City Commission - Regular Meeting

10th, 2026 meeting of the city commission to order. Jared, would you please take the role? Mayor Adam, here. Commissioner Mcola, yes. Commissioner Fox, here. Commissioner Morrison, here. Commissioner Von Lel, here. We have five commissioners present. The quorum of three is met. Thank you. Um would you please rise and join me in saying 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.

Thank you. Um, before we begin this work session, uh, we need to determine if we're going to take public comment tonight. Is there a motion to do so? So moved. Second. Thank you. Uh, Commissioner McCulla moved. And Commissioner Morrison seconded. Jared, would you please poll? Commissioner Mcola? Yes. Commissioner Fox? Yes. Commissioner Morrison? Yes. Commissioner Von Lenel? Yes. Mayor Adam? Yes. Motion passes. Thank you. Uh, commissioners, do you have any comments before we begin?

Um, I have two things I wanted to share. Um, some thank you notes that we received for public works. I'm not sure where they came from. They seem to be from a second or third grade class. Um but they were thanking our public's work team for rising early and making the streets safe to go to school. And um I just want if their parents or their teachers are watching or listening, I just wanted to recognize that um I think those uh notes of appreciation made it all a little bit cheerier that day. Yeah. Um,

I think it was interesting that they thanked us for getting the snow so they could go to school because I thought kids usually, you know, hope they have a snow day. Yeah. Um, the other thing I'd like to just relate to the commissioners is that I did hear this afternoon that the closing on Sunflower Flats did take place and so we're finally moving forward on that project. All right. Um, our first order of business is to discuss workforce housing sales tax uh project at 1,1 Marorrow Street.

Good evening. Stephanie Peterson, director of planning and development. I have a rather brief presentation for you and then we have the applicant here with us this evening. uh and they would be happy to run through um the the proposal and then the the revised proposal. So we in October of 2025 we opened up our second round of workforce housing sales tax applications. We received one application that we will go over this evening. The application site is uh 1001 Morrow Street uh shown here. This is within our AIville TIFF district. We like to provide a brief project summary. Uh this is really helpful when we have multiple applications so you can kind of compare them. Um but since just having one, we still use the same format. Uh what I will um what I will say is that the applicant has a revised proposal for you. So here you see that the number of proposed units is three. The revised proposal that was updated in your packet yesterday shows six units instead. Um so then that net units of course would change as well. Currently, there's just a single family house with one dwelling unit on this lot. Uh because this project is in the tiff district, there is not the possibility of the property tax abatement. So, that is not being requested, but they are also requesting a sales tax exemption. Um based on uh the the original proposal, that estimated sales tax exemption was about $50,000. Uh and that's if the materials were to be bought um or delivered to a Manhattan address. Um, so the the total project cost, I'm going to skip over this a little bit. It was in your packet. Um, these requests were revised based on uh the the updated numbers, but again, that the total project or the amount of workforce housing cannot exceed 10% of the total project cost um for uh for either proposal. Um, because this is in

the TIFF, they can go up to $35,000 uh per dwelling unit. And then here is uh just we we provide this um as an estimation but you can see the 2025 property values compared to what we would um estimate the value of this project to be and then you can see the percentage of property value increase. Um this uh is within that residential development uh incentive zone. uh and that would so that the the sign significance of that for the uh for the workforce housing is just the rental rates in which they can charge. We have a communitywide rental rate and I I can pull that up for you if you want to see the table. And then we also have a little bit of a higher rate within this uh this green area. I put this in here for reference if there was any question on what we've spent the workforce housing sales tax dollars on to date or how much we've collected. This has not changed since your retreat last week. Uh, with that, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have of myself, but as I mentioned, the applicant is here with us and, uh, ready to walk through their revised proposal with you.

I'm curious in the costs that are allowed when determining how much we're going to to give, are there limitations on what all can be included in costs? because there's a whole lot of financing fees and legal and accounting and you know construction financing and all that. Not the way that the policy is currently written. The the only limitations are regarding the total project costs. So no more than 10% of the the all of the costs that are associated with this project um cannot come from workforce housing sales tax and then of course the the unit caps. But we do not list out eligible activities or non-eligible. So the higher you make your costs, the higher the more money you get from the city

up to a certain point. Yes. Yeah. I I can let the applicant speak to how they derive their costs. Well, my question is we taken in 2.3 million. We've committed 2.3 million plus. Where are we going to finance from what funds the $105,000? I would ask the city manager's office to speak to how we we make that work.

On the commitments themselves, they haven't all been expended. Um when we look at applications on a annual basis, we take into account the future forecast of 8 to9 million in this fund. We don't anticipate and we won't show in a forecast a negative balance. We will always have a balance that can accommodate the requests, but we do try to highlight the total that has been requested and when that we can get into even further detail when that money would actually be expended. So, this chart is really just trying to give you an idea of what has come in from total requests, what we've committed to. Um, but it is within the cash balance that we have on hand and we anticipate to have on hand in the future. Stephanie, I'm conflicted on this particular application. Um while it technically meets the definition of workforce housing in terms of the proposed rental rates, given its location, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, um it seems uh it would be targeting students and um you know, we've we've discussed our efforts to provide housing. Certainly we can't um restrict who moves into of any of the properties that we've supported but I think by their nature by their design the majority of those would be less attractive to students. So I'm do you have any guidance to suggest on this?

I I do I actually think this may be an appropriate time unless you have more questions for me. the developer, the information that they sent yesterday and that was included in your packet revises this four this threeunit fourbedroom type of proposal to actually six units. Each of those would have two bedrooms. Um and speaking with them further that would actually be their their preference and and he can speak to why they went the fourbedroom route. Um it was based on previous commission guidance. The the onebedrooms were something that the previous commission said that they were struggling with. So they went kind of to the opposite end and had four bedrooms. Um, and then based on your your retreat and kind of the feedback there, they put together a a different proposal that they would like for to to review with you this evening.

So, are you going to have a problem shifting from four to two and having six units instead of three in staffing and planning? No, not at all. Would you like them to come up, Scott? Which one do you want your um Yeah. Do you want the revised one? Yeah. Right away.

Okay. Hi, my name is Scott Kennedy and I'm the developer of this project. Um just to give you a little brief history because we haven't addressed you before. We purchased this house. It's 1001 Marorrow Street. It's a house that was probably built in the I venture to guess in the 20s or something like that. It was bought with the sole purpose of demolishing. The house in its current state is in no um in in our mind is not a rentable product. Um uh it's got a lot of deficiencies and uh something that needs to be probably tore down. It is however currently rented and the tenants love the house. Um but we think long term that it needs to come down. Um originally we presented um and kind of like Stephanie Stephanie suggested um the comments were is is that the that the community didn't want more onebedroom housing products. We typically don't like to do one housing one bed one bed one bath products. Um we would rather see multiple units. Um, so we kind of went back to the to the kind of went back to our drawing board, kind of came up with a concept. Um, one of the things that we're seeing in our community, I'm we're originally from Omaha. Um, I'm just going to bypass some of this stuff and just kind of show you um, some stuff that's in our area.

Yeah. How do we do that? That right there. You got it. Yeah, guys. There you go.

Bad advice. There we go. Okay. So, what we're seeing in our community um in in suburban and urban areas, we're seeing stacked units where we're going three stories. We're seeing a combination of some of these are twotory with two-bedroom units and then the three stories are a combination of threes and fours. Um now, in our area with with more the suburban site style setting, we can drive an alleyway around the back. We have a garage on base level. So therefore, these units, I don't show the back, um these would be a garage with three bedrooms above. Um what we decided to do was since we can't do that on this property because it's too narrow, um we decided to trade that garage for an additional bedroom. And then the comments that we've got from some other rentals that we have in the market is there's obviously not enough bed bathrooms in uh units. You know, we have a lot of three bed uh onebath units. Um, that's a very common thing with some of the older housing stock that's in the community. So, we looked at is, okay, well, let's beef that up. Um, yeah, does it probably lend itself to students? Yes. But at the same time, as we've been renting other units, you know, we have, you know, communities and families are different than they were 20 years ago. You know, we had um we have the the dad with the three teenage boys. We have the couple that has mom staying with them and a baby. um you know the parents to move into an apartment and the daughter has a baby or something some some something that's not the typical family type scenario. So we thought that doing something with more bedrooms um and and equal it up with bathrooms would be a better product from a rentability perspective because the biggest the biggest um setback that we have in renting things down here has been the issue of bathrooms. So that's kind of how we derived to where we got

