The Ellsworth Recreation Department will soon be enjoying some new equipment if a proposed grant application is successful.

At Monday’s meeting of the Ellsworth City Council, approval was given to submit a grant application to the Smoky Hills Charitable Foundation for new tables and chairs for the Rec Center meeting room as well as the purchase of an automated external defibrillator. Total cost of the equipment would be around $4,000.

In other business:

• Jon Halbgewachs with Ellsworth’s Kirkham Michael & Associates questioned the council’s consideration of a proposed agreement by one of Kirkham Michael’s competitors that was on the agenda.

“I’m not here to speak any ill will about that firm,” he said. “But what I am wanting to express is maybe concern and disappointment that at least some of the work our firm is capable of doing, but we were never consulted or given the opportunity to submit any qualifications or proposal on that work.”

Later in the meeting, the council approved a $34,000 agreement with BG Consultants to provide a preliminary engineering report on the potable water distribution system and the sanitary sewer system as well as geographic information system (GIS) mapping updates. Before the motion, Rusty Varnado, city administrator, recommended the council grant an exception to the procurement policy for this agreement.

• Approval was given to a request by the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce for the annual disbursement of $15,400. Varnado said that amount does not include another $6,000 the city provides the chamber.

“If we do get that request, it will be later in the year,” he said.

• Approval was given to a bid of $35.40 per ton plus a 35 cent surcharge per ton from APAC in Lincoln for 400 tons of chip seal rock. White’s Construction in Kanopolis will haul the rock to Ellsworth from Lincoln at $8.50 per ton. This totals $44.25 per ton with the current surcharge, however that surcharge could increase in March. The total cost is not to exceed $19,000.

• Approval was given to return a $1,000 grant to Western Coop Electric for the software project at the city cemetery. Varnado said the city didn’t receive the additional grant funds needed for the $27,000 project.