Swimming pool back under Humboldt’s thumb

HUMBOLDT — Humboldt’s swimming pool will have local management this year.
The past couple of years the city hired an Atlanta-based group to oversee the pool’s operation.
“I’m confident we can run it cheaper,” and better, said City Administrator Cole Herder. Council members, on a 6-0 vote, agreed. Two of the eight members, Cindy Hollingsworth and Joann Evans, were absent.
“I struggled with the contract last year,” after he took the city’s reins in June, Herder said. “And the service was poor. I think we need to put the revenue back” in city coffers.
The contract had a 30-day termination clause from the end of last season, which wasn’t triggered, but Herder, and City Attorney Fred Works, said they doubted the company would put up a squawk.
Works said he even thought there was breach of the contract in 2014 because of poor service.
Herder said he will interview managerial candidates — the task might be split between two people — and later arrange for local lifeguards and other personnel.
The pool opened in 1957 and a few years ago underwent substantial renovations.

COUNCIL members also gave Herder permission to negotiate a new seven-year contract with JKS Sanitation, Erie, the company that collects trash each week throughout town. A 25-cent monthly rate increase will occur immediately, putting the charge at $9.75. Herder anticipates the contract will give JKS the right to increase rates by 3 percent every other year.
For years Humboldt crews collected trash.
Herder said that might be a tad cheaper today — if the city had not divested itself of equipment. “We couldn’t buy a new truck” and be competitive with what JKS charges, he added.

ABOUT 80,000 feet of city sewer lines will be inspected to find where groundwater flows into the system and puts an undue burden on the sewage treatment plant. Cost will be $212,000, paid for through a low-interest extension of a sewer improvement loan the city has with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The loan will be repaid with sewer revenue.
BG Consultants, Emporia, will handle the chore, expected to cost about $71,000. The remainder of the cost will be for BG to subcontract work for in-line surveys, with cameras and also a smoke process that helps identify specifically where lines are leaking.
Herder said the rule of thumb is that as much as 80 percent of line leakage occurs in about 20 percent of the system, which, if found early on, could result in quicker repairs.

LOOKING TO development of the city, council members approved three ordinances that set out standards for building permits.
One ordinance notes construction in the flood plain has to be a foot or more above its level.
Another outlines where construction requires a permit, with the only change being that repair and replacement roofs and sidings were added to the list.
The third ordinance sets charges: $15 for up to $2,000 of construction; $25 from $2,001 to $10,000; $50 from $10,001 to $50,000; $100 for anything greater than $50,001.

HERDER was given authority to contract for a new telephone system.
Humboldt’s January bill exceeded $1,600, which Herder thinks could be reduced by 25 to 50 percent with a new contract. Also, hardware in place is outdated to the point that repairs could be made only with parts found on eBay, he said.