City Council - Regular Meeting

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. City Manager Marsall.

Good morning, Mayor and Council members. Happy Friday. Looking ahead to our 21st agenda, we got some items of note that I want to highlight for you today. Um, one of the, um, items on there is you will get a pretty indepth um, hopefully we can spend some time talking about our transit um, network redesign. Um, we are looking to open the hub, the new transit station. Exciting times for the community as we think about um, our new transit station. Um, but that should be opening near the end of May and we'll have a council ribbon cutting as well. And so our city manager director Yeah. Can I ask uh something to be added to that conversation? Sure.

Can you talk about the various partnerships uh that the city of Witchaw has with Witchaw Public Schools, Witchaw State University, uh the VA hospital/un United Way. Um so these are all opportunities for quote free rides uh for either students or veterans. I'd like to see uh some data regarding that uh how long that partnership has been um around for each of those and the actual ridership.

Yes, thank you for the heads up on that. So, um we will have that incorporated. You're going to get some information. Um really it's more about some of the route planning and the redesign since we're going to be running it to a new location. talk about our plans for the demolition of the current transit station and um then some of the financial issues for transit overall and so you'll get some of the writership information and different things. So look forward to having this um robust conversation with you and the heads up as we get um excited for our new transit um hub. Then also there's another separate agenda item but related to um veterans ride free. are talking about some of our partnerships. That one will be highlighted as well with some information for um council members. Um you will also see on your agenda item, we do have a HUD report we're going to have for you um more specific action from you to review and initiate the Deleno Neighborhood Overlay District and some potential resonings to bring to your attention. Um you will also see one of the agenda items is an appeal of tobacco and a CMBB license which means businesses can appeal to city council and we have to create a three member board or appeal board. Um so we'll look for um membership. Um usually it's a rotating membership. So if you serve once, maybe not serve a second time. But we have highlighted in your information who's served on recent appeals board. So if you have not served on one, you might want to consider that. Um but we have to establish that. So we'll bring that forward to you. Um you'll also see sever several of your items. It's construction season with nice weather, so our public works has some easement and acquisition issues for you to review in there. And

so those are the highlights for I think the 21st agenda. I want to spend a little time then on the 28th workshop, but I'll take a moment to pause if there's some other information you all need for the 21st agenda next week. Let me know afterwards if there is. Um, if you see in front of you, council should have the uh 28th agenda item, but particularly the workshop agenda item. It's a one-pager. Okay. I'm sorry. Um, let me tell you what's on the um workshop agenda because I want you to know we're addressing many of the issues that you've brought up before is um one, this will be at the workshop our monthly update for the waterworks update that we'll have representatives from the companies there. So you'll have that as standard. Um second, we should have Austin as a representative of the EPC and the parking deck ballpark um in person. He wasn't able to be at our last two meetings. He was online, but if you recall, they made an announcement about who the hotel flag is going to be. Um but just to hear from him in person. Um, so we'll just have a little update again on some of the timelines. I know everyone's sensitive to with the um apartments, hotel, parking deck conversation. So, we'll have um a representative here for the workshop. We're going to talk about some of the construction of sidewalk issues, talk about our sidewalk standards, construction maintenance. Um, that'll be a presentation based upon some of the council conversation about how wide sidewalks on both sides. You'll have the opportunity to give some thoughts and guidance on that going forward. Um, we're ready to kick off the budget season. So, we're going to have a budget presentation for you as our budget planning and kickoff, talk about some

revenue projections, um, some of the big key expenditures we're looking at. So, we will highlight that for you as a kickoff at the workshop. We've had some conversation recently about backing into parking stalls. Um it is called reverse motor vehicle parking ordinance. And so we are going to review for you the reverse motor vehicle parking ordinance and see if there's any action you want us to bring forward at a future council meeting. And so that will be the initial kickoff of the workshop. And then lastly for the workshop agenda, we will have some options for you as we look at the proclamation process, approvals, sponsorships, whatever it may be that you can give us guidance and feedback on maybe some future action you want to see to structure the proclamation process. So that's been I know some conversation among council members. So we'll have that conversation as well. So, we got some robust items for you on the 28th as part of the workshop. Um, now I know there's other issues that we'll bring forward to you at the May workshop, but wanted to let you know we're getting scheduled the items that you've all been talking about or heard about. Um, so that's what we have for the workshop. Um I do want to highlight um we can talk about some of those items but also for the public to know we do have scheduled on Monday night the Trigov meeting between the city county and the school board. So we'll have you all as elected officials with your counterparts um again to highlight how the community does communicate and work together as elected bodies. And so this is one of our quarterly meetings. It'll be my first one so I'll have my bearings on this but um the general format and I'll send out the official uh agenda from the schools who are coordinating this one. Uh the um

managers and superintendent will give some overview of different collaborations among the three organizations. talk about some other areas of interest from legislative things, even some of our town halls that I'm going to talk about that we're bringing up from the city side and then have an open opportunity for you as elected officials to talk um among yourselves on some of those topics that you want to um highlight or bring forward. Um but I will send out the official agenda for you this afternoon. So, look forward to um that meeting on Monday night. So, that's what I had for you all today. Okay. If there's anything else I can address for you or something you want to bring up, please let me know.

Thank you, city manager. I also want to recognize that council member Shepard is online uh with us right now. I see none. Do we have a legislative update?

