City of McLouth
SPRING
2 0 1 5
A word from Mayor Keith Meador
Spring 2015
Good Day Everyone:
Over the past few years I
have asked a number of
times to get your assistance
in keeping our city clean,
and with your help we’ve
been doing rather well,
Thank You!
Please keep up the good
work. I would like to comment on a few things that
have been recently occurring
on our city streets.
A few years ago the city
passed an ordinance addressing the type of off road vehicles that can be on our
streets. Work Site Utility
Vehicles (UTV) are legal,
with the City of McLouth
Code. (Chapter 14. Article 3)
In recent weeks there have
been a number of ATV’s and
non street legal motorcycles
on our streets. This needs to
stop please.
These vehicles are not designed to be on asphalt and
concrete streets. They aren’t
safe to be driven on our
streets.
Also the people that have
been speeding on our residential streets need to slow
down. We have a lot of
young people walking on our
streets. The speed limits and
the stop signs are in place for
a reason, please obey them.
Recently there has been a
vehicle tearing up Rose Park
and Prairie Park, by doing
donuts in the grass and tearing up the soil, please stop
this. Our parks aren’t for
mudding and tearing up they
are for families to enjoy.
We have a number of events
this spring and summer coming up so let’s enjoy all of
them and be safe.
-Mayor Meador
U t i l i t y S u p e r i n t e n d e n t G a r y Tu l l i s
Inside this issue:
Administrator/Clerk
2
Patriots Day
2
Information you can
use!
3
Level Payment/ACH
4
McLouth Police Dept 5-7
Fire Department
7
2015 Consumer Con- 8-9
fidence Report
Winter is about over ,
spring is almost here
time to think about
summer projects. One
of the main projects is
to try to get some of our
streets asphalted and
potholes patched. The
streets that appear to
be in the worst need for
repair are Granite from
Lucy to K16 and Cedar
from Cynthia to Lucy,
but will depend upon
bids received and
budget available.
We also have Dukes
Root Control coming in
to check and spray some
of our sewer mains for
roots. This is EPA approved and will not
harm any trees. But
roots are not our main
cause of blockage disinfecting wipes and shop
towels are. Please do
not flush either of them
they do not dissolve
they cling to the pipe
and build up till they
cause a blockage.
Our wells have recovered and are at normal
pool. We still continue
to monitor them
monthly to assure that
they stay at the normal
pool range.
We would like to thank
everyone who attempted to keep their
vehicles off the streets
on the days we had to
push snow .
-Gary Tullis
Calendar of Events
April 18:
Patriots Day
June 6:
BBQ Blow Out
Sept. 18, 19 & 20:
Threshing Bee
D e c e mb e r 5 :
Tree Lighting
Page 2
City of McLouth
C i t y A d m i n i s t r a t o r / C l e r k K i m E v e r l e y, C M C
Happy Spring! It’s been a long cold winter but we missed out on a lot of the snow that so many communities received. I would like to give you an update of future events.
Streets:
We plan on doing some street repairs this year. Lovers Lane is on the list. There was a bit of
damage done by a contractor when they were working in town. I’ve kept in contact with them
and they are going to take care of that issue. They have offered to pay for that section when we
bring in the asphalt company for other repairs. I’m holding them to their word. Other streets to
consider are listed under the Utility Superintendent’s report.
Sewer:
The sewer system is something many folks don’t think about. We here at City Hall think about
it often. We conduct many preventative measures to keep the sewer flowing. This year we are
going to try a new product. You might see a truck come around your neighborhood putting a
foam product down the manhole. The treatment is made to prevent roots from growing in the
sewer line. The company is licensed and the product is EPA approved. Not only does it kill the
roots but it will also control the grease. As many of you know, we take pride in keeping our
system maintained and working properly. With that said, we need your help to insure the system can do that. You can help by: 1) Not planting trees close to the sewer lines. 2) Not flushing
baby wipes or cleaning wipes down the drain. 3) Don’t throw unnecessary items in the toilet.
i.e.: Kleenex, cotton balls, paper towels, napkins, feminine products, and GREASE. By doing
these simple things, we can keep the sewers running freely without any repair expense. Everyone knows that keeping up with maintenance is the best way to keep things running smoothly.
