Staff writer
When it came time for the Florence City Council to approve new insurance coverage for special events — at a cost of $100 added to their regular annual payment for the gymnasium — three council members expressed second thoughts Monday about the idea of allowing roller skating at the gym.
Council member John Swarm made the motion to approve the insurance but Ed Robinson, Randy Mills, and Trayce Warner waited for someone to second the motion.
The motion died, temporarily, until Mills resurrected the insurance discussion at the end of the meeting.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time I’m in favor of something for the kids,” Warner said. “I’m not convinced it’s entirely safe.”
Warner, Robinson, and Mills are worried about the concrete bleachers that run along two sides of the gym floor. Even with the insurance protecting Florence’s liability and roller skating not being a city-sanctioned event, council members thought the parents of an injured child may prove that they were negligent in court.
Swarm reminded council members that he was contacting school officials to acquire wrestling mats to pad the bleachers. Swarm and utility clerk Kristi Potocnik also said that they would be available as adult supervisers at roller skating events.
The council voted on the issue for a second time. Swarm again made the motion but Mills seconded the motion under the requirement that the insurance be paid from the recreation fund. It passed unanimously.
Swarm, Mayor Mary Shipman, and Police Chief Michael Stone argued that a certain amount of risk was acceptable to provide Florence children with an activity. They said the city already takes on a risk for liability with the pool and city parks.
“From day one, I wanted something for the kids to do in this town,” Shipman said.
Treasurer Mary Jane Grimmett will print and distribute flyers before the first roller skating night.
In other business:
- Fire department purchases worth $649 were approved. Fire Chief Mark Slater purchased a five-gallon jug of fire suppression agent for $250 and replaced the fuel tank on the brush truck for $149. With a $510 insurance reimbursement, Slater will also purchase a new radio for $760.
- County Commissioner Randy Dallke visited the council meeting after a Florence resident living on 10th Street complained to the county about drainage down the hill east of her home. Dallke initially suggested putting up a retaining wall with a pipe in the middle to direct rainwater away from the home. Swarm suggested, before the city would take that step, city workers should clean out the ditches on 10th Street. The other council members agreed and Superintendent Phil Baldwin said he would clean the ditches.
- In community comments, resident Daryl Woelk spoke to the council about a ticket he received from Stone asking Woelk to clean up his property on Sixth Street. Woelk said he is trying to move 20,000 pounds of steel but needed help with a trailer. The original deadline for the cleanup was May 31; the council approved giving Woelk an extension through June 30.
- A few purchases caught the council’s attention before they were approved as part of the $12,660 warrant. Midway Motors repaired the police car for $239 after Stone hit a deer in April. A speed limit sign and two stop signs for Eighth St. and Seventh street were purchased for $189.
- The council discussed allowing resident Aaron Craig to use a city riding mower to mow the baseball field as a volunteer. Wary of setting a precedent, Swarm offered to give Craig access to his own riding mower to mow the ballfield.
- An ordinance was reviewed that will allow the city to charge for rescue truck services. A resolution detailing the cost of services will be discussed in a future meeting.
- Shipman reappointed city clerk Janet Robinson, municipal judge Bryson Mills, city attorney Marilyn Wilder, Baldwin as city superintendent, fire chief Slater, and treasurer Grimmett. They will serve two-year terms with Shipman. The council also approved a pay increase for Wilder, from $135 to $150 per hour.
The next Florence City Council meeting will be 6:30 p.m. May 16.