MORAN — A change in hours for the Moran post office may affect utility bill collections. IN OTHER NEWS, council members:
City Clerk Lori Evans noted the post office would close at 2:15 p.m. instead of 4 p.m. each day in a cost-savings move.
City leaders worry the earlier closing time would affect residents’ ability to post their utility bills in time. An outside box will be emptied by a rural carrier at 4 p.m., but the understanding is that mail won’t be handled in Moran until the next morning.
Monday night council members chatted about perhaps redoing the deadline, but decided, on prompting by Mayor Phillip Merkel, to “see how it plays out.”
Council members also put on the back burner what to place under playground equipment in the city park. Last fall they discussed putting down some kind of mulch. Merkel suggested they consider small-diameter rock.
City staff will check on costs before a decision is made. Merkel allowed rock if were tried and didn’t work out soft mulch, such as that from ground rubber, could be added.
— Learned that LaHarpe Communications hasn’t made monthly payments of $60 since October under a contract for it to have Internet relay equipment atop Moran’s water storage tower. A letter will be sent to encourage payment.
— Instructed City Attorney Bret Heim to draft an agreement to outline how Moran and Allen County would share equipment. Among points will be liability insurance and who would operate loaned equipment.
— Approved a request from Joshua Maley, 316 N. Linn St., to remove about 30 feet of sidewalk, which had deteriorated to little more than patches of concrete. It will be replaced with grass.
— Chief of Police Shane Smith reported he had trapped 18 possums and several raccoons on request from residents concerned about wild creatures roaming neighborhoods. The animals were relocated to rural areas. Smith also said he would participate in the Kansas Department of Transportation’s periodic seatbelt awareness and enforcement campaign Feb. 23 to March 6. He was given permission to attend three days of training at Emporia in April at cost of $60.
Hours at Moran post office reduced
