Pittsburg City Commission Meeting Recap – Nov. 8

Contact: Public Information Manager Sarah Runyon at (620) 687-0073 or sarah.runyon@pittks.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 10, 2022

PITTSBURG, KS – The following actions were taken at the Pittsburg City Commission meeting held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022:

Public Input:

• Mark Chambers shared a prayer of invocation.

Proclamation:

• Mayor Brooks shared a proclamation recognizing November 2022 as Adoption Month in Pittsburg. Amanda Keller accepted the proclamation on behalf of TFI.

The following items were approved under the consent agenda:

• The October 25, 2022, City Commission Meeting minutes.
• Ordinance No. S-1090, granting an ad valorem tax exemption to Atkinson Industries, Inc.
• Staff recommendation of a Second Amendment to Antenna Collocation Lease Agreement with T-Mobile Central, LLC, updating the lease to reflect the name change from Sprint to T-Mobile Central, LLC.
• The application submitted by Brody Rink for water service outside the City limits for the property at 773 South 196th Street.
• Change Order No. 1 for the East Quincy Street Reconstruction Project to represent the removal of 160′ of existing fence at 929 East Quincy Street in order to construct new storm sewer and grading, the installation of 110′ of temporary fence to be utilized as the storm sewer and new grade are being constructed, and the installation of 160′ of chain fence with a double gate after construction is complete, with the contract amount increasing $2,546.25, making the new total contract amount $5,376,445.32.
• Change Order No. 4 for the 2022 Pittsburg CCLIP Project, to represent a deduction in the amount of $97,169.10 due to the deletion of concrete pads for the water valves and manholes, and a deduction of Hot Mix Asphalt material, making the new total contract amount $1,140,992.27.
• Staff recommendation to waive the City’s bid policy to purchase chemicals for the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Water Treatment Plant, and Aquatic Center for the upcoming contract year.
• The Appropriation Ordinance for the period ending November 8, 2022, subject to the release of HUD expenditures when funds are received.

Special Presentation:

• City Hall Front Entry Project – Miranda Bruening, on behalf of Echelon Arch + Design, presented commissioners with the final concept regarding the City Hall Front Entry Project. Commissioners voted to approve landscaping services and exterior improvements.

The following items were considered under the main agenda:

• Olive Cemetery Services Agreement – Commissioners voted to approve an agreement between the city and Notch8.llc, in which the company will provide maintenance and repair services at Mt. Olive Cemetery. The five-year agreement will bring much-needed repair and revitalization to the historic cemetery and abbey, along with maintenance and mowing. The city will continue management of the burial process.
• The Finishing Touch – Finishing Touch representative Adam Bradshaw was unable to attend the meeting and the commissioners voted to table the item.
• Neisler Mortgage Release – Commissioners approved the recommendation of the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) to release the mortgage against the property at 915 N Broadway, and forgive the loan, as the owners have satisfied all the requirements.
• Zoning Change – Commissioners considered the recommendation of the Planning Commission/Board of Zoning Appeals to approve CDL’s request to change the zoning of their property at 211 West 11th Street from R-1C: Single-Family Residential to IP-3: Planned Heavy Industrial. Tom Hayes with CDL answered questions and concerns from commissioners and resident Candy Gibson who lives in the neighborhood. Commissioners approved the recommendation of the PC/BZA by a 3-2 vote, with Munsell and Seglie opposed.
• Conditional Use Permit Request – Commissioners voted to approve the recommendation of the PC/BZA to grant Pittsburg resident Pamela Hudson a conditional use permit to allow chickens on her property at 1231 E 11th Street.

• Axon Taser-7 Purchase Request – Commissioners approved the purchase of 55 new tasers, training equipment, technology and taser cartridges from Axon Enterprises, Inc. in the amount of $240,040. The purchase will replace the police department’s current line of eight-year-old tasers and provide training aids for officers. Funding for the purchase will come from the city’s Public Safety Sales Tax fund, with $235,000 of the cost to be reimbursed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Fiscal Year 2022 Byrne Discretionary Community Project Funding/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program.

Non-agenda reports & requests:

• Bi-monthly Budget Review – City Finance Director Larissa Bowman delivered the October 2022 bi-monthly budget review. Bowman shared that city funds are healthy and sales tax revenues are up more than 14 percent over last year.

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.

###

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.