City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. Welcome to our city council meeting. It's Monday, March 2nd, 2026. Would you all join me in the pledge of allegiance? I pledge 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.

Now, Pastor Ly Hoskins from the First Christian Church will lead us in prayer. Will you please join me in prayer? Oh God, we gather today under the leadership of these members of the city council as they do we all do the business of our community. We seek to be a community united. They want to be fair and do what we believe to be best. And we know that at times we may see things differently. We may even disagree, but we also desire to find common ground and peaceful compromises. So, I ask that you will be with these community leaders as they work toward these things. Thank you for the the blessings that you have showered upon us in this community that we share. And God, today we also pray for our national leaders, all those impacted by their decision. We ask for protection for our troops in times of conflict. Your hand over any civilians in harm's way. In all things, seek peaceful solution. A comment.

Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. That brings us to reviewing our council meeting minutes from February 7. I move for the approval of the minutes of the February 17th, 2020 city council meeting. Got a motion and a second. All those in favor say I.

Any opposed? Motion carries. That is down to our appropriation ordinance number 2A. May I make a motion approve appropriation orders number 2A dated February 25th, 2026. Second. Got a motion and a second. Any question? All those in favor say I.

Any opposed? Motion carries. Brings us to our visitor section and swimming pool. Amanda Johnson is here with some requests. Good evening. Um this year we know that it's the 250 year um anniversary um for Fourth of July area or time. Um wanting to see if we could maybe wait at the pool for admission for the 4th of July in honor of that. And then um on um that time we also will do our races. And so that kind of just is something for for everybody to come and watch as well. They pay um to make their own vote and then we race in the pool. So um that was my first request to see if we could do mission on that date. Um and then the second thing is um this month is our bug spotting club that the safety department puts on and as we know that they safety um and then they also give them awards that they win. So, I would like um to get approval if I could donate or give to them um three free week passes to be able to um give away as an award for swimming lessons as a safety.

Do we need to do that? Do we need to vote on that in two separate issues or or one?

They are separate issues. One of them you're waving fees that exist other is just a different request entirely donation of passes for I believe it for Bugs Bunny club but it's very similar to what the library as well but I do consider Um the deal said couple different things. So one of them you're waving the fees for anyone coming. I would do that as separate actions. I would move weigh the fees for July the 4th for

got a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I motion carries. I move to give group swim for the Bugs Bunny prizes. Second. Got a motion and a second on Bugs Bunny Club passes. Favor say I. I. Any opposed. Thank you.

Okay. Are there any other visitors here that aren't on the agenda already? I don't see any ask that we make a amendment to agenda number three in the visitor section citywide. I'm sorry.

Disregard. Let's move down to our first item of business. Request for reinstatement of 403 North School. 512 was Broadway into the neighborhood revitalization program and I'll turn it over to staff.

Good evening. Um, it's that time of year again where everyone's paid their property taxes. Then we get to evaluate, get notified by Butler County of anyone who is currently enrolled in the NRP program that may have been removed from all their property taxes. Um, when that happens, they are automatically removed from the program. the city is notified by Boulder County and then the city reaches out to that property owner to let them know that they have been disqualified program and if there's an opportunity for them to request request reinstatement under previous NRP programs staff did have the authority um to reinstate property owners of the program one time under the newer NRP program um requirements that authority rests with the city council. Um so there are two um addresses for three North School and 512 West Broadway um that have been removed from the program under the new plans are requesting from the city council to be reinstated. This is their first time to be removed from the program for each property. Um, so historically those have been reinstated into the program. I'm happy to stand for any questions.

Oh yes, the taxes are paid and current um on those properties and their letters were included in the packet for the request. I'm happy to try and provide any more information if you have any questions or any Mr. Jacobs is here. Okay. Uh I I would like a reasoning on why I'd like a reasoning on why you were late.

