Auditorium to get screen, scoreboards

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By Brandy Nance (Contact)

Thursday, July 17, 2008

White Auditorium will get a major facelift with electronic equipment and floors following a vote by city commissioners during Wednesday evening’s meeting.

Commissioners approved an expenditure of $156,500 for electronic equipment and refinishing of the floors in White Auditorium. Equipment includes a 10 mm large video screen, a four-sided scoreboard and related accessories and software. Emporia will be the first in the area to use the 10 mm screen, which is the best technology currently available. All the scoreboards will be electronic as a result of this improvement. The floors will be refinished by Acme Floors.

“The reason for doing this is economic development,” Commissioner Jim Kessler said.

Kessler said the upgrades to White Auditorium prove to a lot of different groups the city is willing to keep the building up and wants large events in Emporia.

In other items:

• Commissioners awarded the bid of parking enforcement in the downtown area to Strawder Security in the amount of $19,500 for the first year; $19,600 for the second and third years; $19,700 for the fourth year and $19,800 for the fifth year. Strawder came in under Solis & Solis, which bid $21,759.37 for the first year of the contract. Solis & Solis has held the contract since July 1996.

• The city’s broadcast on the Channel 8 in Emporia, the government access channel, will move to Channel 18. This resulted after Emporia State University and USD 253 reached an agreement with Cable One on a division of programming time between the two entities on Channel 8. ESU asked the city to consider moving to Channel 18 to allow for ESU’s desire to have expanded programming. This move also will give the city a dedicated government channel and will allow the city to expand programming in the future.

• The commission passed an amendment to the fuel surcharge rates with Hamm Quarry for the transportation and disposal of solid waste. The contract started in 2000 at a base price of $22 per ton for disposal of municipal solid waste and it now is $27.55 per ton. Hamm was seeking an increase in the fuel surcharge based upon rising diesel prices. The surcharge amendment was capped at $6 a gallon. Lyon County commissioners are expected to support the motion as well.

• Commissioners passed a proclamation declaring July 26 as “Kansas All-Star Football Shrine Bowl Day” and recognized Emporia High football player Edd Noonan.

• Commissioners passed a proclamation designating the first Sunday in May each year as “Peter Pan Park Builders Day” for the community to get together annually to have a picnic.

• Commissioners appointed seven members to the Accessibility Advisory Committee. Carrie Boettcher, Shanti Ramcharan and Basil Kessler were appointed for three-year terms. Shawn Honea and John Gatlin were appointed for two-year terms. Kayla Oney and Lennie Armstrong were appointed for one-year terms.