WILSON — A new face is coming to Wilson City Hall.

At Monday’s meeting of the Wilson City Council, a recommendation by City Clerk Susan Kriley to hire Anne Piper to fill the part-time summer office job opening was approved. Piper will start immediately at a salary of $10 per hour and work through September when she will be replaced by Cathy Smith.

In other business:

• Wilson businessman David Criswell, developer of Mountains on the Prairie and Kansas Mountain Goats, asked Mayor Mike Peschka about what due diligence he had done on the issue involving goats.

“What facts did you gather and share with members of the city council and the public,” Criswell asked. “What research did you do? Where are examples of your due diligence? I’m talking about research, fact-finding and separating fact from fiction.”

Criswell noted he asked Peschka that same question at the Feb. 21 council meeting, and Peschka responded that in January 2020, the council, which Criswell as on at that time, set new guidelines that said two goats were allowed per address, and that Criswell voted in favor of that.

Criswell also said Peschka noted at the Feb. 21 meeting that the majority of people who came in front of the council to speak on the issue, as well as those who spoke to Peschka individually, were against goats on Main Street and basically against goats. Peschka said that is what based his decision on, so he did do his due diligence.

Criswell said his vote on the animal guidelines had nothing to do with Peschka’s due diligence.

“For you to conflate my vote with your due diligence is just another example of our deceit,” Criswell said. “This is you muddying the waters by trying to shift blame to me.”

Criswell asked Peschka if he believed the standard for due diligence and fact-finding should be lower for the Wilson mayor and city council than for the school board.

Peschka, who attended the meeting remotely via Zoom, acknowledged the points Criswell stated regarding the council’s January 2020 guidelines on two goats per address and that Criswell did vote in favor of those guidelines. Peschka also said information Criswell has presented in public on the matter has been distributed to the council for their review.

• Approval was given to pay $1,250 to correct the survey of land for the new city burn pile.

• Approval was given to spend $24,000 to purchase a new chopper pump for the city’s sewer lagoon station using American Rescue Program Act funds. Taking into consideration the funds already earmarked by the council to purchase a new telemetry system, that leaves $16,000 in ARPA funds available for use.

• Kriley said she talked to the contractor repairing damage to the building at 2506/2508 Ave. E, and was told Sheetrock had been installed. Work still to be completed includes mudding, painting and installing trim. Peschka said there is a group interested in purchasing the building.

City Superintendent Joe Soukup said nothing has changed with the city whistle, which is still not working. He said an electrician needs to be hired to look at it.

Council member Jeremy Hlad said since the whistle is not an emergency whistle, he would be in favor of not doing any further maintenance on it.

Council President Dan Taylor said the council should let the matter ride for now and wait until the telemetry is installed to have an electrician look at it.

• Approval was given to purchase 5,000 utility billing cards at a total cost of $530.

• Approval was given to pay the $75 registration fee for Kriley to attend the annual budget workshop May 8 in Hays.

• Approval was given to a $9,329.29 bid from Reliant Roofing in Ellsworth to replace the roof on the lean-to attached to the Wilson Fire Department.

The next meeting of the Wilson City Council will be at 6 p.m. Monday, April 17, at city hall.