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And everybody, it is 7 o'clock. Welcome
to our August 25th regular commission

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meeting. Before we get things started,
if you would please join me in the

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pledge of
>> allegiance

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to the flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for which it

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stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice

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for all.

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» All righty. First item this evening is
to consider the minutes of the August

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11th, 2026 meeting. I move we approve
the regular minutes.

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» I second.
>> We have a motion in a couple of seconds.

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Any further discussion?
Hearing none. All those in favor say I.

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» I. Any opposed? Same sign.
>> The motion carries. Next item this

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evening is to receive the 2025 financial
audit report. And we're going to have

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Stacy Ham with SJHHL come up and give it
that to us.

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» Good evening everyone. I'm Stacy
Hammond. I'm a partner with the audit

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firm SJHHL and also the partner on the
city's annual financial statement audit.

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It's a pleasure to be here this evening
to present the results of that financial

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statement audit. I believe all of you
have received two documents from us. Uh

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one of them was the copy of the audited
financial statements and the other was a

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report that was addressed to the mayor
and members of the city commission. Uh a

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lot of my presentation this evening is
also summarized in that report to the

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mayor and city commission. That report
really puts into writing everything that

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our audit standards require us to
present summarizing the results of the

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financial statement audit. Uh the first
thing that I need to visit with you

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about this evening is our
responsibilities in performing the

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city's audit. Uh we did perform the
city's audit in accordance with

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generally accepted auditing standards at
government auditing standards issued by

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the comproller general of the United
States. uh the provisions of the single

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audit act uniform guidance the office of
management and budget compliance

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supplement and requirements set forth in
the Kansas municipal audit and

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accounting guide. Uh all of those
standards require us to perform

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procedures in order to obtain reasonable
assurance that the city's financial

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statements are free from material
misstatement.

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As far as the procedures that we
performed, we did examine on a test

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basis evidence supporting the amounts
and disclosures in the financial

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statements. Uh we also reviewed the
accounting principles that the city uses

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significant estimates made by the city's
management as well as evaluating the

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overall financial statement
presentation. Uh probably the most

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important thing that I'll be telling you
this evening is that as a result of

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performing those procedures, uh we did
determine that the city's financial

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statements are presented fairly in all
material respects in accordance with

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generally accepted accounting
principles. Therefore, we issued what we

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call an unmodified audit opinion, which
is the best kind of opinion that the

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city can receive.
Uh I need to visit with you about any

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accounting policies or practices. uh
significant or unusual transactions, uh

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newly adopted accounting standards or
significant estimates as part of what

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we're required to report. Nothing in any
of those areas this year that we need to

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talk about except the city does have
several significant accounting

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estimates. Uh those are the city's net
pension liability that results from its

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participation in capers, the fair value
of investments, total other

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post-employment benefit liabilities, uh
the right to use assets and lease

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obligations payable, uh leases
receivable, and their associated

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deferred inflows. Uh our job as auditors
is to make sure that the city has a

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reasonable process in place to measure
and record each of those accounting

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estimates. And after our test work, we
were able to conclude that the city does

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have a reasonable process in place to
measure and record each of its

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significant accounting estimates.
We did make several audit adjustments to

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the original trial balance that was
presented to us to begin our audit. A

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number of those adjustments were
management prepared entries that just

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came in a little bit later after the
trial balance was presented to us.

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Others were reclassing items or entries
that relate to activity like debt and

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capital assets that the city doesn't
record on its trial balance for

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governmental activities, but that are
needed for the entitywide financial

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statements that are presented on a GAP
basis to be in accordance with standards

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set forth by the governmental accounting
standards board. The final item that I'd

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like to visit with you about related to
the financial statement audit is our

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observations about the audit process. A
and here we would inform you if anything

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bad had happened during the audit, if
we'd had any significant difficulties,

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disagreements with management, anything
in those areas. I I'm happy to report

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that nothing like that happened.
Management of the city was extremely

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cooperative throughout the entire audit
process and they were very transparent

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in answering the numerous questions that
we had. Uh before I open it up for

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questions, I would like to mention that
outside of the financial statement

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audit, we also performed a single audit
of the city's expenditures of federal

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awards. Uh we're required to perform
such an audit when the city expends more

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than a million dollars of federal
awards. As part of that audit, we did

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test a major program this year, which
was the city's airport improvement

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program. uh we have no findings that
we're required to report as part of that

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test work and as part of that single
audit of federal expenditures. We did

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issue an unmodified audit opinion on
compliance for the major program which

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is also the best kind of opinion that
you can receive on the single audit. Uh

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I would open it up for questions now.
Before I do that, I would like to very

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much thank Lisa Marshall and her staff
in the finance department. uh they they

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were getting ready for the audit kind of
without a financial director in place

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this year. So, a lot of work that her
and that department went to to get ready

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for that. I think in order for the city
to receive an excellent result on its

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audit, you really have to have good
policies and procedures in place year

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round, not just in the several weeks
where they're getting ready for us to

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come in and do that audit. And I think
our audit result shows that the city

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really does have those processes and
procedures in place year round in order

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to achieve that result. So with that, I
would open it up for any questions that

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any of you might have this evening.
>> Thank you, Stacy.

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» Anything?
>> Excellent.

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» Awesome.
>> Great report. Thank you.

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» Thank you.
>> Okay, we need to have a motion.

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» We need a motion to accept the caffer. I
I move that we accept the report.

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» I second.
>> We have a motion and a second. Any

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further discussion?
Hearing none. All those in favor say I.

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» I.
>> Any opposed? Same sign. That motion

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carries.
Next [clears throat] item this evening

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is our 2027 budget hearing. Um I'm going
to go ahead and ask Ben Hart with Baker

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Tilly to kick us off on that and then
we'll kick it over to Rebecca.

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» Thank you, Mayor. Um, I want to just
first say that I had the absolute

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pleasure to work with the same staff,
Lisa Marshall, when she wasn't doing

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audit, she was helping us. Uh, that was
that was fantastic. I was able to work

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with Rebecca and obviously Daniela when
we uh started putting the budget

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together within the state of Kansas.
budgets start really early, usually in

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the spring, and they usually start with
a revenue forecast way ahead of the end

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of the year, which is really unfair from
a finance standpoint, but it's always

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been that way. Your budget's no
different. The revenue forecast and the

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operating budget for that matter was put
together back in March and discussions

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throughout April happen. Eventually, it
gets to this the commission. I know um

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at this this summer you guys spent uh at
least three budget workshops uh going

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through the budget that was presented by
the city administrator. Um everything

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culminates really tonight in two
different budget uh public hearings to

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get uh citizen input. uh the first being
the public hearing on revenue neutral

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for 2027 a statutory requirement and
then the second obviously the budget

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itself
>> uh for and then followed by that

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followed by that would be the adoption
of the budget. Uh this budget $66.8

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million
was spread over several several

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operating funds. Uh and within the
budget itself, uh there are several

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pages, one of which shows the public the
publication of that that number and then

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all the funds that go with it. Um with
that, is there any any additional I

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think information that Rebecca has.
>> Thank you. Um I'll just be going over um

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what's in your packet on the memos
before we enter into those hearings.

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just to give a little bit um going back
to what we're going to have for the

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revenue neutral rate. As you might
remember, your revenue neutral rate is

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the tax rate in mills that generates the
same property tax revenue in dollars as

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levied the previous years using the
current evaluation. In June, we were

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notified by the Harvey County Clerk that
our revenue neutral rate would be um a

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mill of 69.408
across all funds. The current mill levy

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is 72.353.
That's a difference of 2.945 mills or

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$555,599

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in valuation increase. At the July 19th
meeting, the commission approved notice

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of intent to exceed the revenue neutral
rate and to inform the county clerk. At

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the fourth budget workshop, the city
commission decided to reduce the mill

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levy rate from 72.353
to 70.942.

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The difference from revenue neutral rate
would be utilized to fund the airport

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bond and interest and special liability
funds. The library board has notified

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the city that they are keeping their mil
levy flat and assuming the increase in

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valuation.
Before we move on to that hearing, I

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might just give you a quick summary of
the budget as well since they're going

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to be moving pretty quickly. Um, as um,
Ben mentioned, the proposed budgets um,

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across all funds reflects that mill levy
rate. Um, while no new positions were

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added and included in the budget, it
does maintain the commitment to the

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salary study. Um, which is one of the
largest line items um, in increase. Um,

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there's no direct transfers from
utilities to support the general fund.

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In previous years, that was
approximately $1.2 million. So again, a

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commitment to reduce that burden on the
utilities. The airport mill levy was set

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to have incre additional funding to meet
the needs of the growing airport

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operations and the expansions in that
area. The external funding requests were

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funded and it's spending down um in a
deficit on the general fund and current

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cash. So with that,
I do have those numbers on slides.

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They're all things you've seen before as
those breakdowns. We can reference them

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if needed. But this is your proposed
mill levy. So, but unless there's other

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questions, probably ready to start then.
>> Okay. At this time, I'll go ahead and

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open the public hearing. I'd invite
individuals to step forward who uh wish

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to speak on this. If you would please
state your name and address and your com

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comments regarding this item.
>> And this needs to be for the RNR

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hearing.
>> Correct.

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More clarification.

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» Anyone?
>> Okay. Well, I declare the public.

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» What? You'll need to take a roll call
vote now on your res.

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» No, I got to close the meeting, don't I?
>> It's okay. We got it. Make a motion and

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a second on the resolution and then
we'll do a roll call vote.

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» Okay. You got me home.
>> All right. [laughter]

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» I call for a sec. A motion.
>> I so move.

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» Do I have a second?
>> I second.

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» Yes, we do.
>> All righty. All those in favor say I. I.

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» I.
>> Now, you're going to have to have the

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roll call vote. Sorry.
So, I will start with at this end and

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I'll go through and you need to say yes
or no to the roll call. So, Commissioner

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Kaine,
>> yes.

