400 block of New Jersey open to two-way traffic

For at least four decades, the 400 block of New Jersey Avenue — the block that ran in front of the former Central Elementary School in Holton — has been a one-way street where school buses and other traffic were only allowed to travel south.

On Monday, the Holton City Commission made that block a two-way street.

Commissioners took action during Monday’s regular meeting to open New Jersey between Fourth and Fifth streets to northbound traffic now that Central School is closed and students in third through fifth grades are gearing up for their first year at the new Holton Elementary School, City Manager Kerwin McKee said.

The commission had heard a suggestion from Holton businessman John Chiles during the Aug. 1 meeting to open that block to two-way traffic since Central School had been closed. McKee said that he had talked to Holton USD 336 Superintendent Dennis Stones about Chiles’ request, and Stones said he had no problem with granting Chiles’ wish.

Also in agreement with Chiles was Holton Street Superintendent Greg Tanking, who told commissioners that he had spoken with the Kansas Department of Transportation about moving an electronic speed limit sign posted near the former school to a location near the new school. It was noted that the sign will later be placed on Fifth Street near Keller Avenue.

In other business on Monday, commissioners:

* Approved minutes from the commission’s Aug. 1 meeting and budget appropriations made since that meeting.

* Approved the city’s budget for fiscal year 2017. No public comments were heard during a public hearing on the budget, held prior to the regular commission meeting.

* Approved a zoning change for Justin and Darlene Selley, who sought downzoning of a residential structure located at 125 E. Fourth St. — the former Holton House restaurant and inn — from C-2 (commercial) zoning to R-1 (single family residential) zoning. An ordinance on the zoning change appears on Page 9 of today’s Recorder.

* Approved the closing of Emerald Drive from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27 for a neighborhood block party.

* Approved renewal of an annual contract with Waste Management for residential trash pickup in the city, with no proposed rate increases. The city’s contract with Waste Management for residential trash pickup each Wednesday runs from Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2017, and monthly residential charges of $10 ($7 for senior citizens) are collected for Waste Management by the city.

* Approved a resolution putting the position of codes enforcement officer — McKee’s former position — back into the city’s salary and wage schedule. The position had been removed in 2010 when McKee was named assistant city manager.

* Learned that demolition of a residential structure located at 1003 Kansas Ave. was complete. The city declared the structure a public nuisance earlier this year and gave owner John Zibell an Aug. 16 deadline for demolition of the structure.

The Holton City Commission regularly meets at 7 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of each month at Holton City Hall. The next meeting, however, will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6, due to the regular meeting date falling on Labor Day. For more information, or to be placed on the agenda of an upcoming meeting, call City Hall at 364-2721.