School District has insurance to cover the students at the park connected to school activities. The Community Club and Community Betterment carry liability insurance, Thompson said. Bird wants the city to pick up the electric bill for the ball field and then lease the facility to NN and to the ball association. Thompson said he wanted the council to wait until after the audit.

Thompson also reported the NN high school current contractor was going to repair where the concrete was broken in the alley with asphalt, west of the high school building.

Bird was approved to get prices for rock to be used at the lagoon where the dirt is washing around concrete areas.

Discussion was held on the addendum approval of the Nodaway County Enhanced Enterprise Zone (EEZ) qualified facilities. The addendum was approved. The EEZ was originally approved by the council in July 2012.

A non-reported meeting was called August 30 to approve the 2023 budget as presented at the March 6 meeting. It was approved.

Funds were transferred to the payroll account in the amount of $3,000 from the water-sewer, general and street fund accounts.

With an interest party’s request for public documents, Phipps asked to charge a fee due to the “amount of labor, resources and time it takes to distribute information to the public in accordance with the guidelines of the Sunshine Law.” A motion was made and passed “to charge the maximum amount allowed for gathering and distribution of requests in accordance with the Sunshine Law.”