Water:
We all love water. Baths, laundry, drinking and all of the many wonderful ways that we use water. We need to make certain that our children and grandchildren have water as well. Be sure to
shut it off, when you are not using it. Brushing your teeth and leaving the water running is one
of the biggest wastes of water. Be conscious of the water that goes straight down the drain that is money flowing away. Improvements have been made at the water plant. Gary has installed new heaters and added a propane tank. If you all remember last winter, as cold as it
was, we had heater failure. This caused freezing and problems. We should not have an issue
like that again. We have no scheduled water projects. We will conduct regular maintenance
items but nothing big has been planned. Let’s hope it stays that way.
“Big Day in a Small
Town”
McLouth
Patriots
Day
April 18, 2015
Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 3
Wa y s Y O U c a n h e l p !
When to Vote:
April 7, 2015
Where to Vote:
McLouth Fire Station
Baby Wipe and Cleansing
Wipes
Do not flush
Throw it in the Trash!
Little reminder that some
of these products “claim”
to dissolve when flushed.
That really is not the case.
We do not want anything
going down the drain that
could cause issues. Please
make certain you throw
them away….not flush
them away. Thank you!
Water leaking from dripping faucets, showerheads and worn toilet flappers in one average American home can account for more
than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every
year, or the amount of water needed to wash 270 loads
of laundry. These types of leaks are often easily correctable, in many cases requiring only a few tools and
hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings.
Fixing household water leaks can save homeowners
about 10 percent on their water bills. Fix it and Save!!!
104 W. Lucy Street
McLouth, KS 66054
Time to Vote:
7am to 7pm
*****************************************
City of McLouth: 3 Council Positions
5 Candidates – George Bowen, Dixie Jones, Don
Nowak, J. Michael Woodhead, Harlan Woodring
*****************************************
USD 342:
Position 1 Nathan Jolley, 20216 K92 Hwy, McLouth, KS 66054
Position 2 Andy Sullivan, 8459 259th St., McLouth, KS 66054
Position 3 Dean Wolfe, 17024 54th St, McLouth, KS 66054
Position 7 Michael Clark, 5727 Wellman Rd, McLouth, KS
66054
Position 7 Kim Troupe, 9601 Wildhorse Rd, McLouth, KS 66054
Position 7 Scott Weissenbach, P.O. Box 104, McLouth, KS
66054
*this information per the Jefferson County Web Site
Dumpster Etiquette: We all want to clean up!
Please make certain that everyone gets a chance. The City is
provided with 6 dumpsters a year, free of charge, per our S.M.
Ball contract. Dumpster Usage is for:
-Utility Residents only! - No businesses!
Need to dig?
Call 811 first!
-ONE Truck load per day, per household!
It’s free—They will notify all of the utility
No: Tires, Oil, Paint or Combustible
companies that you need to stay safe.
Fluids, if in doubt, do not put it in the dumpster!
Know your Number
I am referring to your house number. Long ago, the City worked with the County to establish the house numbers for the 911 Emergency Service. Over time, some of the house numbers have become incorrect. It is important that you display your house numbers, on the front of your home. In the event of an emergency, you
want the emergency personnel to locate your home quickly and without question. In addition to emergency
situations, you need to make certain your information is correct for correspondence reasons. In talking with
Westar, I found that many of the addresses listed for homes and businesses where not correct. This can create confusion when you want to change or disconnect services. Please take a little bit of time and:

Verify your address with your City Bill, if in question call: 913-796-6411

Display the correct address, in large numbers, on the front of your home

Check your mail, many residents receive their mail to a P.O. Box, check the account
address to make certain that your address is correct.

Rest easy, knowing that if you have an emergency, help can find you!
Page 4
City of McLouth
Level Pay/ACH
Level Payment Time -
On line services available:
Www.CityofMcLouth.org
A convenience fee will apply
Does it seem hard to juggle the winter time
bills? During the month of March, up to mid
April, the City of McLouth, offers enrollment for LEVEL PAYMENT. We calculate
your level payment amount based on your
past 12 months account history. Call or Stop
by City Hall to see what that amount will be.
Sign an agreement form. We can start the
agreed amount on your next billing, it’s that
easy!
You’ll receive your monthly bill, it will provide you with your usage information along
with your amount due, per your agreement. It
will also provide you with the balance in
your utility account.
