Pittsburg City Commission Meeting Recap – July 27, 2021

PITTSBURG, KS – The following actions were taken at the Pittsburg City Commission meeting held on Tuesday, July 27, 2021.

Mayor Munsell joined the commission meeting via phone. President of the Board Cheryl Brooks presided over the meeting.

Public input:

• Pastor Tom Wehrman shared a prayer of invocation.
• Joella Skyles invited the community to attend the Pittsburg Community Theatre production of Xanadu at the Memorial Auditorium.
• Mary Kay Caldwell with Pawprints on the Heartland spoke about the shortage of veterinarians and proposed that the City of Pittsburg and Crawford County partner with the organization to hire a veterinarian.

Commissioners approved the following items under the consent agenda:

• The July 13, 2021, City Commission Meeting minutes.
• The Dance Hall License renewal application submitted by Mike Sittner, on behalf of MLS Entertainment, LLC, dba 505, located at 505 North Broadway.
• The Appropriation Ordinance for the period ending July 27, 2021, subject to the release of HUD expenditures when funds are received.

The following item was removed from the consent agenda for further discussion.

• Staff request to declare certain vehicles and/or equipment as surplus and authorize staff to dispose of the vehicles and/or equipment through the online auction services of Purple Wave, Inc. Mayor Munsell asked if the surplus fire safety equipment was in good working order and if it could be donated to other fire departments. Chief Riley said that he will reach out to other fire districts to find out if they need the equipment before items go to auction. After discussion, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve the request.

Public Hearing:

• The City of Pittsburg advertised for a Public Hearing to hear questions or comments relating to the Coronavirus Response Supplement Grant (CDBG-CV). This is the last step in the process to close out the state grant program, which provided resources to area businesses and meals programs negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. No members of the public spoke under the public hearing. Commissioners voted to approve the closure of the grant.

Special Presentations:

• 2022 REVENUE NEUTRAL RATE – Commissioners voted to hold a public hearing on August 24 in the City Commission Room, at the Law Enforcement Center at 201 North Pine, at 5:30 p.m., regarding the intent to levy a property tax exceeding the revenue neutral rate for the 2022 budget. The City’s property tax rate will remain the same, but because of a small 0.18 percent rise in assessed valuation by the County, the overall property tax collections are projected to increase slightly, which State law now says requires a hearing.
• 2022 BUDGET – Commissioners voted to hold a public hearing on August 24, to be held in the City Commission Room, at the Law Enforcement Center at 201 North Pine, at 5:30 p.m., for the purpose of hearing and answering questions relating to the 2022 budget. The city budget for 2022 does not include any increases to the mill levy or sales tax. The city is recommending a 3 percent rise in water and wastewater fees to help cover annual cost increases the utility faces and to put aside funding for a new wastewater treatment plant. City Finance Director Larissa Bowman provided commissioners with ten-year studies on the mill levy, sales tax and utility fees. Pittsburg utility rates for water and sewer are at or below the midrange of rates charged by neighboring utilities. Download budget document.

Commissioners took the following actions under the agenda:

• ORDINANCE NO. G-1326 – Commissioners considered Ordinance No. G-1326, providing for the change of two vacant parcels located directly west of 606 East 29th Street from R-1C, Single Family Residential District, and RP-3, Planned Medium Density District, to CP-0, Planned Commercial Office District. The change was made at the request of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHCSEK). The ordinance passed unanimously with Commissioner McNay abstaining due to being a paid employee of CHCSEK. Commissioner O’Bryan participated in the vote and clarified that he currently serves on the CHCSEK board of directors but receives no compensation.

Non-agenda Reports and Requests:

• Public Utilities Director Matt Bacon informed the commissioners that KDOT would soon begin a mill and overlay project on Highway 69.
• Matt Bacon shared with commissioners that the street crews would be focusing heavily on repairing potholes and street cuts over the next month.  The major freeze and significant rain this year caused destructive conditions.

City Commission Meetings:

The Pittsburg City Commission meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm, inside the Beard-Shanks Law Enforcement Center courtroom. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

To learn more about the Pittsburg city government, city commissioners, or to view meeting agendas and minutes visit pittks.org/city-government/city-commission.

City commission meetings are broadcast live every second and fourth Tuesday on the City’s local government access channel (Cox channel 6) and on YouTube. To subscribe to the City’s YouTube channel, go to www.pittks.org/youtube.

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The mission of the City of Pittsburg is to provide exceptional services, facilities and activities with integrity, professionalism, excellent customer service and a commitment to economic vitality.