February 22, 2009
Living In The Middle Of No Where (Updated)
By Peggy Schlichter
Update – Looks like the Pops and I are headed home on Sunday. Dorothy is doing a lot better. The side effects of the medicine have abated to the point that she is getting back to her normal self again. She has gotten enough of her strength back to get on with the regular business of running the ranch. The calving is going smoothly with few complications. It has turned cold again for the next couple of days but the snow looks like it is going to miss this area. I should be back in time to get the agenda posted for the Monday council meeting. Not much else new here. See you tomorrow.
________________________________________________________
No kidding. It is 20 minutes of bounce your guts out prarie path to the road then 15 miles to the nearest town Brewster, population 22. No post office, no grocery store just a hunting store. From the road going north 35 miles is the nearest town with amenities.
After being here a week, to busy then to tired to listen to the news and not missing it, it seems like living in a different century.
The cows are getting ready to calf, the feeder calves are getting ready to go to the sale barn on tuesday and chores on a good day thake three hours with three people. Four hours with just dad and I.
Dorothy has been laid up with a fungal infection in the blood she picked up from hay mold. Then she had a reaction to the first medicine they put her on. Now she is on different medicine but still weak and sore from the enlarged lymph nodes all up her arm. The doctors say that it will take 3 to 6 months to get the infection cleared up. She has to go back to the doctor March 2 in Denver for her next checkup. Dad and I will be staying until she is well enough to take care of things on her own. Getting the calves off to the sale barn next week will cut down on the chores some but the 90 head of cows are ready to start calving any time now. Seems like we are just trading one chore for another.
It has been a lot of years and I had blissfully forgotten how hard ranch life can be.
Here is a picture of the deer we see almost daily around here. The snow in gone now but they still graze through the pasture.
This is what is about to start happening around here.
The caption of this picture is “Einspahr Ranch Homesteaded 1905”.
February 13, 2009
Ya Gotta Love Maxine!!
By Peggy Schlichter
Without driving my blood pressure up through the roof writing about the so called stimulus bill being forced down our throats at least she makes a poignant point without all the cuss words I am unable to edit out of what I started.
It is so wrong on so many levels that it makes my ears bleed just reading it.
It has no chance of stimulating the economy in any meaningful way let alone anytime soon.
It is pure spending, bigger government, giant step forward into socialism and worst of all there is no hope for it to stem any of the problems the nation faces.
Thank You Maxine…..you made my day!!!!
February 10, 2009
February Council Meeting
By Peggy Schlichter
The mayor was not present. Mr. Sherman sat in her place.
Sewer Audit Report
The Sewer Audit Report reflected no discrepancies in the portion of the fund that is controlled by the city. There was a discrepancy noted under the Utility Board portion. The discrepancy was a overage which requires a budget amendment to correct.
N. Division Street
The final pay estimate was approved. The retainage payment was approved less 2 times the repair bill for 315 N. Division Street where the waste water pipe had shifted because of settling around the water line underneath it. The problem was resolved and the resident has presented the bill to the city. The supplemental contract has been signed for the remaining work to be completed this spring.
Library Board
Mr. Tom Foy requested council approval for the use of the Town Hall for the temporary location of the city library while the new city building is under construction. The council approved the request.
Depot Project
Payments were approved for the contractor and architect fees.
Resolution for Annual Appropriation Bonds
The resolution was approved re-certifying the annual appropriation bonds approved for projects last year.
NOTE: Annual Appropriation Bonds require re-certification each year approving the payment source. During this re-certification they may change between TIF and tax levy. The council did not make any changes under this resolution.
Proposed 09/10 Budget
A public hearing is set for March 9th during the next regular council meeting.
Congregate Meals Donation
The council approved the annual $400. contribution to the Tri-Center Association.
Guthrie County Emergency Management Contribution
The council approved the annual contribution of $2000.
Police Department
Former Adair County Sherriff Randy Marchant will provide part-time patrol service to the city police force when full time officers are not available for duty due to vacations, sickness or other absenses.
Robert informed the council that they needed to consider changing the speed limit to 35 on Front Street before construction begins on the new high school. Mr. Sherman informed him that the county is responsible for the speed limit there.
City Hall, Library, Police Building
The initial pricing assessment for the new city building presented by the architects was over budget by about $500k. The design was based on the committee recommendations. The architects produced two other designs that modified the look and construction materials to reduce the cost. The council discussed several of the design options to revise the design in hopes of bringing it into budget.
The result of the discussion is that the committee will meet with the architects on Wednesday and go over the council’s recommendations for changes to the design.
The council recommended that wood construction be used instead of steel. That the number of windows be reduced. That they preferred a sloped roof over a flat roof priced for both steel and shingle as options. Brick on all sides or three sides.
The committee meets Wednesday at 3 pm.
The council informed the architects that as soon as they are ready with a new cost estimate they would hold a special meeting to review the project to speed it along.
All areas discussed were exterior embellisment or construction related. The basic building size remains at 10,200 square feet with a 4,800 sf library.
Interior design is complete and anyone wishing to see the layout may view a copy at city hall.
_________________________________________________________
It’s late, I’m tired so I will cover old/new business sometime tomorrow night.
February 6, 2009
Agenda, February City Council Meeting
Here is the agenda for the Monday night city council meeting.
February 2, 2009
Budget Workshop Info
By Peggy Schlichter
All council members were present.
In a little over an hour the council reviewed the draft budget for the next fiscal year. Across the board the budget works out to about a 3.5% to 4% increase in spending to support city services.
By Monday night’s regular council meeting the draft Utility Budget will be incorporated into the draft City Budget and the council will see an updated draft.
The public meeting for the budget will be scheduled for the March regular council meeting. The proposed budget will be published at the time of the public hearing announcement. The council will approve the budget after the public hearing.
The proposed property tax levy for the 09/10 budget is $18.46 per thousand under the draft budget. This is an increase of $1.54 from the current budget year. The increase is on target with the numbers discussed throughout the year as they voted to fund the various city projects.
Keep in mind that this increase is for the city budget only and does not include any of the county’s budget numbers.
The Voices of Stuart 