WILSON — The Saturday hours of operation at the Wilson city limb pile are changing for the summer now through Labor Day as requested by limb pile attendent Larry Soukup.
At the July 3 meeting of the Wilson City Council, approval was given to changing the limb pile hours from the current noon-4 p.m. on Saturdays to 8 a.m.-noon. Wednesday hours of operation will not change.
In other business:
• Melinda Merrill of the Wilson Tourism Hub said they have brought in artist Pavel Novotny who is going to be working on several art projects in Wilson. These possibly include a mural on private property, as well as a limestone sculpture to be done by the upcoming Czech Festival. He also plans to give a presentation on his art during the Czech Festival.
“I think we’re really lucky to have him,” Merrill said.
• Wilson resident Clay Rupp asked the council if something could be done in regards to the large excess of water reported on his water bill. Rupp asked if he could be billed only for his normal use since there were no leaks or excess water used to his knowledge.
Council President DanTaylor said the council will wait and see what the next reading is on Rupp’s bill then take a look at it.
Taylor noted, however, the council  couldn’t make any promises.
• David Criswell, developer of Mountains on the Prairie and Kansas Mountain Goats, said after asking a question of Taylor at the June 5 council meeting, he was referred to the paragraph printed at the bottom of the meeting agenda regarding the public forum. Criswell said he asked if that paragraph was new.
“It was a simple question that only needed a simple, honest answer,” he said.
Criswell said it appeared to him that the paragraph had been first included on the May 15 agenda.
He asked City Clerk Susan Kriley if that was correct and she said she didn’t know, but she did know the practice of the mayor and city council is normally not to get into a back-and-forth communication during the public forum.
Criswell then noted Piper said the paragraph had been at the bottom of the agenda of every council meeting she has attended.
Criswell said when Kriley and city employee Ann Piper gave answers to his questions, they were only doing what the city council wanted them to do.
“This is just another example of how this council regularly shows contempt for the public by implying things that are intended to keep the public separated from the truth,” he said.
Later on in the meeting, Kriley said when Piper attended the council meetings, she did so on her own as a private citizen and not as a city employee.
• Approval was given to a bid by Robinson Printing for 1,000 brochures at a cost of 60 cents apiece. Payment for the brochures will be taken from the city’s transient guess tax fund.
• Approval was given to a $409,422 bid from Kansas Dirt for the sewer lagoon project, contingent upon approval by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. That payment is in addition to the alternate expenses of $15,900 and $14,308.
• After a presentation by Ellsworth City Administrator Dustin Stambaugh, approval was given for Wilson to join in a collaboration with Ellsworth County, the City of Ellsworth and the City of Holyrood to apply for the Safe Streets and Roads grant program.
• Approval was given to a $55,256.68 bid from Uhl Construction for work on the garage on the building next to city hall.
• Approval was given for the Wilson Fire Department to purchase a battery-powered Jaws of Life at a cost of $2,241. That amount is Wilson’s share of a 90/10 matching grant which was submitted June 30. The funds will be taken out of the city’s fire equipment replacement fund.
The next meeting of the Wilson City Council will be at 6 p.m. Monday, July 17, at city hall.