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The quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.

According to the Energy Star® website, “The average house-hold spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills, with nearly half of this going to heating and cooling costs.” There are several steps you can implement that will help control these costs. Through the efficient use of electricity, you can use less energy, maintain your same level of comfort and spend less money.

The City of Lindsborg believes in order to give real service you must add some things that cannot be bought or measured, and that is sincerity and INTEGRITY.

One of the steps that you can take yourself is to seal your heating and cooling ducts. Approximately 15% of the air that moves through a home’s duct system is lost due to leaks, holes and poorly connected ducts. Seal these leaks by using mastic sealant or metal (foil) tape and insulating all ducts that you can access such as those in the attic, crawlspace, basement, or garage. Don’t use ’duct tape’ because it is not long lasting. Also make sure that the connections at vents and registers are well-sealed where they meet the floors, walls and ceilings. These are common areas to find leaks and disconnected ductwork.

Maintaining your heating and cooling equipment is another step you can take to keep it running efficiently. Change the air filter regularly. A clean air filter will prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system causing it to run inefficiently or worse, break down. This should be done at least once every three months and should be done monthly when you are cooling or heating your home. In addition to changing the air filter regularly, annual maintenance by a qualified technician is an important step in preventing future problems. It is best to check the cooling system in the spring and the heating system in the fall.

HOME ELECTRONIC TIPS ♦ Look for energy-savings ENERGY STAR home electronics. ♦ Unplug appliances, or use a power strip and switch to cut all power to the appliance to avoid “vampire”

loads. Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These loads occur in most appliances that use electricity (DVD players, TVs, stereos, computers and kitchen appliances). Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.

♦ Use rechargeable batteries for products like cordless phones and digital cameras. Studies have show they are more cost effective than disposable batteries.

HOME OFFICE TIPS

♦ Select energy-efficient office equipment and turn off machines when not in use. ♦ An ENERGY STAR-labeled computer can save 30-65%. ♦ A large portion of time spent in low-power mode saves energy and helps equipment

run cooler and last longer. ♦ Place laptop AC adapter on a power strip that can be turned off (or will turn off automatically). The

transformer in the AC adapter draws power continuously. ♦ Using power management settings on computers and monitors can cause significant savings. ♦ Screen savers are a common misconception in reducing a monitor’s energy use. Instead use the automatic

switching to sleep mode or simply turn it off. ♦ Another misconception (carried over from older mainframe computers) is that equipment lasts longer if it

is never turned off. LONG-TERM SAVING TIP Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; laptops use much less energy than desktop computers.

The City of Lindsborg introduced a new vehicle decal design that has replaced the existing city seal on city vehicles and equipment.

Council Coffee is now scheduled on the last Thursday of the month! Join the Mayor, Council members and City staff for a social hour of community conversation and refreshments. The agenda for the following Monday Council meeting will be available at this interactive event.

The NLC Service Line Warranty Program for interested residents will begin this fall. An introduction to the program and citizen cost saving benefits are available on page 3. More information will follow directly from SLWA.

August 25 Chamber Street Dance October 6 La Strada del’ Arte October 14 Falun Classic

October 31 Halloween Date TBA Broadway RFD Fall Production November 6 Election Day

In the fall, the City of Lindsborg will be introducing a new, optional program available to homeowners, provided through the National League of Cities (NLC) Service Line Warranty Program administered by Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA). The Service Line Warranty program provides low cost, worry free warranty protection for sewer lines. The Service Line Warranty program offers citizens an affordable way to avoid unexpected and often large expense involved with a sewer line break. The warranty will cover sewer line repairs up to $4,000 plus an additional allowance of $4,000 for public street cutting, if needed. Should a citizen need a repair, SLWA has a 24-hour hotline and will dispatch a local plumber with in 24 hours to perform the repair. There are no service fees or deductibles. Citizens who are interested in the program can look forward to seeing offers for sewer line coverage in the mail this fall. Service Line Warranties of America was thoroughly researched by the National League of Cities. The National League of Cities, representing over 218 million Americans, is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. Additionally, SLWA has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and was carefully considered by the City Council before being approved for introduction to City of Lindsborg residents. To learn more about SLWA and the NLC Service Line Warranty Program, please visit www.SLWofA.com.

