New commission more of a hybrid

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July 28, 2010 - 12:00 AM

Iola commissioners put the finishing touches Tuesday on a charter ordinance that will establish the city’s next governing body next spring.
The charter ordinance puts in place a five-member city commission beginning in April, with one member from each of four voting wards and a mayor elected at large.
Next April’s election results will determine the initial terms for the four new commissioners. The two candidates receiving the most votes would serve four years. The other two winning candidates would serve two-year terms initially, after which an election would be held for those seats offering four-year terms.
The mayor would serve a four-year term from the start.
In addition, the new commission will appoint a city treasurer every two years. Other appointed officers will serve two-year terms.
With what can be best described as a hybrid city commission, the commissioners represent wards, much like a city council. But unlike city councils, the mayor in this case will remain a voting member. In a council, a mayor votes only to break a tie.
Iola voters, in 2009, elected to disband the existing three-member commission. In a non-binding vote this April, voters recommended a five-member commission over a seven- or nine-member governing body.
And as has been noted, the incoming commissioners are free to reset the charter ordinances to reshape the governing body after they take office.
City voters have 60 days to petition the new charter ordinance. If enough registered voters sign a petition objecting to the new ordinance, a third citywide vote on city governance would take place in November.
If the charter ordinance is overturned, a nine-member city council would be seated next April.

THE CITY’S operating budget for 2011 is expected to drop.
Commissioners authorized for publication the city’s $24.965 million budget for 2011, compared to the $25.5 million authorized this year.
The budget will be supported in part by an ad valorem tax levy of about 38 mills, a shade lower than what was assessed for this year.
Commissioners will have a budget hearing at 1:15 p.m. Aug. 10 to discuss the spending plan.
The mill levy may be altered slightly once the city knows its final assessed valuation, currently projected at $32.2 million.
Thus a single mill, equivalent to a tenth of a cent, will generate about $32,000 in property taxes — $1,225,901 in all.
At 38 mills, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay about $391 annually in property taxes to the city, not counting taxes spent to support USD 257, the county or Allen County Community College.

THE CITY approved a contract with Shelton & Shelton Mill Cleanout of Newport, Tenn., to clear the machinery out of Iola’s old water plant and steam generators plant.
For their services, Shelton & Shelton will collect two-thirds of the proceeds from selling the scrap iron, aluminum, brass, copper and steel. The city gets the other third.
Commissioners agreed that since neither facility was being used — the water plant was replaced by the city’s new water treatment facility about five years ago, and the steam generators were destroyed in the 2007 flood — it would be best to clear them now.
Once the buildings are empty, they likely will be used for storage, commissioners were told.
Commissioners also included in the project the demolition of the city’s old Elm Street water tower.
Special care will be needed for the removal of the tower because of nearby power lines.
In a related matter, Scott Shreve, the city’s energy consultant, noted that losing the steam generators means Iola can no longer produce  112 percent of its peak electric demands, pegged at more than 30 megawatt hours. With its existing natural gas-fired and diesel generators, the city can produce only about 22 megawatt hours of electricity.
Through its agreement with the Kansas Power Pool, the extra capacity is produced by partner communities, Shreve said.
“For now, the city is best in this position,” Shreve said, because any cost savings by increasing its generating capacity would not be offset by cheaper wholesale electric rates charged to the city.
But that may change, Shreve said.
“It tends to be cyclical,” he said. “Right now, you’re fine where you are.”
If more generation is needed down the road, however, the city would need to consider building more generation to its electric plant, Shreve said.

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