to today based on your last work session and the comments that we received back from Stephanie. We looked at what we were proposing and uh looked at it and so what we tried to do is we really based on the lot and the amount of stalls that we can get on the lot um given it zoning setbacks all that stuff. We really only can get uh exc. So, so what we're looking at is uh revising it from a three townhouse setup where we're going vertical to going horizontal with two units on each floor with a stairwell in the middle. Each unit will be an identical two-bedroom, two bath unit. Um the living rooms, all that stuff are um you know, relatively the same. Um and I'll zoom in on this real quick. This kind of gives you an idea of what we're proposing. So, these would be about a thousand square foot, two bed unit, two bath. Um, one would be a master setup. The other would be an auxiliary bathroom that would accommodate anything. You know, that really accommodates about anybody. We have plenty of bathrooms. There's a little bit of storage. You don't see much storage in apartments anymore. Um, and that's kind of how we kind of revised it from a practicality perspective. because of the limitations of workhousing rent, this actually works a little bit in our favor. We can actually get a better rent, which allows us to make a better product. Um uh so, you know, this system instead of having a patio on the first floor, you'll have a deck on each floor on the living rooms um out to, you know, out to the front. Um and so it just makes a little bit better layout for the project. Okay. Um, in doing so, the only difference with this one is when we go, the reason we picked also picked originally the

three townhouse setup, it allows us to not have to fire sprinkle. It allows us to not have to do suspended decks um and uh fire sprinklers and stuff like that. So, it does have a little bit of an added cost, not a lot, but it does have a cost increase on how we would do that. If we did revise this, they probably would revise our ask a little bit on the workforce housing tax credit. Um, but but still be within the parameters, well within the parameters of what uh is allowed for maxes and minimums. Um, and then for as far as comment I heard on cost and and what's included in the cost and how we came up with the proposal, we really looked at the city's guidance on previous applications. And so really this pre presentation of numbers, what's included, what's not included, comes from the property that was issued directly across the street um for 10,000 Marorrow. So we tried to mimic that application and in coming up with our figures and then if you look at costing um costing for construction, typical apartments are running, you know, I just actually verified again this morning with some partners of mine that build some other products. we're really in that 150 a square foot mark on construction and that's about where this falls and we're seeing everything um and so I tried to look at a suburban product which would be a lower cost um and uh because we don't have a lot of like there's not amenity like we don't have a gym here we don't have all those other things that throw the cost up like an urban apartment would um uh so we tried to use a more basic uh cost basis for the housing um on that Now with with the request and stuff, we will have to, you know, this is not a finalized budget because we have not designed fully designed this yet. I mean, we've got to kind of get through this process and and, uh, you know, the next steps of permitting and stuff like that before we

really do that. Um, from us, the way we do work, um, we're a firm believer in local. Um, so when we do projects, we hire locally. Um, other than us managing it, I don't think that anything here will probably not be bought in Manhattan with the exception of maybe appliances which will come from Lowe's, which should still be sales taxed and delivered here in town. So, you still get the benefit of all all that from there. Um, we've already been working with a lot of local partners um on projects or on some smaller stuff um today. And so we do believe that you guys have a market down here that we can work with and and good contractors. Okay. What specific questions would you have of me or what would you like me to explain?

So what I just heard you say is you don't really know what your costs are right now. It's not totally dis Well, I'll tell I'll tell you this. I'll tell you this. Um do I know exactly what the cost is? No. But I've been doing this 30 years and the costs don't vary much. Um, I'm pretty good at what I do. Um, I just came off of a project that's about 100 unit apartments and so we're using costing basis for a project that would be a similar construction to this for our cost basis. So, is it the exact number? No. But is it within 5%? Oh, yeah.

And I heard you throw out a figure of $150 a square foot. That's about I mean it depends on what you see the problem is is what do we put in and what we don't. So, right, when we get into it, um, you know, apartments, apartments are a unique product.

You know, until you start adding garages or elevated decks like the project you have going up downtown, the cost stays relatively the same. And the only thing you really can affect um, in the cost variance in apartments is the amenities and the parking and finishes. And the finishes, to be quite honest, the difference between a, you know, the cabinets are almost always the same. They're really only talking about light fixtures, um, hard surface countertops versus, uh, plastic laminate and doors. And that's really the only variance in pricing. So, when you start looking at apartments, there's just not a lot of variance in pricing. Um, unless the sites, like I give you an example, we came up a project that had an embankment on the backside. We had to spend 400 grand to put a port wall. that's going to affect the cost of the apartment complex. And so that costing is different than one that's on a flat piece. That's really where we see the variance. This one's I mean, tear down the house, it's a flat lot, we can build pretty easily on this, so it's going to be pretty tight.

So, hypothetically, if if everything went through and you did this project in like say five years, would you be would you still own the the the property or

on these smaller ones? So, so my wife and I, um, so my history is I used to be a general contractor, then I got into development. So, our history here is we would probably hold for quite a while. Um, if the market took off like crazy, we might sell, but at the same time, we're holders of properties. Um, most of our properties, we have some that we've owned for 20 years. Um, and you know, some quite honestly, we haven't really even sold one yet. So, we're more holders than we are. We're we're not um uh uh suitcase contractors where we fly in and build something then turn around and throw it off to somebody else. And then the way we man these smaller projects, the way we manage, we'll manage the the the the leasing uh management part portion of it, we'll locally outsource all the maintenance. And so we'll have a team, you know, typically it'll involve, well, we already have a local electrician, local plumber, which that's 90% of your issues in an apartment. And then we probably by the time we get this one up done, we'll have a handyman service that's a local guy that that specializes in doing apartment maintenance and stuff like that. And we're also I mean just about us, we're an investor in properties. Um I don't like taking shortcuts. I don't like we are not your out of town uh uh purchaser of properties and let it go to Excuse my language, but uh let it go. Let it go. We want to invest in the property and quite honestly that's where this house is at. I mean it has been neglected. Um the front door works four months out of the year. Um the pipes under the the house froze when they got that cold spell. Um, you can literally put a CA pop can on the floor in the kitchen and it will race to the outside wall. Um, it's it's it's a disaster and people are living in it right now and

that's that's the sad commentary of it. I'm no no question it' probably be an improvement. Yeah. Yeah. But it isn't going to be for handicapping old people on floor two and three most likely with stairs, right? And that would be typically the case with any three-bedroom apartment complex anywhere. Um, until you go to four, you're not going to incorporate an elevator. And this the project cost, you know, an elevator for a three-story building would be 200 grand. It wouldn't happen. I understand that. But I'm just saying when I think of workforce, we worry about those who are restricted also having someplace to live that's affordable and within these kind of accommodations,

right? And then but if you look at the ADA regs for housing, you know, we're we we could make the first two floor ADA acceptable, which they for the most part would be upon construction anyway. Um so that that reality is is that's a third of the housing that we're puring is is ADA accessible. Um that would be literally 25% more than any other apartment complex um in the area. Well, when I first looked at it, there was no way you were going to convince me this would qualify in my mind as workforce. I mean, it just screamed student Aggieville. And I'm not sure that making it six screams any differently, but I'm just saying

when it was three there had been a no vote here immediately because it wasn't workforce in my opinion. And that's just my interpretation of what we think workforce means. So I'm just saying you have a prayer now maybe with six. You had no prayer at three with me. Well, thank you

commissioners. Any other questions for the applicant? I would just say that we are trying to improve our housing stock overall and um obviously what you're replacing is one of those rentals that's been let go and you know so you know as as as um so the reason we're here is because I do have a student that's at Kate um and um and you know we're Nebraska folks so we've you know I'm sorry I'm I'm Husker. But but uh uh

Yeah, exactly. I made sure I made my wife wear purple, so no. So, um one of the things, you know, so so from someone outside looking into the community. So, we came down and we brought Zach down and he's actually in construction engineering like myself and we looked at the community and saw opportunity to improve it. Um, and that's what we want to do. We want to add value to what we do. Um, the biggest complaint that we get from people that we know that have kids coming from out of state is that the housing stock needs improvement and and that's a great opportunity for someone like us. And so it gives us the opportunity to help provide a product and and we like to invest in communities and you know one of the things like our pet peeve like I don't like onebedrooms because in today's environment it's too isolating. I mean this is a community thing for us. Four bedrooms sounds cool because everybody can talk to each other but two bedrooms you got two roommates and that's kind of an oddity anymore. And we so we we want to like we would never present a product that's ones only. we would be and the opposite of the apartment world. The apartment world is majority one-bedroom studios and some twobs. If you look at bigger complexes in pretty much anywhere and we've always been tagged from the opposite way and said at least we want multiple people to create communities so that they're, you know, they have something so they're not alone. Um, and we see that, you know, that's unfortunate uh commentary on today, I guess.

So, you envision only two people in each apartment. Um by law um we probably would have to allow um more than that, but it would be we probably limit to three because the thought process would be if you're a couple and you have a kid. Um uh that would be three tenants. Now you'd only have two on the lease, but you'd have three occupying. Um so that that is the potential that we could have and potentially you could have four. The way the the way fair housing works, we could have a multitude of four. It would be where we could cut it off and say, "Hey, you're in violation of your lease." If you can conjugate more than four, then we can come in and say, "Hey, this is more than what housing will allow."

