City Commission - Regular Meeting

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I call this Tuesday, January 27th, 2026 city commission meeting to order. Will you join me in the flag 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. Dr. Michael Neville, will you come forward and lead us in the prayer?

Please join me in prayer. Almighty God, our heavenly father, as we gather to consider the business of our community, may thy blessing be upon the people of Pittsburgh, Kansas. And may the light of thy truth shine on each of us, that we may give voice to the truth as we are given to see it, and that we may hear the truth as spoken by others, even those with whom we may disagree. and that in all we do may may it be to thy honor and glory. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you.

All right. I'm going to uh open the meeting to public input if anybody would like to come forward and state your name, address.

Hello. Uh my name is Joseph Man. Uh address is 520 West Martin Street. Um, and I've just prepared a statement um, just to talk about the u need for some new public uh, soccer fields for us. So, uh, good evening. My name is Joseph Man. I'm a math teacher at Pittsburgh High School and I'm the head coach uh, for boys soccer at PHS um, for the past three years. This will also be my second season serving as the assistant soccer coach for the girls program at PHS as well. Um, and while I'm not originally from Pittsburgh, my family has really strong ties to the community and the soccer programs here. U my wife was a PHS graduate and a member of the PHS soccer team, uh, way back when it was still just a single co-ed team. So, uh, though my or sorry, through my short time here and through hearing countless stories of my wife's experiences with the program, um, I've been able to see so much growth in soccer at PHS, in the Pittsburgh community, and in Southeast Kansas as a whole. Um, our high school program has has grown from a small co-ed team into a strong enough program to support um, two separate large boys and girls teams. Um, we're one of only two teams in the sec league to have a separate girls team, just us and Shenute. Um, and and you know, one of few around the SEC area just in general. Um, we even have our own one of our own PHS uh soccer graduates playing on the PSU women's team right now [clears throat] in Alyssa Hotsy. So, um, this last season the boys team had one of the best records it's ever had. We won an SEC league championship. Uh we hosted a regional and hosted and won a regional game and completed competed closely for a regional championship. Uh the girls last season also had its best record ever and hosted a regionals game. Uh all this highlighting the growth and success of Pittsburgh soccer. Uh and it's been really clear to me to see how the

community is ready to rally around that success of these programs. Um, but with that growth, our programs still face an uphill battle when it comes to things like postseason matchups and facing against teams um from larger city areas like Kansas City and Witchah and Topeka. Um, these areas have a lot more access to youth development programs and facilities that allow their players to play organized soccer together from a much younger age. Uh, and and I've seen this gap start to close slowly um with our development here. But one big help to this uh that we can't fix by just our effort alone uh is access to more and better facilities. So as we continue to see the growth of several youth programs here um such as the Iguana Soccer Club and Golden FC that are able to foster the development of our youth players, we need to make sure that uh we also can provide them safe and quality places where they can practice and play. Um obviously we have the PHS pitch which is very nice, well taken care of by our school district. Um, but only so much can be done to maintain it, especially in certain areas like the West Gold Blocks, um, which is constantly run down due to overuse, um, by people and and teams and stuff outside of our PHS, uh, teams and outside of our seasons. Um, just again, due there being not, uh, an abundance of other quality places where they can play. Um, there's the lower practice field there's PHS, but it's a much rougher, less ideal playing surface. Um and obviously we now have that uh PSU field as an option. Um but again it's one field for for all of the teams and organizations that want to use it and after the college has first dibs on it. So um I think adding more public soccer fields for our community would greatly benefit both our competitive soccer programs um youth development as well as access for more people to get involved recreationally at the youth and adult levels. Um and I think this could only have a positive impact on our soccer programs uh and the community of Pittsburgh as a whole. So, uh, thank you for your time and consideration.

I have a question. You said you hosted regional match. [snorts] Yes, sir. Was [clears throat] it at the PHS field or was at the college field? It was at the PHS field. So, is there any chance that something like that could be held at the college field or have you

Yeah, absolutely. Um, and we have they actually did reach out and and offer uh to us to host um a game or or a couple games there. Um but at this time with where they're at in the stages of that development of that field, it doesn't have uh any lights still. Um and so that's uh makes it so we can't really do that um with our games. We play at 4:30 for the JVN and then around 6 for varsity. So it gets dark before the end of the games. Um so we have to have uh field lights at least before we can do that. But that is something that in the future could be a possibility. Yes. All right. Thanks. Yeah. Anybody else want to come up and speak in public input? State your name and address.

Good evening, Christy Bitner, 1508 Bitner Court. I'm sorry. There seems to be questions as to my appearances before this governing body to discuss the budget process and books that have been presented for 2026. I'm concerned about the confusion the production of the three budget books have brought to the taxpayers who deserve transparency and accountability. I understand that we've had several finance directors and for 2025, Jay Buyers has been the acting finance director. It's truly not a game of stump the chump that was mentioned during the city and county meeting on January 22nd. Numbers matter. They are facts within a budget. They tell a story of where we've been and where we are going. That's why it's so important to get the numbers right the first time and let citizens know how to we got to the end results. So tonight I have a handout to share with you to show how to to show how uh we've been describing as problems between the three budgets. One has to begin with um a budget with assessed valuations, assessed valuations, mill rates and tax levy dollars when building a budget. And another part of the equation was uh the state legislation 22 sorry the revenue neutral rate and commissioners have to make a decision on whether to go above that rate or not every year. So I've made a comparison of the three budget books. You have that in front of you. So feel free to ask questions as we go through this. And so we'll start with the mill rate first. And as you can see, all the budget books had the same mill rate. Uh the total assessed valuations were the same. But then after we get to the net assessed valuations that are after exemptions, um you see that the first and second book were the same. The third was not. And then Crawford County uh clerk had given a number u that's different than all those. And you can see the differences between those. and um they go from $844,984 up to $2,940. So then on the second page is the net assessed valuation to support the 2026 budget. And you see the differences there and then the tax levy uh dollars

that you see, but they were in the budget summary. You see the differences between the first two were the same and then the third one was different and that's $50,000 difference. the ad valorum tax levy dollars. Uh the first two were the same, the third one was different and that looked like about 167,000 in books and um then the proposed budget in 2026 notice of budget hearing. You see the expenditures and they were different uh between the first and the second and third one and then also the adalorum tax dollars are different and so um that has to be uh part of that. Then we have on uh annual resources that are part of the narrative and shows how the money is going to be spent. And so in the first book it was 47 million, the second book 46 million and then the third book was 47 million. It was less than the first book. And that was a range of 51,000 to 285,000. And annual expenditures uh were uh they were all different. The first and second were in the $48 million range and the third is the $49 million. So that's between 118,000 to 722,000. And so you see that expenditures over the resources for those two u the annual and and the expenditures um [clears throat] they go from 1 million2 up to 2 million one and that was the 2 million ones in the third book. So then you go to all divisions which is page 53 which shows you all the breakdowns of the resources and the allocations um for the different uh funds and it showed for 2024 um the book showed that the first and second book and the third book they all had different numbers for the actual dollars for 2024. And then the estimated resources, it shows different numbers for those totals. And the adopted resources showed the first and second book um they were 74 million but

