heat Heat Good morning Witchah and welcome to City Hall  We'll call this meeting to order With us this   morning is youth leader Sage Liot of Ark Church to  provide our invocation Following that invocation   we will have our pledge of allegiance And  we ask invi invite you to stand for both Thank you Mayor Woo city council members  of Witchita Let's bow our heads and pray   Dear heavenly father we thank you for  today We come with grateful hearts Lord   uh for the opportunity to gather and discuss  Lord um everything uh in regards to our city   Lord in 1 Timothy 2:1 it says to pray for  all of those in authority So I first of all   lift you up lift up everyone in authority  today all decision makers to you Lord that   you would give them clarity of mind Lord that  you would give them wisdom Lord that you would   give them peace in stressful times Lord we pray 2  Chronicles 7:14 to humble yourselves and pray and   you will heal our land father so we pray that  you will bless our people of Witchah that you   will heal our sick and that you will heal our  land in the mighty name of Jesus we pray Amen Algiance to the flag of the United States of  America and to the republic for which it stands   One nation under God indivisible  with liberty and justice for all Thank you very much Mr Liot Mr Clerk can you  please call the first item approve the minutes   of regular meeting May 6 2025 Are there any  changes to the minutes i have one What was   the vote for consent agenda was it 60 or 70  last week i think it was 70 I will go and   check that and make the correction if necessary  Okay Thank you And also if we can get the names   of people who speak as they walk up because  I think you can only speak once a month So   I think that would be good too if we can do  that Other than that that's good Thank you I move to approve the me meeting minutes for  May 6 2025 Second motion and a second Any   further discussion i see none Mr Clerk please  open the role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk please   call the next item Awards and proclamations  Proclamations this week are Bike Month Witchaw   Facility Management Day and Law Week May I please  ask the Bike Block Witchah team to come forward and any council members who are  uh involved with BikeWalk Witchah The proclamation reads "The city of  Witchah Kansas founded in 1870 Whereas   Bikewalk Witchah is teaming up with the city  of Witchah and community partners to recognize   National Bike Month in our community Whereas  for more than a century the bicycles have been   an essential part of the lives of Americans  and is a vital environmentally friendly sound   form of transportation and an excellent form of  recreation and exercise Whereas the education of   cyclists and motorists as to the proper and safe  operation of bicycles is important to ensure the   safety and comfort of all users in an effort  to reduce cycle related injuries and deaths   Whereas creating bicycle friendly communities  has been shown to improve residents health and   well-being quality of life community spirit  and reduction of pollution and congestion   Now therefore be it resolved that the Witchaw  City Council does hereby proclaim May 2025 as   Bike Month in the city of Witchah and  encourage all residents businesses and   independent cyclists throughout our community  to support the celebration of bike month and   promote bicycling as a healthy sustainable and  enjoyable form of transportation and recreation Good morning Mayor Woo council members and  community partners My name is Holly Terrell and   I am proud to serve as the executive director of  BikeWalk Witchah On behalf of our organization and   many volunteers advocates and writers we represent  I would like to thank you for this proclamation   recognizing May's bike month We're especially  grateful to be celebrating alongside the Health   and Wellness Coalition WAMPO city staff and so  many others who work yearround to make Witchaw   a more bikable and walkable community Bicycling  isn't just a fun activity It's a vital form of   transportation a tool for wellness and a way to  connect with our neighbors Bike month allows us   to celebrate that and to continue working toward  a Witchaw where everyone feels safe and welcome   on our streets sidewalks and paths regardless of  how they get around We invite all Witchans to join   us throughout the month for a variety of events  classes opportunities to ride and conversation You   can find complete lists of bike month activities  at bikewalk witchah.org or bikemonth.org Together   we can build a stronger healthier city  one pedal stroke at a time Thank you I would like to invite the Witchaw facility  management team to come forward at this time Good morning Good morning The proclamation reads "The city  of Witchah Kansas founded in 1870 Whereas   World Facility Management Day aims to  recognize the efforts of the facility   management profession anywhere that facility  management professionals influence the health   safety productivity and well-being of  people who utilize the built environment   Whereas Witchah facility managers build  support and maintain facilities in such   sectors and industries as medical production  food supply office buildings transportation   education financial and real estate keeping  these businesses open and producing Whereas   the Witchah chapter of FMA has assisted Witchaw  State University with adding a degree emphasis in   facilities management and increased awareness  will benefit Witchaw State University and the   local facility management workforce Whereas  facility management professionals have kept   buildings open and maintained in a safe manner  in both public and private sectors Now therefore   be it resolved that the Witchah City Council  does hereby proclaim May 14 2025 as Witchah   Facility Management Day in the city of Witchah  and encourage all individuals to show gratitude   for facility management members who maintain  infrastructure and provide safety for workers and guests Thank you Mayor and City Council appreciate  this moment today Uh my name is Joel Elia and I'm   the current president of the Witchaw IFMA  chapter and I just want to say how much we   appreciate this opportunity um to be recognized  uh and all those uh individuals in our profession   um as the mayor mentioned that helped  keep these buildings open and safe   um for all the citizens of Witchaw  Uh just thank you very much May I please ask the Witchaw Bar  Association to come forward at this time the proclamation reads "The city of Witchaw  Kansas founded in 1870 Whereas the rule of   law is a cornerstone of our democracy ensuring  that all individuals regardless of background or   belief are treated fairly with dignity and  justice The legal profession plays a vital   role in upholding the rights and responsibilities  enshrined in our laws advocating for fairness and   serving communities in times of need Whereas  the United States Constitution established a   framework for a balanced government protecting  individual rights while promoting the common good   In 1958 President Eisenhower proclaimed Law  Day to honor the role of law in the creation   of the United States of America And in 1961 US  Congress issued a joint resolution declaring   May 1st as Law Day Whereas the Witchaw Bar  Association annually commemorates Law Week   with educational programs and school visits  and public service initiatives throughout   Cedric County encouraging all residents to  better understand and appreciate the rule   of law Whereas the theme for Law Day 2025 the  Constitution's promise out of many one reminds   us that unity is achieved not through uniformity  but through shared principles and mutual respect   Now therefore be it resolved that the Witchah City  Council does hereby proclaim May 12th through 16   2025 as Law Week in the city of Witchah and  encourage all citizens to take part in this   celebration by learning more about our legal  system participating in civic life and honoring   the contributions of those who work each day  to uphold justice equity and the rule of law Thank you Mayor Woo city council members My  name is Michelle Mo Witty I'm president of   the Witchah Bar Association I appreciate you  not just giving us law day but a declaration   of law week You know those in our profession  take an oath to uphold the Constitution and   support the rule of law And I just want  to thank you for making space to recognize   those in this profession whose steady quiet work  upholds those ideals on a daily basis Thank you We'd like to recognize that Lily  Meadows our city manager fellow   will be leaving us this week So thank  you for your service these past months Mr Clerk please call the next item Public agenda  The public agenda allows for up to five speakers   to have five minutes each to address the council  No action will be taken relative to items on the   public agenda other than referral to the  city manager for information as necessary   Speakers will please state their name and  address for the record A time clock will   display the speaker's remaining time  to speak Order and rules of decorum   will be observed The first speaker is  Arthur Stokes advocating for black mold Good morning everyone and thank you for allowing  me another opportunity to uh be among you Mayor   Woo and staff city council Uh I don't have a  a whole lot on my agenda You know it's pretty   much the same old plain jane in dealing with uh  the topic of uh starbakas black mole and uh it   touches everybody You know we might be got some  in this building right now We we won't know that   until you know such time But uh my address is 2614  South Topeka And uh I have uh I've had several   instances with the past two landlords and the the  experiences were uh where I lived at at third in   Topeka be before I moved pretty much where I'm uh  at in their uh it got into an eviction and they   got to the point of retaliation because they lost  the contract with the city Landlords love money   We We all need Everybody needs you know we all  need things but the landlord they lost touch and   uh they did half of what the city asked them to do  They wanted to spray paint the bathtub instead of   uh doing it right They wanted to cut corners I  mean a lot of times we get complacent you know   and we get addicted to money And uh in dealing  with the mold topic I'm going to tie this in as   a retaliation They cut my lights out from the  basement They also had went into the basement   before that got to that level and uh they ousted  one of the neighbors and she come out of the   homeless community and of course you know she had  some people come over but it was never really a   issue where you know it got violent or rowdy  or people got hurt and they cut her stuff off   When you cut off uh people from electricity it  increases the mold concentration that's already   there Cuz that's what I experienced I mean it  wasn't a good experience Uh they came to court   and the lady she brought her whole staff in there  None of this stuff came in as a topic and that's   because uh we're in denial You know we want to  talk about the good stuff that we do for the   tenants and the good stuff that we do but we're  not talking about the stuff that's seems like   it's minor and it gets bigger You remember  I kept talking about the mushroom when you   first look at it it looks cute is so small but it  keeps mushrooming It keeps growing It gets bigger   It gets more sophisticated It gets complicated It  gets into everything And uh while I was there too   I couldn't I could never relate to I ordered some  food for my uh pet Snowzer and he was very healthy   dog I only had like antibiotics once He was middle  age and during that particular time with him   uh I lost him He started having seizures and  for a while I kept thinking about the the three   kernels that I of dog food that I served in and  you know it within five minutes he was having   seizures until about the fifth one uh I lost him  in a seizure and the fourth one was so bad they   had to give him five times the phenom barbatital  all of that we effect as I really got honest and   looked back it came from that black mold you  know I couldn't understand it so it's it's a   very tough topic I mean folk are in denial people  are are living with it and they're sick behind it   and they don't even realize it don't know it man  you know that a mold affects you uh it can affect   you for as uh brain fog you know nose bleeds you  know it's it's it's other parts of it but I can't   tie it in this morning So you know we need to uh  start penalizing landlords when they doing stuff   like that because only thing you're doing is  giving that uh poor individual a death sentence   So you know I plead with city council I demand  that we the people we need this Thank you Please   Thank you Mr Stokes Council member Hohheisel Thank  you Mayor Um city manager are we still online for   um discussing some new ordinances and codes at  the May 27th workshop yes we are Okay I would   recommend coming down Tuesday May 27th Um we will  be having this discussion Also if you have people   that I think you might be outside that window  I believe it's 180 days but if you have people   who you feel have been unfairly evicted uh we  do have a process set up landlord retaliation   process So make sure you send the people down  here to talk to us if they do feel like they   have been unfairly evicted and retaliated against  And also I believe um HUD is in October maybe And   um I believe that they are going to a new  standard as far as inspections of section A   housing too pertaining to mold So it's to make  it more uniform make it easier for landlords   to address So that might also be something to to  keep on your radar as well So please come down May   27th We'll be having that workshop And as I keep  saying it's not just in the section 8 It's in the   whole state needs to you know go back you know  make us better make us will And there is going   to be some barriers set up as far as the state  allowing us to really get in and do inspections   So there is some work to do on the state level as  well to help address this Right Right I want to   see that I want to see that changed All right I  mean Yes sir Definitely Appreciate it Thank you   Council Member Johnson Thanks Mayor I just wanted  to say I appreciate you Mr Stoopes continuing to   talk about this It's folks like you who are  courageous enough to keep talking about it   to really help when we talk about these issues I  have been in spaces where landlords don't believe   me when I say stories like yours happen So by you  continuing to come up here I definitely appreciate   that And if you have any of anyone else with  those real life experiences tell have them come   to the workshop I mean people really need to see  that If not that's fine I appreciate you doing   it but your your voice matters in this and those  experiences matter and we will be talking about   this on the 27th I'll just add just a couple of  quick items The workshop usually has uh council   members that discuss amongst uh with the staff  So if any public comment would would like to uh   speak about the specific topic they should speak  at the very beginning of that meeting when there's   public agenda So just giving you a word of advice  If you want to speak you can speak at the public   agenda which is at the beginning of the workshop  Uh in addition you mentioned a couple things about   state lawmakers Um I would encourage you also to  reach out to your state legislators Um you also   have another body of government which is Cedric  County Uh those are your commissioners and then   this body is the city council So we only deal with  city issues But um there are three levels that you   could also address uh and give your shared uh  lived experience uh to them as well Thank you   Mr Clerk can you please call the next individual  crystal Diane Sigler homelessness and tiny housing Good morning Mayor Woo and City Council My name  is Crystal Sigler My address is 600 West 34th   Street North I'm in Maggie Ballard's district  Um the homeless have been on my heart for some   time now and I've had a chance to help out with  serving dinners with the um humankind um and seen   only a little bit of the issues that they face I  would like to make a suggestion to the city which   to build tiny home villages for the homeless  It would be a great start for them to get back   on their feet with a sense of belonging to the  community again It also helps to house several   people in a smaller area and it's cheaper to build  tiny homes than regularsized homes Providing tiny   homes along with case management would go a long  way to ending most of the homeless population Witchah Sedric County to 2024 point in  time homeless count results released   um on the United Ways United Wayplains.org  website The annual um point in time homeless   count is a national effort undertaken once  a year by professionals and volunteers to   count those who are currently experiencing  homeless in the communities across the US   The results provide a snapshot of persons  encountered during a one-day count and are   used to identify resources needed to address this  important issue Make local funding decisions and   study trends and increase awareness about those  who don't have either who don't have shelter   The coalition to end homelessness in Witchah  Sedwick County conducts a survey in Witchaw for   the 24-hour period It's coordinated and managed  by the United Way of Plains The results are   reported on to the US Department of Housing and  Urban Development and published on their website   Witchaw's working to get to a functional zero  meaning the number of people becoming newly   homeless does not exceed the resources available  to house them We want homelessness to be rare   brief and non-recurring says Schneider's with  United Way's continuum of care which coordinates   local agencies serving the homeless and compliance  with federal housing agencies Um this year's count   was taken on January 25th 2024 for the preceding  um night of January 24th Key facts in this year's   count Um 691 persons were identified as homeless  those living in emergency shelter transitional   housing safe haven or places not meant for  human habitation such as cars or on the street   The total number of homeless persons decreased  by 12 persons or 1.5% decrease when compared with   2023 Of the 691 individuals identified as homeless  188 were 21% were unsheltered This was an increase   of 25% over those counted and unsheltered in 2023  It is unlikely that some of the homeless will not   want a place to live It's probably a scary  thought to have a home to call your own when   you've been on the streets for years Tiny homes  would provide a relief to the homeless shelters   as well allowing homeless to start living on their  own preparing and making their own food and having   a bed of their own Using tiny homes allows you  to house more people and they easily support a   communal environment It's an affordable housing  program option and a budget friendly It is also   smaller footprint and translates to decreased  environmental impact reducing energy consumption   carbon emissions and overall resources used Um  some key takeaways are affordability and reduced   cost of living um are major benefits and of tiny  homes Modern amenities and innovative design   solutions can be found in many homes Echofriendly  and sustainable living is often associated with   tiny house movement Zoning laws space limitations  and financing financing challenges can prevent   drawbacks in tiny housing living Um some of the  frequently asked questions that I got off the   internet were um what is the average cost of  building a tiny home a tiny home ranges from   10,000 to 180,000 but averages between 30 and  75,000 Um what modern amenities can be included   despite the small footprint tiny homes can include  a wide variety of modern luxurious amenities such   as air conditioning washerdryer units full  stove tops and even bathtubs Thank you Thank   you Miss Sigler Thank you Council Member Vice  Mayor Johnston Crystal thank you for coming and   bringing attention to this Appreciate it Uh we did  have four of us here on the bench that that did   do the point in time count So we're very familiar  with it Uh everyone on this council to the person   is engaged in helping solve the homeless issue So  we are very very engaged We've put our money where   our mouth is um giving millions and millions of  dollars to the the MAC and to to build it and to   fund it the first two years Um I would like to  maybe the definition of homeless uh functional   zero is when more people are going out of homeless  than are coming in That's that's the definition of   homelessness Um as far as number of houses it  ranges anywhere from 20,000 to we heard 50,000   this this weekend Um I think the general consensus  is plus or minus 30,000 units Uh duplex would be   two units and really that that's at all income  levels of housing Most of it though is affordable   housing So it it's a big elephant to to digest  and little little uh bits and pieces out of it   and Tiny Homes probably is is one of those pieces  that can help So I appreciate you coming and and   presenting today Thank you Council Member Ballard  Thank you Mayor I just wanted to say thank you for   showing up today and advocating We talk about it  I feel like all day every day but it's nice um to   have conversations especially when the community  is bringing them to us So thank you May I ask uh   Director Sally to just address the tiny home um  idea i know that this has been floated around   u but the city um and under your leadership there  there's an even better solution Can you talk about   um the additional space that you'd like to see at  MAC sure So uh the first question I would have is   how are you defining tiny home because I've  seen as small as 110 square ft and as large   as 1,200 square f feet defined as tiny homes  So huge array Um definitely a little bit more   challenging to do individual units more expensive  than doing a multif family unit You know 50 roofs   to replace is much more expensive than the roof on  a 50unit apartment complex just as an example Uh   we definitely recognize the need to be able to  create additional housing that will expect and   will accept people coming from homelessness having  those wraparound services Um the next plan is   actually a to build a 75 unit building on the  property at the Park Elementary site at the MAC   that will include 50 units of permanent supportive  housing and 25 units of non- congregate shelter   um that project the our development agreement is  currently being reviewed by partner law and we   intend to bring that very shortly to the council  so that we can start building that property Um   we have identified all of the funding related  to that and we're having further conversations   about future tax credit um applications and  possibilities to to um definitely increase the   number of affordable units in our community Thanks  for what you do Thanks a lot Thank you Mr Clerk   can you please call the next individual sibilstrom  How can they seize her house without permission good morning My name is Civil Strum I reside at  326 North Walnut The reason I'm here is November   21st 1998 The city seized my house I was not at  the home when they took it My house was a half   haven for drugfested kids that needed a home and  alcoholic parents could not take care of them So I   would be the one taking care of them I was on 2909  North Richmond when I went down to my neighborhood   my own neighborhood and I was told by my next  door neighbor "There's a guy in your house." I   said "A guy what's he doing in my house?" It was  a central I didn't know nothing about the central   They came in they took pictures they destroyed  my house without my permission They stole my   stuff And I am very appalled by it because I have  been there for the community I have been teaching   and stuff like that I don't understand You're  supposed to tell the homeowner that you are   going to take the house I was not alerted Also I  have excessive mortgage You wouldn't believe And I   don't even think it's going to be paid off because  I didn't even know nothing about it They came they   went to Fidelity they made me homeless in a way  Because I am appalled I am so appalled I wanted   help but I did not want it The way you tear down  my house you take my life away You put me in a   uh terrible situation My soil of my  soil is not growing anything anymore   My my property got stolen I had a Victorian tub  that would be 2,468 I didn't even get to see it   And they stole my property They stole all my  property The central broke my lock which I   called the police on because Dave Unrew told  me to He said "If you think somebody came in   your house without permission call the police."  