Well, we understand that because we've been putting up with it for years. I know. And I renting everything in the world. But the test is so that could be 24 people in that building. Could be. Could. Yeah. And but you we would do everything we could do. We don't like that either. We we are not um um that that's kind of a pet peeve of mine, too. I don't like uh people sharing rooms. That doesn't make any sense. So So I can tell you from historically up until a few years ago, we had a shortage of onebedrooms

and then the contractors, that's all they started building is onebedrooms. Uh for years, all we built was twobedroom units. So, we have a lot of those in town, right? And for a period of time, a whole bunch of four bedrooms were built. So, right, you know, the infamous We have a lot of fours and a lot of twos. And you have a lot of four beds, two baths with vanities in the bedrooms. Yeah. I they I that's a it's it's a crazy product to me, but yes, that you have that. And you have, quite honestly, if you look at Rent.com or some of the online stuff, the majority of the two-bedroom product is two bed, one bath. Yes.

Um, and so there's not a lot of two bed, two bath. And from my other projects that we've built and or invested in, we find that two beds, one baths are the hardest to rent. Um, they they are the hardest product to rent um in any in in any setting. Um whether it be Aggieville or Council Bluffs, Iowa or Omaha, um one beds go fairly fast and two bed, two baths go fast because everybody wants that extra bathroom. Absolutely. Commissioners, any additional questions or comments? Thank you very much for your Thank you.

uh presentation. What would you like from us?

Oh, sorry. Uh, would anyone from the public like to make a comment? Donna Shane camel, 1922 Levvenworth Street. I'm using this opportunity whenever I see the workforce housing sales tax come up to step back and look at some of the research that a group of us involved in community conversations on affordable housing had back in 2018-19 over the summer we had what we called steady circles about 16 volunteers who came to a public forum and said yeah we're willing to read over the summer and see what other communities are doing and find out explore all of the different options around this very complex problem. And during that we discovered a very short article which I've sent you a link to. I know I can't send attachments and I'm sorry that I was so late in this but I'm going to leave a copy here. It was on housing tenure and not academic tenure but the the financial and the legal arrangements by which we can reside in a home. And what I like about this article and the reason I sent you all a link to it is that the authors who are academic researchers in housing expand our thinking from just rental of apartments to mortgages and whole homes to think of a vast variety that exists in the United States with the opportunity to look at two things that we're looking for in housing. We want control over our environment and we want wealth building or equity building.

If I think about my early days as a employee at Kate and my wish to stay in this town, the lack of ability to earn equity, the lack of wealth building opportunities is typical of young employees or new employees in a particular business. What I'm getting from this short article is an examination of sort of a map that they create. It's hard to read and so I've made a blown up copy that I think I'll give to Stephanie. It's hard to read, but between rental of apartments and purchase of single family homes, there are many other options we can look at. From the standpoint of attracting and retaining a workforce, I think we want to look for opportunities both in multiplexes and in single family structures for earning equity. Two examples of that are the shared equity models of limited equity cooperatives such as we have on Allen Road with Prairie Glenn East and West. Now, whatever multiplex structure you have, how many bedrooms, you can still be earning equity by getting a share and then having a modest overhead charged. When you go to sell to leave, you get everything back. So, I just encourage you to look at this article and think of tenure as you consider workforce.

Thank you. Donna, would you sign in, please? Thank you. Would anyone else like to make any comments? Stephanie, do you just need something from us about moving this application forward?

Yes, that would be great. If you could provide feedback on if this is an agreement that you would like us to start working on. Uh what I would say is if there's any uh Commissioner Fox, you brought up that there's a lot of other legal financial costs in there. Um, you could always limit your participation back to the the construction and the acquisition cost if that's something that um you feel more comfortable with. But we would look for for your direction on how to proceed with this application.

Well, if we have a policy says that it's included, it's kind of disingenuous now to say, but we like to change the policy just because these people came. That's my concern. I don't think we ought to be including their building cost of doing business, but that's what you've done. We the city has done prior to three of us time on here. But I think that's disingenuous now to say that even though I'm still not crazy about it, to change the rules on that point doesn't seem fair. Now, I think we ought to change those rules in starting with anybody after these people if they get through. But, um, it just doesn't seem genuinely fair in any kind of sense of the term. But, and I also say it's even a six, it looks walks and talks like a riddle for students. So, you know, if you want some comments, uh, unfortunately, you folks are have approached us at a time when the three of us are new up here. You know, uh, what they were doing last year is is what they did and probably some of us didn't like it and that's why we ran and that's why we got elected. So, I a few things as I and I think your your project looks great. I have nothing against that. Uh clearly, you know, it's nice apartment building and and one of my points is it's to me looks like student housing. Um the first item on my list is that as we mentioned, our our workforce housing fund is currently overcommitted by between four and $500,000. um all the commitments they made last year, they they spent some of this year's money and making those

commitments. So, it's going to take us in if we're making 800,000 in a year of t in tax 850, it's going to take us half the year to meet last year's commitments. Uh, I I look at the Aggieville TIFF district and I see other very nice projects that have been built or are being built that that haven't received any workforce housing funds. Uh, 1347 Laram at 11th and Fremont at 112426 Fremont. all very nice looking uh developments being built uh that they didn't get uh tax money. So, is that fair to them? Um the application said this this project removes a residence that's for all intents and purposes should be condemned and replaced. Uh you know, I mean, it looks Yeah, it's old. Uh looks like it's got the family living in there. and and maybe it does. Um, but the Riley County appraisers increased the value of it this year or last year I guess to 184,000 from the previous year of60ome. So, I guess in their mind, you know, the value went up. Uh, as I mentioned earlier, we we currently have a large number of two-bedroom apartments and condominiums available on the market. So, we clearly don't have a a shortage of two-bedroom apartments. So, you know, why should the the taxpayers be subsidizing more twobedrooms? Um, and finally, I was looking at the whole TIFF district, uh, the numbers, the the math, and you know, if this property were built and valued at a million

dollars starting in 28, so through 28 through 33, we get about $14,500 a year of tax benefit that goes towards our improvements over the six years. That's $86,600 of improvements, but we're paying out $143,000 to get that. Uh that math, we might as we'd be better off paying 143,000 for the improvements in Aggieville and we'd we'd made money. But so those are the kind of things I'm looking at. I'm trying to be fair and uh you know, so those are my thoughts.

I just have to echo Larry a bit. Um neither Susan nor I were here when the workforce tax was proposed. Sorry, the workforce housing and we are in the red with what we have and I just think this looks like student housing, not workforce.

I'm I'm not sure I agree we're in the red. Um I mean some of these future commitments I mentioned earlier that Sunflower Flats was only just closed upon today. We're not going to be spending any money for their solar panels for a couple of years yet. Um, similar with the infill housing, which is the largest, uh, commitment we've made to date. Um, I live near one of the sites of that project, and they're still clearing gravel and and rock off the sites, you know. So, um, I, in my opinion, I think we have plenty of time for this to, uh, to build up the capital that we need in this in this fund. Um,

mayor, I would I would just add we can provide you all a 10-year runout of this revenue and the expenses that have been pledged. We will show you that you're not in the red in any given year. If sales tax stop coming in, then we've got a problem. But I'll tell you, it's bigger than this if sales tax stopped coming in. But we will show you a 10-year runout of revenue and a 10-year runout of expenses to highlight where we're at on an annual basis. Could I just say I have some concern about sales tax if we see the fort draw down that they're talking about?

What is the MIH reserve funding? Is that a a fund that we've created for emergencies? and for when and what would it be used for?

So, that is that's affiliated with that MHK infill housing project. Uh we received funding from the Kansas Housing Resource Corporation. It's $650,000, but there is a five-year compliance period. And so that that 300,000 is set aside in reserve. It'll never go to a developer. That's in the rare instance that we would have to repay the state if the performance uh does not play out on that MHK housing project. So, for example, they have to keep um the the owner occupied units, they have to verify the income of those residents for 5 years. Um if they don't uh if they if they have a resident that doesn't meet those income qualifications, there is a chance that a portion of that money could be repaid. So that's just to make sure that we had something in reserve um if that were to come to fruition.

Like Larry said, some of us are new and we aren't used to all the alphabet numbers and letters on the documents and who and what have their fingers on the money. So good point. Commissioners, do we have any consensus about moving this project forward? This is a work session. So we only need to be session broadly committed.

