WILSON — The City of Wilson will not request an increase in the revenue neutral rate for 2025.

At Monday’s meeting of the Wilson City Council, the 2025 budget summary was approved and the public hearing on the budget was set for 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, at city hall.

Council Member Jessica Loveland said Wilson’s proposed RNR for 2025 is 68.427, which does not exceed the set RNR of 70.325 as calculated by the Ellsworth County Clerk.

In other business:

• After getting an update from officials on the city’s sewer lagoon project from officials with Wilson and Company, Kansas Dirt, Inc. and Kruger Backhoe, it was suggested the council wait until the Aug. 5 council meeting to consider an extension of the project to Oct. 15.

• Approval was given to the following increases in the city’s service fee schedule: The price of a plot at the Wilson City Cemetery for a resident in the 67490 zip code is $100. For a non 67490 resident it is $200. Grave openings and closings will increase from $350 to $425 and for those done after 3:30 p.m. it is $475. The cost of opening and closing a cremation grave is $225. The cost of the cemetery permit for setting grave stones has increased from $10 to $75. The late fee for the dog and cat tags (spayed and neutered, non-neutered unspayed) has increased to $10 after May 1. The cost of a water deposit changed from $60 to $75 and is non-refundable. The late fee for payments made after the 10th day of the month go from $3 to 10 percent. The cost of a water connect/disconnect done Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m., goes from $10 to $50. The cost of a water reconnect for non-payment done Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m., is $75. After 3:30 p.m. or on the weekend it is $100. Fireworks permits increase from $25 to $50. The board of health mowing charge for residents will be assessed by each mow plus labor and/or contract fees at a minimum of $150.

• Approval was given to raise the city’s Waterman rate to $5 per 1,000 gallons or 50 cents per 100 gallons.

• City Clerk Susan Kriley reported the city received a $90,491.54 grant from the Kansas Water Office to pay 90 percent of the balance of the city’s water loan.

• During the public forum, Dan Erdman asked if the engineering report had come in yet from the inspection of his building at 2411 Ave. E. (the old Somer Hardware building).

“Yes,” replied Mayor Dan Taylor.

Erdman asked what he had to do to get a copy.

Taylor said he should file a Freedom of Information request form with the city clerk.

Erdman then asked about the claim on the garage at the old Otasco building, which was demolished by the city.

“What claim are you talking about,” Taylor asked.

Erdman said his garage got destroyed and he put in a claim.

“How does it belong to you,” Taylor asked.

Erdman said he had a bill of sale, a quitclaim deed and a contract.

“That is between you and whoever, but that has nothing to do with us,” Taylor said.

Erdman asked if the city ever settled with the other owner of the property.

“That’s really none of your business,” Taylor said.

“Well, it’s my garage, so I believe it is,” Erdman said.

“I don’t believe so,” Taylor said. “I guess you’ll have to take that to court to decide. It sounds to me like that’s between you and the owner.”

When Erdman inquired about a building in Wilson he thought was hazardous, Taylor suggested he present a plan for improvement to the council for what is to be done with the second floor of his building at 2411 Ave. E.

“The second floor is, basically, completely falling down any moment now,” Taylor said.

“Sure,” Erdman said, asking if Taylor would put him on the agenda because three minutes isn’t enough time to discuss the matter.

“You will never be on the agenda,” Taylor told Erdman.

• Also during the public forum, Kristofer Ritchie inquired about a decision by the council on his property at 408 24th St., which is on the board of health violations list.

Taylor said it would be brought up during the board of health update.

At that time, Ritchie said the fence permit was approved, so, depending upon the weather, schedules, etc., he will be working on putting up the fence. He said the title for the trailer is still not in hand at this point and there has been a delay in picking up the orange mower that was on the violations list.

“Other than that, everything else has been completed,” Ritchie said.

Council President Jeff Keith asked Ritchie how long the removal of the mower will be delayed and when will the camper trailer will be legally tagged. Keith also said he hasn’t seen any flags or anything to indicate erection of the fence has begun.

“We’ll, I haven’t seen you clean up your property either, Jeff,” Ritchie said.

“My property is not the one that has been cited, so I am asking you to stay on task,” Keith said.

“If you want to nitpick, I’m going to nitpick,” Ritchie said.

“OK,” Keith said. Keith then immediately made a motion to pass a resolution on 408 24th St. The council approved the motion.

Taylor told Ritchie the resolution means the city can have the items in violation removed at any time now.

Ritchie said a truck and a car get 10 days to be removed after the council passes a resolution.

“So, you pass your resolution, I should be granted 10 days,” Ritchie said.

“There is no additional days,” Taylor said.

“You were already given a two-week extension on top of this, and you failed to adhere to that extension, so we passed a resolution to move forward with the property,” Keith said.

Taylor said Ritchie has been given more than an ample amount of time to take care of the violations.

“You know the rules probably better than anybody in the city, both for junk vehicle cars and also for property,” Taylor said. “In fact, you have a car right now that has been in violation of our junk car ordinance for at least 30 days now in town.”

“So you know about that, but at the last meeting you didn’t know about anything that had been done on the property,” Ritchie said.

“My point is, you know the rules, you know about our ordinances, but you choose to thumb your nose at those things,” Taylor said.

• Approval was given to remove 2322 Ave. E from the board of health violations list as all violations have been successfully completed.

A resolution was approved for 120 23rd St. as it is still out of compliance.

Approval was given to remove 607 29th St. from the board of health violations list after all violations were successfully completed.

The owner of the property at 2204-2208 Ave. D has requested a public hearing at 5:50 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5, at city hall. Kriley noted the board of health did not cite the owner for not having home address numbers.

The owner of the property at 2209 Ave. F has requested a public hearing at 5:40 p.m. Aug. 5, at city hall.

• During an update on inoperable vehicles, the council approved a motion to remove 711 28th St. from the violations list as all three vehicles which were cited have been removed.

Taylor said of the 83 inoperable vehicles that have been cited, 73 have been removed and eight have been brought into compliance.

• Approval was given to pay Chism Trash Service $700 additional for dumpster dumping during the city-wide cleanup.

• Approval was given to a maximum $500 expenditure for a new motor start-up switch from Mike’s Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning.

• Approval was given to purchase U-joints for Wilson Fire Department Truck No. 556 from Neal Steinle Repair for $527.65.

• Approval was given to purchase a 1988 M923 fire truck located in Manhattan at a total cost of $19,800. That price includes a 2,000 gallon water tank and travel costs and fuel to pick it up.

The next meeting of the Wilson City Council will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5, at city hall.