slightly different than the rest of it. And then 72 million was the third book. Then the actual allocations by fund. Um we had lots of differences there. 47 million was what it said, but then they didn't add in the sanitation cost. So then that brought it up over 48 million. In the second book, it was 49 million and then they didn't put that in there. So, you had to add the 50,000. It was 50,000 with the 544,000 for sanitation cost. And then the number three book is 53 million. So, then um the estimated allocations by fund you should you see it's 51 million for the first book, 52 million for the second, and 53 for the third. And then, um the allocations by fund totals there were 74 million. Once again, a little different in all three three books. And then you have the revenue neutral rate and the proposed tax rate. And I found it interesting. I learned that um as our valuations oop, sorry, go higher than that makes the the neutral rate number go down. And and so this was just a what it shows was um what we've had since 2022 and what we've done with the um revenue neutral rate. So, as you can see, it's a little startling to see how the numbers vary, and we must determine with certainty the direction the commissioners want to go in 2026. I again believe a financial audit of the 2026 budget to be approved to have confidence of the numbers for the future. I think it's important to point out that the 2026 budget book number three has not officially been approved by the governing body. To say that all that matters is the state certificate is to diminish the work involved to arrive at the state certificate totals. Without that part of the process, it makes it seem insignificant. I would hope we do not approve of that because it all matters. Thank you. Do y'all have any questions in looking at anything? [clears throat]

Christie and like we talked about, I'm going to get you we're going to go through this. Okay. And get you answers to what changed. Obviously, we'll be sure and get questions. three books were a [clears throat] yeah a point of contention. So yes, we're listening to you and we will be uh Okay. All right. Missy's already started pulling down answers. We did 1099s this week, but she knows. Okay. Like we got hopefully before the February meeting. Okay. All right. But thank you. Well, thank you. I would if you're getting Christie answers,

I would hope those answers would be in this setting uh where the questions was raised so everyone can hear the answers. Yeah, I know we've talked and there's going to I'm going to get my questions, you know, to Darren and we'll we'll get answers and that that'll be discussed in the first meeting of February. So, but thank you for listening all that and look at the numbers and you'll see there's there is some issues that need to be addressed.

Thank you for bringing this in. Like I said, I we brought this up in the last meeting. Um I feel it's important for transparency and and open government concept that we get to the bottom of this and we get clarity. I'm spoken with Darren. You know, we brought it up here. Um we're hoping to get to a point where the gaps are reached. We have um explanations on why the changes were made and what caused that. And then hopefully we can get to a point where we're all on the same page with this. So, we do appreciate it. Thank you. Does anyone else would like to speak public input?

Hi, Roger Long 1147 South 220 Street. I just had a couple of questions and I guess wanted to confirm what your intent is in terms of future property tax adjustments because of the the situation that's been discussed and wanted to make sure that I see that you've got one one motion on the agenda to bring the mill back down for next year. um within that just make sure that you all understand when you get the revenue neutral when we see the revenue neutral report next August or whenever that's going to come out that revenue neutral is based on the dollar amount that was budgeted this year which means it will be that higher inflated number and so if if one were to just drop the mill enough to even hit that you're really just saying we're not going to do more than the current amount and would find yourself potentially needing to go lower than the 1 whatever mill adjustment that you've got on that motion. And I I I don't know that the motion's really binding per se tonight, but it's a good um signal of your intent for the for the future because obviously the final vote would be in the budget hearings next.

We are going to discuss what we're going to do about that. Roger. Uh and consider the following item C, right? And when we get to that point, I'm sure you'll still be here. Sure. hear what we say. Uh but yeah, we're going to reduce it down to 50 where it started out, but we probably even try to get it lower than that. Okay. Well, I guess that that was my question that you're to to quote unquote reduce the amount enough to give people a a refund, so to speak, would be a matter of having to go below that, I believe. Even I I know Doc and I had talked a little bit after the last meeting that he had mentioned that as a as something we reduced it down to 50 point eight

whatever that number is. Yes. That also we're going to start the 27 budget in the rears by 207,000 that this mistake caused taxpayers right be a burden this year working necessarily below that mill even right y okay all right well I'll leave you be then. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Roger. Yep. Anyone else would like to speak in public input? Seeing none, uh, moving to the consent agenda. Are any items need to be removed from consent agenda? Seeing none, is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? Make a motion to approve the consent agenda.

Motion approved by DJ. Is there a second? Second, Cheryl. Second. Can we have a roll call vote? Brooks, yes. Hi, yes. Monel, yes. Harry, yes. Sigley, yes. Motion carries.

Moving to consider the following. Eagle Picture Technology project change order number two. Consider staff request to approve change order number two for the equal pitcher technology project which adds a total of 31 days to the contract and no cost change with a new substantial completion date of June 26 2026. Mayor, commissioners, this is just a um the insulated metal panels that go on the exterior of the building just manufacturer um getting the selection and in production and so they've got their production number locked in. So that changed the the substantial completion date by 31. The contractor is requesting this has been sent through the architect to us um asking for approval because again it is our building and contract that we do have with Branco. Does anyone have any questions for Matt at this time?

So the 31 days is to their current understanding of when total completion and operation the substantial completion date will be moved out to the June date to that. Are you expecting additional adjustments for that those dates as far as components and things needed or are they I don't think so at this point but those are pretty critical to the structure itself. Move to approve item A. Second. Is there any other questions? If not, is there a motion to approve the change? He did. Oh. Oh, you. All right. It's been moved and seconded. All in favor say I.

All oppose. Same sign. Motion carriage. Thank you, Matt.

Item B, JJ Richardson Banshell Restoration Project update. staff will provide an update on the JJ Richardson Banshell Restoration Project and present a recommendation for a potential change in scope. Um, good evening again, mayor and commissioners. Um, I'm going to kind of present this project and and uh I'm going to ask that you kind of just set on your questions until the end. Um, we're we want to provide an update. Um I've got uh Stan Hudson with Mid Central Contractors as well and Pete's kind of looked through but just kind of walk through this project real quick. Um earlier um well last year I guess uh y'all approved uh $250,000 from ARPA funds to be dedicated to um the restoration of the BAM dome. The project kicked off last winter. Toby kind of set it in motion. So the current contract that was out for bid, y'all awarded the contract to mid central contractors. That was in the amount of 243,700. This is a breakdown of what made up those cost as per bid items. To date, we paid 57,650. And I'll explain a little where where I stand with that in a minute. [clears throat] Just so everyone kind of sees the condition, your front view, back view of the building itself, east side and west side conditions. Um there is a top view that does have the new roof on it and we'll kind of revisit that here in a minute among upon commencing construction. Um there's an interior [clears throat] wall. Well, let me finish up. We've done some you saw the new roof on this is the new truss and framing um and deck sheeting to supply to support the new roof system that is there is a little bit of interior wall framing um that has been done and we'll step into that.

