Council tables decision on city board applicants

Patrick Fisher, Staff Writer

The New Prague City Council agreed to table its decision on the majority of applicants for city boards and commissions during its Monday meeting.

Councilmember Duane Jirik said he believed applicants to the boards and commissions should be residents of New Prague. He said since the organizations were proposing to spend city taxes, then it would be better if those proposing the spending were residents.

Mayor W.A. Bink Bender agreed that framework should cover most of the groups with the golf board being an exception, since residents and non-residents both use the New Prague Golf Club.

Councilmember Kay Wilcox also favored the option and was willing to extend the deadline for applications to various boards.

The consensus of the council was to ask for more applicants and make decisions on board selections at its next meeting.

New Prague City Administrator Jerry Bohnsack said a decision on the New Prague Utility Commission, however, had to be made right away.

The council unanimously approved Richard Jordan as a member of the utility commission.

On Tuesday, Jan. 22, the council will vote on other board appointments - two for the park board, two for the golf board and two for the EDA (Economic Development Association).

Reorganization

The council reorganized for 2008, unanimously approving the same council assignments to boards and commissions as last year. They include Utility Commission - Jirik; EDA - Bender and Jim Kratochvil; Golf Board - Jennifer Flicek; Park Board - Wilcox; Planning and Zoning Commission - Kratochvil and Wilcox; and Joint Powers - Kratochvil.

The 2008 depositories were approved, and The New Prague Times was named the official newspaper.

In other matters, the council unanimously approved vacating the former Sixth Street NW. The street was reconstructed recently, moving it to the north so it lines up with Seventh Street NW near Chart Industries. The land was vacated although not the utilities underneath.

The council also unanimously approved a conditional use permit allowing an addition on the north side of the New Prague Area School District bus garage. The addition will include a lean-to that will be used for the storage of district vans.