BY TONY FURSE | May 3, 2023

In addition to approving spending items, a report located elsewhere in this edition, Parker city leaders sold their surplus police car at a special council meeting April 25.

Of three sealed bids submitted for the 2008 Ford Crown Victoria, the council accepted the highest $1,300 bid from Taylor Chapman, Parker. The other two bids were for $1,000 and $1,067.

Craig Haley, police chief, indicated that those proceeds might be used to provide his department with an evidence storage room.

“We need to have an evidence room, or it’s a liability,” Haley explained. 

Tasked with compiling a building budget, Haley anticipates he can accomplish the project, with assistance from Cody Kiser, part-time police officer, and Dever Scott, maintenance.

Among the meeting’s 4-0 votes with Jody Bloodgood not present, the council agreed to enter into a $5,000 sidewalk grant partnership with Linn County Economic Development, which entails a maximum $2,500 match with the county, city administering, and cost sharing by private property owners.

Observed Councilman Gary Earley, “We won’t get many sidewalks at that amount.”

On another item involving possible county partnership, the city will reach out to Shaun West, Linn County public works field administrator, to get estimates about repairs to roads at City Lake prior to the city approaching Linn County commissioners.

Mayor Ashley Balthazor said that the “road at the lake is getting pretty bad.” Jason Webber, council president, said the site’s walking trail also needs attention.

About the roads, Webber noted potholes on the west side and “like rock that’s been dumped” on the east side.

“We need the appropriate equipment--that we don’t have--to take care of it.” Webber said.

Learning that the state of Kansas had paid for the roads originally, city leaders concurred to check with Don George, fisheries biologist for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, about any available grants for assistance.

Equipment needs also surfaced concerning a replacement tractor after the council agreed to list both an old city tractor and backhoe as surplus equipment and seek sealed bids for their sales.

The city will seek purchase bids for the tractor upgrade, but Webber cautioned that “it’s not going to be cheap,” noting pricing in the $36,000 range.

“If we’re going to maintain our properties (mowing at lake and sewer lagoon listed), we’ll need it,” Webber said.

On another agenda item, no public action followed a 20-minute executive session for legal attorney/client privilege, with Burton Harding, city attorney, contacted via phone.

The special meeting’s items had been on the council’s April 13 monthly agenda, but that regular meeting was cancelled when only councilmen Jerry Summers and Webber attended, one short of Parker’s required quorum.

At that April 13 meeting date, however, was information compiled by Kathy Harrison, city treasurer, showing March general fund revenue of $6,543.35 and expenses of $23,056.71, water fund revenue of $5,368.82 and expenses of $9,577.83, sewer fund revenue of $2,636.13 and expenses of $6,577.32, and street fund revenue of $7,798.90 and expenses of $275.

Neither the capital outlay fund nor the park/lake fund showed any March activity.