There's your new roof system providing positive drainage back into the scuppers um to discharge the water from the roof um on the two end in Junes. Um the structure was originally built back in the 1930s. Uh I'm going to kind of just highlight this. You can't really see the arches in here, but there are some arch structures. You can see it noted on the on the drawing itself that go into these foundations through there. [clears throat] Upon the interior walls, it's a shared a shared wall with the back side of the arch. Um [cough and clears throat] we discovered uh extensive termite damage especially to the arch structures to support um the dome itself. Um, if you can kind of look in this picture, you'll see the angle iron that supports that interlocks the wooden truss that comes down to the structural footing that carries it. And there's four of those on each side of the structure. Um, there's the top view. There's a little you can see it kind of behind the plywood there. Uh, again, you just it's missing in that photo. In this photo here, you can see there's an angle iron that goes out and there should be an arch and it's just gone. It's just disintegrated. I mean, this has happened over decades. And until they removed the interior walls, we didn't know that. I mean, we knew he had water damage. We knew he had interior on the roof trusses and everything like that. We did not know the extents until this was removed. Um, there's a little bit of there's a crack in the top of the dome. essentially the um essentially the arches that carry the wire and plaster for that makes the makes the dome stretch to itself. Those arches are we consider them gone and of no structural value at all. Um [snorts] thus you're only carrying the plaster wire. So we consider that a pretty major

major concern. What we're asking for tonight uh is to change our scope and um we'll kind of go through it again. It was 250,000 um that was approved. The contract with Mid Central as it stands today is 243,700 built to date is the 57,650. They mobilized chain link fence. They rebuilt the roof structures. They worked on the disconnecting electrical putting that together. um reframing roofing materials to date, leaving us a remaining balance of $186,50. [clears throat and cough] Mid Central has proposed a new scope um that we've asked the we've asked them to um to take the shell down safely, remove that plaster and wire and take the dome structure down itself. both the end structures um with that common wall. We'll reframe and set that up with an exterior ephus so that it's weathertight with new doors on um the two ends and tuck point and tie all that back up to weathertight. We're going to we're going to modify. We're not going to do any concrete work at this point. Um we would leave the stage as is. We will just get the dome taken off of it. Um you can see from the top view basically where that common wall is that that's shared where the dome structure is. So basically everything in this heavy dark gray will go away. The back wall goes all the way up on the on the top. So you have that positive drainage that maintains through there. Um again you can see the dome slants in. So those walls will be rebuilt. We put an exterior finish system on those new secure doors. Uh do all the masonary tuck pointing for these two two end sections. Reestablish the electric. So basically at the end of the day, you'll

be missing you'll still have the back wall to the stage and the front wall, but the the shell itself will be removed and you'll have a stage platform with electrical connections. So we can still have performances for this summer. um and we can move forward and then come up with some architectural renderings, find another funding mechanism and come up with what we could rebuild it the way it stands. We could, you know, do a variation of things, but um that'll be whatever direction you you all want to go as a commission and other whatever funding mechanism we find to get that. But at this point, we'd be able to save the ends as they are in the work that we've done to date. We still clean it up and have a tuck point and we just literally be missing the top of the shell

over the top. But as it stands today, we cannot leave we cannot in good conscience leave that as it stands. So um again, they can do it to finish the contract. So the contract amount won't change. It'd be a net zero change to the contract. We'd still have something to work with and we won't lose the complete integrity of the dome itself. We just have to try and do something moving forward. So tonight we're asking um and I'll entertain questions, but the motion is if you would like to move forward with this scope um with Mid Central to do this work um and how you how you would like to proceed moving forward. So the change would at the end it would be usable you said this summer and beyond

you would still have the stage you still have the stage concrete the st the front railing would stay um the back concrete and some ADA ramps that were planned in that budget have been removed so but we're leaving the tuck pointing in of the brick ends as they stand um they are re-roofed we'll reframe walls [clears throat] make sure there's positive drainage running off those roofs and you'll still have the whole back wall that's still so you still have a backdrop as [clears throat] it stands today, you just lose lose the arch. So is the the stage is concrete as it stands today. The arch with the JJ Richardson band dome, is that gone? That is gone. [clears throat] Could you save those letters?

Yeah, we will save all the lettering, all the We will save all that. Yes, that will be that is actually the last item on here. Remove all signage and and give them back to the city and we'll hold on to those until we figure out what the next plan is. That is that has been the request. We will salvage that [clears throat] those items. So from a historical standpoint, is there no grants out there that you know kind of like Washington school and say where the fund zone is? I you always hear about people talking about historical money and things. Is that a possibility? I think that's something we're going to pursue for the future, but there's no saving what's there today.

No. Well, that's why I wonder moving forward that will be conceptual drawings. We'll search out, you know, there's land water cont. I mean, we'll there's a whole team of people behind me that will support working for every other alternative that we can come up with to put this thing back together.

So, are we throwing good money at bad money right now by redoing what's there because of the pictures you showed? I'm I'm shocked about the preventive maintenance that never happened over the years. Um it I mean historically and when when you read about JJ Richards [clears throat] and what all he accomplished and you know he wrote music for Ring Ringling Brothers and Bailey Barnum Circus. U he went to Pit State which it was called Kansas Teachers College back then. But um I'm just really shocked about the pictures on the inside that what you couldn't have seen all that damage, right? Cuz it was all it was all hidden with interior walls.

When you have a brick building, you know, I'm sure that you don't think much about the wood part inside and termiting and things like that. It was built 100 years ago. I don't think they had any termite [clears throat] protection and waterproofing and different measures. And I can tell you the laminate materials were not an exterior laminate. So you get trapped humidity and different things that could happen in that. I think it's all termite for the most part, but it's happened over decades and and I mean it's unfortunate. Are we better off rebuilding it as it was with the same in the same sense as he built it in the 1936? I think you can if that's if that's a

you just can't do it the way. So right now what we would do is the interior walls that are shared once that dome comes down where you saw the where you saw the two eyes Mhm. kind of framed in there. That was that wall that was completely removed. They had to put something up and give it some support to carry the roof. So, we we got it back weathertight.

