Witt starts tenure as city mayor in first commission meeting of the new year

Ed Boice, Abilene Reflector-Chronicle, Kan.
·2 min read

Jan. 10—In the first regular city meeting of the year Trevor Witt took the middle seat among the Abilene City Commission to begin his service as city mayor yesterday. John Kollhoff is now city vice-mayor. The commission considered two agenda items.

In the consent agenda, the commissioners approved the appointments of several people to city committees. The appointments are Andrew Pankratz and Barry Arp to the Heritage Commission; Bill Marshall and Rod Boyd to the Planning Commission; Audrey Corbet and Andrea Taylor to the Sister City Board; Kimmy Phillips, Mukul Ghosh Hajra, Elizabeth Weese and Sarah Anderson to the Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Hayley Whitehair, Steven Flynn and Drew Snitker to the Tree Board. Mary Jean Eisenhower was added during the meeting for the Sister City Board.

Moving to old and new business, the commission approved the bid from JCI Industries to rebuild one of four influent pumps at the weastewater treatment plant. The cost will not exceed $38,700.

Next, the commission approved in a 4-1 vote an ordinance to change how prices in the city's fee schedule can be amended. The proposed ordinance will allow the city to change any of the fees for city services (excluding water and sewer rates) by resolution instead of ordinance. Forty two of the fees needed to be amended with an ordinance. As a by-product, the city will not have to submit public notices for publications or spend money on legal fees. Ron Marsh, city manager, said city staff will present their recommended fee schedule changes at the next meeting.

"Staff is recommending to streamline this process through the attached fee schedule ordinance," Marsh said. "The governing body still has complete control of whether to increase or decrease fees and any changes are discussed in public at least twice before a vote is taken."

Kollhoff was the only commissioner to vote no.

"I think it's fine to leave those (fees) as is," Kollhoff said during commission discussion "I think we are talking about negligible differences here."

Brandon Rein, city commissioner, said he supported the ordinance because the process to change the fees will generally stay the same.

"The only difference is it's going to save money for the city by not having to have the city attorney prepare the ordinances and then the public fees in the newspaper," Rein said.

Marsh then gave a city manager's report. Two new employees began since the city's last meeting, Kellie Olson as administrative assistant and Eli Ruggiero with Public Works. Marsh then commended the Public Works Department's work in snow and ice removal during the holidays.

The Abilene City Commission will next meet Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m.