Questions have come up recently from residents who are unsure of the process for letting local government officials know what they think on certain issues.
We’ve put together a guide to help you know when local government meetings are in town and the guidelines for giving public comment at each.
City Commission
The City Commission meets at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of the month at City Hall. The meetings happen in-person and can also be streamed on Zoom by going to this link.
If residents wish to participate in public comment for a topic not included on the agenda, the city encourages individuals to reach out to the City Clerk Kelly Delay at 785-542-2153 opt. 3, or by email at [email protected].
By reaching out to Delay beforehand, city staff will have opportunities to find answers or provide more information about residents’ concerns at the meeting, Assistant City Manager Zack Daniel said.
If residents are unable to reach out beforehand, they can sign in on the paper at the front of the chamber and address the governing body for three minutes per speaker. The commission asks that speakers state their name and address.
Residents are also welcome to reach out to the City Manager’s Office for questions or concerns throughout the week by calling Daniel’s direct line at 785-690-7244 extension 1101.
The Eudora Times posts a preview of what will be included on the meeting’s agenda on the Sunday or Monday morning before a meeting. You can find those on the Facebook page or by going to the government tab. For the full agenda, click here. The Times will also publish a story after the article under the government tab.
The commission job is the following according to the city’s website:
-
providing legislative direction to the city manager
-
setting policy
-
approving the city’s annual budget
-
determining tax rate
-
adopting city ordinances
-
entering into major contracts for the city
-
making major land use decisions
-
setting ballot questions
Tim Reazin – Mayor
Tim Bruce – Vice Mayor
Jolene Cullen – Commissioner
Alex Curnes – Commissioner
Roberta Lehmann – Commissioner
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at City Hall if there are agenda items. The Planning Commission has seven commissioners who hear requests for zoning changes, subdivision plats, development plans and recommend their thoughts to the City Commission for final approval.
The Planning Commission public comment rules and requests are the same as those for the City Commission.
For the full agendas, click here. Contact the commission by emailing [email protected].
Grant Martin – Chairman
Josh Harger – Vice Chairman
Jason Hoover
Tim Pringle
Ryan Rock
Johnny Stewart
Aaron Thakker
School Board
The Eudora School Board meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. The meetings are also available for livestream on the Eudora School District YouTube account.
To speak to the board during the public comment section of the meeting, residents must fill out a digital form or a physical copy and return it to the district office. The request has to be submitted to board clerk Amanda Brunkow or Superintendent Stu Moeckel at least seven days before the meeting.
Once the request is reviewed, one of these recommendations will be made:
-
Appearance before the board at the next regular meeting.
-
Appearance before the board in executive session.
-
Referral of your request to the appropriate administrator.
Presentations are limited to five minutes. Subject matter other than policy issues will be referred to district administrations. Comments are limited to issues and are not allowed to reference personalities.
The district also notes that presentations must be in good taste to benefit the occasion and dignity of the schools. The board will also request an outline or copy of what your speech will look like. Board policies are available by clicking here.
Board members’ emails are as follows
To contact the whole board, email [email protected]
Board president Mark Chrislip – [email protected]
Claire Harding – [email protected]
Joe Hurla – [email protected]
Eric Votaw – [email protected]
Heather Whalen – [email protected]
Kelley Woods: [email protected]
Zach Brooks: [email protected]
To find Eudora Times coverage of school board meetings, click our education tab.
Library Board
The library board meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month at the library.
The public is invited to all board meetings and must contact Executive Director Carol Wohlford or President Kenny Massey if they wish to speak during public comment.
Reaching out to Wohlford or Massey anytime before the meeting to request a time to speak is fine. If a patron had a question or comment at the meeting, Massey said he sees no reason not to allow it.
Those planning to speak are limited to one-minute presentations.
Carol Wohlford – Executive Director
Kenny Massey – President
Eric Magette – Vice President
Amy Jankowski — Treasurer
Tim Pringle – Secretary
Mike Keltner – Member