If you decide Level Pay isn’t for you, contact City Hall. The account balance will be
refunded, minus any balance due and you
can resume your regular monthly payment.
ACH – The most convenient way to pay
your City Bill! Fill out the form, attach a
voided check, bring it all to City Hall. We
will take it from there. You will be mailed
your monthly bill, it will include all of
your usage and inform you of the amount
and date your account will be drafted. The
draft will be made at midnight on the 15th
of every month. If that date falls on a
weekend or holiday, it will draft the next
day. You will never be charged a late fee
again!
Bundle Level Pay with ACH and your City
bill will be taken care of!
Set up your Level Payment agreement,
provide your ACH information, that will
start the process. Your account will be
drafted the same amount, at the same time,
every month. No late fees, no large bills,
no surprises!
Pet Registration
renewal time is here!
As you have read before the City
has been forced to change software. Thomas Reutter, our current software company, has decided to discontinue supporting
Cities. What does this mean to
you? It means that we may not be
able to address your needs as
quickly as you would like for the
next couple of months.
and our data has been converted
from the old system to the new
system, training has begun. This
is where patience comes into
play. We will be learning a new
system at the same time that we
are assisting customers on the
old system. Other programs that
will be converted are Bank Reconciliation, Payroll and Utilities.
Permits expire on June 30
CIC, Computer Information Concepts, Inc. is the winning software company. I reviewed, tested,
talked with and renegotiated with
3 companies. CIC seems to offer
the best programs, for a city of
our size, at the best price. The
new installation has already
started. We are in the conversion
phase of the budgeting program.
Once the software is installed
We will be training on the new
system for the next couple of
months. Training should be over
at the end of May when our May
bill will be processed. It will be
process using the new CIC system
Late Fee:
We do appreciate your understanding during this very busy
and time consuming learning
time.
Bring a copy of the Rabies Vaccination
with you, upon registering
Fees:
$8.00 fertile
$5.00 spayed or neutered
$2.00 per month/per animal
Register your animal in June
to prevent late fees
Registration is good
from July 1st to June
30th (Annually)
Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 5
SPRING 2015
MCLOUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT
Marcus F. Koch – Chief of Police
Greetings to everyone in McLouth! It is always great to feel warmer temperatures and see more people out
and about as the weather becomes nicer. Please, be cognizant of increased vehicular and pedestrian traffic
as you move around town.
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY AND ENFORCEMENT:
As your police department, we are committed to protecting people and property and it is our duty to enforce
the laws that are established by our governing bodies. As a community, we all have a role in maintaining that
equation. What we do does have an effect on others. Some people choose to promote and increase safety
and closely obey the laws. Others choose to ignore these aspects of good citizenship and ultimately decrease
safety by doing what they want because, for some reason, they act as if the law does not apply to them or it is
an inconvenience to them. We would like to see everyone make every effort to make McLouth a safe and
pleasant place to live, work and go to school and church by abiding by the laws that are ultimately in place for
the overall good of everyone in the community.
NEW POLICE OFFICER:
After several months of being short-handed, I have added a new police officer. In the middle of November,
Joel Gill was hired to fill the full-time position that was vacated at the end of July. If you do not already know
him (and many of you do), Joel is from McLouth and a 2006 graduate of McLouth High School. Joel served
several years as a correctional officer for the Kansas Department of Corrections at Lansing Penitentiary. On
April 10th, Joel will graduate from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center after very competently completing the vigorous 14-week training program. Joel is excellent in working with young people, having already
been an assistant athletic coach at the school so you will see him interacting at many school games and functions. I am confident that Joel will be very dedicated and employ a community-policing and a pro-active approach to his duties, with a focus on public safety. The increased police coverage should be evident.
CODE ENFORCEMENT:
As winter gives way to spring, it becomes a great time to start or continue the cleanup process in town. At
the direction of the City Council and the ordinances, it is the responsibility of the officers of this city to see that
codes are enforced and to take action when violations are observed and/or reported.
I have delegated the majority of the Health and Welfare code enforcement to Police Officer Paul Juedes and
have designated him as the Code Enforcement Officer. He is charged with the administration and enforcement of specific codes that will address a number of situations that are or become out of compliance. Special
attention will be given to the downtown area as we continue to work on the improvement of this area.
