HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council held its first evening meeting in years to honor repeated requests to give the public a better chance to attend. A few people did show up for what was a light agenda.

The council approved an annual contract with Burns McDonald for monitoring the Obee Landfill and 4th and Carey pollution sites. The cost of the service is $96,600.

Both sites have been under the responsibility of the city since a settlement was reached with the companies responsible for the pollution. The city received a total of around $11 million and used that money to help fund the $35 million R.O. plant.

Public Works Director Brian Clennan reported to the council that they now need to monitor the Obee Landfill site after restrictions were tightened by the EPA. Water at the site is not being pumped to the R.O. plant and is just being monitored for any movement of pollution.

The 4th and Carey site is being used for the city’s water supply and is pumped to the R.O. plant for treatment. Clennan says the pumping has reduced the pollution plume to an extent. Clennan also noted that the city now bears more costs with the elimination of a TIF district that was put in place to help fund remediation of the site. The approximately $300,000 generated from the TIF funds offset the cost of monitoring the site and the expense of pumping water to the R.O. facility.