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» Vice Mayor Watson,
>> yes.

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» Mayor,
>> it commissioner Valentine,

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» yes.
>> And Commissioner Miller,

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» yes.
>> Thank you.

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» Okay.
All right. So, now we are going to open

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the public hearing for the 2027 budget.
Again, anybody wishing to speak on this

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matter, please uh come forward, state
your name and address and and your

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comments. And that would be you, sir.

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» Hello. I'm Daniel Sanders. Um I live at
1111 South Pine Street here in Newton.

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I moved here a year and a half ago. Um
how much time do I have?

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We don't limit it, but out of courtesy,
we train everybody out at three minutes

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long.
>> Yeah.

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» Um, I moved here a year and a half ago
from Sterling, Colorado because my

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mother-in-law is the last living parent
we have and she has dementia. So, my

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wife wanted to move back and help take
care of her. Um, so I quit my career out

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there and I moved here. We moved here
and our house was paid for out there.

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So, we paid cash for our house here. Um,
my house out there was worth more than

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the house I have here. And my property
taxes were $750 a year in Colorado. And

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I mean, we lived in the house for a
number of years. And I was shocked when

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the property taxes went up $25 a year. I
thought this is crazy. It's out of

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control.
So then we get here and my property

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taxes are 3500, 3600, 3,700.
Um they started out at 3,200. Um and I

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did know that
coming here that my property taxes are

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going to be high, but I didn't know they
were going to go higher as high as they

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do every year. Um this will be my third
property taxes I'll have to pay. And um

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you guys appraised my house for more
than what I could sell it for. Um I had

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an appraiser come by two weeks ago
because I'm having a new roof put on my

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house and he appraised it for less than
what the city did. And I don't know how

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all that works. Um and I don't know how
all this works. This is my first time

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here. Um, and it's just because I'm a
concerned citizen

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» and I mean I'm 60 years old and
I'm going to have to work till I'm dead

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at this rate. I mean I do have a good
retirement. Um,

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but I don't if if the property taxes
keep going up like they are, I won't be

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able to afford to live here. Um, and I
see how the elderly get taxed out of

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their homes. I really do now.
>> Um, because the property taxes are just

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so high here.
And I understand that the property taxes

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are there for a reason because, you
know, the schools and the roads and I

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mean, I don't know where it all goes.
Um,

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but man, that's a lot of money. If
you're taxing everybody as much as you

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tax me, that's a lot of money for the
city. Um,

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so like I said, I'm just a concerned
citizen. Um,

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and I think I will come to more of these
meetings. Um, so I understand them

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better. Um, and I'm not trying to start
an argument. I just I just

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I'm at a loss
because you think my house is worth more

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than what it is and my taxes keep going
up and it's crazy.

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I don't know that with my retirement um
if I do get to retire

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um
with my homeowners insurance, the water

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bill that's crazy high now, um my
property taxes, um I mean that's

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That's more money than I'll have. I know
that for sure. But that's all I got.

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Thanks for letting me speak.
>> Oh, thank you for coming up and

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speaking. It means a lot.
>> Thank you.

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» Thank you.

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» Anybody else?

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» All right. At this time, I'll declare
the public hearing closed and bring the

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discussion back to the bench.
Commissioners,

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anything?
>> I

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I think it would be worth some time to
maybe clarify

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with regard to how those appraisals
occur.

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Um,
>> the ownership, you know, appraisals are

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are
>> by the county. They're they're not by

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the city.
>> The city does not appraise your

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property.
>> There was a push by the legislature on

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the counties of Kansas to increase the
assessed values

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um because the legislature felt that the
assessed values were uh lower than than

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market. So, um that led to the last few
years of our assessed value increases

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here in Harvey County. Um it is
unfortunate, you know, that often times

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the the city bears the the fault or the
blame for the entirety of the property

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taxes. Yes, we do levy property taxes
for the city, but that bill that you get

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is a combination of all the the taxing
bodies, the school district,

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» um any special districts,
>> state,

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00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:34,400
» state, county,
>> and and the city as well. Um I too

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understand and and can see how somebody
can be priced out of their home and it

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is concerning.
>> Um

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until there's uh wide tax reform at the
state level. Um sir coming from Colorado

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Taber is a totally different thing over
there. The way that the state revenue is

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and and the way that the cities and
municipalities are funded from that

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state income tax is totally different
than here in the state of Kansas. And

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it's the opposite. you get taxed heavier
on your income than you do on your

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properties. So, um, government, no
matter whether you're in Colorado or

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you're in Kansas or you're anywhere, it
takes a lot to run a municipality, um,

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and the roads and public safety and
everything. So, we hear you. We as a

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body have really pushed on our city
staff and our departments to maintain

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costs this year. And that's why we are
bringing forward a budget this year that

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does not take into account all of the um
assessed value increases that uh were

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available uh for this body. We said no
to that. We said no to positions. We

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00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:46,799
said no to um items. We pushed costs
that the city used to incur on behalf of

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00:21:43,919 --> 00:21:52,400
the citizens back on those citizens,
i.e. credit card fees and everything.

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Um, we we didn't believe that the rest
of the community should be um paying

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00:21:54,960 --> 00:22:01,600
those credit card fees for everybody
else, whether it was somebody pulling a

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00:21:58,799 --> 00:22:07,520
permit or somebody um paying paying a
bill. So, we we hear you. We we just

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have to be very surgical in um the
efforts that we take because we don't

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want uh amenities or services to be
negatively impacted too much if we get

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too heavy-handed in our
>> our items. Um anything else?

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» I think it's worth noting that from I'm
I'm new on the commission, but what I

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understand as a long-term strategy is
well the reason the housing values are

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increasing is because we don't have
enough housing. there's a housing

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shortage. So, we'll have a housing
report coming up next. Um, Newton has

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00:22:37,039 --> 00:22:42,720
really been pushing for adding more
houses, which will bring in all of those

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new houses will bring in property taxes,
which will then spread the burden, as

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00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:53,280
well as the industrial development like
GAF, uh, Shield, AI,

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once those come onto the books, uh, as
property taxes, that will increase the

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revenue and allow us to to be able to
stabilize some of the property taxes.

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um trying to spread the burden rather
than raising it on add more people, add

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00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:09,840
more properties. I think that's that's
how I understand the long term.

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00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:15,280
» One one of the focuses that we've been
trying to do here for three or four

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00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:21,600
years, five years, is really put a a
focus on bringing in new industrial and

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00:23:18,159 --> 00:23:25,600
commercial industry because they pay the
property tax rate at double of what the

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citizens do in our in our homes.
>> Yeah. And so that's where we're really

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going to increase and take the pressure
off off of all of us homeowners. The

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00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:40,559
more that businesses here can expand or
bring in new businesses, then that will

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00:23:39,039 --> 00:23:44,080
that doesn't mean that all of a sudden
our property taxes are going to go down,

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but the pressure is going to be lessened
as time goes on and those revenues come

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on to the tax roles. So we all feel
exactly how you feel when we get our tax

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00:23:53,360 --> 00:24:01,120
bill. We're all homeowners. We all know
what that is. We don't like it. And uh

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00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:06,880
just like the mayor said, we have taken
specific steps here to, you know, lessen

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00:24:04,559 --> 00:24:13,440
the mill levy, to use some of our ending
cash, you know, down to an acceptable

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00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:17,120
level and uh and not hire some of the
the the personnel that has been

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requested.
>> So, we're we we hear you loud and clear.

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It's not like we're just tonedeaf up
here and we all just ignore it. We

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00:24:24,799 --> 00:24:30,159
don't. So, thank you for expressing that
though.

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» And I would encourage if you have that
tax statement, um it's divided by all of

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the taxing entities. It might be good.
Um if I'm sure I'm going to volunteer

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00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:44,720
somebody from the city. Um if you want
to bring that up to the city and the

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00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:49,200
city manager is glad to help you break
that down to see exactly where the

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00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:52,480
city's portion of that whole tax bill is
versus the county, the state, uh the rec

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center,
>> the school board,

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00:24:53,360 --> 00:25:01,760
» all of that. the school board and the
school bond issue. I mean, we're dealing

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00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:07,919
only with the city portion of that whole
tax bill. And so, I would encourage you

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00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:13,360
uh to bring that up and have somebody
just go through that with you so that

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00:25:09,919 --> 00:25:16,400
it's much clearer because
I have had to have people go through

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00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:20,400
that with me, too. I know what we deal
with here at the city level, but when I

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00:25:17,919 --> 00:25:24,240
get that big statement, I have to remind
myself and sometimes ask for a little

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00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:29,919
bit of extra direction to understand
what all of that means in total. So, I

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00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:34,000
would encourage you to do that
>> and come to more meetings. I love when

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people attend meetings. Thank you.
>> I I I [clears throat] I think I mean I

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00:25:37,679 --> 00:25:47,520
agree everybody on here what they've
said is all true. Um but I think we've

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00:25:43,919 --> 00:25:52,960
left something out and that is that
those returns on those investments from

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00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:59,600
Jif and Shield IIA are going to take
years before we get see those and that

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00:25:56,799 --> 00:26:08,559
doesn't help us right now and these
citizens need help right now and um so I

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00:26:05,039 --> 00:26:15,679
I know that we have put um we have put
pressure on our staff to to um you know,

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00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:20,320
try to figure this out and and I know
they work hard and I got to say the

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staff's amazing. They they do they work
hard and trying to get us the

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00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:30,320
information that we need to make an
informed decision and it just takes time

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00:26:26,799 --> 00:26:35,679
to do that. But um we like we said, we
do hear what you're saying and we

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if we could solve this problem right
now, we would do that. But we're trying

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to figure out how we can do that,
give some relief now, you know, sooner

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than later type of thing. Um, so if we
can just kind of bear with us a little

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bit on that, um, that would be great.
But

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» that's all I wanted to say.
>> All righty. At this point, I would call

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for a motion.