I don't think that's right Witchah Kansas is not   supposed to be a city that wants to evict people  and make them homeless And then they give you   a contractor that you don't even know and I'm  fixing a house up myself This is not right This   is not right I have been there frequently Like I  said I h I housed kids that were in druginfested   alcoholic places and I'm appalled I'm serious  I'm going to come back here until I get answers Why i don't like it I'm hurting because of  it It was an emotional stress to me to find   out my property was gone that a guy came in  my house and thought he was a central You're   supposed to let people know what's going on not  just barrel into someone's house and do all the   stuff you want to do I I don't know You got to  tell me I can't I've called I've called Maggie   Balor about it I've called Brandon Johnson about  it I did not appreciate it I called Dion Lavner   of the Eagle He was trying to help me too This  community is supposed to be a loving community   but I have been treated like dirt and I would  appreciate this happened Never happened to   anyone else Thank you Thank you Miss Trump City  Manager Leighton can you please address that mayor Mi Miss Strum's case is one that is  very extensive in terms of the actions that   were involved Um the uh we've put together a  report previously um put together a report that   itemized all of the activities the time  frame the actions the city has taken to   actually help mrum We looked at rehabilitation  of her home found that was not cost-effective   actually in my mind went the extra mile to put her  in safe housing and into an assisted unit And um   we've um I I think have probably worked more to to  help her than we probably have many other clients Can I speak they did not help me They put me in  Mount Carmel Apartments where it was crime going   on every day and night I went to the waterwalk My  hotel room was broken into by somebody I didn't   even know He's full of I'm sorry They did not help  me I asked them I didn't even know about really   If you want to know the truth I did not know about  it that they were going to send the central in So   I went overturned him went to Dave Andrew he  used to be such a county commissioner and I   told him and you know that's not the way you  run a community You try to help people like   I've done several times I've helped people  that are homeless I've helped people that   are in situations that they could not even  live in their own home with their parents   And I got treated like dirt And not just that  I don't even know if I want to live in Witchah   anymore because of it Because I would like  how would you like it if somebody came to your house took pictures and stole your property  you would not like it Mr uh Council Member   Johnson and Council Member Ballard you  said you've spoken with Council Member   Johnson would like to speak Thanks Mayor I I  was just going to say given the complexities   of this case and privacy concerns I think this  is better discussed not at the council meeting   There's a lot of information there and I I don't  think it would be good to talk about that at the   bench Just my thoughts Thank you Miss Strum  Um I'm sure city manager would you like to   speak with her afterwards or someone from staff  would like to speak with Miss Trump um again she   wants a response and I know that there have  been multiple responses from the city but   she is still here asking for another response  Thank you Mr Clerk can you please call the next   individual joseph Textoer A few hopefully  at least one helpful thoughts from text Mr Doer I see none Mr Clerk can you please call the  next individual derek Jackson Police support Thank you Thank you Thank you for allowing me this  opportunity to bend a couple of things that's on   my heart One of them is to thank Mr Johnson one  day I came to speak and he said something to me I   didn't hear him Excuse me sir Could you go closer  to the microphone we can Doug heard him Thank you   and let me know if somebody's saying something to  you So I turned around and Mr Johnson he looked   me in my eyes and he said "I'm sorry for your  loss That's enough of me." Me without nobody   um soliciting me to sue or do anything that  is against my belief system I thank Mr Johnson   I I I thank you for truth and I thank you for  being a what they call a a human being I also   apologize for my mistake I made a mistake with  the magistrates in understanding what was going   on and therefore it's my fault that it was not  settled and so therefore I personally absolve   the officers involved in my wife's case Do you  understand what absolve mean i personally absolve   and it would not be any other action taken  not in my name or not in the name of my wife's   estate You know a piece is I send something to  a person that I believe will give me what I need   It's a kind of mentator I call it just a prayer  I sent to Donald Trump I'm a Republican I don't   vote I'm not very um political but I do believe in  going to the temple sometime more science temple   with McGee Bay And I want to do the right  thing at all times So forgive me of my past   um mistakes and misunderstanding and Nicole Coupe  and made it very clear to me from Topeka and I   thank her I'm not asking for anything I thank you  for your time Miss Mayor Excuse me I thank you   for your time and especially thank you Mr Johnson  for your words of encouragement and your thank you   for your loss It's enough for me I do not bring  any other charges against the city of Witchah   I do not allow anybody to bring any charges in  my name and let it go My family we're going to   be all right We're going to be all right Thank  you very much Oh one other thing My doctor   um Huffford I miss him He's a real person I didn't  know he had I didn't know But do you have any   questions for me no Thank you Have a pleasant  rest of the week And this words coming from me   um of the age of age and um thank you very  much Thank you Mr Jackson We have room for   one more individual to speak I see none  I'll bring it back Mr Clerk can you please   call the next item consent agenda items  1 through 21 Are there items to be pulled i see none I will move to approve consent  agenda items 1 through 21 Second Motion   and a second Any further discussion i  see none Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk please call the next item Board  of bids and contracts dated May 12th 2025 Morning Mayor City Council Josh Lober  Department of Finance The board of bids   and contracts convene yesterday May  12th 2025 for the following items   For engineering we have the water main  extension water distribution system and   storm water drain number 525 sanitary sewer  and paving to serve Pegasus and Pegasus   second edition rejecting all bids We have the  water distribution storm water drain sanitary   sewer off-site sanitary sewer and paving to  serve Swany Farm edition phase one Reject all   bids We have the 2025 sidewalk maintenance  for South Central Ceiling LLC for a bid of $79,525 We have the 2024 dirt street  paving phase 2 for Conspec Incorporated   doing business as Kansas paving  for an aggregate bid of $360,820 We have the 2025 outsource pavement  preservation program CIP concrete   street repair phase one for Conspect  Incorporated doing business as Kansas   paving awarded to the engineers estimate  of 432,000 from their original bid of 359,346 I have the 2025 outsource  paving preservation program joint   and crack seal phase one for circle C  paving and construction for $29,5540 We have the 2025 sanitary sewer  rehabilitation phase A for institute   to form technologies USA LLC in the amount of $417,026 We have the waterline extension at Hoover   and Robinson and Hoover and Curtis for  Barkley Construction LLC for $105,45 For purchasing we have the asphalt cold mix for   APAC Kansas Incorporated for $135 a ton  with an estimated annual usage of two $229,500 We have the sand gravel rock mud balls  top soil filter and other miscellaneous materials   change order for A+ logistics logistics LLC for  an estimated amended amount of 220,000 This is   how to become a vendor with the city This is our  purchasing calendar of events with small business   resource partners occurring in the community  These are open public opportunities out on the   street today and I'd be happy to try to answer any  of your questions and I recommend your approval   Thank you Josh We'll begin with Council Member  Tuttle Thank you Thank you Josh for being here   today Thanks for all you do I always appreciate  all your work for you and your team Um could you   go to slide nine for me please sure Thank you  I don't know if I've seen one like this before   So just it did what happened if you can explain  how we went from 359,000 to 432,000 Sure So I'm   going to need the city engineer on this but  the That's okay I don't need to go into that   much detail I'm just curious what happened Yeah  The procurement process was that we completed   the bid process and solicitation process The  bid came in for the original bid of 359 346   the city engineer within their processes they  can request or they're requesting the awarding   within the engineer's estimate being above what  they bidded So they are awarding additional work   but those fixed unit prices they are going to  review within the contract management process   Okay Thank you very much Thank you You did  great You didn't need an engineer I actually   do have a follow-up question Does that mean  that there will be additional lane miles that   will be repaired great question I am definitely  going to need city engineer to speak to that It could if as long as we're still within the  engineers estimate It depends how much um as we   begin repairing the uh concrete streets How far  if we have additional quantities that we need to   but if not then we will move on to additional  street segments Yes So it's up to $432,000 Um and it could be a certain number of  miles that we want It depends upon Right   Correct Now um however we could find one  of the streets that might need more work   So we could use those quantities to complete  that work within that existing street segment   Thank you Council Member Ballard Oop sorry  Um nine is the slide I was going to ask about I see no further questions I will move to approve  the board of bids and contracts dated May 12th   2025 Second Motion and a second Any further  discussion i see none Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk please call the  next item Petitions for public improvements Good morning mayor city council members Paul  Gunsman public works and utilities for the   record I have new and revised petitions for your  consideration this morning The signatures on the   petitions represent 100% of the improvement  districts and the petitions are valid per   Kansas statute That's an addition located in  district two The project will provide water   storm water drain sanitary sewer and paving  improvements required for a new residential development Revised petitions Pegasus edition  located in district 2 on October 10th 2023   March 5th 2024 and December 3rd 2024 The  city council approved water drainage sewer   and paving improvements required for a new  residential development Project was bid on   April 4th 2025 with bids for drainage and  paving exceeding the engineer's estimate   Therefore the developer has submitted revised  drainage and paving petitions with increased   budgets so that the project can be rebid and  that project will rebid later this month And   with that is recommended to approve the new and  revised petitions and budgets adopt the new and   amending resolutions and authorize the necessary  signatures And I will stand for questions Thanks   Paul Any questions i see none I move to approve  the petition for public improvements Second Motion   and a second Any further discussion  i see none Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk please call  the next item Public hearing and request   by a WHAM4200 LLC for approval of a letter  of intent to issue industrial revenue bonds Honorable mayor members of council Troy Anderson  assistant city manager Um so this item was laid   over from last week Um the project has just  continually evolved uh as is the case a lot of   times with a lot of these economic development  projects Um and so we're here today with   uh a little more detail on exactly what the the  applicant is proposing Again a little bit of   background Uh WHAM 4200 is an LLC that was formed  in 2024 uh specifically for managing projects such   as this Um they are managed by Wham Capital and  they've been in and around commercial rental real   estate for uh many many years and has a a long  history of success in and around the industry   locally More specifically they are requesting the  issuance of approximately $5 million in revenue   bonds for the acquisition and remodel of three  existing buildings located at 4200 West Harry   What's unique and different uh about today's  information versus uh what was presented to   you all last week is WAM4200 is now committing to  not only making the $2 million in renovations but   they're also committing creating five new jobs  associated with aircraft parts and auxiliary   equipment manufacturing So with that being said  the city's economic development guidelines allow   for tax abatement and sales tax exemption on  existing buildings that have been vacant for   at least two years So when we took the additional  job creation that they were proposing in addition   to the capital investment um we ran that through  sort of the matrix within the guidelines and   uh we've identified that the project qualifies  for an 80% property tax abatement that's made   up of 40% based on new capital investment between  a million and $5 million and 30% to new jobs and   10% for creating jobs in a regional growth land  sector Um this information for the most part   uh has remained the same as we presented last  week that the property um the appraised value   was a little more than $3 million The assessed  value a little more than $750,000 and the general   tax obligation as it stands today was about  $88,000 With that being said the estimated   value of the 80% abatement for the first full  year is approximately 65,000 That is made up of   uh city about 20,000 county about 17,000  state just under a,000 um 259 about $26,000 Like I said additionally the project is eligible  for a sales tax exemption on that sort of   $2 million worth of capital investment Uh the  approximate value of the sales tax exemption   is about $75,000 That remains unchanged  from last week with the city share being   approximately $5,800 So we went back to with the  creation of and the commitment to the creation of   five new jobs We went back to Witchaw State  University Center for Economic Development   um and business research They reran the model for  the costbenefit analysis So we have new numbers on   the costbenefit ratios more specifically city  of Witchah 1.42 42:1 uh which also includes   general fund 1.37 to1 debt service fund 1.53 to1  county 1.32:1 259 1.23 to1 and state of Kansas 5.2   two to one So here's our standard disclaimer  IRBs are a mechanism for achieving a sales tax   exemption and or property tax abatement in the  transaction The city is not lending any money   and bears no risk The company is required to  acquire all of its own financing So there are   no taxpayer dollars at risk All costs are borne  by the company requesting the use of the bonds   The applicant is uh has agreed to pay all costs  of issuing the bonds and agrees to pay the annual   origination fees Bonds will be purchased by way  4200 or a related entity So once the uh capital   investment is made and the bond documents um are  prepared for the issuance of bonds they will be   initially prepared by outside bond council but  obviously a city's law department at that time   will review and approve the final form prior to  the issuance of any bonds With that being said   last week you all opened the public hearing um and  allowed for public comment So we recommend that   city council continue to receive public comment  as part of that continued public hearing But then   uh after all public comment has been received  close the public hearing adopt the resolution   and authorize the necessary signatures Again  we do have a representative from the applicant   here today to answer any questions  And otherwise I'll stand for questions   Thank you Troy Council member Glascock Thank you  Mayor Troy This wasn't in the green sheet but I   just want to confirm with you I think on page  two of the contract section four it talks about   that this will be a 10-year abatement with a five  and five Just confirming that because it wasn't   presented in the green sheet or the presentation  That's correct I have further questions regarding   that So is this a typical where we have a five  and five with an 80% tax abatement um usually the   one that we saw uh the week before was a uh 90%  abatement and then a 50% abatement Can you explain   that yeah So uh what was presented to you all  last week um was modeled under sort of a different   formulary right that's the 95 for five years and  the 50% for years 6 through 10 Uh so this with the   commitment to the job creation right um we can  now look at uh how that impacts the costbenefit   analysis number one And then number two we can  uh calculate that at a rate um sort of a constant   rate across the 10 years regardless of which  formulary we run that through There's there's   the five-year evaluation right and so at that  five-year evaluation we'll do the look back Did   they create did they make the capital investment  that they said they were going to make did they   create the jobs that they said they were going to  create and at that point in time we'll bring that   back to you Uh that's pretty standard protocol  on all of these applications right that we'll   bring those back to you Yep They satisfied all the  criteria And that's when they get a authorization   to continue to get that abatement for years 6th  through 10th I would be interested in asking staff   from uh more of a long-term project I'd like to  see that five-year review be open to the public   to see on the website so that they can see that  the folks who asked for that abatement did meet   their requirement and that's why they're being  granted an additional five years Mayor if I can   I want to make a few comments to supplement what  Troy said and then I'll get to that point as well   Um I just want to clarify what Troy outlined  for you is that originally when this came to   you this was under the speck uh warehouse uh and  manufacturing program Um we worked with council   member Glasscock Um also with the partnership uh I  think all of us got to the point where we weren't   comfortable going under the spec program  and that's why you saw the 90 and then 50%   previously We're under a more traditional approach  now Um but uh it we it still falls under the the   um preface that you have a building that's been  vacant for at least two years But we are looking   uh at the more traditional program Council  amended that a few years ago It used to be   that it was a straight up 100% abatement Now um  there are various categories and Troy referenced   those in his um uh slide though that um it you  if you're in each of the categories there's a   certain percentage of abatement that's attached  to those categories and so it's not necessarily   just a straight 100% any longer and they have to  move forward and and basically help our economy   especially on the diversification uh piece which I  think was the last criteria that Troy showed Going   back to your item we have a requirement to bring  back to the council the five-year look back on   all of our projects Um we've had a little bit of  a staff shortage over the last uh few months but   now that we're getting uh more people back into  Troy's office we'll be bringing those forward   um the look backs and be able to report that  information to the council More than happy to   put it on the website afterwards as well I would  like that for greater transparency and ease of   access of that information Uh we do appreciate  the economic development that this provides for   our community and eventual uh greater property  taxes that are collected Um but there is a a   reason why there are abatements and so again I  would like that information public Um the second   question I had was on slide 38 I mentioned this  before and I'd like to reemphasize this again   um the and or I would like to put greater emphasis  on the or rather than the and Um I do believe that   uh sometimes to make things work or pencil  you need the and but I think the first option   should always be the or um so that developers  understand that they need to come up with the   greater risk versus the abatement being the  crutch And so c can can we I guess have some   sort of policy that talks about or has to be the  first thing that is presented and not the and so we've been talking kind of a lot about  economic development policy and guidelines   In fact you you may recall that you know we  went through a three-part series last year   uh about kind of updating our economic  development policies and guidelines Uh   and so we're we're certainly open to having  that conversation especially when we bring   back to you a revised version as as the city  manager alluded to Right We've uh we've been a   little short staffed of late Um but at this point  in time as we start to get ramped back up we're   definitely going to put it back on your radar of  bringing those economic development guidelines   back based on the conversations we had last year  through that three-part series as well as these   ongoing conversations that we've had over the  last several weeks and months Um we'll be more   than happy to bring that information back to you  Thank you Troy And since you mentioned that the   applicant has a representative here I'd like that  representative to just come forward and just share   um what they hope to have in this vacant  building that has been vacant for the   last two years Uh what is the hope for  this in terms of economic development uh thank you uh Mayor Woo and council members  Uh my name is Chris Madson I'm a vice president   at WAM Capital and um our hope with this is to uh  bring in aircraft manufacturing related businesses   um new expansion into the Witchaw market  including new employees and new economic   benefits So that's kind of our hope and we have  other tenants obviously as well that we work with   So if that doesn't work out we hope to bring other  new jobs potentially So thank you very much Chris   Thank you I see no further questions for Chris or  Troy We'll open it up or continue public comment Good morning mayor members of the council  Andrew Nave uh with Greater Witchaw Partnership   505 East Douglas Avenue Thank you for the the  discussion this morning and the consideration   uh of this item and really uh continuing the  conversation on our economic development policy   and guidelines We the partnership obviously very  much looks forward to engaging with you all and   providing uh feedback and input into that process  as we we did before Uh the manager referenced kind   of the update to the policy uh from 2018 and  2019 So it has been a minute since we've really   uh kind of rolled up our sleeves and dug deep into  that policy So very much look forward to that I I   wanted to just use just a very brief minute not  even four minutes to to highlight the kind of   the environment of where we were in 2018 and 2019  and some of the background as to why that two-year   vacancy provision was was so important and and and  brought into discussion but is also still needed   today So we were in a completely different real  estate environment than kind of precoid and we   really lacked available industrial product We had  almost no available large-scale industrial product   in the community at that time We had a number of  great sites and places to build on but no existing   building of of scale or at least very little of it  at that time And then certainly the COVID pandemic   came but a number of the the and changed the real  estate environment for sure but a number of the   provisions that that this body and the previous  council put in place helped affectuate the growth   of our industrial market Some of that was the spec  program which has been mentioned but I would argue   the the two-year vacancy provision while h not  having been utilized a lot that program is really   important because it provides an advantage and  an opportunity for the older building stock our   olding inventory which we have millions of square  feet of to be able to be put into profitable and   habitable use economic development use which is  what this is doing So um we were really encouraged   by that We strongly encourage that There's  definitely uh tweaks and adjustments that that we   would like to see and that we would love to talk  with you all about with the incentive policy going   forward but that need of of industrial space uh  I would argue is is is needed now more than ever   I pulled our our database our our notes from the  partnership this morning Over the last year we we   have roughly 160 projects total that we've been  tracking over the several years but just in the   last year we've had 14 inquiries that are over  100,000 square feet just industrial buildings   just looking at existing buildings not looking to  build a new building just to look at an existing   building We've had 10 requirements that are over  140,000 square feet which is what this building   is the 10 opportunities that that we didn't have  very many options Today in Witchah there's only   two properties for lease a third that might be  available on subleasase but really two properties   on market that have this much square footage  and they're both in the northeast corner of the   community We have really nothing of scale at all  on the west or the southwest side of the city So   we're really encouraged by this uh this proposal  uh WM real estate is certainly well known and well   respected and one of the best developers uh kind  of homegrown developers we have in our community   So we're really encouraged by that Again look  forward to engaging with you all in further   economic development discussions Thank you very  much Thank you Andrew Any further public comment   i see none We'll close public comment and bring  it back to the bench Council member Johnson Thanks   Mayor Um semi-related to this but also unrelated  given what Andrew just said not to put more work   on your plate Troy I do think we should revisit  those policies sometime this summer or fall I I   think um just looking at the fact that we don't  have enough existing square footage is a big deal   And if there's some reuse opportunities maybe  some incentive um that we can create or modify   might help that So anytime this summer or fall  that would be great Council member Glascock Thank   you Mayor I echo Councilman Johnson's comments in  that this is our opportunity to set a precedent   today of how we establish maybe reuse of these  buildings in the future Um and I'm encouraged by   it I want to thank um Chris Andrew Troy and also  the manager for working through this process and   getting to a yes and I think a better product  than where we started And so I'm very thankful   that this came back and that we worked through  a deferral to make sure that there was a more   tangible benefit to taxpayers that there were