Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Outside the Electric Hotel, under renovation in Harrington, the trick-or-treat crowd responded to the holiday in a socially distanced way.
Outside the Electric Hotel, under renovation in Harrington, the trick-or-treat crowd responded to the holiday in a socially distanced way.
Outside the Electric Hotel, under renovation in Harrington, the trick-or-treat crowd responded to the holiday in a socially distanced way.
HARRINGTON – The City Council held a special teleconference meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 28, led by Mayor Nathan Luck.
Present were council members Peter Davenport, Stephen Hardy, David Buddrius, Justin Slack and Levi Schenk, along with Clerk Janice Cepeda, and one acknowledged visitor Denisa Holling.
On the agenda for the special meeting were discussions of Covid Relief funding and of obtaining a credit card. Each member had the opportunity to share their preferences regarding electronic equipment for the Council's use and ideas on the purchase of sanitizing stations.
If the hand sanitizing stations were to be "attached" to the buildings, they would be considered capital improvements. Therefore, they must be free-standing and able to be moved to whatever locations might need them most urgently.
They reviewed what might be considered a capital improvement that would be excluded from the Covid Relief monies. Loss of revenue is also being excluded from these funds. Davenport was concerned about the losses suffered by the Opera House as a 501(3)(c) not-for-profit entity. Clerk Cepeda said the Rural Resources organization is coming into money and that the Society should get on the waiting list for those funds.
Hardy was given the floor to discuss the types of equipment and prices for some specific pieces he had researched for the Council. He said the equipment can be engraved with "Property of City of Harrington" free of charge and that prices may go down in the next several weeks with the approach of Christmas.
The consensus was that the electronic equipment should be ordered even if Mayor Luck, for example, wants to continue using his own, newer laptop rather than the iPad that will be ordered for his position.
Slack said the City should opt for higher quality, even if it does cost more, and get the biggest bang for the buck. A motion to authorize the purchase of a camera and microphone to allow Zoom calls passed unanimously. Separate motions to spend up to $6,000 for six iPads and associated accessories and for hand sanitizer stations worth up to $700 also passed unanimously.
The second agenda item of the City getting a credit card was turned over to Clerk Cepeda, who had done the research on it. She reported that it is common for municipalities to have credit cards, reducing the need to write so many checks. It is easy to shut off a credit card, and auditors do not have a problem with a city having a credit card, she said.
The mayor said the city is looking at having just one card and that it can be locked in the safe. Luck said no one really seemed to have a problem with it, Enterprise Services was OK with it and only City Treasurer Mike Cronrath was not in favor of it.
Hardy suggested getting the card and only using it for two things, constant and non-discretionary expenses. He suggested it be used only with council approval. Council will need to create a document for the use of the card. A motion to obtain the card, with restrictions, was passed unanimously.
A budget workshop followed the council meeting.
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