City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. I would like to call to order the October 6, 2026 Hutchinson City Council meeting. Mary Colerill.

And tonight we have Victor Halfman from Legacy Bible Church to come offer the prayer.

Thank you. Before we get started, I have a couple things I'd like to read. This is from Councilmember Fess. I've appreciated the opportunity to serve the citizens of Hutchinson over the last five years. Effectively, immediately, I will be resigning as council member for the Southwest District for personal reasons. Greg Fast. In light of that, with his resignation, there will be a vacancy on the city council representing the Southwest District. In two weeks, the council will have a discussion about the process for filling that vacancy. At that time, we will discuss how residents can apply, the

I move to amend the agenda to rename the new business section. On the agenda that was posted online and the one that council has, they don't match. The letters just got mixed up. So they should be 9A, B, C, D, E, and then F. depending on which copy someone has, the letters are just out. Okay. Move to approve the proposed agenda as amended.

Is there anything else on the agenda, changes and modifications beyond that?

Oh, sorry. Yes. 9D should include an action item to accept the bid award for the wood floor replacement. And 9E should include an action item to accept the cost share agreement.

Well... 9E is on there. The cost share one is on there. Sorry. So it would be on the printed copy. It's the sports arena wood floor replacement. It should be an action item to accept the bid.

Okay. Anything else? If not, then I would just need a motion.

I move to approve the proposed agenda as amended.

At this time, any person wishing to address the City of Council shall be recognized by the Mayor, come to the microphone, state their name, address, and subject of their comment, including whom they represent, if applicable. Public comments are limited to three minutes and must address matters within the business and jurisdiction of City Council. Comments may address agenda or non-agenda items, but all comments regarding agenda items must be made during the public comment portion of the meeting. Public comment will not be taken when an agenda item is later considered by the council. Comments s

Yeah, it's agenda and non-agenda items right now.

Yeah, okay. Or 7B. Yeah, I thought that you're part of your neighborhood. I know some of the neighborhoods, sometimes they're segmented out of how those water services, how they get played in there. So I thought you were in that district that was going to be, we're going to talk about on 7C.

No, I appreciate you coming forward, and I came to the meeting that you guys had, and so you had a lot of support for wanting to get this done. So I'm glad everyone came forward, and we're moving this process forward. So I know you need the water. Okay, thank you. Thank you.

Mayor Meyers, I have a question for you. So based on what you read at the beginning of the public comment section, it doesn't quite line up with Chapter 2 of the administration articles. So are you wanting us to engage with –

We're not technically engaging with them, but we can engage with them. I mean, it says we don't normally do that, but we do have some leniency to do that as well. So it's not going to be standard practice, but there will be some times where, like the, what's his name, came forward and talked about the Oxford House. Just getting information out to the public sometimes I think is important that we do that. So not in every case, but just kind of have to follow it a little bit, so.

Right. That's why one of the future agenda items that I had requested in August was to solidify the public comment policy because if we're making changes on the fly, it's not fair to the people who showed up expecting something different or Or council members who showed up expecting something different. So I just wanted to clarify how, no, that's, I mean, that's correct.

I know, I know you and I had a discussion about this too. And so if it's something we need to put back on the agenda to actually have a bigger conversation about, I don't have a problem doing that. I know we were just trying to tidy a few things up on that. And so we probably just stick with what the policy says and move forward from there. So, and if, if you guys want to have conversations with us, our phone numbers, emails, et cetera, are on online contact us anytime. I mean, that's what we're here for too. So anyway, so next person, anyone.

Sorry, what was your name? Jonas. Jonas, okay.

I would agree with you, and that's why I've been asking for a moratorium since April. I don't know if you were able to attend the event that you had.

That's okay. Well, it is shared for the most part online. I can share out the links. But, yeah, I think that there's a lot of unknowns when it comes to the data centers and data The council has yet to have a true, robust conversation about it and how Senate Bill 98 will impact us. And because Senate Bill 98 took away our home rule, so there will be tax breaks, and we don't have a choice in that.

So calculating the impact depends on what types of projects are being considered, and I think that's something that the council has to have a conversation on, the job incentives, pilot programs, all of the things, and we just haven't yet. So I keep pushing for a moratorium.