So, when we discovered that, we move forward. We we made a decision. We moved forward to weathertight the way it was. Get get those two ends weathertight and see what we need really needed to do. And when we really there's just there's no we went through a couple different scenarios, but there's no good scenario with those arches being gone that you can do anything with it. Those are going to have to come down. So that is being saved with the idea that you could re you could theoretically make it look just like it did. But yeah, you could put it all back technology and advancements in construction to make it

Yeah, you could go back. Exactly. You could go back with wooden wooden glue. I mean, you're just going to have a wall there with ephus on it and you could go right back on side of that and have a common common void space and you could go back in with wood arches if you wanted. You could go back with whatever building material you can and you can stuckle it back and drop it all back down. You could go back. It could look exactly the same. It's just we can't do that today with the funds that we have remaining from ORPA. But you're going to try to save those sides. I'll call them sides. Correct. Yeah. Yeah. That Yeah. The end caps. I don't know what Well, I I' I'd like to see that happen. Um instead of tearing everything down and start new. I'd like to see if that can be salvaged and save.

And that's Everybody wants that. We're trying to do the best we can with a bad situation. and Mid Central's been really really super helpful about working through this and working through these scenarios and trying to rework this all back in with the remaining dollars that we have to make the best project. The next project is going to involve more concrete work, some ADA. Um the front wall is going to need some addressed and those type of things, but that can all come as part of whatever the future that whether it looks exactly the same or or some variation thereof um with with identified funded dollars, those can all be put into the next project. is just to somewhat salvage the structure and still have something functional, especially for this year's celebration. It's kind of a big year.

Um we're we're trying to keep everything, you know, best of the best of the worst. So when that was built, it was built for the the acoustic means of it. Correct. And that acoustics today doesn't apply.

Correct. And we do they're putting the power back in. You did see the power panel. They will put the electric back in. So you'll be able to plug amplifiers and [cough] and all [clears throat] those electric components for for amplification back in and lighting and everything on the stage will have power back into the endcap so that if some [clears throat] performances are held there they can they can use all the electrical. They don't have to bring their own generator power or anything. That will all still be it will be sealed and weathertight within the endcaps. Just as another call area there, you to to put the arches back in would be would not be a great idea simply because they're [clears throat] not a good acoustically. A simple dome dome itself with a with a smooth roof all the way to the front would be the best way to go at the time or in in the future if we ever do it rather than put the arch because the arches diminish sound. They just do that. That's why most places don't have them anymore. I I don't choose colors or designs. So,

I think we we'll help you build whatever you want. The important thing is that we're we're holding on to the history of why the building's there and and what it means to community. Um I know we've talked about different buildings uh in the city of Pittsburgh and their dilapitating states. This is one that, you know, people collectively draw to for events, Little Balkans, Fourth July, those kind of things. Um I'm glad to see that we're able to salvage some of it and still be able to use it. uh for this year of course being a big anniversary and and celebration year um I'd be here to see uh options on recreating the purpose of the building but not using outdated technology and and concept to be able to make it

yeah and we can talk about this much more post this meeting just tonight we need to give Mid Central direction on how to proceed um if if you so choose to move forward with their scope of work and and to fill out the remaining contract amount to do as much work as we can with the dollars remaining. Um, and then, you know, we can we can see how we move forward with architectural design concepts and and you know, and then fundraising or grant funding, you know, whatever whatever means and methods [clears throat] we have, whatever the next because you still do have quite a bit of concrete work that will have to go with whatever structure and there'll still be a significant amount of money that will have to be raised to to truly put it back into the condition that it was. So Matt, you're just asking the the change is just to use the remaining balance to get it as you instruct demonstrated.

So in the first slide I showed you [clears throat] they had a breakdown of tech pointing some painting and some concrete work and everything like that. We're going to we're going to re reallocate those dollars to complete the work as as noted here in this. So it's kind of a it's a it's a pretty major scope. I mean, we weren't ever going to do anything to the dome itself anyways, but there was some concrete work and some ADA compliance stuff that we were going to try and put together as part of that front-end project on the restoration part, but now we need to take those dollars and put them back into the shell demolition and sealing it back up. There any other questions from Matt? Is there a motion to approve this change in the scope of this project? So moved.

Second. Been moved and seconded. All in favor say I.

I. at the same time. Motion carries. Thanks, Matt. Thanks. Moving on to 2027 budget. Consider consider the intent of the govern body to reduce the 20 27 mil rate by 1.152 mills from a 2026 budget mill rate. Mayors, mayor [clears throat] and city commission. We met on Thursday with the joint committee of uh the commission and the county commission in this room. Um [snorts] I think we were in there for a couple hours kind of walked through the valuation process in general. Um the magnitude of the impact on the budgets for both the city and the county. Um we left that meeting. [clears throat] I I don't it would have been weird to take a vote of the commission while the county was sitting with you. So we obviously um tabled that and moved it to um today at the request of the mayor. So what you see before you is um you know I guess more you tell you you stating your unified intent to do something probably to give people a a feeling at home that that you understand the overage in the mill rate based on the budget we submitted the budget we adopted and what the actual budget came back. So, um, that's what's before you tonight and, uh, we'd be willing to do whatever you see necessary.

What's the current mill rate right now? 52 what? 5252. So, this this number that's that's this agenda item and u, like I said, I have a lot of

Oh, 52.006. I'm about six. Um so what this is doing this is addressing the issue for the 26 budget with the overt taxation uh due to the valuation being incorrect. Um so people are clear and understand that this portion of it is just addressing that one piece. So, we're um good faith showing and and voting on that we are going to start 27's budget eliminating that change uh which will essentially put tax money back in the taxpayers's pockets for 27's budget. Um I think the intent of this commission is also to we've all spoken, we've talked, we've we've had lots of conversations is to try to reduce the tax burden. Um we're looking at lots of ways to do that. um this is a small portion of that for what's to come. I think the intent again is to get below uh the original starting point of 50.085 um as a as a goal for the city to get below that. And we've talked to the county, we had this meeting. I think we all kind of have a better understanding of what it takes to get to the end point. Um, I know there's been lots of talk and lots of concern about the the different numbers in the 26 budget, but moving for 27, we're we're going to narrow things down. We're going to focus more. The commission again is going to be more involved in the budget process. We're going to have a bunch of additional meetings. U budget hearings are going to be implemented for the 27 budget um production window. So, I think we're going to get to a real place where we can get below 50. Um, and again, I think I think I would like to see us get somewhere in the high 48s through all these conversations and and get to a point where we're actually making a change and it not just be tied to 26's budget. I just want to make sure everybody's clear on on what we're doing.

