Editor’s Note: As The Eudora Times was closed the past few weeks, this story is following up on the May 13 City Commission meeting based on a recording of the meeting.
City commissioners expect to hear more details this fall about a proposed sports-anchored economic development project south of K-10.
At its May 13 meeting, the commission extended professional services with Vieste through October. The city has been discussing using STAR bonds to help finance this district, and Vieste has been helping consult and oversee the project.
The contract includes providing a deliverable package to present to commissioners. In October there will be a presentation with timelines and further information on the project, City Manager Kevyn Gero said.
Jack Ryan-Feldman from Vieste said over the next six months, they will develop a master plan for the project, which will include versions utilizing certain tools like STAR bonds and versions without those tools.
Commissioner Tim Bruce asked if there were any more timeline details about what would happen in the coming months.
Ryan-Feldman said it would be a priority to collaborate with the state and further understand where the project is with STAR bond distinction. He said they will also be working with private partners and retail establishments in the meantime. The commission can expect the final master development plan in six months, though, he said.
In other economic development business, Kirsten Flory, CEO and founder of Foundation Inc. gave an update on their ongoing efforts on the Nottingham development.
Flory asked the commission what its priorities for the project are, whether that’s generating the highest sales tax revenue, getting the highest price for the sale of the lots, the timing of the sale of the lots, or the overall look and feel of the places going into the lots.
Flory said these things can sometimes seem contradictory and it’s important to have a conversation as more prospects approach Foundations.
She said they are weighing offers for the lot north of Scooter’s and two types of users wanting a lot south of Wendy’s. Although the city has discussed wanting a grocery store to anchor the lot, with the state phasing out sales tax for groceries, this may not be a good revenue generator.
Flory thinks the city should consider a mixed-use development for the area, which could consist of a combination of commercial space with residential above. She said there are opportunities on the table right now for projects like this that the city could pursue if interested. She also said it was important to consider if having three-story buildings fits with their vision of the area.
Mayor Tim Reazin said the biggest thing to him is having services that keep people from leaving town. He mentioned doctors, dentists, an auto parts store and hardware store as possibilities he was interested in. He said two stories was fine, but three was harder because of the impact on the houses on Elm Street.
Commissioner Roberta Lehmann said if a building sits in front of a house on Elm Street they already won’t be able to see past it, so two or three stories don’t really make a difference, especially if they have nice decks.
Reazin said he feels like a multi-use option fits the needs of the development as long as it is something the city actually needs below in the commercial spots.
Flory said they are continuing to put feelers out to businesses that match the city’s goals but is hesitant to name specific businesses when negotiations are not complete. She is open to hearing thoughts and concerns from the community and commissioners as they continue the process, she said.
In other business, Gabi Sprague, the Housing and Human Service program manager for Douglas County, presented on the housing stabilization collaborative and the aid they are helping provide Eudora residents, as well as countywide.
The collaborative helps provide rent and utility aid to people in Eudora. The assistance for Douglas County residents started during the pandemic, and has provided about $1 million every year since. In 2023, they distributed to almost 800 households, 37 of which were in Eudora.
Sprague said while the 37 households that received assistance may not seem like a lot, Eudora makes up only 5.4% of the Douglas County population but used 12% of the funding allocated.
Sprague said one of the reasons she wanted to come to the commission was to suggest the city look into the possibility of utility payment plans, something they currently do not offer. The collaborative still receives assistance requests from Eudora residents that they aren’t able to fund due to volume, she said.
Providing payment plan options would allow more people to be able to keep their utilities turned on while paying toward their balances, she said. Private providers like Black Hills have found these to be sustainable practices, she said.
Assistant City Manager Zack Daniel said the city was exploring possibilities for how to implement new payment services and would present those to the commission as they research them. There are some resources currently for those needing help paying, but the city will continue to explore the possibilities.
Lehmann agreed that these issues need to be addressed and suggested a work session to make sure the payment plan conversations can continue. Lehmann also asked what the regulations for receiving level pay are.
The city does have level payments, but if someone is a new resident it can be based on previous tenants’ utility habits, City Clerk Kelly Delay said. It is recommended to live in the location for a year before setting up level pay, she said.
Community Navigator and Feeding Eudora director Laura Smith also spoke to the commission during Sprague’s presentation and provided them with an update on the cornerstones of her navigation: anti-poverty, housing and utility assistance, food insecurity and behavioral health services and education.
She works directly with people seeking rental and utility assistance in Eudora. She agreed payment plans would help with the amount of people calling saying their utilities have been shut off.
During staff updates, Police Chief Wes Lovett said Eudora moved up two spots on this year’s Safewise statistics – making Eudora the safest city in Kansas, according to their numbers.
HR Specialist Susie Yuran provided information to the commissioners about new employees and milestone anniversaries, as well as results of a survey for existing employees.
The city hired Kiah Pogue as a part-time accounts payable clerk and has hired all 30 aquatics team staff members. About 20 are returning staff and 10 are new hires, she said. Melody Buchholz, Jacey Kost, Mark Landry, Sally Pennington and Derrick Shutts will celebrate five years with the city this year. Gordon Synder will celebrate 10 years, and Curt Baumann, Eldon Brown and Chris Hull are celebrating 15 years.
The city’s “Stay Survey,” asked about 50 employees why they have stayed working for the city. The average tenure of those surveyed was 6.5 years. About 81% said they would describe the workplace as a positive culture. Their reasons for staying were flexibility, stability, community, environment/culture and the people they work with.
Current strengths cited were support in roles, opportunities for skill development and work distribution. Areas needing improvement include communication/transparency, compensation, scheduling, interdepartmental communication, recruitment and retention.
Budget Analyst Michael Gentry provided the first quarterly analysis on the state of this year’s budget. Gentry said the city is in a good place so far, with revenues coming in higher than projected.
The city is estimating the general fund will end the year with a fund balance of about $2.7 million. The original estimate was $1.6 million. Because of this, city staff is recommending moving forward with this year’s pavement management program. These improvements would be to West 27th Street, Montrose Circle, Seymour Court and Shadow Ridge Court. It is estimated to cost $590,700.
Bids for that project will be brought back to the commission at a future meeting.
Parks and Rec is also outperforming its revenue estimates, as well. Director Sally Pennington said they were able to save a lot of money on pool repairs by having Public Works and Parks and Rec work together in house. She also noted the pool was full and had no water loss so far this year.
In other business, Public Works is applying for grant funding through the state for sidewalk improvements. The Safe Routes to Schools program would provide almost a mile and a half of sidewalks on Elm Street, 14th Street and 12th Street. For the application, the commission needs to show support, which was provided in the resolution they adopted.
If the city receives the grant, the cost of the project will be about $868,000 with a 20% contribution coming from the city totaling $173,600. The city’s portion would be included in the 2025 budget.
During public comment, CVB President Jason Musick thanked the commission and department heads for their support of the Main Street Market. The first market of the season brought about $6,000 in food truck sales, he said. People enjoyed all the vendors being down Main Street in front of businesses, as well. This year the CPA Picnic will partner with the market for its weekend events.
The city also had further conversations on the traffic study that was done near the high school. After a work session with the school district to discuss these options, the group came up with a new option to give the school district more exit options. The commission agreed to move forward with the option they came up with at the last work session.
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected].