jobs  attached to it especially with an abatement And I   think this was an example of a process that worked  itself out through a lot of input So I'm thankful   for that Hopefully we can replicate this Um I'm  biased but District 4 is the aviation core of the   aviation capital Um I see us as the industrial  core of the city as well And so I'm hopeful that   these projects and more of these projects can  take place along West Street take place along   that corridor and also further in the district  And thank you for taking the risk of business and   um just taking a risk in for Witchaw as well  So with that seeing nobody else is on the bench   unless the mayor's comments um I recommend that we  close the public hearing adopt the resolution and   authorize the necessary signatures Second motion  and a second Any further discussion i see none   Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 Mr  Clerk please call the next item Witchah employees   retirement and police and fire retirement  systems actuarial valuation reports as of   December 31st 2024 Good morning I'm Mark Manning  with the Department of Finance and today I want   to present to you the actuarial reports for our  uh retirement systems here at the city of Witchaw   So as you know we actually have two retirement  systems the Witchaw employees retirement system   which provides retirement benefits primarily for  our civilian uh employees and we also have the   Witchaw police and fire retirement system which  is designed to provide uh retirement benefits for   our commissioned and uh public safety employees Uh  we are very fortunate here in the city of Witchaw   Our pension system and our pension funds are in  very good shape In fact we're positioned better   than many other public pension plans in the United  States Uh why is that well generally because we   follow at least three strategies We have a very  diversified and a very well-managed portfolio Uh   we hire a lot of really smart money managers  and we keep a close eye on them and they do   a very good job for us Uh we also make sure that  the assumptions in our system are appropriate Uh   and those are very important because that allows  us to make sure that we are funded appropriately   And finally probably most importantly is the last  bullet One reason we are in very good shape is   because for many many years the city council  has committed to fully funding our retirement   systems based on the actuarial recommendation  for contribution rates and that's very very   meaningful to the system So each year we have an  actuary that reviews both of our plans They're   going to calculate uh a lot of metrics Uh two  I'll call to your attention One is the funded   ratio which simplistically is a measure of of  the uh strength of our system and they're also   going to calculate the required city contribution  rates from an actuarial basis and today we will   ask you to receive and file the report but  also to approve the contribution rates for 2026 Uh so with that uh I'll introduce our  uh actuaries that we have here today with   us from Chiron We have Janet Crana  and we also have Jake Uh Jake is   very skilled as an actuary and he has  one skill that I do not have and that   is the ability to pronounce his last name  So I'm going to let him take care of that part Thank you Mark Good morning Mayor Woo  and city council members I'm Jake Labowskis   with Chiron and my partner Janet's with me as  well We're the actuaries for the city's two   retirement systems and today we'll be presenting  the results of this year's actuarial valuation   The purpose of the valuation is to calculate  the assets and liabilities of each system and   the funded ratio which is the ratio of the  assets to the liabilities We also calculate   as Mark alluded to the city's contribution  rate for next year So this year's results   calculate the city's contribution rate for 2026  As part of that process we review the systems   experience both the demographic experience what  participant behavior has been and the financial   experience what investment returns have been for  the systems We not only calculate the funded ratio   for the current year and the city requirement  for next year but we project what those funded   ratios and city contribution amounts will be  in the future It's important to know not just   where you're at today but where you're headed in  the future And so we keep an eye on that as well   And of course we are responsible for identifying  and letting the plan sponsor know of the risks   of the plan because there are risks and  I'll talk about that more a little bit later This slide shows the how the actual  evaluation process works This is a graphic   from the Harvard Business Review in 1965 and not  much has changed in pension systems over the last   60 years The size of the tank is calculated each  year It represents the liabilities of the fund   I ideally we want the tank to be full Um but  the asset line or the green area in the tank   represents the assets not necessarily to scale  Um and so ideally the tank is full but it's not   always necessary And the difference between the  assets in the tank and the top of the tank is   that unfunded liability that has to get paid  down over time The assets of the system are   funded by both city contributions and the member  contributions as well as investment earnings   uh also add significantly to the uh assets  of the system And those assets are used to   pay retirement and survivor benefits to retirees  and beneficiaries of former city workers as well   as the cost of administering the plan And  so each year we recalculate the size of the   tank and compare it against the assets of the  system and we adjust the nozzle on that city   contribution rate to make sure that the systems  are being appropriately funded over the long term This year's valuation includes uh new assumptions  and methods that were recently approved by both   boards of trustees and those assumptions and  methods were based on recommendations by us Uh   every 3 to five years we perform what's called an  experience study where we we where we review the   experience of the systems and compare it to the  assumptions that are in use and kind of adjust   the assumptions to make sure that they're  reasonable and appropriate looking forward   Two notable assumption changes were changes  to mortality rates and future salary increases   The prior mortality rates were a bit  outdated and so we refreshed them to   the most recent publicly available table And  future salary increases there's been uh some   larger salary increases than expected over  the last few years and so we're expecting   those to continue for at least a couple  more years There were notably no change   to the investment return assumption which is  one of the assumptions that has the largest   driver to the cost of the plan that remains at  seven and a quarter percent assumed return each year The funded ratio for the employee plan  decreased slightly from 89% to 88% while   the ratio for the police and fire plan  increased slightly from 86% to 87% That   unfunded liability that's the difference  in the tank that's not the the shortage   between the asset line and the top of the  tank that grew slightly for both plans   For the employee plan it grew about $16 million  And for police and fire it grew about $2 million This page here 53 shows the calculation  of the city's contribution rate for next year   At this top of the table we show the total normal  cost rate Normal cost is the cost of benefits for   all the active employees in the plan that are  acrewing one more year of service And so for   the employee plan it was 14.6% and for police and  fire is 25.2% 2% of payroll Of course the members   contribute part of that And so the city's portion  is less at 9.9 and 18.2 And then the next line is   that UAL the UL is that unfunded actuarial  liability It's the gap in the tank And this   contribution rate goes to kind of filling that gap  over time And so combined the total contribution   rate for the employee plan is 17% of payroll  And for police and fire it is 28% of payroll This next page shows how that contribution  contribution rate changed from last year to   this year The top of the table shows last  year's contribution rates for both systems   It was 15.6 and 27.9% respectively There were  positive investment gains in 2024 The markets   did well and so that reduced the contribution rate  slightly There were what we call liability losses   demographic experience was unfavorable  primarily due to higher salary increases   than expected which increases the liability  Members are going to receive larger pension   benefits at retirement because of the higher  salaries and it increases liability accordingly   The assumption and method changes uh had  a notable increase for the WER plan the   employee plan of one and a half% and a slightly  less increase for the police and fire plan   There were some other changes as well that  resulted in the employee plan contribution   rate increasing 1.4% of payroll and the police  and fire plan contribution rate increasing 0.1% of payroll Page 55 shows a 10-year history of the  contribution rates where the police and fire   plan is the gold line and the employee plan  is the blue line and it shows fluctuations   year-over-year So they tend to be relatively  minor year-over-year but you can see the last   few years they've had uh increases for both  plans um primarily due to uh the higher salary   increases and uh some investment losses in  the past that increased the the cost of the plans Page 56 shows a 10-year history of the  funded ratios Again the police and fire is   gold and the employee plan is blue They tend to  move in tandem uh as the biggest driver of that   funded ratio change is the investment returns  on a year-to-year basis Uh you can see that   currently both plans are in the upper 80s uh  which is low relative to the history of these   plans um but very strong still relative to the  general uh US population of public pension plans   which is shown on this page 57 This slide has  a lot of information but the uh black squares   are the police and fire plan The gold diamonds  are the employee plan and they generally overlap   So if you can't see both it's because they're  overlapping each other And this is showing over   the last 10 years what the funded ratio has been  compared to the bars The colored bars represent   the distribution of other public pension plans  throughout the US There's over 200 plans in this   database that it's compared against And the  colors of the bars the darker shades of blue   and green are the middle 50% of plans in the US  And you'll note that your plans are in the light   blue up at the top And that means they're within  the top 25% of plans uh throughout the United   States 2024 the bars aren't populated The data  is not available as we're now presenting results   as all the other municipalities throughout the  country are also presenting results Um so we'll   populate the 2024 bars next year when we come  and present this year's next year's information And just to wrap up I mentioned earlier about the  risks of the plan The valuation is based on one   set of assumptions as to what's going to happen  in the future Notably the seven and a quarter%   investment return each and every year We know  that's going to deviate from year to year but   hopefully over the long term seven and a quarter  is the the right long-term expectation Um but   experience is going to deviate You know we can't  foresee the future Uh if we would we'd be very   rich obviously Um so uh note that experience can  affect the cost of the plan and the key drivers   of the risk for these systems are the investment  risk risk that investments won't earn seven and a   quarter over the long term Uh interest rate risk  risk that if interest rates drop there's going   to be harder pressure on earning that seven  and a quarter over the long term Longevity   and demographic You know if there's higher pay  raises then that's going to increase the cost of   the plan If people live longer there's going  to be increased costs as well as assumption   change risk which is basically recognizing all of  those changes in one year as opposed to letting   experience occur from year to year That is all of  my prepared remarks Are there any questions i have   a couple Yeah Um can you go to slide number 57 you  talked about you compare yourself to 200 plans and   the city's plan is in the top 25% and I think  Mark also alluded to this is one of the better   pension plans in the nation Um so do you know  if that has been um maybe I don't know if it's a   question for you or for someone else from the city  but does that um really affect bringing new folks   or retaining folks as city staff uh the pension  programs and um if so are we advertising it enough   because if this is one of the better pension  plans in the nation working for the city of   Witchah provides you not just your salary but also  a pension when you retire Um can you address that   i will address it in general terms and let others  get to more specifics but uh I think it definitely   plays a role or should play a role in the  attraction of employees because not all pension   plans in the US are well funded You can see some  of those you know over 25% or below 60% funded   uh and a lower funded ratio means that there is  a greater risk that plans may not be able to make   the retirement payments when people retire And so  um better funded plans should in you know provide   reassurance that their retirement is going to be  secure Um so I think in general terms yes that   that should be a great news if you're trying to  attract and retain and the pension plan being a   good key attraction driver But I'll open it up to  others if they want to add more commentary I'll   ask city manager if this helps with recruitment  and if so um are we really advertising that we   are one of the better pension programs in the  nation mayor it's a great question We've talked   a little bit about our benefit program and how  it's perceived by uh employees and potential   employees I would tell you just from anecdotal  information talking to some of our employees and   our unions that today's newer employee may  not value a pension system as much as older   employees have And so one of the things that we're  planning on doing in the next year is working with   our employee groups that's our unions as well as  the unrepresented or non-represented uh employees   to talk more about what they want in a uh in  a benefit package um and how does how do they   make their decisions about not just uh joining our  organization but also what keeps them uh here um   how do we retain folks and how do we meet their  needs though in a way that is um I think maybe   modernized a little bit and recognize the um the  uh desires of our current employee base As you can   imagine where you are in your career determines  how you value a pension system We have always   represented that we're um highly funded We're in  that top group in terms of funding I can't tell   you where we stand in terms of benefits although  I'm going to guess that we do pretty well compared   to other public employers in terms of uh the  benefits in both of the pension systems uh upon   retirement But those are all things that we'd like  to get more feedback from our employees about how   we go forward with not just the pension system but  with health insurance and other benefits Thank you   city manager Council member Johnson Thanks Mayor  I was just going to say great presentation and   you're missing a slide at the end that says come  work for the city of Witchah That'd be the icing   on the cake Thank you Vice Mayor Johnston Thank  you Mayor Uh question for Mark or the city manager   How how much will this add to our budget versus  last year and then have we already anticipated   that is it already included in our your  presumptions of the budget yeah you may recall   uh I think at our last workshop we mentioned some  of the changes that we're monitoring Elizabeth and   I always mention that and we mentioned pension  rates at that presentation and I think we placed   an approximate cost on it of about $600,000 We'll  obviously refine that as we go along but at this   point we believe it's somewhere around 600,000 out  of the general fund Additional $600,000 Yes Yes   sir Mayor if I may also we do we've created  a pension reserve fund that will allow us   to maybe smooth out some of the fluctuations in  pension increases uh from the city's contribution   standpoint and we'll be looking at whether  or not it's appropriate to move some money   from the pension reserve in 2026 or 2027 Uh and  that'll be part of our final recommendation Okay   Thank you Council Member Glascock Thank you Mayor  Followup to that question Mr Manager How much is   in the reserves currently approximately i don't  need an exact amount Uh right now Right now the   pension reserve I believe has somewhere around  8.7 million 8.7 million Okay Thank you And last   but not least slide number 52 I just wanted  to know if this is sustainable for a city our size We're talking about um the change in the  unfunded liability Yes Um that is not a overly   significant increase Um we've seen more changes in  that unfunded liability numbers over the years Uh   just to give you an idea the unfunded liability  for the police and fire plan is about $130ish   million right now So the 2 million while is  still $2 million it's not a significant uh   change The unfunded liability for the employee  plan is roughly $80 million So it is a notable   um change and that's part of the reason why the  employee plan costs went up Um but as long as   the city continues to make the u recommended  contributions the systems will continue to   improve in their funding Thank you Thank you I  see no further questions from council members Is Mark coming back up or no I can handle  that I think Um so the recommendation is to   receive and file the evaluation reports as  of December 31st 2024 and approve the 2026   employer city contribution rate Thank  you We will now open it up for public comment I see none I'll bring it back  to the bench Um I would like to first   uh mention that the city of Wshaw has roughly  3,000 employees and we're grateful for them   I know that it was public servants  uh month and week and day uh here   uh recently And so I just wanted to say thank you  to the 3,000 plus staff for the city of Witchah   uh they are critical to uh accomplishing the  mission of providing public safety and providing   infrastructure so that uh the city can run and  that individuals can get to school and work And   um I know that part of a um compensation package  includes salary um insurance and obviously uh your   retirement plan And so I am uh thankful again  that uh city staff have these added benefits   and this is something that uh should share should  be shared with not just our community but others   uh that this is a great place to work uh because  the pension program has been funded um dedicated   funding has been going to these pension plans and  it's one of the better ones in the nation and so   um I just wanted to emphasize that again a  comprehensive um salary package includes this   pension program And so um I would move that we  now um receive and file the Witchaw Employees   Retirement and Police and Fire Retirement Systems  actuarial valuation reports as of December 31st   2024 and approve the 2026 employer retirement fund  contribution rates Second motion and a second Any   further discussion i see none Mr Clerk please  open the role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk please   call the next item Affordable housing fund  allocation and sale of 47 single family homes Good morning mayor and c city council members  My name is Carmen Hoffine I'm the real property   section manager for the Department of Housing  and Community Services and I'm here to present   the affordable housing fund allocation and sale  of 47 single family homes For a little bit of   background the city of Witchaw received 72.4  4 million in American Rescue Plan Act consider   also called ARPA funds to support the response to  and recovery from CO 19 Investment in affordable   housing was identified as a high priority for ARPA  funds following extensive public engagement and   the council allocated $5 million for the creation  of an affordable housing fund On September 10th   of 24 the city council allocated one a little over  $1.3 million in affordable housing funds to three   affordable housing development organizations for  the purchase and renovation of 33 single family   homes from the Witchaw Housing Authority public  housing portfolio Real estate closings on these   properties were delayed due to the waiting for  HUD to execute the releases of the declarations   of trust And now the reservations are currently  underway On November 5th 2024 the city council   approved a $25,972 increase in the affordable  housing fund and the allocation of a little well   almost $3.7 million in affordable housing funds  for the acquisition of 56 single family homes   from the Witchaw Housing Authority public housing  portfolio The properties were to be made available   through a competitive application process  also called CAP for the development of quality   affordable homeowner and rental units with up to  $40,000 per unit in subsidy for acquisition and   rehab costs By purchasing the pro properties prior  to the competitive application process the city   has already received the necessary declarations  of trust release releases from HUD On January   24th of 25 a competitive application opened for  the sale and renovation of the 56 properties   acquired with affordable housing funds with up  to $40,000 available to subsidize each property   All units purchased and rehabilitated through  this program must be utilized as affordable   housing upon completion of rehab subject to the  applicable affordability periods outlined in the   following slide Proposals designed whether  units will designated I apologize proposals   designated whether units will be marketed for  affordable home ownership or rental housing and   were required to propose the use of one of the  following programs Affordable housing fund home   ownership down payment assistance program This  assists up to 20% of the down payment and up to   $2,000 in closing costs Households at or below  80% area medium income which is also AMI based   on household size 10-year affordability period  subject to total funds invested The next one is   the housing choice vouchers which is also known  as HCV a commitment to lease renovated units to   HCV program participants for 15 years Households  at or below 50% of AMI A $40,000 deferred mortgage   at 0% interest will be filed on each property  to ensure the affordable housing outcome is met   As part of this cap developers were required  to present how their projects would benefit the   neighborhood and community including fostering  a healthy mix of home ownership and rental   opportunities Developers provided comprehensive  perunit specs for rehab to justify affordable   housing fund funding requests for each unit  Proposals were evaluated on a unit-by-unit basis   and developers were encouraged to submit proposals  for all units that could be completed within 18   months of contract Award proposals with six or  more public housing units received additional   bonus points on a scaled basis Proposals were  selected and recommended by the affordable housing   review board based on the following factors  Development plans and project approach credentials   qualifications and expertise of development team  financial condition and performance record of   applicant sources of financing affirmative  marketing plans participation in emerging   disadvantaged minority and women business  enterprise unit development plans utilization   of public housing unit feasibility of project  scope plan and timeline The CAP received 92   qualified proposals for 47 of the 56 properties  Upon the review and scoring of the proposals the   affordable housing review board voted to approve  the sale and funding of all 47 properties that   received qualified proposals including 13  properties for rehab and sale 34 properties   for rehab and rental via tenantbased vouchers  The total affordable housing fund award of $1,846 46,051 will be granted to the following  Witchaw Habitat for Humanity up to $486,51 for 13   properties specifically for rehab and sale Hope  CDC up to $520,000 for 13 properties rehab and   rental Sio Capital Group LLC up to $240,000  for six properties rehab and rental Large   Enterprise up to $560,000 for 15 properties rehab  and rental There is no impact to the general fund   The total affordable housing fund reallocation  will be an amount up to $1,846,000 $46,51   The remaining ARPA affordable housing fund  program income from the sale of the properties   of a little over a million dollars will be  made available through a third competitive   application process in the future The law  department has reviewed and approved the   sales and funding agreements as to form And  before I go into the recommendations I did   want to make a note on the green sheet The  there was an error as far as the amount of   affordable housing funds On the green sheet it  says 1,86,000 and it should be 1,846,000 There   was a lastm minute addition for one property It  is recommended that the city council approve the   sale of the 47 properties and expenditure of  affordable housing funds up to the amount of 1,846,51 allocated as follows 520,000 to Hope  CDC 560,000 to Large Enterprise 240,000 to Sio   Capital Group LLC 486,51 to Witchaw Habitat for  Humanity and authorize the necessary signatures   And I will stand for questions There is a high  possibility I may defer to Sally just so you   guys are aware Thank you Carmen Uh Council Member  Ho Heisel Thank you Mary And thank you Carmen for   your your presentation and your work here I do  appreciate more uh the detailed explanation of   the um competitive application process I do have  one question kind of I don't know this is adjacent   to it Could you give a little bit of background  about the