Well, so right now, because we sent Chapter 27 of our zoning regulations back to the Planning Commission, we have not received their final regulations yet, their final recommendations yet. So when we get that back, that will tell us what type of zoning regulations They say would be acceptable, and from there we can still make amendments as a council with community input, hopefully. But as far as I know, we're not being shopped for anything potential that I'm aware of. Okay, thank you. I think there's people asking questions. There's projects in the pipeline from the Kansas Department of Commer

Anyone else? All right. If not, Mary, next item.

All right, council. Do you have any questions or comments about the consent agenda? If there's not, then I just need a motion.

I move to approve the consent agenda as presented and authorize the mayor to sign.

Do you have any more information on what timeline maybe is for this project or anything that's happening on it?

And this does restart the RHID process from the beginning, correct? Closing this will restart. We have to begin at the beginning?

And does any future changes to the development plan put the state's approval of the RHID at risk of not moving forward?

Okay, so if that's the case, there's a need to look for a motion.

So my guess is by your comment, you don't have those signatures yet.

What happens if they come back later and want to connect?

I have a question about that. So obviously, there are other benefits because there would be fire hydrants, et cetera, which improve insurance rates and safety, obviously. If a property owner chose not to tap into the water immediately, because they're already on sewer up there, right? Correct. So let's say that this goes through and just hypothetically in 2027 starts the 20-year special and a property owner taps in five years later. Do they then pay 15 years of specials or are they paying 20 years?

Okay. So there's really, even though it would... the loan would be paid off at the 20. They're still going to pay it through the 25 years.

OK. Sorry, let me ask it a different way. So they're paying the special assessment whether they tap in or not? OK. Got it. So there's really no benefit to not

Well, and as Mr. Skinner spoke to earlier, there's issues, it sounds like. I know from talking with residents up there, some are worse than others, but there are a lot of expensive things going on with the in-home water infrastructure. Yep. Filters and toilets going bad and whatnot. So, okay. Okay. I did have another question. You said that a certain number had already signed on, 70 of about 110 and the packet says 120. It was just an interest.

Do they have to fill out the application before we pursue the loan? Or can we pursue the loan?

So say that happens in the spring, how long do they have to get that petition submitted back to, did they submit it back to us or the state?

Okay. My understanding is that there's been multiple petitions started and stalled and restarted in this neighborhood. Yes. Would those signatures be considered? No.

I think there are, based on my conversations with people who live up there, I think there's a number of people who are excited about this. And I know there are a number of people who are willing to sign, but they don't want to be the circulators of the petition because that's kind of a lot of work. It is. Yeah. I think that's why they start and stop in the past.

Kells, do you have any more questions? No. So this is a public hearing, so if there's any comments from the audience, you can come forward and state your name and address, and you can speak on this item.

Anyone else? Okay. If not, I just need a motion to close this public hearing.

I need a motion to open the public comment. So moved. Second.

That $250,000, that's set by our committee. city policy, right? Correct. Okay.

And there's a third SRF loan. Sorry, that's the babysitter. There's a third SRF loan that we're pursuing, which is the – I can't turn it off. It's forced to ring through. which is the Cary Park stuff, but that would not be eligible for that fund.

So I have a question on that. So say that the neighborhood's north of 43rd, because I know their water situation is not much better. So say something happens to that, we annex them, and is there enough water feed to supply that, to tie on the end of that line, if that would happen, or no?

I don't know what happened, but I just was curious.

We had a good-sized meeting with those folks. Do you know what rate that fund is being replenished, if there's $200,000 right now?

Yeah, I have a question. Go ahead. So the match from the state for the foothills was 34% forgiveness. Forgiveness, not match, sorry. And for this one, it's 40%. What's the difference there?

Okay. And even though you would be doing the... the water line, there would not be curbs and gutters being added on these streets, right?

No more. Anyone from the audience have any questions about this project? If not, I just need a motion to close the public hearing.

So basically, unless you have any other questions, we just need a motion to approve this.

I move to approve a resolution authorizing the SRF loan application for extension of water service to Lakeview Hills subdivision project and authorize the mayor to sign.

I had a couple of questions. So do you have the map that we had? We had a map at one point like two years ago.

Okay. I just remember, like, In lay terms, we're saying it's on main, but it does branch off as far as two blocks and a couple of spots, right?

Okay. Sorry, I was thinking of the whole project, not just this.

