City Commission

CERTIFICATION OF CLERK I, Chelsea Johnson, the duly appointed, qualified, and Assistant City Clerk of Manhattan, Kansas, do hereby certify that the foregoing Minutes from November 4, 2025, were duly adopted at a meeting of the City of Manhattan, Kansas, held on the 18th day of November 2025, and that said Minutes have been compared by me with the original thereof on file and of record in my office, is a true copy of the whole of said original. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of the City of Manhattan, Kansas, this 18th day of November, 2025. _____________________________ Chelsea Johnson, Assistant City Clerk  MINUTES CITY COMMISSION MEETING TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2025 6:00 P.M. This meeting was recorded and is available online for full viewing. 1. CALL TO ORDER At 6:00 p.m., Mayor Karen McCulloh called the November 4, 2025, City Commission Meeting to order. 2. ROLL CALL AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF A QUORUM Present: Commissioner Susan E. Adamchak, Commissioner Peter Oppelt, Commissioner John E. Matta, and Commissioner Jayme Minton, with Mayor Karen McCulloh presiding. Absent: None. After roll call, the City Clerk announced there were five (5) Commissioners present and that the quorum of three (3) was met. Also present were City Manager Danielle Dulin; Deputy City Manager Jason Hilgers, Assistant City Manager Jared Wasinger, Deputy City Attorney Rachel Sherck, Assistant City Clerk Chelsea Johnson, 7 staff, and approximately 6 interested citizens. 3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor McCulloh led the Commission in the Pledge of Allegiance. This meeting was held in the City Commission Room at City Hall, 1101 Poyntz Avenue. Public participation was solicited without regard to race, sex, familial status, military status, disability, religion, age, color, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, or gender identity. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons with disabilities needing special accommodation to participate in the City Commission Meeting or access meeting minutes, or those requiring language assistance (free of charge) should contact the City of Manhattan ADA Coordinator, Deann Tiede, no later than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting, at (785) 587-2442 or 7-1-1 (Relay). Minutes City Commission Meeting November 4, 2025 Page 2 4. PROCLAMATIONS A. Mayor McCulloh proclaimed November 3-7, 2025, National Veterans Small Business Week. (Wayne Bell, District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration, was unable to attend to receive the proclamation.) B. Mayor McCulloh proclaimed November 11, 2025, Veterans Day. (Christine Benne, President, Flint Hills Veterans Coalition, was present to receive the proclamation.) 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS Mayor McCulloh opened the public comments and highlighted the process. Hearing no comments, Mayor McCulloh closed the public comments. 6. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Commissioner Minton acknowledged the tremendous generosity of the community during the government shutdown in supporting local agencies and those affected both directly and indirectly. She mentioned that the need would continue, and she expressed gratitude to everyone who had stepped up. Commissioner Oppelt thanked the residents of the East Park Neighborhood for inviting the commissioners on a tour of Leavenworth Street on Sunday, November 2, 2025, during which they shared the history of several houses. Commissioner Adamchak concurred with Jayme. She mentioned that she had been at City Park on Sunday dropping off food, where the entire concrete platform was mounded with food contributions. The food was sent directly to the Manhattan Emergency Shelter, Be Able, the blessing boxes, and the Flint Hills Breadbasket on Sunday. She reported that she had attended a meeting the previous day to discuss possible solutions for the homeless population in Manhattan. She noted that Manhattan was fortunate to have a relatively small homeless population compared to other urban areas in Kansas and across the country. She stated that there were two distinct task forces addressing the issue, one chaired by Director Peete and co-chaired by Michael Rezkalla of Pawnee Mental Health. Another group, Northeast Kansas Community Action Program (NEK-CAP), which serves multiple counties in northeast Kansas, was exploring a partnership with the Manhattan Housing Authority as it moved forward with the demolition and reconstruction of Carlson Plaza. She explained that NEK-CAP had received a multimillion-dollar grant from Jeff Bezos of Amazon and was seeking to collaborate with the Housing Authority to add additional units at Carlson Plaza designated for housing insecure families. Minutes City Commission Meeting November 4, 2025 Page 3 She noted that Aaron Estabrook would be submitting grant applications in January for low- income housing tax credits. The program’s approval was expected to be announced in May; if authorized, the partnership could move forward with the proposed project. Mayor McCulloh mentioned that the Flint Hills Discovery Center had offered free admission for veterans and their families on Veterans Day. She added that the Zoo was also likely hosting special activities and encouraged everyone to attend the Veterans Day Parade. 