St. John Town Council approves $1.8 million in payments, OKs neighborhood repaving and July 2 Heartland Park event

The St. John Town Council approved accounts payable of $1,805,206.85 and a slate of purchase requests at its June 10, 2026 meeting, including a $98,647 contract to use on-site Milestone Contractors to repave 95th Avenue near Welches.

Clerk-treasurer Beth Hernandez summarized nine purchase requests totaling $178,496.54 and walked the council through items ranging from new stop signs and a leaf-vac clutch repair to a transducer installation for wells eight and nine. "You have Peerless Midwest and this is a transducer installation for wells eight and nine," Hernandez said, describing one of the technical purchases the town approved.

A council member raised an added request for repaving in front of Welches on 95th Avenue, saying, "So, now we got a new request for purchase added on for the $98,647," and noted the town would save on mobilization and demobilization by using Milestone while the contractor is already on site. The council approved the purchase requests by voice vote; the chair announced the motions carried 4 to 0.

The council also approved the accounts payable voucher dated June 10, 2026, representing payroll, supplies, services and equipment for the town. The chair reported that motion carried 4 to 0.

Town Manager Wayne Candinas updated the council on Heartland Park construction, saying the steel "should be delivered in about 2 weeks" and that the east wall is going up. Candinas also reported the town's summer program has begun and is operating with visible staff on site.

Clerk-treasurer Hernandez provided details for the July 2 Heartland Park event: the celebration will run from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m., feature 19 food vendors and musical acts including Hypnotic and a performance by Nate Venturini, with fireworks scheduled for 9:30 p.m. "Randy Niemeyer will do the national anthem," she said.

On public-health matters, council members relayed a report from the county and state health departments after an inspection of the pond around well eight. Officials said inspectors found no mosquito larvae and indicated the town's mosquito control and larvicide practices were satisfactory; speakers also noted that muskrats are not considered disease-carrying by county or state staff and are seasonally protected from trapping.

Hernandez briefed the council on a recent MUST meeting hosted at the community center that included AIM and Baker Tilly and focused on the impending Local Income Tax (LIT) rate-structure changes tied to SB1. "Baker Tilly's currently running our specific numbers for the town of St. John's so that we can figure out how we want to proceed moving forward," she said, and council members were told decisions about whether to join a county structure or pursue a municipal approach will be required before Oct. 1.

No members of the public signed up for comment at the meeting. After routine business and reports, a motion to adjourn passed by voice vote and the council closed the session.

Actions recorded at the meeting included approval of the May 27, 2026 minutes, the list of purchase requests (including the Milestone repaving item), the June 10 accounts payable voucher, and multiple construction-account requisitions to SCH and SEH Engineering; each was approved by voice vote with the chair reporting motions carried 4 to 0.