KANOPOLIS — The City of Kanopolis will have a new city councilman in November.

At the Oct. 13 meeting of the Kanopolis City Council, Mayor Anthony Hopkins asked Tom Wilkinson to fill the seat recently vacated by Matt Munoz. Wilkinson, who was in attendance at the meeting, accepted the position. He will be sworn in at the Nov. 10 council meeting.

In other business:

• Thaniel Monaco of BG Consultants could not attend, so he sent an e-mail with updates on the city water project.

Monaco’s e-mail said APAC is responsible for all the repairs to the new well house after the water tower emptied into it. APAC will be replacing some receptacles, as well as the dehumidifier that also was damaged. Both APAC and the well house manufacturer are looking at installing additional restraint systems on the piping to stop similar blowouts. Wilkinson suggested using flange fittings instead of compression fittings. Hopkins asked city employee Mike Bunch to call Monaco.

One major delay is the phase monitor that needs replaced. It has been ordered, but it will be a couple of weeks before APAC receives it.

APAC is also responsible for getting the gas line piping from the well house to the meter. That part of the project also will be delayed because it requires the phase monitor.

• Pay request No. 4 in the amount of $72,979.53 was to be approved for the water project. However, Hopkins asked why the access road was on the pay request. Hopkins said he wants to talk to city attorney Patrick Hoffman, APAC and BG Consultants first, and then conduct a special meeting to approve the pay request.

• The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is requesting well sampling, which the city cannot provide until the well house is repaired. Bunch was asked to talk to Marsha Fleming at KDHE and ask her to send a document indicating the city is unable to complete that request at this time and that KDHE understands.

• It will be several weeks before the surveyors can get here to survey the site of the new water tower. Monaco plans to have proposals for geochemical services for the ready for the approval at the site ready by the next council meeting.

• Kanopolis Police Chief Jeff Weigel said he has court on Monday for abatements. He asked whether the city has funds to continue with the abatements, because Judge Peggy Svaty wanted to know before court. In some cases, the city employees can do the abatements and some will have to be contracted. Weigel will add 220 N. Colorado to his list.

• Hopkins said KDHE representatives have talked to citizens regarding drinking water protection and received approval to test their private water wells.

• It was noted the original Ordinance 2020-O-07 had the wrong amounts listed. The council approved an updated Ordinance 2020-O-08.

• Vincent and Julie Martin asked about the lease on the old city hall for his business, specifically the insurance requirement. Hopkins suggested they talk to city attorney Hoffman. The city has insurance on the structure so it is not required.

• It was noted the City of Kanopolis received $13,100 in SPARK funding from the state. Debbie Kralik, city clerk, called Wilson Communications and received a $15,877.78 quote for 10 I-Pads. Prices from Sam’s Club and Amazon were less. Hopkins and Kralik will order them next week as well as a 65-inch television and personal protection equipment.

• Kralik contacted KA-COMM and received a $739.90 quote to install an automatic timer so the siren at the fire station will be operated daily at noon. The KA-COMM bid was approved.

• Bunch said there are no mowers available for purchase until spring. Hopkins said he would like to have a monetary amount for budgeting purposes. Bunch said they should be about $10,000 each, plus trade-ins.

• Hopkins said Kansas Department of Transportation cost share program allows that if the city will pay 15 percent of the cost, KDOT will cost share for the curbs and guttering from Ohio to Iowa and the sidewalks on Missouri Street. Fifteen percent is the minimum cost, but it looks better if the city can provide a higher percentage. Engineering quotes, letters of support and re-applying to Smoky Hill Charitable and Dane G. Hansen Foundations could also help with the costs. A preliminary cost assessment from Kirkham Michael and Associates in Ellsworth is about $125,000.

• It was noted there were no problems with the audit report other than the treasurer’s report does not match the financial statement. Kralik will provide a copy of the report to city treasurer Stacey Gustin to match.

• Hopkins was approached about putting a microwave at the community center. Kralik had prices of several different sizes. A motion to purchase the 1.8 cubic foot microwave at Sam’s Club for $258 was approved.