Abilene's Swimming Pool

Here's about Abilene's Swimming Pool.

Abilene’s Swimming Pool remained a popular topic for those who served on the city commission, who had been part of activities to open the pool.

Commissioner Brenda Finn Bowers, who attended a private showing of the facility as well as Monday’s opening day activities, expressed her appreciation for parks and recreation director Jane Foltz.

“The pool is fantastic and the kids
loved it,” Finn Bowers said during Tuesday’s meeting of the governing body.

Mayor Nesha Bailey-Mason said the pool is a community project in which voters endorsed and is paid for by people who purchase goods in Abilene.

“This is a community wide victory,” Bailey-Mason said.

Foltz reported that on opening day there were 782 paid admissions and more than 80 family passes were sold.

She said the concession stand was so busy that in the first day the pool staffers sold as many concessions in one day as they had previously sold in a week.

Afterward, staffers reported that there was no trash left in the pool area, which showed a positive sign by today’s youth.

Commissioner Lynn Peterson said it was important to also thank the McKee family, who built the pool.

“You see the quality of the workmanship,” Peterson said.

Bailey-Mason said the pool’s opening was also part of a special weekend with activities that were occuring with the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad’s unveiling of its steam engine and other events in Old Abilene Town and throughout the community.

Sunday liquor sales
receives input from
businessman
A downtown liquor store owner asked the city commission to consider allowing liquor stores to have packaged sales on Sundays and holidays.

Dan Meysenburg, owner of Meysenburg’s Liquor Store, 405 N. Buckeye, said the state law does allow a process for communities to charter out of the state law.

The businessman said he understands there is a waiting period because of the process.
City manager Allen Dinkel said there is a process to follow that would include the commission having city attorney Mark Guilfoyle draft a charter ordinance followed by a 60-day waiting period. After 60 days if there is no organized protest that is based on a number of qualified voters signing a petition, then the changes could go into effect. If there is a petition, the city commission then has to weigh how to proceed.

Meysenburg said this past holiday weekend was an indicator as local customers noted that they could travel to out of town stores in Chapman, Solomon and Junction City, to purchase liquor products such as wine and beer. He has to observe the state law, which required him to be closed on Sunday and Memorial Day. He said on July 4, which falls on a Saturday, he will have to be closed that day and Sunday, too.

He said his coolers are on seven days a week, 24 hours a day and he has employees who are willing to work the shifts.

Commissioners said they wanted an opportunity to discuss the issue further in a upcoming work session. Dinkel said liquor store owners would still set their own business hours, by opting out of the charter ordinance, the commission would be allowing those business owners that choice.

After the meeting, Dinkel said one reason he wanted to first schedule the item as a work session matter was so that information could be researched on the topic.
While there is a 60-day waiting provision, he needed to outline what might happen if there was petition presented to seek a vote.

Special benefit districts
The commission approved an ordinance establishing special benefit districts for property owners in Cedar Ridge, Dawson Estates Phase IV and Eastridge residential housing additions.

The commission had three separate public hearings. There were no comments from developers representatives Dawson Estates or Eastridge.

Kelly Dunn, Salina, one of the developers for Cedar Ridge, asked the commission to spread the payment periods for 20 years. The Dawson Estates and Eastridge will remain at 15 years.

Under the provisions property owners are given one opportunity to make a one time payment to pay their share in full at the beginning or have it spread over a defined period.

Airport improvements
The Abilene Municipal Airport will receive two upgrades at a total cost of $125,000 after approving the acceptance of two Kansas Department of Transportation grants, said city engineer John Gough.

As part of the process the airport will have improved lighting for it s taxiway. That project will cost $25,000 and include $18,750 in state funds and $6,250 in city funds.
The other project is an automated weather observation system that will cost $100,00. KDOT funds will be $75,000 and the $25,000 will be paid for by the city.

Bailey-Mason said both projects look to be good improvements.

Airport advisory board chairman Jim Price said both projects are important. The taxiway lighting will replace an aged system and the automated weather observation system will help incoming aircraft.