Board of Aldermen - Regular Meeting

Sonny, have you had a chance to take roll?

I have taken roll. Everyone is present. You have a quorum.

Great. We'll move on to public hearings and personal appearances. The first item on the agenda this evening is a public hearing to receive public comments on applications made by Pilot Travel Centers LLC to rezone 12.42 acres from C, General Commercial District, and M, Industrial District, to C, General Commercial District. If you wish to speak for or against the proposed Rezoning, we'll have you come forward to the podium.

State your name and address for the record, please.

Board is open for public comment. Do we have anybody online, Ryan? No, sir. Did I miss the second part? I'm sorry. And consider a conditional use permit for a truck stop in C general. So I will reopen the floor for that. Just want to make sure it is to rezone from C general commercial district and then industrial district to C general commercial district and to consider a conditional use permit for a truck stop in C commercial district. Would anybody wish to speak for or against the request? Close the floor for comments. Thank you, David, for that. Our next item is a public hearing to receive public comments on the proposed amendment to municipal code zoning regulations pertaining to architectural design and building material standards for commercial and industrial buildings. If you wish to speak for or against the proposed amendment to the municipal code zoning, have you come forward to the podium and state your name and address for the record.

The floor is open for public comment. Do we have anybody online?

we have one but he's remains muted okay close the floor for public comment and input on that item the last item under public hearings this evening is a public hearing to receive public comments on a grant of tax abatement for the construction of an approximately 40 000 square foot commercial building generally located to the northeast off of west innovation drive south of lovers lane west of interstate 35 north of premier drive and east on sambar drive innovation fifth plot lot two in the city if you wish to speak for or against proposed grant of tax abatement have you come forward to the podium and state your name and address for the record floor is open for public comment and input seeing nobody move i will close the floor Next item on the agenda this evening is recognition of Mr. Ray Kendall, one of our amazing employees, supervisor in our parks department. Ray is traveling to San Jose, California, and will be representing Kearney and his local CrossFit box gym, CrossFit Gratitude. in the CrossFit Games so Ray I don't think you were expecting that recognition tonight but if I could turn it over to Eric Marshall the parks director Eric would you have anything to say and then Sheila I think we have something for our Park Department's really proud of Ray going to San Jose he asked off and Ryan and I had to

discuss that and see if we know. We're excited for him. I'm going to, and I think there was a big article in the Courier Tribune, and it's stated a national, and Ray can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's a worldwide competition in San Jose, and he'll be gone later this week for those CrossFit games. So we wish him well, and we're awful proud

Mary, we're sending you off with all our good wishes and best of luck. We want you to remember us while you're there, and we're all looking for you and cheering for you.

Well, thank you. I appreciate it.

Good luck, Ray. I know you represent us well. A couple years ago, the board unanimously supported an addition to our employee benefits with a change to our wellness program. This is just one great example of the wellness program and how it's benefiting and making our employees healthier and happier. But, Ray, go out there and I know you're going to work hard and do well. I know you and Mr. Young Kendall would like to probably stay the rest of the night, but now is a good time if you guys would like to get on with your night.

Say bye. Bye.

Bye.

Bye-bye. Good luck. Good luck. See you guys.

Next item on the agenda is open public comments. During the open public comments section of our meeting agenda, we invite residents of Kearney to step forward and directly address their Board of Aldermen. Each resident is requested to clearly state their name and address for the record and will have three minutes to present their statement. This session is specifically designed for residents to express their views or concerns. It is not intended for dialogue, debate, or question and answer intentions, excuse me, interactions with the Board. All statements made during this time will be formally recorded in our public record. We urge participants to keep the remarks respectful and focused on matters relevant to Kearney. Your contributions are a vital part of our continuous efforts to enrich and improve Kearney, and we thank you for adhering to our guidelines and helping us maintain the decorum of this process. The timer on the screen will advance from green to red. The timer will be green for the first two minutes, yellow for the last minute, and red when the time is up. Is there any member that would wish to address the board under open public comments this evening?

Good evening, everybody. Members of the board, my name is Jason Peeritt. I reside at 1717 Paddock Drive here in Kearney. I stand before you today as a resident and a former special investigator, special agent who has investigated thousands of high profile national security related cases. I'm here to urge this board to reevaluate and ultimately dismantle our relationship with the Flock Safety Mass Surveillance Network. With this initial $24,900 contract was first brought to the floor, local news noted that the board approved it reluctantly. I believe that was Spencer. That reluctance was entirely justified and the reasons for this have only been multiplied. While automated policing is marketed as an easy solution to crime, the reality of Flock represents an unprecedented dangerous expansion of mass surveillance that accelerates the erosion of American liberty and violates the core principles of our constitution. Perhaps the most alarming aspect of this system is how it continues to expand without ongoing community consent, public debate, or basic transparency. Most residents driving down 92 Highway or Sandbar Drive today have absolutely no idea that their daily movements, routines, and locations are being captured, digitized, and stored by a private corporation. True public safety cannot exist without public trust. When infrastructure is quietly scaled up, moving from our original 28 fixed cameras to adding 30 additionals inside police cruisers, it violates the social contract between local government and its citizens. We are being conditioned to accept a turnkey surveillance state. Furthermore, Phlox's acquisition of companies like Aerodome integrates automated drones into our platform. Under this system, a sensor trigger can automatically dispatch a drone to fly over our homes, backyards, and public parks. This is obviously a classic mission creep. Carney already has a drone, but I don't know, has it been integrated with Flock? What starts as a tool to catch stolen cars quickly mutates into a permanent multi-layered aerial and ground surveillance network monitoring our private lives. Surveillance should never be implemented by default, and it should never be hidden from the public eye. Flock operates as a warrantless dragnet. It does not just watch suspects. It logs, tracks, and analyzes the movement of every single law-abiding citizen in the city through AI. Every day you drive your kids to school, go to the grocery store, visit a doctor, Flock builds a permanent searchable digital timeline of your life without your consent or without your probable cause. When we object, proponents assure us that the strict policies are in place to prevent misuse. But we must be realistic about human nature and systemic oversight. Just because local abuse hasn't been formally documented here yet, doesn't mean the system's secure. Across the nation, we're already seeing the cracks. Just this month, audits in states like Georgia and Wisconsin led to the firing and criminal charging of multiple law enforcement officers who were caught using the flock database for unauthorized personal tracking. The temptation of this turnkey surveillance state is too high. The flock system is a direct assault on the Fourth Amendment, which protects Americans against unreasonable search and general warrants. The exact practice of spying on everyone— Mr. Barrett, your time is up. Fine. Give me one paragraph.

Mr. Barrett, your time is up. If you wish to speak more, you can leave it with the dais, or you can send an email to your elected officials. Is there anybody else that would wish to address the board this evening? Yes, sir.

