Geary City Council met Feb. 26 in special session to discuss the city’s agricultural leases, fixing the city pool and to hold an executive session concerning a pending investigation into what the agenda describes as allegations of financial misappropriations.
After some discussion, the ag leases were let for 17 months to the highest bidder for $3,883 for the length of the lease. That bid was for the larger of two parcels, with the smaller parcel leasing for $3,500 for the 17-month lease. The winning bidders will also be awarded the lease at the same per acre per month cost for the upcoming 24-month lease at the end of the first 17-month term. The leases were configured in this manner to mesh with the city’s fiscal year.
Next the council wrangled with reopening the city pool.
Several companies had come in to examine the facility and issue estimates on the cost to retrofit the aging structure. Two estimates were immediately discarded; one was around $92,000 and the other was more than $100,000.
The remaining estimate was in question, though, because there were multiple forms from the same company, Hydroscapes, each with a different price.
Public works director Matt Blackwood phoned the sales manager, Jason McBride, who explained the discrepancies. One form showed slightly more than $28,000 but McBride said that did not include the cost of a pump and an electrician to install it.
However, council member Sandra Cleveland was not willing to take Hydroscapes at its word and requested the corrected form be emailed to GEARYlackwood and the matter be taken up fol- Blackwood and the matter be taken up following the executive session.
Blackwood did get the email and shared it with the council. In the document, Hydroscapes eliminated the $28,000 estimate as erroneous and presented the complete estimate of $34,599 which included the omitted items in the previous estimate.
That cost would bring the pool up to code standards and meet the minimum requirements for the facility to function, eliminating leaks and adequately filtering the water. Council also agreed to change its social media ads seeking lifeguards and management for the swimming season.
Blackwood said he had been given a two week timeline by Hydroscapes and that if the company could get to work by March 9, the work should be completed in ample time to use the pool for lifeguard and manager training well in advance of opening day.
The council entered executive session at 2:57 p.m. and remained there until 4:12 p.m.
Upon returning to open session, the council had little to say other than direct Chief of Police J.J. Stitt to research technology solutions to solve issues. What those issues are or how they led to the allegations of financial misappropriation was not addressed.
Later, in a telephone interview, Stitt said that the issues found during the investigation could be solved, in part, by technology. “The issues with the financial software is something that has to be fixed,” he said, and indicated those software solutions were what he was researching for the city.
The Geary City Council will next meet at 6 p.m. on March 12 in Geary City Hall.