GAS — The surface of the new walking trail will be laid in Fees Park here later this month.
City Supt. Steve Robb told councilmen Tuesday night that drainage work and other preparations were being done so the trail, consisting of nearly two inches of material made from recycled vehicle tires, could be completed. It will be about a quarter of a mile long and 4 feet wide.
The city won a grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to pay half the trail’s $43,088 cost. Gas is responsible for the remainder, which will be met with $11,044 in cash and $10,500 of in-kind contributions.
Robb said recent rainfall had been helpful in making drainage structures specific to need by identifying flow throughout the park.
COUNCIL members are unanimous in their support of a new hospital for Allen County.
Two, Mayor Darrell Catron and Councilwoman Iris Neuenswander, are members of the Allen County Healthcare Committee, whose members are leading the campaign to approve a quarter-cent countywide sales tax.
Council members signed a voter sheet to show their support. Catron said that listing names of supporters was important so that campaign workers could call ahead of the Nov. 2 referendum on the sales tax to “get out the vote.”
He explained that the only local tax support for a new hospital would come from the quarter-cent tax, along with up to $350,000 Iola will provide that is generated by a half-cent sales tax for capital improvements already in place. The countywide sales tax and Iola’s contribution will be for 10 years and mainly will meet debt service on a $5 million loan to fund start-up costs and provide capital for general operations.
County commissioners have said repeatedly that they would not vote for property tax support for a new hospital. To illustrate how much the new sales tax would affect consumers, if a family spent $10,000 on retail purchases over a year’s time, they would pay an additional $25, or slightly less than 7 cents a day.
Bonds totaling $25 million are expected to pay for construction and equipping of the new hospital. Hospital profits and Medicare payments for construction of a critical access hospital are expected to make bond payments.
Council members also had a brief discussion about where the hospital might be.
Catron said areas along U.S. 54, in the vicinity of The Family Physicians clinic, 1408 East St., and other parcels of land along U.S. 169 north of U.S. 54 were those mentioned most often.
Councilman Larry Robertson said he thought identification of a specific site would be important for voters to know ahead of the referendum.