I have a question. [clears throat] So, we're going to go back to the original mill levy of 50.854 and I agree with you DJ. We need to work to lower that even more. But I had a somebody call me right before the meeting and seen something on the city website. The city's advertising for project accounting and I'm thinking we got we're going to start out 207,000 in the negative and I just wonder that we have a contract with AGH for financial advisory service and so far from 2023 to date we spent 270,00 61746. Is this not something in their scope of services that would cover this additional cost? I I of a project accountant. And I just think we're starting out at 207 in the rear and we're adding [clears throat] another another fee to the taxpayers if we hire this project account. So

here's the So good question, Mayor. Um, so in 2023, um, we contracted with them to help do our audit because the finance director at that time left in in December. And so in 2024, they again helped us with the year end for another 14,000. At the end of 2024, our finance director again quit in December. [clears throat]

Um, so in 2025, um, not having a director or a deputy director of finance, we were forced to have Jay, um, put his regular duties on hold. He became like the daily operational um, reviewer, payroll checks, but we had were down um, a director, a deputy, and a financial analyst. So that person, that company came in and spent basically $240,000 in one year. So, put that into perspective. That's the question for all of us is when we're running the city, are we going to run it by contract or are we going to run it with employees? We prefer to run it with staff members. But every time we went out to interview um similar to attorneys in the market down here, when you get into a smaller rural community, it's hard to find somebody that wants to do municipal finance um when they can do when they can make $200,000 a year sitting in their basement doing it for a bigger company. So, we struck out several times during 2025 and trying to hire somebody. Um that was the contract that we had last year. That contract really runs through the end of February of this year. Um, our preference is um that Missy has is is somewhat local. Um, I think she's very local, but I think she lives in Gerard. So, [clears throat] I I call her somewhat local. My preference is to have if we can get a finance director that has the skills and the experience and can do the job for the salary that we have to do that instead of contracting because contracting is so expensive. Now, the good news about the contract that we put together for 2025, it did a lot of things. It did the year end for us, which is what we're in the middle of right now, and it's a critical part. And as much as we have struggled in the 2026 budget document, um I think it it goes without it should be noted that what we really strive for is to

have a clean audit every year. An audit is how we bring the money in and how we spend it. And we always have a clean audit. And that's what's critical about having a finance director or in this case that contractor that we paid for. But to your point, it's extremely expensive to contract for that work. So we would prefer to do it in-house. Um and part of doing it in house is having a full complement of team members to do it. And that's with that financial position that you're looking at. Um the two people that we have right now that are head finance, um Jared and Haley have come a ton. They have come so far in the last 12 months by having AGH in there working with them twice a week, training them how to do their work. So, we have probably as good a staff as we've had. Um, we have a director now and we are still one position down, but I think if we can get that position filled and Missy's going to talk a little I don't know if she's going to talk tonight, but we do a lot of things at the city by hand because we're a smaller community. Um, we put that budget together, the document that Christie has been so patiently bringing to our attention. We've always done that by hand. It doesn't come out of a system because a system costs 35 or 40 grand. It's just more expensive when you contract for it. So Missy, since she's been here, was like, "Hey, this is great. We're putting in a new financial management system, which, you know, ARP is paying for, but it's $400,000." But at some point we have to make those decisions to probably invest in 35 or $40,000 system that can automatically do it because if our turnover rate and finance is going to be what it's been, we're going to struggle with the consistency it needs to do a budget like that by ourselves. And that's what we ran in this year. So I think your point's great. The question always becomes, do you want to pay staff or do you want to pay a contractor? We all know contractors cost more money um and they only go up. And I would prefer when we can get staff to continue to do it with staff. And Missy is um I think done

a great job in the short time she's been here. Um and she she's going to continue and that's what that extra position is is just to round out her staff mayor so she can have the full compliment and we can get off the contract. But is it a vacant position or a new position? It's vacant.

I have another question. Um, one of the scope the scope of work that this AGH provided was uh including budgeting. Was this budgeting issue that we have made a mistake on? Was it was it sent to them to look at? Um, did they catch anything or or not? So, [clears throat] we have a structure at the city. It's it's a city manager form of government. So, I'm I get a lot of accolades for stuff that happens in this town that quite frankly I ask Matt or Missy or Jay or somebody else to do and they're like, "Hey, we really like that." I'm like, "Yeah, that's great." But the other side of that is when we screw something up, I'm going to take the blame for it because um I'm the one in the end that you're you're holding accountable for doing it. Um AGH has been a great partner of ours for three years. They helped both of those audits were clean. the third audit that they're working on will be clean. But yeah, we contracted with them to put that budget document together and I think we had it where we wanted and I I' I relive this decision weekly for the last three months. We were put to the the question was put to us the day when the budget was supposed to come out. We don't need the 15% rate increase in sewer. we can do we can do with the three that we usually get because the the the debt service on that huge wastewater treatment plant loan didn't start for two years and we didn't know that until that week. So they literally said what do you want to do? I thought it would be inappropriate to give you a budget the submitted budget that day that we knew had a 15% rate increase in it when it was only going to be 3%. So that's why we came in late that day. That's why you didn't have the budget that you had. We

pulled Um, but I'm I don't I'm not comfortable sitting here and say, "Yeah, AGH was supposed to put our budget." I mean, they did the state forms and the state forms were done well. Taking the state forms and manually putting them into a bunch of Excel spreadsheets and kicking out the budget, which has driven everybody crazy, is a ridiculously arduous task for a human being to do. And if Jaime Clarkson made it look real easy because Jaime worked there for 27 years and all his spreadsheets he had built. So, was that part of their responsibility to get the budget right? I would say yes. And they got the budget that mattered, which was the state forms that go to the state that are a that are audited that the attorney general would review. Those were correct. Um, did we ask them to change the budget book late and they changed it assuming that everything was linked and it just went and it wasn't linked and we found that out weeks later? Yeah. But I can't I'm not comfortable throwing them under the bus for that. I mean that's more of the turnover and if that's going to rest with anybody that's you know we assumed the book was going to be easy easy to update and it wasn't and then the more we updated it the more we realized we were just creating more and more errors and that's why I think to [clears throat] Christiey's point that third book and those third numbers every day she was when she was in here talking about first number second number third number I'm pretty sure got the third number right u but it's definitely changed so I guess that's a long-winded answer to say I don't really want to throw anybody under the bus other than probably myself. We're supposed to give you a good budget and includes the program budget. The reason we do the program budget if I gave you the fund budget, it's we do fund accounting at the city. You can't understand that public works has three or four funds go into it. So, we do the program budget so you can just read about public works and not have to go to four different funds to figure out how much is going into it. We've always done that as a courtesy to the community. um this year. Boom. It It didn't take It blew up and uh it's taken

us a long time and we're still trying to clean it up, but I don't I mean, yeah, they were supposed to do the budget, but it didn't get done right.

I'm not I'm not saying we're throwing them under the bus because there's something I read in here. If they're send that is sent u inaccurate information and I take it they were on the budget because we made mistakes, the county made mistakes. So any inaccurate u information they was sent on the budget, they're not going to be held liable for that. That's solely on the city that sent the wrong information. So that's I just want to I'm not trying to throw them under the bus, but I do have another question. They they helped assist in the selection implement implementation of the financial management system. And I thought, were they going to stay on to train our staff to run that or is Tyler who we contracted with the the management system? Will they train our staff?

