ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The Liberal City Commission will have multiple agreements looking for approval at its next meeting this evening starting at 5:30. This evening’s meeting will be in the commission chambers at the Liberal Recreation Center at 950 S. Grant Ave.
Up first for the commission will be discussion of Ordinance No. 4621 concerning the 2024 Standard Traffic Ordinance (STO).
“There is hereby incorporated by reference for the purpose of regulating traffic within the corporate limits of the City of Liberal, that certain standard traffic ordinance known as the Standard Traffic Ordinance for Kansas Cities, 51st Edition published in 2024, prepared and published in book form by the League of Kansas Municipalities in Topeka, save and except such articles, section, parts or portions as are hereafter omitted, deleted, modified, or changed,” the ordinances noted. “No fewer than three copies of said Standard Traffic Ordinance shall be marked or stamped ‘Official Copy as Adopted by Ordinance No. 4621,’ with all sections or portions thereof intended to be omitted or changed clearly marked to show any such omission or change and to which shall be attached a copy of this ordinance, and filed with the City Clerk to be open to inspection and available to the public at all reasonable hours. The Liberal Police Department, municipal judge, and all administrative departments of the City of Liberal charged with enforcement of the ordinance shall be supplied, at the cost of the City of Liberal, such number of official copies of such Standard Traffic Ordinance similarly marked, as may be deemed expedient. The Standard Traffic Ordinance currently adopted by the City of Liberal shall be amended or supplemented, as the case may be, by all other sections of this article regardless of whether such other sections were adopted before or after the current Standard Traffic Ordinance. The City of Liberal previously exempted itself from regulation of the operations of golf carts per the Standard Traffic Ordinance and adopted Article 5 of Chapter 14 to the Liberal City Code. The City hereby reaffirms the exemption for the City from Section 114.4 of the Standard Traffic Ordinance and amendments thereto which regulate the operation of a golf cart.”
Up next for the commission will be discussion of Ordinance No. 4622 concerning the 2024 Uniform Public Offense Code.
“There is hereby incorporated by reference for the purpose of regulating public offenses within the corporate limits of the City of Liberal, that certain code known as the Uniform Public Offense Code for Kansas Cities, 40th Edition of 2024, prepared and published in book form by the League of Kansas Municipalities in Topeka, save and except such articles, section, parts or portions as are hereafter omitted, deleted, modified, or changed,” the ordinance noted. “No fewer than three copies of said Uniform Public Offense Code shall be marked or stamped ‘Official Copy as Adopted by Ordinance No. 4622,’ and to which shall be attached a copy of this ordinance, and filed with the City Clerk to be open to inspection and available to the public at all reasonable hours. The Uniform Public Offense Code currently adopted by the City shall be amended or supplemented, as the case may be, by all other sections contained in this chapter, regardless of whether such other sections were adopted before or after the current Public Offense Code.”
The commission will also be discussing Resolution No. 2423 concerning the waiver of generally accepted accounting principals.
“WHEREAS, the City of Liberal has determined the financial statements and financial reports for the year ended 2024 to be prepared in conformity with the requirements of K.S.A. 75-1120a(a) are not relevant to the requirements of the cash basis and budget laws of this state and are of no significant value to the governing body or the members of the general public of the City of Liberal; and WHEREAS, there are no revenue bond ordinances or resolutions or other ordinances or resolutions of the municipality which require financial statements and financial reports to be prepared in conformity with. K.S.A. 75-1120a(a) for the year ended 2024,” the agenda information noted. “NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED ... the Governing Body waives the requirements of K.S.A. 75-1120a(a) as they apply to the City of Liberal for the year ended 2024. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governing Body shall cause the financial statements and financial reports of the City of Liberal to be prepared on the basis of cash receipts and disbursements as adjusted to show compliance with the cash basis and budget laws of this state.”
The commission will also be asked to approve Resolution No. 2424 concerning the affirmation of the urban area boundary.
“Every 10 years KDOT requires municipalities to update the ‘Urban Area Boundary’ for the city. This boundary classifies areas to receive either urban development grant funds or rural development grant funds from the federal government. The boundary has been increased to include a few areas that may become urban within the next five to 10 years,” the agenda information noted. “Seward County is required to concur with any proposed changes. Lisa Olson with Seward County GIS has been selected by them to be their representative. Staff is recommending the commission approve this resolution.”
The commission will also be asked to approve a contract with local artist Karem Gallo for a community mural project to be installed at Light Park and a bus facility agreement.
“In March 2020, the City was awarded a grant in the amount of $600,000 to construct a bus storage facility. Then other things happened – there were problems with the COVID-19 pandemic and the proposed location of the facility. The facility will be located on 4th Street and New York Avenue,” the agenda information noted. “The environmental review has been completed. Additional funding has been approved for the project by KDOT in the amount of $281,038; the City is to pay 25 percent of the total project, estimated to be $220,485; for an estimated project total of $1,101,523. The bid for the architect has been completed. KDOT has approved the proposed contract with Tessere. Tessere will establish a timeline for the project, gather information, and prepare two concept designs. They will prepare a preliminary opinion of the probable cost for review and assist with the preparation of bidding and procurement between the City and the Contractor. They will be available for consultation during the entirety of the project and have included four in-person meetings on the project. Other meetings will be online. The contract fees are $133,350 plus estimated reimbursable expenses in the amount of $3,500. Staff recommends acceptance of the contract between the City and Tessere Inc. as presented, in an amount of up to $140,000 from the Economic Development portion of the one-cent sales tax. Staff also requests that the mayor, interim city manager, and grant director may execute any grant documents as necessary.”
The commission will also be discussing the Old Liberal New Iron & Metal property, and will conclude the meeting’s new business with discussion of the purchase of body cameras for the Liberal Police Department.
“The Liberal Police Department needs to replace aging body worn cameras with updated equipment that is compatible with current IT infrastructure and software,” the agenda information noted. “This purchase will include 50 cameras and mounts, 50 batteries, two video transfer stations, 20 desktop chargers and one remote deployment/management software program.”