housing development loan program i   know that's something that's been discussed in um  some circles surrounding affordable housing and   just how to maybe set up the infrastructure  for some of these uh developments going on Yes I have the answer in my head Um so the housing  development loan program that is a big part of   um so developers want to it could either be  renovate a property or build a property and   that's specific for multif family It could  also be yeah it's specific for multif family   um properties and a big part of that is the  lieac that's a big part of what that process   is and well I'm going to ask Sally to come  up and probably am I saying that correctly   hopefully I am Um but I know LITC is a big part  of that as far as what that process is and the   funding part Go ahead Sally saying housing and  community services department for the record So   house uh the housing development loan program  is a set aside of home funds that are used   specifically for affordable unit development  whether that's rental or single family It can   be for groundup construction or renovation  And many of our developer partners apply for   uh that funding annually to build Um we've  seen particularly seen it for single family   home ownership But more recently the two  applications we saw come last week were   for gap funding for low-income housing tax credit  projects to provide that that local lowinterest   um loan that scores them more points and  fills gaps to see those units be built Those   applications are available so long as we have  funding available Um the applications we've had   open applications for about 15 months with funding  consistently available We did see a slowdown in   applications on the home ownership side just  due to the cost of rising the the rising costs   related to labor and materials that especially on  the single family side Our developer partners are   having a hard time even with significant subsidy  up to $90,000 in subsidy They're having a hard   time making that work And so we're seeing we have  more funds available and dedicating more funds on   the rental side What is the dedicated revenue for  that that is home funds So that comes that is HUD   uh allocations as an entitlement community  That's the only source it is Okay Thank you Thank you Uh Carmen I do have a couple of  questions I was looking at um the application   for from Beacon Property Group but they were  denied Is that correct can you tell us why so during the affordable housing fund board um  we did see the presentations and we discussed   that and it they didn't seem as a as a strong  group Um and a big part of that is Beacon and   Saio There were some one of the members of Saio  is also a part of Beacon and just the presentation   and as far as what his plan was or their plan  was is a lot stronger for Senio than it was for   Beacon I also saw Noble Investment Properties was  disqualified Can you talk about that too yes Um   he did not provide a um proforma We didn't have  that and we did request it Thank you very much I   am very happy to see both uh home ownership as  well as rental properties that are going to be   available to here in our community So I like the  diversity in uh that spread and really looking   forward to the next round where you get even more  uh individuals that want to participate Uh again   housing and homelessness uh we talk about this  often They are tied These are one of our four top   priorities So thank you for uh making an emphasis  and effort towards being part of that solution So   thank you Carmen I see no further questions from  council We will now open it up for public comment   I see none I'll bring it back to the bench Council  member Johnson Thanks Mayor Due to a personal   conflict of interest I'll be abstaining from this  vote Coun Council member Glascock Thank you Mayor   Because a majority of these projects reside in D1  and D4 um I would like to make the motion that the   city council approve the expenditure affordable  housing funds up to the amount of 1,86,000 uh 0 1,86,000 86 846,000 Oh a typo Okay I recommend the  expenditure of the affordable housing   funds up to the amount approved by staff in the  presentation um for the developers approved and   authorize the necessary signatures Second  motion and a second Any further discussion   i see none I just want to make sure that  the motion that we see gets corrected to 1.846051 Um motion and a second Any further  discussion i see none Mr Clerk please open the roll Motion passes Motion passes 6 with one  abstension Mr Clerk please call   the next item Yeah Funding and public  art for 2025 OJ Watson Park improvements Mayor city council uh Tim Kellums um in public  work and utilities uh engineering here to talk   to you about OJ Watson Park So background here OJ  Watson Park which is in district 3 is is one of   the oldest and largest parks in the park system  and it is the only uh fully staffed destination   park uh in the park system um has a variety of  amenities and I won't read all of them but some   of the main ones uh to note for today are the the  pony rides uh the uh paddle boats and the kayaks   and the seasons venue The season's venue has seen  a a a large draw has drawn a lot of people to OJ   Watson Park I think it is a great investment and  really filled um activity on that side of the park   Um we are seeing a lot of uh events and more  people coming to the park as a result of that   uh investment into the into the space Um  staff recommends uh increasing accessibility   and mitigation of erosion around the concessions  building The concessions building is also where   uh the offices are for city staff that are there  Um and again there's a lot of that's kind of   the first point of contact that we have for uh  city staff that are there at the park with the   community that comes in um to the park to uh check  in for uh shelter rentals or if they have an event   birthday parties who know who knows exactly what  all they're there for but that's kind of the first   point that they uh come in and start interacting  with city staff So a good first impression is is   always important Uh you can see here in the slide  uh in the pictures on the slide uh there's erosion   significant erosion that's a hap that's happening  around the concessions building Um you can start   to see the undermining of the sidewalk there  in the lower photo Um some of this is just not   having the infrastructure there to help maintain  or address the erosion Um as well as um just over   time it just hasn't I just think it hasn't really  been on the top priority list to get to We've   uh made a lot of different improvements throughout  the um throughout the park and it's kind of time   to start addressing some of the erosion issues  that are out there Um again trying to make sure   that is as as accessible as possible You can  see um you know most of the pathways are pretty   high up They're not they don't really go down to  the lakes There you can see there in that bottom   photo there is a pathway that does go down into uh  closer to the lakes and that is where people use   uh to access the uh the kayaks and the paddle  boats Uh so again trying to make sure that we are   uh being mindful of of access and accessibility Uh  so that's kind of trying to tie in multiple things   to this project here to address that erosion There  is um sediment that does come down it does go down   towards the dock and does get on the pathways  So again trying to mitigate that and make it as   safe as possible knowing that the uh kayaks and  the paddle boats are are highly used Uh we also   uh utilized a grant for previous funding to help  improve that dock which was ages and ages years   old Uh so we do have a new dock that's down there  uh that's more accessible and more user friendly   So making sure that we're kind of tying these all  together to make a better user experience uh is   kind of the goal with this uh first portion of the  the funds that we'd like to use uh or the projects   we'd like to do with this uh project Staff also  recommends renovating the pony stables Uh there   are seven ponies that live at OJ Watson Park Uh  they pretty much live in this area and then when   they go out for the pony rides they they leave  but then this is kind of where they spend most of   their time Uh you can see in some of these photos  uh there are you can see standing water there   um in that top photo uh really right next to  where they where they live and where they sleep   Um I think that the idea was to build berms many  many years ago to build berms around um the stable   to kind of protect them from wind Um they never  really implemented um uh infrastructure to help   get that water away Uh so while it may be nice for  wind it does not really keep it nice and dry which   is important for those uh ponies um having the  prolonged puddling and muddy conditions is not   not great for the ponies Um so improving sight  drainage uh and just increasing their the living   conditions for the ponies we feel is is a great  value and something that is next on the list to do   Um there is uh an art component to this that  was dedicated by um or allocated or identified   through design council Um there is $100,000 for  it and city staff uh will identify locations to   strategically integrate the public art We didn't  feel having a an art consultant made sense for   this level of project Um it would take away from  the funds that would go towards the public art   Uh we think that murals sculptures or mosaic  tiles throughout the park would be great There   are a number of restrooms that are just kind  of white and bland They don't really provide   a sense of uh sense of arrival or a sense  of place for the park that may be a great   location for murals Also some folks do get kind  of turned around in OJ Watson Park Um there's   actually quite a long roadway to go through and  I can understand how some people may get confused   We feel that murals may be a good way to help  with wayfinding and identifying something like   I don't know the the bison restroom It's over by  the bison restroom Right now it's kind of hard to   understand exactly where you are especially for  first-time visitors that that come Uh growing up   I hadn't I didn't really go to OJ Watson Park  that much Lived on different side of towns but   have intimately been going to OJ Watson  as part of my job Um but first time there   I did get kind of confused on exactly where  everything was Um so I can kind of relate to   some folks that do get a little twist and turned  around Um so we think that public art would help   identify well first providing some placemaking and  um way finding as one thing but also enhance the   overall atmosphere of the park Uh especially when  we're start to see more people coming in for the   season's venue I think it makes sense to try to  help enhance their experience Want to make them   repeat customers for the city um and always keep  coming back There are so many different things at   OJ Watson that you can't really do them all in  one visit So trying to make sure that they feel   welcome to come back multiple times is kind of  the goal here Um and the public art will go to   design council and will also come to city council  before implementation for for your approval And   there'll be a call for entry to solicitate uh  the options to the art community We plan on   you know with the call for entry we do have a  large list of local artists that we do release   that to Uh so hopefully we'll get quite a bit  of of uh local artists interested in it Uh with   mules we have a lot of different mules around  town I think that a good local artist would be   a great fit for that Uh but again we'd have to  put the call out the call for entry out and then   go before design council and city council So you  can all um approve of that before moving forward   Um the adopted 2025 2034 CIP contains $325,000 uh  in 2025 for OJ Watson Park and 100,000 for public   art Uh staff recommends initiating uh those two  combined for $425,000 At this time funding sources   uh general obligation bonds and law department  has reviewed and approved the bonding resolutions   as to form It is recommend that city council  initiate the project adopt the bonding resolution   and authorize unnecessary signatures And I'm more  than happy to stand for any questions Thank you   Tim Council member Ho Heisel Thank you mayor and  thank you Tim for the presentation and all your   work You do a ton of work on our parks A couple of  quick questions When you talk accessibility um is   that also considering uh handicap accessibility  as well yes Yep That's the goal is to make sure   navigation is a lot easier um to and from our  different amenities So that's the plans to help   make sure it's all the slopes meet the right  criteria It makes sense to get there Right now   um it's a little hard to you kind of have  to backtrack some ways So it's a number of   different things but yeah ADA accessibility  is part of that Okay appreciate that Um now   when we're doing the murals is that going to be  weighted towards local artists yes I think so I   think internally that's kind of our the push that  we'd like to have is to make that local I think   um when we go to design council as we move forward  we can gain a little bit more feedback maybe on   exactly what they have in mind or if this right  here today if you have things that you'd like   for us to have in mind or criteria that you'd like  for us to use we we're more than happy and open to   to take that now Okay Yeah Yeah I think that just  makes sense to support the local art community as   much as we can Sure Um also I did grow up next to  this park so I am pretty familiar with it Um now   we we had the Wizard of Oz sculptures there for  a while Is there any plans on maybe continuing   to build on the Wizard of Oz theme with any of  that or any upgrades that we're looking at with   the yellow brick road or anything around there  i know Senator FDA has also talked about ruby   slippers but I don't think she necessarily wants  them at Watson Park but it still does make sense   as well Sure Yeah I hadn't um I think we're we're  still open and thinking that about that So any   feedback So that that's great to hear if that's  the direction that that you like for us to pursue   then I think that's something that we can look at  and explore and kind of see what comes back And   obviously we'd present to this council and and get  feedback Okay Yeah Yeah It was just a thought Um I   I again the the tin man and Dorothy and all that  back in the day and the tornado that was always   pretty neat It's not as iconic as the little  red train which you know is probably the most   iconic thing in our park system that actually  works It's not a rocket ship that sits there   and does nothing Never mind All right Well thank  you Tim I appreciate that Council member Johnson Thanks Mayor Um Tim great presentation Just wanted  to echo support for the mural The one at uh Great   Plains is awesome We had a great ribbon cutting  for that and people still talk about it I too did   not live by Watson Park So having some murals  and things to point to I think would be good   um for people to like you said be over there  by the bison bathroom or whatnot But um I think   that's a good idea I support that Also support  pushing for local artists So looking forward to   seeing what happens Council member Tuttle Thank  you I'm just going to pile on a little bit more   Um sorry to be redundant but Tim great job Thank  you for all you do Always appreciate it One of the   things that I say consistently when we're talking  about projects such as this is it's not as much   public art as public design right and and I always  refer people back to East Kellogg There isn't a   sculpture slapped on the side of East Kellogg but  how we designed it is what makes it inviting and   vibrant and unique And I think this is another  perfect example And I love the fact that you're   going to use murals for wayfinding That's really  a win-win right because we're incorporating design   into making beautifification efforts in this park  but it's also going to be something that's useful   and helpful We probably have to spend money  on wayfinding anyway but this way we're able   to incorporate it with also the design So thank  you for being a great thinker I really appreciate   it And thanks for all you do Tim Sure Thank you  Vice Mayor Johnston Well I have to say something   Councilman O'Hisel I did grow up going to O L O  L O L O L O L O L O L O L O L O L OJ Watson Park   back when the entrance was off Broadway When did  that change it still is open on occasion but about   a decade ago they opened it up on um Mlan with  uh some of the improvements over there So it's   still open on the weekend You can take that back  entrance off of Kell and Okay Or I mean Broadway   Good to know Yeah want to instead of third I'm  going to fourth I also grew up around OJ Watson   Park and I think that that is a really great asset  Uh you mentioned this is one of the largest parks   in the city's park system Um and when we think  about other communities south of us they have   one park and we talk about that park often and  I'm not even going to say it because that's what   they're known for Yet we have an amazing park  system Um but people don't just say we have   an amazing park system So I'm just curious Um I  know that we're going to have a park master plan   coming up Um and this kind of ties into the whole  conversation about you know we have a Wizard of   Oz theme down there but there are others who think  Wizard of Oz theme should be in our downtown core   and it is part of who we are as well So I'm just  curious how that cohesively can be part of the   uh conversation because um I do believe leaning  into parts of who we are whether it's the air   capital of the world or um part of Wizard of Oz  and um you know this is home uh to the keeper of   the plains I mean we have a lot of things that tie  to who we are but not one thing And so how does   a park system kind of think strategically about  how to cohesively bring the system together sure   Great question Um I think one of the one of the  things that uh I think is kind of important for   first impressions and this is just kind of one  thing that we've kind of started doing or one   thing that we have but we are improving on is park  signage Making sure that we're creating a brand   identity and making sure that we're tying all  of our parks together I think you know the wood   signs they they have their appeal but I think  having something that's new and modern kind of   helps identify and ties it back to the city of  Witchaw um and kind of provides that again that   tie and that branding standard I think beyond  that having the same amenities the same looking   um similar shelters there are places to go above  and beyond at different locations but when we   start creating a um standard specifications on how  we have our parks look I think that's a great way   to help tie things together Um if we have standard  you know benches and things like that it's a lot   easier to tie them all together from just a simple  thing that no one really ever pays attention to   But if you have blue benches we're not using blue  benches but if we have blue benches in all of   our parks everyone knows that okay well that's a  city park that's not you know an HOA park There's   not something different I think beyond that um I  think I think there are benefits to having unique   um things in each park And I'm I'm thinking  about um the different parks kind of the the   main parks in each of your different districts um  that really draw people And I think they all have   their own unique things Like South Lakes is a lot  different than OJ Watson which is different than   Striker which is different than McAdams They're  all different I think that there's there's ways   to try to tie those together I'm interested to  see how the park master plan what their thoughts   are on doing that I think simple easy ways to do  that is making sure our uh site amenities are the   same our signage is the same wayfinding is pretty  similar Um using similar materials uh tends to do   that Those are simple ways to do that And I think  in the CIP we're we're doing that too in in many   other ways for um athletic courts and athletic  fields Kind of creating a standard brand or making   sure that all of our playgrounds are look the same  Um we're still trying to check off some of those   ones that we you know it takes a while to get to  everything but trying to make sure that all the   playgrounds look similar have a high level quality  Um different basketball courts We're doing a   project now for the basketball courts Um years ago  we had moved and transitioned to a more like clear   backboard which is something that's kind of minor  and most people don't really know or care but it   looks a lot nicer And I think we've heard from the  community that they feel they feel more valued and   they feel uh appreciated when they do have those  nice amenities like that It may not it may cost   maybe just a little bit more but it provides a  feeling of of being heard and um a sense of of um   appreciation for being in those spaces So I know  that that's something that we're we're looking   we're looking to do and make those little things  that do make that difference Thank you Tim Council   member Glasco Thank you Mayor I think Councilman  Balor and I felt excluded that we didn't tell our   OJ Watson stories too so we both came on But we're  very appreciative of the park Um I remember tons   of family reunions there And I have also gotten  lost there multiple times So the wayfinding signs   I think I got locked in on the island one night um  when I was trying to clean it up And so my hatred   for geese actually started out OJ Watson Park  as well So very supportive of this Um I think   the murals are a great way to a great and more  affordable way to uh beautify the area And I   do love the Wizard of Oz theme I think it's very  unique to that park system Now we don't need that   all in WTO ever stereotype but I think there makes  sense So thank you Council Member Ballard Thank   you mayor Yes I was feeling left out um about not  sharing my OJ Watson story So my dad did take us   and of course I wanted to ride the ponies until I  got there and it's just absolutely terrifying But   uh Council Member Glascock and I went down there  I don't know several months ago and checked on the   ponies and they're still there and and doing  well So um yeah I'm super excited about um   the improvements in this park Um we know a lot of  people go to Riverside but I suppose they probably   go to other parks and other districts too So I'm  excited for the project and happy for Council   Member Hoel Council member Johnson Thanks Mayor  Um just to add to the discussion I know everyone   loves The Wizard of Oz but also Hattie McDaniels  from Witchah starred in Gone with the Wind So   there could be some themes there to highlight  her being from Witchah and Gone with the Wind Thank you for all those questions I do have a  technical question now Um how much is the total   CIP for improvements in this area again um I don't  have for district three off the top of my head Um   are you asking for just in 2025 just the CIP for  uh 25 to 34 I apolog I do not have that number   in front of me Uh it's okay Maybe from now on uh  for financial considerations if we could get that   full idea of what a budget for that park is in the  CIP that gives us a perspective of what additional   things might needed Um again a suggestion for  financial so that we can think more holistically   Um and then the other question or more a comment  um on slide 85 did you mention that there will   or will not be a consultant for this um we did  not feel that um having an art consultant was   appropriate for this project I don't think so  either So thank you very much and I really do   appreciate this specific item because we're  talking about maintenance and maintaining   our current assets Obviously OJ Watson with  all these stories that you just heard from   the council and from community about um such  a wonderful asset that it is we want to make   sure that it is wellmaintained and uh priority  for things like ease of access for individuals   with mobility issues to just finding their way  around I appreciate So thank you for the extra   um effort on the maintenance piece Sure I see  no further questions or comments from council   We will now open it up for public comment I see  none I'll bring it back to the bench This is in   council member Hohheisel's district Thank you  Mayor Um it's there really is a privilege to   um do some work on this park Um Haunted Island  which is now Wicked Island as part of my childhood   as well I actually take the kids there every year  kind of scare the the crud out of them with that   one That's always fun And who of course has not  ridden the iconic red train that goes around   there So um it's again it's a privilege to um  make this motion for the best park in Witchah I don't care what March Pack uh pardon this says  but um so I'd like to move that the city council   initiate the project adopt the bonding  resolution and authorize the necessary   signatures Second motion and a second Any further  discussion i see none Mr Clerk please open the   role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk please call the  next item Beverage services for municipal golf courses All right Mayor city city council Uh  my name is Jesse Kaufman I'm the manager of   the golf division and I'm here regarding the uh  beverage services for the four municipal golf   courses Um some background on this We have  four uh golf courses that are operated by   the golf division of the Witchaw Park and  Recreation The beverage service contract   supplies non-alcoholic beverages for the snack  bars allowing for better cost use of coolers and   the in the equipment delivery of products  and e easy ordering procedures Uh services   uh over the last five years have been  provided by Pepsi Beverage Company uh analysis A request for proposals was sent was  issued to solicit vendors for this service The   current