We got one applicant for the thing. So I don't know. I mean the to me the choice is to either do this or maybe a different project. And so one of the projects, one of the ideas that I like is the buying land and having maybe Habitat or somebody else help us on Habitat has land that they're waiting to build on if I remember correctly in the North View area. Um I'm not sure that that's a direction we would take at this time. Um as I understand it, they haven't bought it. They want to buy it, but they haven't got the the greenbacks yet to do it. And the cost is going to be to develop it. I don't know if anything's changed on that, but

to my knowledge, they don't own it. Thank you. You're welcome. To that point, I mean, that's not a direction the city has taken at this point, looking at buying land, and and maybe that's going to change. I mean, sure. you know, uh I that's something I guess you need to allow us to to think about and and you know, what direction do we want to go from here and um

so I think for this evening we we do need to have a broader conversation on the workforce housing policy and some of our other housing policies as well. I believe those are something we'll bring forth in a future work session. Um I think the direction that we're looking for tonight is this applicant has been waiting since October. uh we paused this, we didn't take it to the previous commission just knowing that there was an election and that we had three new members. So that's why we're bringing it to you now. Uh we're really looking for direction on whether you want us to pursue pursue an economic development agreement with this uh with this project or if it is something that the commission would like to pass on. I think I'm ready to proceed. I would proceed on this one and then I think we need to have a big meeting on what we do next time.

Sure. Okay. So, basically, you're winning a decision tonight versus next week.

You can commissioners. I think we're, you know, your your applicant is here tonight and there is a financial commitment um that your applicants continue to put into um this project and so I really think the conversation you all are providing tonight is giving them context if they want to keep investing in this project and keep um making financial commitments to it or or not. So, it's not necessarily that uh we're looking for a decision. Um we're just looking for for direction. Um, and they are here and they're hearing the conversation and they're kind of hearing what you all have to say. So,

I don't want to be shell shocked, but this isn't a swap meet where we are having a auction. How do we do what we do and want to do? But if there was any ability to modify the plan to do less or no sales tax or some other consideration on the expenses, um I don't know if the 105,000 is reasonable or unreasonable. Uh those other issues are components. So I'm not saying we ought to have an auction and go for a low bid. I just think if there can be I I think there's clear statements we made is we want to do it different in the future after these folks we need to address how we do workforce differently. Um, I don't want to take away all the incentive. They put some money obviously. They put some energy obviously. They did have good judgment in sending their person to K State. So, I don't know what that's worth. But, but if if that I don't think it's fair for us to say what they have to give up or what they might be willing to say, we can still do a project. To me, it's a fine project. I'm a little bit like Karen. I think it looks more like a normal rental investment of high quality, but they've done they played the game that the game was laid out. And if they can come up with something to lessen their request and still get some benefit from this, you know, I would I would still consider doing it. But it's it's not high on my list, but I think that would be a fair way to look at it.

Right. So Stephanie, if you can have conversations with the advoc with the applicant, it seems what we're saying is yes, please move forward on this activity on this particular project and let us plan as was uh stated when we developed the workforce housing plan

uh policy several years ago. We knew it was a living document and that we wanted to go through several iterations of this process to see where potential hurdles might be, where other options such as land purchase or more funding going into a revolving fund for uh uh homeowners to access for repairs. Uh, I think we're we've that list is growing about other items we'd like to look at. So, um, I think for today, let's plan on moving this project forward for our future consideration. It'll give the applicant a little bit more time to tweak those numbers based on the new configuration. Um, and we'll plan in a month or two to revisit before your next round of applications.

Sure. I do think we need to have a discussion as a commission as to what workforce housing means to us. I did not think the $300,000 command government condos out on Little Kitten Creek were to me workforce housing. Um, you know, I want to see us have places where teachers and doctor, not doctors, teachers and nurses can, you know, as Donna said, find a house that they can build equity in so that they, you know, are not just paying tremendous rents and just sort of treading water.

Um, am I misremembering? I didn't think that the buildings on Little Kitten were condominiums. I thought

it's a mix of rental and sale properties. And you know, we are following the HUD guidelines for what is workforce housing. we can have a further discussion about whether our belief given the level of poverty or income constraints in Manhattan is uh farther below that. But we are following the definition of what workforce housing is in in our community. Well, at the retreat we talked about lowering it from 120 to 80 or 100 as the quot for HUD. which wouldn't change the concept of the program. It would change the financing of rents and what is being built. But again, with this going from three units to six, they were going to have to do paperwork anyway to get it in compliance. And if they come back with four, I mean, I don't care what that number is particularly. It just it just wreaked the residential rentals and however they can make it work and you and say they can be in compliance and we are in compliance is all I ask. We just gota we got to live with by what we've done. We need to change what we have been doing. That's that's mine.

Jason, are you go ahead commissioner? I'll go after you. Go ahead. So I would just comment that you know, workforce housing, that's a pretty broad term and and it's a whole range of prices, but what what do taxpayers what do we as representative taxpayers want to encourage and and subsidize development of? And in my mind, we don't need to be subsidizing uh $300,000$400,000 houses. Commissioner, we need we're not subsidizing. We're in incentivizing.

You're subsidizing. I'm sorry, but you know, with with grants, that's a subsidy. And uh in my mind, we need to be helping the development of the lower end $200,000 range type homes, which by the way are currently being built up in Colbert Hills. I just drove through there today. It's a It's the Cypress Ridge development. Yeah. Of $250,000, two and a quarter. That's a low-inccome housing tax credit project. So, they received quite a bit of assistance from the state.

You know, those are the kind of things the the beginning teachers, the beginning, and we have supported that. Yeah.

And just as a a reminder of of our conversation that we had um at our retreat, those low-income housing um tax credits um that are supporting that type of housing, there is already a lot of programs for those um and it's really that missing middle that we talked about that doesn't have um programs that will help it get built, which is that uh 80 to 120% which is where we're at now. but did hear the commission at the retreat that maybe there's an interest in looking at 80 to 100% uh AMI uh for what we would look to um uh use our uh workforce housing sales tax dollars and other tools that are available to us to add new units to the market. Uh what I'm hearing from the commission um this evening is that uh there is interest in pursuing uh with this pro this pro this project under our current policy and under our current program. Uh however looking for a few tweaks uh between a conversation with the applicant and our planning and development staff. So we will move forward with that discussion and we will bring this back to you within the next uh couple meetings or so however long it takes um for the applicant and us to work up that agreement. Uh and additionally uh we'll just share with you all we do have a conversation uh slated for staff to have a conver to talk about what was discussed at the retreat regarding workforce housing. Uh we will bring that back to you all to discuss and have another conversation um at a future work session. And then of course um our current application period is slated to reopen in April, but we might postpone that to uh May or possibly even June based on how those discussions go. So,

thank you, mayor. Thank you. Thank you, Stephanie. You're welcome. All right. Moving on to the next item of our agenda. We will be discussing options for Maro Street's reconfiguration.

Good evening, mayor, commissioners. As a reminder, back in January on the 13th, we brought forth uh some different concepts that we had considered back in 2016 2017, we resurfaced those for Mororrow Street between 11th and North Manhattan. Uh we received some direction and feedback on the preferences of the commission. Uh we do have Cody Parat here this evening from Olsen. He's going to walk you through the design concepts that were in your packet tonight. four different ones really primarily focused on angled parking uh 20 foot drive lane and some sidewalk in those amenities. Ultimately this evening looking for further direction and feedback uh if we get down to a concept or two uh we would like to bring back that final design contract. Also this evening, historically in Aggieville for the last several years, we've had construction manager at risk contracts. We have identified the contractor. We have identified this design team. They create 90 to 100% design work and then provide a guaranteed maximum price back to the commission with a full breakdown of the budget for the project. In the past at 30% design, we've brought that back to the commission with a preliminary estimate on construction and then given feedback that consultant and that uh construction company proceed to that 90 to 100% complete design and final GMP. If you're comfortable with that, we will structure uh a meeting an item on a meeting here in the next couple months to get that going. Uh, but I don't want to detract right now from these concepts, four different options you have in front of you. Cody will walk through walk through those with you and then we can get into the contract um discussions later. Questions now.

Thank you, Jason. I have one. Sorry. Before we find somebody to be the design creator of what we think we are going to do, are we going to give them a guideline of what we physically are willing to do so they have an idea we're not looking for a giraffe when we need a hippo? Correct.

I mean, if you don't tell an architect and an engineer what your limitations are, you'll come up with a Taj Mahal. And that's just the way life is because everybody wants everything and then there's no limit. So do we have a concept of what is a reasonable goal to give them and then they can always say it can't be done or if you do these are the limitations.

That's part of the feedback we're looking for tonight. The four options you have have a variety of different amenities. Uh those amenities can be um elaborated on. they can be shrunk. Uh what you have today on Morrow between 11th and North Manhattan is a fairly um straightforward sidewalk and street. And if that's the desire moving forward, we need to hear that from the governing body this evening. If it's the desire for more amenities similar to what you see on 12th Street or North Manhattan, then you can provide that direction as well. Well, I looked at all four of them. The only one that I think is viable is

a and what is not viable is a sevenmonth construction period. I that was talked at at the first one openly and kind of nonchalantly. Jim, can we hear the presentation first and then I thought he asked a question while our guidelines were sure. I'll have Cody come up.

