A Conversation with the Barnard City Council

 At the September 6th Barnard City Council Meeting, I had the opportunity to sit down with them and discuss the things happening in the city.  There are many good things happening around our town and I figured after the last year and a half we have had, it was time for some good news.

Randy Pickering has been patching the streets.  I've seen many areas around town that have been done and he has been out there every chance he gets to work on it.  The hot weather has been helping in that project though he says the good hot days are nearing an end for this season.  He is trying to beat the end of the heat by getting as much as possible done.  Barb said that they are still trying to located grants and funding for more street repair and replacement.  The city is also looking to acquire a grapple hook for projects.

Randy also mentioned that when his contract runs out next, he will be retiring from the sanitation service and selling Ran-Dan.  After over 30 years, he says it is time for him to leave that and focus on his fence connector business which does nationwide business.

Nancy Houghton said that Nancy's Fancies was still doing well and the Wednesday nights were successful.  She said as long as people are wanting it, she will continue to do it.

The sewer lift station is a continuing concern though.  The city has been able to keep it going but is looking for funds to replace it.  They have applied for grants, but so far have been unsuccessful.  They will continue to make this one functional as long as they can.

I asked the council about rumors of Barnard unincorporating.  They were adamant that there were no plans in the foreseeable future for that.  They did not regard that as an option at this time.  One thing that was pointed out is that everybody that is in Barnard now is here because they want to be here.  

Going...Going...GONE!

The Barnard city council was accepting bids for the cafe building in Barnard, Kansas.  The city had advertised for the previous month for interested parties to purchase the building with the city reserving the right to refuse any and all bids.  Two bids were received.  One bid was for $2500 and was submitted by Gary Segal who was from Hunter.  His intention was to run it as a cafe.  It would have benefited Barnard by continuing as a restaurant.  The other bid was from Barnard city council member, Nancy Houghton, for $3000.  Nancy said she was going to use it to house her arts and crafts and possibly her baking.  She has no intention of running it as a restaurant.  The city went with coucilperson Houghton's bid.

The cafe had troubles remaining open since Betty Loy closed her cafe, Betty's Place, over a decade ago.  Since then, several had tried to run it but those efforts were plagued by arbitrary hours of operation, varying quality of food, and hospitality.  A few years ago, angel donors donated money to the city for the purchase and maintenance of the building in hopes that it would continue to be a vibrant part of community life as a restaurant.  The last tenant vacated the building about a year ago after being in business a year.  During the last part of 2013, a pipe burst causing damage and the city collected $6000 in money from the insurance company for repairs.  The city decided to keep the money and place the building up for sale as is leaving the U.S. Postal Service as the only downtown business left in Barnard.  The Cargill leased elevator continues to serve coffee and candy for the morning social crowd.

Krystal Pickering Joins Husband on Barnard City Council

Krystal Pickering was appointed by the Barnard city council to the position on the council that has been vacant for a couple of years.  The appointment was made at the May council meeting.

Barnard City Election Results

These are the Barnard election results obtained from the Lincoln County Clerk's office.

David Abell            23
Wayne Wallace        8

Nancy Houghton     23
Travis Zirkle             7

Randy Pickering      22
Monty Fuller             9

Water Payment Notice

Barnard Dog License Notice

Different Faces Appear in Line Up for Barnard City Council Elections in April

Three people have filed to run for election against the three current members up for election on the Barnard city council.  Alfred Wayne Wallace, Travis Zirkle, and William M. "Monty" Fuller registered at the Lincoln County Courthouse as candidates for Barnard city council elections to be held in April 2013.

Alfred Wayne Wallace, known around Barnard simply as Wayne, comes from one of Barnard's oldest families.  Wayne is running for Mayor of Barnard.  He raised his family on the farm his family homesteaded around the time of Barnard's founding.  He currently farms that same farmstead with his son and grandsons.  He comes from a long line of Wallaces that have been in public service.  Wayne has served in the military as well as having served as Lincoln County Commissioner and Mayor of Barnard.

Travis Zirkle is running for Barnard city council position 1.  He is a teacher by profession with extensive management experience in business and finance.  He recently completed his Master's degree in special education.  Travis has interned in the Kansas House of Representatives, has been on the founding boards of two successful historic preservation organizations, and served on the governing board of his church.  One of his current projects is the Barnard Banter which is now in its second year of publication with a readership of about 15,000 people in over 40 countries around the world.  He also organized the community free movie night this last June that featured "Joyful Noise" and is working on another movie night for this coming summer.  He is fascinated by Barnard's rich history and believes that the city has tremendous potential.

William M. "Monty" Fuller is running for Barnard city council position 2.  Monty has been in the Barnard community for many years now and thinks of it as a wonderful and peaceful place to live.  He has a degree in business administration from St. Edward's University in Austin, TX.  He has served on the board of directors of several organizations as well as on the governing board of his church.  Monty currently volunteers at the Lord's Diner in Wichita, a facility that provides meals for people who are homeless or on limited incomes.  Monty bought the former Matyas building in downtown Barnard with the hopes of starting a community library and gym while providing additional community gathering space.

Caught Up!

All of the current and backlogged city council documents have been posted.  Sorry I was late in getting them up.  My last semester was alarmingly busy.  Now I have time.  Oh Happy Day!

City Council Elections Coming Up In April

There are three Barnard city council positions that are up for election in April.  Those positions are:

Mayor, currently held by David Abell
Position 1, currently held by Nancy Houghton
Position 2, currently held by Randy Pickering.

According to the Lincoln County Clerk, at the time of my inquiry, no one has registered for election and the city has not sent in election notices.  The clerk informed me that filing fees were $5.  If you are interested contact her to confirm the registration procedure.

According to the Kansas League of Municipalities, the filing deadline for all city elections is NOON on January 22, 2013.  If you are interested, please confirm this with the Lincoln County Clerk's office.