If you have an air conditioning or heat pump system that is over 10 years old, you could save 18% to 36% by replacing it with an Energy Star®certified system. The City of Lindsborg has a program to assist with the cost of replacing an old system. The coolSAVINGS™ air conditioning rebate program offers financial incentives to City of Lindsborg electric customers for the replacement of older air conditioning units with new energy efficient models. The rebates range from $50 to $500, depending on type of system.

The eligible rebate items are:

♦ Central split systems and package air conditioners & heat pumps ♦ Mini-split systems air conditioners and heat pumps ♦ Ground source heat pump ♦ Window air conditioning units

There are eligibility guidelines for the replacement incentive.

♦ Replacement of air conditioning units ten (10) years or older ♦ Must be a City of Lindsborg electric customer ♦ HVAC 1.5 Ton to 5.0 Ton units and window air conditioners are eligible ♦ Minimum SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) of 14.0 and a minimum EER (energy efficiency

ratio) of 11.0 ♦ Energy Star®certified ♦ Window unit air conditioners less than 19,999 BTU’s must have an EER of 10.7 or above ♦ Window unit air conditioners greater than 20,000 BTU’s must have an EER of 9.4 or above ♦ First-come, first serve basis. $30,000 has been budgeted for the program. Rebates will be paid until

funding is gone.

This program is for the replacement of older, inefficient systems. Newer units are not eligible. Contact one of the local HVAC system contractors. They are familiar with the coolSAVINGS™ Air Conditioning Rebate Program and will be happy to assist. There isn’t a better time to save energy and save money!

P&Z Commission Meetings

►August 21, 2012 ► October 16, 2012

Council Chambers 7:00 p.m.

(scheduled on the 3rd Tuesday of even months) Board of Zoning

Appeals (scheduled when needed)

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to receive P&Z Meeting notification on the City’s website with NOTIFY ME

October 10, 2003 - Special Council Meeting, 7:30 a.m. - unanimous vote to purchase JOS for $250,000.

March 1, 2004 - Regular Council meeting public input from neighboring property owner seeking funding for repairs to common wall estimated at $80,000 to $130,000. No action taken.

November 1, 2004 - Economic Development Director informs Council of lease of JOS to film production company.

December 22, 2004 - Economic Development Director reports possible offer of $100,000 from film company to purchase building.

February 22, 2005 - Film company does not exercise purchase option, staff directed to pursue other interested parties.

April 15, 2005 - Special Council to discuss $130,000 offer to purchase building. Council counters at $165,000.

May 2, 2005 - Regular Council meeting tables counter at $135,000.

June 5, 2005 - Regular Council meeting rejects counter unanimously.

August 23, 2005 - Administration Committee report from staff of possible Transportation Enhancement (TE) Grant funding. Staff directed to find an architect or engineer.

September 23, 2005 - Streets & Parks Committee report from staff about Historic Register/TE Grant, need to hire a consultant. Committee approves $5,000 for fees.

October 3, 2005 - Regular Council meeting sets schedule for TE Grant public meeting, removes historic consultant from agenda and approves contract with Fred Abercrombie for probable cost of renovation.

October 13, 2005 - Public Hearing for Consideration of Support for TE Grant Application at 7:30 p.m. Adopted Resolution 05-05 in support of grant.

May 23, 2006 - Council notified by staff that the TE Grant application unsuccessful. Work session is proposed.

February 5, 2007 - Regular Council meeting approves MapInfo marketing study to develop information regarding feasible uses of building.

June 4, 2007 - Regular Council meeting directs staff to ask Fred Abercrombie to provide a proposal for building to be renovated as City Hall.

July 2, 2007 - Regular Council meeting approves Abercrombie proposal for City Hall.

December 3, 2007 - Regular Council meeting appoints a 9-member citizen commission to study JOS.

March 3, 2008 - Staff reports to Council that packets have been sent to potential developers with a 3/7/2008 deadline.

April 4, 2008 - Staff reports that no proposals have been received.

May 5, 2008 - Regular Council meeting approves R. E. Alexander to facilitate a public forum on possible uses of the building.

May 27, 2008 - Community Forum on the Sundstrom Building. Fifteen unique uses for the building are proposed.

July 7, 2008 - Regular Council meeting approves structural report from engineer Arno Rinas.

June 1, 2009 - Regular Council meeting approves Davis Preservation for historic consulting.