My name is Carol Rittenhouse. I live at 215 East 22nd Terrace here in Carnegie. I too am addressing the flock of cameras. Proponents claim that the technology is foolproof, that automated systems are plagued by errors. Misread license plates caused by dirt, weather, and software glitches create dangerous false positives. and forced responding officers to treat routine encounters at high-risk felony stops. Look at what happened across the country. In Sherwood, Arkansas, a flocked camera misread an SUV's license plate, leading police to pull over an innocent couple and detain them at gunpoint while their six-week-old child was in the backseat. Days ago in Plymouth, Minnesota, a car reviewer was driving a manufacturer loaner vehicle, and he was swarmed and boxed in by four police cars because of a single typo in a police report. Officers explicitly warned him that if he crossed into the neighboring Minneapolis, they would have approached him with guns drawn. Look next door to Kansas. In Sedgwick, a former police chief admitted to using flock cameras to track his ex-girlfriend and her new partner 228 times in four months. In Ketchy and Bonner Springs, officers used the network to stalk estranged wives. In Lenexa, the department used the system to target a resident who wrote a critical op-ed about the local police. Even Flock's chief legal officer acknowledged Using the database to track ex-partners is a common form of abuse. I think the warning for you is that you would be ignorant to think that everybody who has access to it is truthful and above question. The safeguards are simply not strong enough. Ignorant people are obedient people. Thomas Paine warned us of this reality. They trust the experts who tell them gladly what to do. And Paine noted, reason obeys itself. Ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it. And that's exactly the way it is. Systems like this persist because the apparatus of government wants you scared and submissive. Every day it seems a new enemy for us to be afraid of, or a nation a sign, a pilot, a political party, an ideology.

Thank you. Thank you for being here. Absolutely.

Is there any

Additional residents, I wish to address your board under open public comments this evening. We'll move on to the consent agenda. Does the board have any questions or items of discussion on the consent agenda this evening? Seeing none, if we can entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. So moved.

I'll second that.

All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Consent agenda is approved as presented. We'll move on to ordinances this evening. The first ordinance this evening is a motion approving bill number 35-2026 presented by David Pavlich, our community development director, an ordinance authorizing tax abatement for a project located in the city's enhanced enterprise zone to be undertaken by Thornell Corporation. David?

Actually, we have Megan Miller in the audience today.

Hi, everybody. I'm Megan Miller with Gilmore and Bell, and we serve as the city's economic development council. So I have Carolyn's notes. I'm gonna help this one out a little bit this time. So once again, we have in front of you an applicant that's looking to move and build into the EEZ, very similar to what we've done previously this year and in the last year. We just wanna point out that this is a 40,000 square foot building with an anticipated capital investment of 5.7 million. They anticipate retail sales subject to sales and use tax of about 12 million annually. Again, pretty simple. It's 50% tax abatement for 10 years on the improvements. And so you can see, I just wanna touch base, I've got my CBA pulled up here, that the projected pilots are $533,782 that would be paid over the course of 10 years to the taxing jurisdiction pro rata. And then the projected abatement to the company is $532,956, and that obviously benefits the company. So I've gone pretty fast and touched over it. But does anybody have any questions?

I don't believe so. All right.

Thanks, guys.

There are no questions of the board on the proposed ordinance. If we could read the proposed ordinance in the first reading by title only, please.

An ordinance authorizing tax abatement for a project located in the city's enhanced enterprise zone to be undertaken by Thornell Corporation.

Move to approve on the first reading.

I'll second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? Second reading by title only, please.

An ordinance authorizing tax abatement for a project located in the city's enhanced enterprise zone to be undertaken by Fornell Corporation. Motion to approve.

I'll second. Call the board, please.

Alderman Holt. Aye. Alderwoman Spencer. Aye. Alderman King.

Aye.

Alderman Lehman. Aye.

The vote is unanimous, and the ordinance is approved. Next item is a motion approving Bill number 36, 2026, an ordinance approving the Innovation Fifth Platte Lot 2 site plan. David?

So this is a related application. So Thornell proposes to build a 40,800-square-foot building on Lot 2, Innovation Fifth Platte. The Planning and Zoning Commission considered at their last meeting and recommend approval with some conditions. Questions? We've got Mike McGuire with Ornell in the audience and Ron Calvert with AGC Engineers.

Great. Thank you. Does the board have any questions on the proposed ordinance? All right. If there are no questions, if we could read the proposed ordinance on the first reading by title only, please.

An ordinance approving the Innovation Fifth Flat Lot 2 site plan.

Move to approve on first reading. I'll second. All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? Second reading by title only, please.

An ordinance approving the innovation fifth flat lot two site plan.

Motion to approve. I'll second. Pull the board, please.

Alderwoman Spencer. Aye. Alderman King. Aye. Alderman Lehman. Aye. Alderman Holt. Aye.

The vote is unanimous and the ordinance is approved. next item this evening is a motion approving bill number 37 2026 presented by david pavlich our community development director an ordinance amending the municipal code by enacting section 405 682 pertaining to architectural design and building material standards david

Yeah, so this code amendment would establish standards for building materials and building articulation for new commercial office mixed-use industrial buildings and then also buildings with substantial improvements, substantial additions to those buildings. planning zoning recommended approval of the ordinance we can go into more detail if you'd like but essentially it lists some materials that will be prohibited like very reflective glass like let's say glass or mirrored surfaces sheet metal or cmu block that's not the smooth cmu block it also lists some preferred or materials that we'd like to see stucco brick Things like that. It could be veneer. It doesn't have to be full stone, CMU block. And then it also allows for special review if there's a building that's proposed that may not strictly meet all of the code, but it meets the intent. There's a review process for that as well.

Alderman Lehman, do you have anything to add as our planning and zoning liaison? Unfortunately, I was not able to attend, so I do not. All right. Perfect. Thank you for that report. Any questions from staff on the proposed ordinance? Seeing none, if we can read the ordinance first reading by title only, please.

An ordinance amending the municipal code by enacting section 405.682 pertaining to architectural design and building materials standards.

Move to approve on first reading. I'll second. All in favor?

Aye. Opposed? Okay. Second reading by title only please.

An ordinance amending the municipal code by enacting section 405.682 pertaining to architectural design and building materials standards. Motion to approve. I'll second. Full board please. Alderman King? Aye. Alderman Lehman? Aye. Alderman Holt? Nay. Alderwoman Spencer? Aye.

Coordinates is approved. Three yeses, one no. Move on to the next item this evening. A motion approving bill number 382026, an ordinance amending chapter 400 of the municipal code, the comprehensive zoning regulations of Kearney, Missouri rezoning 12.42 acres at 600 West 92 highway to see general commercial district as requested by pilot travel centers. David.

