ELLINWOOD — The Ellinwood City council squeezed in a special meeting Monday to attend to a few time-sensitive events ahead of the community’s upcoming annual After Harvest Festival. City Administrator Chris Komarek noted that in preparation for the meeting, the agenda “just sort of grew” as he was putting it together Friday, but the items would need to be addressed before the council’s regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 8, leaving just nine days before AHF is scheduled to kick off on July 17.

“There were a couple of things that we’re wanting to be completed before AHF and then we had a couple more opportunities that just came up that couldn’t wait,’ Komarek noted in reference to the four special meeting agenda items before the council Monday afternoon.

Disc Golf course approval

Leading off Monday’s list was the final tally for the disc golf course proposed for install at Worman Field by Ellinwood Eagle Scout candidate Noah Herrman. The timeline for Herrman’s Eagle Scout project ends with the month of July, leaving a tight schedule to get the course installed prior to opening day of AHF. Herrman appeared before the council earlier in June with an overview of the project and costs, consisting of a nine-hole basket arrangement around the perimeter of Worman Field at an initial estimated cost of $6,000.

After some deliberations between proposed partners Ellinwood city, Ellinwood Recreation and Herrman following the June 10 meeting and receipt of the materials involved, Komarek told council members that the estimated cost had been reduced to $4,825. At their most recent board meeting, the Recreation Commission reduced their contribution originally matching the city’s portion to $1,000, leaving the city’s portion at $2,250 and Herrman’s contribution at $1,585. 

The city would be responsible for maintenance and storage of the basket components during the winter months.

10-39 facade improvement

Owners of the 10-39 Cafe in Ellinwood are currently awaiting county approval of their current facade improvement application in Round III of the county’s program that shares costs with the county’s communities. The maximum award amount is $20,000 in a 50/50 split, with the remainder of the costs borne by business owners.

Komarek noted that he had talked with Barton County Administrator Matt Patzner regarding 10-39’s application, in which Patzner noted that discussion of county approval would take place as an agenda item for the July 1 meeting. The improvement includes the construction of a pergola structure that would be used to expand the restaurant’s outdoor seating capacity.

Co-owner Brittany Bailey informed council members that a completion date would depend upon county approval, as construction could not commence until a letter of approval was drafted and received. “We can’t start until its approved,” she said. “The concrete may not be in. We may have to hold off on councrete until after After Harvest Festival, so that it can cure properly. 

Approval at the July 1 meeting would mean that 10-39 would have approximately two weeks until AHF begins. “It’s our hope that we can get it done,” Bailey noted. She explained that the size of the structure would add seating for approximately 30 customers. 

“This would also be good for our downtown business district,” she said. “We’d like to do something like ‘Market Mondays,’ for people with vegetables and things to sell; we’re not open on Mondays so it would be a space available for people to use. It’s also going to have electricity, so we could have bands set up there.”

Vehicle purchases

The council also approved purchases of a dump truck and a replacement chassis for the city’s rescue vehicle. Both purchases were time-sensitive and contingent upon agreements with the sellers involved. The dump truck purchase would utilize city funds not to exceed $75,000, including a 10% commission for the Purple Wave Auction service. Funds for the truck chassis, a 2015 F-350, would be taken from proceeds raised from city fire department and EMS annual Duck Race and Chili Cook off fundraisers in an amount not to exceed $19,000.