The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by Michael Rodeffer - The Quill
The La Harpe City Council hired a part time police officer at their November 25th regular meeting. The council unanimously hired Austin Myers as another part time police officer. Myers is available to patrol now and has his own vest so there will be no cost to the city for schooling.
The council also approved extended hours for The Bar on New Years Eve which is on a Tuesday. Hours for The Bar will be last call at 12:30 a.m. and closing at 1:30 a.m.
Tim Graves reported the water tower painting is done except for the lettering and the legs. Graves reported the tower is full and after a couple water samples are approved, the city employees will not have to monitor the water supply 24 hours a day. When the lettering is done, the tower will only have to be drained below where the letters will be done. The legs and braces can be painted next spring without draining the tower.
Graves also reported an old water hydrant was leaking and would need to be taken out and capped. Graves also reported another leak which he reported to the engineers and Laverdiere Construction came and fixed it as part of their one year warranty work, so there was no additional cost to the city. Graves said that a customer had asked if a hydrant could be hooked up on his lot.
The lot has a condemned house on it and the customer just wanted water, but would not need sewer or garbage services. Graves said there are other lots in town with only water services. The council's consensus was that should be okay since other lots had the same type of service.
Randy Shumaker mentioned to the council to be sure and take care of any items needing finalized for the rural development loan. The loan has seen several lowerings of the interest rate and now is at 1.75% which will save the city close to $600,000.00 over the course of the loan which is 40 years.
Shumaker stated they would want to finalize all documents needed concerning the loan by the end of the year.
Clerk Lucretia McPeak told the council the mowing contract for the cemetery is up at the end of the year so they will again need to put it up for bids sometime soon.
Dave Clover reported he had received the official audit from Quincy and will be looking it over and also anyone else could look it over so it could be approved at the next meeting. Clover said Donna Wood (owner of Wood Tax and Accounting of La Harpe) had reviewed the audit for the city at a cost of $625.00.
Ron Brewer asked the council to be reimbursed for a partial years liquor license since he had sold the business. Brewer ask for $687.50 refund which is what the new owners had to pay to transfer the license to them. Council approved the refund.
The council also discussed leasing the grass at the cemetery which had been mowed and baled for several years so the city didn't have to mow it.
There had been a few inquiries made about the property. Council was going to put it on an upcoming agenda to determine how to handle this.
In other action, the council approved:
Those in attendance were: Mayor Kat Hasten-Reed, Council persons: Kelly Harkey, Randy Shumaker, Greg Wisslead, Brian Covert, Dave Clover, and Jerry Burford. Also Clerk Lucretia McPeak, Treasurer Monalisa Graves, Attorney Chris Scholz, Police Chief Larry Finch, police officer Marli Burt, Heather Bundy, Water Superintendent Tim Graves, Austin Myers, Ron Brewer, Dan Gillett, and Michael Rodeffer.
From left, Marlie Burt, Police Chief Larry Finch, Austin Myers, and La Harpe Alderman Brian Covert gather after the La Harpe Council hired Austin as part time La Harpe Police Officer.