Yes, Pilot Travel Centers proposes to rezone property. It's got two zoning classifications, the portion along 92 Highway Zone C General Commercial, the mayor of the property zone M Industrial. Our code allows truck stops by conditional use permit only in the commercial district. So the proposal is to rezone that portion of it that's industrial to commercial, so it brings in compliance with the zoning ordinance.

Any questions from the board on the proposed ordinance? Seeing none, if we could read the proposed ordinance on the first reading by title only, please.

An ordinance amending Chapter 400 of the Municipal Code, the Comprehensive Zoning Regulations of Kearney, Missouri, rezoning approximately 12.42 acres at 600 West 92 Highway to C General Commercial District as requested by Pilot Travel Centers. Motion to approve.

I'll second. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Second reading by title only, please.

An ordinance amending Chapter 400 of the Municipal Code, the Comprehensive Zoning Regulations of Kearney, Missouri, rezoning approximately 12.42 acres at 600 West 92 Highway to C General Commercial District as requested by pilot travel centers.

Make a motion on the second reading.

I'll second.

Pull the board, please.

Alderman Lehman? Aye. Alderman Holt? Aye. Alderman Spencer? Aye. Alderman King? Aye.

The vote is unanimous, and the ordinance is approved. Next ordinance is a motion approving Bill number 39-2026, an ordinance granting a conditional use permit at 600 West 92 Highway, allowing a truck stop in the Sea General Commercial District.

So Island Travel Center seeks approval of conditional use permit for truck stop in the Sea General Commercial District. Approval would allow or accommodate building addition that they're planning later this year, about 1,800 square feet. As part of the project, they'll also install sidewalk along 92 Highway and Shanks Avenue up to the building. So we'll have additional pedestrian access, additional sidewalk in the area.

Great. Any questions from the board on the proposed ordinance? Read the proposed ordinance on the first reading by title only, please.

An ordinance granting a conditional use permit at 600 West 92 Highway, allowing a truck stop in the Sea General Commercial District.

Move to approve on 3rd Street. I'll second. Second. All in favor?

Aye. Opposed? Second reading by Tide only, please.

An ordinance granting a conditional use permit at 600 West 92 Highway, allowing a truck stop in the Sea General Commercial District. Motion to approve. I'll second.

Pull the board, please.

Alderman Holt? Aye. Alderwoman Spencer? Aye. Alderman King?

Aye.

Alderman Lehman? Aye.

The vote is unanimous and the ordinance is approved. Next and last ordinance this evening is a motion approving bill number 40-2026, an ordinance authorizing the city of Kearny, Missouri, refunding and improving certificates of participation series 2026 and authorizing and approving certain documents in connection with the delivery of the certificates. Shelly?

Also, I am going to introduce Megan Miller.

So I'm here to talk to you today about the certificates of participation that's discussed in the ordinance in front of you. So I just want to just give a brief overview of what we're doing. So this in particular is for Refunding Improvement Certificates of Participation, which is an annual appropriation Financing that the city has utilized before. This is a personal property one though, so it doesn't encumber or utilize any of the city's real property. It'll just encumber the city's equipment that we're essentially financing. So it won't have any liens on the buildings that you guys are improving. So, just to touch base, this is improving intending to finance improvements to a handful of buildings. So city hall, I believe the museums on there in the 501 building as well as constructing a water main on nation road. And then we're also refinancing your 2024. equipment lease purchase agreement that built the water tower and then some chloramine conversion equipment. So we're going to get some savings there as well. I think about from what Todd Goffin with Piper Sandler calculated about $730,000 of savings to the city, which is great. and so with this ordinance you guys are allowing us to approve the documents that are going to control and get this financing off the ground and then also because this is a negotiated sale we're drafting a preliminary official statement which is a huge offering document that Piper Sandler will put out to the market and then sell these certificates on the secondary market so This allows us to do the sale at a later date. So you'll see in section one, we lay out some parameters. So the sale is not approved unless it fits within these parameters. So the principal amount cannot exceed 10.4 million. They shall not have a final maturity of later than 2046, which is the final payment date. Talk about WHAM, which is the weighted, it's just another, doesn't have as much pull as other ones do, but it's just another parameter that we fit in, but not less than seven years and not more than 11. It can't bear interest greater than 5.25, and I know Todd patted that a little bit. I can't really touch on exactly what the interest rate's going to be, but it can't be greater than 5.25. And then they can be subjects to optional redemption no later than 2036, and I think he's anticipating a little bit earlier than that as well, so. Any questions on that? Yeah, when's it going to market? Here in, he just changed the schedule on me. So the preliminary official statement is going to go out this Friday. And then, Sheila, is it the 18th we're going to market if we get the rating tomorrow?

I don't remember. I just remember that we were planning on the 6th. Yeah, for settling.

Yeah. I don't know if we haven't updated. So things got changed around, unfortunately. We had a set timeline to sell on August 6th, but then the rating agency, you guys go through a rating process in order to get a better interest rate. The rating agency pushed back your rating call. Because she was having a baby. Because she was having a baby. But pushed back the rating call like two weeks, which then pushes the whole timeline. Because the rating goes on the preliminary official statement, which gets pushed to the market. So we should get the preliminary official statement, the rating for that tomorrow, and then we will push that out on Friday. And then I believe we're looking at a sale date in August.

So this is for the updated Moody's rating?

S&B.

Oh, S&B.

Yes. So we're not going to see the real benefit until Q4 before we can...

Yeah, it'll be a little bit before you'll see the savings, and we'll pay that off, though. I've already contacted the bank. I've already contacted Pony Express Bank, so they're aware that we're doing the refunding, and they're fine with it. We've got a payoff date. So they'll get the money at closing. They'll get their money and pay that off, and then, yeah, you'll see the savings across each year that you start paying debt service.

Okay, then do we have to do a budget amendment?

No. No.

No, but annually, just for this, so you will have a budgetary item every year for this. You'll sign off on the debt service, which I don't have updated numbers from Todd yet, but we should be getting, I'm hoping we'll get those this week, updated numbers for it. He's anticipating what the debt service is going to look like. Thank you, Megan. Yeah.

Any other questions for Megan Miller?

Thank you for the report. And we're going to tell Todd that you can just come every time, right? As long as you don't, and I'm sorry, Lauren, as long as you don't bring that Platt County pirate sticker on your lap.

I'm sorry. I've got to stop.

We can get you a carnival dog one on that. I know.

Actually, I need one. I got in trouble in Smithville the last time I had it, too. They were mad at me for having it as well. Thanks, Megan.

If we could read the proposed ordinance first reading by Todd only, please.

An ordinance authorizing the city of Kearney, Missouri, refunding and improvement certificates of participation series 2026 and authorizing and approving certain documents in connection with the delivery of the certificates.