Thank you, mayor. Thank you, commission. Um, thank you Jason. Good evening. My name is Cody Pat. I'm a landscape architect with Olsen. Uh, I had the privilege to assist in the design on the Eggville improvements to date. Um, we've had a lot of great conversations over the years um, all the way back from the master planning and Cherret phase 201718 time period. uh coming up with some great ideas for all of Eggyville, but also specifically Mororrow Street. And uh some of those ideas pushed the limits a little and some were more conservative. Again, we've had some great conversations over the years um specifically more recently. You all have seen um a package that was put together last month that uh provided a few few options that then this is an update a new iteration of those. We've started to develop our understanding of the parameters. um some of our previous ideas pushed the bounds a little bit got a little um well we were trying to work within some outside of some limitations of uh fire and the fire marshall and their requirements. So all four of these ideas uh relate back to what we had heard where parking is definitely uh very important to this street and the district um that we need to have 20 foot clear drive um all the way through for fire access on there and then that leaves us really with um some leftover amenity space. So we have 60 feet along this corridor from the north side um to the south side building phase. We have a 20 foot through lane for traffic. We have 17 ft for angled parking and then whatever's left over the roughly 13 uh

or sorry 23 feet is leftover amenity space. So what we can do are um a variety of design elements to uh strategically capitalize and maximize those uh amenity spaces. So I'll run through these four initial ideas real quick um and um I guess let you understand the the differences between them. Yes. I'm sorry. Can I just ask a question quickly? So how wide are the sidewalks? right now are they 23 divided by two? You got me. Um they vary a little bit. Um

rough roughly 10 feet on either side on the north and the south. Current existing conditions. We have sidewalk uh par parallel parking a drive lane which is narrower than that 20 feet. We have angled and then roughly another 10 feet on the north side. So this um this first concept here idea A this looks at um a fairly conservative option of maximizing parking. It's uh probably this is the most vehicular friendly of the concepts and it u maintains parking parallel or sorry angled parking on the north side on both of these blocks both both the east block and the west block. Um and then leaves us with the um 12ish 11 and 1/2 ft of amenity space aka sidewalk on both the north and the south. Um on all of these uh ideas or concepts, they're not completely designed fully fully out. Um we're carrying through the design aesthetic in terms of materials and everything from what we have done previously on the Eggyville district improvements. Um, but you'll see things like placement of some ballards and blocks to define the traffic way. We're still working through a number of these things. Cody, what are the um the symbols along uh the north side of the streets? I can tell the blocks. What are the white dots?

So, there's also some representation of some exterior furniture. So the you're you're referring to a few little white circles with a representation of some chairs. Okay.

So this shows that there are limited uh ability or limited areas where we would have enough room to fit in some small two tops on there. So again, this this concept is really geared more towards vehicular uh parking as well as driving and is is a little limited in my personal opinion on the amenity space. So what we have here is a section view and this this is a generic section cut basically anywhere within those two blocks uh looking to the east. So north would be on the left side uh south would be on the right side in this graphic but it shows that 20 foot drive lane the 17t that we need would need for the angled parking and then the roughly 11 and 1/2 ft of space uh on either side. And and this just shows an idea of what could be put in there. We have a limited area of some planting. Uh potentially some more of those limestone blocks for seating. And then also addressing keeping the vehicles uh or separating the vehic vehicles and the pedestrians with both the blocks and maybe a ballarded application there. So idea B is what we're calling midblock. And on this particular concept or idea, we have reclaimed some of the parking uh and captured that as extra amenity space. Uh we have provided the same elements and amenities on both the east and the west block on these. So they are essentially identical. Um, we've captured a little bit of the area on North Manhattan for the idea of placement of a tree, uh, both on the north and the south there to to anchor that far west end. And then we have some

areas of planting. Again, uh, right there where the alleyway runs up to the north, we have proposed some improvements along that alley. We've created a midblock crossing there which allows pedestrians to directly flow to the south and then again as I mentioned capturing some of that space. So we've we've consumed a few of those parking stalls and created an overflow of public space. Um we can see the representation again of some more of those white circles. The idea of some loose seating and things out there. There's also some overhead um graphic lines that are representative of the uh string lights. Here we see a graphic section um more of a generic one which is represented by B2B1 the top um that shows basically the same thing we had seen on concept A. There's not a whole lot different there. You have the same amenity spaces and everything, but the lower section, that's where we see that capturing of the parking and turning that into a larger amenity space. And um the two vertical elements are just representations of an idea of some sort of column or um monument piece. we could attach some of the string light elements to that and create more of a a public plaza area, a hangout spot um and and reclaiming that as um a more of an active zone appropriate to Morrow and and the district. So um shows we get roughly 31 12 ft on the north area on the north end um reclaimed and then on the south end at the midblock crossing we get roughly 14 1/2 ft.

Uh concept C is a little bit more on the well it's more aggressive for the pedestrian user. So, we've not only captured and reclaimed a larger area in the midblock crossing, turned that into a very active community space, but also then taken the the barbells, the two ends, and we've reclaimed some of those elements both at North Manhattan Avenue, uh, 12th and then 11th. So, we've we've eaten up another stall or so, um, of parking at each one of those elements or areas. and uh created that extra space to have um I guess all sorts of fun. Here it is in section again. Um top one shows your your typical section cut through the street whether it's the east or the west block. Again, that 11 and a half foot space of uh standard amenity zone. And then uh capturing that again at the midblock crossing areas or the the end bulb out areas where you get 31 1/2 ft um on the north end and then 14 roughly 14 1/2 ft on the uh south side. What this does show here is at the midblock crossing. So this would be true for concept B as well as this one at C. We have sucked in a little bit. I know I had mentioned that 20 foot clear lane for for the fire. Uh we through our discussions we it's our understanding that we are allowed to for very uh small sections suck in a little bit. So that's where we're re re recapturing and reclaiming some of that space. So the rest of the corridor where it's not a mid-block crossing uh or even at a mid-block crossing where there's hardcape there, those outriggers could

come out and fire should would be able to service that. Uh concept D. Then the last of the four, this idea looks at um kind of a combination of all of these. Uh it's really looking at utilizing uh whatever leftover space we have in in the case of uh the typical was 11 and 1/2 ft on either side. Um but reconfiguring this a little bit where we shift the angled parking to the south and we actually limit that south sidewalk amenity zone. We make that just a little bit narrower. that allows us a little bit extra space on the north side to incorporate uh the shade shade canopy shade structures that are prevalent already existing on 12th Street and throughout the project. Um but really it wouldn't make any sense to have the shade on the south side just with the buildings there and everything. It's already being shaded. So uh naturally you have that in the summertime. The south side would be great. Um and then the north side would have have those structures and really just um well utilizing again the mid midblock crossing on this concept as well. So here we see again uh standard section cut through here where we've shrunken the south side from roughly 10 foot knocked that down to 8t. We've reclaimed those two feet um and brought that up to the north side which gives us that extra room for an overhead shade canopy and creating I guess a little bit different feel there. this and this could be applicable too. Um, you know, if we were to shrink the north side a little bit, we could expand the southside, but it

didn't really seem to make sense um in that application. So, so that's where we landed on the four the four ideas to date. Uh, this is our next iteration after we had taken all the comments from the previous um presentations and conversations internally with with the city. any any questions for me at the moment?

So, starting off just kind of your thoughts on parking on the north side versus the south side of the street. uh being a frequent visitor of Aggieville in the wintertime, I know the north side gets the sun when you have bad snows and that and it melts and so it's makes it easier to park uh on the north side because it's melting and drying out. So in your opinion, is it better on the north side or south side as a

for So there's advantages and disadvantages. Um, I think it works well on, for example, concept B and C where we're um reclaiming a lot of that space in a midblock crossing or both the midblock crossing and the the sides. I think if um we're going to maximize parking, I think we have to introduce a in my mind probably a more difficult conversation where um in order to create enough room to have exciting amenities like the overhead elements and more outdoor seating and maximizing parking. I think that's a give and take where we'd have to in just in my mind, in my opinion, shift the parking to the south to do that.

So the other question is where you have these where you where you you shrink the lane basically down to 14 feet. Yes. At the midblock crossings. The midblock crossings and all Yep. So we have several parades that go through Aggieville on a yearly basis. I'm I'm trying to envision the marching bands or all these groups. How do you deal with that? So, currently um it is narrower than that, but there there is the angled and and so the it'd be closed off. Um and I assume when there's parades, usually parades, they get rid of the car,

the whole thing. Yes. You have the whole thing. here. You're forcing them to Well, uh 14 ft is wider than uh a lot of roads where we they've brought the the width down to 12 feet, uh 10 feet in some instances. So, it is still larger. Um I think you would just have to be accommodated for.

Yeah. And I think it's something we can touch base with Gina and Dennis about parades and floats and how wide. Um, but I do get if a fire truck can make it through. Um, can a a vehicle pulling a trailer? You know, we can do that math and and have some feedback for you, Commissioner. 14 may be too narrow. We may have to go to 15 or 16. I'm I'm not comfortable with it going down that much given our previous conversation about um allowing emergency vehicles to get through that area. Um I would be reluctant to narrow it any more than we have to at this time.

