Pittsburg City Commission Meeting Recap – May 24

PITTSBURG, KS – The following actions were taken at the Pittsburg City Commission meeting held on Tuesday, May 24, 2022:

PUBLIC INPUT:

• Mark Chambers addressed the commission and asked for attendees to join him in moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives in the Uvalde, Texas school shooting. Following the moment of silence, Rev. Chambers shared a prayer of invocation.
• Mayor Cheryl Brooks shared a proclamation that June 7, 2022 is State Farm Day in Pittsburg, recognizing the company for its 100 years in business. Lori Ann Spachek received the proclamation on behalf of State Farm Insurance.
• Mayor Brooks shared a proclamation to recognize Pittsburg Lions Club in honor of its centennial anniversary, proclaiming June 3, 2022 as Lions Club Day in Pittsburg. Lori Horton and other volunteers accepted the proclamation on behalf of the Lions Club.

CONSENT AGENDA:

• The May 10, 2022, City Commission Meeting minutes.
• Ordinance No. G-1336, amending Section 78-75 of the Pittsburg City Code to change the directional flow of traffic on East 12th Street between Broadway and Joplin Street from east bound flow of traffic to west bound flow, with traffic exiting onto North Broadway.
• Ordinance No. G-1337, amending Section 78-116 of the Pittsburg City Code to prohibit parking on the North Side of East 5th Street from Locust to Elm.
• Approval of the application submitted by Kyle Michael to renew the Dance Hall License for The Pitt, located at 516 North Broadway.
• Approval of the Appropriation Ordinance for the period ending May 24, 2022, subject to the release of HUD expenditures when funds are received.

THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

• Commissioners considered staff recommendation to hire Double S. Dirt Works, LLC, on an hourly basis for the transportation of fill dirt from the new FedEx facility to the site of the new Wastewater Treatment Plant, for an approximate cost of $150,000. Public Works & Utilities Director Matt Bacon said the city is receiving free dirt from the FedEx job site, which will help provide some, but not all the material needed for the construction of the city’s new Wastewater Treatment Plant. The cost only covers the cost of transportation, not materials. Following the discussion, commissioners voted to approve the agenda item.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION:

• 2021 ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT (ACFR) – Stacey Hammond of BT&Co. P.A., the city’s auditing firm, presented the results of the city’s annual financial statements and audit. The city’s auditing firm conducts an audit of the city’s overall financial statements on an annual basis to make sure they are free of errors or misstatements. Hammond shared that the city received an “unmodified audit opinion,” the best result a city can receive, which means there were no errors. She also shared that accounting practices and policies were being followed, and the city’s finance staff were transparent and helpful throughout the process.

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

• REAL ESTATE SALE CONTRACT – Commissioners approved a Real Estate Sale Contract in which TalonX Holdings, LLC. The company is purchasing approximately 26 acres of land, located at 00000 East 520th Avenue, from the City of Pittsburg for the total purchase price of $130,000.

NON-AGENDA REPORTS & REQUESTS:

• Commissioner Stu Hite asked for an update on the code enforcement concerns that were brought up under public input at the previous commission meeting. Director of Housing & Community Development Quentin Holmes said that his team met with the property owner and followed up to make sure the issue was remediated. He also confirmed that the codes enforcement team will keep an eye on the property where the violations occurred to check that the situation does not regress. Holmes explained the process that the nuisance code enforcement team has to follow according to city ordinances.
• Commissioners and City Manager Daron Hall also discussed high grass and responding to these complaints. Hall mentioned that city department staff are very busy this season with mowing, and said the city could look into hiring a private company next year to help with mowing in order to free up staff time to better address issues like potholes, high grass, and various nuisance code violations.
• The discussion then moved to the city-wide bulky item effort. The city manager mentioned that this year’s bulk pick-up event will be slightly different than in 2021, with dates set aside for specific items. Public Works and Utilities Director Matt Bacon said his department is considering the third week in July.

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.