Motion to approve on first reading. I'll second.

All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Second reading by title only, please.

An ordinance authorizing the City of Kearney, Missouri, refunding and improvement certificates of participation, series 2026, and authorizing and approving certain documents in connection with the delivery of the certificates.

Second motion, one second read. One second. Pull the board, please.

Alderman Spencer. Aye. Alderman King.

Aye.

Alderman Lehman. Aye. Alderman Holt.

Aye. The vote is unanimous and the ordinance is approved. We'll move on to resolutions. First item this evening is a resolution approving, excuse me, a motion approving resolution 562026 presented by Police Chief Mark Thomas, a resolution authorizing the Kearney Police Department to apply for the Missouri Blue Shield grant program. Chief?

Thank you, Mayor and Board. As you know, we have been designated as a Blue Shield community. And after having that, they go through a, the governor comes up with the right amount that they offer to the entire state that is all Blue Shield community approved. And they have a number that they divide evenly between all these agencies that have applied for and received this designation. And we were told the number. And there's a set of things that we can purchase with this money. And we're hoping to spend, with their approval, within about $50 of that. So we're going to spend it all if we can. It's a good grant. There's no ties attached to it. It's a straight up grant that we're going to use. And we're wanting to apply for that now.

Great. Thanks for our report, Chief. Does anybody, any members of the board, rather, have any questions on the resolution or Chief Thomas' report?

Get the money. We're working on it, sir.

If we could read the proposed resolution, please.

A resolution authorizing the Kearney Police Department to apply for the Missouri Blue Shield grant program.

Move to approve on 13. I'll second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? Resolution is approved. Thank you, Chief. Next item is a motion approving Resolution 57-2026, a resolution approving an agreement between the City of Kearney, Missouri and the Kearney Enrichment Council to provide $30,000 of grant funding for the KNAP program. Sheila?

Thank you, Mayor. If approved, this agreement will provide $30,000 of city funds and four quarterly payments of $7,500 each to the Kearney Enrichment Council for its new canopy program. The canopy program offers educational, recreational, cultural, and enrichment opportunities for youths, teens, adults, seniors, and families. The Kearney Enrichment Council will be required to turn in quarterly reports to the city and present an annual report to the Board of Aldermen at the end of this agreement.

Thank you for the report. Any questions on the proposed resolution? Read the proposed resolution for consideration, please.

A resolution approving an agreement between the City of Kearney, Missouri and the Kearney Enrichment Council to provide $30,000 of grant funding for the Canobie programs.

Motion to approve.

I'll second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? Resolution is approved. Next item is a motion approving Resolution 58-2026, a resolution approving a parking lot use and vegetation maintenance agreement with Shanks Heating and Cooling. All right. I'll excuse myself. All right. Alderman King is recusing himself. Excuse me. Excusing himself in the meeting. We'll let you know when this item is served.

If approved, this agreement will allow the city to use the southernmost 10 feet of Shanks parking lot for Market at the Park. And in return, the city will maintain the vegetation along Shanks portion of the Beer Creek ditch on the west side of that property.

Any questions from the board on the proposed resolution? If we could read the proposed resolution for consideration, please.

A resolution approving a parking lot use and vegetation maintenance agreement with Shanks Heating and Cooling.

Move to approve on first reading.

I'll second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? Resolution is approved three to zero. We'll move on to items for review and presentation. The first item this evening is a presentation of facility improvements. Sheila, I'll give you the floor.

Well, I just want to introduce Jean and Matt so that they can kind of give us an update on the planning and work that they've been doing on our facility improvements.

Jean Stober, I'm an architect with Clark & Edison.

And Matt Blower.

and I'll try to quickly go through the budget parameters for the project and talk about the original primary goals of the project, secondary goals of the project, and then we'll walk you through all the design proposals we've looked at, the process of schematic design that we've completed this year, and then take a look at what we think the probable costs are and how we've organized that for the bid, and a quick look at our schedule. So budget parameters. Starting the project off, it was communicated to us, a budget of $2.5 million. Of course, that's dependent on the bond sale proceeds, so that could change, but that's the budget we're working with at this moment. We believe the soft costs for the project are around 24%, 25%. That includes professional fees, site surveys, furniture fixtures, equipment, basically testing inspections, contingency, everything that's not actual construction cost, actual building cost. So we take that off of the project budget, and we're left with an actual construction budget of about 1.9. That's what we're targeting for our base bid. And of course, this could change depending on the off sale process.

And so obviously with that amount of money we want to be able to achieve our primary goals for the project as well as hopefully some secondary goals. So as far as the primary goals go, these really revolve around safety and security within these buildings. And so thinking about this building that we're in, a primary goal was to provide a dedicated court and or public meeting space as part of this project as a whole. Obviously this space is shared amongst the other more private or back of house staff spaces. And so that is a primary goal as a result of this project. Also providing ADA compliant public spaces separate from staff spaces. So a primary goal is the public space component of the ADA improvements. And then providing secure workspaces for staff within this building and within all of the proposed improvements. Better separation from public space with those staff spaces. Next please. And so here are some images of some of the areas of current concern. ADA compliance with the current service counter. ADA compliance with the approach on the exterior ramp for the building itself. And then ADA compliance with access to additional meeting spaces.

The current conference space within this building is currently in the basement. No means of ADA access for that.

water infiltration through the roof that has been identified. So repairing that is a primary goal for this project.

And then secondary goals are those goals that we really want to be able to accomplish.

Those would include replacement of the exterior museum cladding. as well as some interior cosmetic repairs where there has been water infiltration, making sure we're able to repair some of those instances to make everything complete. And then another secondary goal would be to improve the ADA compliance of the staff workspaces within this building and obviously across any project that is touched.

So I want to go through the design proposals with all of you.

