David Hardke likes numbers… a lot.

It’s why he spent decades in banking crunching numbers for clients and counting cash for the bank. As mayor of Hazen, he may have found his dream job.

“I’m very comfortable with the finances,” said Mayor Hardke in a sitdown interview with The Grand Prairie Herald.

He noted that many of the balances in existing city accounts are starting in better financial condition than a year ago.

“We’re conservative and we’re fortunate to have a good sales tax base for our law enforcement and emergency services, our fire department and so forth. We have an excellent police force. We have an excellent volunteer fire department. They have the equipment they need on both sides, police and fire,” he said.

Hardke, 76, walked through the city budget on Tuesday, January 6 and answered questions from city council members while he offered detailed explanations of how and why he’s put forth the budget he has.

There are some major priorities that the city must budget for now so that it will have the financial resources it needs when old equipment and infrastructure give out. Hardke hopes for similar cash flow for the next three years in order to continue building reserves for big projects involving sewer and water services.

“The first thing is the priority of infrastructure that we will be leaning on for the next several years,” he said. “I’d like to say three years, but I don’t know if we can wait three years to get some of these things into place. The big thing is the two water clarifiers that we have. The clarifier is basically a first step of water production. One is 59 years old and one’s 46 years old. So they’re just about over with.”

He brags on the utility crew and its ability to stretch the lifespan of pipes, meters, and processing equipment. But he warns, there will just come a time when replacing big portions of the city’s utilities is inevitable.

“The process takes time to get the engineering studies and plans, the health department is involved,” said Hardke. “Eventually, the old plant is going to need to be replaced. But our priority right now is the clarifier. And, we have identified 5,782 feet of sewer line that needs to be replaced.”

Hazen is in need of a new animal control facility. The city council approved setting aside $8,000 a quarter this year in order to accumulate the funding needed for a new building. The new animal control center will be larger, more modern, and climate-controlled.

Other allocations approved by the city council include:

• $135,000 for garbage and trash collection;

• $57,500 for mosquito control; and

• $27,000 for the local library.

In combination with funding from various state and federal resources, Hazen residents can expect to see some sidewalk repairs over the next year. Hardke budgeted $63,802 for the city’s cost to repair various sidewalks in the city.

“In the last block on the west side of Livermore, it’s narrow and there’s a kind of a dangerous ditch there on the side of it. That’s all going to go away and it’s going to be more pedestrian friendly and it will have ADA compliant ramps,” he said.

“The last block over here on Hazen going to the school, Hazen Avenue, the west side of it’s going to be replaced. The east side may be satisfactory as it is, but those are dangerous situations,” he added. “We have a lot of kids still that walk for school. When there’s school functions – basketball games, graduation, whatever – this will improve the parking and it’ll be safer walking, especially at night.”

The McClelland Engineering firm has visited Hazen and begun the process of determining what it will take to make sure the city can continue to produce good water in the future. The aging infrastructure is not from neglect – the city steadily maintains and repairs the pipes and processing system – it’s just well past its expected life.

The engineers are in early stages of assessment, a project that may take months, if not longer, to completely evaluate and diagnose.

“These things take time,” Hardke told the city council at the Thursday (Jan. 15) meeting. The city’s airport also needs maintenance.

Hardke also offered his thoughts on where he thinks Hazen is headed with commerce, preserving the town’s history, and city beautification.

Hazen is seeking a grant from the state aeronautics board for runway repairs. In essence, the runway needs re-coating which is unlikely to occur until the summertime when it’s much warmer. Hazen is seeking $300,000 from the state to accompany $75,000 from the city.

This critical infrastructure is important for the agricultural community as well as potential corporate travel.

At the budget meeting two weeks ago, $10,000 was set aside from the council to help with a mural campaign to beautify two buildings in the city.

“We support the Chamber of Commerce and this year the council agreed to provide $10,000 to assist with mural painting that’s taken place on two buildings,” said Hardke.

The $10,000 was actually approved last year, but couldn’t be dispersed until the project started, which is has this month.

Hardke thinks the murals will capture the community spirit of Hazen, draw visitors to town for photos, and enhance the city’s image.

“It’s to bring attention, to show that, yes, we do have pride in our community and that we want to display parts of our heritage,” he said.

The first mural that reflects the agricultural heritage of Hazen is being filled in now, while a second mural will be more school-related.

“So one of the goals that we have as a community is to make our community look as good as we can,” said Hardke. “I was thinking this morning when I was walking through town, picking up a little litter and so forth, we have a nice little village here.”