If you were to be contacted by our department regarding a code violation, please be respectful of the process
and/or of the officer performing his job. I am asking everyone’s help and cooperation to see that everyone is in
compliance with the code. Areas of concern include, but are not limited to the following:
Continued to page 6
Page 6
City of McLouth
HEALTH NUISANCES:
Unlawful:

Exterior conditions (yard)
-the scattering over or the parking, leaving, depositing or accumulation on the yard of any of the
following:
1. lumber, wire, metal, tires, concrete, masonry products, plastic products, supplies,
equipment, machinery, auto parts, junk or refuse
2. abandoned motor vehicles
3. furniture, stoves, refrigerators, televisions, sinks, bicycles, lawn mowers, or other
such items of personal property
4. nauseous substances, carcasses of dead animals or places where animals are kept
in an offensive manner

Exterior conditions (structure)
-deteriorated, dilapidated or unsightly:
1. exteriors of any structure
2. exteriors of any accessory structure
3. fences, walls, or retaining walls
Unlawful:

Junked motor vehicles on private property
(does not apply to vehicles enclosed in a garage or other building; parking or storing for 30 consecutive days or less; businesses in compliance with existing zoning regulations or with placement behind
sufficient screening from public view and to prohibit access by children):
-Junked, wrecked, dismantled, inoperative or abandoned
*Any one of the following conditions shall raise the presumption that a vehicle is junked,
wrecked or inoperable:
1. absence of a current registration plate
2. absence of one or more parts of the vehicle necessary for the lawful operation of the vehicle upon street of highway
Unlawful

Weeds and grasses on or about residential property which, because of its height, has a blighting influence on the neighborhood. Any such weeds and indigenous grasses shall be presumed to be
blighting if they exceed 12 inches in height
ANIMAL CONTROL:
All dogs and cats that are owned and kept within the city limits are to be registered at City Hall; which would involve providing proof of rabies vaccination, the payment of a nominal license fee and then displaying the registration tag on the pet’s collar or harness
Prohibited: dogs and cats that run at large within the city limits
Prohibited: more than 3 dogs kept at a residence/location within the city limits
Prohibited: pit bull-type dogs (dogs which have the appearance and characteristics of being predominantly of the
breeds of dogs known as Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier or American pit bull terrier)
that are kept within the city limits
Continued to page 7
Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 7
Fire department
Even though we have seen cold temperatures this winter, we did not get the moisture that we needed. With that being stated, the grass is
very dry. The fire departments have already been very busy since February with out of control grass fires. You MUST have a burn permit
to be able to burn outside and then you have to call the day you are wanting to burn to see if burning is allowed that day.
Per City Code 7-205. OPEN BURNING, REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES.
(a) Open burning within the City Limits shall be permitted only under the following conditions:
1. A permit must first be obtained from the City Clerk during normal business hours, and from the Fire Chief or Assistant Fire Chief at all other times.
2. Issuance of a permit shall be at the discretion of the City Clerk or Fire Chief or Assistant Fire Chief, and based upon
the Fire Danger Index for the day requested. The Fire Danger Index is based upon current temperature, wind speed and
humidity conditions.
3. Permits shall be valid for one calendar year.
4. Burning shall be permitted only during daylight hours.
5. Burning shall be limited to brush, tree limbs, lumber, leaves. Paper and cardboard materials may be burned only in
an enclosed container covered by a wire mesh or similar, non-combustible material.
(b) This section shall apply to all residential and commercial persons and entities.
(c) Violation of this section shall be enforced by any member of the Police Department, Fire Department, or city building inspector, irrespective of how reported or discovered. Violators shall be issued a Notice To Appear in Municipal
Court.
(d) Violation of this section shall constitute a code violation, with the maximum penalty to be a determinate jail term of
not more than 30 days, and/or a fine not to exceed $500. Each separate date of a violation shall constitute a distinct
and separate offense, punishable as a separate violation.
(Ord. 2001-04; Code 2012)
Individuals to contact about a burn permits are: Keith Meador, City Fire Chief, at 913-683-9403; Marie Meador, Captain, at 913-683-9268 or 913-796-6982; Patrick Bartlett, Township Fire Chief at 785-691-8979; or City Hall at 913-7966411.