These proposals span across three different sites. site to the northwest, which is the 105 building. We have this site, which is the city hall, current city hall building, and then we have the site for the museum itself. So when we're thinking about why consider the 105 building as part of this improvement process, the amount of work that has to be done to improve code required upgrades, we feel that these spaces would be competitive if they were accomplished within this building. So the 105 building really does allow us to renovate within a cost beneficial manner and still achieve all of those primary goals. So with the 105 building, what we're looking at is really a total renovation of the north half of that building. So we have the garage is renovated that would be transformed into municipal court and boardroom operations and I'm thinking of it as a public meeting space as well and then also providing off-street parking on that site for City Hall looking at more minimal renovations within the building itself primarily thinking about the service counter and also some ramp that again is under those primary goals that we have discussed and then again with the museum site roofly repairs and then thinking about exterior flatting replacement as well as some of those cosmetic interior improvements so diving a little bit deeper into the 105 building this is where we're at currently with the layout so thinking about it as a plan as it lays out in the upper right corner we have our new

coming into the main boardroom layout or court layout, depending on the operation. With the board layout, we're hoping to achieve around

Next slide, you can see the difference between that and the court layout, getting closer to 80 seats within that court layout, and then obviously having the board seating at the front of the room with flexible tables and seating arrangement to provide the most flexibility possible for that space. dedicated consultation room and then everything on the west side of the plan is for the utilitarian components 88 compliant restrooms dedicated mechanical like custodial space storage for tables and chairs for the boardroom layout and then a new accessible conference space that the city can use that's outside of the basement of this room So here are a couple of interior renderings. This is a look at that multipurpose meeting space in more of the board layout itself, looking at new monitors on the back wall, kind of really embracing the branding here as well, and then improving to lighting, acoustics, and then a nice flexible layout that allows for lots of participation as well. Just another view from the side looking into that space. Click through these. Here is the dedicated conferencing space within the building.

There is a small, I wouldn't call it a kitchenette.

There's a counter for coffee and maybe an under counter refrigerator for beverages there as well. And obviously AV components within this space too. Just another view from within that space.

And then with this project comes

shed roof cant there and replacing it with a canopy over the new entrance, providing dedicated building signage, a monument sign that you can see from the street, providing building address and city logo, obviously, and then surrounding the building with some updated plantings and maybe some site furnishings as well, including a bench, trash receptacle, etc. provide an aesthetic that complements and fits into the surrounding downtown environment. If you go to the next image, the exterior stone option here is showing a more robust decorative material around the entrance, calling attention to that entrance.

this exact thing but something that could still call out to the entrance without adding the expense of exterior stone.

We would be looking at painting the remainder of this portion of the building as well and then creating and updating any of the entrances obviously goal for the entire development of the site. It's a building on the upper right and a full layout for internal parking, off-street parking. The green area would be a detention area for stormwater.

If you go to the next slide, this kind of breaks it out, again, with regard to budget, thinking about phase one being kind of the primary

allowing doing this all at once to get us 17 additional stalls there and then providing that detention area for stormwater so that kind of outlines the 501 or 105 sorry 105 improvements I want to talk a little bit about the improvements proposed for this building here so on the exterior we obviously have the ADA improvements that are improvement to accomplish. One of those would be extending the ADA ramp, providing new concrete at the base of that, and then reworking our ADA accessible parking to the east of the building. That does include reworking that sidewalk to ramp down to that center aisle so that we can easily accommodate access up to and through the building. Then from an interior standpoint, this shows the A lot of this revolves around kind of the entrance sequence for the public. So off of our main vestibule, we would come into the lobby, which is a secure area that is secured off from the remainder of the building. So that yellow area would have waiting and would have access to the ADA compliant service counter. Then in addition to that, providing a new ADA compliant conferencing space. improvements to the staff areas just off of that service counter, providing new office, providing an ADA compliant kitchenette, bringing that up out of the lower level here, ADA compliant workroom and copy print space. So these are just a couple of interior views of these improvements. The view from the vestibule, the wood door there would be a staff access point into the staff workroom area. And then the public would enter through the aluminum doors. Next, please. A view from within that secure lobby looking towards the service counter. And then this next image is from within that service area on the staff side. views from within the conferencing space, and then the next view is of the kitchen area, which is actually right here, right behind you. And then the next area of improvement would be a new workspace, workroom area in the back corner over here, and then obviously improvements to the existing restroom and drinking conditions I finally want to talk about the proposals for the museum. And so, again, here a primary goal is the roof leak repairs and then hopefully being able to also accommodate the interior cosmetic repairs and new cladding, which really the goal here is to restore that historic aesthetic of the original building, seeing that lower image. I forget what year that's from. We established that. I don't recall the exact year. Thank you so much. And so that was our basis for our design goals for the building. If you go to the next slide, thinking about from an exterior standpoint, keeping that overhang as that was an original aesthetic component of the building. But looking back to some of those original photos, I mean, relocating the exterior sign to that upper parapet. just above that lower roof element, and then taking off the false stone cladding and vinyl siding and updating the facade with new stucco and wood trim, taking it again back to that original look from the historic photos.

And then we would be making other improvements to the exterior wall, particularly around the coping, to make sure that we are still waterproof within all of these improvements. That exterior, these are just some initially proposed colors. We were trying to, again, kind of get back to some of those historic colors and more historically accurate colors for the building.

But certainly through design, there's time to have more conversation about the actual implementation of that coloring.

So probable costs for the project. We believe that the full scope of all of those design proposals that we just shared with you exceed the 1.9 million that we are targeting. So we've taken a strategy of developing all of the design proposals that we believe will achieve those primary goals as base bid work that we believe will fit within that $1.9 million budget, and then developing the additional items that we'd like to be able to achieve as ad alternates. And what that means is when the project goes to bid, the contractor will bid cost, price out the cost for the base bid, and then the ad alternates will be priced out as line items, separate line items, So once the city sees the actual numbers, the actual bids for the base bid, and if the base bid is less than what the budget is, and again, we don't know the exact budget. If that base bid comes in less than what the budget is, then there's a chance to then accept some of these app alternates for or reject them if you choose to. If the budget doesn't allow for all of them, then at that time, you would need to prioritize which ones. But we feel that this is a strategy that allows you to possibly have all of them, but allows us to wait and see when the bids come in. So you can advance to the next slide. So for the 105 building in sight, the base bid would include the full interior renovation to the building, which provides that dedicated public meeting space. And then it would also include the phase one site work. And then we would develop and bid as an alternate the phase two, the extended site work. And then for the exterior, we would include the paint option at the entry for our base bid. And then if budget allows, the alternate scope would be to do that more enhanced limestone facade. And then for City Hall, the base bid would really just be the exterior ADA work, so the ramp and the parking. Not sure on this one, but the ADA parking. And then the ADA service counter and secure lobby area. And then some of the office area that has to be reworked with that because we're moving the counter. And then the ad alternates would be, we would develop and design ad alternates for the conference room, kitchenette, are ADA kitchenette and ADA workroom and ADA restroom because of the size of the lobby by code you're not required to provide a public restroom which means you don't need to have a public ADA restroom because it's under I think it's three hundred square feet is that requirement but if budget allows obviously we would want to improve those restrooms and make them restrooms and drinking fountains make them ADA compliant for the staff workspace And then for the museum, we've included in our base bid roof leak repairs to stop any current roof leaks. And then we would develop and bid us at alternate repairs to the interior cosmetics and exterior plating replacements. And then just a quick look at schedule, and then we'll open it up for any questions you guys have. We're about halfway through the overall process. We've completed programming, our site analysis, and schematic design. And so we'll be starting into design development this month, this upcoming month. And that's where we'll really get into selecting specific finishes, specific materials, developing construction details, coordinating between engineers and all the disciplines. and developing specifications and then that moves into construction documents continue to do that to an even more detailed level and then hoping to bid then project at the end of November got the 23rd target date here so you can see looking at sort of a timeline week by week we are pretty much right in the middle of our process Any questions? I'll open it up.

