[0:04] Good good evening. Welcome to your city
[0:06] commission meeting. Please turn off or
[0:08] silence all cell phones during the
[0:10] meeting. Meetings are available for
[0:12] viewing on YouTube. We'll begin the
[0:14] meeting with the pledge of allegiance
[0:16] followed by a silent meditation.
[0:20] I aliance to the flag of the United
[0:22] States of America and to the republic
[0:25] for which it stands. One nation under
[0:28] God, indivisible, with liberty and
[0:31] justice for all.
[0:38] » Thank you.
[0:42] » Okay, to start out with, we have a
[0:44] couple of proclamations
[0:51] and I'm going to take water.
[1:07] All right. First proclamation, chronic
[1:09] recurrent multif focal osteomiitis. CRM
[1:13] O. Is somebody here from that
[1:15] organization? Come on out.
[1:19] CRMO, also known as uh chronic
[1:23] non-acterial osteomi myolitis, is a rare
[1:26] autoinflammatory bone disease that
[1:28] primary affects children and adolescence
[1:30] and can cause chronic pain,
[1:32] inflammation, swelling, and other
[1:33] long-term complications. And whereas
[1:36] [clears throat] CRMO is often difficult
[1:38] to diagnose because it can mimic other
[1:40] conditions and there is no single
[1:42] definitive diagnostic test resulting in
[1:45] delays in diagnosis and treatment for
[1:47] many individuals.
[1:49] And whereas increased awareness and
[1:51] education among the public, healthc care
[1:53] providers, schools, and families can
[1:54] promote earlier recognition, improve
[1:57] support for those affected, and
[1:59] encourage continued research into this
[2:01] rare disease. And whereas the city of
[2:04] Levvenworth recognizes the challenges
[2:06] faced by individuals and families living
[2:08] with CRMO and supports efforts to
[2:10] increase understanding, compassion,
[2:12] education, and awareness of the
[2:14] condition. Now therefore, I Nancy
[2:16] Bouter, mayor of the city of
[2:17] Levvenworth, Kansas, hereby proclaim the
[2:20] month of October 2026 as chronic
[2:23] recurrent multifocal osteomalitis
[2:26] awareness month.
[2:29] [applause]
[2:35] Thank you so much to the mayor and the
[2:37] city of Levvenworth for recognizing
[2:38] chromma awareness month. My name is
[2:40] Sierra and back here in the corner is my
[2:42] son Shawn. Shawn was diagnosed with
[2:45] chronic recurrent multif focal
[2:47] osteomiitis on September 29th, 2017. He
[2:50] was just 10 years old. Just a few months
[2:52] earlier in June, he was an average
[2:53] 10-year-old boy. He was running,
[2:55] playing, and being a kid. By September,
[2:58] he couldn't walk more than the distance
[2:59] from his bed to the bathroom. He was in
[3:01] chronic, debilitating pain. He couldn't
[3:03] keep food down. And the doctors were
[3:06] scared that he might have bone cancer.
[3:07] That's what Cromo looks like. Chromo is
[3:10] a new a rare auto-inflammatory disease
[3:12] that primarily affects children,
[3:14] children, and adolescence.
[3:16] There isn't one test that diagnoses it.
[3:18] Doctors have to put the pieces together,
[3:20] the symptoms, and everything to make it
[3:22] all work. For our family, getting the
[3:25] diagnosis didn't mean the journey was
[3:26] over. We learned how to give injections
[3:28] at home. We learned how to manage a
[3:30] pickline. We learned how to manage
[3:33] antibiotics that had to be given in the
[3:34] pickline with their crazy amounts of
[3:36] detailed instructions.
[3:39] Since 2020, Shawn has been hospitalized
[3:40] at least twice a year due to Cromo and
[3:42] other reoccurring reoccurring diagnoses.
[3:46] We've had to learn things that no parent
[3:48] ever should expect to have to learn.
[3:50] Chrommo can go into remission, but it
[3:52] can also come back. And because it's so
[3:54] rare, many families are navigating a
[3:56] frightening disease that very few people
[3:57] around them have ever even heard of.
[3:59] That's why awareness matters.
[4:02] The chromal awareness ribbon is purple.
[4:04] To me, that purple ribbon represents the
[4:05] children who are hurting, the family
[4:07] searching for answers, and the parents
[4:08] learning how to care for a child with a
[4:10] disease that they never knew existed. It
[4:12] represents kids like Shawn, but Shawn's
[4:14] story is only one of many. There are
[4:16] other children going through this right
[4:18] now whose families may not even know the
[4:19] name of what they were fighting yet. I
[4:22] hope that criminal awareness month helps
[4:23] change that. Maybe a doctor recognizes
[4:26] it sooner. Maybe a family gets answers
[4:28] sooner. Maybe a child doesn't have to
[4:30] spend so long wondering why they hurt.
[4:33] Being rare should never mean being
[4:35] invisible and frequently it does.
[4:39] Thank you for making Chromo a voice for
[4:41] giving Chromo a voice here in
[4:42] Levvenworth and for recognizing the
[4:43] children and families living with it. MY
[4:45] PLEASURE.
[4:46] » [applause]
[4:51] » OKAY. UH, military retirees appreciation
[4:55] day.
[4:57] [snorts] Mr. Gretchen, good to see you.
[5:00] Whereas military retirees have served
[5:02] our country faithfully in times of peace
[5:04] and war. And whereas military retirees
[5:06] have made a significant significant
[5:08] sacrifices in defense of our freedom and
[5:10] liberty. And whereas a large number of
[5:12] military retirees and their families
[5:14] live, work, and play in the Levvenworth
[5:16] community. And whereas the Fort
[5:17] Levvenworth garrison will conduct
[5:19] retirey appreciation day on September
[5:22] 26, 2026. Now therefore, I, Nancy Bower,
[5:25] mayor of the city of Levvenworth,
[5:27] Kansas, do by here, join the Fort
[5:28] Levvenworth Garrison in recognizing the
[5:31] contributions, sacrifices, and loyalty
[5:34] of military retirees in our community by
[5:37] proclaiming September 26, 2026 as
[5:40] military retirey appreciation day.
[5:45] [applause]
[5:50] Honorable mayor, uh, city council, uh,
[5:52] on behalf of the 35,000 plus military
[5:55] retirees that live in what they refer to
[5:58] as the greater Fort Levvenworth Catchman
[6:00] area. I accept this and we appreciate
[6:02] the honor. Uh, we're going to have the
[6:04] appreciation day this coming Saturday.
[6:06] So, if you're free, come on up. They do
[6:08] it at the Louiswis and Clark building.
[6:10] This is a great place to live or 35,000
[6:13] of us wouldn't be here. Thank you very
[6:15] much again. Thank you sir. [applause]
[6:23] Next is domestic violence awareness
[6:25] month.
[6:28] Whereas one in every four women will
[6:30] experience domestic violence during
[6:32] their lifetime with approximately 15.5
[6:35] million children exposed to domestic
[6:37] violence every year. And when a family
[6:40] is abused, it can have a long term
[6:42] long-term damaging effects on the victim
[6:44] that also leaves a mark on family,
[6:46] friends, and community at large. Whereas
[6:49] domestic violence is widespread and
[6:51] devastating to society as a whole. The
[6:53] problem crosses all economic, racial,
[6:55] gender, e, educational, religious, and
[6:57] societal barriers. and the crimes of
[7:01] domestic violence violates an
[7:02] individual's privacy, dignity, security,
[7:04] and humanity due to the systematic use
[7:07] of physical, emotional, sexual,
[7:09] psychological, and economic control and
[7:11] abuse. We encourage whereas we encourage
[7:14] the domestic violence victims and their
[7:16] families to seek assistance from the
[7:18] Alliance Against Family Violence Hotline
[7:21] um 9136757217.