Yes. You'll need to adjust the microphone and then give us your name and address. Is that okay? Perfect. I haven't felt this way since

64 when I got a speeding ticket running a stop sign on Mike and I had to stand in front of the judge and I said I'll never do anything wrong again as long as I do and I never did until 62 years later and didn't put the envelope soon enough and now I have to stand here look at you guys that's not it's good it's good for me but I was just a forgetful old standard. So, it was just uh you had

Oh, yeah. I' I've been a builder. I'm a chemist by training. I build stuff on the side and I got suckered by a guy named Travis who works for you into building something in Gesta. I'm glad I did. Very beautiful set of duplexes and I want to build some more. And uh I just laid it on my desk and didn't mail it in time and got touch button on demand for 30 minutes. We couldn't get Mayor make a motion to reconvene our city council meeting. Second.

Got a motion and a second to reconvene our meeting. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. We had technical difficulty and we lost our audio visual. And so we're back now and we were on our first item of business, reinstating a couple of pieces of property into the NRP. Um, Mr. Mayor, I move to reinstate 43 North School Street and 512 West Broadway into the neighborhood revitalization program. Second. Got a motion and a second. Any other questions?

Uh the people that own 403 North School Street, have we heard anything from them at all about why they may not be here tonight? I I don't know why they're not here this evening, but they're required to provide in writing a statement requesting to be put back into the program, and that's included in the packet. Mhm. Um, and their taxes are paid for now. Okay. Yeah. If they were still delinquent, we wouldn't bring them to this meeting, right? I I personally like them to to be here.

We give them that option. We let them know when it's going to be heard in front of council. Um, but it's up to them if they want to be here. Okay. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? I I have no problem with the gentleman that came, but if you don't care enough to come talk and ask us why, then I don't care enough to re-evaluate. Do you want to make them different motions or Well, we've got a motion in a second and it passed. They They both passed, so it doesn't really matter. He just stated his reason for voting against it. So,

okay. Item number uh two, authorization to issue requests for qualifications of safe streets and roads for all transportation safety action plan staff. Yes. Uh mayor and council as you recall uh staff it's been a while back. It was I think actually um grant agreement.

Yeah. back back uh under even different presidential administrations is how far back this originally goes. I think uh the city submitted an application for the uh safe street safe streets and road for all program. Um our engineer had told about this program that's at the federal level and there's different components to it. Um the first phase is kind of creating an action plan and identifying different uh different hazards, different issues in your transportation system that you may want to address. And then once you have a plan in place, then you may be able to qualify for additional grant funding for actual construction projects. And so council supported us going after the the grant to develop our plan which we did secure and I believe in previous I want to say work sessions we talked to council about it and it was $160,000 grant having a match that's going to be coming out of our street sales fund. Um there was changeover that happened at the residential level and there were a bunch of grant conditions that changed when that turnover in administrations happened. Uh historically a lot of the grant conditions included things about DEI and other elements like that. And so there were a lot of requirements and policies that the city had to comply with if you were going to prepare the RFQ, the request for qualifications. We got guidance from program administ administrators that that would be changing the new administration. They recommended that we maybe hold off before we jump into developing this plan because in some circumstances it wasn't simply that conditions got

removed. it was that uh they they were actually detrimental to your application if you included the things that used to be required in prior applications. So we uh we took that into consideration and we did not move forward with preparing our request for qualifications until those requirements uh were clarified by the federal government which they have been now. And so can the team put together a uh a request for qualifications is this compant with those new regulations. And essentially what we're asking for tonight is your permission to send that request for qualifications out and start the process of selecting an engineering group. So with request for qualifications, it's not based purely on pricing. you are trying to find uh the best consultant that has the capabilities and most aligned with the project that that you're going to be doing. That's why it's a qualifications based selection and uh so that's what is before you tonight and we're just looking for your authorization to send that out. There will be a selection process. We'll narrow that down and then ultimately have recommendations of who they enter into a contract with and then you will have subsequent action items to uh uh to carry this forward to actually get to the project. I think Cammy and her staff report and in the scope uh laid out and bulletpointed some of the elements we will have included in our plan. So essentially you're authorizing the scope that we had included as well. Uh Cammy, I didn't know if you had anything specific that you wanted to call out or draw attention to. Um but I know we're looking kind of holistically at the transportation system. So it covers a lot of bases with this scope.