7. CONSENT AGENDA (* denotes those items discussed) A. MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Regular City Commission Meeting held Tuesday, October 21, 2025. B. CLAIMS/PAYMENTS 1. Approve Claims Register No. 3105 authorizing and approving the payment of claims from October 17, 2025 – October 30, 2025, in the amount of $6,666,902.00. C. ORDINANCES 1. Approve Ordinance No. 7790 issuing not to exceed $8.5 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRB’s), Series 2025, for Flint Hills Ventures, LLC and authorize certain other related documents and actions. 2. Approve Ordinance No. 7791 issuing Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs), Series 2025, for the Flint Hills Breadbasket project located at 2326 Skyvue Lane; and authorize other related documents and actions. 3. Approve Ordinance Nos. 7792 and 7793 to levy Business Improvement District (BID) service fees for 2026 and authorize City administration to finalize and the Mayor and City Clerk to execute agreements with the Aggieville Business Association and Downtown Manhattan, Inc. to perform services related to such BIDs. D. RESOLUTIONS 1. Approve Resolution No. 110425-A to support the City’s grant application to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) Recreational Trails Program (RTP) for the Manhattan Trailhead Improvements, Signage and Wayfinding Project (PR2504). E. BID AND AWARD * 1. Danielle Dulin, City Manager, and Randy DeWitt, Interim Director of Public Utilities, answered questions from the Commission. Minutes City Commission Meeting November 4, 2025 Page 4 Award a construction contract in the amount of $78,150.00 and authorize the City Manager to approve up to $50,000.00 in additional change orders with Charles Sargent Irrigation, Inc., dba Sargent Drilling for the 2025 Well Rehabilitation Project (WA2503). 2. Award a purchase agreement in the amount of $220,630.00 with Independent Salt Company for the 2025-2026 bulk road salt order (SP2504). F. MISCELLANEOUS AGREEMENTS * 1. Item was removed from the Consent Agenda at the request of Mayor McCulloh. Authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute a naming rights agreement for the CiCo Ballfield Complex with Steel and Pipe Supply and the Manhattan Parks and Recreation Foundation. 2. Approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Manhattan and Kansas State University for Tree Planting and Care within Rights of Ways. Mayor McCulloh opened the public comments. Hearing no comments, Mayor McCulloh closed the public comments. MOTION: Commissioner Oppelt. ACTION: Approve the consent agenda. SECOND: Commissioner Minton. RESULT: On a roll call vote, motion carried 5-0 with the exception of Item F1 (item removed from Consent Agenda) which carried 5-0. Ayes: Mayor McCulloh, Commissioner Adamchak, Commissioner Oppelt, Commissioner Matta, and Commissioner Minton. Nayes: None. Abstain: None. 8. ITEM REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA CONSENT ITEM F1 - NAMING GIFT AGREEMENT – CICO BALLFIELD COMPLEX Aaron Stewart, Director of Parks and Recreation, presented the item. Mayor McCulloh opened the public comments. Minutes City Commission Meeting November 4, 2025 Page 5 Hearing no comments, Mayor McCulloh closed the public comments. MOTION: Commissioner Adamchak. ACTION: Authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute a naming rights agreement for the CiCo Ballfield Complex with Steel and Pipe Supply and the Manhattan Parks and Recreation Foundation. SECOND: Commissioner Minton. RESULT: On a roll call vote, motion carried 5-0. Ayes: Mayor McCulloh, Commissioner Adamchak, Commissioner Oppelt, Commissioner Matta, and Commissioner Minton. Nayes: None. Abstain: None. Steel and Pipe Supply presented a check to the city for $500,000. 9. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Commissioner Adamchak. ACTION: Adjourn the November 4, 2025, City Commission Meeting. SECOND: Commissioner Minton. Ayes: Mayor McCulloh, Commissioner Adamchak, Commissioner Oppelt, Commissioner Matta, and Commissioner Minton. No: None. Abstain: None. At 6:20 p.m., Mayor McCulloh announced the Commission meeting was adjourned. ____________________________________ Chelsea Johnson, Assistant City Clerk