I'll defer to Jay. I'm not Yeah. Um that's not my contract. Fair fair question. The AGH is using their expertise and their experience with doing implementations of financial management systems to help us do the setup. We have to do a lot of initial configuration work beforehand. [snorts] Their job was never to train us on how to use the system. That is specifically what we contracted with Tyler for. They're going to provide implementation consultants and they already are. Actually, we're already doing that. Okay. So then I think you said Darren that we're going to have them a through February. Their current contract is fe is the end of February to the end of February, I think. So, so doesn't mean we couldn't extend it, but it's January. So, we have

and if we have a financial director now in place and a new system, they're going to train the people. I don't see why we need [clears throat] this advisors anymore. That's just my opinion.

Sure. And we'll consider that and we'll either bring you a re another contract because we think we need them for six months or a year. We won't. Well, Darren, you said something about the the way the 26 budget and maybe I'd heard this wrong, but you the budget was built through having AGH as an asset to work on the specific information and filtering it through their system to come out with the end product. That was done with Jay as the finance interim director in our absence and then with shortened staff. So now that we have a director and we've got we're just missing one staff member. Is the new financial management system going to alleviate positions within the financial department? And then you said something

we're not removing people but we have more software and systems to run it.

We have we have a growing budget. When I got here I think it was I don't know 40 50 something like that. I mean, it's it's 72 million. Um, we have uh purposely part of keeping the mill flat and and and just living within our means is not putting in expensive financial management systems. ARPA came along and gave us an opportunity to put in a new financial management system, which we desperately need. And um the other reason we can do it is because we have people on staff like Jay who have put in software for the last 20 years and knows how to do it because it's tricky. Um just today we were told at staff meeting that they finally got the chart of accounts in. That's a huge deal. Um but all of that will improve our processes dramatically. It will allow us to do um reporting and probably even allow citizens to pull reports down from the internet that we current off the web that we currently can't do. But the amount of work that we do by hand every day, let alone putting the budget in and everything else, it's it's just it's impossible to do with the turnover of staff that we have. You can only do that if you have somebody that has been there 25 years and just lives that. So, I I think I mean I always like to say any software, anything we put in is going to save us people, but we're already doing I mean all of our incentives, all of our uh property tax projects, you know, how the lights being shine on all those. I mean, those kind of the revolving loan fund, all of those things are still done. Every time we pass a new sales tax, there's like a side spreadsheet that tracks it rather than putting it into your financial management system because it's just based on the general fund and a couple of other funds. So, it's going to allow us a huge platform to start really using automation and getting out of the but we're always going to need somebody in

there to pay the bills. We're always going to need somebody to reconcile payroll. We're always going to need the new system is going to provide essentially some corrections for what we went through for 26 though. the new system is going to alleviate some of those problems that we ran into and that's the intent of it. That that is going to be a huge part of it is the manual processes because that's where the human that's where the error comes in usually and that's what we went into the budget. It was just if you have those two positions filled, will that bring you up to snuff to be able to do that? Well, I'm going to turn it over to Missy because she doesn't want me talking for her. She is the new finance director and she can tell you what she thinks she needs. Is that okay? I put you on the spot. Yeah. You got to come up to a mic or they can't hear you. you can sit down or whatever you want, but

how do you plan to use that position?

Um, the new software is going to have a a project management side that we've never had before. And what we'd like to do it it, like Darren said, we have spreadsheets for every project or every um different thing is outside of the system. I mean, we pay it um we bill it through the system, but in order to track it, we track it on spreadsheets. So, it's a very manual process. And so, what we'd like to anytime there's a project, we would like to go ahead and upload it or get it um put into the project. There's a separate project um module in the new software. So, we'll use them for that. Um we'll I had a whole list of things that um they would be back up because we do have people that have been here a long time. They do take some time off and they haven't been able to take time off in the last couple years very much. And so we'll have backup for um those people and um trying to think what else.

Well, currently the five-year CIP, the five-year fleet plan, the five-year financial forecast, all of those things are done. Um I technically do a lot of the five-year forecast myself. Matt Bacon is um very patiently getting stuck doing the CIP in the fleet. All those things in any traditional organization are done out of the finance department because they all have a financial impact and there should be tied to the budget. So that's the intent I think of the new position is to move those things from the operating department back into finance where they can be accounted for correctly where we don't have I mean one of the things we get dinged for every year in the budget is oh your inventory system and it's like well our inventory system isn't always up to date because it's like the last I mean we've got a hundred other things to do in those departments. So I think it'll help. I think there's plenty for them to do and I think it's an important position. But

so going back to um Stu asked if it was a new position or a vacant position. So it is a new position. No, it just we haven't filled it. I mean it's just not I think you you had a deputy I mean it's it's it became a dep we we used to have a guy named Joe Whmer here. We made a deputy when he was here. Um there's a position in that department which which position it is um is pretty much what we told Missy when she got hired. you go in there and figure out what your department needs. There's a position whether you want to make it a deputy or an intern. Um, it's yours. And I think right now she's leaning towards that financial and

it's both actually. It's it's an existing vacancy that it's not a deputy level. It would just be project accountant. And um I mean what what I'd like to see is be able to offload some of the the the work that I do that kind of occupies my time just trying to keep up with the schedules and all of that and be able to offload some of that so I can do more management type things and um become better versed in that instead of being so hands-on. Um I want to be able to train um Haley and Jared some more and then the new person. But we won't we won't hire just anybody. I think we're going to we're going to be very selective as far as uh who we hire. Um we've got a good team right now and we all work really well together and I think you can train a lot of things, but sometimes the wrong p person in in the group can kind of throw things off. So, um we do have a good team right now. Um one thing I do want to say, we was talking about, you know, the budget and the 26 and the issue that we've had and whether or not this new software would um fix it. I I I can't say that it's going to fix it. It will track it. But you got to think about the financial management system really tracks actuals. We talk so much about budget and budgets are our projections, okay? What we think we're going to spend, what we have the legal authority to spend because that's what our state certificate is telling us when we file that. That's our leg that's our our legal authority to spend up to that amount. But budget is just a projection. And so our our new financial management system is really going to track the budget as well as mostly the actuals. What's really happening, what what's really happening behind the scenes, what invoices paid, what invoices build, what um receipts are received, um POS, purchase orders. It's going to be a uh the way I understand it's all going to be like through a workflow. So we won't have to um this

paper, we're still filling out paper POS. Um, you know, the college where I left, they they had a system from the 1980s and they were doing electric electronic um, PO processing. It was going through electronically. So, even though they had a really old system, it still had that electronic workflow. This system will have that. Um, and in doing that, you can assign a project. You'll be able to assign a project to that purchase order and it will automatically put that into the project module. So, all this is integrated. Um, and hopefully when we convert, we won't be able to convert what we currently have in projects. We'll have to build them as we go, but as we move forward, we'll be able to add those project at the time that we're starting them.

