Humboldt rejects funding for more downtown study

By

News

December 14, 2010 - 12:00 AM

HUMBOLDT — Humboldt City Council members said Monday that while they had no problems with a pair of local groups looking into enhancing the city’s downtown business district, they weren’t willing to spend an extra $960 to do so.
Council members rejected a proposal from Landworks Studio of Olathe to meet one more time with local residents about its design ideas for landscaping and other improvements around Humboldt’s city square.
The city approved in November an initial design study with Landworks for $5,800.
Landworks then met twice, the first time to receive public input, the second to narrow those ideas with Humboldt’s Downtown Action team and Humboldt PRIDE.
But a third meeting is necessary to complete the study — primarily to flush out more ideas and continue formulating final designs and cost estimates — while the contract only covered two, Landworks officials noted in a letter to the city.
“It seems like they should have known that from the start,” that a third meeting would be necessary, Council member Dan Julich said.
Council member Dr. Sean McReynolds noted that if either the Downtown Action team or PRIDE group wanted to fund the rest of the study, they would be welcome to do so.
The vote to reject the contract proposal passed 6-1, with Councilman Jerry Griffith opposed and Sam Murrow absent.
The vote did not sit well with City Administrator Larry Tucker.
“I guess I’m a little frustrated,” Tucker said. “There is a lot of community support for continuing this downtown enhancement project.”
Councilmen were unmoved, noting that many constituents they have spoken with expressed concerns about any costs associated with the project.
In addition, even having the third meeting would not put the city any closer to receiving grant funding, because the contract with Landworks did not cover grant application services.

RESIDENTS AND businesses wishing to rent meeting space in the basement of City Hall or Von Humboldt Plaza will now be charged $40  for private functions.
The new rates are slightly higher for those using the Von Humboldt Plaza, City Administrator Larry Tucker said, in order to have the rates equal for both facilities.
Community service organizations will be allowed use of the facilities free of charge, although they will have to pay a refundable deposit in case of damage to either room while it’s being used.

THE CITY WILL send stray dogs to the Allen County Animal Rescue Facility in LaHarpe.
Councilmen approved the contract, 5-2 (Julich and Wayne Carson opposed) to use ACARF instead of the city’s dog pound.
Spending $75 per dog will cost the city a few hundred dollars more a year, but as Councilman Vada Aikins noted, sending the dogs to ACARF is a more humane practice than holding them to be euthanized.
Stray cats will not be sent to the shelter because those animals are considered wild and not adoptable.
As part of the agreement, ACARF will reserve two animal pens specifically for Humboldt dogs and will keep the dogs at least three days before they are advertised for adoption, giving residents opportunities to claim escaped pets.
The shelter also will participate in at least two animal clinics per year in Humboldt and will work extensively with children to educate them on proper pet care.
“What we are doing now is not working,” Tucker said. “The problem has not gone away, primarily because a lot of pet owners don’t accept responsibility for the care of their animals. We have to have a different approach.”

Related
November 14, 2013
February 15, 2011
October 19, 2010
March 16, 2010