City Commission Studies USD 333 Proposals
An Ordinance to withdraw from the Kansas Municipal Gas Association (KMGA), an allocation of funds to the city fireworks display, and a lengthy study session on a potential facilities partnership with USD 333 were some of the items brought before the city commission during its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday evening, April 19.
Following a request by Dan Haist of Dano's Fireworks, the commission approved allocating the license fees on fireworks stands within the city limits to the annual 4th of July fireworks display. In 2022 those fees totaled $2,400.
In other action, the commissioners approved a withdrawal from membership in the KMGA, effective June 6, 2023.
The City sold the natural gas pipeline serving the North Development to ONE Gas, Inc., d/b/a
Kansas Gas Service, following the city commission action on March 15, 2023. This pipeline was installed in 2013 by the City for the purpose of connecting the North Development to the natural gas distribution system in Concordia owned and operated by Kansas Gas Service. This was the only natural gas pipeline owned by the City.
City Finance Director Amber Farha reported on the city's sales tax quarterly report. The budget for sales tax for the year is $1,970,000. The City of Concordia ended the quarter 2023 with $592,229.45, which is $61,449.95 more than the previous year at this same time. As of the first quarter of 2023, the City is ahead of its budget expectations.
With no further business on its agenda, the commission meeting was adjourned at 5:54 p.m. The commissioners then began a study session concerning a potential facilities partnership between USD 333 and the City of Concordia with an emphasis on a shared multi-purpose gymnasium to be accessed by the public.
In November of 2021, voters rejected a proposed 30-year, $48.5 million school bond issue and a proposed increase in sales tax. Since that time, the USD 333 Board of Education has continued discussions to address facilities needs at Concordia Junior-Senior High School.
In the Fall of 2022, the Board of Education discussed the need to replace the JV gym due to concerns about safety, accessibility, and non-compliance with current KSHSAA regulations for post-season competitions. Simultaneously, community members have expressed a desire for additional indoor gathering and gym space, as well as an indoor walking track open to the public.
Collaboration for such a facility is challenging, as each entity has specific needs. Items to consider with a shared facility include location, available parking, size of space, program of spaces, hours of operation including hours dedicated to public use versus entity-specific use, maintenance and custodial operations, initial cost of construction, and funding for initial costs and ongoing operations. There are also various regulations related to building codes and usage of shared facilities to consider.
Collaboration with facility usage is possible, as evidenced by the current shared use of the Concordia Sports Complex baseball and softball fields, the CHS track and football field, and the existing USD 333 school gymnasium.
USD 333 Superintendent Quentin Breese and Kelly Struebing, the Director of Operations and Technology presented a proposal for facilities improvements at the Concordia Jr./Sr. High School that included the construction of a new, multi-use gymnasium. Also attending the meeting were USD 333 school board member John Culley, USD 333 Education Foundation director Kim Muff, and USD 333 Concordia Dean of Student Improvement Kevin Muff.
Breese and Struebing presented various draft proposals for improving the current Concordia Jr./Sr. High school facility with varying degrees of mill levy increases, and two of the proposals included a one-percent sales tax: a $30 million, 25-year bond with no sales tax would create a total mill levy increase of 21.250 mills; a $30 million, 25-year bond with a one-percent sales tax for 10 years would create a total mill levy increase of 13 mills. A $30 million, 25-year bond with a one-percent sales tax for the full-term of the bond would create a total mill levy increase of 7.250 mills.
“I think there's, again, a myth, that if we just use our money better that the school can take care of itself,” Breese said. “Essentially, of the $9 million (operating) budget that we (USD 333) have, ninety-percent of that is to pay the people. The leftover ten-percent is what we use for things like fuel for school buses, general maintenance, professional development... that's where the extra ten-percent goes. The thought that we could pull off something along the lines of $10 million or $5 million or even $ 2 million improvement just doesn't exist. And that's why you'll see across the state in other communities, they'll run a bond issue about every ten years. Almost every school district that has facilities, decent facilities, are doing a bond issue about every ten years.”
Breese and Struebing distributed packets showing mill levy comparisons between Concordia and other city's of the same size, including those cities with community colleges. Discussion of the draft proposals included the allocation of more space for classrooms and restrooms, construction of a new gym, parking, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), electrical, sewer, and HVAC concerns, as well as student safety. Extensive discussion focused on the shared use of a newly-constructed gym and the availability of public access.
The current CHS building is showing its age and faces an ever-increasing need for infrastructure repair. The commissioners agreed that something must be done to address school facility needs.
Breese acknowledged the 2021 bond issue and sales tax defeat for the 30-year, $48.5 million facility proposal. “So now what we're trying to structure is something that gets us maybe another ten years,” Breese said. “In 2033 we're going to have 3 to 3.5 mills that are coming off the tax rolls. The FEMA shelter will be paid for. So then we're going to look at doing something again for that 3.5 mills to try and address some of the other failing pieces.”
Commissioner Ashley Hutchinson expressed her concerns for anything more than a 10-year window on any type of sales tax increase.
Commissioner Chuck Lambertz emphasized a focus on academic improvements for any potential facility in order to put a bond issue or sales tax increase in front of voters in the future. “Making sure that the good citizens and patrons of USD 333 see academic benefit to this project is going to be crucial for any success.”
The discussion session ended with no action taken.