LAHARPE — Mayor Mae Crowell said she has fielded several phone calls from concerned citizens about the fate of City Hall.
A February article in the Register noting the LaHarpe City Council is looking into whether it would be cheaper to renovate the old city hall building on Main Street rather than continuing to use the old LaHarpe Elementary School facility sparked the flurry of calls, Crowell said.
All were against moving back to Main Street, she said, citing distress of losing the city library, museum and an ideal spot for such things as funeral dinners and other community events at the existing location.
Councilman David Lee has encouraged the city to look at returning to its former environs because of the high cost of utilities, as much as $25,000 annually.
Crowell said those numbers are inflated because the $25,000 bill included LaHarpe’s lift stations.
In any sense, Crowell suggested — and Council members agreed — to reach out in the form of a community survey to find out whether LaHarpe residents want to stay.
“It’s their tax dollars,” Crowell said.
COUNCIL members expressed gratitude for the work put in by Westar crews following Monday evening’s storms that toppled an electric substation two miles south of town.
The substation feeds power to LaHarpe.
Crews finished a temporary fix Tuesday night, restoring power almost exactly 24 hours after the storm hit.
“I want to thank them for all they did,” Crowell said. “It could have taken a whole lot longer.”
Council members also lauded volunteers with the LaHarpe Rural Fire Department, who worked late Monday night to clear downed trees and limbs from along Minnesota Road and other thoroughfares.
COUNCIL members voted to apply for a $25,000 grant from the Community Health Foundation of Greater Kansas City.
If successful, the grant would pay for exercise equipment, a new security system and one year’s salary for a program coordinator to convert City Hall into a wellness center.