[7:26] And it is important to recognize the
[7:28] compassion and dedication of the
[7:29] individuals who provide services to
[7:31] victims of domestic violence. Whereas
[7:34] the United States President, Congress,
[7:36] and other agencies have expressed a
[7:38] commitment to eliminating domestic
[7:40] violence, we must dedicate ourselves to
[7:42] protect vulner vulnerable members of our
[7:46] society. with local programs, state
[7:48] coalitions, national organizations, and
[7:50] other agencies to increase public
[7:52] awareness of domestic domestic violence
[7:54] and to eliminate it through prevention
[7:56] and education. Now therefore, I Nancy
[7:59] Bouter, mayor of city of Levvenworth,
[8:00] hereby proclaim the month of October
[8:03] 2026 as domestic violence awareness
[8:06] month.
[8:08] [applause]
[8:12] Thank you, mayor and city commission.
[8:14] And I brought some numbers just to let
[8:16] you know what we face in just a year's
[8:19] time. So in a year we have served 160
[8:22] individuals. 48 of those were
[8:25] non-residential which means we helped
[8:26] with housing, jobs, different things
[8:29] that way and 112 were residential to our
[8:32] shelter. So thank you very much. Um,
[8:34] since next month is actually domestic
[8:36] violence awareness, we are kicking off
[8:38] the month with a coffee at Burr Roers.
[8:41] And each bag, they have a sus a specific
[8:44] coffee just for us. Each bag, we will
[8:46] receive $5 for each one sold. So, I
[8:49] would invite you all to come and have
[8:50] your coffee with us.
[8:55] [applause]
[8:59] United Way
[9:04] Whereas the city of Levvenworth, Kansas
[9:06] hopes that all of its citizens enjoy
[9:08] healthy, productive, and meaningful
[9:09] lives. And whereas the United Way of
[9:11] Levvenworth County advances, You should
[9:13] be reading this since you're on board.
[9:15] [clears throat and laughter]
[9:17] The United Way of Levvenworth County
[9:18] advances the common good by creating
[9:20] opportunities for better life for
[9:22] everyone. And whereas the United Way of
[9:24] Levvenworth County focuses on education,
[9:26] income, and health, which are the
[9:28] building blocks for a good quality of
[9:30] life. Because we all win when a child
[9:32] succeeds in school, when families are
[9:34] financially stable, and when people are
[9:36] in good health. And whereas it takes
[9:39] every part of the community,
[9:40] individuals, businesses, and
[9:42] organizations to supply the passion,
[9:44] expertise, and resources needed to
[9:47] create lasting change for the better.
[9:50] And last year, Levmore citizens, less
[9:52] change for the better. And last year,
[9:54] Levvenworth citizens and those of
[9:56] Levvenworth County generously
[9:57] contributed their volunteer energies,
[10:00] time, and money to the United Way of
[10:01] Levvenworth County, thereby investing in
[10:03] programs and initiatives that improve
[10:05] lives and build stronger communities.
[10:08] And whereas the United Way of
[10:09] Levvenworth County kicks off its annual
[10:10] campaign during the months of September
[10:12] through December to unite the community
[10:14] and enhance the lives of those living in
[10:16] [clears throat] Levvenworth, Kansas. Now
[10:18] therefore, I, Nancy Bouter, mayor of the
[10:20] city of Levvenworth, Kansas, hereby
[10:22] proclaim the month of September through
[10:24] December as United Way month.
[10:29] [applause]
[10:34] Come up here. [clears throat]
[10:42] Mayor, city commissioners, thank you so
[10:44] much for recognizing United Way. Um, and
[10:47] also for those who could attend our
[10:49] campaign kickoff this last week. Um,
[10:52] we're very excited for and hopeful for
[10:54] just the direction that United Way is
[10:56] going. Um, we're following in some big
[10:58] footsteps. Um, Mayor Bower um was in
[11:00] this role and so we are excited about
[11:03] what's to come and more than just a
[11:05] campaign uh year after year. We're
[11:07] looking um forward to uniting businesses
[11:09] and donors and nonprofits and everyone
[11:12] around um the common good and really
[11:15] working on um uniting and moving in the
[11:18] same direction. So, I look forward to
[11:20] being back here. You know, I will be um
[11:22] to see how the city of Levvenworth and
[11:24] every city in our county can work
[11:26] together on issues that not just that
[11:28] we're seeing, but that you are seeing as
[11:30] well and see how we can be a part of
[11:31] that. So, I really appreciate this. It
[11:33] means a lot to us. Um, but more
[11:35] importantly, just the camaraderie and
[11:37] the connection that we've had with
[11:38] everybody on the commission and uh, city
[11:41] manager and just the work that you all
[11:43] do. So, thank you for that and I look
[11:45] forward to continuing to work together.
[11:47] » Thank you, MISS.
[11:51] [applause]
[11:52] » YEAH, we have fire prevention week. has
[11:55] someone coming forward. [snorts]
[12:03] Whereas the city of Levvenworth is
[12:06] committed to ensuring safety and
[12:08] security of all those living in and
[12:09] visiting our city. Fire is a serious
[12:12] public safety concern both locally and
[12:14] nationally. And the presence of lithium
[12:16] ion batteries [clears throat] in many
[12:17] household devices introduces unique fire
[12:19] risks. And whereas most electronics used
[12:22] in homes daily including smartphones,
[12:25] tablets, etc. are powered by lithium ion
[12:28] batteries which is misused, damaged or
[12:31] improperly charged, can overheat, start
[12:33] a fire or explode. And whereas the
[12:35] National Fire Protection Association
[12:37] reports an increase in battery related
[12:39] fires, underscoring the need for public
[12:41] education on the safe use of lithium, I
[12:45] can't even say it right, lithium ion
[12:47] batteries and devices
[12:49] and the the way the devices are charged
[12:52] can make a difference in helping prevent
[12:54] [clears throat] fires. And whereas safe
[12:56] charging includes using the cord and
[12:58] charger, there's a lot of rules here,
[13:00] but I don't think I'll go into that
[13:02] right now. Um
[13:04] we can go into that please [laughter]
[13:06] residents whereas residents are
[13:08] encouraged to understand the safe
[13:10] charging means making smart choices
[13:12] every time they plug in and Levvenworth
[13:14] first responders remain dedicated to
[13:17] reducing the occurrence of fires through
[13:18] prevention safety education and
[13:20] community outreach. And whereas the 2026
[13:23] fire prevention week [clears throat]
[13:24] theme, charge into fire safety, safe
[13:27] charging is a superpower, serves to
[13:30] remind all residents that safe charging
[13:32] can help reduce the risk of fires in
[13:34] homes and communities. Now therefore,
[13:36] our Nancy Bower, mayor of the city of
[13:38] Lemworth, Kansas, hereby proclaim
[13:40] October 4 through 10, 2026 as fire
[13:44] prevention week.
[13:46] [applause]
[13:53] Well, fire prevention nationwide has
[13:56] saved countless countless lives. Uh but
[13:59] you don't hear about them. They're not
[14:01] in any statistics. Uh but
[14:04] they save a lot of lives with lithium
[14:08] ion batteries. This being the second
[14:09] year that NPA
[14:12] has put an emphasis on it should speak
[14:15] volumes as to the importance of
[14:18] [clears throat] safety with these. This
[14:20] year they're focusing more on charging
[14:23] um which the rules here um always use a
[14:28] UL listed charger. U make sure it's UL
[14:31] listed or the one that came with your
[14:33] device. Always charge it on a hard
[14:35] surface.
[14:37] Um, if it gets damaged,
[14:40] discard it. Um, and all this stuff's
[14:43] going to be on our website as well as
[14:45] disposal sites and everything, these
[14:47] batteries. Uh, and once something is
[14:50] charged, unplug it. Don't leave it
[14:52] plugged in for days on end, which we do
[14:54] with laptops and, uh, phones, that kind
[14:57] of thing. Once it's charged, unplug it.
[14:59] But all this will be on our website. I'm
[15:01] not going to take any more time. So,
[15:03] thank you. Appreciate it.
[15:04] » THANK YOU, SIR.
[15:06] » [applause]
[15:13] [clears throat]
[15:20] » OKAY. NEXT ITEM ON THE agenda is old
[15:22] business minutes from the September 8th,
[15:25] 2026 regular meeting.
