The water watch in Ellsworth will remain in place for the next two weeks, then be reevaluated at the July 10 meeting of the Ellsworth City Council.

That was the compromise made by the council Monday after several council members, including Mayor Dan Finnegan, voiced concerns about keeping the voluntary watch in place.

Council member Tyler Renard urged the council to end the watch. Others supported an end to the watch until it is mandated by the state.

City Administrator Dustin Stambaugh recommended continuing with the water watch and restricted use of the city splash pad.

“While we are not able to have mandatory restrictions, we are in no way out of this water watch or drought conditions,” he said. “The United States Geological Survey calls our waters levels ‘provisional.’” In a related matter, the council approved opening the splash pad seven days a week unless the wind climbs to over 20 miles per hour, in which case the splash pad will be closed. Signage will also be installed to inform the public.

While the council first moved to keep the splash pad open three days a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — two council members, Darcy Hansen and Jessica Kootz, advocated for keeping the splash pad open on the weekends.

When asked for his thoughts, City Water/Sewer Superintendent Joe Travnichek said he would either close the splash pad or keep it open all week long.

The council also allowed city recreation department personnel to continue watering the grass at the soccer field.

In other business:

• The council spent 30 minutes in a budget workshop session. Department heads presented their wish lists and capital improvement projects for the 2024 budget. These projects ranged from switching the police department from KPERS (Kansas Public Employees Retirement System) to KP&F, increasing salaries for seasonal workers at the rec department and a club house refresh at the city golf course, to structural repairs and electrical and audio updates at city hall.

“This is all stuff we think we need to do,” Stambaugh said.

• Ellsworth resident Karen Shriner asked the city to improve the street near her home on Ceder Crest Drive.

She also raised concerns about access from her home to the highway during construction of the multi-use path project, which will start July 17 and take two months to complete. During that time, the south end of town will be reduced to one-way with two sets of stoplights mitigating traffic.

Jon Halbgewachs of Kirkham Michael told Shriner the traffic light would be north of her location. He assured Shriner she would be able to access both K-14 Highway and the cemetery road.

• Halbgewachs updated the council on the city projects Kirkham Michael is involved it. In addition to the multi-use path projects and others, Halbgewachs said the shoulder pavement has been removed for the K-156/K-140 turning lane project and earthwork started.

• Approval was given to adopt the proposed ordinance establishing procedures and requirements for street closures within the City of Ellsworth.

• Approval was given to adopt the proposed ordinance amendment to update Chapter 12.32 of the City Code of the City of Ellsworth pertaining to the use and occupancy of the public right-of-way within the city.

• Approval was given to award the bid for property mitigation services to Kip Russell based on the submission received and in accordance with the evaluation process.

• A 20-year lease with the Ellsworth County Fair Association was approved for what is commonly known as Lease Area 3 in the City of Ellsworth. Specifically, it involves the grass area and shed near the Ellsworth Recreation Center. Officially, it is a portion of the northwest quarter of Section 29-158. Approval was also given to a clause for the maintenance building on the property for 2023.

After Kootz raised concerns about access to the area for the upcoming fair and rodeo, given the construction projects previously mentioned, it was noted those projects could be possibly be delayed a week or two until both activities were completed so as not to pose a traffic impediment for those attending the fair or rodeo. KDOT will be contacted.

• Approval was given to the cost-sharing agreement for the sidewalk replacement project as presented between Security 1st Title Company and the City of Ellsworth.

• Approval was given for the city to participate in the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, which aims to enhance road safety, improve transportation infrastructure, encourage collaboration and promote sustainable transportation options.

• In his administrator’s update, in addition to water flow and the water watch as well as the multi-use path project, Stambaugh said he found out from Karlton Place of the Kansas Department of Transportation that Ellsworth does have a geology report for the Krizek Park project. He forwarded that report from Place to Brian Foster, an engineer with BG Consultants, along with the hydrology reports from Josh Beckman of Kirkham Michael.

“I am awaiting feedback from Brian on what else he needs or what other steps are involved in the process of getting his assessment,” Stambaugh said.

Once that feedback is received, Stambaugh will schedule another meeting of the Krizek Park Advisory Board.

• Finnegan voiced his support for developing a solution for the homeless problem in Ellsworth County.

“The population that we want to really target are people from Ellsworth County. They’re not traveling through here, that’s already been dealt with, we have county resources to deal with that,” Finnegan said. “They are not people who are addicted to drugs or have massive other issues; we don’t have the capacity to deal with that. These are people that are displaced Ellsworth County folks.”

Potentially working with the Ellsworth County Ministerial Alliance, Finnegan hopes to find a respectable place in the county where a mother and her two children, for example, can stay for a few months to get back on their feet and back into the community.

“I came away from that meeting feeling really good,” Finnegan said.

He noted this effort will not begin this year, but it is something the city might want to look at in 2024.

The next meeting of the Ellsworth City Council is at 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 10, at city hall.