|
|
|
The City Commission voted unanimously Monday night to pay half of Pratt County’s cost for a photographic map of the county even though some commissioners argued the city shouldn’t have to pay anything.
“If the county’s going to do it (anyway), why don’t they just give it to us?” Commissioner Jeff Taylor asked. “Are they going to bill Iuka or Preston?”
The mapping project refreshed a longstanding debate over what city residents actually receive from the county for the county taxes they pay.
“We’re part of the county, too,” Taylor noted.
Although the city occupies only a small portion of the county’s total area, when the airport and the 3-mile buffer zone around Pratt are included, the area the city needs for its maps intersects nine of the county’s 20 townships. The city also uses higher resolution photography for its purposes, which include locating property boundaries and utilities several times each day. If the city were to purchase the aerial photography on its own, the per township cost would be about half of the total for the county as a whole.
Mayor Bill Hlavachick noted that the mapping project, which was last undertaken in 2003, was approved during budget hearings last year.
“This is a budgeted item. That was the time to discuss this, but Jeff has a point that we can take up in future discussions,” the mayor said.
Taylor agreed and welcomed a motion by Commissioner Vic Graf to approve sharing the expense with the county.
In other business, the Commission:
•Listened to a presentation by former commissioner Eric Nystrom noting the 11 percent decline in population (2000-2009) for the seven-county trade area that Pratt serves. Nystrom warned that Pratt would have to take the lead in any attempt to reverse the decline through economic development.
•Approved the use of Lemon Park for a car show sponsored by the members of the Fire Department. Capt. Todd Hoffman said the firefighters wanted a replacement for the Pratt High Technology students car show, which hasn’t taken place in recent years.
•Gave approval to the city’s Master Gardeners organization to begin a campaign to encourage downtown merchants to use the planters in front of their businesses.
The City Commission voted unanimously Monday night to pay half of Pratt County’s cost for a photographic map of the county even though some commissioners argued the city shouldn’t have to pay anything.
“If the county’s going to do it (anyway), why don’t they just give it to us?” Commissioner Jeff Taylor asked. “Are they going to bill Iuka or Preston?”
The mapping project refreshed a longstanding debate over what city residents actually receive from the county for the county taxes they pay.
“We’re part of the county, too,” Taylor noted.
Although the city occupies only a small portion of the county’s total area, when the airport and the 3-mile buffer zone around Pratt are included, the area the city needs for its maps intersects nine of the county’s 20 townships. The city also uses higher resolution photography for its purposes, which include locating property boundaries and utilities several times each day. If the city were to purchase the aerial photography on its own, the per township cost would be about half of the total for the county as a whole.
Mayor Bill Hlavachick noted that the mapping project, which was last undertaken in 2003, was approved during budget hearings last year.
“This is a budgeted item. That was the time to discuss this, but Jeff has a point that we can take up in future discussions,” the mayor said.
Taylor agreed and welcomed a motion by Commissioner Vic Graf to approve sharing the expense with the county.
In other business, the Commission:
•Listened to a presentation by former commissioner Eric Nystrom noting the 11 percent decline in population (2000-2009) for the seven-county trade area that Pratt serves. Nystrom warned that Pratt would have to take the lead in any attempt to reverse the decline through economic development.
•Approved the use of Lemon Park for a car show sponsored by the members of the Fire Department. Capt. Todd Hoffman said the firefighters wanted a replacement for the Pratt High Technology students car show, which hasn’t taken place in recent years.
•Gave approval to the city’s Master Gardeners organization to begin a campaign to encourage downtown merchants to use the planters in front of their businesses.
