TRUMAN– The Truman City Council began its meeting on Monday with a conversation involving several members of the Truman Baseball Association. For many months now the council has been questioning the finances between the association, the city and the school.

The conversation stemmed from a letter that the council received in January of this year questing a bill from the city for moving rock to the ball field. At that time the council questioned other costs incurred by the city on behalf of the baseball association for the ballfields owned by the school. Since then several council members have suggested a meeting between the council and the association.

On Monday Tim Bartels and Jerome Gerdts were present to represent the association.

“We feel that with the work the boys are doing on the city-owned field (Rosburg Diamond), the city could have some kind of skin in the game,” Bartels said. “We think the city can foot a little of the bill.”

Mayor Jake Ebert asked whether maintenance was split between the city and the association. Street Superintendent John Bosshart confirmed that the city and association share mowing duties.

Council Member Ron Kelley spoke about the utilities matter, which has previously been discussed.

“Years and years ago that was set up with the city council,” Bartels said. “The only time the lights really get used in the summer is during summer rec and that has nothing to do with the school. It’s community.”

Kelley said that some of these questions have been brought forth during the city’s audit and that the council didn’t want any bad feelings, but rather to address the issues.

“When we get a bill for $150 for moving red rock– we’ve never been billed like that before,” Bartels said.

Gerdts said, “the way we see it, we’re part of this community, all of the volunteers are part of this community and pay taxes in this community. The kids that are part of the program are in this community.”

He pointed out that the association doesn’t charge any fees for the children to play baseball.

“It’s all gambling. It comes out of the gambling account. It might look like we make a lot

of money but with all of the taxes we have to pay… there’s not a lot of money when we get done each month,” Bartels said.

They both criticized the city for the lack of its help with cleaning up following the flooding earlier this summer.

“Two years ago there was three of us that raked leaves for a better part of the day and there were employees who drove past when the softball team and coaches and players were there raking and had to load it into their own vehicles to get rid of it,” Bartels said.

Utility Foreman Brent Brown said he had never been asked to help and Bartels questioned why the city would need to be asked to help at its own field.

Council Member Chris Mosloski pointed out that city employees have a schedule and other tasks they need to tend to.

“Sometimes when they call and say ‘this needs to be done because we have a game the next day’ that doesn’t always work for us,” added Bosshart.

Gerdts said that the association’s objective is to help keep the property looking nice.

Ebert said he felt like the major issue at hand was a lack of communication between the entities. He suggested the association designate a liaison to communicate better with the city.

“We have working relationships with every other department in the city, and I know you’re not on the city, but it’s for the community,” Ebert said.

Moving to other matters, the council heard from Josh Kitzerow with the Truman Ambulance Department. He had previously told the council that the ambulance department had found a 2019 rig that it thought could match its needs but it wanted to demo it first. On Monday Kitzerow said that department members have taken it on a few calls and that the majority of members are happy with it.

He said the truck costs $184,700, minus the decals, which will cost about $4,500.

“It’s a complete truck with a powerload system, basically ready to go minus the decals,” said Kitzerow.

He noted that the cost is far under budget and that he expects the truck will last them quite a few years. He also noted that they will receive $7,000 for a trade in of an older rig.

The council approved of the purchase of the new rig for the ambulance department.

On Monday Council Member Patty Truax also provided a brief pool update. She said that another lifeguard has resigned which leaves just three for the season. She said for this week the pool will be open and staffed today, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

However, she said that one of the lifeguards will be gone the week of August 14 through the 18, so there will be no public swim but they will keep with swimming lessons.

She said that some other pools are closing around August 15.

“It would be nice to keep it open through Labor Day,” Mosloski said.

“But the guards are getting ready to go to school,” Truax said.

She said there’s a good chance the pool will be closing earlier this summer and alluded to future staffing problems at the pool.

“We really do have to have a strong discussion at the pool… if this year is any indication of what next year is like…,” Truax said.

“It will be a sad day if it’s gone,” Ebert said.

In other business:

— Brown provided a few updates. He said they’re working on two water main breaks today that would result in some water shut-offs in town. He also said that work on the city’s bucket truck has been completed but costed significantly more than expected.

— The council approved a contract between the city of Truman and the city of Northrop for police services. Starting Jan. 1, 2025, the hourly rate of service will be increased from $50 to $55.

— The council set a time and date of 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 19 for the Martin County EDA to present a housing study.