Two Resolutions for the issuance and sale of bonds for City improvements, and a development agreement with Center Pointe were just two of the action items at a busy city commission meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
By unanimous vote, commissioners approved Resolutions 2025-2206 and 2025-2207 for the issuance and sale of bonds for three improvement projects in the City: the temporary note for the Sunflower Road Improvements project (St. Joseph Subdivision) to permanent bond financing at an estimated cost of $1,470,000, and bonding the East Seventh Street project and the 11th Street and the Highland Drive project at an estimated cost of $1,030,000.
The City's finance director, Amber Farha, reported to commissioners that the City will be able to make payments on these bonds and still maintain the current mill levy, as well as allow for possible future bonding as early as 2030 without an increase in the mill levy.
In their next action item, commissioners authorized Mayor Amy Jackson to sign a development agreement with Center Pointe Formulations.
Center Pointe Formulations intends to construct a new 24,000 square foot facility located at 2060 Ft. Kearney Street that will serve the agriculture industry.
Center Pointe plans to begin operations at its new facility by the end of 2026 and employ four full-time staff.
Center Pointe will pay the full cost of constructing a rock and gravel extension of Ft. Kearney Street, completed to City standards, and pay the full cost of constructing necessary water main extensions with fire hydrants, completed to City standards.
The City will commit to pay the cost of professional design, construction administration, and construction observation for the extension of Ft. Kearney Street with rock and gravel surfacing, as well as the extension of necessary water main extensions with fire hydrants. The City will also provide a property tax exemption for five years, subject to approval by the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals, per Article 11, Section 13 of the Kansas Constitution.
The estimated total cost to the City for the Center Pointe development is approximately $40,500.
Commissioners then authorized city manager Amy Lange to sign a professional services agreement with Campbell & Johnson Engineers, P.A. for design, construction administration, and construction observation for the extension of Ft. Kearney Street and water mains with fire hydrants, in the amount of $21,500, to be paid from the City's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
In further action, commissioners authorized Mayor Jackson to sign a license agreement with USD 333 for parking lot pavement in a public right-of-way, which will allow the school district to proceed with pavement and striping of their parking lot north of Concordia High School.
Commissioners then authorized Mayor Jackson to sign a grant agreement with Benesch for design services associated with the Kansas Department of Transportation Transportation Alternatives (KDOT TA) for the Concordia Sidewalks for Schools project.
In October 2024, the City was awarded a $1.032 million grant through the KDOT TA program for design and construction of sidewalks near Concordia Middle School (CMS). The project also includes the addition of signed crosswalks, replacement of a pedestrian bridge over Niagra Ditch, connectivity to both existing sidewalks along East 6th Street north and west of CMS, and connectivity to the Concordia Sports Complex and Concordia Elementary School.
Local match responsibility includes only expenses associated with right-of-way acquisition (if needed), utility relocation (if needed), and any scope of work beyond that which was indicated in the original grant application.
Design is expected to be completed in 2025, with construction in 2026.
The City would be responsible for paying the vendor, and will then request reimbursement from KDOT.
Next on the agenda, commissioners approved Ordinance 2025-3237, which updates the annual Uniform Public Offense Code, and Ordinance 2025-3238, which updates the Standard Traffic Offenses.
City Attorney Justin Ferrell stated that the City must adopt the updated UPOC and Standard Traffic Offenses each year.
The change to the Public Offense Code now states: Sec. 6.7.2 Trespassing on a Critical Infrastructure Facility...
(7) facility or any aboveground or belowground line, cable, or wire that is used for wireline, broadband, or wireless telecommunications or video services infrastructure, including:
(A) backup power supplies;
(B) cable television headend;
(C) antennas, radio transceivers, towers, wireless support structures, small cell facilities, and any associated support structures and accessory equipment; and
(D) related equipment buildings, cabinets and storage sheds, shelters or similar structures.
In the Standard Traffic Offenses: Section 114.5 Unlawful Operation of a Work-Site Utility Vehicle...
(c)(3)The operator of the work-site utility vehicle must operate the work-site utility vehicle as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, except when making or preparing to make a left turn.
Changes to (c) (3) now state that the vehicle must be a work-site utility vehicle. It had previously referred to it as an all-terrain vehicle.
Section 201.1 Failure to Comply with a Traffic Citation:
Expands the exceptions to mailing notice to parties failing to comply with a traffic citation. It also adds in exceptions to and dealing with those individuals with restricted
driving privileges.
Ferrell stated that this is notable as the state is beginning to address the issue of license suspensions and how to assist citizens in getting their licenses back or restricted so that they do not end up in a cycle of driving suspensions.
Commissioners then tabled a grant agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Kansas State University for the planting of trees, mostly in the downtown area.
In November 2024, the City received a Community IRA Grant for the replacement of trees downtown. This grant is a federal award from the USDA that flows through Kansas State University as the pass-through entity, and is associated with the Kansas Forest Service. The amount of the grant award is $92,807, with funding provided on a reimbursement basis similar to other grants the City has received.
All work must be completed by December 2026.
The plan presented to commissioners included: Downtown Tree Replacement - 24 Bradford Pear trees would be removed from the brick planters along a three-block segment of Sixth Street in downtown Concordia and replaced with Canada Red Cherry trees. Brick planters would be replaced with a decorative steel grate and a new concrete surround. Existing water hydrants at each planter would be capped. Existing electrical receptacles would be replaced with code-compliant exterior receptacles for use with street vendors or lighted decorations at public events.
Broadway Plaza Tree Removal - three trees located inside the Broadway Plaza fence along 6th Street would be removed to improve public visibility of the Plaza's large digital screen.
Pruning Downtown Trees - three Bradford Pear trees in the City's 5th Street Downtown parking lot would be pruned.
Tree Planting at Off-Site Locations - per the grant requirements to plant a minimum of two trees for each tree removed, thirty trees would be planted at other locations throughout Concordia.
St. Joseph Subdivision - 12 Taylor or Spartan Juniper trees would be planted for screening between the new residential subdivision and the adjacent commercial business. Five Regal Prince Oak trees would be planted in the front yards of new homes constructed before December 31, 2026.
Cloud County Community College - 10 Regal Prince Oak trees would be planted near Parking Lot 3, the softball facility, and the Ag facility on the Concordia Campus.
USD 333 Concordia Public Schools - two Regal Prince Oak trees would be planted at Concordia Middle School, and one Regal Prince Oak tree would be planted at Concordia High School.
Commissioner Ashley Hutchinson questioned the value of removing the trees inside the Broadway Plaza fence, in consideration of the shade that the trees provide to those utilizing the facility.
Further discussion among commissioners and City Manager Amy Lange concerned the trees on 6th Street, specifically at intersections where, if the trees are not pruned regularly, they could potentially block sight of the traffic lights.
After a lengthy discussion the commissioners decided to table the matter until the next commission meeting.
Finance Director Farha reported to commissioners that the City has collected $1,170,398.33 in sales tax at the end of the second quarter of the fiscal year. This is an increase of $20,685.47 from the same time period in 2024.
The City budget for sales tax for fiscal year 2025 is $2,180,000.
With no further business on the agenda, the meeting adjourned at 6:28 p.m.
