By Allison Peck
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The Ogallala City Council addressed several city projects and ordinances during its Tuesday meeting, including new regulations for mobile food vendors, an emergency repair at North Well No. 1 and a change order for an asphalt overlay project.
Mobile food vendor ordinance advances
The council approved the second reading of an ordinance establishing regulations for mobile food vendors in Ogallala.
New City Manager Tell Jensen said the city has been working with mobile food vendors and local businesses throughout the process.
Outgoing City Manager Kevin Wilkins said Ogallala previously did not have a city ordinance specifically addressing mobile food vendors, although vendors are subject to state and other requirements.
The new licensing process will give the city a way to verify vendors are meeting applicable requirements and understand the rules for operating in Ogallala.
“We want to know who's here who's selling food and make sure that the public is protected,” Wilkins said.
The regulations address issues including licensing, public safety and the use of public rights-of-way.
Emergency repair approved for North Well No. 1
The council also approved an emergency ordinance involving repairs to the variable frequency drive at North Well No. 1.
Jensen said the equipment has experienced repair issues and the city plans to replace it with the same model currently in use.
Using the same equipment will allow the city to maintain existing training and wiring, Jensen said.
The repair is expected to cost approximately $35,000.
The well repair comes as Ogallala continues to deal with water demand and recharge concerns.
Wilkins said the city's water demand has begun to decline from its summer peak, but recharge has also been lower this year. The city rotates wells as part of its water management.
Earlier this year, the city implemented voluntary watering restrictions, and Wilkins said additional water-consumption ordinances are expected to be addressed before the end of the year.
Asphalt project sees change order
The council also addressed a change order connected to an asphalt overlay project.
Jensen said an engineering firm miscalculated a quantity included in the original bid, resulting in an approximately 6% increase, or about $12,000.
Wilkins said the error was made by the engineering firm rather than the contractor.
He said the engineering firm acknowledged the mistake and apologized to the city.
Wilkins added that change orders can occur during construction when unexpected conditions are discovered, although he described this particular calculation error as unusual.
City manager transition
Tuesday's meeting also marked another step in the transition between Wilkins and Jensen.
Jensen has been working with Wilkins for approximately a month and has already participated in council meetings, budget workshops and hearings.
The council's agenda also included updates from Jensen and the city clerk, along with the monthly financial report.