I'd just like to mention a consideration. I know we're not making any decisions tonight, obviously, but I was kind of surprised on the bid alternates for the 105 building. If we can go back to that slide, please. There's 17 or 18 of us here tonight that are either elected officials or work for the city. We're talking about 15 parking stalls at our new designated meeting space. I don't think that's good planning. So I think that's something we should definitely take into consideration. Any questions from the board?

Any... You read my mind. I was thinking because when I came in, I parked out front by police because every spot was taken our lot is full they're full out here and a couple across the street so yeah this is not realistic any other questions comments on the presentation david when we were looking at the 105 building to purchase you did a drawing of how many parking spaces we can get in there it's like 27 28.

lot more than 17. so when i saw that i'm like i'm thinking i think the difference there mr dan is i don't think we ever planned on any detention so i think that's taking up some space too i would guess the full build down i think accounts for 34 spaces is that what it said on there an additional 17. yeah over the face but you're right the detention is limiting And then, David, I know we just passed an updated ordinance tonight for our building standards. Both, whether we have the stone or brick, would obviously be compliant with our new ordinance.

I will be happy to send them a copy of our ordinance so they can look at it and see.

Fresh off the approval tonight. I was so excited. I was like, oh, what was I supposed to do? Great. There's no other questions. We sincerely appreciate it. I know you guys have spent a lot of time working with Sheila and our staff. So we appreciate all your time up to this point and look forward to continuing to work with you. And thank you for your time this evening. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Next item is the June 2026 monthly financial report.

So with a quarter of the fiscal year complete, there are just a couple of things that we're going to continue monitoring closely throughout the rest of the year. First of all, I talked about it actually at our last meeting, that our cemetery expenditures, they are going to require a budget amendment. And that's, again, because of the tornado. the spring that damaged several trees that had to be removed. Also, looking very closely at use tax revenues, they are down 19.1% from fiscal year 26 year to date. That's almost $90,000 when we're comparing to last year. And that's not really surprising. So use tax is based on construction materials and a lot of things, building that is happening. And so they fluctuate. They're not as stable as sales tax usually. And so we will just be keeping a close eye on that. And then our marijuana sales tax revenues, they're down 9.9% from fiscal year 26 here today. And this is probably the last sales tax payment that we're going to receive since the dispensary is closed. And so that impact is expected to impact us by about $150,000 this year when you're looking at overall. And so just want to keep that in mind and also looking forward to Chipotle and AutoZone that are going to be opening later this year. That will help. But I also want you guys to know that sales tax overall, it's up 8.8% over fiscal year 26 as of June 30th. And that appears to be related mostly to inflation. And then, yeah, that's what I have. And if you guys have any questions, I just want you to kind of know what we're monitoring, what we're looking at. Great. So...

The dispensary account closed already? Yes. And then you said use tax was 19.1% down?

Yes, 19.1% when we're comparing it to same time last year.

Any questions from the board on the financial report? Thank you for that report. Next item. Ms. Shelley Daniel, our Public Works Director, is going to give us an update on our native flower and grass of the new interchange project.

Thank you, Board. I was asked to come tonight just to talk about our nation rather than 19th Street roundabout. I did provide you a little handout and I need a chance to look at it beforehand. But on page two of my handout is how it was intended or how it was designed. And the goal was to have the vegetation to be like a flower garden for native grasses. And so the design included seeding for native flowers along the interior. So there's the limestone on four quadrants. And then the exterior is just a normal turf grass. So we got that planted with the project. And immediately, it came up. And it was very weedy looking to the public. And so we started mowing it. The recommendation from the contractors of Pine Valley provided the seed. I guess there's actually a little nursery rhyme that goes with native grasses. So they said the first year it sleeps, second year it creeps, and then the third year it leaps. So next spring will be our third year. But we could also just quit mowing and see what happens.

So that's what I was going to ask. So do you think by maintaining it, we're halting the beautification, like stopping the...

I've researched this. I'm not a landscape architect, but they did say it takes time for the root system to establish and spread. It's very difficult to grow native flowers from seed in Missouri. However, it could happen. Donnie's went out there I went out there neither one of us really could identify any flowers at this time we do see like weeds but if we were to spray them it will kill the flowers and they also told us at Pine Valley if we do things to help promote growth it actually just promotes the weed to grow so we're very hopeful that we have some flowers we even purchase extra seed the first year and concentrated around the fence post in the middle and we just let that grow and we got complaints about that too because it just looks like weeds to our and we are really doing a good job maintaining 19th street and a new interchange i think it's kind of people like that like how we're mowing so Just thought it might be a good idea, because I know the board approved this design, this landscaping design, and to see if you want us, like right now, if we're in a middle of drought, might not be the best time, but maybe this fall or something, this let go, and if we do get a bunch of complaints, we could communicate that, or we could wait until next spring, because that will be truly year three, but there is a chance it might take beyond three years like five to seven years we'll have to keep purchasing the seed mix and i'm filling it in if we're wanting to do that and it might be more maintenance intensive it looks like last time it was like 200 for the seed um yeah but maybe like our street department bought some of the exact seedments because there was some areas that just we thought might help and so it was like three pounds was about two hundred dollars

that was in 24 i think so it might be more it might not be but we could look into that too i think we are looking for some direction from the board on um if we want to continue the current native roundabout vegetation plan or if the board has a different desire i think it would be good to continue it but put a maybe put a sign out there for people's expectations that hey this is native grass or this is

So they know that, hey, we're not just not mowing it, we're letting, you know, to nature.

I've seen those for like native grass, a little placard. That's a good suggestion.

I think we need to at least give it a chance. That three or four year window is also, I know Greenfield is looking at some of our native areas and we had a conservationist out and You are correct. It's a very slow process. But if it does happen, it'll be wonderful. So to try to hang on and wait.

I learned something tonight, because I planted some native seed along my fence line behind my house, and it did nothing. I was really ticked off. So I'm going to, fingers crossed, after three years, I'll see something to show it.

It is more challenging to grow inside of a roundabout because, you know, we're right with all the pavement there and it's higher and we use the chemicals for snow removal that also, that means we have that eight feet, like maybe inside the truck apron. So the direction we need, we're not trying to kill what we planted. It's just whether or not, like maybe this fall or next spring, if you want us to keep mowing like we are now and at what period you want to like quit mowing, And let's see what happens and what it looks like, knowing that we might get a lot of citizen complaints about brass. And we could get a sign. Colleen had actually recommended that.

