Public works board hears update on KKB

The City of Kimball board of public works heard an update on Keep Kimball Beautiful at its Oct. 28 meeting.

Larissa Binod, director of KKB, told the board that 117,660 pounds of materials were diverted and recycled from July through September. The office pack, cardboard route, alley way collection, alley cat trailers in Bushnell and Dix, and confidential document shredding has all contributed to the organization’s recycling efforts, she said.

With help from the AmeriCorps team that recently visited Kimball County, the recycling center was able to get a lot accomplished by way of cleaning up the area around and behind the recycling center. This lends to the hope of being able to reimagine the use of the current space so that it might be used more effectively.

On Nov. 14, KKB will observe America Recycles day with the Eco Club at Mary Lynch Elementary School. The Eco Club will be displaying the materials that they have up cycled as well as showing off their “Kardboard Kingdom Kastle.” This project will be a castle made from cardboard. The boys and girls of the Eco Club will be knights and ladies embarking on a quest to teach and learn about the benefits of “upcycling.” The high school students have also been upcycling with recycled metals and their sculptures will be on display as well. Anyone that would like to make up cycled art for the America Recycles celebration may contact Binod.

Daniel Ortiz, city administrator, then gave an update to the board concerning the recent landfill inspection.

“We normally would have gotten two inspectors but we ended up with six. So they were thoroughly checking us out. Despite that, though, they seemed pleased with everything that we are doing out there and that’s good considering the problems that have been plenty in the past,” Ortiz said.

Aside from that, the only thing that the inspectors cautioned against was that when the cell is ready to be closed they have to make sure that the ground is level. The board decided to recommend the Kimball Landfill permit renewal to the city council.

Ortiz then gave an update to the board on the south substation work that is scheduled for January.

“In January the work on the south substation will commence and so we will have to operate on the generators for a week,” Ortiz said.

Some board members seemed concerned.

“Does it have to be done during the winter? Can we wait until summer to complete these repairs?” board member Keith Prunty asked.

Ortiz said that getting a bid on this work was very difficult to begin with, and to try to go through that process again might just push them to next winter for the work.

“Another thing to consider is that they have told us that our equipment is pushing it. It’s good for 30 years and then needs to be replaced. The equipment out at the substation is over 30 years old, so we need to get the updates done and new equipment in before something happens when we are without power and without a back up system,” Ortiz said.

The work being done to the south substation should be conducted in early January.

The next board of public works meeting is to be held at 4:15 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25, in the city council chambers.