The Harlan City Council, Tuesday, set a date for a public hearing on the next three phases of the 2014 Sewer Rehabilitation project. City Administrator Terry Cox reported the three phases were combined to help receive bids from contractors. The estimated cost of the project is $650,000. A public hearing will be held at the next Harlan City Council meeting, Tuesday, November 19^th, with bids coming to the city between the 19^th and their first December meeting.

Cox said even though it is three phases, he believes the project will be completed in one fiscal year. The discussion on the 2014 Sewer Rehab project was brought up first at a Public Health and Sanitation Committee meeting on October 25^th. In other business, the Harlan City Council approved the 19^th as the date for a public hearing on the sale of city owned property, 1901 Hawkeye Ave.

Cox also brought up the new Christmas lights around town which came from money from Hotel/Motel Tax and the City and was discussed at a Hotel/Motel Tax Committee meeting last week. Cox said “They were tracking the Christmas lights with the music to go with them. Knock on wood that everything works as we all plan. The tree will be placed about a week ahead of time. If you watch around town, utilities are putting up the lights. If you haven’t driven down Cyclone, all those lights are LED. They are brighter and save 50 percent energy. They look good. So if you drive around town, make sure you go down Cyclones, it looks nice.”

Harlan Municipal Utilities were placing new lights on Chatburn Ave as well. The city is planning a big lighting ceremony the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 29^th on the square in downtown Harlan.

Towards the end of the meeting, Mayor Gene Gettys read a portion of a letter from Turk Therkildsen that was sent to the Harlan Community School District as well as the city. Therkildsen was a graduate of the Harlan school district in 1955 and has since given many donations to the city including large sums for the Therkildsen Center. The letter announced two more large contributions to both the school district and city….

“So it is with continuing pride in my hometown that I commit $250,000 for the Merrill Field renovations. I am equally proud to commit $250,000 to the C.G. Therkildsen Activity Center in continuing support of an essential community activity center.”

(Joel McCall/KNOD)