I think if we have a couple of signs from either direction, that might cut down on a few of the complaints. Yeah, because then they'd know that we're just not abandoning it. Yeah, that we're not ignoring this. taking a deep breath and trying to let Mother Nature.

So it sounds like the consensus of the board is to maintain it as we have, but add some signs out there?

Yeah, that's my recommendation.

Speaking from experience, native grasses are always going to get complaints. I don't know how many times I've spent in areas that our planted native grasses, even when they're grown, we're gonna get complaints about them. And native grass is not uniform, it's not perfect. No, but I think the only option that we have at this point is to, I'd almost encourage signs from every direction that, a couple of signs, I'm not sure is gonna do it,

Four signs by each of the rocks or something?

By each of the quadrants and try to go from there, but we're going to get complaints. Speaking from experience, it's going to happen. Guaranteed.

Yeah, they have those signs out by the airport. It says native wild grass or whatever. I wonder if they get a lot of complaints from it because they've got signs out there that tell you what it is. I mean, I don't know.

Yeah. All right. Our next item is Mayor and Board Priorities Fiscal Year 27 Progress Update. Sheila?

So Ryan's going to pull that up for us.

Well, we got a presentation.

Yes. And I did put it at the dais too. And also you have the priorities booklet. So as we prepare for the upcoming priority setting session, I just wanted to provide a progress update on this year's strategic priorities. Planning is a continuous cycle of listening, investing, implementing, and evaluating. The second quarter of fiscal year 27 has just begun, but staff is already making progress on the initiatives you laid out for the city last fall. Tonight, instead of reading through each initiative, I just want to focus on how these initiatives advance the strategic priorities you've set for the city and highlight some of the most significant progress we've begun making this fiscal year. We begin with basic services. At its core, this priority is about delivering the essential municipal services residents depend on every day. This includes a public safety This includes public safety, water and wastewater, streets and sidewalks, community development, and parks and recreation. The board's priority is not only that we provide these essential services to the community, but that we deliver them through a high-performing organization that is committed to continuous improvement, excellent customer service, and keeping residents informed while listening to their feedback.

The board's fiscal year, oh, Ryan, you got up too much.

Yeah, perfect. The board's fiscal year 27 initiatives for basic services focus on building city staff's capacity to deliver those high quality services today and into the future. Already this year, the city has been designated as a Missouri Blue Shield community by demonstrating our commitment to public safety, which opens us up more for more opportunities for grant funding that will support our efforts further we kicked off our leadership and employee development training by learning how to better use culture amp as a resource while we continue to build a high performing organization that is committed to continuous improvement we also launched the carney current e-newsletter and completed the upgrade to our website and report a problem system to strengthen communication and transparency We completed our second national community survey to better understand residents' perceptions and priorities, and we began evaluating resident notification systems. Finally, we are preparing to begin educating the public about a public safety sales tax so residents have the information they need to make an informed decision. Infrastructure is our next strategic priority. At its core, this priority is about making strategic investments to maintain the infrastructure we have today while preparing for tomorrow's growth. That includes our public facilities, water and wastewater systems, transportation network, and stormwater infrastructure. The board's priority is to invest wisely by maintaining existing infrastructure, expand capacity where needed, and make improvements that support both current residents and future development. The board's fiscal year 27 infrastructure initiatives focus on protecting our existing assets while also preparing Kearney for tomorrow's opportunities. Already this year, we've made significant progress. We've completed the long-term wastewater facility plan and are moving into design. We've also begun working through the state revolving fund financing process approved by voters, which will save sewer customers $30 million in interest costs over the next 30 years. The Board approved an agreement with MoDOT for the Lyons Park Pedestrian Crossing and has awarded construction contracts for Hall Park, the Nation Road Waterline Extension, and just tonight, the Kearney Westside CID Waterline Project. We've also begun the right-of-way acquisition phase for the 19th Street Complete Street Project and are advancing the Clark Street Waterline Replacement, the Mack Porter Connector Trail, and the Regency Drive Route 92 and Route 33

sidewalk projects.

At the same time, we're taking care of the infrastructure we already own by developing capital asset maintenance and capital improvement plans and making improvements to city facilities that will improve public access, staff safety, and city operations, including upgrades to our animal kennel, while continuing to pursue competitive grant funding that stretches our local tax dollars further. Housing is the city's next strategic priority. At its core, this priority is about expanding the range of housing options available in Kearney so residents can find homes that meet their needs at every stage of life. The board's goal is to provide a variety of housing choices that support young professionals, recent college graduates returning home, teachers, police officers, families, empty nesters, and seniors, allowing residents to find a home that fits their needs without leaving Kearney and strengthening our community's long-term resilience. The board's housing initiatives focus on making Kearney a community where quality housing can be built more easily and where developers see the city as a collaborative partner. Already this year, we've made meaningful progress in strengthening relationships with the development community. What began as conversations surrounding the city's new erosion control ordinance evolved into productive conversations that improved communication and helped build stronger working relationships with local builders and developers. We've also begun simplifying the building process by putting permit applications on our website and reviewing our development and building permit forms to make it easier for applicants to do business with the city. While work on marketing housing opportunities and identifying redevelopment sites within the K-353 area is still ahead of us, those initiatives remain important as we continue creating opportunities for new diverse housing choices in Kearney. Commercial and retail development is our next strategic priority. At its core, the priority is about creating jobs, encouraging private investment, and expanding the city's tax base to help lessen the tax burden on residential property owners. The board's priority is to create a culture where businesses choose to invest in Kearney by building strong relationships. The board's fiscal year 27 commercial and retail initiatives focus on building the foundation of creating a business-friendly environment that encourages investment and lays the foundation for long-term economic growth. Already this year, we've strengthened relationships with developers, builders, and business owners through ongoing collaboration and by working with our downtown retailers to keep their doors open later during Market at the Park, creating more opportunities to connect customers with local businesses. We've also improved the business experience by updating our business license application, allowing businesses to apply and pay online, and we're nearly finished with a new development guidebook that will make it easier for developers and businesses to understand Kearney's development process. While initiatives such as public-private partnerships, marketing available sites, and formalizing a business retention and expansion program are still ahead of us, we've begun building the relationships and tools needed to support those efforts as they move forward. Quality of life is the Board's fifth strategic priority. At its core, this priority is about investing in the places, programs, and events that make Kearney not just a great place to live, but a place where people feel connected to their community. That includes maintaining our parks, trails, sidewalks, and public spaces while continuing to invest in recreation opportunities, community events, and new amenities. The board's priority is to preserve the spaces and programs we've built while creating experiences that strengthen community pride, encourage engagement, and enhance residents' overall quality of life. The board's fiscal year 27 quality of life initiatives focus on creating opportunities for residents to connect with one another while continuing to invest in our parks and public spaces. Already this year, we've launched Market at the Park, hosted Cleats and Beats, our FIFA World Cup watch party event, and continued Food and Flicks Fridays at Lyons Park and the free summer amphitheater concerts.

