Hillsboro to spend for meters, bowling

By FINN HARTNETT

Staff writer

A repaired water line, improved electric and water meters, and a rebranded Bluejay Lanes are all in store for citizens of Hillsboro.

At a meeting last week, city council members approved a proposal from Ditch Diggers to replace a waterline on Adams St. at a cost of $256,272.

Also approved was a proposal by water works supplier Core and Main to begin work on the city’s meter infrastructure, and a spectrum lease with the utilities company Sensus.

Hillsboro will lease a broadcast signal from Sensus to create an automated channel between city meters.

The lease will last five years with an option to extend for another five in 2030.

“Currently, we’re using a reader on a trash truck to read the [meters],” Mayor Lou Thurston said. “This project is putting the infrastructure to read them at a fixed location, which will be our large water tower.”

Neither electric nor water rates will rise as a result of the projects, according to Thurston.

Callie Arnold, assistant to the city administrator, announced that the city had received an entrepreneurial grant of $15,735 from Kansas State University to turn a section of Bluejay Lanes into “a versatile space for community retail opportunities.”

The city will match the grant up to 25%.

“We’re improving the space and improving the bowling alley and hopefully generating a little bit of income for our entrepreneurs,” city administrator Matt Stiles said.

The alley will remain open during renovations, which are expected to be completed next spring.

The city plans to sponsor a contest for a new name for the bowling alley in the next few weeks.

“Bluejay Lanes” references the mascot of Tabor College, which the city bought the alley from.

According to Stiles, Tabor has told the city it does not want to be associated with the alley if it is to sell alcohol.

Although the city currently has no plans to sell alcohol at the alley, a name change still appears likely.