Speed limits and cook sites were on the agenda for the Lyon County Commission during their study session on Wednesday.
Commissioners discussed moving the Friendship Meals cook site to Lyon County. The meals would be served out of the former Emporia Rehab building starting April 15.
Doug Stueve of the Lyon County Council on Aging told commissioners about a reallocation of funding to support the move. Stueve said the reallocation would come from the remainder of the balance that was being used to pay rent for use of the kitchen at the Heritage Center. Stueve said $5,000 can be reallocated from that fund.
The Emporia Rehab building would be used for other events as well, he said, and eventually could sustain itself by rent collection from the building’s use.
Karen Hartenbower said the new building is intended as a cook site and won’t replace the Emporia Senior Center in any way.
“This is an opportunity to get the meals cooked back in Lyon County,” Hartenbower said.
Hartenbower said the meals now are picked up in Ottawa at 6:30 a.m.
“I’ve eaten some of those meals,” she said. “They taste like leftovers.”
Susan Riley, manager of the Emporia Senior Center, voiced her concerns over the purchase of a building for a cook site.
“It’s a huge building to purchase to simply house a kitchen,” Riley said, adding that Emporia Senior Center has a kitchen available.
Regardless, meals will come out of the former Emporia Rehabilitation building on April 15, Hartenbower said.
Stueve also asked for $3,000 to be reallocated from a reserve fund to the Emporia Senior Center to help fund repairs on the roof.
“Both items would not add any money to the 2009 budget,” he said.
In other matters, Sam Seeley, Lyon County zoning administrator and flood plain manager, talked with county commissioners about the neighborhood stabilization program, which resulted from the Housing and Economic Recovery Act last July. The program is being implemented by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and a new department of neighborhood stabilization has been formed. More than $20 million has been sent to Kansas to funnel into foreclosed properties. The county has the opportunity to take part in the program, which will allow for purchase of foreclosed properties for either re-developement or demolishment for a land bank.
In other business:
• Commissioners discussed raising the speed limit on Roads U and 200 and Road S. The speed limits on those roads were lowered during construction of the Emporia Energy, Westar Energy’s peaking power plant. Lyon County Commission Chairman Scott Briggs said he has talked to area residents and the traffic count is down to about five to six cars a day.
• Commissioners discussed the speed limit on Iowa Street in Olpe. Jim Brull said County Engineer Chip Woods received a phone call from a resident inquiring whether the speed limit could be lowered. County Commissioner Rollie Martin suggested the process first start with the City of Olpe.
• Kevin Hanlin, secretary for the Emporia/Lyon County Metropolitan Planning Commission, spoke to commissioners about a planning commission application, which is a request of Bob and Carolyn Driewer to vacate a portion of a 10-foot utility easement in the Quail Ridge Estates subdivision.
oohay (anonymous) says...
Why would they rent a kitchen when the Senior Center has a perfectly wonderful kitchen???
March 25, 2009 at 9:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )