ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The city of Liberal has undergone some big changes in recent times, and 2024 especially saw some shakeups throughout the city.
“For 2024, I feel like there's been a lot of positive forward movement on a lot of really critical work that needed to happen, and it needed to happen in a certain order,” Public Affairs Director Keeley Moree said. “When you look at where we'd like to go and some of the things we'd like to accomplish, being able to really hone in on housing development has been a big deal, because as we look at some of the large economic development projects on the horizon, we're definitely expecting a big increase in our population within a few years. In terms of timing, I feel like things have landed really well throughout 2024 to make sure we're expanding the infrastructure we need in order to continue expanding our transportation network, which has continued to be a big part of what we're doing. All of that work combines to really support those large-scale projects coming our way. Another big piece that stands out to me about 2024 is the Comprehensive Plan we've been working on and the progress we've made in putting that together so we have that 10-year development plan and guide as to which areas we want to focus on. Not just so we have a roadmap for ourselves, but also so the community and people outside the community can have an understanding of who we are and what we're looking to develop, and that's really important especially when you transition from one commission to another or circumstances like that. When you have a good plan in place that's based on community feedback, that's really going to help us with going forward in a strategic way.”
“For me, 2024 has been a year of the expected and unexpected. I came to the City of Liberal in August 2022 and in my time here, I've had seven different job titles, which is a lot to deal with,” Interim City Manager Scarlette Diseker said. “The early part of this year, I was still spending a lot of time in the first quarter correcting a lot of different things in the Finance Department and adjusting to the post-software conversion life and trying to get some financial statement work finished and audit papers and things like that. So early 2024 saw me still living partly in 2023 still because it took a lot of work to get us where we needed to be and make some transformational decisions from a financial standpoint to get us in the right direction so we could carry out those projects that have taken place in town. It's important to make sure those financial reports are done and everyone understand all the logistics of how everything under the surface works because people primarily see the end result of something that happened, but they're completely unaware of the work it took to get to that point. That was how I spent the first part of this year, and then more recently, I've been in the interim city manager role and trying to move the city forward and take care of business on a whole different level while still handling some of the finance stuff. There's been a lot that's happened in 2024, and I'm looking forward to 2025 and seeing us accomplish even more and see even more projects come to fruition, which I think will be really exciting for everyone.”
Moree and Diseker agreed there were multiple major successes seen in 2024.
“What stands out most for me is probably the quality of life projects and infrastructure. With the quality of life work, that includes the splash pads at McCray Park and Mahuron Park, and that's something the entire community can enjoy,” Moree said. “We're also looking at some other park expansion options and upgrades, and there are some other services and programs like the dance program at the Recreation Center that have been implemented, and the dance program has been a big deal for the community. Those quality of life projects are important, but so are those infrastructure needs, so right now, we're in the middle of a water line replacement project, which involves more than five miles of underground water line expansion to help serve the community and help us get connected so we can make more of that expansion into the community. A big part of my 2024 was also dedicated to put together – and we've applied for – a railroad overpass grant in order to bring in funding to help with the development of a second railroad overpass that will help with the safety of our community and the connectivity so people can get around the city. We had really great response from the community when it came to that, and we did a lot of public engagement so we could get people's thoughts. We certainly would not have the picture that is coming through our Comprehensive Plan process without people in the community being involved in those discussions. When it comes to infrastructure expansion, we continue to advocate for expanding U.S. Hwy. 54, and I certainly think we're in a good place with all the economic development coming down the pipeline to be able to draw even more state attention to our area of the state.”
“All of our successes included infrastructure like streets and safety, and something that was particularly critical was housing, and that's been the case for a long time,” Diseker added. “We can't draw in those manufacturing jobs, which then create further retail development and opportunities, without the housing projects either currently in motion or about to be in motion. We did that in a very uncharacteristic way as far as the City of Liberal being the RHID developer until we recoup those costs, because the construction developer(s) of the property are in that role. We will see, in the coming years, if that was a good decision, and I feel like we had to make a transformative decision like that in order to move Liberal forward. Those houses are selling, and I think in the next couple years, we'll see those funds come back in through the RHID. I always have to tell people, in a town our size, where there's limited interest in investing in that type of development, we have to make those decisions, so I'm excited to see all of that housing coming up. The dance program is another quality of life project that's very near and dear to me and my mother, Nikki Frydendall, because we looked around and basically said 'There is nothing for young people who are really artistic and interested in dance,' and we wanted to provide that, and we actually just recently had a recital.”
Moree and Diseker also agreed there were some challenging times throughout 2024.
“For me, some of the challenges focused on how we had so many great things happening and have made decisions that will have long-term effects on the community. But as we move into the new year with all of the economic development work going on, the biggest challenge will be making sure we're fair to everyone and open to business while also listening to the needs of everyone, and doing that in a fiscally responsible manner,” Diseker said. “Everyone who comes in and wants to do business in Liberal, all of that comes with requests for incentives – from a financial perspective, we want to make sure we're prioritizing certain things while being fair to everyone and making sure we can make offers that make sense and meet the expectations of the public. For me, that is a challenge because every time someone comes in, we get really excited for the opportunity, but we then have to keep in mind how we can make it happen. And since I'm a money person, we need to pay close attention to that. But challenges aren't necessarily a bad thing, it's just all about figuring out how to make things work in order to be attractive to all these potential opportunities coming our way.”
“This past year, our team has continued to develop, and as you look at challenges – especially municipalities – the main challenge is having the right staff and right people on board,” Moree added. “This past year, I feel like we've made a lot of positive changes when it comes to staffing, and there's been a lot of leadership development done that's put us in a good position moving forward. That hasn't been as much of an obstacle as it could have been, and we're really thankful for that. As you look at what people ask for ... and the hard thing is, there are just so many good ideas, but there's not always enough time or resources to get it done then and there, but maybe it's something that could happen in the future. I've got a long list of ideas from people of what they'd like to see happen, and a lot of that is just a matter of having the right people in place and the right opportunities. A great example of that is the Ruby Red Slipper Slide, that's been an idea for about the past decade, but it was only rather recently when all the logistics came together at the right place and right time for us to go for it. There are always those projects/ideas where you think 'I really wish we could do that,' but there are going to be situations where it's not the right time or place for it to get done. And people also need to realize when it comes to financing, there are specific rules of what can and can't be spent, and where money can be spent, and there has to be surrounding infrastructure in place to support some of those bigger projects people want to see so badly, because all of those individual pieces fit together.”
After a whirlwind 2024, Moree and Diseker agreed there is a lot to look forward to with 2025.
“I'm really excited for all of the economic development work that will be happening, and there are a few projects we haven't been able to talk about quite yet that we're really excited about announcing here in the near future,” Diseker said. “There are always a lot of factors involved in that, and I'm excited to finally share all of that with the people and put some solid plans in place to help all of that happening. I'm also excited about the renovations going on at Willow Tree Golf Course, especially in the clubhouse, because it was definitely in need of some cosmetic changes and some other minor improvements. Another project I'm really excited about is the upcoming new bus transit facility, I'll be very happy to see the buses stored safely indoors and be protected from the elements and potential theft, so that'll be a great project for the CityBus crews.”
“The biggest thing I'm excited about for 2025 is the Comprehensive Plan getting finalized, I'm looking forward to getting that out in front of the community and getting their feedback, because there's so much more unity in the community than people might think,” Moree said. “There's this misconception that we fight about everything all the time, but when you look at the things that mean the most, there's a lot more common ground than some people might think. I'm excited for people to see we have goals and in turn be excited about them. I'm really happy with how we went about that process and how we got so much community feedback for that. I'm also looking forward to having more discussions about potential STAR Bond projects, that's something that's come about a little more recently, and there are definitely some good ideas we've heard with what we could do with that kind of funding. Having that community support is very important, and we wouldn't be going where we are without everyone working together toward making Liberal great.”
