MORAN — Moran will open lots about town to recreational vehicles, but council members aren’t sure yet what requirements will be. CARL MYERS and Mark Chesney asked council members to consider joining the Kansas Power Pool, a consortium that purchases power for its members, often, they said, at lower cost. OTHERWISE, council members learned that a new fence being erected around the ball diamond in the city park was about 75 percent completed. The ball association is paying for the upgrade.
Monday night council members hashed over how to accommodate pipeline construction workers who may want to park their homes away from home in Moran. Moran has no mobile home parks, but a handful of residents have indicated an interest in renting spaces for RVs.
But, before that may occur, an enabling ordinance, with general information as to lot size, permit fee and utility hook-ups, should be drafted, said Mayor Phil Merkel. City Attorney Bret Heim, with assistance from City Clerk Lori Evans, will develop an ordinance. It will spell out the difference between a short visit, such as that by a relative, and one of longer duration by workers in the area for several months.
No citizens were at the meeting to encourage an ordinance opening the way for RVs on vacant lots, but several have expressed interest, Merkel said.
“It’s up to us to decide requirements,” he added.
A proposal to consolidate Moran and Marmaton and Osage townships volunteer fire departments drew consideration.
Heim said he didn’t think administration or personnel would be a problem, but that finances might be.
“The city wouldn’t take financial responsibility if a rural truck breaks down,” Merkel said, which led Heim to say the consolidation might be a “glorified mutual aid agreement.”
Moran is in Marmaton Township and Osage is directly to the north and includes Mildred. The three entities contain a little over 100 square miles.
Moran purchases power from Westar today.
Area cities in the pool are Iola, Burlington, Chanute and Erie.
Myers said the group was able to purchase power at lower cost because it could tap into sources where generation came from several fuels, such as natural, coal, wind and hydro. That gives pool members advantage of moving from one to another generator as fuel costs fluctuate. The pool also owns 7 percent of a generating plant near Kansas City, Mo.
The pool is a not-for-profit group, with decisions made by board members who represent each city involved, he added.
Myers said pool costs currently were running 5.8 to 6.8 cents per kilowatt. Evans said Moran’s blended cost over the last nine months with Westar was 7.6 cents.
Councilman Jim Mueller noted resale of electricity was a primary source of income for Moran.
They also scheduled the city employee holiday dinner for Nov. 4, with Nov. 20 as a back-up date. Consideration of salary increases was tabled until later.
Evans was asked to look into cost of permitting residents to have utility payments withdrawn from their bank accounts. A handful have asked for the privilege.
Police Chief Shane Smith said Moran would participate in the national Drug Take Back Day Oct. 26. Then, residents may discard expired or unused prescription drugs.
“That’s much better than flushing them down the toilet or putting them in the trash,” Smith said, noting that drugs sometimes are retrieved from trash containers and abused.
Council members authorized Smith to purchase four new tires for the police cruiser, at a cost of about $480.
RVs to be allowed in city