Yes. Hi. Okay. Well, uh good morning everyone. It's good to see you all. Um, as you all know, the Kansas legislature adjourned siny die just before 2 am last Saturday morning. And, um, they work through a series of pieces of legislation um, related to sports authority, a few other issues, and then of course the last two outstanding issues uh, related to property tax. And then the last the actual last last last issue that they dealt with uh was what became Senate Bill 33 which was the city and county sales tax aortionment issue. And that particular piece of legislation as it passed the house had a very sizable impact on um the city of Witchah and how the um the funds would be distributed from the city and the county. It had in working with Mr. remaining about nearly a million dollar impact to the city had the formula as put forth by the legislature um advanced. The Senate then pulled that new formula out and um in doing so they just um advanced the one-year extension of the current funding formula. So no ownorous or negative impact to the city of Witchaw by moving that bill forward. Unfortunately, there were several other um counties that had requested sales tax authority uh to go to the ballot initiative to seek additional sales tax authority because counties don't have home rules. So they have to seek that from the legislature. And there were um some last minute kind of political maneuvering uh going on and games being played and um that ultimot failed. Uh so five counties did not get the sales tax um authority that they needed

and then the extension for the current funding formula did not pass either. So, we're that's not um I don't anticipate anything negative for the city of Witchaw happening there, but I just want you all to know that that happened in large part because this city county sales tax aortionment issue um has really grown in influence the last uh two legislative sessions and will absolutely be addressed this coming legislative session. So, I know that some of the folks from Witchaw State have been working with Sedwick County, with the city of Witchaw, with some of the surrounding cities in the Sedwick County area and up in Johnson County on how do we um craft a city county sales tax formula that um people feel is more equitable across all forms of local government. So, and I'm I am not opining on whether the current uh formula is or is not equitable, but that's just what some folks will say is that it's not as equitable to counties. Um, in this instance, Sedwick County certainly would see um a sizable growth in revenue coming to the county from uh not only the city of Witchaw, but all virtually all other cities in Sedwick County. Um and and that that story would be repeated in essentially the other 104 counties. So that is out there. Lastly, um the legislature did advance to the governor a revised property tax piece of legislation. It did include the exemptions for bonding and for annex land and for um the ability for cities to capture the growth of land that is coming off economic development incentives. So that was sent to the governor for her signature. uh they had a they did not have veto approved majorities in either chamber. Uh so it's not clear what the

governor is or is not going to do as it relates to that bill. There still are a few sizable sticking points. Nothing as sizable of course as the bonding challenges, but the implementation date of the bill is a challenge because it takes effect immediately and we are already in the process of working on budgets. So it it could certainly impact the current cycle that we're in. Um as well as the there are there's a lot of lack of clarity around when the petition is signed and signing the revenue neutral form does count as a as a official signature for that um petition. There isn't a there isn't a specification for how we delineate whether or not that petition is being signed for a county budget, a city budget, township, library, other special taxing districts. And so it's really important that that all of those different taxing entities who develop a budget that it's very clear who's challenging what, if that makes sense. Um so so there is that fairly sizable question as well that that was not addressed or spoken to in the piece of legislation that and the fact that all um the protest petitions have to be certified within seven days and that is calendar days not business days. So, um you could ostensibly have a period where you have three working days to try and coordinate with the city um county, the clerks and any of their taxing jurisdiction on the signatures for the protest petition and who is signing what, challenging what. So, um that's where that particular piece of legislation stands. at sitting with the governor. Um, and and there are many local governments that have expressed concern with the bill as it is written in largely because of the reasons I just

set forward. So, with that, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Kimberly. Mayor, can I highlight um before we adjourn, you do have in front of you our weekly update on different information requests that um council a lot of this is really from council meeting followup, but I also want to highlight that staff is certainly getting a lot of individual council member requests on different topics and so trying to find out a way that we make sure all council members get that information shared with you. Um so I'm going to work on that process a little bit more. Some of this may reflect that. Um, and I know there's some specific requests, but this does show a large volume of work being done by city staff. Um, clearly some of these things are easier questions, but when you want some of the history and things, we're getting up into the hour to four hour um, requests on things. So, I will want to work with council members as we talk about information flow and information management um to make sure that we're getting you things timely, but also understanding what the volume is that we're looking at. I think this is not fully comparison, but we have also staff working a lot of public information requests. So, we have staff doing staff requests to satisfy the core regulations. Then, we have staff working on council requests. Some are similar, some aren't. Um, and some of them have a little bit different nuance to them. And we have different parameters under core and how to respond and what to respond. Um, but I just want to make sure we're all sensitive to um, we're trying as best we can to get you the information you're looking for to make the best decisions. And, um, we'll continue to get them out to you, let you know the status updates, but I know there are some on here that don't reflect some of the individual council member requests. So, we'll work on a process to make sure that we share information with everybody.

I have one one request. I promise it's a simple request. So, uh shouldn't require any time. Um could we organize it by in progress and then complete? Yeah. So, the complete's at the bottom, in progress is at the top just so we I don't have to look at the completed ones if I've already evaluated it. And I think that would just be changing metric.

Nope. Happy to do that. Um, but again, I said that I didn't figure out because I generally see all the information requests going on for some individual stuff, but making sure what's the best way for other council members to see that information. And so, I'll talk to you all in the coming week about what's the best way for you all to get information and um, make sure you have all what staff is working on. So, thank you very much. If anything else for me, please let me know. Just inviting everyone to Open Street's ICT WSU Shocker neighborhood this Sunday from noon to four o'clock. 17th Street from about Oliver and Hillside it will be closed. Um and it really is to encourage people to be part of the community and walk and bicycle and just gather together. So there are multiple activities and those are in district one in council member Shephard's district. He is going to welcome the community to Shocker neighborhood. With that, I see no other comments. Uh, have a great weekend and see you on Tuesday.