We have the the bull bouts on points and I don't know Brian if you know off the top of your head at fourth and points just how far do we pinch it down for the pedestrians to cross? 22. So you got 11 on each side. Yeah. So that's when I think about bull bouts pinching down for peds to get across the street 22 feet. So we may need to stay at 20. Why why are we proposing the midblock crossings

from a from a staff perspective? We wanted to give you all some options. We have we've heard from some of the businesses down there. they're they like 12th Street and the amenities that that corridor provides the adjacent businesses. Um at the same time, maybe a conversation with Tanners that was a little bit more um of a commitment would have been helpful. We did talk with them before we built all the amenities next to them. Um we thought they were going to come out on the 12th Street and have outdoor dining. uh then then they decided not to. But when you go to Lucha and Solong and now you get to kites and you're at Annie Mays and Fat Shack, you're going to have an opportunity as a customer to partake and and consume out in those areas. Do we want to generate anything on Morrow that would allow customers, patrons to grab their food, grab their beverage, and possibly come to this area? Now a CCA common consumption area would be required on Mororrow for that to occur. Currently doesn't exist where our platforms downtown allow people to come out from the businesses and engage in that type of outdoor activity. But again, lucha so long businesses on 12th also have that ability to order food and beverage in those areas. And really the feedback that we provide at Olsen, give us some examples of what that could look like. They could slide, they could move around, we could go business to business and see, is this what you desire or want, or do you just want your 10 ft of sidewalk, your angle parking, and your drive lane. We could have those conversations in the next few months and figure out who wants what. Um, we all have to realize businesses will change

over time as well. midblock becomes an easy reference point for us to talk about versus putting them in front of a certain business at this point in time. It it's really meant to generate the discussion of an amenity whether we desire it on Mororrow or not. I guess I was not so much um curious about having a platform or dining area so much as is what was the rationale regarding pedestrian flow to have a midblock crossing.

Yeah, I think it breaks up the block like they do downtown. It gives you as an opportunity as a as a patron to not have to go all the way to the end of the block, use a crosswalk and come back. um you know before the wearing was under construction you could come out of arrow cross the street go to um one of the platforms on the other side and southside it's just easier access for the pedestrian um what we have found since wear has started construction citizens and patrons are just walking wherever they feel like they can walk um because they don't like to go around because the midblock crossing has been taken out. So, if you've been down there in the past few days, we've actually painted two new crosswalks across Points Avenue to try to give our pedestrians a little bit safer passage. Without these, they're going to walk across the street really randomly everywhere. This tries to hurt them to a safer spot.

Not being an architect, engineer, or artist, what are the gray hash marks across Mororrow Street? Are those some kind of differentiation in pavement? Yes. Uh I believe what you're referring to are those vertical bands. Yeah. So those are representative of um different paving. Uh like I I had mentioned we took aesthetic cues from 12th Street which is already complete. They also have banding in the ground plane in the pavement. So it's it's replicating that theming. Are they going to be more effective and durable than the ones on points that disintegrate every three years? Yes.

And what are they going to be made out of? Well, they the ones on 12th have been there for on North 12th have been there for three years already, five years. And uh they are not disintegrating. They would match match those for sure. They're they are much different than Points Avenue pavers. These are more of a block style PA whereas the ones on Points are more of a brick and they're very slick. They're not something we would go back with. Yeah. A lot of them are just poured concrete that are are marched. Yeah. Yeah.

Um just at a as a general observation, I'm not keen on um plan A with having those tabletops, the two tops you mentioned in front of parking spaces. That doesn't seem to be um I can see that there are probably ballards there or something. Yes. But um that makes me a little nervous.

So from a graphic representation part two, that's just it's not necessarily saying that there will be tables there. Um, it's just showing if you were going to use it, there is enough room to barely fit that in there. Um,

the one thing I forgot to mention as well is on all four of these uh there, or maybe I did mention it, but I just forgot there's a it's a curbless scenario. So, this is all flat. So the idea is having it be very permeable to pedestrians um especially if the street were to be closed temporarily for an event.

So if you do whether it's BC or D where you have marketing places, which merchant are you going to favor? I mean, if I'm on the south side and I got my little shop and the guys on the north side got places right in front of theirs, even downtown Manhattan, where we place the the platforms,

those are possessively controlled by the media merchant. So, I can't take my tuna salad sandwich and go over to the tall grass and feel like I'm entitled to eat there. Even though I think we taxpayers paid for those. We uh we did create leases with each of the entities. Each of those entities have an obligation to operate within certain hours on those platforms. If the platforms are not in operation, they are open to the public. But those platforms were also very specifically put in for the food and beverage operations. They were not put in in front of stores that didn't have that food and beverage option. They can be moved around. They have been moved around. Back to Aggieville. I think what we're what we're really going to struggle with on Morrow, if we don't just do a mid block and make it equidistance from either end to create the pedestrian flow, we are going to struggle with where to put these. No, no question. 12th Street, we didn't have as many businesses. We had more options. North Manhattan, the business told us we don't want them. We went door by door. None of the businesses on North Manhattan desired the outdoor dining experience. So you have a lot of angled stalls, but then we we do have mixed in the plantings, the landscape, the streetscape, and that has been wellreceived. Again, we can go doortodoor on Morrow and kind of get an idea of what people want. If the governing body wants to put that kind of money into Morrow, it is more expensive. The more amenities you add, the the greater the budget's going to be

and maintenance and maintenance, repair, all those things. Agville business district willing to take care of all those amenities once we paid for it if we did. We are taking care of those amenities. Would they be willing to pay?

We could we can always ask them. We Yeah. I mean they have bids and you also give them cash on an annual basis to operate as an as an organization and those are budget considerations which we can have those discussions this summer. I do think back to 26 and 27 2016 and 2017. Mororrow was almost purposely left for the last. The experience in North Manhattan, the experience of 12th Street, what we've done up until now, Laramie 14th, Morrow is the center and the lifeblood of Aguil. Where do you want this for the next 40 to 50 years? The last time Aggieville was invested in were the early 1980s. It's 2026. This should last 40 to 50 years and it's going to be there in the way it's designed and constructed. I just offer that because it was debated a lot. I don't go on social media, but I got people in my ear telling me you're getting a lot of feedback right now on what Mororrow should be.

5050 5050. There you go. So, it's it's a tough decision. It's a big decision for our community. I think it will drive investment in the future from these businesses. We do have zoning rags in place today. You cannot go higher than what these buildings are today until we build a hotel.

Until you change the rags, but those rags today don't allow Mororrow Street to be a revitalization area of three, four, five stories in height. They must maintain where they're at today. So, while we have the expert here, you sir, what is your guesstimate cost A, B, C, C1, or and D? Because you got to have an idea what you're designing and where people are going to spend money. So, I you're not going to be quoted as saying it can only be $2 million, but you got to have an idea what you designed. I I would say that they're all within 10% of each other. All four of these concepts that didn't answer generally take up

that didn't answer. What is your estimate of cost? I don't care if it's 10 10% or 1%. What is the estimated cost? I said 7 to 10 million u a month ago. How much for both blocks? 7 to 10 million. That's for everything. which which would 7 to 10 7 to 10 million which would be in line with what we've done previously on other blocks and sub projects

and I don't know what you did on the others I I think there's got to be a difference between A and D more than 10%. Well, so on all of these though, you're there's a lot of things that are behind the scenes that are happening. There's utility upgrades. Um there's a lot of costs that are into those elements. Um there's convers conversations of bringing in stand pipes to ease or facilitate um in case there's a fire. instead of having to require all of these buildings to be sprinkled. Um, the stand pipe is a contraption that will help the fire department to put out a fire quicker. Um, things like that. So, there's there's a lot of sunk costs in infrastructure that's not seen. So, the pretty stuff is actually, you know, whether we have four trees on this concept or the next one we have eight, um, there's not a whole lot of difference in costs on those. Now, I would say where we have more amenity spaces um and me showing the idea of capturing that with uh some sort of monumentation or column. I don't know where it went. Are we in a different

Okay. So, like this one per se, we've we've got these columns. They may be $30,000 per column. So th those are costs on this particular concept. But in the grand scheme of things, when we're talking about 7 to10 million, $30,000 times two for two columns. So $60,000 really isn't um a major cost consideration between that would differentiate this one versus the other three concepts.

