City Council approves appointments and Keno grant

The Kimball City Council approved a Keno grant for Shop with a Cop, discussed changes in PADD, and welcomed back Rosie Russell as city clerk at the Dec. 1 meeting.

Police chief Darren Huff requested $4,500 in the form of a Keno grant for the local Shop with a Cop program. The request was the same as last year, even though the amount of money the program requires has increased, he said.

“We have kind of broadened what we are doing with Shop with a Cop now,” Huff said. “We are not just taking kids shopping so they can buy things. We are also preparing food baskets for the families.”

Huff reported that all of the shopping is done locally, with ShopKo and Main Street Market specifically. ShopKo donates $200 in the form of additional gift cards, according to Huff.

Last year 50 children were served, including a few children from neighboring Dix.

“This year we have a few children from Dix as well,” Huff said. “So we are looking at the same number.”

City councilman John Morrison asked Huff to explain why services are being duplicated in the area. Morrison said the local Rotary Club already provides food baskets for residents in need over the holidays.

“Its already available. We’ve already got programs going on. We’ve got the Giving Tree, which I don’t think we need to duplicate. We’ve got Toys for Tots, which we don’t need to duplicate. Those people can get a food basket,” Morrison said. “I just don’t think we need to duplicate programs, so what I would recommend, instead of doing that (the food baskets), give more kids a chance to Shop with a Cop.”

Mayor Keith Prunty and the council members thanked Huff, and asked him to pass on their gratitude to other volunteers who help with the program. The council unanimously voted to to approve the request for the requested amount.

Morrison also updated the council on changes in the Panhandle Area Development District, of which the city is a member.

Jeff Kelley, previously the organization’s grant writer, is the new director of PADD. PADD has a loan program, through the USDA, from which funds are available. Although Morrison reported to not know the current interest rates or loan procedures, he did say the program has more than $300,000 available.

“They are encouraging people to take out loans,” Morrison said. “Initially, they mainly made bridge loans but they have changed the bylaws and now they can make original loans also.”

The council approved to appointments at the meeting. They unanimously re-appointed Rosie Russell to the city clerk position. She previously served as city clerk from October of 2011 until she resigned in November 2015. Russell resigned to move to Fremont, but when plans did not work out for her there, she returned to Kimball.

“I lucked out because the position was still open,” Russell said.

She reapplied for her previous job and was hired once again.

The council also appointed Sonny Porter to the Kimball Board of Public Works. He fills the seat left vacant when Dawn Moeser’s term expired, at the beginning of December.