Uniontown's gas fund feeling effect of warmer temperatures

The effect of warmer than normal temperatures in November and December is being felt financially at the City of Uniontown.

"We are not making money on gas compared to last year," Christine Middleton, Uniontown city treasurer said.

Middleton gave her monthly financial report to the city council Tuesday night.

The city's aging gas distribution system is in the works for improvement if a Community Block Development Grant is approved in January.

Just in time it seems. In addition to less revenue from natural gas sales, there have been more expenses.

"The gas fund has had a lot of repair (expenses) this year that we haven't had in the past," Johnson said.

The city supplies natural gas, water and sewer to its residents.

Water sales in the city are down as well because of an increase in rainfall this year.

"I was looking and figuring where we would be at the end of the year," Sally Johnson, city clerk said. "I think we will be $700 below where we wanted to be on the water fund, which isn't too bad. We had a really wet summer season and starting out with a really warm gas season."

In an unrelated water issue, the city council will pass a recent three-percent increase from Consolidated Rural Water District 2 on to residents starting in January.

"It's basically a $2 increase for a 5,000-gallon average," Middleton said.

Dog issues

Dog issues were once again an agenda item for council. The town has 61 dogs registered with the city, Johnson said.

"There are a bunch more that are not," she said.

There is an unresolved issue regarding a Rottweiler, Johnson said.

"It knocked a little girl down and got a hold of her," Mayor Larry Jurgensen said. "Willie (Davis, the animal control officer) picked up the dog. It belonged to someone in the north end of town."

A photo was taken of the dog and posted on the cityofuniontown.net website, which is the process city employees follow.

The owners protested the fees for failure to register the dog, late registration, dog running-at-large and an impoundment fee, which includes feeding and watering the dog daily.

"It was $107 because it was not registered," Johnson said.

"That night, the dog pound got unbolted and the dog was taken out," Jurgensen said.

"The night it escaped it spent the night on Dana's porch," Johnson said.

Dana Esslinger is a council member.

"It barked all night long," Esslinger said. "It was a Rottweiler, pretty ferocious."

"The dog is at the (owner's) house now," Jurgensen said.

The city clerk received two more complaints about dogs barking 24 hours a day, Johnson said.

"I got a complaint today on coon dogs at 605 Sherman barking all the time...this is the second complaint," she said.

"Don't they have no-bark collars?" Lucille Ward, council member, asked.

"He trains these dogs and doesn't keep them very long and he has a new batch," Johnson said.

In another dog issue, the council agreed to bill another dog owner for full payment. The owner had partially paid fees to release his dog from impoundment.

Storm shelter update

The council wrote a $1,000 check to Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission for contractual administration fees for the storm shelter project.

Tentative bid opening for the project will be Jan. 19, with a special city meeting closely following that date to accept the bid.

Frank Young with Agricultural Engineering Associates of Uniontown is compiling bid packets that will be sent out this month, Johnson said. A tentative pre-bid conference with potential contractors will be Jan. 12.