Burlingame City Council
Partial payment approved for water project

DeAun Michael
Branch Reporter

A citizen-filled council chamber greeted the Burlingame City Council at their regular Oct. 6 meeting. An update from LaVene Brenden of Bartlett and West Engineers Inc. on the Phase II water project and an explanation of work done at the city library from Keating Mudjacking topped the evening’s business.

Change orders for the water project were presented for council approval along with a progress report by Brenden. After discussion of hydrant placement, the need for a chlorinator and several other issues, change orders were studied and approved with the exception of the chlorinator, by a 3-2 vote, with council members Norman Bloomquist and Vikki DeMars dissenting.

It was decided the city will make payment for 60 percent of pipe work expenses at this time because the lines have not been approved through testing by Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). Testing will continue on lines until KDHE standards have been met.

The council asked Brenden to obtain prices on the chlorinator and also a study of access to water lines north of Dakota Street on Santa Fe. He is to report on how the company plans to replace lines so residents in that area continue to have access to water. Brenden said he will study both issues and report at a later date.

At the Sept. 15 council meeting, several items on a bill from Keating Mudjacking were questioned and payment was postponed until further review. In response, Keating Mudjacking owners Eric and Paul Keating attended the Oct. 6 meeting to present an outline of work they have completed and complications they encountered with the library project.

“The conditions we encountered in regards to the library project were not disclosed when I estimated the project, basically a building being built on top of a building,” Eric Keating said. “Our contract is written to cover us in such events.”

He said the conditions required additional prep work and excessively large footings to shore up the structure.

After his explanation and presentation of photographs that supported the necessity of the work, the council unanimously approved paying the bill in full. Also approved was Keating finishing mudjacking at the library as he recommended to complete the project as it should be done.

In other discussion, the council considered councilman Dustin Swander’s request to remove a restriction in the ordinance that regulates where alcoholic beverages may be sold. The restriction keeps such businesses at least 200 feet from any church, school, nursing home, library or hospital. The ordinance allows the city council to waive the restriction.

Councilman Kevin Fry argued against changing the ordinance.

“This is the way I want to leave it,” Fry said. “I don’t really have a problem downtown for instance, but who would want to see a bar near a school?”

DeMars agreed. “I don’t have a problem with the way it is, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have,” she said. “I think we should leave it alone and waive it for 110 W. Santa Fe Ave., but I don’t want to change the waiver.”

Swander indicated he was not making a formal request for a waiver at his address at 110 W. Santa Fe. At this time, he said, he wanted to bring the issue to the council for consideration to remove the restriction for the library on Santa Fe Avenue.

In other business, the council:

• approved closing Santa Fe Avenue and placement of outside speakers and a community Christmas tree for the Burlingame Country Christmas celebration.

• approved the appointment of Michelle Mullinix as city treasurer.

• requested bids for repair of the city hall roof.

• approved an ordinance establishing the Uniform Public Offense Code for Kansas Cities 2008 Edition; and approved a standard traffic ordinance for 2008.

• approved a resolution known as the National Incident Management System, which provides guidelines for handling natural and other types of disasters.

• approved an identity theft prevention policy.