Development, accountability and maintaining Eudora’s character were focuses of Wednesday night’s town hall with City Commission candidates.

Candidates John Cullen, Grant High, Jason Musick and Tim Reazin answered questions from moderator Carrie Poe in front of a crowd of over 100 in the high school’s Performing Arts Center. Poe is a business adviser with the University of Kansas’s Small Business Development Center.

The candidates were asked about how they would approach zoning and land use decisions, including the proposed STAR bond district to bring more sports and entertainment to town.

Reazin said the STAR bond is just an option.

“We’re looking at economic development, not necessarily a STAR bond, but we’ve used a STAR bond as a placeholder,” Reazin said.

Musick also said developers are frustrated with Eudora because they don’t know what areas in town are for commercial, industrial and residential use. He said STAR bonds and economic development have to be organic. 

“At the end of the day, it’s up to private investors to come in and look at our community,” Musick said. “If we provide them a roadmap and our vision as a commission, as a community, of what we want, that makes it a lot easier for them to understand whether they’re going to be able to do business here in Eudora.”

He also said “any of those economic opportunities are going to come with a cost” because of the price in town for residential and commercial sites. 

On zoning, Reazin said the city has been looking at building buffers to keep traffic away from single-family homes.

Musick said he wants the city to rely on a city planner when it comes to zoning. Reazin and Cullen also said having a planner is important. Cullen said he thinks hiring a full-time city planner was the best decision the commission has made in awhile.

Cullen said the community should not have to shoulder the cost of development with high property taxes. He also said when the city owns the land, it gives it the ability to choose what’s right for Eudora.

High said zoning is “probably the best tool we have to help preserve the character of our community.”

He said the community shouldn’t jump in and take the first opportunity with a developer because it could change the feel of Eudora overnight.

“When that time comes, we can help steer the private sector in the right direction so we don’t have them building in the wrong place or an inappropriate place,” High said.

High said he doesn’t support government incentives. He said the city should instead be willing to work with developers and make the process user-friendly.

“I think the best way to motivate somebody to come to town and open up a business and contribute to the economy is by making sure that your taxes are reasonable,” High said.

Cullen said the city needs to find services it doesn’t have and bring them in, like pediatricians. He also said Eudora needs the infrastructure to support these new businesses.

“We need to make sure that those who are willing to invest in Eudora have a reason to invest in Eudora,” Cullen said.

The candidates also discussed the Nottingham Center development. 

Reazin said, “The idea and opportunities at Nottingham Center were built out in a strategic mindset to bring in folks that we need and want.”

Musick said he believes the Nottingham Center development is using “taxpayers’ money to bring direct competitors into our business.”

All the candidates said the city needs to address infrastructure needs like roads and water systems. 

Cullen said the commission needs to find the top five worst roads in town and address those first. High said he thinks infrastructure improvement can begin with picking up debris and cleaning blocked sewer drains. 

Musick said the city has to utilize resources like grants and put money aside for infrastructure improvements. Reazin said infrastructure needs should be funded by diversifying taxes or grants.

The candidates also discussed public safety services, and Musick said the city should invest in them one step at a time.

“Take one bite at a time,” Musick said. “Maybe we’ll look at hiring one firefighter next year.”

Both Cullen and Reazin encouraged people to volunteer for these services.

“We have great volunteers here,” Cullen said. “I think we need to encourage that. We need to expand upon it.”

High said the community needs to find more ways to show first responders encouragement and support.

The candidates were asked about how they would improve communication between the commission and residents, and Cullen said the commission should better publicize and plan public hearings and leverage local media when it needs to.

“I’ve seen too many times where public comment and then the vote follows immediately,” Cullen said. “There’s not time to take things under consideration. Not time to get feedback from the city.”

High said the commission needs to evolve with the times and embrace technology, like broadcasting meetings on Facebook.

Musick said he wants a communications specialist at City Hall. Reazin, however, said the city has a communications specialist who is an intern in the office. He said they work diligently to get items posted.

Reazin said he thinks the city goes above and beyond with communication and encouraged residents to attend commission meetings.

All the candidates agreed people are at the center of the community’s growth and are a great resource for Eudora.

Attendee Carlene Hurtig, a Senior Foundation of Eudora board member, said she thought the candidates did a great job.

“There was some good information I thought they put out there about, you know, taxes and infrastructure,” Hurtig said.

Attendee Ty Hendon said he appreciated hearing from all the candidates on these issues.

“I know Jason, I’ve talked to Tim on an occasion, but I don’t know the other two,” Hendon said. “So it was good to hear some different perspective from the other guys.”

Multiple students from Chris Dunback’s senior government class attended the event for extra credit.

“It was eye-opening,” Braxton Moeckel said. “I thought it was going to be very boring, but I got a lot from it, and I learned from it.”

The Times has voters guide profiles on each candidate here: John Cullen, Grant High, Jason Musick and Tim Reazin.

The Chamber live streamed the candidate forum, which can be watched here.

Reach reporter Bella Waters at [email protected].