[15:28] » Make a motion to approve minutes from
[15:29] September 8th, 2026 regular meeting.
[15:32] » I'll second.
[15:33] » Been moved and seconded. Please begin
[15:34] voting. Commissioner Wilson.
[15:36] » I
[15:36] » I
[15:37] » I
[15:37] » I
[15:38] » I
[15:38] » All right. Um, next item on the agenda,
[15:41] second consideration ordinances. The
[15:44] first one is second consideration
[15:45] ordinance 8292, adopt the standard
[15:48] traffic ordinance, 53rd edition.
[15:50] » Madame Mayor, commissioners, there have
[15:52] been no changes or comments. And if
[15:53] you're ready to proceed, um, it's
[15:56] available to pass.
[15:57] » Okay.
[15:59] Are there any questions of the chief? If
[16:02] not, this calls for a roll call vote and
[16:05] please begin the roll call.
[16:06] » Maxwell I.
[16:07] » Hollister I.
[16:08] » Bouter I.
[16:10] » I.
[16:10] » Wilson I.
[16:11] » Thank you.
[16:13] Um well this is yours too. Uh second
[16:15] consideration ordinance 8293 adopt
[16:18] uniform public offense code 40 42nd
[16:21] edition.
[16:22] » Madame mayor commissioner. The city of
[16:24] Leworth received one comment in
[16:25] opposition of passing it specific to the
[16:27] Halo law, but there have been no
[16:29] additional comments or changes and so
[16:31] it's ready to proceed unless there are
[16:33] questions.
[16:33] » Okay. Are there any questions regarding
[16:35] this ordinance?
[16:38] » No. Are there any questions?
[16:40] All right. If not, this will um this
[16:44] this calls for a roll call vote as well.
[16:46] » Wilson I.
[16:47] » Pman I.
[16:48] » Bout I.
[16:49] » Hollister. No.
[16:50] » Maxwell I.
[16:51] » Okay.
[16:53] Um the next item is second consideration
[16:57] ordinance 8294 amending chapter 44
[17:00] section 87. No parking any time.
[17:04] » Madam mayor commissioners, there have
[17:05] been no comments or changes uh since
[17:07] previously. It's ready to proceed.
[17:09] » Okay.
[17:11] Any questions?
[17:13] If not, this also calls for a roll call
[17:15] vote.
[17:17] » Maxwell I.
[17:18] » Hollister. I
[17:19] » Bouter. I
[17:20] » Wilson I. Okay. Thank you.
[17:23] » Thank you.
[17:24] » All right. Next item on the agenda
[17:25] [clears throat] is public comment. Miss
[17:27] Sarah,
[17:28] public Oh, I'll read this. Sorry. Public
[17:30] comments are limited to three minutes
[17:32] per speaker. In the interest of time, we
[17:34] ask that groups wishing to speak limit
[17:36] their public comment to one presenter.
[17:38] This is an opportunity for the city
[17:39] commission to hear the thoughts of the
[17:41] public prior to conducting official city
[17:43] business. The mayor, city commission,
[17:44] and city staff have been asked not to
[17:47] respond to those giving public comment.
[17:49] An action may not be taken by the
[17:50] commission on public comment items. The
[17:53] mayor may direct staff to follow up with
[17:55] specific individuals after the meeting.
[17:57] When speaking, please state your name
[17:59] and address. A signup sheet has been
[18:01] provided to in the commission chambers
[18:03] for anyone wishing to speak. Now, Miss
[18:05] Sarah,
[18:06] » First up, we have William Rogers.
[18:08] » Okay.
[18:19] William Rogers more throat easy K.
[18:24] For once, I'm kind of at a loss for
[18:26] words tonight. I have been thinking all
[18:28] day how to how to present this, how to
[18:30] approach this, and I'll be honest with
[18:32] you, I really don't know how. This is a
[18:35] uh a matter that's very personal to me
[18:38] after watching somebody. So, I want to
[18:41] talk about a young lady named Kate, um,
[18:43] who was housed up at Lemworth. Um,
[18:45] [snorts] in my opinion, and I've done a
[18:47] lot of research to back this up, Core
[18:49] Civic is, uh, is very, uh, they're just
[18:52] not trustworthy. They're all about the
[18:55] dollar. They don't care about their
[18:56] employees, and they don't care about
[18:58] their detainees.
[19:00] Um,
[19:02] I understand if if my information is
[19:05] accurate, I'm going to tell you this is
[19:07] not something that I have documented
[19:08] here, but I understand that that young
[19:10] lady was moved into medical and and I
[19:12] know that medical sounds like, wow,
[19:13] they're really taking good care of her.
[19:15] That's the same room probably that I
[19:17] stood next to a kid and watched him
[19:18] shake uncontrollably and they didn't
[19:21] send him out to medical and they allowed
[19:22] him to die. That's that's their medical.
[19:26] Um, but I want to talk about Kate
[19:27] tonight a little bit. I understand too
[19:29] that there may be some misinformation
[19:30] that uh that was Core Civic was putting
[19:33] out and and again this is I'm not
[19:36] accurate on this but you guys probably
[19:38] know or don't know uh that Core Civic
[19:41] said she had refused her medication
[19:43] and um I thought man that's odd you know
[19:46] so what I did was I was able to obtain
[19:49] the actual records from Core Civic on
[19:51] her medical so if any of you think she
[19:54] was refusing her medication these are
[19:57] the documents, these are the facts.
[20:00] They're straight from Core Civic. They
[20:02] show every day that she was housed
[20:05] every day.
[20:07] So, if Core Civic is telling you that
[20:09] she refused her medication,
[20:12] man, it's about time you guys start
[20:14] questioning a little bit. If you don't
[20:15] question him now, off that, I don't know
[20:18] what it's [cough] going to take.
[20:18] [clears throat]
[20:20] I know that uh there's a story coming
[20:22] out in the next couple days that uh they
[20:26] interviewed her for today that I think
[20:27] you guys might find interesting. Um I
[20:30] would I would ask you to watch it
[20:34] and I can tell you it's accurate. Thank
[20:37] you.
[20:38] » Thank you, sir.
[20:42] » Next up is Renee Chvet.
[20:47] » Grab my water. Just a second.
[20:54] Thanks. Take a tea [laughter]
[21:09] shop and my business is at 223 South
[21:12] Fifth Street in Levvenworth. As most of
[21:14] you know, I'm passionate about our
[21:15] downtown, not just because of the
[21:16] wonderful history um and it being the
[21:18] first city of Kansas, but because I also
[21:20] have a business here, and that is how I
[21:22] single-handedly provide for my family.
[21:24] I've been in business for over 15 years
[21:26] now. I work on an average of at least 70
[21:29] hours a week. From that, I provide sales
[21:31] tax to the city. It may not be much in
[21:32] the grand aspect of things. Um but I've
[21:35] also taken an eyesore of a building and
[21:36] turned it into a thriving business and a
[21:38] place people come from all over to to
[21:40] enjoy. I also have a nonprofit to help
[21:42] local foster kids with clothing and I'm
[21:44] a founding member of a Limworth vibe. As
[21:46] you can see, I'm very vested in our
[21:48] downtown. Having been coming to these
[21:50] meetings, I've learned a lot. And one of
[21:52] the key things I've taken from them is
[21:53] that the city absolutely needs sales tax
[21:55] to survive. If we removed all the sales
[21:58] tax that came from our small businesses
[21:59] downtown, what kind of an impact would
[22:01] that make? What if we have no more
[22:02] downtown? That is a huge part of what
[22:04] makes Levmore special. Now, what about
[22:06] flipping that scenario? And I ask you,
[22:08] what kind of an impact would it make if
[22:10] we had even more businesses and revenue
[22:12] from your downtown? More front
[22:14] storefronts open, more tourists visiting
[22:16] to shop, and more locals with a place to
[22:18] shop at home. There are a few things in
[22:20] the way of this improvement, which I am
[22:22] only going to touch on one important but
[22:24] tricky one. That is the unhoused. Um, in
[22:27] the last months, we've had one
[22:28] individual that I will focus primarily
[22:30] on. He has finally he was finally
[22:32] arrested last week. And while that is a
[22:34] relief for the moment, we all know he
[22:36] will be back out very soon and more than
[22:38] likely be making our downtown once again
[22:40] his home. He is allowed to sleep on
[22:41] benches, hey market square stage, store
[22:44] entrance, coves, and really wherever he
[22:46] wants to. What also comes with his
[22:48] presence is his trash everywhere,
[22:50] especially when he's upset and throws it
[22:51] all over, leaving it for us business
[22:53] owners to clean up. I've personally had
[22:55] a few confrontations with him, and as
[22:57] time has gone, he is getting more and
[22:58] more hostile. I had a customer call.