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Are we adopting the budget?
>> I move that we adopt the 2027 budget.

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00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:15,120
» I second.
>> We got a motion in a couple seconds.

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00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:20,559
» Couple seconds.
>> All righty. Any further discussion?

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00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:25,120
» Hearing none. All those in favor say I.
>> Any opposed? Same sign.

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00:27:23,360 --> 00:27:26,640
Motion carries. You going to pull the
roll call on this, Denise?

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00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:30,799
» No.
>> Nope. Okay.

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00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:37,039
» Very good. All righty.
All right. Next item this evening is to

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receive the annual housing update. Zack.
Good evening. [clears throat] Excuse me.

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00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:45,919
Uh, this evening I'm going to provide
our annual update on housing activity in

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Newton. Rather than simply walking
through Rather than simply walk through

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00:27:47,679 --> 00:27:57,440
a list of projects,
is it just going to be one click?

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00:27:53,919 --> 00:28:00,320
Oh, gotcha. Thank you.
Rather than simply walking through a

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00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:04,960
list of projects, I want to frame this
year's report around three questions.

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Where were we? Where are we today? And
where are we going? I think the

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framework does a better job of showing
the progress we've made while also

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00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:15,720
putting into perspective the work that
is still ahead of us.

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00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:23,440
Where were we? So, where were we? Over
the last several years, our housing

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conversations have consistently centered
around the same challenge. We simply

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00:28:25,360 --> 00:28:31,360
need more housing. Our available
inventory has remained constrained.

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00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:34,960
Demand throughout the region has
remained strong and infrastructure costs

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00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:38,640
continue to make new residential
development difficult. At the same time,

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00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:42,320
we were beginning to build a much
stronger pipeline. Fox Ridge was driving

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00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:45,840
a significant amount of the new
residential construction. We had

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00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:49,360
additional projects beginning to emerge
around Sand Creek Station and we were

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00:28:47,919 --> 00:28:53,600
having more conversations with
developers about what it would take to

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00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:57,760
make the projects financially feasible.
A lot of work has was focused on

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00:28:55,919 --> 00:29:01,919
recruitment, planning, identifying
development opportunities, and finding

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00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:05,679
the right tools to help projects move
move forward. There was very very little

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00:29:04,159 --> 00:29:09,760
change between the annual report I
presented in August of 2025 and the end

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00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:15,320
of that calendar year leading into the
spring. And that brings us to where we

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00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:15,320
are today.

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00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:23,200
That's touchy.
Today, I think the housing picture looks

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00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:27,120
considerably different. We aren't just
talking about potential projects

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00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:30,159
anymore. We have construction underway.
We have dirt moving. We have

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00:29:28,399 --> 00:29:34,480
infrastructure being planned. We have
projects moving through the RHID

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00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:37,760
process. And we have another generation
of housing developments beginning to

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00:29:35,919 --> 00:29:42,640
form behind the projects already under
construction. Fox phase one is near

360
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:47,440
nearing full buildout. Harvest Point
phase 2 is under construction. Artistic

361
00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:50,240
builders has started site preparation.
The fairways is moving through the

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00:29:48,799 --> 00:29:54,159
development process. and we have
additional h add additional projects

363
00:29:51,919 --> 00:29:58,159
involving Fox Ridge and the Southeast
14th Street connector moving through the

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00:29:56,080 --> 00:30:01,520
pipeline. That doesn't mean our housing
challenges solved, but it does mean

365
00:29:59,919 --> 00:30:06,080
we're beginning to see tangible movement
in areas we've been working on for

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00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:11,200
several years.
Two projects really demonstrate where we

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00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:15,279
are today. Harvest Point 2 is currently
under construction and will add 28 new

368
00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:20,000
housing units specifically for residents
aed 55 and older. The project consists

369
00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:25,279
of seven residential buildings and
represents approximately 5.5 million in

370
00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:29,039
new housing investment. The builds this
builds upon Harvest Point phase 1 and

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00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:33,600
continues to expand our senior housing
inventory. Fox Ridge phase 1 is also

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00:30:31,679 --> 00:30:38,960
approaching the finish line. That that
development includes 19 single family

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00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:42,399
homes, 38 duplexes, and 11 triplexes.
All permits for the subdivision have now

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00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:46,480
been issued and we anticipate the
subdivision sub subdivision being fully

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00:30:44,399 --> 00:30:50,159
completely uh being completely built
out. Fox Ridge has been an important

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00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:53,360
project for Newton because it
demonstrated that there is demand for

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00:30:51,679 --> 00:30:56,720
new housing and for different types of
housing products within our community.

378
00:30:55,360 --> 00:31:02,200
The developer is now looking to
capitalize on the success which I'll

379
00:30:58,559 --> 00:31:02,200
discuss in a moment.

380
00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:10,000
The next wave of de development is
beginning to take shape around the

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00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:15,279
around San Creek Station Golf Course.
Artistic Builders is moving forward with

382
00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:19,279
71 residential development uh uh a lot
residential development at 24th Street

383
00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:23,919
in Anderson. The development is expected
to focus primarily on duplexes in the

384
00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:27,520
380 to $400,000 range. The
infrastructure petitions have been

385
00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:32,159
approved and dirt work has begun to uh
has begun to prepare the site

386
00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:37,279
immediately south of San Creek Station
clubhouse. The fairways is planned as as

387
00:31:35,039 --> 00:31:41,200
approximately six 60 single family
residential lots. Those homes are

388
00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:45,200
anticipated to range from approximately
400 to 600,000. The developer is

389
00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:49,919
pursuing a reinvestment housing
improvement uh incentive district or

390
00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:54,240
RHID to help offset the the special
assessments associated with installing

391
00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:58,080
infrastructure. Between those two
projects alone, we're talking about

392
00:31:55,760 --> 00:32:01,840
approximately 131 new residential lots
around San Creek Station. That's a

393
00:32:00,159 --> 00:32:06,480
significant addition to Newton's future
housing inventory.

394
00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:09,279
Growing the pipeline is just as
important as these projects moving

395
00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:12,720
forward. Just as important as the
projects moving today is what is

396
00:32:11,039 --> 00:32:16,000
beginning to develop behind them.
Following the success of Fox Ridge phase

397
00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:20,480
one and the developers looking at
opening Fox Ridge phase 2, they intend

398
00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:24,799
to pursue an RHID to help offset
infrastructure costs associated with the

399
00:32:22,399 --> 00:32:29,039
next phase. Separately, the developer is
also evaluating the Fox Ridge Apartments

400
00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:33,519
project that is a separate development
from both phase one and phase two and is

401
00:32:31,279 --> 00:32:38,320
also expected to uh is expected to
pursue our HID assistance. We also have

402
00:32:36,399 --> 00:32:42,720
the No Morpher development near the
Southeast 14th Street connector. The

403
00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:46,320
that project involves approximately 20
acres and is anticipated to include a

404
00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:51,039
combination of single family and
multifamily housing. The RHID resolution

405
00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:54,640
for that project has been approved by
the Kansas Department of Commerce and we

406
00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:58,399
are currently in the pre-planning and
development agreement stages. These

407
00:32:56,799 --> 00:33:03,720
projects are important because they give
us a pipeline beyond the housing already

408
00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:03,720
under construction.

409
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:09,760
Even with all that activity, the market
continues to tell us that additional

410
00:33:07,679 --> 00:33:14,240
housing is needed. The Witchaw area
median sale median sale price is

411
00:33:11,919 --> 00:33:19,600
approximately 267,000
while Newton's median sale price remains

412
00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:23,440
around 195,000. Home values continue to
appreciate and inventory remains

413
00:33:21,519 --> 00:33:28,000
particularly constrained for home prices
below 300,000. Mortgage rates also

414
00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:31,919
continue to create affordability
challenges particularly for firsttime

415
00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:36,000
home buyers. At the regional level, the
estimated housing deficit has grown to

416
00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:41,279
approximately 20,000 single new family
homes or new single family homes. Newton

417
00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:45,519
doesn't operate or Newton doesn't
operate in isolation from the regional

418
00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:49,519
market. We compete for employees,
residents, businesses, and investment

419
00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:53,200
throughout South Central Kansas. Housing
availability directly affects our

420
00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:56,960
ability to recruit workforce and support
economic growth. So, even though we're

421
00:33:55,360 --> 00:34:01,919
seeing significant progress, the
underlying demand that drove this work

422
00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:01,919
has not gone away.

