City Commission - Regular Meeting

I'll call the January 8th, 2026 city commission meeting to order. Um, why does that still say 6:30 p.m.? I had to look at the clock. Did we come back? Maybe we have time. Um, anyway, we're call I don't know. Um, we'll look have everybody have the opportunity to review the minutes. Yes. Any changes, corrections, or additions? Okay. We're ready to move on to the swearing in ceremony of the new commissioners, newly elected commissioners. I thought I Oh, no, we're not.

We're doing it now, Jamie. Uh, I wanted to make some comments and we were deciding when that could be and maybe they were just trying to keep confusing me so I wouldn't make any comments at all, which might have happened. But um you don't get the opportunity very often to do stuff like this and it's really important to me as I leave my role. Um titles may change but values don't as I step down as mayor and continue as city commissioner. Servant leadership remains my guiding principle. Public service is a responsibility. Leadership to me has never been about position or title but about listening, bringing people together and keeping our community at the center of every decision. While my role as mayor comes to a close, my dedication to this city does not. Our best work happens when we focus on what unites us and pursue common goals together. I'm honored to continue serving as a city commissioner and to keep working for the good of our residents. No community moves forward through one voice or one perspective. As I often say, if we all agreed, four of us could stay home. Our greatest progress happens when we come together. When we cooperate, collaborate and remain committed to one another. Cooperation, collaboration, and community are more than guiding principles. To me, they are promises. Promises to listen first, to seek common ground, and to focus on solutions that reflect our shared values and common goals. As a body, this commission has made huge strides with our R9 project, housing, economic growth, commitment to our police with the new facility, parks, and our airport. During my time as mayor, I've witnessed firsthand the strength of this community. It's never been more apparent than during our time of loss, the loss of Sergeant Scott Heyman. I have seen neighbors support neighbors, organizations step up in times of need, and citizens engage thoughtfully in the process of healing. These moments remind me that leadership does not reside

solely in these commission in this commission room or at this commission table. It lives throughout our community. As I continue my service as your city commissioner, I do so with gratitude for the opportunity and with a renewed commitment to serve with integrity, transparency, and compassion. The work ahead will require continued cooperation, thoughtful collaboration, and a shared sense of responsibility for the future of what we're building together. Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your belief in the power of service. It's been an honor to serve as your mayor, and it remains a privilege to continue serving you and this community. Together with humility and heart, we will continue moving forward. Thank you. Now, we're going to swear them in. Okay, Jamie. Okay, you will please [clears throat] raise your right hand and repeat after me. I do solemnly swearly

swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States that I will support the Constitution of the United States in the Constitution of the State of Kansas the Constitution of the State of Kansas and faithfully discharge the duties of city commissioner faithfully discharge the duties of the city of Hayes Kansas City. So help me God. So help me God. [applause] [snorts]

We have one or two little things to do. Uh, we begin the reorganization of the governing body. Now, um, I'll accept a nomination for the election of mayor. I would like to nominate Commissioner Rutder as mayor, please. Second. It's been a nomination from Commissioner Cunningham nominating Vice Mayor Rutder to the position of mayor and seconded by Commissioner Musel. Is there any discussion? Watch it. See, I said he was going to say something but I stopped. [laughter] Uh if there is not, I will call for a vote. All in favor of the nomination, please say I. I. Opposed? Same sign.

Congratulations, mayor. I'll now accept nominations for the election of vice mayor. I move to uh nominate commissioner Elena Cunningham for the position of vice mayor. Vice Mayor Mayor Rutder. Now Mayor Rutder has nominated Commissioner Cunningham. I needed to put all these words down. Commissioner Cunningham for Vice Mayor. I second it and seconded. Any other discussion? All in favor, please say I. I.

I. Oppose. Same sign. Now we can move. Help me.

Are [clears throat] we all where we're supposed to be? Names all look right. Cheers. All right. Next piece of the reorganization of the governing body is a recognition of the outgoing mayor. Um, before we stand up, Sandy, I wrote something. No, no crying.

I'm a lot better at writing than I am just off the cuff. So, um, Mayor Jacobs, Sandy, thank you for your leadership and the way you have led. What stands out most about your term is how consistently you brought people together, not just to talk, but to actually move work forward through collaboration. You've been a steady voice for economic development and that's that's practical and community-minded and growth that creates opportunity and strengthens Hayes for the long run. And you've paired that with an insistence on smart fiscal stewardship while asking the hard questions, staying grounded in the numbers, and helping keep the commission focused on long-term stability, not short-term noise. And I know your pride and joy has been the community center at the Grove because it reflects exactly what you believe in. investing in people, supporting working families through child care, serving our seniors, and building the kind of place that makes Hayes stronger and more connected. And I want to add this personally, Sandy, you've had an immense impact on me. You've taught me a lot about what steady leadership looks like, how to collaborate, how to keep the focus on outcomes, and how to do this work with respect for the whole community. I'm a better commissioner because of you, and I'm grateful for your example and your guidance. Thank you for your service, your leadership, and the standard you've set. We're grateful for you and for what you've helped this position uh and what you've helped position Hayes to do next.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

You could go front. I got something for you. [applause] Thank you for your service. [applause] All right. What's up? [clears throat] Um, yeah, actually I I will uh if any other commissioners would like uh have any comments for outgoing mayor Sandy Jacobs, you can do so now.

