ELLIS — Ellis City Council members met in special session Tuesday to review the preliminary engineering report by Wilson and Co. for required improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment facility.

Council members questioned the need for a separate building to house the office area and wanted to know if the space could be added to the existing building to lower construction costs. Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman will direct the question to Wilson and Co.

It was also decided to explore a low-interest Kansas Department of Health and Environment loan and a sewer rate increase for customers to fund the mandatory improvements.

The complete Oct. 14 meeting minutes follow.

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ELLIS CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING Minutes October 14, 2014

CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Lyle Johnston called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Present were Council members Ron Johnson, Gary Luea, Dave McDaniel, Jolene Niernberger, Terry Redetzke, and John Walz. Also present were City Clerk Amy Burton and Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AMENDMENTS TO THE AGENDA
None
PUBLIC PRESENT
Dena Patee
PURPOSE OF SPECIAL MEETING
Mayor Lyle Johnston stated the purpose of the special meeting is to discuss the purchase of a community sign, and to review and discuss the preliminary engineering report prepared by Wilson and Company on required wastewater treatment facility improvements.
a) Discuss Purchase of Community Sign – Ellis Chamber of Commerce
Dena Patee was present to discuss the purchase of the LED community sign. Ms. Patee stated she inadvertently omitted sales tax in her original calculation of needed funds to purchase the sign, and is requesting the City either consider purchasing the sign for the Chamber to avoid paying sales tax or donating to the Chamber the amount needed. The amount of sales tax due would be $1,143.71. If the City purchased the sign, the Chamber would immediately reimburse the City for the price of the sign. Ms. Patee has visited with the Boards of the Chrysler Museum and the Community Foundation and neither entity is able to purchase the sign tax-exempt. The Chamber has raised almost $14,500 to cover the cost of the sign, installation and electricity to light the sign for approximately 8 months. If the City is unable to purchase the sign, the Chamber will need to organize another fundraiser to raise money to pay the sales tax, possibly by selling bricks to be placed around the sign. City Clerk Amy Burton will contact Galen Pfeifer, City Auditor, to discuss selling the sign to the Chamber after purchase, as the City has no interest in owning the sign. The Chamber will also need to obtain an easement to place the sign south of the Railroad Museum. This item will be revisited at the next regular meeting to give Ms. Burton an opportunity to contact Mr. Pfeifer.
b) Review and Discuss Preliminary Engineering Report on Wastewater Treatment Facility
The Governing Body reviewed the Preliminary Engineering Report prepared by Wilson and Company on required improvements to the City’s wastewater treatment facility. Council questioned why a separate building was needed to house the office area – could the needed space be added onto the existing building to save on construction costs. The need for a SCADA system was also discussed and it was the consensus of Council that this computer based system is needed and will help the facility run more efficiently and effectively. Several of the itemized cost lines were questioned as being extremely inflated; however, the costs are simply estimates and allow room for budgeting. Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman will contact Brian Spano with Wilson and Company to inquire about the necessity of the separate office building and the cost estimate on the existing blower removal and demolition. It was the consensus of Council to explore a low-interest KDHE loan and a sewer rate increase to fund the required improvements to the facility. Council member Ron Johnson suggested in the future Council put engineering services out for bid to ensure the City is being prudent when considering such large projects.
ADJOURNMENT
Council member Terry Redetzke moved and Council member Ron Johnson seconded a motion to adjourn. The motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:59 p.m.

In the latest edition of Community Connection, Eagle’s Mike Cooper visits with Shelby Schumacher and Molly Johnson on their awards at the National Baton Twirling Championship and Competition in South Bend, Ind.

Check out the entire interview HERE.

Hays Medical Center was recently recognized with two Excellence through Insight awards for patient experience by HealthStream Inc., according to a news release issued Thursday.

One award recognized the  Cardiac Progressive Care Unit in the hospital and the other honored Dr. Michelle Pope in the Pediatric Clinic.

HaysMed was awarded this honor for their commitment to excellence in patient care. To qualify for an award, a hospital must have been a patient satisfaction-tracking client of HealthStream in 2013, scored in the 75th percentile or higher, and surveyed a minimum of 100 patients. HaysMed was chosen for receiving the highest ratings in CPCU and Pediatric patient experience from among HealthStream’s 1,000 plus clients, as well as for exceeding industry standards.

“We applaud HaysMed’s high-level commitment to excellence in healthcare, and are pleased to recognize their achievement through our presentation of an Excellence through Insight award,” HealthStream CEO Robert A. Frist Jr. said.

HealthStream is the research firm HaysMed contracts with to conduct the government required Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems surveys on patient experience. The CAHPS survey is the first national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients’ perspectives of hospital and clinic care.

One more day! The Eagle Radio Auction will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

The auction is now LIVE on KAYS 1400-AM and The Bull 101.9-FM.

Get a jump on holiday shopping by bidding on thousands of items available for purchase.

To view a list of the items for sale, go to www.eagleradioauction.com. To place a bid, call (785) 625-2578 or (800) 569-0144.

The Eagle Radio Auction … where saving money is just a phone call away!

Incumbent GOP Rep. Tim Huelskamp and Democratic challenger Jim Sherow squared off in a debate in Salina recently as the battle for the Big First District seat in the U.S. House nears fruition.

Check out the video from the Oct. 10 event below, courtesy the staff of the Clay Center Dispatch.