Skidmore looks to hire code enforcer

At the February 8 Skidmore City Council meeting, discussion was held on the need to hire a code enforcer.

Mayor Teresa Carter said having a code enforcer would make Skidmore more attractive when the city applies for grants. The enforcer duties would include: knowing Skidmore city ordinances, looking for violations, issuing tickets and going to court. Carter believes the position would not take more than two to three hours a month.

The issue was tabled until the Thursday, March 14 city council meeting, as the aldermen want to do more research on the situation, including a pay rate.

The city approved ordering 10 water meters at $319.45 each from US Blue Book.

Skidmore resident Lou White approached the council on waiving her sewer fee after she had a leak. She said no water had gone down the sewer. The fee was $37.65 of which $35 was the minimum charged with the water use charge of $2.65. Alderman Kim Fetterer said White would still be responsible for the minimum charge. White said the sewer usage fee of $2.65 wasn’t worth fussing about.

Fetterer is working on getting trees planted at the north end of the Hillcrest Cemetery. She is looking at holly bushes and evergreens. She wants more established plants which will cost more than seedlings. She is hoping for donations. Resident Kenny Shewey asked about the road on the north side of the cemetery and to be sure not to block it with trees.

The city approved renting two fuel tanks from MFA. The city will need to run electricity to the site. The two tanks will cost Skidmore $200 a month plus the fuel. Two petro cards will also be available for city use.

The aldermen approved applying for grant money to do a five-year strategic plan for Skidmore. They are working through the Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments.

In the maintenance report submitted by Mike Reasoner, he said SimCo is supposed to start in late February on the creek sewer pipe replacement. He also said there will be at least three loads of sludge which will need to be removed once the ground is dry enough to get to the sewer plant with the equipment.

Reasoner gave a street report. There are seven miles of streets in town. To just gravel two miles, he has estimated it will cost the city $27,104 in gravel plus approximately $5,000 in hauling fees. The township gives the city 10 loads of gravel each year. It was decided to wait.

A discussion was held with Dennis James of the Nodaway-Holt Ball Association about the leasing of the Wildcat Park ballfield for the youth league. Three age levels are planned: player pitch, coach pitch and t-ball. The season ends in the middle of June. Parents will run the concession stand. There will be an inventory on the concession stand.

The scoreboard isn’t working and James is working to repair it. He is to give Reasoner the game schedules so the field can be mowed before the games. The bleachers need to be leveled.

The city has tightened up security and will sign out keys to the concession stand. The outhouses have to be removed. Plans were made to dig a hole and burn the outhouses.

Nodaway Valley Baseball will start practice on Friday, March 22. A new building owned by Nodaway-Holt has been left at the park. Reasoner said Nodaway Valley was planning to practice football on the field but the council hadn’t heard about it. The alderman wondered if the city needs to develop a contract with the high school.

It was approved to purchase a motor and parts at a cost up to $1,500 to repair the trickle wheel at the sewer plant.

McClure Engineering Co., North Kansas City, gave its report on the sewer plant project progress through January.