[23:01] This was the straw that broke the back
[23:04] here. Um, I had a customer call just
[23:06] last week and asked us if it is even
[23:08] safe for them to come downtown anymore
[23:10] as her and her family have had two
[23:11] encounters with this said person and
[23:13] they're now scared to come downtown with
[23:15] their children. One of their kids goes
[23:17] to dance class and he confronted them
[23:18] one evening after dance and left them
[23:20] scared from that instance. Then a few
[23:22] days later, they left my business and
[23:23] had another encounter.
[23:26] He came into my business only to use the
[23:28] restroom and locked himself in there for
[23:29] 45 minutes. Um, a few Saturdays ago, I
[23:32] came to work at 2 am. He was on my block
[23:35] and I tried to wait it out, um, waiting
[23:37] for him to walk away before I got on my
[23:39] vehicle, but he didn't. So, I made a run
[23:40] for the door. Um, he came and he stared
[23:43] into my shop while I worked for over 2
[23:45] hours. You guys just sitting there
[23:46] blankly staring in the window. So, I
[23:48] just put up some racks and just kept on
[23:51] working. Um, and then he finally went to
[23:53] sleep over in the cove across the street
[23:55] um, of the lease building.
[23:57] um what we what can we do to keep people
[24:00] from making downtown their living room?
[24:03] It is not just this one particular man.
[24:04] We have so many. Some we see they're
[24:07] here all the time, but there are more
[24:08] than that. There's even ones that drift
[24:11] in and out. Um anyways,
[24:14] my heart goes out to them and I wish
[24:16] there was a solution, but what I need to
[24:18] protect right now is how I feed and
[24:20] house my own family and that is with my
[24:21] business and it success. Um, can the
[24:24] camping ordinance be rewritten to be
[24:26] more broad? Um, a few other things. Um,
[24:29] can we create a district downtown that
[24:31] it's not accepted for this to happen? I
[24:33] have other ideas, too. I don't want to
[24:34] go much over my time. I'm just asking
[24:36] that we can come up with some kind of a
[24:38] positive solution.
[24:40] » Thank you.
[24:40] » Let's work on that. Thank you. Thank
[24:42] you, Renee.
[24:43] » Next up is Megan Gilland.
[24:51] » Good evening, commissioners. My name is
[24:52] Megan Gilland, uh owner of Next to
[24:55] Nature. My husband and I own Next to
[24:56] Nature Farm, 624 Cherokee. Similar to
[24:59] Renee, I am coming with uh comments
[25:02] about issues that we've had recently.
[25:04] We, the businesses of downtown
[25:05] Levvenworth, have an identifiable issue,
[25:07] and there seems to be no significant
[25:08] level of interest in solving the
[25:10] problem. As business owners, on a daily
[25:12] basis, we are confronted with situations
[25:14] that have comfortably made downtown Le
[25:16] of issues that no business owner should
[25:19] ever have to contend with. These issues
[25:21] stem from the unhoused homelessness that
[25:23] have comfortably made downtown
[25:24] Levvenworth their living room during the
[25:26] daytime and quite assuredly their
[25:28] bedroom overnight. The city has
[25:30] ordinances in place for camping
[25:31] solicitation, sexual conduct, and Luden
[25:33] acts, but they are not being enforced.
[25:36] The city is not taking steps to
[25:38] discourage the loitering and the ill
[25:39] effects of this behavior. It's damaging
[25:41] our downtown, our businesses, the city's
[25:43] reputation, and destroying the one
[25:45] aspect of your community that is
[25:46] authentic and with the mom and pop
[25:48] storefronts. This issue, coupled with
[25:50] zoning and building code issues that
[25:51] limit our ability to do anything, is
[25:54] effectively compounding all the problems
[25:55] plaguing the small businesses and
[25:57] private ownership. It's increasingly
[25:59] difficult to run a business when the
[26:01] city isn't in working partnership to
[26:02] solve problems and instead ignoring the
[26:04] issues. You just tonight adopted the
[26:07] 2026 uniform public offense code, which
[26:09] is a comprehensive public offense
[26:11] ordinance for all for most Kansas
[26:13] cities. Here are some examples of
[26:15] offenses that that we have personally
[26:17] witnessed. Some of these issues are
[26:18] citable offenses and others just
[26:20] contribute to the negative view of
[26:21] downtown and inhibit customers from
[26:23] freely wanting to spend their time in
[26:25] the downtown and patronize businesses.
[26:27] You should have a vested interest in
[26:29] your downtown. Downtown Levvenworth is a
[26:32] central hub for social, recreational,
[26:34] and commercial activities. Lack of
[26:35] efforts to revitalize downtown and
[26:37] create a sense of place that is
[26:39] welcoming and safe will contribute to
[26:40] public safety problems, property
[26:42] maintenance issues, and a lack of
[26:43] revenue for the city and property taxes
[26:45] and sales taxes. Recent issues that have
[26:49] come up, one individual that Renee spoke
[26:51] about stands outside of a certain
[26:53] business where adults and children are
[26:54] coming out of class with his hands down
[26:55] his pants making lude gestures and
[26:57] noises. That's UPOC section 4.1.
[27:01] Prostitution and sexual relations,
[27:03] particularly in areas where children are
[27:04] known to be present in alleyways. UPC
[27:06] UPOC 43 and 45. Littering and leaving
[27:10] possessions, blankets, trash, and food
[27:12] around public areas. UPOC section 6.8.
[27:15] Hey, Market Square is a regular hangout
[27:17] for individuals sleeping on the bandand
[27:19] all day and all night. The illegal
[27:20] camping ordinance needs to be enforced.
[27:23] The band stand and the parking medians
[27:24] are in use for amenities, specifically
[27:26] charging phones and coverage. And
[27:28] they're providing li living
[27:29] accommodations when these individuals
[27:30] are away from wherever they're spending
[27:32] the night. And often times it's the
[27:34] pavilion, defecation, and urination in
[27:37] public spaces and private areas. Several
[27:39] business owners have had to on multiple
[27:41] occasions clean up human feces on their
[27:43] approaches, loading docks, and um that
[27:45] is against UN Levvenworth Municipal Code
[27:47] 30-6. These issues do not have some of
[27:50] these issues do not have direct criminal
[27:52] conduct, but many do. So, we would like
[27:55] to ask you, would you want to shop and
[27:56] spend time in an area where you felt
[27:58] threatened? We get calls just like
[28:00] Renee. We have people tell us they don't
[28:02] want to come downtown. They don't want
[28:04] to shop in our store. So, I ask you to
[28:07] stop accepting the status quo, take
[28:09] steps for action, enact codes, respond
[28:11] to calls for service, and be viligent,
[28:13] and take actions to serve citations and
[28:15] discourage behaviors like this. I also
[28:17] have my comments and photos for the
[28:20] record. Thank you. Thank you, Megan.
[28:23] » Thank you.
[28:25] » Do we not have a homeless task force?
[28:27] » We do. We just met last week.
[28:30] » Did they do anything?
[28:30] » Are they?
[28:32] » Yeah. So, you met last week, right?
[28:35] » Uh, next
[28:37] people.
[28:38] » Whoever was on the task force was
[28:40] invited every meeting.