Jefferson County now has a new Code Red Weather Warning which will alert you to local emergencies for example:
evacuation notices, severe weather conditions, bio-terrorism alerts, boil water notices or missing child reports. Go to
the http://www.jfcountyks.com/ and click on the Code Red Weather Warning symbol in the lower right corner of the
page. Then just fill in the requested information. You can get alerts to your home phone, cell phone or e-mail. This a
great way to stay informed on emergencies in your local area.
Page 8
City of McLouth
2015 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
Per KDHE, the City of McLouth must distribute our CCR report
to all utility customers.
Additional copies may be picked up at City Hall, USD 342,
Leavenworth-Jefferson Electric Coop or the Library. Copies will
be included in the Spring Newsletter for the City of McLouth.
Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 9
First Class
US Postage
City of McLouth
Paid
Permit No. 8
McLouth, KS
SPRING 2015
City of McLouth
110 N Union Street
McLouth, KS 66054
Phone: 913-796-6411
Fax: 913-796-6131
Web: www.cityofmclouth.org
Email: [email protected]
************************
Scrap Metal
Dealer’s
Registration
_________________
Per the State of Kansas &City of
McLouth Code 2012
There is requirement
from the state of Kansas, anyone who engages in the business
of buying and dealing
in regulated scrap
metal and purchases,
gathers, collects, solicits, or procuring of
regulated scrap metal,
must have a permit.
The permit may be
purchased, at City
Hall, FOR $250.00,
after completing the
application process.
Please see Chapter 5,
Article 3 of the City
of McLouth Code.
On-line or at City
Hall, for details.
PUBLIC NOTICE
* FYI…Several laws pertaining to POLITICAL
SIGNS as per the McLouth City Zoning Book
are as follows:
************************
played for not more than sixty (60) days.
17-103. GENERAL SIGN REQUIREMENTS.
2. To prevent the obstruction of traffic visibility and
confusion with traffic control devices resulting from
improperly placed and designed signs.
1. Traffic Safety. No sign shall be maintained at any
location where it may interfere with the view of, or
where it may obstruct view of, or interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic. Nor shall any sign be placed in
the visibility triangle as defined in these Regulations, or
project into said area unless the bottom edge of the
projecting sign is at least twelve (12) feet above the
centerline grade of the intersecting streets.
17-102 DEFINITIONS. For the purposes of this Article,
certain terms, phrases and words used throughout
this Article shall have the meaning assigned them in
this section.
6. SIGNS NOT TO BE LOCATED WITHIN PUBLIC RIGHTOF-WAY. No sign shall be erected, constructed or maintained within the right-of-way of any street, avenue,
highway, alley, or upon public ground within the City.
1. GENERAL
h. Sign. Any advertising device or
surface placed out-of-doors, when in view of the
general public, which conveys information or identification. Included in this definition of “sign” shall be
any structure used for said display and all sign supports.
17-104. PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS.
Chapter XVII. DISTRICT SIGN REGULATIONS
Article 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
17-101 SCOPE, OBJECTIVES:
2. CLASSIFICATION OF SIGNS.
a. Functional Types of Signs.
(10) Political Sign. A sign pertaining to the announcement of an individual being a candidate for an elective political office. Any such sign exceeding thirtytwo (32) square feet of gross surface area shall be
classified as an off-site sign and regulated accordingly.
(14) Temporary Sign. Any on-site sign, including, but,
not limited to, signs of lightweight cardboard, airborne, plastic or paper material, intended to be dis-
PERMIT and fees not required per paragraph 5 of this
section and line 1 which states:
1. Political signs, when located on private property with
the permission of the owner or tenants, provided that
not more than four (4) signs shall be allowed for each
street frontage per zoning lot. Total area of all signs
shall not exceed sixty-four (64) square feet per zoning
lot. All signs shall be removed within seven (7) days
following the election in which the candidate is elected
to office or is eliminated from further participation in
the election as a candidate.
*Note: This section is not a complete listing of the zoning laws for signage. For a complete copy of the zoning
laws please review the Zoning Book for McLouth, Ks.
Located at McLouth City Hall, Chapter XVII DISTRICT
SIGN REGULATIONS in its entirety.