423
00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:09,359
I want to also emphasize that our
housing efforts aren't limited to

424
00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:13,919
building new subdivisions. The Newton
Land Bank continues to focus on infill

425
00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:18,800
development and returning underutilized
properties to productive use. We are

426
00:34:16,079 --> 00:34:22,000
hopeful that the sale of 324 East 11
Street will create another opportunity

427
00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:25,520
for residential investment with an
establish within an established

428
00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:29,919
neighborhood. We're also exploring the
potential acquisition of approximately

429
00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:33,679
3.8 8 acres of city-owned property that
could eventually be redeveloped in a

430
00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:37,280
partnership with Habitat for Humanity or
the Housing Alliance. Beyond physical

431
00:34:35,919 --> 00:34:41,359
development, we continue working with
the Housing Alliance and other community

432
00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:45,599
partners on housing stability. Those
conversations include transitional and

433
00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:49,280
supportive housing, renter and landlord
resources, home repair assistance, and

434
00:34:47,599 --> 00:34:54,000
the need the needs of residents
experiencing housing insecurity or

435
00:34:51,359 --> 00:34:56,720
homelessness. We also continue to offer
programs such as the neighborhood

436
00:34:55,280 --> 00:35:00,720
revitalization program and
rehabilitation rebate program to

437
00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:04,880
encourage reinvestment in our existing
housing stock. So when we talk about

438
00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:09,200
housing, we're really talking about the
entire spectrum. New construction,

439
00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:13,680
infill, reinvestment, housing stability,
and helping people remain successfully

440
00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:17,680
housed.
So where are we going? [snorts]

441
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:21,839
That's the final question. I would
describe our next phase as moving from

442
00:35:19,599 --> 00:35:25,359
pipeline to production. We spent a
considerable amount of time building

443
00:35:23,359 --> 00:35:29,200
relationships, identifying sites,
working through financing options,

444
00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:33,040
establishing RHIDs, and recruiting
developers. Now, we need to convert

445
00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:36,560
those opportunities into housing. That
means getting infrastructure into the

446
00:35:34,720 --> 00:35:40,560
ground. It means completing development
agreements and moving RHID projects

447
00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:44,960
forward. It means continuing to work
with developers when barriers arise. It

448
00:35:43,119 --> 00:35:48,240
means identifying additional development
ready ready property. And it means

449
00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:52,640
continuing to recruit builders and
developers so we aren't dependent upon

450
00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:56,400
only a handful of projects. We also need
to continue diversifying the types of

451
00:35:54,320 --> 00:36:00,160
housing available in Newton. There isn't
one project or one housing type that is

452
00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:04,160
going to solve our housing needs. We
need single family housing, duplexes,

453
00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:07,760
multifamily housing, senior housing,
infill development, and housing at

454
00:36:05,839 --> 00:36:11,440
different price points. The goal is to
create enough diversity and consistent

455
00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:16,000
production that housing availability
supports rather than constrains Newton's

456
00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:20,079
future growth.
and what success looks like. It's more

457
00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:23,599
it's more homes being built. It's more
residential lots becoming development

458
00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:26,720
ready. It's more housing choices
available to current and future

459
00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:31,359
residents. It's additional private
investment coming into Newton. It's v

460
00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:35,359
vacant and underutilized properties
being returned to productive use. And

461
00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:39,280
most importantly, it's establishing a
sustainable housing pipeline where we

462
00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:43,920
weren't starting over every year looking
for the next project. When I look back

463
00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:47,760
at where we were and compare it to where
we are today, I think we've made

464
00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:52,000
meaningful progress. A year ago, many of
these projects were conversations,

465
00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:55,839
concepts, or financial discussions.
Today, we are seeing construction, dirt

466
00:36:53,839 --> 00:36:59,760
work, infrastructure planning, RHID
approvals, and developers preparing

467
00:36:57,599 --> 00:37:03,520
their next phases. Our job now is to
capitalize on that momentum and turn the

468
00:37:01,599 --> 00:37:08,400
pipeline we've created into sustainable
housing production. And with that, I

469
00:37:06,240 --> 00:37:13,119
conclude my housing update, and I'd be
happy to answer any questions. 32411.

470
00:37:11,599 --> 00:37:18,079
That's the old greenhouse by Dylan,
isn't it?

471
00:37:14,079 --> 00:37:20,240
» Uh, no. That's it's actually the street.
>> You [clears throat] sure? It's the one

472
00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:26,640
across from the
>> behind 12th Street. Uh, what's the the

473
00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:30,560
units? Um, it's kind of Don't want to
give away.

474
00:37:28,240 --> 00:37:33,760
» No, I got Google. I'll figure it out.
>> Okay. 324. You still haven't.

475
00:37:32,240 --> 00:37:36,320
» It's across the street from the
greenhouse.

476
00:37:35,119 --> 00:37:42,560
» And I'd like to see that green,
>> but it is not that house.

477
00:37:39,119 --> 00:37:47,280
Darn it. All righty. Thank you, Zach.
>> Thank you.

478
00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:53,599
» Do you need us to actually receive that
report or

479
00:37:50,400 --> 00:38:00,000
Okay, very good. Next item this evening
is to consider an ordinance update fees

480
00:37:56,000 --> 00:38:03,200
for sanitation collection. Ed.
>> Yeah, thank you, Commission. I'll start.

481
00:38:01,599 --> 00:38:10,079
Chris may want to jump in here at the
end, but um this is just a a correction

482
00:38:07,359 --> 00:38:14,800
to an ordinance that you [clears throat]
this body approved last November when we

483
00:38:12,720 --> 00:38:21,680
updated our uh s our solid waste
collection ordinance. We inadvertently

484
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:27,520
um missed putting in the fees that would
be charged for um a request for a pickup

485
00:38:25,599 --> 00:38:33,200
on a day that wouldn't normally be your
trash day. And so this ordinance or this

486
00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:37,839
uh amendment change uh fixes that. We've
attached a red line for you um to look

487
00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:41,359
at that. If if you want to approve that
tonight, that'd be fine. If you'd rather

488
00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:46,720
us come back after you have some time to
look at it, we can do that also. But but

489
00:38:44,240 --> 00:38:50,480
ultimately, we're just trying to fix a
an error that we missed in the first

490
00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:52,960
goound. So if Chris, if you have
anything else to add, I

491
00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:58,376
» think I'd covered it. Stand for any
questions.

492
00:38:55,760 --> 00:39:00,396
» How did you become aware of this issue?
>> [laughter]

493
00:39:02,307 --> 00:39:05,440
[cough]
[clears throat]

494
00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:10,240
» I'll let the city manager explain that.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Would you like to explain

495
00:39:06,720 --> 00:39:15,920
that one, city manager? [laughter]
>> So, there's an extra fee if you if they

496
00:39:13,359 --> 00:39:19,839
pick up on a day that they're not.
>> Yeah. So, if you inadvertently forget to

497
00:39:17,839 --> 00:39:24,480
set your trash out on your trash day,
say your trash day is Monday,

498
00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:28,720
» and you call and say, "Hey, I can't wait
till the following Monday. Can you come

499
00:39:26,240 --> 00:39:31,280
pick it up?" Then we charge it a fee
because it's off route. So we have to

500
00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:34,079
» right
>> kind of recover some costs there.

501
00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:40,720
» Yeah. At the time.
>> Yeah.

502
00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:45,119
» And for a homeowner that's 1433. But the
ordinance also makes sure that that

503
00:39:42,720 --> 00:39:48,000
we're made whole for somebody who is
>> type two.

504
00:39:45,839 --> 00:39:51,680
» Type two or whatever at a different rate
appropriate to their type of service.

505
00:39:50,079 --> 00:39:57,280
» Yeah. Based on the size of their
dumpster.

506
00:39:54,320 --> 00:40:00,400
» Seems kind of logical. [laughter] Right.
Any further discussion?

507
00:39:58,880 --> 00:40:04,119
» Do you have an ordinance number, Denise?
>> Yes. It would be 5205-26.

508
00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:13,200
» I move we approve 5205-26.
>> I second.

509
00:40:11,599 --> 00:40:17,280
» We have a motion and a second. Any
further discussion?

510
00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:20,160
Hearing none. All those in favor say I.
I.

511
00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:24,720
» Any opposed? Same sign.
>> That motion carries.

512
00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:29,119
» Thank you, Ed. Thank you.
Next item this evening is to consider

513
00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:34,880
reacquiring 10 acres of real estate from
21 Aber LLC. That's the northwest corner

514
00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:37,440
of Oliver and First Street out by the
airport.

515
00:40:35,599 --> 00:40:43,520
» And this is a short item. This involves
a city real estate sale back in April of

516
00:40:40,240 --> 00:40:48,960
2022. As you recall, you did sell those
10 acres that were adjacent to the

517
00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:54,000
airport. Um often in our PSAs, our
purchase and sale agreements, we do have

518
00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:59,599
clawback languages with uh requirements
to develop. Uh this did not meet that

519
00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:05,760
threshold. It was extended. Offer was
extended. Um city staff now recommends

520
00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:11,119
pursuing a purchase back. We wanted to
put it um kind of on your radar. Um this

521
00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:15,920
is property that's adjacent to the
airport that can be developed. It didn't

522
00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:21,680
meet the original schedule. The original
reversionary uh interest called for a

523
00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:27,760
40,000 square foot building to be built
before May one of 2025. No permits have

524
00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:32,319
been pulled. Um we're open to develop
with that entity and any other entity,

525
00:41:29,599 --> 00:41:38,720
but to keep these on the market. City
staff would recommend pursuing it.

526
00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:42,319
» You have given extensions. um they
understand they would rather extend but

527
00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:46,880
they they understand there was a
reversionary interest and you have the

528
00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:50,640
right to to purchase it back. This is
one where the city would purchase it

529
00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:54,240
back. It isn't something where it's
forfeited and they have to give it back.

530
00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:59,200
So it' be the original purchase price.
>> Is is that purchase price negotiable? I

531
00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:02,880
mean I mean we have to
>> Anything's negotiable. you have a

532
00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:07,359
contractual right and they have a
contractual obligation to sell it at

533
00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:11,680
that $79,000.
Um, of course it could be negotiated. We

534
00:42:10,240 --> 00:42:16,359
wouldn't negotiate up because we have a
right at that price. Um,

535
00:42:16,480 --> 00:42:22,720
» so we would not negotiate
>> we would not recommend negotiating it.

536
00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:26,680
We would purchase it for the price as
outlined in the original PSA.

537
00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:39,359
» I guess my concern is if we don't
uh then we set a precedent and then if

538
00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:43,680
uh we do this with somebody else um
and just you know let them sit on it. I

539
00:42:41,680 --> 00:42:46,160
I mean it it makes sense to me that we
go ahead and purchase it back from

540
00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:50,880
» I agree
>> and this the the money's used for that

541
00:42:48,240 --> 00:42:56,720
would be from the Ecodo fund which are
set aside for that purpose and this is a

542
00:42:54,079 --> 00:43:01,200
situation where we would be
>> controlling our own destiny. We would we

543
00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:07,280
would then have a property that we could
go out and market in an area that is

544
00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:11,119
seeing increased activity. So
>> So we already have funds that are set

545
00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:14,720
aside for a specific
>> Yes, we do.

