ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Some new faces could be in charge of the Liberal City Commission after the commission’s 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.
After the election of mayor and vice mayor, the commission will begin the evening’s new business with discussion of a purchase and sale agreement with Air Products.
“As presented at the commission’s Dec. 24, 2024 meeting, city staff, in conjunction with extensive efforts by Eli Svaty at Seward County Development Corp, have been working for the better part of a year on an agreement between the City of Liberal and Air Products,” the agenda information noted. “The official Letter of Intent was signed by both parties on Sept. 16, 2024 for two lots at the Airport Industrial Park. A site visit and environmental assessment took place on Oct. 1, 2024,, which then led to the Purchase and Sale Agreement that was presented to the Commission last month. At that time, the City Commission voted unanimously in favor of the agreement. Upon further review, it was discovered there was a misprint of the parcel numbers in the original contract, so city staff and Air Products met recently to discuss this discrepancy and update the document. City staff recommends the commission’s approval of the updated purchase and sale agreement between the City of Liberal and Air Products as drafted on Jan. 9, with the infrastructure costs coming from the 1-cent Sales Tax Fund 260 for Streets, Drainage, and Other Capital Improvements. Once approved by the Commission, the land sale and project is still contingent upon final FAA approval.”
Up next for the commission will be discussion of Ordinance No. 4628 concerning rezoning 441 S. Washington from C-2 (Commercial) to R-3 (Multiple Family).
“The owner of 441 S. Washington has applied to rezone the property at 441 S. Washington from C-2 (Commercial) to R-3 )Multiple Family Residential),” the agenda information noted. “The rezone was approved by the Planning and Zoning Board at its Dec. 12, 2024 meeting and forwarded to the Liberal City Commission for approval. Staff recommends the commission approve Ordinance No. 4628, rezoning 441 S. Washington Ave. from C-2 (Commercial) to R-3 (Multiple Family Residential).”
The commission will also be discussing the upcoming Ruby Red Slipper Slide project.
“We are preparing to enhance the Tourist Information Center at 1 Yellow Brick Road with a custom Ruby Slipper Slide. After contacting two companies for custom designs, a larger, nearly 10-foot slide was selected to maximize the enjoyment and engagement of a broad audience,” the agenda information noted. “This project aligns with our goal of creating a family-friendly and iconic attraction for the city.
The project is partially funded by a grant and supplemented by local tourism funds: Kansas Tourism Attraction Development Grant: $32,600 (40 percent of the total cost); and Transient Guest Tax Funds: $46,100 (60 percent of the total cost), for a total project cost of $78,700. Staff recommends signing a contract with Adventure Solutions. Scope of Work Includes: Design and construction of the Ruby Red Slipper Slide, shipping to the Tourist Information Center and on-site assistance with installation.”
Up next for the commission will be discussion of a financial policies & procedures manual for the City of Liberal.
“The City of Liberal Finance Department worked for several months in 2024 to review the existing purchasing manual and update it to a more robust financial policy that included an annual calendar for planning purposes, specific fund definitions, important budgetary deadlines, and expectations for department heads and staff members as it pertains to expending monies,” the agenda information noted.
Financial Policies are central to a strategic, long-team approach to financial management. According to the Government Finance Officers Association, the adoption of formal, written Financial Policies helps governments to: 1) Institutionalize good financial management practices; 2) Clarify strategic intent for financial management; 3) Define boundaries and limits on actions staff may take; 4) Support good bond ratings and potentially reduce the cost of borrowing; 5) Promote long-term and strategic thinking; 6) Manage risks to financial condition; and 7) Comply with established public management best practices. In continuing to update, present, and approve this Financial Policy on an annual basis, we are helping to move the City forward in a more structured manner and assist with succession planning as new staff members are added and trained on the expectations of our entity. No core changes have been made to the policy since Commission approval at its May 14, 2024 meeting. The financial calendar, however, has been updated with current dates, as well as moving the non-profit hearings from October to July and finalizing financial statements in August, rather than June.”
The commission will also be asked to designate the official city depository and official city newspaper, and will conclude the meeting with discussion of Larry Street and Hickory Street funding.
“At the commission’s Sept. 24, 2024 meeting, the commission approved Ordinance No. 4619, establishing the RHID and adopting the plan for the development of housing on Larry Street and Hickory Street by G&G Developments. As stated at the commission’s Nov. 26, 2024 meeting, the City of Liberal was not listed as the developer. On that night, the commission discussed the option of setting up this housing addition similarly to the Chance and Ortuño developments, which are currently in progress on the north and south sides of town.
The funds for the housing developments are drawn from Fund 260 1-cent Sales Tax (Streets, Drainage, Capital Improvements). This fund currently has a cash balance of $6,847,166.08, of which around $1.2M is still earmarked for ongoing housing projects. As previously stated, Fund 260 tends to receipt around $250K in sales tax per month, and my professional opinion is that we always need to keep a $2.5M reserve in the fund for routine project maintenance and any type of catastrophic situation. An engineering estimate from G&G Developments is attached, with an estimated infrastructure cost of $1,467,372.15. Staff would like for the commission to review this estimate and discuss whether or not the City would like to move forward with assistance and redraft the RHID.”