It just I mean pointing out the timeline of this process um that it is going to take about a year to get all the way through and and get a final report to council on that. So we're planning to have it open for about a month, I believe. um and then move forward with the selection. So we don't have actually have any project specifically identified correctly. This is development of a plan that'll ultimately out of that analysis we'll probably have some project recommendations that may stem from it. Okay.

But it's a requirement if you're going to apply to the construction uh phases of this program or other programs. Having a plan like this in place is necessary to qualify you from an eligibility perspective to even apply for other types of funding. I just like to keep it in the back of your mind and stuff that probably two to three years ago I started it was asking about was asking about um the lighting up on Kuster Lane to the east of um Ewok Elementary where the kids are walking to school in the dark there along on the sidewalk and stuff. know been several residents have spoke to me many times that over the last few years and stuff. So, um I just keep that in the back of your mind if you would as we're going through stuff. So I'll make a motion to approve have authorize the issuance to request for qualification for professional contract consulting services to refer transportation safety action plan of the US Department of Transportation safe streets and roads for all SS4A grant programs.

Second. Got a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Uh, I'm going to throw something in here. Ignite Augusta has just come forward today with a check for the city from proceeds from the money they raised on the holiday Christmas decoration drive-thru at the park. And Zach is here to present that to us. So, if you'd allow me, I will meet him at the podium and receive that check. Andrew, do we need to make a motion to the agenda?

You guys insist on it, I suppose. I mean, I I think it would probably be valid without Okay.

And to that question, it's not an action item draft. It's it's accepting something. And I thank you. It would be fine as if it was business. Thank you. Thank you, Zach. Thank you guys for all the work that put into making park look really nice during holiday season.

Well, I appreciate you squeezing us in last minute like this. We just we're along finishing up our meeting uh here just downtown. But uh yeah, we we appreciate to the opportunity to do it. There's a lot of other things that donate and more funds to. Um, I know we talked with Frank a lot about uh some ideas that he has with the parks to do some entryway kind of um announcement boards. Basically, it's kind of what he was hoping to do something with. And hopefully this covers at least that there's been a lot of other fun things you guys have done that he's done guys have allowed to happen with with getting us through. So, thank you.

Check amount is $1,500. You guys did a great job out there. You guys did a great

With that, I will uh go to matters from council and first turn it over to city manager.

Yes, mayor and council. We're not having to pick a date. I just want to make sure that we've got this uh in your minds. If you could save a couple of upcoming dates for us to potentially do our strategic retreat for the year. We have two off Mondays coming up in March the 23rd and 30th. We don't necessarily need both of them, but we have a couple of items that we're working on preparing uh that are specific for that session. I think that that that gets us past the the spring break holidays. So hopefully there's nothing problematic about it. And normally off Mondays is when we try to target for some of those sessions. Again, we don't have to schedule that tonight. I think we'll officially schedule it on the 16th. Staff feels better about uh what we've been able to prepare and whether we're ready to come or not. But just wanted to uh get that in your mind so you can add that to your calendars. And then mayor, if if I'm able to, I do have one other item.

Yeah, go ahead with the other item. So the uh the second item we will have um press releases going out about an upcoming citywide outage that is going to be a land outage. We have that we have to make at our substation and the nature of these repairs is that it cannot be done without us having a citywide outage. They aren't extensive repairs. They aren't expected to take a long time. uh but where they are and what they are will require us to shut down the city. Uh we've been coordinating with staff to try to game plan around what the the best time to do that would be. Uh we have two dates picked out in the future. Uh we have started circulating the press release. We're going to be pushing that more. Uh but we're about two and a half three weeks out from that first date which is scheduled um on March 19th. and weather contingent. If uh if we have issues that day and the weather does not allow us, then March 26th is the day that we're looking at. We are planning on doing the work to the substation overnight, most likely targeting midnight start time. Uh hopefully hopefully just a couple hours and then we're done and then everything is back up and running before people wake up. Uh but we do have a few businesses in towns that may have overnight shifts. Um, obviously people at home if there's uh critical elements um that they have that are that are plugged into power could be medical devices, oxygen tanks. We want to try to give them as much head heads up as possible to start planning for that. And then we are going to start circulating specific notices uh to some of the uh the key employers, school district, other folks like that just to help get word out as much as possible. um as we get closer to that 19th date and we've got better forecasts on what the weather