vendor Pepsi was the only vendor to submit  a proposal And on March 6th of this year the staff   screening and selection committee conducted an  interview and determined that Pepsi met all of the   criteria to proceed as the selected vendor Pepsi  offered competitive rates in its proposal offering   lower rates than the previous contract And as part  of the proposed contract the golf division will   receive an annual rebate of $11,500 at the start  of each year as well as $1,000 in marketing and   promot promotional materials annually Financial  considerations a contract has been prepared with   Pepsi for set prices per unit for an extensive  product portfolio And in 2024 the golf division   spent 1,00 $145,496 with Pepsi Actual annual  expenditures will vary based on golf course   snack bar sales and funding is available within  the adopted golf fund budget Legal considerations   and recommended action The law department has  reviewed and approved the contract as to form   and it is recommended that the city council  approve the vendor selection approve the   contract and authorize the necessary signatures  And with that I will stand for any questions Thank   you Jesse Council member Ballard Thank you Mayor  Jesse Thank you for being here Um I'm sorry this   is a redundant question I ask all the time but  do you have any idea why Pepsi is the only one   that submitted a proposal i do not Um we had sent  I know we had made others aware and they were the   only one that submitted and from my understanding  five years ago they were the also the only ones   that submitted So I don't know the reason why  but it's uh seems like it's happened the last two   times Interesting Thank you very much Vice Mayor  Johnston Thank you Mayor Jesse Just I want to just   thank you for doing a great job Uh golf course is  looking better and better Your staff is wonderful   Uh very welcoming customer serviceoriented  So I I appreciate that Thank you very much   I appreciate that Pain placement sometimes a  little tough but that's just for you Thank you Thanks Jesse I see no further questions for you  We'll now open it up for public comment I see no   public comment We'll bring it back to the bench  This is in districts 1 four and six Any council   member would like to move it I will I' move  to take the recommended action to approve the   vendor selection approve the contract and  authorize the necessary signatures Second   motion and a second Any further discussion  i see none Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk  please call the next item Ice center management change Good morning Mayor and Council Uh Reggie Davidson  with Parks and Wreck Here to talk with you about   the ice man management uh contract Give you a  little background on it Uh in 2021 the Department   of Parks and Recreation issued a rec request for  a proposal for solicit a uh company to manage the   uh Witchah Ice Center And January the 18th of 2022  uh city council approved a professional management   services agreement with Reek Management Services  Uh the initial term continues through uh December   uh 31st of 2026 uh with the potential five  annual extensions at the uh city's auction Arm SC's owner is uh currently retiring and  uh transitioning Army SC management to sports   facilities company SFC Uh staff has performed  due diligence and investigating FSC to ensure   that it will be a good fit for continuing the  professional management services agreement for   the Witchah Ice Center Uh the following is  a summary of the due diligence uh that was   performed Uh FFC will provide a qualification  document outlining its uh expertise in sports   facility management uh expertise in ice uh arena  management as well as other types of facilities A   listing of other managed ice uh skating venues of  similar size as well as top leadership uh resumes   and a transition timeline for the first 90 days  Additional analysis uh parks and recck obtained   positive references from uh two FSS uh FSC managed  facilities uh similar to the Witchah Ice Center   Uh one was Morristown Landing in Morristown uh  Tennessee uh Legends Event Center in Brian Texas   uh references worked with FSC for over the the  last year and uh according to them that they met   and exceeded the goals set for the requirements  of the agency and the references uh indicated   FSC work closely with internal staff outside  contractors and customers and has maintained a   good communication throughout the uh relationship  uh FSC provided a certificate of good standing   from the Kansas Secretary of State's office also  disclosed any current uh pending civil civil   litigations and current MM SRMS staff at the ICE  center will remain the current regional manager   and also uh maintain all the current staff that's  currently in place would have impact on current   operations So uh legal considerations uh and  financial situ consideration is uh compensation   for the professional management service will  remain the same and will continue to be issued   uh from the ice rink fund Uh the law department  has reviewed the professional management service   agreement with RMSC and has determined that it  will allow RMSSC to assign the obligations on the   agreement to another party by the city's consent  uh which shall not be unreasonably withheld for   the terms of the agreement to benefit the bind  RMSC successors affiliates and assigns the law   department has uh reviewed and approved the  contract assigned as to form It is recommended   that the city council approve the contract  assignment and authorize the necessary signatures   And I will stand for uh any questions Reggie  thank you Councilman Glascott Thank you Vice   Mayor Quick question for you Reggie Given previous  operators at this facility I am interested in item   four where it says SFC disclosed its per its  current pending civil litigation How many cases   are there um that wasn't in our packet um and  I know that they may not be able to talk about   specifics of their litigation but are they in  a lot of active suits is that just standard   procedure that we have on here that there's just  a fourth bullet for it could you offer any context   sure So it is part of our due diligence just to  make sure that there aren't any pending litig   litigations and through the research that we did  have uh there were some that were there but they   were normal things that were maybe related to  operations where a triple fall or something of   those natures not anything that was anything  that was considered uh negligence on their   behalf just part of operations where there may be  an injury Okay Thank you I really appreciate that   I don't know if this question was asked  but um how much is the actual professional   management services compensation so what  we pay them uh for the fee is $6,500 per   month and then they manage the fund that  is there for the ike ring system itself and   uh report to us monthly on what those expenses  are and we monitor really closely with our finance   department to see that they're on task to to  stay within those guidelines Thank you very   much I have no further questions none from the  council so we'll open it up for public comment   I see none We'll bring it back to the bench  This isn't council member GlassCox's district Council member Hohheisle Thank you Mayor Um  I just wanted to point this out to the public   Um we do have a termination due to lack of funding  appropriation uh clause in here that if they're   not putting the appropriate money and care into  the system uh we can give them 90 days uh notice   and cancel the contract And it sounds like this  will be about a year and a half kind of a trial   project with this group So um I hope we have  nothing but good things to say here in a year and   a half when this comes back to us for an extension  That's all I had Thank you Council Member Glascock   Thank you Mayor I'm also hopeful that the current  management staying in place I noticed that in   this agreement they've been incredible to work  with and somebody that I've relied on to have a   lot of conversations with the eye center I think  have taken care taken care of very appropriately   as well So with that and seeing that there  is nobody else on the board I move that the   city council approve the contract assignment and  authorize the necessary signatures Second Second   Motion and a second Any further discussion  i see none Mr Clerk please open the roll I sorry I don't know It's frozen All good Uh   motion passes 70 Mr Clerk  please call the next item Funding for water reuse alternatives study Good  morning mayor and council members Gary Jansen   public works and utilities I'm excited to be here  to have this discussion about the future of water   supply and resiliency for our community and our  region Uh I have members of our consultant design   team CDM Smith with me And at some point here  later in presentation I'm going to introduce Sarah   and have her talk to you a little bit about what  CDM brings to this effort So uh the item before   you is a request for funding and contract approval  for a water reuse alternative study You will see   as we go through this presentation it's a lot more  than just a study Uh this includes implementation   of state regulations uh robust public engagement  identification of funding sources uh potential   pilot and demonstration projects that will allow  uh better public engagement and understanding So   a lot of things happening with this I wanted to  start uh with something that you've seen before   that I've talked about as I've been out especially  in 2025 and engaging with the public in numerous   places Uh all the district advisory boards  numerous HOAs uh actually had a discussion with   the Andover City Council just last night about  these particular efforts and what we're talking   about for long-term water resiliency I get asked a  question a lot about what is Witchah doing we hope   that you're not just sitting back and waiting for  it to rain And needless to say we are not doing   that So I wanted to set the foundation again of  where we're at with our current water supply the   things that we've done uh the options that we've  looked at and why we think this makes sense to   move forward uh with this item that is before you  today So Genie Reservoir as everybody's aware is   kind of the source of our not kind of but is the  source of our problem with this ongoing drought   Um and our secondary water resource is the  equipeds aquafer We've talked a lot about what   we have done with our recharge efforts for the  equispeds over the years The council's committed   considerable funds as part of our rate structure  uh to establishing and continuing our ASR program   It's kept the equispetss aquifer healthy It's  currently at 92% full It's pretty remarkable   considering a drought that we have been through  for this length of time Uh while we will we have   still have ongoing efforts within the equis beds  for building additional recharge basins which are   going to optimize being able to refill the aquafer  if you will Uh we believe uh the point where we   get past these current efforts with these recharge  basins that additional funding uh within the equis   beds will not provide the return on investment  we've previously seen And so it makes even more   sense to start looking in different directions  for what our our new water sources might be We   also have something that's not shown on this map  and sometimes I forget to mention we do have water   rights along the Ark River near our current water  treatment plant what we call our local well field   Uh currently our CIP includes funding to optimize  those wells also so that we can realize uh all of   our water rights in that location So I think we've  done a really good job uh to optimize and utilize   what our native water rights are We've obviously  have all the water rights within Cheni We have a   certain amount of water rights within the equis  beds We've got the local whale field There's two   other items that come up quite a bit that I wanted  to talk about real quick And you've heard me talk   about these two but I wanted to hit on this again  because again everywhere I go and the people I   talk to I still hear these same questions which  is good to hear Uh it certainly helps to be able   to have those interactions El Dredo Lake uh is not  far away I get asked the question a lot Why don't   we get water from El Dredo i won't spend a lot of  time on it I'll just mention what I've mentioned   to you Again we've conducted numerous studies  over the years that shows when we get uh into   some point in time in a regional drought the water  is just not available from El Dredo There are some   water rights available El Dredo provides water  uh to other uh places in the region than just   El Dredo but there is just not enough water to  be sustainable to provide a supply for Witchah   especially when you look at the cost of conveyance  and what that return on investment would be It's   it's a very small amount of water and for a very  short period of time depending on where we're at   in the drought So it's not a viable source I still  get asked the question a lot about why don't we   dredge Cheni uh make a bigger hole so that when  we rain we get back to the original capacity and   we've got more water to use Uh city council has  done a tremendous job over the years of providing   funding for wershed protection measures Uh we work  with McFersonen County We work with uh the Cheni   uh lake groups to provide uh protection within  the upstream of the reservoir in the NUSCAR river   basin that limits the sedimentation into Cheni  A study was completed by the Kansas Water Office   the last one it was done for Cheni showed that uh  lost capacity with 5 to 7% which is pretty amazing   for as long as a reservoir has been there Uh give  you some perspective of Tuttle Creek Reservoir in   Manhattan uh currently has lost over 50% capacity  due to sedimentation So we're in a great place   uh to try to dredge that small amount of sediment  Tremendous cost uh very little return would only   gain us maybe an extra month of water supply So  it's not a viable option either We've looked there   We will continue to look for other options uh with  the way that water rights are appropriated across   not just our state but many states Uh you know  I hear from a lot of folks about why don't you   go grab water somewhere else There's not a lot  of options uh for additional water rights But I   think we've done a really really good job uh with  being strategic and optimizing our water rights   And without our drought response plan that  we have in place and the things that we've   done we would be in a lot worse shape right now  continuing h uh considering how long this drought   has gone on Uh but I'm excited about the next  steps that that we're ready to take So as the   drought conditions continue to impact our surface  water supply at Cheni we need to have a strategic   and focused approach to future water resiliency  uh for this region It's extremely critical that   we're having this conversation today I think  the timing is right uh and we're excited to   move forward pending your approval of this item We  need to expand and diversify our water portfolio   and this study will help identify the most viable  options So we have ventured into uh recycling and   reuse already We've been doing this since 2015 I  just want to provide a a reminder of what we've   done with Spirit So the map on the left I know  there's a lot of stuff there So if you see kind   of through the middle to the left is south to  the uh right is north The top yellow uh pin is   our main wastewater treatment plant at the south  end of Witchaw 57th and hydraulic in district 3 Uh   since 2015 we have been providing recycled reuse  water if you will uh from that facility to Spirit   uh nearly a million gallons a day I recently  heard uh Representative Spirit at the Rotary   talking about the value this has brought to  them as part of their overall sustainability   and recycle efforts They continue to use this We  have a contract with them uh that provides up to   that million gallons a day Spirit did fund uh the  infrastructure for this and and the reason why   I mention that is because we've looked at other  uh places previously for doing this golf courses   Uh we've got multiple wastewater facilities around  the community Northwest Far East uh and then south   are are kind of our main three facilities that  we could look at reuse from Uh but this what this   study will do uh will take a a look at additional  opportunities And this approach to recycling   treated waste water for industrial and commercial  reuse is one that merits further analysis and   consideration which we plan to do There are  other industries out there that could utilize   um this type of recycle And I might mention  real quick I use the term reuse and recycle   And I'm I'm using them interchangeably within the  industry It really comes down to what is could be   used for portable use for drinking water For our  purposes right now I'm going to talk use recycle   and reuse And I should have mentioned that sooner  Basically the same way right so we want to take   the resources that we have and reuse them to the  best of our ability So our ultimate goal uh beyond   looking at additional industrial reuse which is a  big part of this study and we think there's value   in that for future conservation uh our ultimate  goal for recycling and reuse is to look at what   we call direct portable reuse Uh this is the  treatment of wa w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w   w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w  w w water to provide an innovative opportunity   to create an additional safe and clean drinking  water supply for the future I'll show you a couple   things here on the next slide that'll kind of help  illustrate what it is that we're looking at There   are other states uh who have developed regulations  There are not currently state regulations in   Kansas that allow direct quotable reuse Uh we've  been following closely what other states are doing   and and will watch and see utilize the information  of things that they've done uh to be able to move   forward with this effort here Direct putable reuse  could allow the city to furnish additional water   during periods of prolonged severe drought and  meet water demand growth well into the future   So what does this look like uh if you can make  out the picture on the left you've probably seen   this diagram before We use this a lot to talk to  folks in the community about how our water cycle   works And really what we're looking at here is  closing the loop uh on the circle for our water   cycle At the top of this picture on the left is  Cheni Reservoir and Equis beds It shows our two   main water supplies That water is uh pumped into  our water treatment plant It's distributed out to   uh a system and a network of residential  businesses commercial businesses industrial   uses that part in the middle Uh whatever goes out  from those uh places and those facilities goes to   our wastewater treatment facilities I mentioned  we've got numerous facilities around the community   Um that gets treated uh to certain standards um  to public health standards not to drinking water   standards Uh but per regulation it gets treated  and it's disposed of in our rivers and streams   So if you see at the bottom of that picture  in the middle you can see that discharge to   the river Picture on the right is that same thing  of what actually happens at our main wastewater   treatment plant Again what we call plant two at  the south end of Witchaw 25 million gallons a day   uh that goes into the Ark River goes downstream  for somebody else to use We believe and we're   going to confirm this soon uh because we've had  this discussion in the past that we have the   rights to that water Um and so the notion of us  capturing that water treating it uh using advanced   treatment which I'm going to talk about in just  a moment treating it to drinking water standards   we can create our own water supply We can close  this loop on our water cycle uh for many years   to come So something I want to note before I get  off this page and I mention it and I'll say it   again someone else is going to utilize this water  downstream eventually I've heard KDHE staff talk   about everyone's downstream of someone else right  uh so some of the water that we capture in our uh   bank wells we call them for the Ark River and even  what we're doing with ASR is water that came from   a facility like most likely like this upstream  from us as we started into this with looking to   hire a consultant Uh CDM has a tremendous public  engagement consultant that's been involved with   reuse for many many years Sarah's going to talk  about them in just a moment Uh but I heard her   say and this really resonated with me that if  you live in New Orleans and drink the water   there you're drinking water that's been treated  11 different times by the time it gets there   So I think that's important to keep in mind of  the value of this resource and what it is that   we're doing So there's a long road ahead of us  but I think we're we're off to a good start with   where we want to go with this So keep in mind that  water that's being discharged to the river Uh this   looks highly technical because it kind of is I'm  not going to get into the details of this because   I couldn't if I wanted to on the left where you  see that says treated wastewater captured Uh what   this cycle shows is how we would treat waste water  through the recycling process What we call this   direct portable reuse That same discharge that  you saw to the river would be captured U that's   what we'll figure out the best uh most economical  way to do that And it goes through a multibarrier   treatment approach advanced treatment purification  uh what comes out of that process uh will most   likely be cleaner water than we provide from our  water treatment plants right now because of what's   in place What we've seen other states do with  regulations the regulations are very stringent and   they require that level of treatment to make sure  that uh public health is is held paramount first   and foremost This direct portable reuse creates  an additional water supply for the future and we   really think that we can lead the way for Kansas  because again right now there are no regulations   for the state of Kansas There's a project that's  currently broke ground in El Paso is one of the   most recent ones for direct portable reuse Uh the  there I've I've read about the project numerous   times I know they're excited to be moving forward  with that uh there's regulations in Colorado and   California also and there's numerous projects  moving forward in in certain parts of the country   to do this same thing So uh the approach itself  for this reuse study the project will include   engineering and other professional services to  identify and explore opportunities for water   recycling and reuse The staff screening and  selection committee interviewed five proposing   firms and recommended CDM Smith on the basis  of project approach schedule staff assignment   previous similar projects and expertise Uh  council members Tuttle and Hohheisel thank   you for sitting on our selection committee Uh  we had some very good uh firms that proposed   on this project a lot of knowledge and a lot of  expertise and we're happy to be moving forward   with this recommendation today work will include  establishing baseline water quality conditions   treatment requirements and technologies was what  a little bit of what I just looked at with you   and developing formal regulations again for  direct portable reuse for the state of Kansas   We've started this conversation with KDH already  I started talking to them actually last year Um   they're on board to have this conversation  pending your approval today We already have   uh several meetings set up in Topeka next week  with staff myself staff our consultant and   several state agencies to really start digging  into what this looks like and where this can go   Other elements will include identifying  funding opportunities addressing requirements   for qualifying applications for that funding  and developing a strategy for implementing   non-potable industrial reuse and direct portable  reuse Um just like I talked about so we're going   to be looking for funding opportunities  on the state and federal levels When the   Bureau of Reclamation was here last fall uh  to talk about the funding award for some of   our ASR improvements we started talking to them  about this concept Uh they were excited to hear   that we were moving in this direction They they  indicated then that they have funding available   for both planning and imple and implementation of  projects like this So we're going to definitely   be working on that as soon as we can Public  engagement and outreach is absolutely critical   It's probably one of the most critical parts of  uh this process and this type of project It is   what has made this work in other states again So  we've watched we we're looking U CDM Smith has a   lot of experience and has worked in other states  that they're going to bring to the table Sarah   will talk about them more in a moment Uh but  there's um this is we're going to take off and   hit the ground running soon with public engagement  Outreach messaging and strategies will include the   creation of a project steering committee that  will provide a broad spectrum of support and   uh a wide variety of opinions for water recycling  and reuse applications It's important that we hear   uh from as many people in our community as  we can as we move forward with this effort In   addition to I mentioned KDHE and the Department  of Agriculture outreach will extend to public   health organizations healthc care providers the  restaurant and hospitality industry wholesale   water customers and more Uh we continue to take  all the opportunities that we can I think I've   got uh in the next 45 days another 20 engagements  to talk to a variety of folks about this effort to   make sure everybody understands where we're headed  