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Osawatomie council approves business‑rehab grant, blight declaration and other resolutions
Summary
The council approved Resolution 13‑46 (6th Street business rehab), 13‑47 (blight declaration for 507 Main Street), 13‑48 (water‑leak adjustment policy amendment), 13‑49 (suspension of revenue sharing with Victory Chevrolet pending cure), and 13‑50 (authorize rebuild of storm pump). Vote outcomes were recorded as motions carried.
The Osawatomie City Council on Feb. 12 approved a package of resolutions addressing downtown business assistance, a property blight designation, utility billing policy, a contract enforcement notice and a wastewater pump repair.
Resolution 13‑46 authorized a 6th Street business rehabilitation program that will reimburse 50% of qualifying materials (not labor) up to $5,000 per business for façade and related improvements. Staff said the program grew out of budget deliberations and aims to help merchants recover after prior street work; the council approved the resolution on a roll‑call vote.
Resolution 13‑47 declared 507 Main Street to be blighted for the purposes of eligibility for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) commercial rehabilitation award. Staff said the owner plans substantial rehabilitation and has engaged an architect and will schedule required asbestos testing as part of the CDBG program; council approved the declaration.
Resolution 13‑48 amended the water‑leak adjustment policy to permit sewer‑rate adjustments for customers whose documented water leaks span December and January (the months used to set sewer rates). Staff explained the change would prevent unusually high winter water consumption from inflating customers’ subsequent sewer bills. The council approved the amendment on a recorded vote.
Resolution 13‑49 directs the city manager and city attorney to send a notice to Victory Chevrolet that staff believes the dealership is in breach of its economic‑development agreement for failure to meet the agreed development milestones. The resolution gives the dealership an opportunity to cure by the end of March; if it does not, the city will suspend revenue sharing. Staff told the council the agreement had produced several prior quarterly revenue‑sharing payments but that the developer had not submitted required plans and had not started the planned expansion by the end of 2025.
Resolution 13‑50 authorized rebuilding storm pump No. 5 at the south lift station. Staff reported the pump — one of two 100‑horsepower storm pumps that carry approximately 80% of the city's excess wastewater flow — had failed and that an 80% rebuild with an expected one‑year warranty was the recommended option. The motion presented to council stated a rebuild cost of $40,401; an audible readback later in the meeting contained a different numeric transcription, which staff should confirm in the procurement record. The council approved the rebuild.
All of the listed resolutions were approved at the Feb. 12 meeting; recorded votes were summarized in the meeting transcript as the council answering 'aye' on roll calls and the mayor announcing 'motion carries.'
