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Parents will pay less for toddlers using the Bonner Springs Aquatic Park, after City Council members gave their approval to several fee changes at their meeting this week.

The admission fee for children 2 years old and younger at the Aquatic Park will go from $5 to $2, while admission for the Toddle Gym Time at the pool - 11 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday - will change from free admission for parents and $2 admission for children to $1 per person, adult or child.

The pool will also offer a lap-swim hour, 11 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, for $1 per person, all ages.

A departmentwide change for Parks and Recreation will be the introduction of a cancellation fee.

Parks Director Skip Dobbs told the council that while his department currently does not charge someone for dropping out of a class or program once they've already registered, making the changes and refunding fees requires additional staff time and resources, and "now there's nothing in place to compensate the department."

Except for Wyandotte County's parks department, Dobbs said, all the other cities with parks programs charge a cancellation fee.

The Bonner Springs Parks and Recreation cancellation fee will be $10.

All the fee changes were effective as of Wednesday.

The final fee change approved was for animal boarding fees for impounded pets, to $10 per day, up from $5, for animals that have been impounded four times or more, in addition to a $100 impoundment fee. The change was necessary, said Ted Stolfus, whose veterinary clinic, Kaw Valley Veterinary Clinic, 11600 Kaw Dr., serves as the city's impoundment kennel for stray pets, because of inflation and the increased price of fuel.

The new fee takes effect today. The boarding fee was last raised in 1988, said Rita Hoag, city clerk.

In other actions, the council:

¢ Approved a bid award of $55,587 by John Smith Construction for replacement of curbs on South Nettleton Avenue from Second Street to Elm Street, 131st Street from Post Drive to the cul de sac at the end of Post, and Glenwood Avenue from Nettleton Avenue to Sheidley Avenue.

The bid includes the replacement of approximately 5,000 square feet of sidewalk and the construction of four ADA-compliant ramps on South Nettleton Avenue.

The bid award will leave $18,348 in the streets budget.

¢ Approved a bid award of $188,373 by McAnany Construction for the city's 2008 mill and overlay program. The streets to receive a 2-inch mill and overlay will be South Nettleton Avenue from Second Street to Elm Street, 131st Street from Post Drive to the cul de sac at the end of Post, and Glenwood Avenue from Nettleton Avenue to Sheidley Avenue, and Shadyside Avenue from Neconi to South Park Street.

The contract includes full-depth repairs for Kansas Avenue from 132nd Street to 134th Street, and East Morse Avenue from Kansas Highway 32 to MacGrantwood.

Public Works project manager Matt Beets said the bid award leaves a balance of $24,693 for additional street repair in the Public Works budget.

¢ Approved a motion to authorize Public Works staff to negotiate a contract with Total Electric to replace the traffic signal at Front and Cedar streets for a cost not to exceed $140,000, and authorizing City Manager John Helin to sign the contract.

A report by Beets said following the city's standard purchasing policy requiring a bidding out for a project would in turn require a set of sealed engineering plans and specifications. Engineering firm Wilson and Company estimated a cost of $15,000 and a timeline of three weeks for completion of the necessary plans and specifications. In the interest of expediting the signal's replacement, Public Works staff asked Total Electric if the company could replace the traffic signal without a set of sealed plans.

The company agreed on the condition that the city waives liability for any flaws in the signal's design. The new signal will include camera detection and traffic-signal pre-emption for emergency vehicles.

Beets' report said Total Electric "has constructed similar traffic signals all over the metro area" and "has provided traffic signal maintenance and repair for the city for many years."

¢ Approved a change order for the construction of the new library for $50,777. Most of the change order - $31,614 - resulted from the discovery of debris from the building and foundation of the Sacred Heart Church building that burned down on the site. Another $19,900 of the change order arose from the need for additional asbestos abatement from the old Sacred Heart School building than originally figured in a contractor's geotechnical engineering report. Two other parts of the change order involved cost savings of $1,502 on building design and materials.

¢ Approved payment of claims for city operations for $107,994.

¢ Approved payment of Public Housing Authority claims for $14,140.

¢ Approved an amendment to the city's personnel policy on overtime pay, to include scheduled holidays and vacation time approved two weeks or more in advance as counting toward 40 hours worked.

A report by Carol Sharp, director of human resources for the city, said six of 11 nearby cities had similar policies to the one adopted by the council Monday, and estimated the cost of the change to be approximately $4,000.

¢ Approved an arcade license for Sisters Restaurant and Bar, 11657 Kaw Drive.

¢ Approved the appointment of Judy Graverson-Algaier to the Convention and Tourism Committee, to fill the term of Melinda Sells. Graverson-Algaier's term will end July 2012.

¢ Approved the minutes of its May 19 special budget retreat meeting, and the May 12 regular meeting.

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