BUHLER, Kan. — The Buhler City Council discussed a proposal to implement a franchise fee on utility bills during last night’s meeting. The proposal from Mayor Daniel Friesen seems to have support from the council.

According to City Clerk Merrill Peterson, the fee would be used for capital improvement projects with a majority steered toward street repairs.

The number that was tossed around by the council in the proposal was a 2.5 percent fee on the utility bill, which includes water, sewer and trash. With the city generating about $500,000 a year on utilities, the fee would mean about $15,000 a year for capital improvement projects.

Peterson says the council hopes to have an ordinance in place for action in the next month or two.