546
00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:18,400
» Uh issue. Okay.
>> And that's their purpose. It's not like

547
00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:21,359
they're just sitting there. That's their
purpose is to do that. So

548
00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:25,760
» Okay.
I have, this is loosely related, but in

549
00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:29,920
the original contract are could they
flip the property now if if land out

550
00:43:28,240 --> 00:43:33,599
there is selling at 12,000 acre and they
bought it at 8, can they choose to sell

551
00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:36,960
it on to someone else?
>> The property is still encumbered by a

552
00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:40,800
reversionary interest.
>> So, we have right of first and it's not

553
00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:44,400
technically a right of first refusal,
but we do have an interest to purchase

554
00:43:42,319 --> 00:43:48,560
it if they don't make uh
>> because they committed to building on

555
00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:52,960
Exactly. Yeah.
>> And that's recorded on the deed. Okay.

556
00:43:51,280 --> 00:43:56,000
We don't need formal action, but
direction or if you need more

557
00:43:54,480 --> 00:43:59,000
information, we can bring it back to
you.

558
00:43:59,119 --> 00:44:03,680
» I think I'm I'm good.
>> I'm good. Um, can we go ahead with a

559
00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:07,040
motion?
>> You just need a

560
00:44:04,160 --> 00:44:09,520
» head direct staff to come back with a
purchase and sale agreement to reacquire

561
00:44:09,040 --> 00:44:14,880
the property.
>> I motion that we direct staff to proceed

562
00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:18,000
with the purchase of this property.
>> I second.

563
00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:22,400
» We have a motion and a second. All those
in favor say I.

564
00:44:19,200 --> 00:44:28,319
» I. Any oppose? Same sign. Motion
carries.

565
00:44:24,400 --> 00:44:32,160
Next item this evening is to
consider an asset disposal guidelines. I

566
00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:35,760
think Daniellea, are you going to take
this one?

567
00:44:32,720 --> 00:44:42,079
» Yes, I will. Um,
the last few months, uh, city staff have

568
00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:51,119
taken on, um, some reorganization of
city hall. Um this comes um as a sort of

569
00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:58,160
a step number one as to some clearing
out some offices and um

570
00:44:54,560 --> 00:45:04,079
making city hall also safer. Um through
that process we found out we have a lot

571
00:45:00,240 --> 00:45:09,839
of old furniture um broken tables,
broken chairs, a lot of broken things um

572
00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:14,240
or outdated things that don't have a use
anymore. lots of cassette tapes and

573
00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:17,040
cassette players that don't work.
Typewriters,

574
00:45:16,480 --> 00:45:20,960
» right?
>> What

575
00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:25,760
» although it it was nostalgic going
through all of this stuff, um, a lot of

576
00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:32,960
it has what I would what I would say has
um no value or a value of under $100.

577
00:45:30,079 --> 00:45:39,119
Um what we did is we asked all city
staff and to drop by anything that um

578
00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:44,400
they didn't need, they didn't want or
was broken. And we would go through it

579
00:45:41,760 --> 00:45:50,560
and determine how best to use the uh
surplus furniture, whether it was to

580
00:45:46,480 --> 00:45:54,880
find a a new home for it, repurpose it,
um

581
00:45:52,079 --> 00:45:58,880
or throw it away, um or I'm sorry,
donate it. And when going through our

582
00:45:57,119 --> 00:46:03,760
purchasing policy, we realized we don't
really have clear guidelines. And so,

583
00:46:01,200 --> 00:46:09,119
um, I put my finance hat on and, um, I
think that it would be prudent to sort

584
00:46:06,720 --> 00:46:16,240
of give staff some guidelines that we
can use going forward. Um,

585
00:46:13,119 --> 00:46:20,920
let me let me bring these up real quick.
Um I haven't been

586
00:46:21,520 --> 00:46:28,960
um
okay I haven't worn my finance hat um in

587
00:46:26,720 --> 00:46:33,760
a formal role in a while. So, I uh spoke
with our assistant finance director um

588
00:46:31,119 --> 00:46:38,160
and with our management consultant um
Baker Tilly. And I know Ben's not here

589
00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:42,480
anymore, but they recommended sort of
this these guidelines, which was

590
00:46:40,160 --> 00:46:48,400
anything under $100 we can recycle,
scrap, donate, or dispose of. Uh $100 to

591
00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:54,079
$500 we can sell um if bundled or
disposed with minimal staff effort. Uh

592
00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:59,920
500 to 2500 we would sell efficient
method. over 200, we would absolutely

593
00:46:57,040 --> 00:47:05,200
sell and a formal control documented um
process. So, um if you approve this,

594
00:47:03,280 --> 00:47:11,680
then we're going to go through our uh
surplus room and uh we might find more

595
00:47:09,280 --> 00:47:17,760
homes for um a lot of those chairs than
we thought we would, but a lot of that

596
00:47:13,440 --> 00:47:23,200
will be uh thrown away or or donated.
>> Awesome. H happy to answer any

597
00:47:20,319 --> 00:47:25,520
questions.
Anything?

598
00:47:24,960 --> 00:47:28,160
» I don't
>> I don't have any. I just I've been there

599
00:47:27,599 --> 00:47:30,160
done that.
>> Yes.

600
00:47:29,119 --> 00:47:33,200
» Yeah.
>> I think it was last what

601
00:47:32,640 --> 00:47:36,160
» who determines
>> Wednesday everybody was in clothes

602
00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:42,400
cleaning.
>> Who determines the value of these items?

603
00:47:39,839 --> 00:47:47,280
» Do you com combined
>> or the value? No one item had a value of

604
00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:52,560
over $100.
>> Oh, okay. Okay. So, we're we're we can I

605
00:47:51,119 --> 00:47:56,480
don't have a number of everything
combined. It's all stacked in this room.

606
00:47:54,800 --> 00:47:59,440
I can see chairs and tables. And
>> so, you're talking about combined, not

607
00:47:58,720 --> 00:48:03,920
individual.
>> Individual. Indiv each item. Okay.

608
00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:07,760
» $100 under $100. Yeah.
>> Actually, combined I might argue that

609
00:48:05,920 --> 00:48:11,760
combined the entire thing is not worth
$100. Okay.

610
00:48:08,880 --> 00:48:16,480
» These are these these things are 50
years old that have been sitting in

611
00:48:13,920 --> 00:48:22,319
corners. more than $100 in staff time to
get rid of the dunk or whatever.

612
00:48:19,440 --> 00:48:26,400
» Yes. Yes.
>> And we have um we have our own internal

613
00:48:24,480 --> 00:48:29,359
control. So if there's ever a question
of the value of something, we would have

614
00:48:27,839 --> 00:48:33,760
some someone else look at it and say,
"Okay, I think that's worth $500 to

615
00:48:32,160 --> 00:48:37,599
$1,000." I would have someone else look
at it and say, "Yeah, that's $500 to

616
00:48:35,440 --> 00:48:42,960
$1,000. Let's sell it per these
guidelines." And then we would remove it

617
00:48:39,680 --> 00:48:47,599
off our asset disposal. Um, we would
remove it off of our asset listing, also

618
00:48:45,599 --> 00:48:54,559
off of our insurance listing if on the
insurance um um

619
00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:59,599
listing. Excuse me.
>> I motion that we approve the asset

620
00:48:57,440 --> 00:49:02,400
disposal guidelines.
>> Okay, we have a motion. Do we need a

621
00:49:01,760 --> 00:49:04,960
second?
>> A second.

622
00:49:03,119 --> 00:49:08,880
» Awesome. All in favor say I.
>> I.

623
00:49:05,760 --> 00:49:13,200
» Any oppose? Same sign. Motion carries.
Awesome.

624
00:49:09,680 --> 00:49:19,040
» Thank you. Thank you. All right, we are
done with our regular agenda items. We

625
00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:23,280
don't have any executive sessions this
evening. So, we are going to

626
00:49:21,289 --> 00:49:29,800
[clears throat] move into our citizens
forum. So, first item this evening,

627
00:49:26,319 --> 00:49:29,800
Christopher Snow.

628
00:49:34,720 --> 00:49:39,040
» How much time do I have? Five minutes or
something?

629
00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:42,640
» Yeah, three three to five minutes would
be great. We got several people on the

630
00:49:40,880 --> 00:49:44,480
list this evening and everything. If you
would name and address and

631
00:49:44,214 --> 00:49:51,480
[clears throat]
>> my name is Christopher Snow. I live at

632
00:49:46,400 --> 00:49:51,480
one Sherman Court, Newton, Kansas.

633
00:49:52,000 --> 00:49:59,680
So, I'm here to talk about the flock
cameras and just let you know that, you

634
00:49:57,359 --> 00:50:05,440
know, I've had 25 years in cyber
security and I hold a CISSP

635
00:50:03,040 --> 00:50:12,480
and I defend networks and sensitive data
for a living. But I'm not here as a

636
00:50:08,720 --> 00:50:18,880
consultant. I'm here as your neighbor
because Newton is installing 11 flock

637
00:50:15,520 --> 00:50:24,640
cameras at every instance
to this city. And I believe we are

638
00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:28,240
making a mistake. We will not easily
undo.

639
00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:33,920
Let me tell you what these cameras
actually are because the sales pitch

640
00:50:31,119 --> 00:50:38,319
leaves it out. They are not Newton's
cameras. They are nodes in a private

641
00:50:36,640 --> 00:50:43,280
company's national surveillance
database.

642
00:50:39,839 --> 00:50:49,280
Every car that enters the city gets
photographed,

643
00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:55,760
tagged, and logged. Your plate, your
truck's dented tailgate, the bumper

644
00:50:52,319 --> 00:51:00,880
sticker that says who you voted for or
where you worship.

