HUMBOLDT — Sometimes a bargain is too good to pass up.
Humboldt councilmen didn’t last night. They voted unanimously — Sean McReynolds and Sam Murrow were absent — to rebuild seven blocks of streets that tie the town’s main street into the county highway running east from town.
And they’re getting it all done for what they figured it would cost to redo two blocks of 13th Street, if it were all on Humboldt’s nickel.
City Administrator Larry Tucker explained that the Kansas Department of Transportation, after turning down a 90-10 financing arrangement, had found enough federal stimulus cash to offer the project on an 80-20 split. Altogether, cost will be a touch under $360,000, with Humboldt picking up $72,000.
The rebuild will be to East Bridge Street, two blocks of 13th north to Central and a block of Central across the old Santa Fe tracks to connect to the county road that carries traffic via a hard-surfaced route to a junction five miles east of town where it splits to go on to LaHarpe or Elsmore.
Mayor Bob Sharp got support from Councilman Dan Julich when he mentioned that for $72,000, “We couldn’t do just the two blocks of 13th Street,” which lacks curbing and carries heavily laden grain trucks bound for Beachner Grain east of the tracks.
Tucker said about $30,000 was available in the city’s street repair fund, and if gasoline distribution didn’t swell the fund enough to meet the city’s obligation by the time the work was done next summer, “We can borrow from the city (natural) gas fund,” which contains about $300,000 today.
COUNCILMEN approved a contract for $5,800 with Landworks Studio, Olathe, to develop plans to upgrade and beautify the downtown area.
Landworks worked recently with Iola in its Vision Iola process to lay out how its downtown and approaches to the city could be made more appealing to visitors and potential businesses and residents.
Carisa McMullen, a principal of the company, said Landworks would meet with members of the Humboldt PRIDE Committee and Downtown Action Team to design improvements mainly to the downtown area, but also with some peripheral planning to include nearby neighborhoods. The Olathe company also will help Humboldt find and secure grant money to accomplish the projects.
“We’ll come up with three unique concepts for Humboldt and then you can pick the one you like,” McMullen said. “We’ll look at safety, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance, landscaping, lighting and decorative elements.
“Our goal will be to come up with a plan you all can rally around,” she said.
An outcome will be for the PRIDE Committee to embrace the decorative elements, “to make Humboldt prettier and more appealing,” while an action team will decide structures and infrastructure, said Vada Aikins, a council member.
“If we improve the downtown area, maybe we can get more businesses,” Aikins said.
Money for the Landworks study will come from the Community Development Fund, which contains $100,000 and has been in place about 20 years, Tucker said. The fund originally came from grant money to aid businesses.The last loan was to B&W Trailer Hitches 10 years ago.
“That was paid back years ago and the fund has been growing from interest,” he said.
COUNCILMEN approved change orders totaling more than $15,000 related to the water line improvement project.
A fire water line costing $2,059 will be extended under North Ninth Street to serve Moon’s Hometown Market; up to $4,800 will be spent to fill two holes uncovered in front of the senior citizens center downtown; $8,525 will be spent to lay electrical conduit under new sidewalk between Sixth and Ninth streets along the north side of Bridge Street.
Councilmen approved expenditure of $2,050 for two cameras, related equipment and a panic alarm for the new city hall which will be occupied full time starting Nov. 5.
They also approved payment of $12,088 for concrete work by Dog House Concrete, LaHarpe, along the north side of Central Street in front of the elementary school. The improvements will channel water away from parking areas and making loading and unloading of children safer, particularly during frigid weather. With completion of the concrete work, a new course of asphalt soon will be added to Central.
OPPORTUNITIES were extended for two residents to improve what were categorized as nuisance properties.
Jack Hale will be given another 90 days to continue to clean up his property at 918 Mulberry. Chief of Police Dan Onnen said Hale had made much progress.
Steve Weilert was given 30 days to remove a fence on a residential property at 1104 S. 10th St. Councilmen were told Weilert had repaired a building on the property to the city’s satisfaction.
Tucker said a youth conversation Nov. 2 would give ideas of Humboldt residents 16 to 28 about efforts of the Rebuilding the Public Square group. The session likely will be at the high school, he said, and will be restricted to participants in the advertised age group.