And removing some of the stamped concrete?

All right, council, any other questions? If not, then I would be looking for a motion.

I move to approve a resolution authorizing temporary construction easement for transportation alternative grant project TE-0566-01-2508 downtown concrete maintenance and authorize the mayor to sign.

So on the management system, is that something you can do in-house? No. It's something we'll have to go outside to get? Yes. Okay.

So have you talked to some of the other entities, I guess, at that conference you went to to see what some of them, if they've started using some of those management systems? Sure.

So you think this will save a lot more time and make sure all of these requests get taken care of?

It sounds like a lot better system to make, make managing it a lot easier.

For myself, it sounds like something that we should look into.

It is, and I brought this matter up to... I know you guys were working on it administratively before this, but I brought this matter up to Interim City Manager Gary Meager on September 21st because an organization reached out to me and said that they were being charged $30 an hour because of the new form that's on the website. And I pointed out that Chapter 2... sets our rate at $12 an hour and doesn't actually allow us to deny a request. So they do stay in limbo for non-payment. The only thing we can deny for is if the records genuinely don't exist. And because our Chapter 2 is more restricti

I would... say that I'm leery of council giving any direction right now without receiving public input on this because going more than doubling the fee, the assumption is that we would be more than doubling the fee for a request. I think creates... Like you said, the strategic plan is to provide transparency. And if we're now charging $40, $75, however many dollars an hour.

I think the other thing to consider is that this would be a new software purchase, and what fund is that software purchase going to come from?

And you weren't planning on using that reserve for anything else? No. Okay.

But you kind of have a process. A couple slides ago, it had kind of what your process was that you were going to go through to get to this.

Would this impact the shelter, HPD, and fire records? Because I know they have their own form.

I'd be okay with going through your process to work through this to see what you come up with. One more for consensus.

I do just want to voice my apprehension based on the goal is transparency and increasing our prices creates a burden to transparency. And I understand the behind the scenes headache that this is for you guys. I think that the problem is that administratively a change was implemented this summer and it didn't align with the code and now we're trying to fix something that somebody shouldn't have done in the first place and was done without input from council. And so I think recognizing that and the fact that there's been a period of time already that we've been charging a rate that didn't align

Next item. I want to say one thing more about that. When this item comes back to us, I think we should have an actual public hearing item along with that. That way impacted agencies or people from the public could weigh in on the proposed changes and proposed fee cycles.

Yeah, I do as well, so I think there's going to be a lot of conversation about it, so I'm okay with that too.

It seems like somebody always picks that out and says, like, adverse opinion is people assume that that means something's wrong with the audit. And so thank you for explaining that because it means it's the opposite, so.

So on page 60, the last sentence of the first paragraph, it says, the results of our test disclose no instances of noncompliance. And it goes on. Is that, that is just about the federal grants?

What's the cost when we have to go back in and re-sand it and all that?

And is that from a poor installation? Is that what the product?

And I'm assuming they were installed about the same time? The exact same time.

Okay. So... Keisha every year has, before they go to, I think they call it committee, they have their draft rules that they'll put out. Have they considered changing that jump serve rule?

From the concrete to the floor. Okay. And then my other question was, it seems like even though the new floor is going to be rated for, you said, quite a bit of weight. Yeah. I would imagine that the old floor was also rated for some kind of weight if we'd been putting a 2,000 pound goal on it over and over and moving it around. Is there any conversation of changing the goal system to come down from the ceiling, or I know it's a high ceiling. I don't know anything about basketball, so I don't know what's possible. But is that something that has been considered to get more life out of a $640,00

I won't see any of that. I don't watch basketball, so I won't see anything like that.

Are there any other repairs on the radar that would be coming from this fund?

My only hesitation is the expansion. I just wonder how many actual other events we're going to have. For basically a couple tournaments, that's a big chunk of change.

And then the bleachers coming out on top of, if you went with the alternate one, the bleachers would be coming out and sitting on top of the wood floor at that point. Would that cause another potential point of failure?

What's the warranty on this new floor? Um...

Because you look at our previous floor and go, okay, there's not a substantial warranty. It wouldn't do the same thing.

Okay. Council, any other questions? I don't know.

I moved to approve the bed from wins and company and the amount of $643,000 for replacement and expansion of the sports arena, main gym, wood floor, and authorize the mayor to sign all associated documents.

