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Oakley council approves routine financial items, donations and a capped purchase; discontinues unused hardship water rate
Summary
At its Jan. 5 meeting the Oakley City Council approved minutes, payments and payroll; authorized bank and ACH signers; approved several nonprofit donations; authorized a purchase of crushed concrete capped at $5,000; discontinued a rarely used water hardship rate; and approved a salary increase after executive session.
The Oakley City Council met Jan. 5, 2026, and approved a package of routine financial and administrative actions, including donations and a capped procurement.
The council approved the minutes for the Dec. 15, 2025 meeting, an accounts‑payable register dated Jan. 2, 2026, for $37,249.20, and a time‑entry payroll for 12/07–12/20/2025 covering the 12/26/2025 payroll of $68,819.03. Each of those motions was recorded as unanimous.
Council authorized named municipal staff as ACH signers and asked the mayor to execute the ODFI originator agreement and supplemental agreements with Farmer State Bank to permit electronic payroll and vendor payments. The council also designated authorized signers for petty cash, the SuperNow checking (accounts payable) account, the drug forfeiture account, a safe deposit box, and the employee flexible spending account; paperwork for signatures was completed after the meeting.
The council approved a one‑time donation package drawn from the general fund: $8,000 to the Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center, $5,000 to Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, and $4,000 to the Oakley Housing Authority for the Westview Recreation Center. Council members noted the nonprofits coordinate with police and use donations for upkeep and programming.
Sanitation staff described an opportunity to obtain crushed concrete and processing material. The council approved purchasing up to 500 tons of crushed concrete with a total cost not to exceed $5,000 to be paid from the sanitation reserve fund.
After discussion, the council voted to discontinue offering the water utility hardship rate program, citing extremely low utilization and the privacy burden of income verification. The city also voted to continue using a prosecutor's charitable‑trust policy for diversion‑related scholarships, recognizing that diversions are infrequent.
Following a 10‑minute executive session with designated council members, the council voted to increase the salary of an employee hired in April 2018 effective with the next payroll.
Most motions were recorded as passed unanimously; the meeting minutes and video should be consulted for roll‑call votes or any further detail.