645
00:50:58,000 --> 00:51:06,960
And once that record exists, it can be
searched by thousands of agencies across

646
00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:14,319
the country. Agencies that have never
heard of Newton, Kansas,

647
00:51:10,079 --> 00:51:20,240
an answer to no one in this room.
In 1984, George Orwell gave us the

648
00:51:18,319 --> 00:51:27,280
telescreen.
And here's the detail people forgot. The

649
00:51:23,760 --> 00:51:33,200
telescreen didn't have to watch everyone
all the time. It only had to make

650
00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:38,559
everyone believe it might.
That's what broke the people of

651
00:51:35,040 --> 00:51:45,359
Oceanana. not watching the possibility
of being watched when every trip to the

652
00:51:41,839 --> 00:51:52,960
doctor, the gun shop, the church, the
political meeting, the AA meeting is

653
00:51:48,800 --> 00:52:00,160
logged and at the city line. Free people
start editing their own lives.

654
00:51:56,319 --> 00:52:06,720
Orwell wrote the book as a warning.
Somewhere along the way, someone started

655
00:52:02,880 --> 00:52:12,800
reading it as a product road map.
Now, let me put my professional hat on

656
00:52:08,960 --> 00:52:19,599
because this is the part I know cold. In
security, we live by the simple rule.

657
00:52:16,640 --> 00:52:25,119
Every piece of data you collect is data
you must defend forever against

658
00:52:21,920 --> 00:52:30,000
everyone. The cheapest data to defend is
the data you never collect.

659
00:52:27,839 --> 00:52:34,880
We're told the data deletes after 30
days. Fine.

660
00:52:32,640 --> 00:52:41,760
But for those 30 days, it lives on a
vendor's servers outside our control,

661
00:52:38,400 --> 00:52:48,240
inside a network we do not audit.
Syracuse, New York, learned its local

662
00:52:44,319 --> 00:52:54,240
flock data had been searched more than 4
million times by outside police without

663
00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:58,720
warrants. Evston, Illinois found federal
immigration searches running against its

664
00:52:56,480 --> 00:53:04,400
data despite a state law forbidding
exactly that.

665
00:53:01,119 --> 00:53:11,119
A Texas officer used the same network to
hunt nationwide for a woman over pro for

666
00:53:08,480 --> 00:53:16,559
a private medical decision.
And every vendor database on the breach,

667
00:53:14,559 --> 00:53:23,440
every vendor's database is one breach
away from being everyone's database.

668
00:53:20,559 --> 00:53:30,079
I have watched breach after breach
across my career. And the question is

669
00:53:25,839 --> 00:53:35,280
never if, it is when, and how bad.
When flock is breached, and it will be

670
00:53:32,240 --> 00:53:40,119
breached, the travel patterns of every
family in Newton are the payload.

671
00:53:41,327 --> 00:53:47,359
[sighs]
I grew up on Star Trek. I don't think

672
00:53:45,359 --> 00:53:53,200
that's a small thing to bring up in this
chamber. Star Trek is the story we tell

673
00:53:50,400 --> 00:53:59,040
about the future we actually want. A
future where we solved our problems

674
00:53:55,119 --> 00:54:03,280
without surrendering who we are.
There's an episode where Captain Pequard

675
00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:09,040
watches a security investigation spiral
out of control and he warns that the

676
00:54:05,839 --> 00:54:15,520
road from legitimate suspicion to rampid
paranoia is very much shorter than we

677
00:54:11,440 --> 00:54:21,200
think. He was right. In Deep Space 9,
Star Trek or Starfleet put armed

678
00:54:18,319 --> 00:54:28,079
checkpoints on every corner of Earth to
protect it. And the show haunted us with

679
00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:34,160
the verdict in a single line. Paradise
has never seemed so wellarmed.

680
00:54:31,520 --> 00:54:40,640
Nobody dreams of a future with a camera
on every off ramp. We dream of a future

681
00:54:37,839 --> 00:54:47,200
where we never needed one.
Nobody doubts our officers intentions.

682
00:54:44,319 --> 00:54:53,280
This is not about them. It's about the
fact that good intentions do not secure

683
00:54:49,839 --> 00:54:58,880
a database. And local controls written
into contracts is not local control

684
00:54:56,559 --> 00:55:05,040
written into physics.
The moment our data leaves Newton, our

685
00:55:01,680 --> 00:55:10,559
police stop protecting it. So here is my
ask and it is specific.

686
00:55:08,800 --> 00:55:14,800
Pause the seven cameras not yet
installed

687
00:55:12,319 --> 00:55:21,520
for any that remain.
No national network sharing searches by

688
00:55:17,760 --> 00:55:25,040
warrant or documented emergencies only.
Independent audits published to the

689
00:55:23,520 --> 00:55:31,920
public
and an annual vote is open session to

690
00:55:28,400 --> 00:55:37,359
review or end this program.
If lock will not accept these terms that

691
00:55:35,040 --> 00:55:42,800
tells you everything about whose data
this really is.

692
00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:49,280
Newton has thrived for more than 150
years without logging every soul who

693
00:55:45,680 --> 00:55:54,480
drives in. We are a town, not a
checkpoint.

694
00:55:51,040 --> 00:56:00,799
Orwell warned us. Peard warned us. And
25 years in this field taught me the

695
00:55:57,760 --> 00:56:07,440
same lesson they were teaching. The
surveillance you accept in fear, you

696
00:56:04,160 --> 00:56:12,640
keep forever.
Mr. Mayor, don't build the telescreen.

697
00:56:11,839 --> 00:56:16,839
Thank you.
>> Thank you.

698
00:56:13,599 --> 00:56:16,839
» Thank you.

699
00:56:17,218 --> 00:56:22,280
[sighs]
>> Mr. Sanders, you already spoke. So,

700
00:56:22,319 --> 00:56:26,880
you spoke already, right?
>> Yes.

701
00:56:24,160 --> 00:56:31,280
» Okay. I'm going to go ahead and Did you
want to speak again or you could

702
00:56:29,119 --> 00:56:35,119
normally when you sign up on the roster,
it's at the end of the meeting, but we

703
00:56:32,960 --> 00:56:42,440
let you speak earlier, so I'm just
double checking. You didn't want to come

704
00:56:36,400 --> 00:56:42,440
back up. Okay. Very good. Maggie Snow.

705
00:56:46,559 --> 00:56:53,839
» Maggie Snow. on Sherman Court. Good
evening, commissioners. You all know why

706
00:56:51,520 --> 00:56:57,599
I'm here. At this point, I'm starting to
wonder if I should just reserve the

707
00:56:55,119 --> 00:57:03,839
podium every other Tuesday.
I first stood at this podium on July

708
00:57:00,160 --> 00:57:08,960
28th. I returned again on August 11th,
and I am standing here again tonight on

709
00:57:06,160 --> 00:57:14,079
August 25th. During that time, I have
done exactly what residents are asked to

710
00:57:11,760 --> 00:57:18,000
do. I have submitted records requests. I
have reviewed the documents the city

711
00:57:15,599 --> 00:57:22,000
provided. I have submitted specific
follow-up questions. I have communicated

712
00:57:20,079 --> 00:57:26,079
professionally and respectfully with
staff who, I'm sure, as Denise can

713
00:57:24,079 --> 00:57:30,960
attest, probably groans audibly when my
name hurts her email inbox.

714
00:57:28,960 --> 00:57:35,599
I gave the city additional time when I
was told that answers were being

715
00:57:32,799 --> 00:57:38,960
prepared. On August 13th, the city clerk
told me the staff had hoped to provide

716
00:57:37,200 --> 00:57:44,079
responses to my Kora request the
following week. That week passed without

717
00:57:40,960 --> 00:57:48,400
a response. Sunday, I specifically asked
whether I should expect an answer before

718
00:57:45,839 --> 00:57:54,319
tonight's meeting. I received additional
information, quite a lot of it, at 4:37

719
00:57:51,440 --> 00:58:00,559
p.m. today, including the new city
website, which was published yesterday

720
00:57:57,359 --> 00:58:05,280
and announced this morning.
Um, that also has the link to the flock

721
00:58:03,040 --> 00:58:09,359
portal on it where you can see that
95,000

722
00:58:06,799 --> 00:58:16,000
plus images have already been logged in
the Newton Flock system. Again, the

723
00:58:12,160 --> 00:58:23,359
website went live yesterday.
Here we are again. Same cameras, same

724
00:58:19,040 --> 00:58:29,200
fundamental questions, and this time
we've got a little bit more data, but

725
00:58:26,880 --> 00:58:33,119
not sufficient to answer all of my
questions.

726
00:58:31,040 --> 00:58:39,040
Our first duty is to truth. And so, I
think tonight it is about time to get

727
00:58:35,040 --> 00:58:44,799
real with where we are. The cameras are
already installed.

728
00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:50,240
Again, the database that went live
yesterday

729
00:58:46,559 --> 00:58:55,839
shows that as of right now, 95,145
images, unique images have been

730
00:58:52,559 --> 00:59:03,359
detected. 30-day data retention. Total
of 81 searches to date. The contract's

731
00:59:00,000 --> 00:59:10,319
been signed. a sixf figure 36-month
commitment of Newton taxpayers. Your

732
00:59:06,160 --> 00:59:14,640
money has already been dispended for
this camera installation. For three

733
00:59:12,880 --> 00:59:19,200
commission meetings now, I still can't
get a clear, straightforward answer of

734
00:59:16,400 --> 00:59:26,240
how we got here. This doesn't have to
drag on for another meeting. You can all

735
00:59:22,799 --> 00:59:31,359
end this easily.
If the records exist that I've

736
00:59:28,160 --> 00:59:36,559
requested, simply produce them.
If they don't exist, then own it and say

737
00:59:34,559 --> 00:59:40,240
that
I am not willing to accept another

738
00:59:38,160 --> 00:59:44,400
iteration of staff is still working on
it. The July 13th announcement told the

739
00:59:42,480 --> 00:59:49,119
public that there were safeguards in
place and documented. If the system were

740
00:59:47,040 --> 00:59:53,040
properly authorized, documented,
reviewed, and governed before

741
00:59:50,559 --> 00:59:58,640
deployment, why is it taking so much
time to reconstruct that data?

