Click Here to Listen LIVE to

BELOIT CITY COUNCIL – Wednesday, November 6, 2024

By Terry Bailey

The Beloit City Council met at City Hall Wednesday evening, November 6, to conduct the business of the City. Councilors Andrew Grabon, Gretchin Staples, Todd Adolph and Tony Gengler were present. Mayor Tom Naasz and Councilor Lee McMillan were absent. Also attending the meeting were City Manager Halley Roberson, City Attorney Katie Schroeder, and City Clerk Amanda Lomax.
With Mayor Tom Naasz absent, Council President Andrew Grabon chaired the meeting.
City Attorney Katie Schroeder announced that several structures will soon see action to be declared as unfit structures. They are located at: a garage at 1012 N. Hersey, a garage at the old Port Library building, 512 Elliot, and 305 N. Kansas. Other locations are under consideration.
She also announced the old Dollar General store had been purchased and renovations are planned.
City manager Roberson discussed these topics:
• Ditchdiggers has begun the boring of an opening under the railroad tracks for a line to the Water Treatment Plant.
• Work is ongoing at the Water Treatment Plant
• Ground cover has been successfully planted at the West Side Park.
• The 8th grade field trip to the Solar Farm was very successful. The students had many questions and showed great interest in alternative energy.
• A grant for the purchase of utility poles will be pursued after the first of the year.
Roberson commented, "Things seem to be lining up quite well at this time."
Roberson told the Council that the latest word on the new bucket truck that it was scheduled to be completed in 2026.
A one-year contract was ratified with Lock-It to provide IT services for the City.
Bids have been received for renovation work at the Solomon Valley Hospice building. Replacement of windows will cost $10,670 and work on the exterior of the building has a price tag of $24,000.
Alex Bell was appointed to the Beloit Fire Department.
The business meeting was adjourned, and the Work Session was called to order.
Two representatives from Priority Power, Rick Borry and Scott Schreve, discussed, via a Zoom connection, the options for expanding the Beloit Solar Farm. They recently conducted an on-site evaluation of possible expansion possibilities. It appears there are many possibilities regarding the size of the expansion. A new 4-megawatt field located just south of the current solar farm seemed the one with the most positive aspects, but everything is quite tentative at this point. The 4-megawatt facility would encroach on the flood plain but the Priority Power reps thought that could be successfully dealt with. The cost of a 4-megawatt addition would be just under nine million dollars. There are several possibilities for creative funding for the project. A completion time of nine to fifteen months to complete is expected once the project is approved.

Other News

Beloit, KS 67420, USA