By ANNE JACKSON | May 10, 2023

The May 8th, 2023 City Council meeting for Prescott opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Council member John Maloney was unable to attend.

Karen Springer gave the food pantry report. The demand for the service of the pantry continues to grow larger; Springer remains grateful for all the help she gets, both for volunteer hours and donations of food. Curt and Dusty Laderer donated another 20 dozen eggs to the pantry this past month and three other families brought in 520 pounds of food. This is in addition to food acquired from the Kansas Food Bank and the Harvesters program. Planning ahead, Springer called Harvester’s food supply to ask if food would be available on the first Tuesday of July, due to the Fourth of July holiday. Springer learned the answer was, “No, of course not on the 4th of July, but not the 11th of July either.” The problem there is that Prescott’s contract with them is for the first Tuesday of the month, not the second Tuesdsay, also, the Stillwell food pantry is serving more needy people, but receiving less and less food to distribute. Due to the first Tuesday in August will be voting day, the best that can be hoped for is, “We’ll see what the situation is in late July.”

City Attorney Burton Harding was next with Old Business. He reported he had held the first court hearing; two of the three people who were requested to appear showed. Those two people were given fines, but the fines were abated if the clean-up is finished before the next court date, which will be May 30. Harding asked if he could be granted a seven minute executive session to discuss what to do about the person who did not show up at court. A motion was made and passed.

Mayor Kevin Wood reconvened the open council meeting. A motion was made and seconded that the City of Prescott hire a part time policeman. This passed unanimously.

The council continued with short discussion about Memorial Day celebrations. No one has been chosen to lead a service. A couple of names were mentioned, but no further action was taken.

Roads were next to be disscussed. The company that worked on the roads last year is willing to some back and make the corrections the city wanted and to do any further new work the city may want to have done. They will be ready to start the work of “chip and seal.” Council member Fritz Norbury said they would be contacting him this week to come look at the streets and about the repairs.

In new business, Mayor Wood is requested to attend the Linn County Commission meeting on May 22 to hear about trash. Wood said he’d already made known that Prescott wants to keep the trash compactor. A suggestion was made it might be related to the county landfill property being closed for renovations for a couple weeks later this year.

Clerk Kathy Wood said she, Todd Mead and Nick Ingram would have a virtual meeting with Schulte Water Supply on Friday. They will be talking about getting the new water meters installed in June. 

For Coal Center Day, a local band from Pleasanton has been hired.

For the City Superintendent, Kathy Wood reported trash and brush from the citywide cleanup is still being picked up. Also, the transformers ordered in October finally came in.

City Clerk Wood said she called the Christmas candy people in Butler. They have not set a deadline yet, though it is usually in June. Next month, she will start sending out information on budget meetings.

Mayor Wood gave his report that he had not yet stocked any new fish into the lake. He still has $600 designated from last year and he expects to receive a card any time alerting him that now is time to re-order.