742
00:59:56,720 --> 01:00:03,119
On July 13th, city told the public
policies and training were in place. The

743
01:00:01,119 --> 01:00:07,359
policy I've provided was dated July
14th. If there was anything in effect on

744
01:00:05,200 --> 01:00:13,200
the 13th, just provide it. If there
wasn't, own it and say so. If the

745
01:00:11,280 --> 01:00:18,000
technology review required by the city's
own purchasing policy occurred before

746
01:00:15,520 --> 01:00:22,720
the purchase, including the security,
legal compliance, CJIS compliance, audit

747
01:00:20,720 --> 01:00:27,440
requirements, compatibility, and future
resource needs were provided, then

748
01:00:24,799 --> 01:00:34,160
provide it. If it didn't occur, then own
it and say that it did not occur. I

749
01:00:31,200 --> 01:00:40,559
repeat, I am not asking the city to
manufacture explanations after the fact.

750
01:00:37,839 --> 01:00:45,200
I am asking for what existed when the
decisions were made. At some point,

751
01:00:43,359 --> 01:00:48,799
we're still working on it stops being an
explanation and starts sounding an awful

752
01:00:46,880 --> 01:00:54,319
lot like obfuscation.
So, tonight I have a question.

753
01:00:51,760 --> 01:00:58,079
Are you willing to request that the flop
camera program be placed on a future

754
01:00:56,319 --> 01:01:02,799
commission agenda for formal public
discussion with staff provided directed

755
01:01:01,119 --> 01:01:07,680
to provide the outstanding written
answers and supporting records in

756
01:01:04,720 --> 01:01:12,559
advance of that meeting?
It's a simple yes or no. If the citizens

757
01:01:10,720 --> 01:01:17,839
forum isn't a proper place to address
this, then put it somewhere where we can

758
01:01:15,040 --> 01:01:22,559
on a commission agenda. Put it on the
agenda. review the procurement, the

759
01:01:20,640 --> 01:01:27,280
policies, the safeguards, and the
oversight. According to the uh Flock

760
01:01:24,640 --> 01:01:32,720
website that just went live, access is
controlled for reasons.

761
01:01:30,400 --> 01:01:36,799
Reasons.
What's a valid reason?

762
01:01:35,520 --> 01:01:41,599
Is it I have questions about where
someone's going?

763
01:01:38,880 --> 01:01:46,640
Is it I suspect something? Is it I have
a case number? We don't know.

764
01:01:45,040 --> 01:01:51,680
That's the controls we have apparently
have in place. So, commissioners, I ask

765
01:01:49,520 --> 01:01:56,079
again, who among you is willing to
request that flock be placed on a future

766
01:01:53,839 --> 01:02:01,640
agenda so these questions can be
publicly discussed and answered

767
01:01:58,640 --> 01:02:01,640
publicly.

768
01:02:07,280 --> 01:02:12,720
» Well, let the record show. And for the
citizens of Newton,

769
01:02:11,599 --> 01:02:19,040
» Maggie
>> Melanie, please. [clears throat] um we

770
01:02:15,040 --> 01:02:23,040
we get discouraged from interacting with
with um

771
01:02:21,119 --> 01:02:28,319
» during the citizens forum.
>> So I think that might be why you're

772
01:02:24,880 --> 01:02:33,359
getting some [clears throat] fillets.
>> So in that case again place it on the

773
01:02:30,880 --> 01:02:38,160
agenda. As of right now, no one on the
commission is willing to express that

774
01:02:34,880 --> 01:02:42,319
that be placed on a public agenda.
That is good information for the

775
01:02:40,640 --> 01:02:45,680
citizens of Newton. I will be continuing
to review the documents that I have been

776
01:02:44,079 --> 01:02:50,160
provided and I am sure that I will be
coming back with more questions.

777
01:02:48,240 --> 01:02:55,000
» Thank you, Maggie.
>> All righty. Tanner Dickerson.

778
01:02:56,960 --> 01:03:03,839
» Tanner Dickerson down on Winward Drive.
Uh just came to the council to see if

779
01:03:01,680 --> 01:03:09,440
you guys would consider using shipping
containers as a garden shed for

780
01:03:07,359 --> 01:03:13,520
feasibility there. I know it's on the
commercial building code already.

781
01:03:11,760 --> 01:03:19,280
There's some regulations around that
which is good. Um I'd like to see the

782
01:03:16,480 --> 01:03:23,920
regulation around that preferred to just
provision continuously

783
01:03:21,520 --> 01:03:28,880
on the shipping containers. Uh they're
durable, they're structurally sound. Um

784
01:03:27,039 --> 01:03:34,880
they withstand heavy loads
transportation across the ocean. They're

785
01:03:31,599 --> 01:03:39,440
more secure than conventional sheds
and they're affordable option.

786
01:03:37,520 --> 01:03:43,599
Uh, the appearance I get is the big
hitter. Uh, rather than prohibiting

787
01:03:41,680 --> 01:03:47,440
them, I'd like to see the city establish
reasonable requirements for paint color,

788
01:03:45,599 --> 01:03:52,000
condition, screening, setbacks,
placement, maintenance, and so they fit

789
01:03:49,520 --> 01:03:56,079
in with residential
neighborhoods.

790
01:03:54,240 --> 01:04:00,640
Um,
I guess it's the big points there.

791
01:03:59,200 --> 01:04:05,200
That's all I got.
>> Thank you for your consideration.

792
01:04:03,359 --> 01:04:07,280
» Do you have a moment to stay after the
commission meetings? I talk to you real

793
01:04:06,240 --> 01:04:10,799
quick. Okay. Absolutely.
>> Thank you.

794
01:04:07,920 --> 01:04:15,760
» Thank you.
>> Cody Salem,

795
01:04:14,240 --> 01:04:17,599
» is it sllum? Yeah,
>> it's good enough.

796
01:04:16,400 --> 01:04:21,839
» All right.
>> Good evening. Uh my name is Cody Silian.

797
01:04:19,839 --> 01:04:25,119
I live at 1015 East 8th Street. It's
good to see you all again. Last time I

798
01:04:23,520 --> 01:04:29,440
was here, uh I got to speak with
everybody, but I didn't get to speak to

799
01:04:26,960 --> 01:04:34,079
you, mayor. Um so I am also here to talk
about flock alprs, which is a bit of a

800
01:04:31,680 --> 01:04:38,319
misnomer. Um, so for the information
that I gathered from the internet, u I

801
01:04:36,400 --> 01:04:43,760
was really on the fence about this kind
of thing. Um, but after hearing what I

802
01:04:42,160 --> 01:04:48,720
just heard, there's a lot more because I
am not a cyber savvy person whatsoever.

803
01:04:46,960 --> 01:04:52,640
Um, so I didn't get to speak at the
first meeting. So I did propose a few

804
01:04:50,880 --> 01:04:56,720
questions. One of them was if flock was
so great for the community, why didn't

805
01:04:54,079 --> 01:05:00,960
the community know about it?
Um, the city of Witchaw is currently

806
01:04:58,799 --> 01:05:06,640
being sued for the use of lock cameras.
And we had two cities in Kansas their

807
01:05:03,520 --> 01:05:10,799
flock contracts just last week. One was
Wellsville, Kansas with a population of

808
01:05:08,559 --> 01:05:15,520
2,000 people. Gardener, Kansas with a
population of 2,000, sorry, 26,000

809
01:05:13,599 --> 01:05:20,960
people. Newton has a population of
18,000 people. Having cameras is not the

810
01:05:18,880 --> 01:05:25,599
main issue. All businesses and homes
around have cameras. The issue is the

811
01:05:23,920 --> 01:05:29,920
aggregation of the information and who
it is being shared with.

812
01:05:28,000 --> 01:05:34,960
Um, currently I believe a lot of that
information is stored on Amazon servers.

813
01:05:32,000 --> 01:05:40,880
That's why we seen a flock was posing
with Ring and then that busted up during

814
01:05:36,799 --> 01:05:44,640
the um, Super Bowl ad debacle.
Um,

815
01:05:42,799 --> 01:05:49,839
we have a wealth of knowledge in this
community and experience as well. Um, if

816
01:05:47,520 --> 01:05:53,280
we were brought in to the conversation
from the beginning, we could have worked

817
01:05:51,520 --> 01:05:56,880
together for an optimal outcome for the
community, especially when safety is the

818
01:05:55,440 --> 01:06:02,240
concern.
Um, but Newton's crime rate is actually

819
01:05:59,599 --> 01:06:07,599
declining and Kansas's crime rates are
as a whole are at a 57-year low. So, at

820
01:06:06,000 --> 01:06:12,240
this point, Flock feels like a solution
in search of a problem.

821
01:06:10,079 --> 01:06:16,000
I'm not a public speaker by nature, but
I don't mind spending an evening

822
01:06:13,680 --> 01:06:21,520
aggregating some information to bring to
an argument that passed us by or really

823
01:06:18,640 --> 01:06:24,880
a conversation. I apologize.
Uh, at this point, I'd like to ask

824
01:06:23,200 --> 01:06:29,920
anyone who may be listening who would
like to see flock be removed, come out,

825
01:06:27,760 --> 01:06:32,799
get involved, and speak at these
meetings. Thank you.

826
01:06:31,599 --> 01:06:36,039
» Thank you.
>> Thank you.