Can you talk about the budget module? The separate

the separate B that's I want to bring that up too. Um, I say it will track the budget. It has some limited budget ability. Um, but I I asked Margie with AGH and I've asked some other people about a budgeting software and how we can not end up where we're at um for 27 budget and so I got some recommendations and I've been talking with clear gov and they do a budget um software the uh you should have everything in the packet there. I've got the proposal and the cost and I'll let you probably one of those questions. Um, but it it does cost extra. It is not integrated within the system, but it is um it will it it's worked with Tyler Technologies before and it extracts the information from our actuals and our budget previous year's budget and it'll bring it into the software and then you get to budget um you can start a budget and you can work through the draft and if you want to do some scenarios like if we do if we increase you know a percentage here and we decrease a percentage here it does scenarios those and um and then once once you finalize your budget when it's it it not only does operational budget but it does not do the state certificates because remember that's the state's documents but um but you can use that and anytime you make changes it's all interactive. It runs it all the way through the document all the documents that need to be changed. So if you make one change you don't have to make that same change here and here and here and here. You make that change here and it flows through the document. Okay. Um it also can extract uh we would extract a file export from ADP. ADP is our current payroll system and it would have our personnel information. So it would extract the personnel information and we could budget on the personnel personnel.

So it would have operational. So that's our actuals. it would have our ADP um which is our personnel and we could make um from those two things we could work the budget. So you would be able to work your personnel side, your operational side and then when you're final when you're finally done and you guys have all signed off on it and it's good you know then then we have to adapt it into our state certificate which will be a little bit different um because it's not linked but it we would have all the data with these. The third thing that it does is it creates your budget book. And in creating your budget book, I mean, you'll have to put some narrative words and stuff in there and, you know, spice it up and put our our uh organizational chart. We'll put, you know, we'll kind of summarize and do a narrative, but it will take the data and it will make those charts for you. So, when you say we have charts that have the percentages, they don't have the dollar amounts, it'll have that and it'll all be interlin and it will create that. and um he sent me a link um and I could forward that link to you guys. it um I think it was tha that's using them and in that packet it it shows a bunch of other municipalities that are using it but he shared with me the budget book that they created from clear gun

um for tha I think it was I mean it's I mean but it's 40 what is it 504,000

it's 34,000 annually and there's a $15,000 setup um the thing is um we're really pushing it to be able to use it for 27 I can tell you right now the new financial management system through Tyler will not be ready to do 27 budget if we decided to use it. It's still going to be the same spreadsheets and I really don't know to what extent it's not the same. It's not comparable what it can do what what um clear gov can do versus what the Tyler system can do. But uh clear gov says they need about 90 days to implement. So if we want if we want to try to use it for our 27 budget we got to get on the ball. And it doesn't sound like it's um like our FMS system we're doing now, our financial management system we're doing now, it's really deep. I mean, we've got a lot of um we got a lot of things we have to renew or dig into and give them information. It sounds like to me they basically need our general ledger um and be able to map it into there. And so it's not like we're doing everything. We're not doing, you know, AR codes. We're not doing AP codes. We're not doing vendors. We're not doing any of that. It's just the general ledger. They're going to map it in. And then they also said because we're going to have that new chart of accounts with the new system after August, they said that they would come back in and and I think at no cost they will remap it for next year for 28 with our new general ledger account numbers. So

this 34,515 is an annual subscription fee. Is that in your budget? Is that allocated? Is that something that's been I think that um from what we used um since we probably won't be using AGH as much I was thinking that we could probably use some of that um funding there. Yeah. And I think I put that um uh in here.

Uh we kind of lightly spoke on this earlier in the week, but what's the the lifespan of this program that they're going to implement if we decide to move forward with it? Um this this is a web- based um so I would think they would just it would be one of those things that you just constantly get upgrades on and so until they introduce new real time as yeah it's a web based it's [clears throat] a web based so it's not like we're going to have to load um the software on our computers or anything like that it'll be a web based and Tyler's new Tyler's new product that we're going with is web- based so we'll we'll just log in and and it's very it's we've been able to be in it just a little bit. We're starting to get the hang of it. So,

Missy, have you visited any of these other Kansas cities or Kansas? I have not. I have not. You've seen it in action.

Uh, he showed me the demo and you guys are welcome if you make point with me. I would um have um Brian is his name that's been this that's a sales rep on that. And you can spend about 30 minutes on a demo and kind of get a feel for what the product is. So, it's not like you got to sit there a half a day for a demo. Just a follow up on e no EJ DJ's question is this in your budget because we have to uh we're going to start out 207,000 in the rears. So if this not in your budget where are we going to cut to come up with this money? Um I I would think that it would be in the in the departmental budget. I I I can

Well, you would find out for sure before we you present this to us. It's not I mean there's what she's saying is there's money in the budget. Um but it's not not everything that we do during the year that's not budgeted generates a cut somewhere else. That's why we have reserves and fund balance. Um at the end of the year we are accountable to make up uh to live within the funds that we appropriate. But during the budget we appropriate the entire budget. So, we don't just appropriate the salaries and a and a couple of trucks. We appropriate all the money we have, every dollar um fund balance and everything. So, um looking for something to cut it next year is a great example. This year's budget when we start 2026, we will have half a million dollar less revenue than we will have next year's budget in the general fund when we start. Because we have one project that's going to generate $300,000 of non- tax money a year for 10 years. It's going to go right into the general fund. And we have two other projects that are going to probably generate $120,000 each every year forever that are going to go right into the general fund. So, it's just I I know I I was I really appreciated sitting in with the counties meeting because I had no idea how restricted the county's funds were. All I ever hear about the county is we pay road tax and they never pave any roads in Pittsburgh. I never looked at I had no idea they don't have reserves. Um when I got here, the number one thing they said to me was you're supposed to be good at uh finance. We need to make sure we've got adequate reserves to be able to do stuff. Because knowing in September of 2024 what we're going to need to spend in October of 2025 is an impossibility. And this city is extremely flexible and all we really are is 300 people with equipment doing stuff

that people need done. So you can't possibly see out that far. So when Missy talks about is there 34 I mean I she was here a month and she's like we need a new budget module and I was like that's nice but you haven't been here long enough to convince me but after all this I'm like you probably ought to bring it up to the commission because if it's going to alleviate the headache and we don't have the staff and obviously we can't get the budget right it'd probably be nice to automate it but it's not going to come at the expense of something else right now mayor it's something that we could do through fund balance and it's what we do every year it's just did we include in the in the budget for this coming year for ADH whatever it is. HGH we include them in the budget. I'll have to look.