[28:42] » Okay.
[28:44] Next up is Garren Stickleman.
[28:56] Madame Mayor, commissioners, I'm going
[28:59] to speak for a little bit about
[29:00] Levvenworth as a destination.
[29:03] KZ KZA tribe early explorers and
[29:06] trappers enjoyed quite a bit of freedom
[29:08] in this area years and years ago. King
[29:11] Louis X the 15th from France and his
[29:14] government in 1743
[29:17] decided to put a frontier post just
[29:20] north of what is now Fort Levvenworth.
[29:22] Lewis and Clark came through in 1804.
[29:25] They paused across the river and
[29:26] surveyed some of the area around here
[29:28] and said this make a nice place for a
[29:29] city someday.
[29:32] Many travelers, including presidents and
[29:34] dignitaries, have spent time in
[29:36] Levvenworth and and uh Ulissiz Grant
[29:38] came here for a vacation one summer
[29:40] while while he was president
[29:44] by sidewheer, riverboats, horse and
[29:47] buggies and wagons and planes, trains
[29:49] and automobiles. People that made them
[29:51] worth their destination.
[29:53] I'm pretty proud to live here. I hope
[29:55] you are. Those speaking before me this
[29:58] evening have exposed some of our city's
[30:00] dark underside, our dark underbelly.
[30:04] Exposed and recently officially
[30:06] confirmed. There exists a planned and
[30:08] functioning underground railroad
[30:10] bringing people from other parts of the
[30:12] Midwest to Levvenworth.
[30:16] Cities are providing transportation and
[30:18] monetary compensation for homeless and
[30:20] vagrants to get to Levvenworth. Those
[30:24] people sending their homeless and
[30:25] vagrants here are Lawrence,
[30:28] Hutchinson, Witchah, Plat City, and
[30:30] Weston.
[30:33] This is abhorrent and wrong in so many
[30:36] ways. This commission and the city
[30:38] should condemn this practice and defend
[30:40] our businesses and citizens. Thank you.
[30:45] » Thank you, sir.
[30:47] And finally, we have Kathleen Wade.
[30:55] Good evening. No one's mentioned the
[30:57] young man's name who we've all talked
[30:59] about. Not sure if it's appropriate or
[31:01] not. So, Mr. C will
[31:03] » Probably not.
[31:04] » Mr. C will suffice. Um, hours after he
[31:07] failed to appear,
[31:09] Mr. C stood in front of the church and
[31:13] blocked my way walking down the
[31:14] sidewalk, clapping his hands lightly.
[31:17] And I asked him to move. He did not. As
[31:20] I walked by, he said, "I can kill you.
[31:23] Kill you. Kill you." I had my dog with
[31:26] me. We did not approach him. We walked
[31:29] 20 ft down the way. We turned and took
[31:31] his photograph and called 911. He knew
[31:33] what I was doing because he and I have
[31:35] talked before. He headed over to Hey
[31:38] Market. That is where Officer Howard, I
[31:40] believe, found him.
[31:43] The week before, I walked a woman from
[31:45] the yoga studio to her car open carrying
[31:48] to back Mr. see up. He was blocking the
[31:51] sidewalk with his hands down his pants,
[31:53] drooling and staring at the children.
[31:56] Not a good look. The shop owner was on
[31:59] the phone, Robin. She was with the on
[32:02] the phone with the police at the time
[32:04] and I confronted him and said, "Move."
[32:09] Because of a previous time, he backs up
[32:12] for me most of the time. He's a little
[32:14] afraid of me. Weeks ago, I confronted
[32:17] him because on a Saturday, he greeted
[32:20] all of the over 70 yearear-old women and
[32:22] asked him if he could do them with sex
[32:25] for money because he was hungry. Not a
[32:28] good look. That was our confrontation
[32:30] day. He now just looks at me and says,
[32:32] "Red bricks. If he steps on mine, I'm
[32:36] going to be angry."
[32:39] Last week, a man who is equal to him
[32:42] said he gives all of us a bad name.
[32:45] That's important. All of a sudden here,
[32:48] that's one thing. If we look at somebody
[32:49] and think they're dangerous, but when
[32:51] another homeless person, unhoused,
[32:53] whatever you want to call them, says
[32:55] that's a bad egg, you have a problem.
[33:00] There are people who are down. Let's
[33:02] give them a hand up. There are people
[33:04] who are using the system. He's smart
[33:06] enough to know not to get on my
[33:07] property. He's of sound mind. He's
[33:11] pushing everybody.
[33:14] I fought and expanded canons's rights in
[33:17] this state. So I know the difference
[33:19] between exercising a right and having no
[33:21] regard for someone else's. So we are not
[33:24] asking that. Right now he's sitting in
[33:26] jail for 5 days. We're all happy. But
[33:29] when he gets out, it's going to start
[33:31] all over again. And when he's gone,
[33:32] it'll be the next person. Three years
[33:35] ago, I sent to the commissioners through
[33:38] the city manager sample ordinances to
[33:41] change. I have a law degree. I do not
[33:43] practice law, but I can look at things
[33:45] and write them up. When I [snorts] ask,
[33:48] supposedly the city manager never passed
[33:50] them on to you or to the city attorney.
[33:53] I have more samples here if you'd like
[33:54] me to hand them to somebody. I know
[33:57] everybody's busy, but we're not asking
[34:00] anymore. I think that what you see here
[34:02] are people who are absolutely mad and we
[34:05] would much rather work with you than
[34:07] condemn you for not taking any action.
[34:10] » Thank you, Suite.
[34:13] We have a problem.
[34:15] » We do have a problem.
[34:18] » Can someone be added to the list? He was
[34:20] working when you started meeting.
[34:23] » Sure. Um I'm not Are you
[34:26] » Who who is who who who do you who who is
[34:28] wants to speak?
[34:29] » Chad.
[34:30] » Chad. Okay. Chad, go ahead.
[34:34] » Oh, I thought they meant the task force.
[34:36] » No.
[34:38] » Good evening. My name is Chad Gilland
[34:41] and co-owner of Next to Nature Farm at
[34:43] 624 Cherokee Street.
[34:46] As businesses, we are trying to create a
[34:48] climate of commerce, inclusion, and
[34:51] welcoming people in downtown. Your
[34:54] downtown can be an asset if you invest
[34:57] and cultivate a sense of place. It takes
[35:00] action and investment of time, finances,
[35:03] and policy changes.
[35:05] We get it. Being homeless, unhoused
[35:07] isn't illegal, but 11worth is certainly
[35:09] not doing much to stop the behavior and
[35:12] protect the assets you have as a
[35:14] community. We are encouraging all of the
[35:17] businesses to report and call in
[35:18] activity, but when nothing is done, we
[35:22] ask, why are we spending our time if the
[35:25] laws won't be upheld?
[35:27] Lastly, you may not see this every day
[35:30] like we do. Maybe we should encourage
[35:32] the regulars to loiter on the front uh
[35:36] lawn of city hall or the justice center.
[35:39] Would action
[35:41] happen quicker if they are staring in
[35:44] your windows, sitting in front of your
[35:48] space every day and loitering,
[35:51] littering, defecating in front of your
[35:54] place of business. It's not just one
[35:57] individual. There's at least eight that
[36:00] hang out and on a daily basis or at
[36:04] least multiple days through the week
[36:07] inhabit the area at Hey Market Square.
[36:10] That doesn't include the rest of the
[36:12] downtown area, but that's what I see
[36:13] every day as a business owner uh 7 days
[36:16] a week, 24 hours a day. Thank you.
[36:20] » Thank you, Chair.
[36:23] Okay. Is that all Sarah? All right. Next
[36:26] item on the agenda
[36:29] resolution
[36:30] resolutions resolution B 2434 capital
[36:33] fund program grant for planters 2.
[36:38] » Hi.
[36:38] » Hi.
[36:39] » Good evening madam mayor.
