Steps to move forward with an application to improve Barbwire Barbecue’s building are underway after a public hearing Monday night.
The City Commission set a public hearing related to an application to the Kansas Department of Commerce for small city community development block grant funds. The business hopes to receive $300,000, with an additional $88,000 coming from the property owners.
The project would include roofing, exterior siding, exterior windows, plumbing improvements and other improvements related to the construction.
The commission had to hold a public hearing to move forward with the application process. After the hearing, commissions passed resolutions declaring the legal authority for the city to apply for the grant and allowing the mayor to execute agreements with the company helping work on the grant, Governmental Assistance Services. No one spoke during the public hearing.
In other business, the City Commission authorized a resolution to set a public hearing to consider the de-annexation request for the Fairfield Addition to take place Sept. 22, and a resolution to set another public hearing the same day to consider a request for nullification of the recorded plat for the same area.
Before the time of the hearing, Mayor Tim Reazin is hoping to have further conversation with the property owners about the possibility of expanding water sources to the land to maybe avoid having to de-annex the property. Reazin wants to continue to expand housing in that area and would like to help them get to their final project.
“I know that we had some issues. There were issues initially with — the water district was part of the issue with them not building initially on their land, and why they wanted to be annexed in is because they wanted city water. And I wonder if we have an opportunity to figure that out as we’re redesigning, going through the BUILD grant, to get the water source to that plot of land that might eliminate this need for them to de-annex,” he said.
During staff and commission comments, Commissioner Alex Curnes said one of his children was excited about the safety training the fire department had done with classes. The presentations outlined emergencies that can happen during sporting events and the district’s utilization of AED devices.
Reazin said there had been some concerns from community members about when the city flushes fire hydrants and asked if there could be some public information provided on what to do to avoid deposits in water heaters, etc. Reazin said the city should let residents know to run an outside faucet or a bathtub that doesn’t have a strainer to get sediment flushed out of the system, rather than clogging small faucets.
After receiving a grant for renovations at Pilla Park, Parks and Rec Director Sally Pennington said the city would soon move forward with the request-for-quote process. Sunday will be the last day the pool is open, and then K-9 units will use the pool the following Tuesday for training.
HR specialist Susie Yuran reminded commissioners that nothing had yet been done with the city manager job posting and said she would be waiting for their input. She also recognized Parks and Rec for its work embracing an employee who came to them through Cottonwood and the Joblink program. They had asked the department if they had a position for an individual with a disability, and said her staff had embraced the individual and that they were just recognized for being employee of the month.
Ben Terwilliger, executive director of the Eudora Area Historical Society, provided a biannual update on the museum and historical society.
Terwilliger said the museum welcomed seventh graders who completed an artifact analysis activity and gave a walking tour of Church Street and a tour of the 1864 Holy Family Church by Janet Campbell.
Eudora high school student Martha Brown worked part time for the historical society this summer courtesy of funding by Cottonwood Inc. of Lawrence, he said. Brown spent 87 hours working at the museum and helped with filing, cleaning, transcribing, scanning photos and other administrative tasks.
The museum is working on developing an Oregon Trail field trip activity for fourth grade students. Students will pack miniature wagons like those used on the trail and learn about its history. He expects the program will launch in the spring.
Visitation for the museum has continued to grow with about 1,252 visitors in the museum so far this year. As of 2025, there are 90 life-members and 181 non-life members.
In other business, the commission authorized the temporary alcohol permit to allow the Convention and Visitors Bureau to sell alcohol at Village Green for the Paschal’s River Bash in collaboration with the Great Kaw Adventure Race. The event will be from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 27.
It will be a cook-off challenge for the community to raise money for the Eudora Youth Football and Cheer Association. There will be inflatables, live music and a beer garden.
In a special meeting earlier Monday, City Clerk Kelly Delay presented her capstone project for the KU certified public manager program. The project is a review of city branding, uniformity of logos, social media and apparel.
Delay presented to the commission and city staff and emphasized the importance of branding and its impact on recognition. Delay presented a variety of fonts and logos used by the city on various signs, buildings and other city property. She said this creates inconsistency and lack of continuity for the city’s brand.
Delay said she wants to make what the city already has more robust to establish a brand kit and a style guide for the city. There are places the city is already doing that and places to make that more user friendly, like the city’s redesign of the water tower.
Interim City Manager Zack Daniel said they are already working on making these things happen and establishing a brand for the city.
The process will continue as Delay finishes the program and as the city continues to plan future budgetary needs related to branding in the coming years.