is going to be doing that we can firm that up and confirm it and then start pushing messaging any harder. Uh but right now we are looking at the 19th or the 26 we'll have an outage that'll most likely start around midn time you wake up everything is fine. If you uh if you have your digital alarm clocks plugged into a wall, you may have problems with that. Um anything else you can think of, just make whatever preparations that you can. I have two questions for you, Josh, as we try to get the word out. Can we make our posture share those, you know, share that on their Facebook pages so we can get the word as far as the hell they are? One of them was and I I was told so. Okay. Okay. And Oh, okay. Okay. And the second thing is you think it's going to be just a couple hours, not like hours where I have to worry about refrigeration or anything like that freezer. So,

the expectation is a couple hours. And when I say a couple, I actually mean to or not exaggerating there,

but you you you prefer to to what is that? O overd deliver under promise. Um but so that that's the situation here. We have our expectation that we think it it is a uh it is a relatively straightforward swapping out. It just happens to be some critical that that we have to do it a certain way and this matters for our insurance purposes. It matters for a lot of reasons and that's why we're we're having to do it. There may actually be a few others u switches that we have to deal with and there may be a few others of these we have to deal with later in the year. uh but we weren't able to get all of the equipment due to plastic uh production issues. So there just weren't enough of them available. So we have some extended wait time on the other. So we're going to end up unfortunately having another outage at some other point this year.

Okay. Okay. I had something that just came up. They're asking why the trees are being cleared out near the water tower by the middle school. Does anybody know? Okay. I would specific I don't know. I mean I know there's part of the bond issue is additions to various buildings and the middle school is one of our project one of those projects. So Okay. All right. So, Mr. Martin, do you have anything tonight? No, I don't. Mr. Mayor, thank you. Matt,

nothing tonight, Mr. Mayor. Bob, nothing tonight.

Of course, I'm the bad guy. Got something. Um, I just wanted to bring to our attention Kelly Court again that we did some work on this summer. Um there's a big high spot in there and the water's running off and it got froze and people are slipping and falling and they're worried about that water that's pulling there. We'll bring mosquitoes in the summertime. So if we could just at least address that and see see if there's any type of pollution there that'd be great. Second is the motorcycle you guys aware of that on oh I think it's around Garfield on high street no corner there that seems to be an email. Yeah. Hi.

We submitted it to public safety for action. Okay. Thank you. You already handled it. All right. That's all I got.

I just have one thing. Uh I want to remind the community that the 4th annual crawl is not this weekend, but the next weekend. It's the 14th of March. It is from noon to four o'clock. Uh 18 different businesses to visit. Um, Red Bud Brewery and Park have $5 koozies. So does Free State Cycle Works. Uh, it's a donation and it's going to Hickory Hollow Animal Rescue. So all your money come out. It's fun time and just enjoy it. That's all I got. Allison, nothing. Mr. Mayor. Okay.

Mr. Mayor, I may move to reassess an executive session for 60 minutes to discuss potential acquisition of real property in conjunction with a public improvement project pursuant to the preliminary discussion of acquisition of real property exception KSA75-4319B6 as the city manager Josh Shaw, assistant city manager Jamie Tro and his city attorney and join the council in executive session the governing body to reconvene the council chambers at 8:48 p.m. I hear a second. Second.

Got a motion or a second. All those in favor say I. Motion carries. We'll be back in an hour.

So you got a meeting that starts at 9.

Mayor make a motion to exit executive session where no action was taken. Have a motion to exit executive session where no action was taken. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries. Make a motion to adjourn this meeting. Second. Got a motion to adjourn this meeting. All those in favor say I. I. Opposed. Motion carries. See you in a couple weeks.