May 7, 2025
The Jetmore City Council met in regular session on May 7th, 2025. Mayor Bill Goebel called the meeting to order and led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was answered by Councilmen Cole Buffo, Jeff Channell, Charles Leet, & Mike Thornburg. Also attending were City Administrator Michael Ort, Attorney Clayton Kerbs, Sailor Ann Seiler, Samantha Parish, Lou Ann Abbott, Tim Gibbs & Brad Ochs. City Clerk Casey Dansel arrived at 7:40 p.m.
Councilman Channell made a motion to approve the consent agenda containing the April minutes & Appropriation Ordinance #2025-04. Councilman Buffo seconded the motion; vote unanimous.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:
Council met with Sailor Ann Seiler and Economic Development board chairman Samantha Parish to discuss the current opening for the director position.
BUSINESS ITEMS:
Council discussed the testing process for the tornado sirens. Councilman Thornburg made a motion to have the sirens tested once a month. Motion failed for lack of a second.
Mayor Goebel proclaimed May 26th Poppy Day in Jetmore. Lou Ann Abbott, with the American Legion Auxiliary, was on hand to receive the proclamation.
Councilman Channell made a motion to approve Ordinance 689 stating that council meetings will be held on the first Thursday of the month at 7pm during the months of April-September and the first Wednesday during the months of October-March. Councilman Buffo seconded the motion; vote unanimous.
Mayor Bill Goebel made the following annual appointments:
City Clerk- Casey Dansel
City Attorney- Clayton Kerbs
City Treasurer- Brenda Ringle
City Judge- Kenton Gleason
Councilman Channell made a motion to approve these appointments. Councilman Buffo seconded the motion; vote unanimous.
Councilman Channell made a motion to designate Farmers State Bank of Jetmore as the Official Depository for the City of Jetmore. Councilman Buffo seconded the motion; vote unanimous.
Mr. Ort presented a plan to address the Roughton Street project where the street is being damaged by the quick shop. The plan is to replace a 10’ by 200’ strip of the street with concrete. The work will be done by our staff and will cost approximately $10,000. Councilman Channell made a motion to approve the project. Councilman Thornburg seconded the motion; vote unanimous.
American Legion members Tim Gibbs & Brad Ochs met with council regarding the purchase of new American flags for Main Street. In the past the city has split the cost with the legion and they asked if we would be willing to do so again. Councilman Channell made a motion to split the cost of the flags with the legion. Councilman Buffo seconded the motion; vote unanimous.
CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT:
*City Administrator Michael Ort presented his travel/training/meeting schedule for the month.
*Mr. Ort presented the list of staff birthdays and anniversaries for the month.
*Pole Project-Mr. Ort informed the council that he had been contacted during the month prior by KDOT personnel asking if the city could move three poles at 221 Road before June 1 as the dirt contractor is scheduled to be to that point by sometime in mid to late June and these three poles are in the construction area of the expansion project. Mr. Ort is working with our engineers, staff and KMEA/Mid-States to get that project completed prior to June 1.
*Highway 156/Dr. Snodgrass-Mr. Ort let the council know that he had been approached by Councilman Leet asking about the process of naming a highway in honor of an individual. In this case, highway 156 in honor of Dr. Snodgrass given his tireless efforts to get the safety improvements we are just now realizing. Administrator Ort informed the council that he has initiated that process with the aid of our state representative and state senator, who have pledged to work with their colleagues in the next session to achieve that renaming. Mr. Ort will keep the council apprised as the process is carried out.
*After Prom Donation-Mr. Ort told the council about having been approached during the month by Mindy Cure asking the city for a donation to the After Prom party. Mr. Ort made the decision then to donate $300 on behalf of the city.
*Airport Project-Mr. Ort notified the council that through conversations with our engineers and KDOT-Aviation the airport project has recently evolved somewhat to separate the project into its component parts of exploratory work and scope determination and construction as the two are eligible for different levels of funding. Since then the application has been changed and the city was subsequently approved for $800,000 of funding to fully determine the scope of repairs and reconstruction necessary, which will then be applied for in the coming years. Because of the limit of $1.2 million in each funding year for reconstruction, it is currently thought that reconstruction will be done over a three-year period.
*Well 15 Project-Mr. Ort let the council and mayor know that since the last conversation about the well project, project engineer, Doug Goetz, raised a concern with the lake well idea being advocated for by Ned Marks, thinking that it would not qualify for the funding for which Jetmore was approved. William Carr at KDHE confirmed that this was the case and that the city lake would be outside the scope of the current funding. Because of this the team has regrouped and the current plan is to have new test wells drilled approximately 100 feet from the current test wells, but only at the intermediate level.
Councilman Channell made a motion to adjourn. Councilman Buffo seconded the motion; vote unanimous. Meeting adjourned at 8:34 p.m.