I would just like us I would urge us um we haven't done anything since the 80s to do it right this time. and if it costs 10% more, whatever. But I really want to hear from the Aggieville merchants who are here because I have no clue um which angle parking you want. I would say that in that Agieville um there are all kinds of people go to Aguil, but I would guess the majority are students and you know No. Okay. Sorry. Well, there are a lot of students. Can I say that? Okay. And um I you know I just want to make sure we make it as safe as possible for younger people who perhaps have not m had much experience with alcohol and that kind of thing to be safe. And I have a feeling when they park their car they're just going to get out and walk across the street no matter Yeah. So I don't know that the

the midb block, you know, walking areas I mean, you know, the Aville the moral traffic is usually kind of backed out. I've done it myself. Walk between cars to get across the street, that kind of thing. So that's, you know, I just really want to hear what what they want. But let's not, you know, just make it concrete and no amenities at all. I've had two experiences this week in Aggieville. I don't historically go, especially when students are here because parking and all the other stuff, but the sidewalks are garbage. They need to be removed. The street needs to be removed. So far as I'm concerned, if we get safe, properly designed sidewalks and streets, I don't know if drainage is going to be a problem without a curb to help keep the water away from buildings and people walking. Um, but obviously those things need to be done. And before I I did not hear Jason correctly when he said seven to 10 million, I so I I can say, okay, that's a number. Um, but when that we also talked last time a little bit, construction could take six to seven months is insane. 10 months, it's then it's unconscionable.

It's going to take longer than that. It's unconscionable.

Yeah. The u the amount of time it's taken just for us to do Morrow to Laram on 12 Street. I mean, we started that last spring. It is still under construction. and and Morrow is going to be more complex, Commissioner, really from the perspective of a new 8 inch water line going in and the connections to each of the businesses along the way, which are more than likely galvanized pipe that is just horrendous. We're going to spend so much time at each of these businesses getting that water line connected so that service is uninterrupted. The uninterrupted part is really what takes so much time. We can't put these businesses out. We can't shut their doors and turn their water off.

One year will put them out. If it takes a year, it'll put them out. In my opinion, that's that's not reasonably fair or honorable. We could also spec this to have it done in three months and see what the cost is going to be and see if there's anybody interested in doing it. Jim, I'd also just point out that no single business is going to be affected for an entire year. It's This could be at least one block each for a year and at some point in time.

It would seem to me, Susan, it would have to be if it's going to take a year now for all of it. There's going to be at least a year for both of them because you're going to have one block closed and no traffic going through. So with the 12th Street that's currently under construction, that portion south of Morrow, even though the project has taken now a year, um those businesses always had access to their to their doors. So though it was frustrating with construction happening uh throughout that area with mud and things like that, they always had a clear path of travel to get to the door. And um I I felt like uh we did a really good job. The city did a really really good job. Contractor did a a great job in facilitating.

Looks nice. But a year on moral will be we've we've wounded them. Not intentionally, but just all the stuff that had to be done that should have been done 30 years ago. We have in my opinion wounded Eggyville. Okay. And it's going to be continuing. Karen, did you want to make a remark? Me? No, no, no. Okay. I'm sorry. Do do you envision doing one block at a time or having both blocks closed?

It's a big reason why I want to come back with the pre-construction services to get design moving and get a contractor in here that can speak to you all in a language and in a with assurityity of what's to come. I again we've spent $47 million in Aguville. We have worked on multiple streets. We have built a 15 to20 million parking garage. We have put a tremendous amount of time, effort, and energy. I would strongly recommend we stay with a professional contractor as the lead on the project. the communication, the accommodation, the listening and communic. But if we're just going to put this thing out for bid and a contractor is going to be down there without any oversight professionally, I can assure you your phones are not going to stop ringing. We got to have that professionalism down there. And I think the folks behind me will reiterate that. On the second hand, you need to know the cost. You need to know exactly the intricacies of water lines. I think there's around 50 businesses we're going to have to connect in that twob block stretch. They're going to have strategies to talk with you all about shutting it all down and doing it at once or going block by block. They're going to re they're going to recognize and realize those are two different approaches. They're going to have two different time frames and they're going to impact those businesses differently. Well, there is no suggestion we did not use a professional contractor. That was not a suggestion. But it may be it's not a Manhattan professional contractor. If we have to do it somewhere, we may have to go to Salina, Topeka, Junction City. We may have to go to people that already left to Nebraska to find a competent. Do we even know where the water lines are that we have to deal with?

Yeah. And we've been replacing water lines throughout the district for the last eight, nine years. And we have one more to do and it's on Moro. But do we know where that go into the buildings? Do we know how far it is, how deep the lines? So, we have a pretty good idea what's what we're looking at. We do. And we've ripped up Mororrow enough. The businesses probably know where the water line is, too. wraps up everything.

So, getting getting back to the the concepts here, I would just have a couple of comments and and I certainly want to hear from the Aggieville businesses and the property owners, but as far as concept D, I I really don't like that because I feel like we need to treat the businesses on each side of the street equally, fairly. And I concept D seems to favor the north side of the street with the wider sidewalks and all the amenities. So I I would not be in favor of of D of of C. Uh I'm not in favor of that because of that the the center the midblock enhanced versions. I I just I feel like that's too much. Um so I guess you know My thought is is A or B. I really favor A more because I don't feel like we need the mid block. I feel like people cross wherever they want to anyway. And uh and those and B that those posts in the middle, you know, that is just additional cost. And so I mean in my mind, what I would favor is A or B.

I vote for A. Jason, can you remind us? I I've driven past on Marorrow looking down 12th Street, but I haven't really studied it. Are there um dining areas that are going to be there? Or at least those small patios like exactly what you got out in front of Lucha and so long are in front of Fat Shack, Annie Mays, and Kites. Uh, Mayor Adam, before we get too much further and commissioners sharing which concepts they prefer, I think it would be good to hear from um the public and the um Aggieville folks who are here tonight.

Thank you. Sure. Would anyone like to make some remarks? I'm Dennis Cook. I'm the director for the Aville Business Association. Thought you were never going to let me talk about this. So, thank you. Um uh Commissioner Morrison, you're you're exactly right. You know, it has been since 1980 and and we're due. Yeah. It you know, the the time has come. We've been uh you know, we got very fortunate. was it about two years ago that we just did a an overlay on Mororrow for two blocks. Uh just because uh it if you drove up and down Mororrow enough it would it would it would ruin the shocks and and and tear out something of your car. So we finally got just you know a quick overlay. So we really needed that. Yeah. Uh our time has come um on on all these concepts. You know, the idea I think is perfect that we're following the same guidelines that we were doing that we've done on 12th Street that we've done on North Manhattan Avenue with this design work with the with the u you know kind of the zero entry walking into the street and and having it you know funnel into the middle with the drainage down the middle. All that makes sense. It really ties AIville together. I think all that makes sense. Uh I don't um I got something you know preference for me between AB, C and D that I like, but I u I am really more interested in finding out individually from from our businesses which ones they prefer, what they really like to do, but I think all of these concepts would be great. uh something just to point out and I'm I'm sure these are uh the drawings are u I'm not sure how correct they are but I can tell you uh you know

I have counted the parking spaces and uh you know and today um we have 74 parking spaces on those two blocks of Mororrow on concept A we would drop to 56 on uh on concept B we you know adding some amenities we drop to 48 on C with expanding out on the amenities again. Now we dropped to 40 on uh on D we're back up to 51. But uh but at 74 um you know here over the course of this of the redevelopment um you know like we talked about between Solong and Takalucha and Tanners we lost 10 spaces that was just you know between Moral Street and the alley going north. Now, with with what we've done on 12th Street going south, uh, you know, we're g we've basically because there's not gonna be any parking between Mororrow and Laramie, we lose another 20. You know, it just kind of it just kind of goes on and on. Um I think you know we have obviously we have one chance to really do it right and uh you know and you'd hate to pinch a couple pennies at some point here and say you know and then 10 years later you go wow we just we really just hurt a lot instead of helped it you know because people need to be able to enjoy it and come down. Uh, so in our original vision, we talked about having a second parking garage on the east end and and I think that's going to be very very important to have.

So So can I move that we let him talk longer than three minutes? I uh I can set aside if you want, but I just think, you know, my my point is is I I like it all, but I think, you know, u as we lose any more parking, we have to consider uh you know, right now, you know, we have a parking garage, but we have and and it's great, you know, and there's some upgrades. There's some things on that that we need to talk about to make that a more user friendly garage. But I also think that one garage court on the west end and we then we take out all this parking. If we don't have something else available to us on the east end, we're we're going to really hurt the east end of AIville, too. So, we need to talk about uh finish that off with the second garage that we had talked about originally.

Thank you, Dennis. Yeah. Do you need me to sign in?