And I have to vote too. Yes. I'm sorry. You didn't say me.

I move to approve the cost share agreement with Hutchinson Community College for its share of the sports arena main gym floor replacement project in the amount of $221,500.

Can you go back to the map, please? Yes. There's a lot more north of town than I was realizing. Or, I mean, north of 17th. Like, I'm looking at, like, for our quadrants.

That's... If you did any of that stamp concrete, I know you're talking four years timeline, basically. It's probably going to last about the same length of time. But if you have repairs or stuff, the only thing that concerns me with that is you go back in there and some of that color gets off by time. So then you're ripping it. So you're ripping sewer line or whatever up. Then you go, okay, that doesn't look good now. And

And I would imagine by doing it over the top versus mixing it in, you're using a lot less of the coloring agent.

I think this is interesting. This is what I had wanted to hear about this. I think without putting a pen to paper and figuring out what some of the costs are, it's hard to say which option is going to be best for you to move forward with, but I would be curious to know if that historical district has any special regulations, so if that would be something you could dig into.

I think there's two points of concern for me. So one is Monroe to Adams, 2nd Street. There is a brick sticking up just west of Jefferson. I drove by it today on the way here. And then the other is 12th and Walnut, and it's like the – traffic pattern of people turning has moved the bricks so much that, like, you bottom out right there. Maybe not in a big truck, but in a normal car, you bottom out just going through there.

Yep. You mentioned some of the measurements, how many blocks are 27 and how many are 60 and whatnot. Okay. Would that be possible to color code the map of which ones are which width? I think we have that. Just tell us which of the 19 blocks are 60.

Yeah, you have two minutes. Yes. At the bathroom break, you can .

I... Wanted to bring up the future agenda items that I had mentioned. I think it was August 4th and they were Voted on by council to be heard within 60 days and today is the 60-day mark those were the flock cameras the plastic bag ban the e-bike and scooter Regulations The brick streets and I the public comment policy. So that being said those are still important things that we should discuss. The community is expecting us to do that and I would like them to be on a near future agenda. Yeah, that's it.

Okay, so I do want to, I agree, Mr. Fast, sorry to see him go, but I do want to thank him for his service and time he spent serving the city and the community. And then, yeah, on the rod run, Couldn't ask for better weather. It looked like it was very well attended. And then also wanted to thank all the city workers during the monsoon we had out there. They were cleaning gutters and streets everywhere, trying to get everything to drain. So I want to thank them for getting out there in the all the water for that too. So, and yeah, I think on the, on your public, on your agenda items, I think th

We did. So in 2025, when the FEMA map changes came out – And I wish the engineers were here too. OK. Basically, the Cal Creek project was re-evaluated and determined that perhaps the original math that made it a priority wasn't accurate. And that's when we transferred or kind of moved over to the detention basins.

Something that I learned, two things I learned is, number one, the FEMA maps were online, and now they're not showing any longer. And I didn't know, and I wouldn't expect you to have an answer, but that's something I need to reach out to.

Right. They were on a state website. Oh, they're on a state website? Yeah.

I figured maybe they were pulling them so that they could change them because it was more of a GIS type system. And then the other thing is a resident who lives on like 3rd, I think, reached out about a giant pothole and some drainage issues in her block. And I learned that there's only three, I think you told me, there's only three conduits that cross the railroad tracks going south.

Okay. Is that something that can be increased? Because I know they're going under a railroad.

While you're up here, how's your mowing of the ditches coming? I know that some of the areas have been taken care of. I don't know where you're at in the process.

And I did have, I can't remember exactly, it's somewhere like 7th or 8th or 9th, somewhere on Jefferson. I had heard that there was some pretty good flooding down there, and they had sent in requests before, and nothing had been, and I don't know, maybe you know exactly where that's at.

Well, and that was my comment, too, I made, that I saw your trucks everywhere, and they were all out working on drain stuff. So, I mean, we were trying to do as much as we could.

I think I asked everybody if they'd responded to him. Have you not? Okay. Most of us had.

Nope. And the next item is the future agenda items, which I think we talked about some of those. It should be coming online soon. Is there anything else that council would like to see added as a future agenda item? No? Okay. No executive sessions, so if that's it, I just need a motion to adjourn.