LORRAINE — The Lorraine City Council will have to explore grants to help pay the cost to build a lean to shed for the city tractor.

According to city clerk Michael Boyer, two bids for the work were opened at the Jan. 21 council meeting, but no action was taken.

After the amounts of the bids were known, Boyer said he wasn’t certain if the city had the funds to proceed with the project. Council member Cassy Vedder said she would check to see if there were any grants available to fund the project. Council member Peter Solie asked Boyer if state special highway funds could be used to build the shed. Boyer said he would check the state statutes which govern how those funds are spent.

In other business:

• Lorraine resident Eric Dirks said the weather has put him on hold with respect to demolishing the vacant house at the corner of Main Street and Wichita Avenue. In the process he may also have to dig out the abandoned gas line going to the home.

• Lorraine Fire Chief Joe Travnichek said someone broke into his uncle’s shed Jan. 18. He looked at the security camera footage and there were a lot of unknown vehicles in that area between midnight and 4 a.m. He urged everyone to be on the alert for criminal activity.

• Travnichek said a couple of stop signs are on order through the City of Ellsworth for Lorraine. He made the comment in connection with a discussion the council had at a previous meeting regarding the need to replace several stop signs in town.

• The city treasurer’s financial statement for 2019 was approved for publication in the city’s official newspaper, the Ellsworth County Independent-Reporter.

• Council member Josh Visocsky asked if anything had been done about the abandoned vehicle at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Main Street. Mayor Kim Travnichek said she is working issues such as that. It was noted the city has to make sure it still has a municipal judge to hear legal cases as there have been no cases in several years. Judge Marshall Christmann is the municipal judge for the City of Lorraine.

• Solie said he would like in the 2020-21 city budget to make sure all utility funds pay for themselves. He said that might require the city raising the utility rates, but at the same time that will mean a decrease in tax rates, so it will be revenue neutral.

• Larry Klug, city maintenance officer, said he saw a diesel engine generator last week on a federal surplus website for $500. However, he is concerned that if the city purchased the generator, whether the generator could be started in very cold weather. He was also concerned at how a block heater used to start the diesel generator could be operated without electricity. The city’s current generator, a gasoline model, is used at both the water well and the sewer lift station. However, it does not generate any electrical power and needs replaced. Klug, Boyer and Mayor Travnichek will continue looking for a replacement generator.

• Vedder said the Moms of Lorraine is planning a Valentines Party Feb. 9 at the city building.

The next meeting of the Lorraine City Council will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, at city hall.