LORRAINE — Street repairs dominated discussion at the April 21 remote meeting of the Lorraine City Council.

Michael Boyer, city clerk, said Wayne Scritchfield of Kirkham Michael and Associates of Ellsworth looked at the condition of the streets in town and found they were beyond repair by using chip and seal.

Scritchfield also researched several grant programs, including those offered by the Kansas Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant program, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Transportation. However, he hasn’t found any grants yet for which the city would qualify. He said part of that qualification depends on the results of the 2020 Census and Lorraine’s LMI (Low-to-moderate income) index number.

Scritchfield noted Lorraine would probably qualify for grant funds once the new numbers are in if the city matched Census estimates.

In other business:

• During a discussion of the proposal to construct a shed for the city tractor, Larry Klug, city maintenance supervisor, said he asked the manager of the Central Prairie Coop elevator in Lorraine whether the city tractor could be stored in a shed there. Klug was told his request had to be approved first by the Central Prairie Coop office in Sterling.

Klug said with the social distancing and stay-at-home order still in place, he will keep the tractor at the city sewer lift station. Klug noted an agreement for storage can be revisited with Central Prairie Coop.

• The annual update of the city’s water emergency plan was approved, as was the city’s annual water conservation plan. Boyer said the emergency plan was updated with the names of the new mayor and city council members and the water conservation plan was updated with the most recent figures.

Council member Peter Solie asked if Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s prohibition on utility shut-offs was still in effect due to the COVID-19 crisis. Theresa Staudinger, city attorney, said yes, the prohibition remains in place until May 3. Solie suggested a letter be sent to all water, sewer and trash customers in Lorraine advising them of the May 3 expiration date. Boyer will send the letter with the utility bills.