KANOPOLIS — Members of the Kanopolis City Council kicked the proverbial can (or more appropriately chicken) down the road Nov. 12.

By consensus, the council tabled indefinitely further consideration of a proposed updated ordinance dealing with the keeping of chickens within the Kanopolis city limits until the new council members take their seats.

“Maybe those people will just want to have a vote on it,” Hopkins said.

Council president Gerry Gebhardt said the fairest way of putting the question before the voters is on the ballot next year.

Hopkins then asked who is going to be in charge of getting the signatures of 40 percent of voters who voted in the last election on a petition as required to get the question on the ballot.

“It’s not like it’s our job,” he said.

Council member Marc Stroede suggested the group that originally asked the council for a revised chicken ordinance should do it.

City clerk Debbie Kralik said she would contact the group and tell them what they need to do.

Hopkins said the council wasn’t able to get it on the ballot as they had originally would have liked.

He then suggested the yes or no question could be done by conducting a straw poll or putting it in the city’s water bills.

“I think doing something through the water bill is preferred, but one of the things to consider is every person needs to vote, not just vote per household,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins said a straw poll in the water bill would not be binding since it would not be on an official ballot.

“In the water bill, I think that’s kind of a tacky way of doing it,” said Gebhardt.“But I don’t know how else we could do it.”

“The ordinance was made for a reason — specifically health reasons,” said Kanopolis resident Ellen Russell.“It will be like our junk cars, I’m afraid. Because who is going to monitor all this? Who is going to make sure it isn’t a rooster? Who is going to make sure they keep it clean?”

Russell said she wished people would move to Kanopolis.

“But to move to Kanopolis just so you could have six chickens doesn’t make sense,” she said.“There was an ordinance that was voted on because there was a problem — that problem hasn’t changed.”

Hopkins said the proposed ordinance is fair.

“It you don’t want chickens by you, you don’t have to approve it,” he said.

In other business:

• Thaniel Monaco of BG Consultants said the water line project is effectively complete, with workers finishing clean up and seeding.

• Approval was given to pay request number five to APAC for the water line project in the amount of $127,723.13.

“This isn’t the final one,” Monaco said.

“I was very impressed,” Gebhardt said. “Those fellas worked hard, and they were considerate.”

“We couldn’t have asked for a more courteous crew,” Hopkins said.

Monaco said confirmation was received from the U.S. Department of Agricultural, Rural Development, and the Kansas Department of Commerce Community Block Grant Development program that APAC was awarded the bid to build a water well in Kanopolis.

However, Monaco said CBGD has denied the request to utilize their grant funds to build a new water tower. He said the water tower would require around $230,000 in additional funding. Monaco said Rural Development was agreeable to adding the water tower. However, since CBGD denied the request, it would require an additional $312,000 to build the water tower.

“Obviously, they (Rural Development) are interested and would approve funding the city for the additional dollars to do the water tower if you so choose,” Monaco said.

He noted the estimate for the new water tower is $670,000.

“Where you are currently allocated, you would look at probably borrowing in the range of $300,000 to $350,000 at the high end,” Monaco said.

CBGD also wants to know if the council plans on renovating the current water tower. Monaco said the updated facts and figures needed to make a decision should be in his hands by the end of next week.

“I think I’d like to know exactly what we’re looking at,” Hopkins said.

“I have no doubt the project could be funded through Rural Development,” Monaco said.

• The council approved an extension until June 1 for Bernard Shute to tear down a dilapidated structure on his property.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he said, adding 30 days isn’t enough time to tear down the structure. “Give me until the end of June and I’ll either rehab it, refurbish it, I’ll burn it down, or I’ll demolish it.”

Hopkins said he has thought about the time line involved, especially with winter approaching.

“Trying to be reasonable, it’s a bad time of year to expect anybody to rehab or tear down anything,” he said.

Hopkins said the reason for the council wanting to get the dilapidated properties in Kanopolis cleaned up is so the town can qualify for grant funds.

• The council approved additional verbage in its solid waste disposal contract with Slechta Enterprises of Ellsworth, giving the council sole discretion to accept or deny any request for a price adjustment.

• Approval was given to have Precision Electric repair two electrical receptacles at the community center at a cost of $19 each plus $65 per hour to repair.

• An extension until June 1 was approved for Kathy and Marty Sneath to clean up a dilapidated building on their property.

• Hopkins said a lot of trees in Kanopolis need trimming. He advised the city crew to use their own discretion and talk to the property owners first before trimming trees on city property such as rightof-ways directly adjacent to private property.

• Kralik was instructed to ask Barry Schultz, who at a previous meeting requested the council to vacate some of his property, if he is willing to pay any legal fees associated with the vacating.

Stroede said each request for the council to vacate property will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

• Kralik presented the city audit to the council for review.

“We’re in good shape,” she said.

No action was taken.

• An expenditure of $17,500 was approved for Hopkins to bid on a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado diesel one ton, flatbed 4X4 pickup truck with a blade and dump bed to be auctioned Nov. 19 on Purple Wave.

• Approval was given to a platinum plan from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Kansas for employee medical insurance. The plan has a $500 deductible.

• No action was taken on information presented by Kralik concerning AFLAC insurance coverage.

• Kralik said a meet and greet for the new and outgoing members of the city council will be conducted at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, before the 7 p.m. council meeting.