City Gears Up For Farmers Day

Kimball City Council approved a $ 1,000 Keno request on Tuesday evening, Sept. 5, to help fund the Farmers Day celebration.

Josh Enevoldsen, Farmers Day treasurer, said it usually requires about $10,000 to put on Farmers Day. The request stated that Farmers Day brings people into town, and the community is showcased by the activities.

“We have a food fair, parade, hamburger feed, and other events throughout the day that other local organizations put on,” the request said.

The council meeting continued with a lengthy discussion on past changes for the 2023-24 budget. Some expenses were removed after the last meeting with no changes to revenue. Expense topics discussed included the recycling center, electrical department, landfill, streets, building inspector salary, upgrade of pool and parks, fire equipment, library, and the cemetery.

In an explanation of the landfill operating in the negative, the Board of Public Works initiated a rate change for the landfill to help with expenses.

In other discussion items, the planned four-way stop downtown continues to be on the agenda.

The 4-way stop at 2nd and Chestnut has been approved, but Mayor John Morrison opened a discussion on the topic again with the public. Morrison said he was waiting for a plan from the administrator, the street department and the police department.

Kimball County resident Justin Perry spoke on the four-way stop. Although not a city resident, he said he spends the majority of his time delivering kids, chasing parts and delivering farm commodities.

Perry said, “Local traffic was not really considered in this, in my opinion. Somebody brought up out-of-state trucks tearing up the streets. Rough figures (are that) 4 million bushels of Kimball grain goes through that stoplight and down the road to the elevator, leaving the elevator somewhere between 4 and 6 million bushels.”

These figures would not include the sugar beat harvest.

Perry said, “I’m afraid you’re gonna turn downtown into a parking lot.”

Snow and ice were also mentioned as an issue coming through the underpass. Perry suggested traffic enforcement and lowering the speed limit would solve the problem.

Jamie Bright, speaking on behalf of her husband Matt Bright, echoed Justin Perry’s comments, thus worrying about the trucks at the proposed stop sign on Chestnut Street.

In other public comments, Kimball resident Lonnie Balcom spoke on the Parks and Rec Executive Board’s idea of moving the ballparks into town. The ballparks are only used three months out of the year, and Balcom said that a lot of money had been spent on the four-ball diamond, lighting, stands and other facilities.

His suggestion was to use the KCTS to transport kids to the ballparks. He continued suggesting they have a meeting place at the parks and take the kids to the ball diamonds.

Reports on city business included City Administrator Annette Brower and Police Chief Jose Ruiz. Ruiz said that the departments had taken 136 calls for service since Aug. 15. These calls included everything from animal complaints to violent felonies.

The meeting concluded with the council entering executive session “for the protection of the public interest and discussion regarding deployment of security, personnel, or devices and guidance from legal counsel.” The chief of police was invited to be part of the meeting.