If not in this order. Um, let's let's start this way. Okay. Um, well, I didn't prepare as well as Mayor Rutder, but um, obviously Sandy, I've served with you in multiple capacities. Um, and you've been a great mentor for me, and I am just I feel privileged that I get to continue to serve with you. So, thank you for all your services. Thank you for accepting when I called you that day. Yes. Yeah.

I've I've enjoyed, you know, all the years we've served. We've seen some really good things happen in our community. You know, we taken chances. We've taken some heat for some of the chances and uh there's just been a lot of positive things that have happened since we've been on and I I just I enjoy serving with you and it's an honor to continue to serve you. Thank you. It's an honor for me. Thank you very much both of you.

I look forward to working with you. I've been attending the meetings for a little while now and I've seen some really good things and I look forward to that collaboration. Um, I also appreciate you've reached out and had some conversations with me, even provided me with a a little book to help educate me and get me pointed in the right direction hopefully, uh, learning what to do and what not to do. So, I really appreciate the resources. Look forward to We're really happy to have you on. It's going to be a very exciting year, I think. Absolutely.

And welcome, David. We appreciate you being here and your willingness to serve the community. Thank you. I guess serve the community again in a different. All right. Next item on the order of business is citizen comments for non-aggenda items. If anybody would like to speak on anything not on the agenda, you may do so now. No peace said. All right. [laughter] Then next we'll move on to the consent agenda. So this is the city commission rules of procedure. Um this resolution basically just sets our rules for the year. I move approval of the consent agenda. Second. We have a motion by Commissioner Jacobs and a second by Vice Mayor Cunningham. Any other questions or comments? If not, I'll call for a vote. All in favor, please say I.

I. I. Opposed? Passes. 5. All right. No unfinished business. So, we go right into the end of the meeting with [laughter] commission inquiries and comments. Commissioner Valy, you're up.

All right. Uh, I got some bullet points here, but first off, I want to say thank you uh to the city of Hayes. Um, I sit here deeply honored and humbled that everybody's trusted me to uh serve as a city commissioner. I know we've got some challenges ahead. Securing reliable water from R9, uh, reducing tax burdens on families and businesses and hayes, and improving quality of life for everybody here in town. Uh last couple months I've been meeting with different department heads, touring the different uh facilities around town. Uh I'd like to recognize the the efforts that are being done by the water resource department and city manager on the R9 project. They're making milestones in getting us that uh that water up here. Uh CVB is doing great bringing in people to the community uh advertising events and bringing in uh more revenue for the city that way. The police department, fire department, public works, airport, uh all the educators, healthc care professionals, and the countless civic groups, uh organizations like the the Chamber of Commerce. um they're all out there being the backbone of this city um making the infrastructure and our our way of life great and I appreciate everything they're doing. During those tours, I saw countless examples of department leaders finding ways to be resourceful to preserve our resources uh while embracing innovation. everything from the fire department needing new uh tools, but instead of going out and paying thousands and thousands of dollars for the state-of-the-art version, they realize that you know what, we can go to Home Depot and put something together ourselves and it'll do just as good and it saves the taxpayers a load of money.

um the police department working on grants, trying to find other ways to pay for the resources they need, which I highly encourage all of the departments around town uh to utilize any grants that they can find so that we can ease those burdens on our taxpayers. Um anything to make our public safer. Um I look forward to working with everybody up here on the commission, with everybody out there in the audience. I want everybody to have a voice. So, if there's anything that we're doing at any point, uh, don't ever hesitate to reach out and I'm just ready to get to work. It's coming and they will reach out. I promise you they will. They already have. [laughter]

I'm sure they have. All right, Commissioner Jacobs. Uh, I want to welcome you, David. You're not new to service to the city. For anybody that doesn't know, Davis David served many years as a police officer, and we really appreciate that level of service and then coming to this level. Um this is a fun thing. It's a great thing to represent our community and I think that you're going to enjoy every bit of it. So again, welcome. Um I think he David said one thing and that we have challenges in front of us and I think we do. But I think as I look across this body of commissioners, we're up for it. We'll be fine. The future looks great. What's that phrase? Future so bright I'd have to wear shades. That's an old one. Did you remember that phrase at all?