We are also preparing for our first community-wide garage sale this fall.

We've applied for grant funding to transform our Jesse James Park playground into an all-inclusive play space, and tonight approved grant funding to support the Kearney Enrichment Council's new canopy program. At the same time, we're laying the groundwork for future quality of life improvements by developing a public art program, negotiating a mural agreement for the Washington Street Walkway, pursuing funding sources for public art and beautification projects, and building partnerships that will help bring those ideas to life. As you can see, these initiatives aren't just isolated projects. They are part of a continuous planning cycle. We listen to residents. The mayor and board establish priorities. Those priorities are incorporated into the annual budget. Staff develops work plans and projects to implement them. And those efforts result in completed projects and operational improvements that directly serve our residents. The National Community Survey helps us measure whether the work we're doing is making a difference and identifies where we have opportunities to improve. Colleen will be presenting the results from our 2026 survey next.

Good evening. Thank you. As mentioned, the National Community Survey serves as a unique opportunity to see whether our residents experiencing the progress we've worked for and whether their expectations remain unmet. We won't wade through the entire page by page report tonight. I'm sure we have lots of time for all of you that love data. Instead, we are looking at this through a statistically valid random sample to see how our recent actions align with the community's lived experience. First off, as you can see, 90% of surveys Residents rated Kearney as a place to look positively. 85% overall quality of life, 87% would recommend Kearney, and 88% plan to remain in the community. Before we dive into specific priority areas, it's important to look at the macro view. The overall picture of our city remains incredibly strong. Our residents deeply value Kearney, they're proud to recommend it, and they overwhelmingly plan to stay here. This is a highly desirable place to live and raise a family. As you can see, 28 ratings improved, 88 remained statistically similar, and 7 declined. When we look at the overall trajectory since our last survey in 2023, the trend line is clear. While not every single metric increased, far more measures moved in a positive direction than declined. The macro trend provides our cleanest evidence yet that the city's priorities and community-wide progress. Overall safety increased to 91%, crime prevention went from 77% to 89%, traffic enforcement increased from 65% to 77%, EMS went from 92% to 98%, and customer service ranked at 80%. Turning to our first core priority, basic services, residents are clearly affirming the city's intense focus on keeping our community safe and responsive. We've seen significant jumps in crime prevention, traffic enforcement, and EMS ratings. Our customer service remains stellar at 80%. This isn't a mission accomplished though. It represents a high standard of core performances that we must work diligently to sustain. Priority two of infrastructure. Traffic flow increased from 49% to 73%. Traffic signal timing went 56% to 72%. Ease of travel by car increased from 76% to 87%. Snow removal went from 63% to 78%. And our high-speed internet had a big jump of 30% from 32% to 62%. Infrastructure is where the clearest, most dramatic, but measurable progress occurred in the eyes of our residents. The major investments, engineering adjustments, and operational changes people experience every day, from smoother traffic flow to the arrival of high-speed internet, are showing clearly in these results. Residents absolutely noticed the work done here. Commercial and retail. Variety of businesses and services decreased from 37% to 31%. Employment opportunities decreased by seven points. Overall economic health went from 72% to 64%. shopping over opportunities remain low with commercial and retail we see a different story while the city has made significant investments preparing the structural backbone for commercial growth residents measure economic success by what is visibly open because they aren't just seeing the open storefronts jobs and restaurants just yet these metrics saw a light slight dip To be completely candid, the groundwork is laid, but our residents are still waiting to experience the tangible benefits and outcomes. On housing and community, overall, quality of development went down by 6%, which leads to what does quality growth mean for Kearney? So finally, our baseline is very strong, and residents explicitly asking for more ways to enjoy, connect with, and participate in our community. Our parks and infrastructure are valued, But we are seeing interest in cultural activities, fitness opportunities, and vibrant public spaces. The community likes living here. They just want more local experiences to bring them together. So to wrap up, residents have told us that they value the city's continued focus on safety and reliable services. They noticed improvement in infrastructure and mobility. And they're looking for additional shopping, dining, recreation, and quality development. Tonight, we've shared what residents told us. The mayor and the board's priorities have made a measurable difference over the last three years, and now you have feedback to decide what comes next.

Thank you for that report, and thank you to our residents who continue to take the time and give us that valuable feedback on those surveys. Any questions from the board on the presentation? All right, we'll move on to city administrator's report.

First, I just want to recognize Lauren Snyder, our city engineer. He wrote an article that was recently published in the National APWA Reporter Magazine right here, and we're really proud of him because this is a significant professional honor, and it reflects positively on both Lauren and on the city of Kearney. So, amazing job.

you share that with the board, please?

Yes, we will put it in the weekly update. The board and mayor's priority setting session is going to be Saturday, August 1st at 9 a.m. and that will be at the school district's administrative office building. And then our next regular board meeting will be Monday, August 3rd, right here at 630 p.m.

We'll move on to Alderman discussion. Alderman King. I don't have anything this evening. Alderman Holt.

Just to remind, Sheila knows, but I will actually be on an airplane on August 1st, so I will not be able to attend that planning meeting. So just to let you know that.

OK. Alderman Lehman. Kind of piggyback off of Alderman Holtz, I will not be in attendance on August 1st. I will be in Oklahoma at my granddaughter's birthday party, so I will also not be there. The other thing is I want to congratulate the chief and police department on Facebook that our Our SRO was recognized in the shout out Sunday, I think is what it's called. Prosecutor's office. Right, from the prosecutor's office. So it's really cool to see our police department recognized. And so it was good to see that on social media. So great to see. Alderman Spencer.

We will miss you too at the planning, but Alderman King and myself will try to rally on.

All right. That concludes Alderman discussion. We do have an executive session notice up this evening, a closed session per RSMO 16-021, subsection 1 for legal actions or litigation involving a public governmental body and any confidential or privileged communications between a public governmental body or its representatives and its attorneys. and RSMO 610-021 subsection 13 for individually identifiable personnel records, performance ratings, or records pertaining to employees or applicants for employment. And a reminder, our meeting will be adjourned from there. I will ask Captain Brian Allen to stay on for our first section of our executive session as well. Besides that, if we can consider a motion to enter into executive session. So moved. Pull the board, please.

Alderman Holt. Aye. Alderman Lehman.

Aye.

Alderman King.

Aye.

Alderwoman Spencer. Aye.

We will enter into executive session. Everybody have a nice evening. Thank you.