New funding for a popular program to get Eudora seniors to their destinations will start next year after Monday’s City Commission meeting.
For a number of years, the city has been passing funding for the Douglas County Senior Resource Center through the Senior Foundation of Eudora rather than providing it directly. The Senior Resource Center provides Eudora with its Senior Wheels program, which takes seniors for personal, medical or other necessary trips around the area.
The city previously gave $2,500 to support the program and is now directly pledging $4,000 annually to the countywide organization starting in 2025. Baldwin City has been providing the same amount annually.
In 2023, the program had 237 days in service traveling over 9,000 miles with Eudora passengers. There were 1.204 rides with Eudora passengers: 738 medical-related and 468 ADA-accessible rides.
Megan Poindexter, executive director of the center, thanked the commission and said this program has been made possible by its volunteer base.
“The workforce behind this program are a group of really dedicated, hardworking, compassionate volunteers, and without them, it would be a little bit of a different story. The fact that there’s – at this time we’re not paying wages and all the associated expenses that go along with paid staff really makes this program incredibly affordable for the community,” Poindexter said.
Assistant City Manager Zack Daniel said approving this item will formalize the relationship between the city and the Senior Resource Center. He also said the city would continue going through the process of discussing other agreements with various organizations, like the Senior Foundation of Eudora.
“It’s a program that, from a staff perspective, has a lot of local benefit and one that we want to encourage and help support it as much as we can,” Daniel said.
During a conversation about the general fund for 2025, Daniel provided some context of what new funds would be coming in or going away in the coming year.
At the end of 2024, the city estimates the general fund will have a balance of about $2.3 million, an increase from the original $785,000 estimate.
The general fund is currently taking into account a 3% increase in revenues and a 4% increase in expenditures, which would result in $1.7 million by the end of 2025.
Daniel said the city is proposing a flat mill levy of 39 mills but shifting 1 mill from the general fund to the bond and interest fund.
Daniel shared 2025 general fund revenue estimates. They are estimating sales tax up 3.5%, municipal court revenues up to about $125,000 and building permits estimated at $100,000, which is also an increase. Daniel noted permits could also be higher due to more projects coming online.
Parks and Rec revenue is also getting an additional $15,000-$18,000 related to baseball programming.
The 2025 revenue estimates are $6.5 million, or a 4% increase over the 2024 year-end totals.
Numbers will change slightly between now and final adoption, but should be accurate representations of what they are likely to be, Daniel said.
Overall, Daniel said there will be a 6% adjustment in full-time wages in the general fund.
Some of the other expenditures discussed were for the police department. Those costs include an adjustment of officer pay to be more competitive. This includes a raise of more than 6% for officers and sergeants after a review of neighboring police departments.
Chiefs and lieutenants are subject to the standard COLA and merit adjustments. The exact percent increase for officers is not yet determined.
The city is also budgeting for a new officer and vehicle. There will also be a $17,000 increase to dispatch fees.
The fire department will move forward with some equipment needs in 2025. A standard of coverage request for proposals is also included. This is a recommendation following the strategic plan discussion to help the department understand how to maintain a necessary standard of coverage for Eudora.
That RFP will likely be about $30,000. Daniel said this was similar to a Phase 2 of the strategic plan. There will be no staffing adjustments for 2025, but will be a long-term conversation, he said.
For costs relating to community development, there is $500,000 allocated between the general fund and CIP sales tax fund to use for economic development pursuit costs. There is also $125,000 for the pavement management project.
For Parks and Rec, additional expenditures will be necessary as the city takes up baseball and softball programming. They are also planning for a part-time intern beginning in fall of 2024. About $350,000 in expenditures for park improvements, equipment and planning are also budgeted but not coming from the general fund.
More details on budget numbers will be provided in the city manager’s proposed budget on Aug. 12. The public hearing for the budget and revenue neutral rate will be Aug 26.
In other business, Sean Gordon with Gordon CPA shared findings of the 2023 audit of the city’s finances. Gordon said they offered an unmodified opinion on the regulatory basis of accounting. An unmodified opinion is the highest and cleanest opinion on financial management.
“That reflects very well on the financial management and internal control management by city staff during the year 2023,” Gordon said.
They did have one recommendation having to do with the keeping of some capital project files, which they will check back up on in the next audit, he said.
Overall, it was a good audit for the year and he thanked the city for help with various requests.
After the city weighed options for determining future access points to South Fir Street and Winchester Road during the traffic study on 23rd Street, Director of Public Works Branden Boyd and staff recommended setting a public hearing for 7 p.m. Aug. 26 to discuss the vacation of the existing 23rd Street right of way.
After being given three potential options, the city is planning to eliminate a connection from 23rd street to South Fir and continue to use the 20th Street and 28th Street alignments for a connection to South Fir Street / Winchester Road. There will also be a private road extension through the high school to 20th Street.
After the Planning Commission recommended approval of the voluntary annexation request for a property at 535 W 20th St. at its last meeting, the city moved forward with making this 54 acres within the city boundaries.
There are currently no plans for development at this time and City Manager Kevyn Gero said this would come later in the process.
During public comment, Ruth Hughes from the Senior Foundation of Eudora shared information about the annual fundraiser at Barbwire Barbecue. It will be Aug. 11with music, food and drinks, she said.
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected].
