PAGING THROUGH H
THE TRIBUNE-P HONOGRAPH PUBLISHED IN ABBOTSFORD THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1970
Colby Council to start well test
The Colby city council met for its reorganization meeting Tuesday night at the city hall.
New Mayor Lloyd Scidmore and alderman Jerome Schultz were seated.
The first part of the meeting was spent in conclusion of old business by the former council under retiring mayor Dr. F.A. Weix. Major business included action on bids for the street and parking lot project at the high school.
The major business of the new council under Mayor Lloyd Scidmore was enactment of a mobile home ordinance.
In action taken by the council, the bid of Gottschalk Brothers of Edgar of $32,240 for the street and blacktop project at the Colby High School was approved.
The bids were opened at the school board meeting April 13, and the Gottschalk Brothers bid was the lowest estimate. Figures were reported in the
Tribune-Phonograph on April 16.
The city’s portion of the work is for blacktop surfacing on the street east and north of the lot. No work is planned on Second Street. The remainder of the work is being done by the school and includes curb and gutter and surfacing of the lot.
A report was given from Layne-Northwest. The firm plans to start this week on a geological survey in an effort to locate a new well for the city.
As soon as surveys are completed, recommendations will be made for locations of test well drilling.
A letter and check for $300 was received from the Colby Cheese Days coordinating committee, noting appreciation for efforts by the council in helping Cheese Days, and in providing toilet facilities at the city hall.
THE TRIBUNE-P HONOGRAPH PUBLISHED IN ABBOTSFORD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1990
Town of Colby looking for a better deal
The Colby Fire Dept. has given the Town of Colby 30 days to pay fire station utility bills it has withheld since January or face consequences.
The action, take last week by a department vote, is the focus of a larger issue — the sharing of the fire department budget. Based on the original 1948 contract and subsequent amendments, the budget has been split equally among the City of Colby, Town of Colby and Town of Hull. A portion of the Town of Frankfort is also served by the department, but on a flat fee contract, not as a sharing partner. The Towns of Hull and Colby and the City of Colby all own the department and its equipment. The Fire Commission, which oversees the operation of the department, consists of the mayor of Colby and chairmen of both townships.
Town of Colby Chairman Larry Oehmichen last year suggested the traditional method of splitting the budget into three equal parts was no longer fair, based on changes in valuation and population. The figures he offered to the Colby City Council were from 1989. They showed the City of Colby with 44% of the population and 41% of the valuation, for a 42.5% average. Hull accounted for 35% of the population and 32% of valuation, for a 33.5% average. Town of Colby stood at 21% of population and 27% of valuation, averaging 24.0% Oehmichen said he and his board have been trying to get the payment formula changed to reflect those numbers, but with no luck. Withholding the first station utility bills, he agreed, would bring about a more serious discussion of the proposal.