Like four. That's why I wear sunglasses. [laughter] But anyway, um I I appreciate everybody and I look forward to keep moving. Lots of good stuff going on in this community. Commissioner Musel,

David, welcome. Look, look forward [clears throat] to serving with you. And I just want to thank the residents of Hayes. Give us an opportunity to do this one more time. Um, it's uh, you know, I've been this going on 12 years and it's learned a lot and uh, it's it's a fun fun when you serve with this group. It's really fun. We make tough decisions. It's hard. Sometimes residents get, you know, say some things that you don't always agree with or they don't agree with you, but it's uh, it's definitely worth it. So, I I think you're going to enjoy it. And, uh, I just I look forward to what we have in the future. And, Vice Mayor and Mayor, you know, congratulations and look forward to working with you guys again. Thank you. Thank you, Vice Mayor Cunningham.

Welcome, David again. So, it's I feel honored to get to serve with everyone up here. Um, being in a new role is exciting, too. Um, I think that we have a not only challenges, but we have a lot of amazing things coming over the next year. Yes, we have obstacles to work through, but I'm really excited to see what 2026 can do for us as a whole, as a community. Um, and then the I just have one other comment that's not really as broad. I really want to thank city staff and PD um in their efforts this week of being present and being out at the high school and the new middle school um and really helping in any manner that we can to help the school district's flow of traffic that they've created and us trying to make it as best we can on the street side. So, thank you to everyone who's been involved with that.

Thank you. Um, again I something I want to read. So 150 years ago, my family and many other families came to this place to a stretch of Kansas prairie where the wind could strip a man's patience and the soil could test his faith. They didn't come for privilege. They came for promise. They built homes, schools, churches. They turned a settlement into a community and a community into a city. Tonight, I get to sit here as the sixth generation to that same family, not as a settler, but as a steward. And I take this oath knowing what they knew. We do not inherit our community from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children. This year, our nation turns 250. Two and a half centuries since we declared that government would serve the people and not the other way around. That freedom would be guarded not by kings and armies but by citizens who cared enough to do the hard work of governing themselves. That ideal was our greatest export and our deepest inheritance. And it began with three words. We the people. 250 years later, those words are still our test. Do we still believe in each other enough to live by them? Do we still believe that disagreement isn't division? that duty isn't a burden, that our future is worth the effort. Because lately across this country and even here at home, it feels like we're forgetting. We hear that government waste money, taxes are too high, nothing good comes from investing in what we share. But if all we do is keep what we have, we lose what made us great. A city that stops investing in its future is a city that stops deserving one. Our founders warned us this day would come. the day when comfort would tempt us to trade vision for fear. When asked what kind of government the founders had created,

Benjamin Franklin answered simply, "A republic, if you can keep it." He didn't mean keep it with slogans or anger. He meant keep it with character, with the daily courage to stay involved, stay honest, and stay hopeful. That exper experiment isn't finished. It's happening right here in every meeting, every vote, every decision we make in Hayes, Kansas. And that's why tonight is more than a ceremony. It's a reminder that the same spirit that built this city, the spirit of shared work, quiet faith, and stubborn hope are the only things that can keep it alive. We've shown it before. We balanced budgets, expanded housing, protected water, improved infrastructure, not by luck, but by leadership. Not by raising taxes, but by raising standards. We have done what many said couldn't be done, and we've done it together. But let me be clear. We can lose it just as quickly if we start believing that cynicism is wisdom, that anger is strength, or that we the people means me, myself, and mine. Freedom without responsibility isn't freedom. It's a decay of community. And if we let that mindset take hold, then our children will inherit paved roads to nowhere. So tonight, I'm asking our community to reclaim its promise, not with slogans, but with stewardship. In this 250th year of our country and the 150th year of families settling right here in Ellis County, we will launch a declaration of civic renewal, a living pledge to remember who we are and what we owe one another. We will renew trust through transparency, restore pride through purpose, and rebuild responsibility through participation. Because democracy doesn't just live in Washington. It lives here in the daily decisions of people who still believe that working together works. Our ancestors fought for representation without tyranny. Our duty is to preserve representation without apathy. The next chapter of our story

depends on whether we believe that we the people means all of us. Every voice, every neighbor, every generation that follows. So as we begin 2026, we do so with gratitude, humility, and resolve. I will not govern through fear. I will not trade our children's future for short-term applause. And I will not let cynicism become the language of this city because this place, this home, this Hayes, Kansas is still worth believing in. We the people still can govern ourselves with courage, a decency and faith with within another. We the people still can build what lasts. We the people still. Thank you. [applause]

Um, any executive session? If not, I will call for the adjournment of the meeting at 4:21