what we're looking at try to make sure that that   we're providing the most information we can but  really once we get moving forward with CDM Smith   is going to provide the most value We've talked  to all of our wholesale customers about this In   fact I've got a meeting with all of them in two  weeks uh to make sure that they understand what   we're looking at as far as this reuse effort  in particular with direct portable reuse Um I   one last thing I want to mention and I'm going  introduce Sarah and let her talk about CDM Uh   I'm fortunate to have a seat on the Kansas Water  Authority and was recently appointed appointed   uh to the new state program water task  force and and so the reason why I say   that is because I've had the opportunity  on the water authority in the last year   um as we they looked at a statewide water plan  funding uh to talk about our efforts in Witchah   My position on either one of those is not to make  sure things happen in Witchaw but to provide a   perspective of what we're doing in the state's  largest city and to hopefully look at something   like direct portable reuse being applicable across  the entire state So I'm excited to move forward   with those conversations Having gotten to that  point uh I want to introduce Sarah Stewart Sarah   is a senior vice president project manager for CDM  Smith and I'm going to have her talk to you about   uh CDM what they bring to this uh their experience  and all the great things they've done with reuse Good morning Yeah you hear me okay I'm a little  shorter than he is Um so CDM Smith just a little   bit about our firm Um we're a little over 6,700  employees worldwide We've been in business for 77   years Um recently and and I'll say my personal  experience with Witchah stands a little later   than that I started working with the city on  the ASR program 15 years ago Um more recently   I've had the honor of working with the city as the  project manager on the plant to BNR improvements   biological nutrient removal program uh that  we're in construction with Um CDM Smith's also   performing the SCADA programming and we are um  well on way working on the bio gas utilization and   organic waste receiving program uh which actually  will be getting SOIS out this summer So uh moving   things forward the team that we've brought today  um like we said our best and brightest Um so Jesse   V here with me u myself as project manager I'll  add I am a resident of the state of Kansas so a   little bit north of here though Um our team's  highlighted by our national practice leader   Greta Zorns and Anthony Zamaro Uh they've  led these reuse studies and design piloting   um nationwide Caric Misari He's out of Arizona  Caric is new to our firm because for the his   previous job was with the state of Arizona writing  the DPR regulations on how to implement these type   of projects for the state So he'll be guiding us  and helping us work with the state of Kansas in   developing and implementing and making sure that  what we do here protects the public and meets the   state's goals moving forward Stacy Barta is our  funding discipline lead As you all know to do   anything it has to start with how can we afford it  So we'll be starting that process this summer and   identifying how can we leverage both um local and  national funds to help the affordability of this   And finally and possibly most importantly is the  other Sarah on our team Uh Cats and Associates   is a public outreach firm specializing in  communicating about water reuse and water   um water projects across the nation So Sarah will  be working with the community with Megan and city   staff on developing a community outreach program  tailored to our community and really meeting this   the goals for the city of Witchah Um a little bit  of the highlights Uh we literally wrote the book   on some of this stuff folks I know that sounds  a little silly but we did The EPA guidelines for   water reuse Um we authored the initial um report  in 1980 updated it again four more times Katz   and Associates wrote the WORF book on community  outreach related to reuse studies We've done a   variety of pilots DPR demonstration facilities  across the US Um you can see here Oh okay Map   shows up good up there The um this is focused more  on the reuse side of things on the portable side   So when we talk about portable that means drinking  water There's also the term non-potable which is   things like golf course irrigation We are looking  at both We want to water is a resource that we   need to optimize as much as possible You all  know that with all the communications on drought   So um the one thing I want to add to all  of this and just wrapping up is this reuse   study isn't just one study So there is the  citywide water reuse study Um our goal is   by really December January that we're in a um  good form and draft form to come back to the   council and talk about recommendations and steps  forward from that Um it'll include as I said the   non-potable side So things like irrigation  spirit reuse that's the non-potable things   also the portable reuse piece So the piece that  Gary was speaking about of taking the effluent   from plant two and treating it and treating  it and treating it treating it and treating   it again and using that back in the community Um  but beyond that the first step towards developing   that DPR is really developing a pilot work plan  To do something like this takes a lot of study   analysis piloting demonstration proving out that  this is safe for the public Um so that study will   be done over the summer and the reason being is  that we're targeting submitting it to the Bureau   of Wreck for funding as a feasibility study  in September That deadline is from last year   Uh they haven't published this year's deadline  We're assuming it's the same So that is a big   um early out deliverable for us is again trying  to leverage that federal funding Um we will be   doing a full funding strategy plan There's more to  that than just this first out first early out item   The community outreach we were just spoking  that the sooner the better on that to really   um bolster and work with Gary and the community  on um speaking to your citizens about this And   finally the out regular outreach piece We're  going to be there on May 19th in Topeka to start   um getting into the details of um how to move  this forward for the city and for the state Carrie thank you Sarah It's painfully obvious I should  have introduced this item and stepped out of the   way So I appreciate your input Uh last thing I've  got for you on the financial consideration side is   the total cost of the proposed contract is just  under $1.2 million The adopted CIP includes a   project that's titled phased water supply plan  uh that we knew this was coming and would be   utilized for this uh purpose So we're asking to  initiate $1.2 million from 2025 today I just want   to reiterate that this study will estimate future  phase costs and identify funding sources We don't   know yet uh what any parts of this are going to  cost uh because it's really going to depend on   where we end up Our focus is really on this uh  side the direct portable reuse side Uh we know   it's going to be expensive It's going to take  some time but the value that this could bring   to our community for long-term water resiliency  is something that we really need to have a better   understanding uh know what that cost look like  And then we're going to do everything we can   to hopefully leverage outside funding for the same  Uh with that staff recommends city council approve   the recommended study budget and contract adopt  the uh resolutions and the notices of intent and   authorize the necessary signatures And we'd be  happy to stand for any questions Thank you Gary   and Sarah We begin with Council Member Tuttle  Thank you Thank you Gary for the presentation   I do have one question and then I have several  comments You knew I would Um I was fortunate   enough to attend the Kansas Municipal Utilities  Conference with Don Henry Thank you for letting   me tag along and we talked it was a specific  session on direct portable reuse and it was   fascinating and and I kind of learned the answer  but I think as we go into this more other people   may start asking this question so just want to  bring it to the forefront before I bring in lots   of kudos Um you mentioned downstream right and  everybody's water came from someone else's water   If we do direct portable reuse what are the  implications for the people downstream from   us who may now there's not going to be water  I just want to highlight it if we can So one   of our and thank you that's a good question One  of our first efforts I talked about meeting with   uh Kansas Department health environment and the  department of agriculture next Monday in Topeka   That's one of the first things that we're going to  tackle with uh Department of Agriculture and the   Division of Water Resources Uh who has authority  over water rights over the course of time we've   had discussions with them about uh who has the  water rights to what you see here this effluent   that's going to the river We have every reason  to believe that we do We're going to confirm   that first and foremost before we go any further  here because you ask a great question There are   situations uh not even just in our state but other  areas there's compacts between states uh when it   comes to water that requires uh certain releases  of water from communities to keep going downstream   uh typically it's not in a situation like this  uh because we have created this output from our   water supplies our water rights within Cheni and  the Aqua Speds kind of sort of as a way to sum   it up but uh we're going to confirm that first and  foremost because this takes a whole different look   uh if for some reason that's not what we thought  it was but I feel confident about where we're at   with that Okay now for some comments Um I first of  all want to say congratulations for getting on the   state um water reuse task force I know several of  us wrote letters and tried to get other people to   send letters and there wasn't a better candidate  to represent our city than you So super glad and   I know it's going to add to your already busy  job jar but thank you for doing that Um also   thank you for all the presentations you're doing  out in the community I've had the pleasure of   attending many of them with you and several more  in the future and it's kind of been a road show   but it's interesting to hear people's interest in  this to to listen to their questions It's going to   be vital as we move forward to know what our what  our messaging will be Um I also was a proud member   along with council member Holheiser as mentioned  as the selection committee So thank you to CDM for   um being willing to do this adventure with us I  think it's going to be fantastic for the future   of water Um I also along with council member  Holheisel sit on the local task force for water   reuse and and am excited to see how we can move  forward Um I talk about drought every day and now   I'm talking about water reuse recycle water every  day in this city multiple times a day and I think   all of us doing that is how the message is going  to get out in people to understand how critical   this is Um Gary knows this I've challenged us as a  city of Wan told um South Central delegation folks   in Topeka that I want us to be the first city in  the state of Kansas to get direct portable reuse   and I think we can do it and I think this is a  great first step Um just one other comment this   is not just critical for households You know we  turn on our faucet in the morning we hope there's   water we brush our teeth we go about our day and  we don't think twice about it But as business and   industries are thinking of potentially locating  to Witchah Kansas they're going to look at our   utilities and they're going to look at our  infrastructure And if they see that we're in   drought and we're not aggressively addressing  this for the future not only could this you   know potentially harm us as humans having our most  basic right but it could harm our basic economic   development opportunities So this is critical  for the growth and continuation of the city of   Witchah So just many many kudos to you Gary to you  Don and to all your team and I'm looking forward   to seeing what's going to happen in the next few  years Thank you Uh thank you council member And I   might provide a quick comment on that last part  because I'm glad that you mentioned that and I   wanted to mention that too in the discussions I  have with community Needless to say people want to   be able to water their grass more than once a week  But I try to remind them where we're headed and if   that's the worst thing we have to deal with right  now we're in a pretty good place But but looking   to the future uh it it is important for the growth  of our community and not just to be able to water   our yards I'm actually making a presentation next  week uh to the Greater Witchaw Partnership and   Downtown Witchaw Board uh so they have a better  understanding of where we're headed and so that   they can help carry this same message when looking  at businesses that are wanting to come to Witchah that we've recruited for the local task force  the chamber and then also potentially and I   know it was in your slide but the restaurant  and hospitality industry So I really just think   we're doing a great job of diversifying our local  task force so that we can get as many allies um   and and people interested in this topic Many many  voices will be needed as we move forward Thank you   Council Member Ho Heisel Thank you Mayor Uh thank  you Gary It's been a pleasure to serve on this I   think this is very instrumental towards setting  our city up for the future Um just I I think I   already know this answer but just for the public's  information uh you said $25 million or $25 million   gallons come out a day from uh the the treatment  plant Um what is our water use average uh per   day for the city thank you for that question  I actually had that as a note and I skipped   over that because I usually mention that during  these presentations So in non- drought conditions   uh when we're not under restrictions our average  demand is 50 million gallons a day over the course   of a year And so if you can imagine you know we  don't necessarily get one for one here but if we   can capture theoretically 25 million gallons a  day and create a new water supply what that does   for us long term uh to be able to provide half  of our demand I think it's quite possible that   we we wouldn't have to talk about the impacts of  drought in the future you know half half It could   be half Yes sir All right Thank you Gary Council  member Johnson Thanks Mayor Um Gary I was hoping   you would discuss all the steps on filtration and  all the different types I didn't want to bore you   with that Uh I just wanted to say uh I appreciate  the work on this and I'm definitely supportive   I know it was a brief conversation when we were  working on building a new water treatment plant   to have this opportunity but we need to really be  looking at always thinking about being in drought   and reusing water supplying half of what we use  from reuse I think is a good thing and looking   forward to seeing what the study will bring about  Council member Ballard thank you Mayor Thank you   Gary for all of your work on the water treatment  plant in itself and trying to get creative with   how to recycle and reuse water For the record I am  extremely um supportive of this but there was some   chatter about it last night at the DAB at my dab  Um of course there was concern about $1.2 million   um you know we we talked a little bit about that  and the importance basically of needing some   experts to help guide us in the right direction  but just to flip the other side of the coin what   happens if we wouldn't do this and I am supportive  but just for conversation I mean I think the the   answer is fairly obvious but um I would just lean  into you to see if you had anything else to add   So if this uh if we if we are not to do uh if we  don't move forward with this and I'll just caution   again I just said it before and I'll say it again  we don't know ultimately what the cost is going to   look like and how this might get funded So that's  going to be a challenge in and of itself Uh being   able to figure out the needed technology that's  probably the easy part because of the experts that   we've got I'm looking forward to the community  engagement I think we can really uh put a good   plan together But but if for whatever reason this  doesn't happen we're going to continue to dig in   with the things that we're doing Now I mentioned  that we're going to get to a point where we're   going to be a little bit limited on future return  on investment for the work that we're doing in the   equipeds aquafer Uh we are actually working with  the state of Kansas and GMD2 on the opportunity   uh to do some advanced treatment of uh further  up in the equest beds where there's some chloride   contamination and whether the city could provide  treatment for that which we could uh and that   could create uh an additional potential water  source for us It's not a lot Uh but but I'll   tell you what we're still doing in the meantime  and I should have mentioned earlier Uh I give you   an example We've been in close contact with EverG  EverG has a shuttered uh uh power plant northwest   of Witchah that they have fairly significant  water rights and they haven't decided what they're   going to do with those water rights in the future  We've been in conversation with EverG We've been   in conversation with the state of Kansas and GMD2  what that opportunity looks like in the future for   utilization of those water rights I think there's  a possibility depending on where they go with that   uh that those water rights could be available  uh maybe even on a kind of a shared basis with   other people in GMD2 So we're looking at options  like that Uh we've had conversations with others   anytime that uh other water rights might be  available We're not going to stop looking   uh for options I mentioned before um the way  that water rights are appropriated across the   state I get calls from a lot of people saying  "Hey I see a lot of these ponds They've got   water in them Why don't you go in after those?"  Couple parts of that is we don't necessarily have   the rights to that water And more times than not  it's just not as much water as it seems that it is   Um I think we've uh once our new water treatment  plant uh is up and operating and putting water in   the system you've heard me talk before too about  the flexibility that that brings that we can treat   more groundwater than we can now So that adds to  our long-term resiliency and sustainability also   So uh we'll keep the same effort going forward in  parallel even with this study uh keep our eyes and   ears open and make sure that we're not missing any  opportunities along the way Just the last comment   that I would make is it was asked if we would be  um exploring these opportunities if we were not   in the middle of a drought Um so I mean that's a  great question Uh and I don't know if I can tell   you the honest truth if I would know that Uh it  makes sense the longer that this drought has gone   on because I will be the first to tell you when we  went into stage one of our drought response plan   in January of 2023 I would have never bet that  we'd still be in this situation that we're in   now Uh we are in the middle of historic drought  something that we haven't seen in a long long   time Uh even if that is the reason I'm okay with  that I think it makes sense Uh and we need to be   responsible We need to be looking ahead Uh I think  it's uh I've always said my belief is back in 2013   that drought was taken care of by two massive  rain events 10 days apart and I would bet you   two weeks later that most of our community forgot  that we were even in a drought including me Um and   so the reason why I say that is this is fresh on  everybody's mind It makes sense that we need to   do everything we can to try to avoid this in the  future because right now there is no end in sight   to where we're at with this current drought Well  I appreciate all of your work on it I mean I think   um one of the positives out of CO is it forced  us to modernize a lot of different things that   we were doing just around the community And  um if this is what we one of the things that   we get out of the drought is to modernize  and find new ways to recycle and reuse then   um I'm all for it So thank you I agree Thank you  Vice Mayor Johnston Thank you Mayor Um I guess   they say necessity is the engine of innovation So  that's three So I I do want to compliment you and   your your team Uh not only for the water team  but the roads team You really look for ways to   be inventive creative and look at new things and  try new things And I do really appreciate that   I do have a question about the picture on screen  though It seems that maybe is our old treatment   plan When will we change that picture to our new  one oh sorry I don't have an answer for you on   that just yet but that's a good point We'll get  that updated as soon as we can Was April 1st and   must be having trouble getting there Uh I don't  have any information for you at this point We're   working through a couple things I'll have an  update soon Council member Glascock Thank you   Gary I know that you can't answer this question  I'm about to ask but I know that this question   I'm going to be asked from the public is if  we move forward with portable reuse will they   see an increase in their water cost a decrease  what's an answer I could give them now just by   exploring this option uh I can tell you that no  one will probably see a decrease H but I don't   know the answer to that yet That's a part of what  we're going to be evaluating and and we'll have a   better idea in the coming 12 months and even by  the end of this year Our goal I I said this and   I just want to say it again first and foremost is  to leverage as much outside funding as we can I've   started this conversation with Jim Davenport our  federal lobbyist and I have a call with him soon   as I want him to understand where we're going  with this Um I've talked to um Council Member   Tuttle talked about uh visiting the South Central  Kansas delegation We're going to make sure all of   uh our legislators are aware of of our efforts  and where we're going So that's our first priority   Uh what we've seen from other communities uh that  are going through this now they have been able to   uh receive funding I think uh that's really going  to dictate how much we can do and when and where   and that's a decision we would bring back to the  council uh probably multiple times to talk about   options and it very well could be looking at  a future rate impact just as we did with the   water treatment plant and the BNR improvements and  we'll have to really evaluate what that return on   investment is right now I don't know uh it very  well could be a part of the rates discussion I   expect that it would be at some point in time This  project's going to probably take a while If we   really get to the point of direct portable reuse  uh from what we've seen at other states have done   we're probably talking about a five-year period  likely to get to that point I think some of the   things for industrial reuse uh the non-potable  reuse could happen sooner if we can work out   uh logistics and funding with how those happen  So I know I didn't clearly answer that for you   is because we don't know just yet Well I think  it's our duty uh to protect the planet It's   our duty to look at these options regardless  of whether or not we are in a drought or not   I think reuse of water should be a priority  of our community rest of the state So thanks for a question regarding the phase water supply  plan Um have we thought about looking at state   dollars instead of these dollars from our CIP we  have So uh to to be able to kick this off and get   this moving we wanted to be able we've got this  funding in place now So one of the first things   we'll do uh Sarah talked about it they've got some  expertise on their team that focuses on funding   Uh one of the things I want to do early on and  have tasked CDM Smith with doing that is to try   to find uh state or federal dollars even for  this study I mentioned when we spoke to Bureau   of Reclamation last fall uh about this effort  They were the ones that volunteered even at   that time to say "Hey we've got funding for your  planning efforts." So we're going to be in touch   with we're going to be in touch with them very  soon to hopefully we can find a way to replace   even these funding this funding that we're using  now That would be great Uh I do believe that we   provide 20% of water in the state of Kansas 17  Well we provide water to 17% of all canons So   I would see this as a really significant uh state  issue as well So I know that Sarah mentioned that   I believe who was it on slide number 117 You have  a specific individual who helps with funding Stacy   right there Um I wanted to know are we late in  the game when it comes to these funds because   um I think there was another slide that showed um  areas in the United States that have had uh these   types of programs So are we late you're not late  Um a lot of the areas you're looking at I mean   California started working on um reuse projects  in the 90s right so that they've got 30 years of   um growth on us Um the first I guess the first  true DPR plant is in construction in Texas right   now for the state of Texas So all those dots kind  of follow the coast mainly because lack of water   high population right so we're we're actually  I would say out in front in terms of looking at   this Um I would also mention that it's not even  just state dollars a lot of your um your industry   um a lot of data centers things like that there  are often funding opportunities like Spirit where   um they need it for their own internal goals that  they might be able