KANOPOLIS — The City of Kanopolis took another step forward toward a new fire station March 8, after the Kanopolis City Council approved Resolution 2022-R-03, which authorizes the borrowing of funds from the Kanopolis Firefighters Relief Association.

Mayor Anthony Hopkins said the treasurer of the Kanopolis Fire Department must be bonded, and Debbie Kralik, city clerk, said they must also sign the loan warrant.

In other business: • Dustin Neuman, fire chief, asked whether the fire department could have its annual barbecue for the firefighters on April 30, if the Community Center was available. The council approved Neuman’s request.

• Kendra Ploutz, representing the Kanopolis Civics Club, asked the council about grants. She said the Civics Club would like to apply for a grant to update the landscaping at the Kanopolis Public Library. The proposal is to fill in areas with concrete and then add several benches and planters. The Civics Club will ask for the grant for the cement, benches and planters. The council said the city would pay for the flowers and soil.

• Thaniel Monaco of BG Consultants sent the city an e-mail on the water project saying he received a preliminary quote of $9,000 fully installed from the manufacturer for the Variable Frequency Drive installation on Water Well No. 8. The work would include two technicians here for two full days. They will perform all start up and needed coordination while on site.

• Logan Smith of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment was at city hall March 1 to discuss how to work with partners in the area to improve the nitrate levels in Water Well No. 7. Logan sent a flyer for a cover crop meeting on March 25 and asked Kralik to distribute it to the outlying farmers and ranchers to attend.

• Approval was given to a $40,919 quote from Alliance Insurance for general insurance for the city. After Kralik said Lucas Barta of Copeland Insurance said he could only provide workman’s compensation insurance and will get the city a quote, Hopkins suggested approving the general insurance and then conducting a special meeting to approve workman’s compensation insurance at a later date.

• Approval was given for Kralik to renew the System Awards Management system to accept grants.

• Approval was given to accept the updated emergency water supply plan.

• Council member Greg Tripp said he talked to Circle C Paving about street resurfacing. He asked Kralik to give the city maintenance crew a copy of the city map and have them mark the streets needed to be resurfaced. Greg will then get the map to Circle C Paving to develop a bid. Once the bid is received by the council, a decision will be made on which streets to resurface.

• Council member Tom Wilkinson asked about water usage. He was told that the new meter at Water Well No. 8 had been misread. Everything has been corrected.

• Kralik said she received an email from Tim Bannwarth of Summer, Spencer and Company regarding the cost of the city audit. The cost has risen from $8,000 to $13,500. The council asked Kralik to check with surrounding cities to see who they use and to get quotes.

• Kralik said she received payment from the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation for the delinquent bill discussed at the February council meeting.

The next meeting of the Kanopolis City Council is at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, at city hall.