[36:41] » Good evening commissioners. I am
[36:43] actually here today and representing the
[36:45] planners 2 building for our Lenworth
[36:48] housing authority and I'm actually here
[36:50] to ask that you accept our 2026 capital
[36:53] fund program grant to consider um us to
[36:58] be able to allow access to the funds
[36:59] that's been granted to us by the US
[37:01] Department of Housing and Urban
[37:03] Development.
[37:06] » All right, sounds good. Any questions?
[37:11] Pretty standard. We do this every year.
[37:13] So,
[37:15] no question. All right. Um, we need a
[37:19] motion then.
[37:20] » I'll make a motion to adopt uh
[37:22] resolution number B-2434
[37:26] accepting the 2026 CFP grant for
[37:29] planters 2.
[37:31] » Second.
[37:32] » Moved and second. Please begin voting.
[37:33] Commissioner Wilson.
[37:34] » I
[37:35] » I
[37:35] » I
[37:36] » I
[37:37] » Thank you.
[37:38] » Thank you so much.
[37:39] » And we also have the
[37:40] » Oh, you have the next one. Sorry.
[37:42] [laughter]
[37:42] » The second resolution.
[37:45] » Okay. Next one is resolution B 2435.
[37:48] Capital fund program 5-year action plan
[37:50] and capital fund annual statement
[37:52] [clears throat] for cap for planners
[37:54] too. Again, uh requesting acceptance of
[37:56] our 5-year action plan for our planners
[37:59] 2 building um to in order to keep the um
[38:02] property up and running um and making
[38:05] sure that the funds are allocated
[38:06] towards certain programs and um actual
[38:09] uh projects. Okay. Any questions on
[38:12] this?
[38:14] Same thing.
[38:16] All right, I will accept a motion.
[38:19] » I will I will move to um adopt
[38:21] resolution number B-2435
[38:26] um to approve the plan and authorize its
[38:27] submission to HUD.
[38:29] » I'll second.
[38:30] » Been moved and seconded. Please begin
[38:31] voting. Commissioner Maxwell.
[38:33] » I I
[38:34] » I
[38:35] » All right. Thank you.
[38:36] » Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
[38:38] » Okay. Next item, resolution B 2436,
[38:42] community development block grant
[38:44] consolidated annual performance and
[38:46] evaluation report. Good evening.
[38:48] » Good evening.
[38:51] » I'm here to request to be able to send
[38:54] my papers report for short so we don't
[38:57] have to go over that 100 times uh to HUD
[39:01] for approval. This year we successfully
[39:05] uh helped in repairing 11 homes which
[39:08] met the target. We assisted in three
[39:10] home ownership uh down payments that was
[39:14] under target. The housing market's bad.
[39:17] Still get to use that money next year.
[39:18] Just hopefully things start rolling. I
[39:21] did get a lot of telephone calls about
[39:23] it. Um, I
[39:26] uh repaved ADA sidewalks and ramps at
[39:31] the 2300 block of Padawatami
[39:34] and our
[39:36] public service agencies supported 5,888
[39:41] individuals
[39:43] um in whatever service they provided.
[39:46] » Okay.
[39:47] Um,
[39:49] how how many homes [snorts] can we
[39:51] first-time home buyers can we support?
[39:54] » The goal is five per year, but we've not
[39:57] really
[39:58] » Been able to meet that goal. So, I have
[40:02] with the current funding that I have
[40:03] now, I could probably get,
[40:07] including the new one that I'll be
[40:08] getting, probably 15 next year if it's
[40:12] there.
[40:13] » Yeah, we are. We need to put more
[40:15] » What the house
[40:16] » The word out there
[40:17] » The house is 239 is that the max
[40:19] » Yes
[40:20] » Okay that I mean that
[40:22] » Keeps it down
[40:23] » Yeah the housing market is going up and
[40:26] » Right
[40:26] » Who decides the max HUD
[40:29] » Uh that's that's
[40:29] » That's okay [clears throat]
[40:31] » I am going to my next annual action plan
[40:35] so we'll be back in I think May to talk
[40:38] about that uh I plan on having my
[40:41] committee uh raise the
[40:45] payouts cuz right now it's 5,000 for
[40:48] median income, 8,000 for low income.
[40:51] » Mhm.
[40:52] » I'd like to get that. Like she said,
[40:54] everything's going up. So that when that
[40:57] I think it was 2013 when they changed it
[40:59] to 5,000.
[41:00] » Oh wow.
[41:01] » Prices have gone way higher than 2013.
[41:04] So it's not the percentage it used to
[41:06] be.
[41:07] » Yeah.
[41:07] » I mean it still helps though. It's
[41:09] helped.
[41:10] » It's something.
[41:11] » Yes. especially with closing costs and
[41:12] not having your money to the table.
[41:14] » This has been an issue ever since I've
[41:15] been on the commission. They're just
[41:17] that we've always had extra money for
[41:19] this and it hasn't been used
[41:21] » And so I think I don't know what we can
[41:23] do.
[41:23] » Have you thought about hosting like a um
[41:25] something for local realtors?
[41:28] » I would say people know I do get phone
[41:30] calls.
[41:31] » Yeah,
[41:31] » It's the one of the conditions that has
[41:34] to be in the city limits a little more.
[41:35] So, I get a lot of people that want to
[41:37] look and they find something in Lancing
[41:40] or just right outside the limits.
[41:41] » Mhm.
[41:42] » Uh the market
[41:46] for Levvenworth is
[41:54] kind of stagnant, I would say, for the
[41:56] under the underpric and the middle
[41:59] income people.
[42:00] » Yeah. Okay. Well, if we raise the amount
[42:04] people get, then if we have less people,
[42:06] we can still use more of the funds,
[42:07] » Right?
[42:08] » If we raise there's a limit on how how
[42:11] expensive the house is, right, that you
[42:13] can use. So, that's that's the issue you
[42:15] » That is one issue. Yes.
[42:16] » And there's one issue like you can only
[42:18] like with an FHA loan, you can only get
[42:20] 6% in like sellers credit. So,
[42:24] » Interesting.
[42:25] » But I I don't know. I disagree. I think
[42:26] that like the houses that I list, I
[42:29] personally list for like under 200 are
[42:31] flying off
[42:33] » And
[42:33] » They're selling really fast, right? But
[42:35] they're only two bedrooms. And so most
[42:37] of the people, a lot of people have
[42:39] families, it's not going to work. So
[42:41] when you get to a threebedroom or
[42:42] fourbedroom or even three, it goes over
[42:45] 240. So that's hard to
[42:49] » And people aren't leaving their homes
[42:50] like they used to. So there's not
[42:52] there's not
[42:54] » Turnover
[42:54] » There's no turnover. There's not
[42:55] availability,
[42:56] » Right?
[42:57] » Okay. Thanks.
[42:58] » My only other question is so the public
[43:00] service funds the 55,359
[43:03] where does that number come from?
[43:05] » It has to be we are capped through HUD.
[43:09] It has to be 20% of the award.
[43:11] » Oh, interesting. [clears throat] Okay.
[43:13] » I have a spreadsheet that I put the
[43:15] award in. It breaks down and then I
[43:17] » Yeah.
[43:18] » That out.
[43:18] » Cool. Thank you.
[43:20] Okay. Any other questions or comments?
[43:25] Uh, if not, I'll entertain a motion.
[43:28] » Um, I will move to approve resolution
[43:31] number B-2436 approving the 2025 caper
[43:35] for submitt to the HUD.
[43:37] » Second.
[43:38] » And moved and seconded. Please begin
[43:39] voting. Commissioner Wilson.
[43:41] » I
[43:42] » I
[43:43] » I thank you, sir.
[43:45] » Thank you.
[43:46] » Have a good evening.
[43:47] » Mayor myself.
[43:49] » Okay.
[43:50] » Goodbye.
[43:53] Okay. Next item on the agenda,
[43:56] consider final change order and
[43:58] acceptance of Wilson Avenue
[44:00] reconstruction project. [clears throat]
[44:04] Madame Mayor and Commissioners, uh I'm
[44:06] here for the engineering department to
[44:08] ask for acceptance of the Wilson Avenue
[44:11] project. And there is a change or final
[44:14] change order that increased the original
[44:18] bid amount by
[44:21] amount of $55,39.50.