Yes, please. Uh, good evening, commissioners. Uh, I'm Travis Wl, part owner in Solong Sloan Takalucha, and I'm serving today as the president of the Aville Business Association. Um, couple comments that were made earlier that I just want to touch on. Um, the average age of our customer is definitely I mean, college students are important, don't get me wrong. You guys said yourself, you know, you don't go to Aguville when the students are in session. That is 100%. We get that all the time. A matter of fact, our business model, we get busier when students are gone. Summertime, Christmas break, spring break, that's a huge boost to our business just because people like you are coming down there and supporting local businesses. Um, it's, you know, to your point about cost and and things like that and the speed that it's going to take, we are fully aware of how bad. Mororrow is going to hurt. Uh we've been through it with 12 Street. We got lucky. You're not going to hear people say lucky and co in the same sentence, but I'm about to. Um COVID happened, we got shut down. 12th Street happened, started. So things just were bad all around for a year. I fully expect that to be the exact same case again when Morrow happens. Um now one thing we did learn though um through the shutdown in June of Morrow um the the elderly C customers that we have today, they just didn't come. They couldn't get there, you know, they couldn't get down there at all. So that's going to be important to keep something open one way or the other to get customers down there. Um I think that there's some great things about all these designs. Um there's not uh one design I can sit here and say this is it. I think there's some work to be done on all of them. Um, but I do think that there's some useful information here for

everyone to take and then to work off of. So, I appreciate your time.

Thank you. And would please, did you have a question? Alan Rizza um own Coldstone crearyy on the AIville board and the president of the Agieville business improvement district committee. Um I would just say uh the southside parking works best in my opinion because I'm on the south side. No. Um, but mostly because of at the end of Morrow, you have that parking lot. I don't know. Am I allowed to touch here? That parking lot right there. Um, you're going to lose parking stalls if you put it on the north side to get access to that. Um, but on that note, I think concept D was shortening our sidewalk in exchange for the parking on our side. I don't think that's the best idea because Again, businesses change, but Yard Bar is a very key part of that district, and there's always a line down the street to kites and even pass kites. Um, so to limit their would probably be a mistake. Um, people jaywalk all the time. I don't see the need for a mid mid street crossing. Um, and we I have had a really great experience with Macau BHS, the contractors that have worked on the streets. They always give me plenty of notice when they're going to shut my water off and do it at the most optimal time for me. Uh, I think that's all I have. Thanks.

Thank you. Anyone else? All right. public, we want to hear you. Public comment will be closed. Um, could I just add that um I'm glad you have people from all ages coming. Um, but I have been with the cops in Agieville on Fake St. Patty's Day and there were a lot of people that I worried about their safety. So, I think, you know, as we design this, we should take that into consideration, you know. Thank you.

I I would echo that. I think these are opportunities um same in along the same vein as widening the drive-thru lane. Um I think we need to take safety as a top priority. Um I will acknowledge I'm one of those jaywalkers, but um when I am downtown, if I'm in the the I do try to use the crosswalks u midblock. Um, seems to me that there is consensus I think orienting the parking towards the north. Do we that that seems to be a through line on each of these?

He he I mean he made a good point about the east end of that where the parking lot where you concurrently turn into that parking lot. You know what I'm talking about. He does make a good point because you've got parking showing across the driveways of those parking lots at the east end and you know maybe you could get more on the south side. So, because there's clearly some parking spaces shown on this drawing, concept A that you couldn't you couldn't have because of the existing parking lots that are down there by 11th Street like the parking like by Nikos.

By Nikos. Yeah. So, for that reason, maybe it is better on the south. I think we can get you a few more concepts to react to

um when we get to that 30% design. That'll give us enough information to get really good estimates together as well. But we could look at a couple different concepts south maybe in the 1100 block, maybe north and 1200. I mean, we could we could look at things. Brian and I had a conversation just about snow removal. Um, having those stalls on the north side would help melt the snow and ice as you're parking and getting in and out of your vehicle. That may be easier for us to get on the south side, get the snow out before and it just not have the sun. So, and I know that's a narrow window of the world, but having those stalls on the north would probably be easier for us to get snow out of Agibbo. Um, Cody, if I can summarize and feel free to correct me. Um, it seems like we are orienting to the parking on the north with looking at access to that remaining parking lot. Um, I like the idea of carrying through the consistency that of North Manhattan and 12th Street. I think that's very important um for us in tying all of this work together that's been taking place for multiple years. Um I also personally like the idea of having some of these amenities. Now we have a lot more restaurants and bars in concentrated in this block. I don't think we want to bump out on or a holding area outside each of those. But um maybe over the next month or two we can monitor how frequently the ones on 12th Street are used. I I frequently see people outside of Lucha um waiting there. Um but you know I think carrying through some

of the streetscaping is important to um have this again kind of all tie in together. It was it was a bit of a struggle on North Manhattan to gain the landscaped areas that we had. Um I think you've heard from some of the businesses and representatives and we've heard it too throughout and I'm sure you have too is I think we're in for a challenge to reduce parking to to add amenities. There's really just not a lot of room with 10 feet to do a lot, but I think we can challenge Cody and Olsen to get some concepts out there. I I guess I feel less compelled to have outdoor dining areas in this in this part of in be in part because there are just so many restaurants. And I don't know, you know, short of making this a common consumption area if it makes a lot of sense to have um that concentrated area that you have in concept B, for example.

We'll actually show you guys some concepts, too, with ballards in place and the ability to bring tables and chairs out onto Morrow uh without the curbs and making it more inverted with the drainage down the middle much like we did on 12th Street. you'll be able to create a plaza-like environment if it's a Friday or a Saturday and we want to do that. The ballards will give us that flexibility. Obviously, we'll work with the district in the event that comes to fruition. Aaron's always got great ideas and how he can turn a space into an entertainment area. So, um I think that option will be there for the district a little bit more so than it is today. We've got a crown, we've got gutters, we just got a tough area on Mororrow to try to convert to a ped zone. This will give us more flexibility.

Was it Cold Stone that brought chairs and tables out this summer when things were closed? Yeah. No, I mean if we if we facilitate that, I think that would be helpful as well.

You're a pioneer. I do I do find um you know as mayor we welcome lots of groups and I hear the feedback that generally in Hilton that they love the walkability of the downtown and they love the fact that there are trees and there's shade and um you know so many convention centers are in the you know in a giant parking lot you can't you can't get any place I mean so um I think the amenities are very important and just coming sometimes

and and we we had that really that pivot in 2016 2017 and and the focus has been on 12 street there are a lot I mean we have the sila cells there we have trees that are taken off there's a there's shade um we took the parking away as Dennis mentioned um and it was kind of a pivot away from doing that on Morrow and that's remained consistent we even heard it tonight it'd be a difficult area for us to remove parking to add those amenities.

I'm not crazy about the bull bouts. I I think people are going to walk and that is not going to be of any significant benefit to the merchants andor the walking public. Um I assume there'd still be some kind of traffic control at at uh 10th Street. And so I haven't seen too many people run over because they don't get to the intersection to walk. They they cross wherever they want to go. Cody, do you have enough feedback from us to move forward?

I do. I I appreciate all of the comments. Um they I'm not married to any one of these. I I love hearing this and then getting direction to really just make the best design that we can. Um, great feedback tonight. I have enough from me. Um, but we do Yes, I do have enough. Okay, thank you.

I do want to recognize that we've probably all received four or five emails from folks suggesting that it become all pedestrian and no vehicles. And I I personally don't feel that's feasible. uh you know we're a we're a driving community but also I think businesses need vehicular access for deliveries and and all that and you know the alleys don't accommodate accommodate that

some of the personality if if communities streets can have personality is the old mororrow street um unfortunately when I was in high school I didn't have a car but my friend did and we proved cruise up and down Mororrow and around the park and back around. It's part of the mystique and the nostalgia of what the community is. And I'm not sure we're going to create a better one going bonkers on all the amenities on Morrow. I think the side streets probably is a plus to have the amenities, but on Mororrow, it's still I think it's kind of an historic vibe for some and then others just want something bright, new, and shiny. I that's the comments I've gotten.

I did have one question. Um what about bikes north Manhattan is our north south. Yeah. You've done all kinds of things. I mean just even there's no bike parking in and we we and we removed them from 12th Street. We were really pushing everyone on North Manhattan and then also uh east west on Larmy Street. Uh-huh. So it there with the limited amount of room on Morrow and adding another element of conflict. Yeah, I was more worried about bike parking. Yeah. And we can add that feature, but we can also get closer to the parking garage. I think we do have a bike rack there, but we can always look at adding we definitely have the bike racks right there by Triangle Park.

Uhhuh. Where a lot of scooters are parked on on occasion, but it is right next to the bike lane that runs through Aguil. Well, bike riders for better or for worse think they should park next to their Sure. Dennis, I'm sure battles all types of users of this sidewalk. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all. Appreciate the feedback. Commissioners, do we have a motion to adjourn?

Oh, before you adjurnn, just really quick, just wanted to share that uh we will not have a work session on February 24th. Our next work session will be on March 10th where we will have an update from the CVB. We will also have an update on Anderson Avenue um including an update regarding the uh previous conversation we had about roundabout. Um at our March 24th meeting, we will have an update from RCPD as well as a conversation about the pavement condition index and debt work session that we talked about in our retreat. So, um, and then we will work towards getting that workforce housing policy discussion in front of you all as well.

Thank you, Danielle. Uh, we had a motion from Commissioner Morrison. Is there a second? Second. All in favor, please say I. I. Happy Valentine's Day.