A team from National Catastrophe Restoration, Inc. will make a presentation Monday, Dec. 13, to the Ellsworth City Council on the former Veteran’s Memorial Hospital. The proposal totals $20,370, not including tax, and will cover three main areas — asbestos testing and written protocol, an engineering report, and a request for proposal.

During the Nov. 22 council meeting, Ellsworth City administrator Rusty Varnado asked whether the council had any questions beforehand for NCRI.

Council president Wayne Scritchfield said he would like NCRI to provide specifics on the planned asbestos removal.

“We need to make sure we get a cost estimate on the removal,” he said.

Mayor Mark Kennedy said he would be surprised if the research NCRI does for grants, incentives, financing or programs that may benefit the project actually pan out.

“We will take anything we can get,” he added.

In other business:

• Approval was given to spend up to $20,000 to purchase a new beacon for the Ellsworth Airport from Hali-Brite, Inc. in Brainerd, Minn. Varnado said the current beacon, which will be replaced, is thought to have been in operation at the airport before the 1960s.

• Varnado said the Ellsworth Police Department plans to list an unused moped for sale on Purple Wave. In addition, the Recreation Department has a number of unused benches it plans to sell. He noted the existing runway lights at the airport will not be used, once the new runway is constructed. A group of pilots in Halstead have inquired about purchasing the old lights. Varnado recommended the city negotiate the sale price of the lights with the group from Halstead.

The council approved the sale of these items as presented.

Melissa Miller, an associate attorney with Sherman, Hoffman and Hoffman, who was attending the meeting for city attorney Patrick Hoffman, said Hangar S, LLC., is a client of John Sherman.

She noted Hangar S is purchasing an existing hangar at the Ellsworth Airport and potentially want to negotiate some of thelease terms with the city.

A document Miller prepared for the council to approve stated that a conflict exists in the Sherman, Hoffman and Hoffman office because Sherman represents Hangar S and Sherman, Hoffman and Hoffman represents the city.

“If it gets to a point where we are in direct conflict, then both parties will probably seek alternate council,” Miller said, adding that alternate council would probably be Gilmore and Bell.

The council approved Kennedy to sign a wavier of the conflict of interest between the City of Ellsworth and Hanger S, LLC.

• Varnado said there will be some temporary street closures beginning Dec. 6 and lasting a couple of days. He said the Ellsworth Coop plans to move some contaminated dirt from the area near Colorado Street.

• Varnado responded to a question from last month regarding placing fencing around the old hospital. He said four bids have been received ranging from $3,700 to rent a fence to $40,000 to buy a fence.

“That’s pretty substantial, and a bridge we’re not near that ready to cross,” he said. “But we did follow up and tried to get some bids for that.”

• Varnado said the cost of the turn lane project at the intersection of K-140 and K-156 Highways came in a lot higher than expected.

Jon Halbgewachs of Kirkham Michael & Associates said the city only got one bid, and that was from APAC for $666,548. He said the Kansas Department of Transportation awarded up to $600,000 towards the project at a 95 percent match rate, so the city would match five percent.

Varnado said the options moving forward includes accepting the bid, which he doubts will happen. A second option would cancel the project, which he is not ready to do. A third option would reject the bid and re-let it in hopes of a lower bid next year. A fourth option would be to make some minor modifications to the project to the cost, which is what Varnado and Halbgewachs discussed before the meeting.

“It’s an important project, but we can’t spend almost $200,000 on turn lanes when we only budgeted $31,000,” Varnado said.

He will explore the fourth option, and the council concurred by consensus. After modifications are made in the project, it will be re-let next year.

The next meeting of the Ellsworth City Council will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13, at city hall.