November 2, 2009 - Regular Council meeting approves a feasibility study by Jim Heinicke to research possible use of the building as a regional conference center/meeting place.

November 7, 2009 - City notified by the State Historic Preservation Office has approved the nomination to the State Register of Historic Places.

March 1, 2010 - Regular Council meeting accepts Heinicke feasibility study which shows potential positive impact of conference center to local economy.

April 6, 2010 - Voters approve a local sales tax for property tax relief, infrastructure and economic development.

September 7, 2010 - Council Study Session to review presentations for architectural services related to designing the Sundstrom Conference Center.

November 1, 2010 - Regular Council meeting approves proposal from WDM Architects for a phase 1 design based on renovating the building using historic tax credits.

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Change For Lindsborg...Past & Present ♦ Due to the foresight of City Council, the Lindsborg Convention & Visitors Bureau was founded.

♦ Dedicated volunteer CVB Citizen Advisory Board members actively support and engage in an established foundation while encouraging the growth and heritage of Lindsborg.

♦ A recognizable brand of Lindsborg’s Dala Horse has increased marketing efforts, web and advertising stability, group traffic, social media and source information for the Lindsborg community and CVB staff.

♦ CVB Director Carla J. Wilson resigns her position effective September 14, 2012 and thanks the Lindsborg community for the opportunity to serve as CVB Director.

♦ New Director...New Energy...New Ideas!

Looking Ahead... One of the goals of the Lindsborg Convention & Visitors Bureau is to install “Wayfinding” Signs throughout the community that are consistent with the current branding. At this time, CVB staff is in the process of securing funds for the Signs project. The Kansas Official Visitors Guide 2013 will hit the racks nationwide in November. Lindsborg will be represented by 21 individual business listings in the Central Prairie Region of the magazine. In addition the CVB will have a 1/8 page color ad. This is an annual publication offered by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism. Lindsborg advertising opportunities for 2013 are being researched and reviewed as the marketing strategy is being created while incorporating a stronger web presence.

A popular program sponsored by the Community Development Department provides free weather radios to any Lindsborg resident or business. The State Weather Radio Program is a 75% - 25% reimbursement grant administered by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. Lindsborg can apply for the grant because of its participation in the recently approved County Hazard Mitigation Plan. At its regular May Meeting, City Council unanimously approved funding of up to $9,000 for the City's 25% match, meaning that more than 2,000 radios would be available for distribution. Eligible participants are owner or renter occupied households or businesses within the city limits. Within days of the grant application, the City received notice of approval from the State and was directed to begin purchasing radios. A press release announcing the program was prepared by city staff, and residents were asked to apply for the radio by filling out a simple form available at City Hall. By the end of July, over 500 First Alert Weather Model WX-17 radios had been distributed to citizens. In most dangerous weather injury or death events, a community's loss of life can be attributed to the lack of adequate early warning. The NOAA Weather (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office. NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The First Alert Weather Alert radio receives all seven NOAA weather and hazard channels as well as AM/FM bands for daily radio use. Completely portable and easy to use, the WX-17 comes with a 120 volt power adapter and has four AA-battery back-up for use during power outages, which residents are encouraged to purchase and install. To receive a free radio, residents must fill out an application form, available at City Hall, which asks for address, contact information and signature certifying that the applicant is eligible and has voluntarily requested the radio. The program is expected to only continue through the calendar year, so residents are encouraged to apply.

April 4, 2011 - After review of costs estimated for the historic renovation, Council approves a revised schematic design from WDM for a non-historic renovation.

May 23, 2011 - Council Work Session reviews renovation and finance options. Consensus is to move forward with non-historic renovation and direct staff to negotiate full design and contract administration agreement with WDM.

September 6, 2011 - Regular Council meeting approves WDM proposal for non-historic renovation design.

February 22, 2012 - Final design meeting takes place with WDM and City staff, approval given to prepare bid documents and schedule a bid date.

March 7, 2012 - JOS bid package released to the public, bid date scheduled for 3/29/2012 with contract award anticipated at 4/2 Regular Council meeting.

March 29, 2012 - Bids are opened at City Council Chambers. The apparent low bidder is Wiens Construction, Hutchinson, with a bid of $2,530,000. This amount is nearly $400,000 over the anticipated bonding budget.

