GENTRY -- Gentry City Council on Monday moved up the creation of a director of finance position, making it effective immediately, and reduced the elected position of city clerk and treasurer to a combined part-time post.
The action came as a result of the resignation of Jo Ellen Martin from her elected position of clerk and treasurer on May 6. Martin submitted a letter of resignation, citing stress and health reasons, for her early retirement. She had intended to retire at the end of her elected term on Dec. 31.
The council passed the amending ordinance on three readings and with an emergency clause, making the changes effective on June 2. Tonya Carney, who had been hired and training for the director of finance post and was carrying out the duties of the post since Martin's resignation, will assume that post immediately as a city employee.
The ordinance also created a part-time elected post of city clerk and treasurer with only those duties assigned by state law -- attending council and planning commission meetings, taking and preparing minutes of those meetings and submitting a quarterly detailed statement to the council of the financial position of the city. The office holder will no longer be responsible to handle the day-to-day finances of the city. Pay will be an annual salary of $4,000.
The council by resolution appointed Janis Jayne Kooistra to fill the remainder of the term for the part-time office. The council received two letters of interest in the vacant post. The other was from Carol Montgomery. The council made the appointment after going into a brief executive session to consider the candidates' qualifications for the post.
Other Action
In other action, the council approved a phase II change order for the sidewalk project between Third Street and Arkansas 59. The change order added $4,588 to the original contract bid amount of $97,700 to resolve a drainage problem and to improve handicap accessibility, making the total project cost $102,288. The project is complete, with inspection scheduled today, according to Mayor Kevin Johnston.
The council also passed on three readings with a single vote an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with Kansas City Southern to build a pedestrian crossing on the new sidewalk on South Collins. The estimated project cost included in the KCS construction agreement is $49,320.
Passed on a second reading were two ordinances relating to adding a 7/8 cent sales tax to current sales tax collected by the city. One was to approve the tax increase and the second was to schedule it to be on the November ballot for voter consideration.
General News on 06/04/2014