Scooter’s Coffee is one step closer to building in Eudora after the City Commission approved selling land in the Nottingham development Monday night.
The 25,000-square-foot property between Casey’s and Wendy’s sold for $337,500.
The Eudora Times reached out Tuesday morning to a spokeswoman for Scooter’s to learn more about the plans for the business and when it would open but did not receive further information by end of day. The Times will provide more details when they become available.
In other business, commissioners provided an update on a potential quarry expansion by HAMM Companies, which had proposed a new batch plant on site.
Planning Commission Chairman Grant Martin said Tuesday that he signed a letter to the Douglas County Planning Commission Monday night going against the permit, and HAMM Companies subsequently pulled its application.
Martin said Mid-States Materials’ negotiations for a new quarry are still ongoing, and the Douglas County Commission plans to consider its application on Jan. 18.
This meeting follows concern from community members and city officials, and high attendance at a joint meeting between the Eudora and Douglas County planning commissions.
“There has been some discussion that Mid-States might want the board to send it back to the joint planning commissions of Eudora and Douglas County with some concessions, possibly having something to do with paving 2300 Road and making it the designated truck route,” Martin said.
Martin said he and other planning and city commissioners will be present at the Jan. 18 meeting to express their disagreement with Mid-States Materials’ plan.
“I think you saw the turnout we had for the joint meeting, and I’d encourage any of those who were there, as well as others, to come and voice their opinion on the 18th,” Martin said.
In other news, commissioners bid a farewell to City Manager Barack Matite at Monday’s City Commission meeting as the search continues for a new city manager.
Monday marked Matite’s last meeting before he starts his job as deputy city manager of Rockville, Maryland, later this month.
“In spite of what we do, because, seeing what we’ve been able to accomplish, it’s never easy,” Matite said. “And I have always told my colleagues that I was very, very lucky to have you all as a governing body and my bosses.”
City officials expressed good luck to Matite, and praised the work he did for Eudora.
“I am going to miss Barack terribly,” Budget Manager Renee Davis said. “I really hate that he’s leaving, but I’m happy for him.”
The search for a new city manager is ongoing. At the last commission meeting, seven search firms submitted applications to assist in finding a replacement for Matite. There are no updates at this time.
In the meantime, the commission appointed Assistant City Manager Kevyn Gero as the interim city manager.
The commission also approved a decision to maintain 4 mills to fund the city’s Capital Improvement Plan. This funds various projects in town, like the Nottingham development.
In other business, commissioners approved changes to the City of Eudora Employee Handbook.
Notable additions include a new work from home policy, which would allow employees to work from home with approval from department heads.
Other changes are a strengthened anti-harassment policy, the additions of Juneteenth and Indigenous People’s Day as observed holidays and a new nepotism policy, which would no longer discourage the employment of relatives, according to the meeting agenda.
In a prior meeting, commissioners brought up instances of siblings working together at the city’s swimming pool, in regards to this new nepotism policy.
The 2021 International Fire Code was also adopted at Monday’s meeting. While Eudora typically adopts a new fire code every six years, the fire department recommended a change due to new growth in the city, according to Fire Chief Mindy Andrasevits.
Commissioners will meet next at 7 p.m. Jan. 23.
Reach reporter Caroline Zimmerman at [email protected]