April 2, 2012 - Council rejects all bids and authorizes staff to negotiate a value engineered design to reduce project construction costs.

April 27, 2012 - In coordination with Wiens Construction, WDM finishes a revised construction design that retains only the north wall of the structure, removes the basement, and builds out the entire 2nd floor of the new building.

May 11, 2012 - Wiens presents a $2.1 million design with alternates to staff at meeting with WDM representatives in Wichita.

May 30, 2012 - At a Special Council meeting, Council approves the Wiens proposal with selected alternates in the amount of $2,215,000. WDM is directed to develop full construction documents based on alternates.

July 16, 2012 - Wiens Construction receives “Notice to Proceed” and announces work fence to be placed week of 8/13/12.

Keeping Children Safe is the driving force of a group called Safe Kids of McPherson County. The organization works with providing information as well as safety equipment to help keep our kids safe. They provide information that covers car seat use, bicycle safety, and making your home safe. Car crashes remain the number one killer of children in the United States and nationwide. 80% of car seats are NOT installed correctly. When installing car seats for: Infants - Use a rear facing infant only car seat as long as possible. Minimum of 1 year and 20 lbs. Harness straps below or at shoulder level. Toddlers - Car seats can be changed from a rear to a forward facing car seat for toddlers. Harness straps should be above or at shoulder level. Young Children - Those who have outgrown their car seat should graduate to a booster seat. Booster seats must be used with a lap and shoulder belt. Make sure the lap belt is low and tight across the hips and the shoulder belt fits snug crossing the chest and shoulder to avoid abdominal injuries. Seat Belts - Children are ready for seat belts when they can sit in a car seat with their knees naturally bent at the seat’s edge and the seat belt still fits them correctly.

NOTE: All children under the age of 14 are safer in the back seat. Front seat airbags can harm a child as well as an unrestrained adult.

For car seat installation, help or questions call: (620) 241-9595 or (620) 241-2250 ext 439 or send an e-mail to safekidsmcphersoncounty@hotmail.com.

There always seems to be some debate as to the legality of low powered vehicles on city streets. Someone sees a scooter type vehicle that would be nice to get around instead of driving a car. Citizens may read the law and see that if the scooter motor is under 50cc then it’s considered or classified as a motorized bicycle and they can ride it around.

Upon review by the City Attorney and Prosecutor the explanation of this law is that any type of small scooter vehicle may be driven on the street if it can be legally tagged. If the scooter cannot be tagged then it is illegal to ride it on city streets. Motorized bicycles must have pedals and a helper motor to be classified as a motorized bicycle. If a scooter has a deck similar to a skateboard then it is considered a motorized skateboard and there is a specific law that does not allow motorized skateboards to be operated on city streets.

The year 2008 was as good as it gets for weather in the state of Kansas. The temperatures were moderate; snow and rainfall were plentiful and timely. You could almost forget that for the previous six years we’d been experiencing a moderate to severe drought. Unfortunately, even though everything on the surface looked green and bountiful, one year of good precipitation cannot replenish the Equus Beds Aquifer from which the City of Lindsborg draws its water. Although we have reserves that will last some time into the future, now is the time to start conserving this very valuable resource.

So what can you do? First, use your water meter to check for leaks. Pick a period when no water is used for about two hours. Take a reading before and after the two hour period. Is it exactly the same? It should be. If not, start looking for your leak. A dripping faucet (20 drips per minute) will leak almost 700 gallons a year. Could it be your toilet? Put a little food dye in the tank. If, within 30 minutes the dye shows up in the bowl, you have a leak. Got the leaks fixed? Now start conserving. Put a brick in the toilet tank to reduce the volume of water used in a flush. Don’t use the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket. New or replaced stools should be “low volume”, which use 1 to 2 gallons per flush instead of 3 to 5. Install low flow shower heads and faucet aerators. Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush. Only do full loads in your dishwasher or clothes washer.

What can be done outdoors? Water your lawn only when it really needs it and when you do water, deep soak instead of a light sprinkle. It is best to water in the early morning to prevent the growth of fungus. You should avoid the heat of the day when more water will evaporate. Don’t water the gutter, they still won’t grow. Mulch your garden, shrubs and trees. Use a spray nozzle on the hose when you wash your car. Sweep your sidewalks, garage and driveway instead of hosing them.

We are not in imminent danger of running out of water, but one of the best things we can do to promote the long-term health of our community is to ensure the long-term health of our water supply.

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The Lindsborg Tree Board is asking all home owners with Scots Pine to please monitor their trees for Pine Wilt. Our goal is to avoid losing a large populations of Scots Pine in our community.

The Kansas State Extension agency recommends that if pine wilt is suspected to be the cause of a tree death, it is important to confirm the presence of the pinewood nematode. Early confirmation will allow the owner to act quickly to prevent the spread of the pinewood nematode to nearby pine trees. An adequate sample is either a branch sample, at least two inches in diameter, collected near the trunk of the tree, or a wedge of wood from the lower portion of the trunk. The best time to sample is late summer/early fall due to high nematode populations. Pine wood samples should be placed in a plastic bag as soon as collected and mailed early in the week, preferably by Wednesday. There is a fee for the test. Additional fees are charged by the County.

The Välkommen Trail is getting a lot of use this summer, in spite of the heat, and not just from two-legged walkers. On any day of the week, a host of four-legged companions accompany Trail users. It's a shame that not all owners of these canine trekkers are picking up the waste that is left behind after these strolls. The City continues to receive complaints of dog owners not taking the time to remove and clean up after their pets. "The Trail is an important asset for our residents and visitors to enjoy, so we tried to make it easier for people to be more responsible with their pets," said Community Development Director Gary Shogren. In October 2011, the Parks Department installed two "Mutt Mitt" dog waste stations near each end of the trail. The easy-to-

spot stations provide free waste disposal bags in refillable containers. The dispensers are simple to use and only release one bag at a time. One station is located just south of the Trail crossing and Swensson Street, the other is at the South Trailhead on Lindsborg Street.

The City of Lindsborg welcomes the Lindsborg Golf Course Advisory Board! The newly created citizen Board consists of seven members who were appointed by the Mayor with the consent of City Council. The Lindsborg Golf Course Advisory Board is responsible for supervision and operation of the Lindsborg Golf Course. Members serve a three (3) year term and are required to live within the city limits.

LGC Advisory Board Members: Brian Bengston Nancy Lysell Jim Copple Ken Sjogren Ted Kessinger Joel Weide Bob Kissick

HEAT AWARENESS Because heat-related deaths are preventable, citizens need to be aware of those who are at risk and actions that can be taken to prevent heat-related illness or death. The elderly, children and individuals with mental illness and chronic disease are at highest risk. Even the young and healthy can also succumb to heat if they participate in strenuous physical activities during hot weather. Air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat. If a household is not air-conditioned, reduce the risk by spending time in public facilities that are air-conditioned.

MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL

CONTACT INFORMATION

MAYOR Judy Neuschafer

jneuschafer@lindsborgcity.org

COUNCILMEMBERS Ken Branch - WARD 1

kbranch@lindsborgcity.org

David Higbee - WARD 1 dhigbee@lindsborgcity.org

Becky Anderson - WARD 2 banderson@lindsborgcity.org

Betty Nelson - WARD 2 bnelson@lindsborgcity.org

Russ Hefner - WARD 3 rhefner@lindsborgcity.org

Rick Martin - WARD 3 rmartin@lindsborgcity.org

W.R. Chestnut - WARD 4 wrchestnut@lindsborgcity.org

Brad Howe - WARD 4 bhowe@lindsborgcity.org

101 S. Main Street PO Box 70

Lindsborg, Kansas 67456-0070

• Police, Fire and Ambulance: 911

• Police, Fire, Ambulance: 785-227-2988 (non-emergency) • Water, Sewer, Electric, Streets: 785-227-3428

• Water, Sewer, Electric, Streets: 785-227-3469 (after hours, weekends and holidays)

• City Council Meetings - September 4 (Tuesday), October 1, November 5

• Recycling Center - (OPEN 24/7)

• Chamber of Commerce Street Dance - August 25

• Labor Day - September 3 (City Offices Closed)

• La Strada del’ Arte - October 6

• Falun Classic - October 14

• Halloween - October 31

• Broadway RFD Fall Production - TBA

• Election Day - November 6

• Veteran’s Day - November 11 (City Offices Closed)

• Thanksgiving Day - November 22, 23 (City Offices Closed)

• City View Newsletter - Issue 24 (mid-November 2012)