[44:25] that resulted due to
[44:28] mainly one large item which was cement
[44:30] treated subgrade where the subgrade of
[44:32] the road rather we couldn't build on it
[44:34] without hardening it and they use cement
[44:37] treated they till it into the soil and
[44:39] make it work so uh I ask that you
[44:44] approve the final change order and
[44:46] accept the Wilson Avenue project as
[44:48] built
[44:49] » It still follow fall falls under the
[44:51] budget estimate of 2 million which is
[44:54] great
[44:56] » Um exciting project. I'm glad to see
[44:59] this being completed.
[45:01] Any questions, comments?
[45:04] » Anything? All right. Um I'll entertain a
[45:08] motion.
[45:09] » I'll move that we approve the final
[45:11] change order for the Wilson Avenue
[45:13] reconstruction project in the amount of
[45:14] $55,39.50
[45:17] and grant acceptance of the project.
[45:19] » I'll second.
[45:21] » Okay. Please begin voting. Commissioner
[45:22] Hollister. I
[45:24] » I
[45:24] » I
[45:25] » I
[45:25] » All right. Thank you very much.
[45:29] Um, next item on the agenda, consider
[45:31] award of contract for Fourth Street
[45:33] sidewalk and curb repair project, Senica
[45:35] to Metropolitan.
[45:36] » Yeah.
[45:37] » As part of the North Fourth Street clip
[45:40] project. We received money for uh Melon
[45:44] Overlay, so it's resurfacing, but it was
[45:47] limited to 400,000.
[45:49] So, we couldn't really do a lot of the
[45:51] extra repairs we like to do. So, we've
[45:53] created a separate project away from the
[45:55] K. Clip project and that's what this is
[45:58] for. We received uh six, seven, eight by
[46:02] eight estimates, which was great. We
[46:04] usually don't get that many.
[46:06] » Uh Max Paving was the low bid. Uh
[46:09] they've not done work in the city of
[46:11] Levvenworth, but we've checked their
[46:13] references and got favorable references
[46:15] from everybody that we called. And so we
[46:18] recommend that we accept the low bid
[46:21] from max paving to of $249,997.71
[46:28] and we'd like to add additional 10%
[46:30] contingency approximately 25,000 to
[46:33] cover any issues that arise in the
[46:35] field.
[46:36] » Okay,
[46:38] any questions?
[46:40] » No, I hate giving contracts to Missouri,
[46:42] but they are cheaper. So, am I reading
[46:45] this right that this is a project that
[46:47] kind of is extra because we have
[46:49] remaining funds for the mill and
[46:51] overlay. Is that what that says?
[46:52] » We have funds available from our
[46:54] pavement management program.
[46:55] » Yeah.
[46:56] » That we want to use to pay for this. And
[46:58] it it's it's a similar project. We do
[47:01] curbs and gutters and ADA ramps and
[47:03] stuff on our pavement management
[47:04] projects. So, since this is really not
[47:07] covered under the clip grant, we just
[47:09] made it a separate project and we have
[47:10] funds available for that.
[47:12] » Cool. This is These bids are amazing.
[47:15] Ranging from
[47:16] » Yeah, the range is
[47:17] » 249 to 675.
[47:22] » Yeah, that's interesting.
[47:23] » Amazing. Okay. Um, [snorts] any other
[47:27] questions?
[47:29] » If not, I'll entertain a motion.
[47:31] I'll move that we the city commission
[47:34] authorize the mayor to sign a
[47:35] construction services contract for
[47:37] concrete curb and sidewalk repairs on
[47:38] fourth between Senica and Metropolitan
[47:41] with max paving in the amount of
[47:42] $249,997.71
[47:46] with an additional 10% contingency
[47:48] approximately $25,000 to cover issues
[47:50] that arise in the field.
[47:52] » I'll second moved and seconded. Please
[47:54] begin voting. Commissioner Wilson
[47:56] » I
[47:56] » I
[47:57] » I
[47:57] » I
[47:57] » I
[47:58] » Thank you. That passes. Okay. Uh, next.
[48:02] Thank you.
[48:02] » Thank you.
[48:03] » Next item on the agenda, consent agenda.
[48:05] » Uh, Madame Mayor, I'd like to make a
[48:07] motion to accept the consent agenda as
[48:09] follows. Claims for September 4, 2026
[48:11] through September 17, 2026 in the amount
[48:14] of 1,598,5811.
[48:20] Net amount for payroll 18 effective
[48:22] September 4, 2026 in the amount of
[48:25] $476,5845.
[48:28] No police and fire pension.
[48:30] » Second.
[48:31] » Been moved and seconded. Please, please
[48:33] begin voting. Commissioner
[48:35] » I.
[48:35] » Maxwell.
[48:36] » I I
[48:37] » I
[48:37] » I
[48:38] » Okay, that ends our um regular meeting.
[48:41] Um we'll go into executive session in a
[48:44] few minutes, but let's go around the
[48:45] table first because we don't have any
[48:48] other business afterwards. Correct.
[48:51] » I just want to thank all the staff uh
[48:53] that helped out at Camp Levvenworth over
[48:54] the weekend. Um I thought uh overall it
[48:57] was a big success. I don't think we're
[48:58] going to have the numbers that we had
[49:00] last year uh unfortunately, but um the
[49:02] staff did a really great job. Um
[49:04] everybody that was involved in that um I
[49:06] love appreciated all the good attitudes
[49:08] from our people despite the weather. Um
[49:10] and uh I had a good time. So that's all
[49:12] I
[49:13] » Do we have an estimated count yet or at
[49:14] all?
[49:15] » We don't yet. No, but um just based on
[49:17] the early numbers we had, we were we
[49:19] were down both nights. So
[49:21] » Thank you.
[49:22] » It's so hot.
[49:22] » It was so hot out there. I still
[49:24] couldn't believe how many people were
[49:25] there on Saturday afternoon and But it
[49:27] was
[49:28] » Fall's coming so I felt it today.
[49:29] » Paul's here. Fall was there the next
[49:31] day.
[49:32] » I think [laughter]
[49:33] during the concert.
[49:35] » Yeah, it felt good after. Yeah.
[49:37] » Mhm. Felt good going home then.
[49:38] » No, I don't really have anything.
[49:40] » Okay. No, I just echo that. Um, Camp
[49:43] Levvenworth was great. I had a really
[49:45] good time. Um, I appreciate staff
[49:48] pivoted. I wanted water cups for the
[49:50] water thing, so I appreciate staff
[49:52] pivoting on that. And I just wish it
[49:55] wasn't so hot, but there's nothing you
[49:57] can do about that. But every it was
[49:58] great.
[49:59] » It was great.
[50:00] » Um, again, I I have to say the staff is
[50:04] just amazing at Camp Bloodworth. They
[50:06] work so hard. They come in, they got it
[50:08] down to science and so I appreciate
[50:10] that. I've decided next year if we do
[50:12] it, we're going to put Mother Nature on
[50:13] the committee.
[50:14] » Yeah.
[50:15] » So that she can kind of help let us know
[50:18] what's happening. So that that might be
[50:20] a good solution. um got a call today
[50:23] about and I just have a question for
[50:24] Scott. Maybe he can help. Um
[50:27] the city of Levvenworth underneath by
[50:29] the back gate.
[50:32] Do we mo is that that's our property? Is
[50:34] that city property? Are we supposed to
[50:36] mow that?
[50:37] » By the back gate
[50:38] » By the back gate of Fort Lorth. That's
[50:41] some of that is
[50:43] » Penitentiary.
[50:44] » Penitentiary property. Well, I guess
[50:46] it's
[50:47] » Yeah, you and I have talked and then
[50:49] underneath the bridge is that's also
[50:51] really bad. I guess needs to be
[50:53] » I think a portion of that is ours and a
[50:55] portion of that is um Kot.
[50:57] » Okay. Can we look what our portion is
[50:58] and just
[50:59] » Did I answer that correctly, Mike?
[51:01] » You did.
[51:01] » Okay.
[51:02] » Okay. [snorts] Thank you. And then um
[51:04] yeah, obviously tonight is pretty
[51:07] alarming to me about what was said by
[51:09] the downtown. Uh I know the downtown's
[51:12] very important to all of us here at the
[51:13] commission. So, yeah. Um maybe we invite
[51:17] everybody who spoke tonight to attend
[51:18] the homeless committee. I I don't get
[51:20] those invites anymore, but perhaps we
[51:22] can all be invited to attend those and
[51:25] work with them. I think that they're
[51:27] they're asking for help and I think we
[51:29] need to provide that. I don't know what
[51:30] the laws are. I mean, we'll have to talk
[51:32] to Chief. He's always
[51:34] » Um but you know, I I don't know what the
[51:37] solution is, but I I heard a cry for
[51:40] help tonight. So, I hope we can help
[51:42] them somehow.
[51:44] I work with them.
[51:45] » We had made the determination months ago
[51:47] that we um as we had gone around the
[51:49] table that there was nothing that we all
[51:52] as a group at the table could do to
[51:53] solve the problem. Um it was
[51:56] [clears throat] a group of you know
[51:57] everybody involved that touches the
[51:59] homeless you know group in some way and
[52:02] it was just a lot of you know we've
[52:03] reached the limit of what we can do. Um,
[52:06] so we had made the determination that we
[52:08] were going to compile a list of
[52:09] recommendations and then go up to the
[52:11] state and lobby the state for support
[52:14] from them. Um, as people mentioned, this
[52:16] is a regional issue. Not everybody here
[52:18] is um from Levvenworth or but you know,
[52:21] if you move them to somewhere else,
[52:22] they're just going to come back or
[52:23] somebody else will come in. Um, as chief
[52:26] has has mentioned many many different
[52:28] times, you cannot legislate your way out
[52:31] of this. Um you cannot just cite
[52:33] somebody a hundred times and expect them
[52:36] to leave or to fix their behavior. Um
[52:40] because what you were talking about is a
[52:42] mental health and a substance abuse
[52:43] problem. And the other you know I the
[52:46] only thing that we the the issues that
[52:48] we can do to recommend to make changes
[52:49] that are within the city's power. I I
[52:52] can come to you guys and say give me a
[52:53] million dollars to build housing but
[52:55] those people don't want to live in the
[52:57] housing. And so I mean it's and again as
[53:01] you know we talk about it is not illegal
[53:03] to be homeless. That is correct. Um it
[53:06] is you know at the same time these they
[53:08] are they've been interacted with the
[53:09] police department enough that they know
[53:11] their rights.
[53:12] » And so yes they do are they are able to
[53:14] wiggle through the gray areas of the
[53:16] legal system because what is a $500 fine
[53:19] to somebody who is homeless and has no
[53:21] money.
[53:22] » But what about are they allowed to sleep
[53:23] on I see them sleeping in the hay
[53:25] market. They are generally not allowed
[53:27] to sleep and if we get called into
[53:29] public spaces I mean I know chief could
[53:30] talk about this but we move them along
[53:33] but they will come back.
[53:34] » I mean
[53:36] » I I wouldn't want to own a business
[53:37] downtown where people are defecating.
[53:40] » I I can't control that either but
[53:43] » But again the penalty for that is a fine
[53:46] or you know a night in jail or whatever
[53:47] which again is what is that to them
[53:51] » You know I mean what I mean what is that
[53:52] consequence? I can't don't I can't
[53:55] believe we're just we could throw up our
[53:57] hands in the air and says there's
[53:57] nothing we can do. We've got people
[53:59] downtown crying for help and we want to
[54:02] build this downtown and we're talking
[54:03] about bringing businesses in, but why
[54:06] would anybody business come in if we
[54:07] have this problem? I mean, there's I
[54:09] understand what you're saying and I'm
[54:11] not
[54:11] » Right
[54:12] » Chastising you, but it is frustrating
[54:14] and as a business owner in town now, it
[54:17] would be very frustrating for me if I
[54:19] were downtown to be dealing with this.
[54:21] And we have homeowner or business owners
[54:23] scared to go in their buildings at 2 am.
[54:26] That is a problem that we have to
[54:27] address,
[54:28] » Right? And we've got kids, why am I
[54:30] going to take my kid to the dance studio
[54:32] anymore if there's a guy, you know,
[54:33] masturbating across the street? I mean,
[54:35] that's not okay for me,
[54:37] » You know?
[54:37] » Um, I just think that we we've got to do
[54:40] something.
[54:44] Can we have an executive session just
[54:46] kind of talk about this at some point in
[54:48] the near future? Maybe with the chief
[54:50] and just see what other ideas we can
[54:52] come up with.
[54:53] » An executive session or a study?
[54:55] » Study session. I don't care what it is.
[54:57] I want to have a session where we can
[54:58] talk about this and and try to find some
[55:00] kind of solution. I understand and I'm
[55:02] sensitive to the homeless issue, but at
[55:05] the same time, I'm also sensitive to the
[55:07] people that are paying taxes and want us
[55:09] to protect them as well
[55:10] » And businesses are being abused by this.
[55:13] So, I we need to we need to
[55:16] » We need to work on this.
[55:17] » Actually, that wasn't the thing that I
[55:19] had wanted to originally say. So, I'd
[55:20] like to read this text message that I
[55:21] got today. Um because normally we don't
[55:24] get good news and this was a very
[55:26] positive text and I was hoping to share
[55:28] this. Joe, I know from watching and
[55:30] helping my dad when he was in the
[55:32] office, most of what you hear is
[55:33] negative. Here's an observation that
[55:34] touched me this morning. At the brush
[55:36] site this morning, the attendant took my
[55:38] fee and then said he would help unload
[55:39] my load of brush. He did that just that.
[55:42] I don't know if that's part of his job,
[55:43] but it's the first time that's happened
[55:45] to me. I don't know his name. I know
[55:47] he's a nice young man and a great
[55:48] employee. So, um, I'd like to end on a
[55:51] positive note.
[55:52] » Yeah, that's good.
[55:54] The only thing I have to say about Kemp
[55:56] Levvenworth is all of the all of the
[55:59] commissioners volunteered this year,
[56:01] which I think is wonderful. I think I
[56:04] think uh not only was the staff
[56:06] fantastic and was there all weekend, but
[56:08] the commissioners were there as well,
[56:10] and I appreciate all of you being there.
[56:13] Thank you. Okay, we will move into
[56:16] um
[56:18] executive session. How long are we going
[56:21] to need?
[56:23] You think
[56:24] » 45 minutes?
[56:25] » Probably take at least 45.
[56:27] » Okay.
[56:27] » 45 minutes.
[56:32] » Okay. Um I move the city commission
[56:35] recess into executive session for 45
[56:38] minutes for the purpose of discussing a
[56:40] development matter in consultation with
[56:41] an attorney which would be deemed
[56:43] privilege in the attorney client
[56:45] relationship pursuant to KSA75-4319B2.
[56:50] the city commission, city manager, city
[56:53] attorney, city bound
[56:56] council, bond council,
[56:57] » Bond council,
[56:58] » Bond council, and city financial advisor
[57:01] will be present. The open meeting will
[57:03] resume the city commission chambers at
[57:06] » 7:42.
[57:07] » 7:42.
[57:09] » I second.
[57:10] » Okay. Moved and seconded. Please begin
[57:12] voting. Commissioner Maxwell. Hi. Hi.
[57:15] » Hi.
[57:16] » All right,
[57:18] we're not in
[1:42:52] Okay.
[1:42:54] » No, we don't have to. We just have to
[1:42:57] » Leave. So, um there's no me no more
[1:43:00] meeting. So, we just g out. We have a
[1:43:03] motion to
[1:43:05] » So, moved.
[1:43:06] » Okay. Move and seconded. All in favor?
[1:43:09] » I
[1:43:10] » We are journ. Thank you.