I I you know I wasn't here with you did. Okay. We did. So there's a potential for that money to be utilized for this software. Okay. So we don't use HH. Yeah. So we don't use them and we have money. Yeah. Sounds good, Doc. or we use them to a limited amount like well I mean I think it's fair to say it's January we're closing I mean how long have you been here two three months I came at the end of September so October

I mean we're closing the year like I said the budget is really important closing the year and having a clean audit is 10 times more important than the budget book we put out um and that's what AGH is the last three years that's what they've helped us do um that part is crit critical. That's the part that could lead to trouble and us getting violations. So, I think to the extent that they're doing things like that and helping us get the 1099s out so Missy isn't just completely overwhelmed. What I'm trying to get at is that with Missy and her upgraded team that she's going to have, we hope. Yep. Uh we still might have to go to AGH for help occasionally. Right.

That's all. That's a good way to say but not nearly as much as we did before, which we could account for with this this expenditure. There's no way we'll spend that kind of money with AGH this year that we spent last year.

I did I I do want to speak to them. I I got a lot of uh it was very beneficial for me to have Margie and her team as I came into this position um to kind of educate me on things that I hadn't done before. I've done accounting for a long time. Um, but I had I I didn't really I wasn't doing governmental accounting until about a year and a half ago, but I've done bank accounting. I've done corporate accounting. I've done um different things. So, to get me introduced into the municipality, it was very beneficial for me to have them and I think it gave me a good solid um foundation. I there's still a lot that I'm learning and I will um but I think I can get some of that from the GFOA um uh group that that I belong to. So um the other thing that I think I've been telling the department managers as I talk to them about their budgets and I want them to be more um involved um is that when we get an expense that comes through I would I want to put it you know so much of the time people say I don't have a budget there or that's not where my budget numbers are. What do I do? So they would move the expense to the bud budget line that had money. All that does is give us a false sense of what we spent that on. If we don't put that to the correct line item and classify it correctly, how do we know what we're really spending our money on? And so when you come to me and this is contract services, but you didn't budget for contract services, but you budgeted on a different line item. I'm okay. Let's charge it to contract services. So next year when I do the budget, I really know what we did spend the money on, not

keep kicking the can down the road in the wrong line item. Yeah. And we have the flexibility to do that. It's just a matter of just making the books, right? Because that that gives you the history in the end. You know what you spend it on. That's a way to look back at at things that were needed for that year and what happened, what took place, what projects, and then moving forward to mirror class. And it's not I mean it's it's fund accounting. As long as it's spent in the fund, it's okay. But to Missy's point, that's kind of what she brings to the table is she's like, "We're going to spend the money out of the account that, you know, we

and and [clears throat] we are watching the fund balances and what we have the legal authority to spend from the state certificate. So, Margie, helped me go through and reconcile. I think at the end of November, we looked and see we looked and and saw where we were at as far as the general fund because it's one that we um that we have to watch really close and we're we're fine on it, but we have to make sure that we don't need to make some transfers or or whatever. Um but uh anyway, so we follow that. We want to make sure our legal authority is correct. So, thanks Missy. Yep. Thank you. I look forward to getting more involved in and learning more about this at this level as well, just to have a better idea how it's working. [snorts]

All right, get back to the 2027 budget and reducing the mill levy by 1.152 from the 26 2026 budget mill rate. Is there a motion to approve this action? So moved. Second. Seconded. Uh, roll call vote. Brooks, yes. Height, yes. Mel, yes. Perry, yes. Sigley, yes. Is there any non-aggenda reports request? Uh, no. We forgot to uh mention something earlier and uh you

No, I uh I take a point. I called Matt today to get some details on our uh snow apocalypse this weekend. And I want to give some credit to our road crew and all of our people that were out dealing with it. Um I did have some some negative stuff sent to me about uh how they they were conducting themselves. And I want to tell you I I think they did an awesome job. U they went out and it was you know I think at one point it was with the windshield it was 111. Uh they pushed snow, they cleared uh they cleared driveways for accessibility to the city buildings, not just making accessible to get to and from the grocery stores for everyone, but to keep the city functional. Um we had roughly 30 people out, 12-hour shifts. Um I don't know how much they actually pushed because that's a hard thing to calculate, but I just want to say I I went out and drove around u and I think they did a great job. I just want to make sure they get some acknowledgement of their hard work and dedication to this city. So, just want to make sure. Thank you, Matt, for the information.

I just like to add to that any of our employees that worked in those conditions. I think it was -4 Monday morning and it's out in it and they're going to work and they're doing a good job. I'd like to highlight because I talked to Dexter about this the other day. A lot of things our sanitation department does is very good job. But those trucks set outside in four negative four degree temperature and they're diesel. So before they could get to doing their job, they had to remove fuel filters, clean fuel lines out because diesel gels at a certain temperature and that was a problem. So they spent a lot time a lot of time making the trucks move. So, I just wanted to thank them for their effort, what they've done to make that happen.

Anything else? And it'd be nice to have a building where they could actually park in, but we're working on that, too.

All right. We have an executive session. An executive session is necessary for preliminary discussion regarding the acquisition of real property pursuant to KSA75 4319 B6 to discuss potential acquisition of recreational property. Need a motion to recess in executive session for 15 minutes to discuss the potential acquisition of real estate for recreational purposes pursuant to preliminary discussion regarding the acquisition of real property exception under KSA 75 43 4319B6 with a meeting to resume in the commission room in 15 minutes. Is there a motion to recess

into executive session? So moved. Second. Been moved and second. All in favor to uh recess in executive session for 15 minutes say I. I. We are in recess.

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So, we're back from executive session recess. No decisions were made. No votes were cast. We're going to move to our second executive session. And it was called for an executive session is ne necessary to discuss personal matters of non-elected personnel pursuant to KSA75 4319B1 to discuss city manager 2026 goals and letter of agreement. Motion to recess in executive session for 30 minutes to discuss the city manager's 2026 goals and letter of agreement pursuant to the non-elected personnel exception under KSA 754319B1 with a meeting to resume in the commission room in 30 minutes.

Mr. Mayor, I' I'd like to suggest that we table that until Henry can till the city attorney can be present. I think that's the thing to do, but I just want to make sure we're under no time constraints to get this done in January. Well, I'm working without goals. No, I'm kidding. I've got I mean, you're you're fine. I mean, this is at your discretion. So, when you guys So, um being sick, I would move to table that this executive session until the city attorney can be present. It's not a good look if you go in there without the term. I agree. But uh so

there's no underlying anything that says that your contract and your goals have to be done by January or February. No, we've done them early late and yeah, I'm flexible. I think you guys gave me plenty to do. So just kind of thinking about this. Hopefully he's not he's feeling better by our first meeting in February. Move the table to the first meeting February. All right. It's been a motion and second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose. Same sign. Move to adjourn. There's a motion to adjurnn. Is there a second? Second. There's a motion to second. All in favor say I.

Motion carries. Thank you all. [music]

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