WILSON — The Wilson City Council welcomed a new council member at the Jan. 3 meeting at city hall.

Jeremy Hlad, along with incumbent council member Darcy Hubka-Vopat, were sworn-in by City Clerk Susan Kriley.

Hlad succeeds council member Chuck Crawford, who did not run for re-election in November.

In other business:

• Dan Taylor, who served as council president for 2022, was reelected council president for 2023.

• Mayor Mike Peschka said the city will pursue building a new burn pile on city-owned property southwest of Wilson. A new location is needed because the county has plans this year to reconstruct the river bridge near the site of the current burn pile.

“We’re out of options, and we own that property,” Peschka said.

Peschka previously met with Kirkham Michael & Associates Engineer Josh Beckman, Ellsworth County Commissioner Greg Bender, County Road and Bridge Superintendent Dale Houston, Wilson City Superintendent Joe Soukup and Wilson City Maintenance employee Jake Rowden at Wilson’s current burn pile.

The purpose of the meeting was to determine whether the current location of the burn pile could still be utilized.

The group considered moving the burn pile to the south edge of that property.

Peschka said he also talked with a representative from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment about the matter and she said a location 200 feet from the road would be acceptable.

The re-located burn pile would be located just 90 feet from the road under this scenario. Peschka said this would be unacceptable to KDHE.

• During an update on city board of health violations, Peschka said the board of health will visit the property at 2115 Ave. C to determine if the violations cited have been taken care of. He also noted the owner of the grain elevator previously was given an extension until Jan. 3 to take care of the cited violations on that property. The board of health will visit the property and a determination will be made at the Tuesday, Jan. 17, council meeting.

• No action was taken after two executive sessions lasting a total of 10 minutes to discuss nonelected personnel (Wilson police chief position).

• Approval was given to the $693 purchase of an extension for the radio in the Wilson Police Department patrol car from First Wireless Inc. in Great Bend.

• Wilson Police Officer Jonathan Lawrence presented a $4,680.06 bid from Motorola Solutions to replace two portable radios that are now obsolete. No action was taken. Lawrence will look into grant-funding to purchase the radios.

• It was noted the pump at the city’s sewer lift station broke down and will be rebuilt by American Pump at a cost of $95 per hour plus parts.

The next meeting of the Wilson City Council will be Tuesday, Jan. 17, due to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday Jan. 16, at 6 p.m. at city hall.