City Manager Kevyn Gero and Mayor Tim Reazin will travel to Reno, Nevada, next Tuesday to learn about its Panasonic plant and speak to city officials, they said following Monday’s City Commission meeting. 

More details about what the city learns from local government officials will come after the trip. 

The Times previously reported no one from Eudora would be going on the trip, but Reazin and Gero received a last-minute invitation, Gero said. 

De Soto Mayor Rick Walker, who will also be on the trip, previously said he hoped to get a sense of Panasonic’s operation at the Reno factory, arrange meetings with Sparks and Reno elected officials, and further explore their population growth model after the hiring of factory employees.

During Monday’s commission meeting, Budget Analyst Michael Gentry briefed the commission regarding the city’s future water treatment plant. 

This is considered a general obligation bond, Gentry said. The city approved two resolutions regarding the new treatment plant. 

“The first is to approve the multi-year master capital plan that was established in 2021 for that short-term note and kind of reapprove that, and then the second is a resolution of sale authorizing the city to sell this new 2023-A bond that will refinance the old note,” Gentry said. 

The 2021 note was to pay for a main lift station, vac truck and land for the water plant.

In other business:

• The city approved July 21 as Parks and Recreation Professionals’ Day. The day will serve as a way to thank and recognize the people who keep the parks running for Eudora, City Clerk Kelly Delay said.

“Parks and Recreation is the first thing that people see when they come into a community,” Delay said. 

• Gero said the new Scooter’s will now have benches near or on the property. Reazin mentioned the city wanted the area to remain walkable and hoped benches would help with that.

• Public Works Director Branden Boyd said the K-10 sidewalk project for KDOT is running ahead of schedule and should be done for November of this year instead of next February.

• The firehouse will host a movie night Friday with two showings of a documentary about volunteer firefighters, Fire Chief Mindy Andrasevits said. The movie will play at 5 and 7 p.m. with the event going from 5 to 9 p.m. There will be activities and food. 

• Parks and Rec Director Sally Pennington said the second session of swim lessons are full and one-on-one lessons start next week. 

The city will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday for a 2024 budget presentation. 

Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected].