HOISINGTON – At the previous Hoisington City Council meeting, City Manager Jonathan Mitchell was tasked to look for ways to augment department funds to purchase a street sweeper and a new mower, fund a major water line replacement, and paint the water tower. 

“When the pool project was completed in 2023, there were still some funds available in the city’s capital improvement fund (CIF) that the City set back to go toward pool planning and the project,” he said, speaking to the council Monday night. “If the City were to sweep the project funds remaining for the construction portion of the project, this would free up approximately $252,000 to be used for other purposes.”

He suggested that dollars could be distributed with $226,000 going towards painting the water tower and the water line replacement. Another $14,300 would be transferred to the machinery and equipment fund for the purchase of a street sweeper. Last, another $11,770 also to be transferred to the machinery and equipment fund to purchase a new flex-wing mower.  

While no bids have been collected to paint the water tower inside and out, Mitchell estimates the cost to be around $250,000. “If the water line replacement comes in at $375,000, the current funds in the CIF (including next year’s transfers) would provide approximately $29,000 to go toward the painting,” he said. 

If $226.000 in the pool project funds were shifted to the Water Department, there would be $250,000 available for painting and $5,000 for other water-related projects, he said.

The fund would be essentially depleted for 2024 and the City would work to replenish it in future years.  

The council agreed to have Mitchell continue gathering information concerning the paint project.

The council did accept the $50,300 bid from Jaguar Electric, Great Bend, to install a backup generator on Hoisington Water Well #4. Mitchell noted that adequate funds were available in the machinery and equipment fund for this purpose. Jaguar offered a shorter wait time for the installation of a Caterpillar generator. The city has a Caterpillar generator on line so the staff favored adding another.

In addition, the council agreed to purchase a new single-broom street sweeper and the 10-foot Flex-Wiing rotary cutter mower. These purchases will be purchased with cash from the CIF and machinery and equipment fund. The costs are $290,299.55 (after trade) with a five-year extended warranty for the sweeper from Key Equipment and Supply.  Depending on trade and sale of the older mowers, the estimated cost of the new mower is estimated around $24,975.