827
01:06:36,400 --> 01:06:43,200
» That's the end of that.
Um,

828
01:06:41,280 --> 01:06:51,839
that's the end of our regular meeting.
Um as Maggie Snow shared the city portal

829
01:06:47,280 --> 01:06:56,720
with the flock um is out there. It shows
not only the number of images but the

830
01:06:53,760 --> 01:07:02,960
few number of actual accesses and
searches of the data that has been

831
01:06:59,599 --> 01:07:09,119
collected in our community. Um I might
clarify on the edge of our community.

832
01:07:06,480 --> 01:07:12,640
It's not patterns within our community.
Um

833
01:07:10,799 --> 01:07:17,440
take a look. You can really dive in
there. I am a data monkey. I I like it.

834
01:07:15,039 --> 01:07:21,839
Um you can even go out and see the
communities that we have uh sharing

835
01:07:19,440 --> 01:07:27,839
agreements with and conversely those
that we do not have sharing agreements

836
01:07:23,839 --> 01:07:33,200
with and everything. Um
you know the the commission doesn't get

837
01:07:30,400 --> 01:07:39,520
into individual procurement issues very
often. this this was within uh the

838
01:07:35,599 --> 01:07:45,839
purview of our police chief and u this
was a subscription to a tool that didn't

839
01:07:42,720 --> 01:07:51,200
bubble up to the the body's visibility
of it. I mean many of us have all been

840
01:07:49,760 --> 01:07:55,520
part of group projects and everything
and if we made every project there every

841
01:07:53,760 --> 01:07:59,680
decision to be a group decision I don't
think we'd ever get anything done. So,

842
01:07:57,839 --> 01:08:06,880
um I don't think it was through any sort
of obstucation or or in intent to skirt

843
01:08:03,839 --> 01:08:13,359
anything. It was just simply uh Chiefs
and his team trying to u get another

844
01:08:09,680 --> 01:08:19,199
tool in in their tool belt. Um and with
that, I will go around the horn for

845
01:08:15,839 --> 01:08:22,000
commissioner comments
>> regarding the same

846
01:08:20,400 --> 01:08:25,600
» regarding anything this evening. We're
about to close.

847
01:08:24,000 --> 01:08:31,359
» U
well

848
01:08:27,520 --> 01:08:35,839
I I think uh the other the commissioners
kind of know where I stand and uh with

849
01:08:33,520 --> 01:08:45,359
this is just that
I really think we need to review our

850
01:08:38,159 --> 01:08:52,000
policy and and do some you know real
make it more detailed or something more

851
01:08:48,159 --> 01:08:59,279
accountability something um as I go as
we go along here and I learn more and

852
01:08:54,719 --> 01:09:06,640
more about these um cameras. You know, I
I get it. I get why people are concerned

853
01:09:02,000 --> 01:09:11,279
about it and um and it I feel it is
something that should have came through

854
01:09:09,440 --> 01:09:15,679
the public and we should have gotten
public

855
01:09:12,960 --> 01:09:20,239
uh feedback from it and and actually
that's really good as well because then

856
01:09:17,600 --> 01:09:26,400
you get policies can get built from the
that collaboration. Um, so that's kind

857
01:09:24,080 --> 01:09:30,960
of where I stand with the the flock
stuff. I I'm not to against it

858
01:09:28,239 --> 01:09:37,920
necessarily. I'm just I just think that
we uh could have handled this a little

859
01:09:34,799 --> 01:09:46,400
better maybe than we did. But lesson
learned. I mean, we were not with

860
01:09:41,679 --> 01:09:50,319
without flaw for for sure. Um,
so that that's all I have to say about

861
01:09:48,560 --> 01:09:53,759
that.
>> Thank you, sir.

862
01:09:51,920 --> 01:10:00,320
No sir.
>> No sir.

863
01:09:56,960 --> 01:10:04,320
» It it was really nice to see that the
audit and the budget get, you know, kind

864
01:10:02,080 --> 01:10:11,920
of wrapped up in the same night. Um it's
it's sort of the um the what we work on

865
01:10:09,440 --> 01:10:17,679
um almost the entire year. We're
constantly looking back through an

866
01:10:14,000 --> 01:10:22,239
audit. Um and we're working in today in
our every day and then in our budget

867
01:10:20,080 --> 01:10:28,080
we're always looking ahead. So we're
looking at a period of about three years

868
01:10:24,960 --> 01:10:32,719
um at any given point during the year
and seeing these documents adopted and

869
01:10:30,880 --> 01:10:38,719
the amount of time that staff worked on
these um especially without um someone

870
01:10:36,560 --> 01:10:44,800
in the finance director role. the
finance department um was actually down

871
01:10:41,120 --> 01:10:49,199
another the um accounts receivable gal
so was down 40% of the staff um there's

872
01:10:47,840 --> 01:10:57,040
just been a lot of transition this year
and I I think the it says a lot about

873
01:10:53,920 --> 01:11:01,520
staff and um we banded together to get
through this and I know it was messy and

874
01:10:58,640 --> 01:11:05,760
it wasn't typical of what you see um
every year but we learned a lot and we

875
01:11:03,840 --> 01:11:09,120
grew a lot and I'm glad that it's
adopted but I just wanted to thank you

876
01:11:07,440 --> 01:11:12,960
for your support and your grace. And I
wanted to thank my team because they I'm

877
01:11:11,199 --> 01:11:15,840
sure they are are happy and will
celebrate tonight that we did get

878
01:11:14,159 --> 01:11:19,760
through a great audit. We're in a great
financial position. You see that our

879
01:11:17,920 --> 01:11:26,000
budget um ended us in a good cash
position. Um I'm I'm cautiously

880
01:11:24,320 --> 01:11:30,239
optimistic about the future of our
property taxes. Like Dan um is it

881
01:11:28,640 --> 01:11:34,719
Daniel?
Like Daniel mentioned, I know that

882
01:11:31,760 --> 01:11:38,800
there's changes that are coming um at at
the state level and so we'll be ready

883
01:11:36,640 --> 01:11:42,800
for those next year. Um we'll be having
a lot of conversations in the next 12

884
01:11:40,480 --> 01:11:48,000
months before you get a new budget of
how we can prepare ourselves for

885
01:11:44,560 --> 01:11:51,840
potential changes. Um because I I I like
Daniel understand where our residents

886
01:11:49,920 --> 01:11:54,159
are coming from and we don't we we don't
want to do that for our residents. You

887
01:11:53,040 --> 01:11:57,760
know, we want to provide them the
services that they deserve and they pay

888
01:11:55,920 --> 01:12:02,320
for, but at the same time, we want to be
good fiscal stewards of our money. So,

889
01:12:00,239 --> 01:12:06,380
um, we hear you and, uh, we're working
really hard. So, thank you.

890
01:12:03,920 --> 01:12:06,380
» Thank you. [clears throat]

891
01:12:06,400 --> 01:12:12,640
» Just a reminder not to leave because you
do all need to sign this budget.

892
01:12:11,280 --> 01:12:15,199
» It's not done to the paperwork.
>> A reminder, [laughter]

893
01:12:14,719 --> 01:12:20,239
sir.
>> No, sir. Okay.

894
01:12:17,040 --> 01:12:26,560
» Um, well, I will add to what Melanie
said. Uh, I'm going to take a different

895
01:12:22,480 --> 01:12:33,440
take on that. I do appreciate, um,
chief, what you are doing. I uh applaud

896
01:12:30,159 --> 01:12:41,040
applaud you and Erin in the uh building
of that website. I've had time to look

897
01:12:36,080 --> 01:12:45,520
at some, not all. It's very clear. Um I
I'm I personally believe that we hire

898
01:12:43,199 --> 01:12:50,239
our city manager who works with our
department heads to make the best and

899
01:12:48,080 --> 01:12:58,640
wisest decisions with our taxpayer
dollars. Um I will say I consider this

900
01:12:55,600 --> 01:13:04,719
to be a much more dangerous
item than that. I have literally sat at

901
01:13:02,400 --> 01:13:10,880
my desk at work,
have visited with other co-workers about

902
01:13:07,520 --> 01:13:14,719
a this or that only to find within
minutes

903
01:13:12,400 --> 01:13:22,080
something has popped up on my phone with
regard to what I have spoken of.

904
01:13:18,239 --> 01:13:27,760
And I think that can be it to me that's
dangerous. Um, I it it requires being

905
01:13:25,679 --> 01:13:33,600
really careful and mindful about the
discussions you might have. So, thank

906
01:13:31,360 --> 01:13:38,400
you for what you do. I thank all of the
staff for this budget season. We always

907
01:13:35,840 --> 01:13:42,239
take a deep breath after this is over
with and we start to look forward and

908
01:13:40,640 --> 01:13:47,520
move forward. So, thank you for all the
hard work that you did. When we asked

909
01:13:45,120 --> 01:13:51,600
something of you, you gave. And we are
so thankful for how you supplied us with

910
01:13:49,679 --> 01:13:55,120
whatever we needed at the time we needed
it. So, thank you very much. Um, that's

911
01:13:54,080 --> 01:14:00,239
it.
>> Well, thank you. Um, policies are living

912
01:13:57,760 --> 01:14:03,520
documents. We're going to learn from
this and we're going to continue to

913
01:14:01,679 --> 01:14:07,040
grow. So, you know, of that I have
confidence. I would like to say to our

914
01:14:05,440 --> 01:14:10,239
finance team and all of our department
heads and everything. Thank you for all

915
01:14:08,719 --> 01:14:15,600
your hard work on the budget.
Congratulations on a clean uh audit and

916
01:14:13,840 --> 01:14:21,440
enjoy your two weeks off before we have
to start thinking about FY28. So,

917
01:14:17,981 --> 01:14:21,440
[laughter] with that, we are ajourned.