to um help cash flow or balance   on some of those non-portable options That's all  part of this comprehensive study I know we're kind   of focusing in DPR but we really are looking at  everything as um over the course of the next eight   months So not late yet The other thing we have to  know is how much it costs and we don't know that   yet That's part of what we have to get to is what  does the technologies look like what could the   cost be and construction costs right now are scary  right all the tariffs and everything So we've got   to really pin that down in order to start talking  about return on investment And we would be the   first in the state to do this type of study  and anything related to direct quotable reuse   Is that correct um the city of Derby's turned in  a not Derby um Dodge City has a Bureau of Wreck   funding approved for it's not DPR though but it is  a reuse project So there is one ahead of you but   they're not looking at it the way you are And then  lastly um when I was at National League of Cities   uh we were in Tampa and they talked about  um their new water treatment plant and just   obviously reuse as well but they talked about PAS  So I'm curious if this will also be part of the   conversation because um there will be multiple  treatments if we get to direct portable reuse Um   are there even better methods to get even better  quality water with no PAS that's an incredibly   timely question Um PAS is a concern throughout the  industry both on the portable and wastewater side   Now the nice thing about the uh the traditional  DPR process is it includes um granular activated   carbon GAC It looks like black heavy sand that  removes PAS So the typical traditional DPR process   is already set up to remove it So if you have it  in your system it's coming out before it would um   before the community would see it So that one we  got covered Thank you very much No problem I see   no further questions Um I do have one more Gary  just quick comment You mentioned stage one of this   drought actually occurred starting January 2023  Um and stage two was activated August of 2024 Even   if we had normal rains back to normal rains when  would we be able to get back to normal because I I   do believe a lot of individuals in our community  believe if we just get one major uh rainfall um   over Cheni it will solve it Well I might answer  that by talking about stage three first if you   don't mind I know you didn't ask that but I  want to mention it real quick Right now we're   projecting that we will stay out of stage three  until early next year But I will tell you and   the reason why I mentioned this because you talked  about rainfall that still uh contemplates average   rainfall if we don't get average rainfall this  year stage three could show up yet this fall Um so   I want to make that clear But but to your point um  the way this plan is set up as you all are aware   uh each stage is triggered by the 12-month running  average of the conservation pool the level if you   will the amount of water in Cheni Reservoir It  makes sense You deal with seasonal variations We   don't want to hop in and out um the way it was set  up it initially contemplates that you come out of   it the same way Um and so uh but we have some  flexibility within that to to kind of see how   it happens when it happens So it wouldn't have to  take that long could take some time because if you   do get a big rain uh that fills up a good portion  of the reservoir we've got to be really careful   uh because this time of year as the temperatures  start to crank up evaporation is considerable   uh I don't remember the number but uh if you  all recall last July as we were contemplating   stage two during the month of July there was  a considerable drop uh probably a foot or more   just in one month for Cheni from evaporation only  so there's a lot of variables we'd have to weigh   uh but I would tell you that if we get uh then  it'd have to be some major rain events because   Cheni Reservoir was not as low in 2013 as it is  now Uh but even if it came back up we'd have to   have some real careful consideration of what that  means Needless to say we don't want to pull the   drought restrictions Uh go on a twomon hot dry  streak lose a bunch of water and then hop right   back into it You Gary I see no further questions  from the council We'll open it up for public   comment I see no public comment We'll bring  it back to the bench Uh given that again Gary   um and the staff at CDM Smith will be looking  at other possible state funding to help with   uh even this very study Um I am comfortable  with moving this item So I move to approve   the pro project budget contract adopt the  resolution and authorize the necessary   signatures Second motion and a second Any further  discussion i see none Mr Clerk please open the role I motion passes 70 Mr Clerk  please call the next item Witchah Central County Metropolitan Area  Planning Department City of Witchah application fees Good afternoon Scott Wadel from the  planning department So for this one a little   bit of background information The planning  department was created as you know through   a partnership between the city and the county  And per the interlocal agreement the planning   department is funded 50/50 by the city and county  with contributions being offset by application fees So that's how the planning department is  funded Here's a graph that shows percentages As   you can see the over uh overall the largest  percentage is from the city and the county   support According to planning department records  the last fee increase occurred in 2018 A review   of records indicate that the fee in increases  occurred approximately every two years prior   to that So in terms of analysis between 2018  and 2023 inflation increased by nearly 20% And so what we did is we looked at planning  department cost We looked at the cost for   processing applications This includes  mostly current plans division and part   of our administration division It does not  include the advanced plans division or zoning   enforcement division And what we found is that uh  approximately 72 to 76% of the planning services   budget is spent on processing costs In terms of  our cost recovery the MAT MAPD budgeted recovery   rate ranged generally from 21 to 23% The MA MAPD  uh cost recovery has been nearly flat from 2019 to   2023 It appears that the cost recovery has gone up  during this time period even though the department   costs have gone up and the application fees have  not increased and I believe that's largely because   case activity increased over that period Here's  a graph showing the amount of cases and where it   picked up It appears that much of the growth  was in case types where fees are collected   So the recommended action is to increase the MAPD  city application fees by 10% This would result in   a cost recovery rate of 27% The taxpayer general  funds from the city and the county both combined   would subsidize 73% of the case processing costs  Without the fee increase the case processing cost   recovery rate is 25% And it is important to note  that the city planning applications and process   to review them including collecting community  input are considered to have a greater overall   community benefit than individual benefit and  are usually subsidized to some degree by local governments Here's a sample of the  fees uh for a variety of different   case types got a number of zoning cases  and and one platting style There are a   number of different fees So this is just a  small example So the fees would generally   increase by 10% and they're rounded up to  the nearest $5 increment just for ease of processing So here's the example of  what would happen with the zoning fee   uh application So you can see uh MF18 all the  way up to neighborhood retail It's currently   $900 it would increase to $990  And then there's a per acre fee   that's charged as well So in that  instance it would go from $30 to $35 Here's the subdivision or platting  uh fee example And in this case it'd   be for one step plat So it goes from $900 to  $990 And the per acre fee would remain at uh   $20 because of uh how we round it So in  terms of the process so this is just an   overview of the process Uh because there are two  entities that we've been corresponding with both   the city and the county Um we've also taken  this out to WAB and did a presentation at a   WABA developers meeting And so we're here  today for the city council consideration Now an additional note about this is that at a  city council workshop members of the city council   indicated that they would like to see stakeholder  engagement in the future and potentially establish   a goal level of cost recovery which would be used  to help determine when fee changes are needed I   want to acknowledge that express preference  and indicate that we plan to work towards   accomplishing that So the recommended action  is for the city council to authorize the MAPD   fee increase and adopt the resolution And again  that is for a 10% fee increase And a note on this   uh is that the effective date would be July 1st  That would allow time to notify people about this   and also for the county to consider similar uh  fee increases And also a note on that because   the county fees require county commission action  Uh this would provide time for them to consider   it And so with that I'll stand for any questions  Thank you Scott Council member Hoheisle Thank you   Mayor Uh thanks Scott Just quick question  So if county does not up their fees does   that mean that any applications in the county  will stay the same but then the ones here in   the city will go up correct Yes sir Okay Thank  you Council Member Tuttle Thank you Uh Council   Member Hisel stole my notes I was going to ask  the same question Then just the other question   you mentioned about getting the information out  so people know is do we have a are we working   with communications or are you going to take  care of that internally how will we let people   know about the this change after the BOCC vote  obviously Sure Sure Uh well the first thing we   do is we hang up posters in our office just  because we know that there are rout routine   clients that come through The other way that we  would do that is um updating our website to make   sure that it's one of the first things that  you see So if you're seeking information on a   zoning case you can find that as well as we have  an email distribution list to all the consultant   firms and other members who have of the public who  have signed up for that So we'll use that as well   We'll also work with communications if there's  any other avenues they suggest This may be I'm   famous for offering my unsolicited advice So I'm  sorry but I wonder if even placing something like   on the just a routine disclaimer on the agenda  for MAPC because so many people who are in this   world read that agenda even if they don't have  an item on it So just FYI Sure Thank you Thank   you for all you do Scott Appreciate you Scott I  have several questions Um back in November of 2024   um was the recommended increase 10% also or was it  a different percent for the city it is remained at   the 10% At one time the county was discussing a 5%  And I see on the green sheet um this cost recovery   in itself was due to request for information  Are you talking about the council itself um   I'm sorry I which it says in 2024 in response  to requests for information Yes Um so as part   of this discussion uh there have been a variety  of questions that have really helped us to learn   uh more about the situation One of those co  questions was what's the cost recovery look   like in terms of what expenditures we have we did  not have that information before Uh the second   question that came up then was how do we compare  to other communities so we did that research as   well in terms of fees And then a third question  that came up was how do we measure efficiency in   the planning department and how does the planning  department compare with other uh departments and   I appreciate that because I have been one of the  ones who has been advocating for making sure that   we have cost recovery or at least understand what  cost recovery looks like so that people understand   uh the subsidy that taxpayers are providing  while there's a public good being served Um   so again I appreciate this information So I did  take a look at um the report in regards to the   other departments you uh benchmarked against So  I wanted to know um in terms of fees So you gave   an example of a $900 fee that with a 10% increase  would be about $9.90 Is this comparable to other   cities our size uh north and south of us so what  we found is that um when it comes to the cities   actually I've got some slides here just in case  Uh so what we found is that there was one of the   cities that we surveyed uh seven cities had lower  fees one city had similar fees and two cities had   higher fees So the two cities that had higher fees  were in Oklahoma Uh the one city that had similar   fees was in Nebraska And then um the seven cities  were a variety of communities uh both in Kansas   and some in neighboring states I saw that the cost  recovery on our green sheet talked about subsidy   to 73% whereas your um slide said that the subsidy  would be 72% Have we I'm just curious why is have   we thought about either a third a model that looks  like a third versus twothirds because right now   this is a a heavy subsidy and I appreciate that  again it's because of the common good We do want   to encourage development Um so can you kind of  explain why we're settling on this percentage   at this point um it was because 10% is what uh  folks seem to be comfortable with or at least   um interested in during our conversations  I believe that the next stage of this which   is to have conversations with stakeholders will  help us to establish what that benchmark is that   we want to aim for whether it's 25% 30% whatever  it may be Um and so once that's established then   that will help guide when and if fee increases or  potentially not likely but potentially a decrease   might also be warranted Mayor I will mention that  our early discussions did talk about getting to a   a one-third split as you suggested and it seemed  to be a maybe a little too significant an increase   for the industry to accept when we first started  talking about it and that's why we came with the   10% But my goal going into the discussions is to  try to ramp up to get to that that split because   that from a policy standpoint I think that makes  sense and it would probably fit well with our cost   recovery uh pyramid Thank you I have no further  questions I see that we don't have any from the   council We will now open it up for public comment  Seeing none I'll bring it back to the bench I will   go ahead and move um that the that we adopt the  ordinance and authorize the necessary signatures   Second motion and a second Any further discussion  i see none Mr Clerk please open the role I motion passes 70 Mr Clerk  please call the next item request to set a public hearing for a  community improvement district for SOC corner Honorable mayor members of council Troy Anderson  assistant city manager So this is a request to   uh establish a community improvement district Uh  so a little bit of background uh socioeconomic   development group uh is the owner of a mixeduse  building and a couple of mixeduse buildings   located at the southwest corner of Lincoln and  South Broadway Uh they would like to make some   substantial investments in that corner including  things like retail office and some multif family   space They have requested the use of uh community  improvement district CD to assist in reimbursing   them for those costs um uh in investing in that  corner Uh the C petition is signed by 100% of the   land owners The the project scope uh they're  anticipating an estimated investment of about   $2.6 million um based on their proforma and  the sales tax revenue that they anticipate to   collect over the next uh 22 years at the 2% uh  they believe that that it might generate about $450,000 So uh for the purposes of today's  conversation to establish a C the city council   must first adopt a resolution which states that  the city council is considering the establishment   and then setting a date for a public hearing on  the matter There's also some uh uh requirements   for advertising and posting uh notice for  that public hearing And so at this point in   time the public hearing is currently slated for  June 10th Uh as it relates to sort of financing   the project again this is uh referred to as  a pay as you go The developer will pay all   construction costs associated with the project  The city will not be issuing any debt for the   project And so the proceeds will then be held by  the city and dispersed pursuant to a development   agreement again up until that cost cap about  $450,000 Uh so either at such time when that   cost cap is reached or the 22-year term has been  uh has expired whichever is easier whichever is   earlier Uh the applicants been in contact with the  council district representative and are uh working   on the 10% allocation to community benefit So law  department has reviewed and approved the petition   and resolution as to form That being said it's  staff recommendation that city council accept   the petition adopt the resolution setting a public  public hearing for June 10th uh and consider the   establishment of a community community improvement  district and authorize the necessary signatures   With that I'll stand for questions Thank you Troy  I do have one question So the green sheet said   um a public hearing may be held for this project  the earliest would be January 7th 2025 Did you   mean to say January 10th 2025 it it was a  typo It's June 10th So as you'll see in the   recommendation later on um it it is clarified  June 10th 2025 It's a typo Yes Thank you very   much And I believe council member Hohheisle  mentioned this at the agenda review Um but this   would specifically help with the firefighter  memorial Yes that's the plans that have been   identified by the associate group is to  put the 10% for uh public use into the   firefighter memorial So that'd be a a nice  little chunk of change helping out there   I see no questions so we'll open it up for  public comment I see no public comment We'll   bring it back to the bench This is in council  member Hohheisel's district Thank you Mayor Um   we got a lot of good things going on and setting  the stage for South Broadway to have a renaissance   and this is one of those many pieces here So I'd  like to uh move that the city council accept the   petition and adopt the resolution setting a public  hearing on June 10th 2025 for consideration of the   establishment of a community improvement district  and authorizing necessary signatures Second motion   and a second Any further discussion i  see none Mr Clerk please open the role I motion passes 70 Mr Clerk  please call the next item Con 202541 conditional use request in the  city for an accessory apartment on property   zoned SF5 single family residential  generally lo generally located within   one block west of Northwest Street and  1 half mile north of West 13th Street   1632 North Nevada Court Mayor if I may I  think you wanted to advance an item Yeah   Uh do you mind if um I will wait for this item  and ask if we can vote to move an agenda item up   Um I would like to move the Witchaw State  University campus of applied sciences and   technology use and lease agreement at McConnell  sorry at Colonel James Jabara Airport Uh up to   this position in the agenda Second motion and a  second Any further discussion i see none Mr Clerk   please open the role I I I by vote voice vote  all members say I in favor I All those opposed   same sign Motion passes 70 We will now move up  the WSU Tech agreement agenda item Mayor just   a quick reminder you're operating as the airport  authority on this item not the council Thank you There still more Good afternoon Mayor Council  Jesse Romo director of airports Witaw Airport Authority Here to talk the new deal at Jabar but I  want to give you a quick recap on what got us here   in the first place And so um couple years back  we were talking with WSU Tech We said we'd get   uh creative and partner with them to find funding  solutions to get some infrastructure put in place   should they ever have an opportunity to expand in  the future The Kansas Department of Commerce had a   grant program a loft that we ended up applying  for and we got the grant So we went into a   partnership agreement with WSU Tech and we've been  managing that infrastructure side of the project and it helped set them up to um develop additional  facilities to expand their related workforce   development training program They continue to  uh wish to develop to the south of the current   ENCAT campus any expansion of their campus  requires the additional airfield pavement   and that's where we got the grant agreement And  just as a reminder of where the location is along   um web road there you'll see the current  ENCAT campus and then just to the south I'm missing pictures  I'm missing lots of pictures This is not the correct PowerPoint So let me   just talk on the fly so to speak  Okay So we have a an agreement Actually I have a paper cup Good old paper right when technology  fails you I apologize for that council   But I want to make sure I get  the details of this agreement accurate Okay WSU Tech does wish to develop the  additional facilities to expand their aviation   related workforce development training programs  which will include professional pilot emerging   aviation and advanced air mobility An agreement  has been negotiated with WSU to lease 9.6   6 acres of land to allow the construction  of an 80,000 excuse me 85,000t hanger and   additional educational facilities As a  governmental entity WZ Tech will have a   facility ownership throughout the term of  the agreement It's subject to reversion to   WA at the expiration or upon a change in  use The agreement term spans 31 years It   aligns with the expiration of our current  agreement with the county for the ENCAT campus Due to WSU Tech status as a Kansas  public nonfor-profit educational institution   the agreement negotiated includes a rate that  is 50% off the published land rental rate for   Jabar Airport This agreement results in a new  annual revenue of $51,521 with 1% escalation   every year It is recommended that the Witchaw  Airport Authority approved the agreement and   authorized the necessary signatures My apologies  again for not having the pretty pictures to show   uh the renderings that they have provided  with us It's a great looking facility If   you ever drive along Web Road there is a lot  of the ramp that has already been constructed   Uh we're over 90% complete on that project So  this is perfect timing for us to continue to   roll right into their development agreement  With that I'll stand for questions Thank you   Jesse Council member Tuttle Thank you Thank  you Jesse for being willing to be adaptive   Appreciate it Um I um don't have a question  but due to a conflict of interest I will be   abstaining from this vote today Thank you again  Jesse I have no questions Um I I will wait I   uh don't see anyone on the council that has  questions So we'll now open it up for public comment Well good afternoon Mayor Woo  council members and members of the staff   Uh I'm Sher Utach president of WSU  Tech and just want to take a moment   uh to thank you for the opportunity to be here  today on behalf of WSU Tech to express our strong   support for the land lease agreement before you  This partnership reflects our shared commitment   to innovation to workforce development  and the continued growth of our community   We are especially grateful to Jesse Romo and the  airport witchaw airport authority staff for their   collaboration not only through this project for  but for the last 15 years and as we present this   agreement today Their responsiveness their  professionalism and their shared vision have   been instrumental as we plan for the next phase of  the National Center for Aviation Training I have   been honored to be joined this morning by some of  my board members who have a couple of them have   left but Dr Alicia Thompson Doug Stark and Greg  Straoud also WSU General Counsel Stacia Bowden   and members of the WSU Tech leadership team each  representing a critical part of the collaboration   and support behind this effort and who believe  just as I do with this shared vision of what   we think we can continue to build in Witchah for  workforce development Together we see this lease   as an important next step towards the future It is  a future filled with opportunity for our students   for our business and industry and for the Witchah  region So I want to thank you for your leadership   for your partnership and for your consideration  of this lease Thank you Dr Utach I see no further   comments I'll bring it back to the bench And  before I make the motion I will disclose that I'm   a board member of the WSU Tech um board but I have  no financial gain um as a board member or through   WSU Tech However I am the mayor of the city of  Witchah and a very proud one Um as I go around the   nation talking about the air capital of the world  I always talk about our educational institutions   that help with maintaining the air capital of the  world moniker Um for me air stands for something   It stands for aviation innovation and research And  this proposal right now touches all three of those   And um as one of the co-chairs of the National  League of Cities Advanced Air Mobility Task Force   this is again um how we're going to maintain our  air capital um signature and we want to maintain   that because I can tell you that there are other  communities that are competing for that spot And   so I am very grateful that we have partners in  our community in private industry in education and   here in the public sector even with Sedick County  in supporting this ecosystem that is truly special   and unique because we have a really talented um  manufacturing skilled workforce and it is thanks   to these partnerships So I am u so excited to  move this item And without further ado I move   uh that the Witchaw Airport Authority approved the  agreement and authorized the necessary signatures   Second Motion and a second Any further discussion  i see none Mr Clerk please open the role I motion passes 6 with one abstension We will  uh take a break right now Um so we will take a   15minute break and return here at 12:50 How about  that 12:50 we'll return for the council meeting Con 2025 conditional use request in the city  for an accessory apartment on property zoned SF5   single family residential generally located within  one block west of Northwest Street and 1 half mile   North of West 13th Street 1632 North Nevada  Court Good afternoon Scott Wadel from the   Planning Department So as you heard the  applicant's requesting a conditional use   to allow for an accessory apartment This case  is being heard because the district advisory   board and the planning commission they both  recommended approval but they have slightly   different conditions Subject site as you  heard is at 1632 North Nevada Court So   it's generally located south and west of  the intersection of 17th and West Street   The site consists of one ownership parcel It's  developed with a single family house related   outbuildings and it's zoned SF5 The applicant has  indicated they'd like to construct the accessory   apartment on the property The property  is surrounded by other properties that   are zoned SF5 And to the north east and west  they're developed with single family residences   and to the south is a school The staff report  contains information about the supplementary use   conditions that apply to accessory apartments  In terms of review on April 10th the planning   commission held a public hearing for this item  and recommended approval with conditions which are   identified in the staff report And that vote was  13 to zero One member of the public spoke on this   item at that meeting and wanted additional  information on the proposed department to   determine whether or not he supported the request  On April 14th the district advisory board reviewed   the request and recommended approval the same  as the MAPC but with an additional condition and   that additional condition is that the accessory  apartment must have a gabled roof No member of   the public spoke on this item at that meeting No  protests were received against the case Therefore   the conditional use can be approved by a simple  majority vote 47 In terms of recommended actions   recommended city council adopt the findings of  the planning commission approve the requested   conditional use with MAPC conditions authorize  the necessary signatures and instruct the clerk   to publish a resolution after approval And again  four out of seven votes Alternatives include   overriding the MAPC and adopting alternative  findings and denying the conditional use that   requires five of seven votes or returning  it to the MAPC for additional consideration   Again just requires a simple majority And just  note on process that public comment occurs at   typically occurs at the planning commission So  here's the images and graphics Here's the zoning   map Here's the map from the comprehensive plan  showing residentials recommended there Here's a   site plan that uh submitted by the applicant  as part of the application and shows where   the accessory building would be constructed  Here's the protest map and notification map   showing that no protests were submitted Here  are photos of the site and the surrounding area And with that I'll stand for any  questions Thank you Scott Any questions for staff i see none Um this resides in council  member Ballard's district Thank you mayor I   move to override the MAPC approve the conditional  use with the MAPC recommended condition but with   one additional change as re recommended by  the DAB which I will read in just a moment   Place the resolution on first reading authorize  necessary signatures and instruct the city clerk   to publish the resolution after approval of  the second reading The change recommended by   the DAB is that the accessory apartment must  have a gabled roof In support of this motion   I offer the following findings The additional  conditions will help reduce potential negative   impacts to nearby properties by making the  design more reflective of the residential   buildings in the area Second Motion and  a second Any further discussion i see   none I Okay Uh all those in favor say I I  All those opposed same sign Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk please call the next item Zone 20 202451 zone change request in the  city from LI Limited Industrial District to   MF18 Multif Family Residential District to  create a residential development generally   located on the east side of North Greenwich Road  and within one quarter mile north of East 37th   Street North Good afternoon Scott Wadel again So  for this item I just have some quick comments on   it The item was deferred from the February 11th  city council meeting The applicant has withdrawn   the application So there's no need for any  action by the city council The recommended   action is just simply to acknowledge  that the application has been withdrawn That's Thank you Scott This uh was  in Council Member Tuttles's district So we're going to post we're going to just pull  it Is that correct exactly That's correct There's   there's no need for any formal action And it's  just in case there was anyone who was paying   attention to the case and saw that it got deferred  and had interest in it that this would just be a   time to say it has been withdrawn by the applicant  because you and I chatted and we don't actually   have a formal vote Correct Correct Okay Thank you  Just want to make sure nothing changed Thank you   very much Um Mr Clerk can you please call the  next item vacation 20259 requests in the city   to vacate a portion of a platted setback and a  portion of a platted utility easement generally   located within 1 half mile south of East Douglas  Avenue and one quarter mile west of South Oliver   Avenue 301 South Terrace Drive Scott Wel again  from the planning department So this one is a   little bit different than some of the cases  that you've seen before So this is a vacation   case and in this case as you heard the applicant  is requesting to vacate the east 2 feet of a 5-ft   utility easement along the west side So you can  see this blue line along the west side They're   also requesting to vacate part of this curve They  want the uh southwesterly most 5 feet of that 35-   foot building setback to be vacated This item  is being heard today simply because the MAPC is   recommending approval of the setback vacation So  part of that curve one and they are recommending   denial of the utility easement vacation off to the  west and so that denial is what triggers it to be   non-consent In terms of the request the applicant  has indicated they're requesting the vacations in   order to rebuild a detached garage that was in the  same general footprint as uh that that used to be   on the site in this generally the same vicinity is  where they're proposing this new one The site is   located at 301 South Terrace Drive in the College  Hill neighborhood It's made up of one parcel just   over a quarter of an acre in size zoned SF5  and currently developed with single family   house A staff report provides information about uh  input from various utility and service providers   And in terms of review on April 10th the planning  commission voted 13 to to zero to deny the utility   easement and to approve the setback vacation with  the conditions that are listed in the staff report   Uh I'll just mention that the denial was  recommended because there are utilities   in that easement and so utility providers came  and said it would be a bad idea to vacate that   The applicant's agent indicated that they are  agreeable with the MAPC recommendation No public   comments were received and no valid objections  have been filed with the city clerk So in terms   of council action it's recommended city council  follow the recommendation of the metropolitan area   planning commission and improve the vacation  order to reduce the platted setback deny the   requested vacation of the utility easement and  authorize the necessary signatures That requires   just a simple majority of four of seven votes Uh  there are other alternatives You can approve both   vacation requests uh and that would require again  just a simple majority of four of seven votes or   you can deny all of them which would require  again just simple majority of four of seven   votes So or as always you can return the case to  the MAPC for additional consideration Uh let me   take you through some of the graphics and images  So here's the graphic showing the um vacation   areas Um there we go This is an illustration  of those that was submitted by the applicant Ah that's all we have So with that I'll  stand for any questions Questions for   staff i see none This resides in council  member Johnson's district Thank you mayor   I move that the city council follow the  recommendation of the Metropolitan Area   Planning Commission to approve the vacation  order to reduce the platted setback and deny   the requested vacation of the utility easement  and authorize the necessary signatures Second   Motion in the second Any further discussion  i see none Mr Clerk can you open the role motion passes 70 Mr Clerk please  call the next item Zone 2025 zone change request in the city from TF3 to  family residential to NR neighborhood retail   to permit retail uses associated with the  church generally located on the northeast   corner of West 11th Street North and North Waco  Avenue 1200 North Waco Avenue Scott Wadel again   from the planning department So for this one the  applicant is requesting as you heard approval   of a zone change from TF3 to in our neighborhood  retail This item is being heard today because the   DAB and the planning commission recommendations  are different and also because it was deferred   from a prior city council meeting In terms  of the request the applicant has indicated   they're requesting the zone change in order to  continue operating a bin store at the location   The applicant has been operating the store at  the site in violation of the unified zoning code   In terms of the property the subject site's  located at the northeast corner of 11th and   Waco As you can see here on the uh graphic the  subject site is just under a half an acre in size   consists of two ownership parcels both under the  same ownership It's developed with a church and   uh is in use as a bin store for part of the time  In terms of context property to the north is zoned   B multifamily We'll go to that Here's the zoning  map and developed with a single family dwelling   Property to the south oh across 11th Street is  zone TF3 and developed with a duplex Properties   to the east across the alley are zone TF3 and  developed with a variety of single family multif   family and duplex dwellings And properties to  the west across Waco are zone B and TF3 and   develop with single family dwellings In terms of  the staff report st it provides information about   development standards signage parking screening  and landscaping In terms of review on March 27th   the planning commission held a public hearing  on this item and recommended approval of the   zone change and that vote was 10 to zero No  members of the public spoke on this item at   that hearing On April 14th the district advisory  board reviewed the request and recommended denial   of the zone change request and that vote was 4  to three Leading up to their vote DAB members   indicated that the requested resoning is not in  conformance with the Midtown neighborhood plan   that the business leaves significant amounts of  trash and that semi-truckss traffic related to the   business blocks 11th Street and that there's been  public comments in opposition to the reasonzoning   No protests were received against the case  Therefore the zone change can be approved by   a simple majority or four of seven votes In terms  of the recommendation the recommendation coming   to you from the planning commission is that the  city council adopt the findings of the planning   commission adopt approve the requested zone  change authorize the necessary signatures and   instruct the city clerk to publish the ordinance  after approval That requires again just four out   of seven Alternatives include the following You  can override the MAPC adopt alternative findings   and deny the zone change That would require five  of seven You can return the case to the MAPC for   additional consideration Would require four of  seven votes And again just a note about process   that public comment takes place during the public  hearing at the planning commission So with that   here's a review of some of the graphics So here's  the aerial Here's the zoning map that we talked   about Here's a map from the comprehensive plan  showing uh commercials recommended in the area   Again this is the comprehensive plan This is the  Midtown plan which recommends I believe it was   uh is a place of worship uh social a religious  congregational that's what it's recommended Uh   here's the protest map and it shows 0%  because there were no protests against   property against the application Here's the  site You can see some of the evidence of the bin store property to the south across the street  to the west And with that I'll stand for any   questions Questions for staff beginning with  council member Glosscock Thank you Mayor Scott Is   this still acting i know they're doing ben storage  there which is in violation of their current   zoning Correct Is this still also an active place  of worship yes My understanding is that they do   the store part of the time and then they uh will  have church there and services there as well So   I have another question I I think it would be in  relation to the zoning case too Jennifer can let   me know if it's not to the property tax status  of the property as well Um is that wouldn't be   obviously through zoning but given that the church  is also using it for business operations Have they   excluded that from their property tax or are  they still property tax exempt for the entire   property i don't have an exact answer for you but  I do believe that that's an interesting question   that the appraiser would be very interested  to determine what the answer is on that one Yeah Can you remind us the use again  what's the business what particular   so um my understanding is that it's a  Ben store where uh kind of like wholesale   uh goods come in and it could be a  whole variety of different things but   in kind of larger quantities or maybe not in the  packaging that you would expect at a at a regular   uh retail store And uh that those are  the types of items that are sold there I see no further questions This resides in  Council Member Ballard's district Thank you   mayor I move to override the MAPC deny the zone  change and as recommended by the DAB In support   of this motion I offer the following findings The  Bento business has been operating in violation   of the zoning code During its operations area  stakeholders have reported traffic issues with   semis blocking 11th Street This negatively  impacts the public transportation network In   addition stakeholders have reported issues with  visual clutter in the yard and on the property   This clutter detrimentally affects  nearby properties Second motion and   a second Any further discussion i see  none Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk  please call the next item Council member agenda approve that pursuant to  section 2.04.090 090 Mayor Woo's travel expenses   as estimated on the travel authorization  and expense form to attend League of Kansas   Municipalities Governing Board Meeting and  City Forum in Garden City June 6th through   7th 2025 for the purpose of representing  the city of Witchah by meeting with state   officials consistent with AR3.1 be approved  Upon return from travel actual expenses shall   be reported to the controllers's office Thank  you clerk Uh this is again I am on the board of   the League of Kansas Municipalities This  is our regular meeting and this is again   um out in Barden City and yes there will  be taxpayer dollars used in this travel Like a motion to approve the travel Second motion   and a second Any further discussion i  see none Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk please call the next  item Approve that pursuant to section 2.4.090   090 Mayor Woos travel expenses as estimated  on the travel authorization and expense form   to attend the 55th International Air Show in  Paris France June 10th through 12th 2025 for   the purpose of representing the city of Witchah  for economic development purposes consistent with   AR3.1 be approved Upon return from travel actual  expenses shall be reported to the controllers's   office Again uh this travel will be paid for by  taxpayers Uh last year when we went to the London   International Air Show two businesses were asked  to um open shop here in Witchah One has already   done so The other is still in process And so  again this is part of economic development for   the city of Witchah I'd like to uh as we approve  the travel for Mayor Woo to go to Paris Air Show   Second motion and a second Any further discussion  i see none Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk  please call the next item Approve that pursuant pursuant to section  2.04.090 090 Council members Johnson and   Ballard's travel expenses as estimated on the  travel authorization and expense form to attend   National League of Cities City Summit in Salt  Lake City Utah November 19th through 23rd 2025   for the purpose of representing the city of  Witchah consistent with AR3.1 be approved Upon   return from travel actual expenses shall  be reported to the controllers's office I will move to approve this travel Second Motion   in a second Any further discussion  i see none Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk  please call the next item Approve that pursuant to section 2.04.090 090  Council Member Johnson's travel expenses as   estimated on the travel authorization and  expense form to attend local progress 2025   national convening in Chicago Illinois July 9  through13 2025 for the purpose of representing   the city of Witchah consistent with AR3.1 be  approved Upon return from travel actual expenses   shall be reported to the controllers's office I  have one question simply because I have not seen   local progress before Council member Johnson  can you tell me what local progress is local   progress is uh much like yo another organization  of elected officials A lot of them are younger   um this conference and the national  convening I've talked a lot with some   of my colleagues about housing and  solutions to housing Um so that's   why I'm going to this one and why I did  not go to YO which was two weeks ago I move to approve this travel Second motion  and a second Any further discussion i see   none Mr Clerk please open the role Motion  passes 70 Mr Clerk please call the next   item Approve that pursuant to section 2.04.090  090 Council Member Johnson's travel expenses   as estimated on the travel authorization and  expense form to attend National Black Caucus   of Local Elected Officials Summer Conference  in Houston Texas July 29 through August 3rd   2025 for the purpose of representing the city of  Witchah consistent with AR3.1 be approved Upon   return from travel actual expenses shall  be reported to the controllers's office I will move to approve this travel Second Motion   in a second Any further discussion i  see none Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 Mr Clerk  please call the next item Approve that pursuant to section 2.04.090 090  Council Member Hohheisle's travel expenses   as estimated on the travel authorization and  expense form to attend National League of Cities   City Summit in Salt Lake City Utah November  19th through 22nd 2025 for the purpose of   representing the city of Witchah consistent with  AR3.1 be approved Upon return from travel actual   expenses shall be reported to the controllers's  office I move to approve this travel second   Motion and a second Any further discussion  i see none Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 Uh before we move on I just want  to make uh a quick addition I would like to see   um council member travel be put on the website  under witchaw.govcity councsil uh for transparency   purposes I'd like to see it um shown uh what  that travel is just like we have it here   um on the agenda showing whether it was taxpayer  funded or not taxpayer funded Um I know that I   just had two travels over the last seven days and  they were not taxpayer funded and so um I have had   questions from community so I want to make sure  that it is open and transparent Thank you We will   now move to council member appointments Council  member Hohheisle Thank you Mary or Mayor Um I   would like to appoint Dan Baitman to the district  advisory board and Jack Silver to the diversity   inclusion and civil rights advisory board That  means I will have one opening affordable housing   review board So anybody listening who'd like to  serve on that please apply I'd like to satisfy   my OCD here and get them all filled Thank you  Council Member Any other appointments council   member Ballard Thank you I would like to appoint  David Gao to the fire and police retirement board I see no further appointments I  move to approve the appointments   by council member to Heisel and Ballard Second We have an issue with an individual Okay  Uh all individuals on boards must live in   the city of Witchah Correct Not necessarily  There are some exceptions for technical needs   Um I don't they on certain boards I don't think  they all have to live I I'll check on that but   um this board was which which  appointment it was the fire and   police rec uh retirement I think that  would probably require city residency Do you want me to wait till next week or  Okay Okay Thank you I move to approve the   appointments by council member Hoheisel and  Ballard Second Motion and a second Any further   discussion i see none Mr Clerk please open the  role Motion passes 70 Council member comments go down the line Uh Council Member Hoheisel Thank you Mayor Um just two things real quick  One the mayor's youth council unity and the   community event has been moved to this upcoming  Saturday at East High I believe from 2:30 to 6:00   Um please come out especially if um you're a  younger crowd younger than me Anyways we'll   have violence interruptors out there We will have  members of the juvenile intervention unit Um a few   other resources too mothers who are focusing  on keeping fit and all out of our school So   um it'll be a good impactful event and I  just encourage all youth to come out Um   I'd also like to recognize a a big loss in our  community Um Sunday we did lose Jose Srano who   um was very impactful and forwardinking as far  as reaching out to the youth and many in our   community who are at risk He had a unity in  the community events Um he had a heart as big   as all outdoors and he really cared about the  kids and the community and second chances for   other people as well So that is a big loss we are  thinking of him and his family and keeping them   in our thoughts and prayers and also realizing  we lost another mentor um Dr Polite not too long   ago Um as people fall off it falls to us and other  members of the community to step up and take those   roles So uh just a message to the community and  a message to us up here It's it's always time for   us to pop up there and take the lead on a lot of  those these issues as well So thinking of you Jose Vice Mayor Johnston I'd like to invite everyone  out to the Country Acres dog park opening tomorrow   at 11:30 Country Acres It's just north west of  Central and Ridge Unique dog park because all   the big trees are still there and it has a pretty  goodiz hill Everyone come out I'm sure it'll be a   hit Thank you both Council member Ballard Thank  you Yesterday finally we got to open reopen the   K9 Rooster Dog Park um over off 21st Street just  west of the Bronms Very exciting The dogs looked   very happy Um and it was a great turnout So  super happy that we finally got to do that And   then not long after that we did the overnaming  of the 18th Street Bridge over next to St Pat's   Um and it was overnamed Kit Paul Buster Sanchez  Um apparently his uh family um two of them I   believe uh helped build that bridge um long  time ago So it was uh very well attended um very   emotional um for some of the community members  Sounds like he was an absolutely fantastic um   community leader on the north end So we're happy  to uh celebrate and highlight some of his work   Thank you council members I see no  further comments Uh unfortunately we   cannot leave We have an executive session  Uh so I will read this executive session   I request an executive session for  the council I move that the council   recess into executive session for 10 minutes to  receive information on a mediation pursuant to KSA75-4319B2 for legal consultation with  the city attorney which would be deemed   privilege in the attorney client relationship  pending litigation legal advice The executive   session is required to protect attorney  client privilege and the public interest   Second motion and a second And any further  discussion i see none Mr Clerk please open the role The motion passes 70 I will move  another item I move that the council   recess into executive session for 15 minutes to  receive information on a contract pursuant to KSA75-4319B2 for legal consultation with the  city attorney which we deemed privilege in   the attorney client relationship Legal  advice Executive session is required   to protect attorney client privilege  and the public interest Second Motion   and a second Any further discussion  motion Uh Mr Clerk please open the role Motion passes 70 This is 25 minutes  in length So we shall return at 150   That gives us a quick little break as  well We will return at 150 Thank you