City Commission

Regular Meeting Minutes City Hall Minutes of April 9, 2025 The Governing Body met at 4:00 p.m. on this date for the Regular City Commission Meeting, with the following members present and participating: Mayor Allen, Commissioner Caylor, Commissioner Crowley and Commissioner Skidmore. Mayor Pro Tem Clayton joined the meeting at 4:45 pm. Mayor Allen called the meeting to order. Mayor Allen welcomed the audience and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Pastor Dakota Smith from Ottawa Bible Church gave the invocation. Public Comments No public comments were received. Appointments, Proclamations, Recognitions, Nominations and Public Hearings None. Consent Agenda Commissioner Crowley moved to approve the consent agenda, seconded by Commissioner Skidmore. The agenda included the minutes from the April 2, 2025, Special Call Meeting and the April 2, 2025, Regular Meeting, as well as the Regular Meeting agenda. The motion was put to a vote, and all present voted in favor. The Mayor declared the consent agenda duly approved. Declaration None. Unfinished Business None. New Business Review of Economic Development Incentive Tools The Governing Body received a presentation from Bruce Kimmel of Ehlers and Tyler Ellsworth of Kutak Rock outlining the City of Ottawa’s economic development incentive tools as defined in Resolution 1797-19. The tools aim to support residential, small business, and commercial development aligned with community priorities, including job creation, housing expansion, and recruitment of high- tech and out-of-state businesses. The tools discussed included: • Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs): Provide sales and property tax benefits for qualifying projects; requires a cost-benefit analysis and minimum issuance of $2M. • Constitutional Tax Abatement: Offers partial property tax relief for business types not covered by IRBs. • Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP): Rebates incremental property tax increases for redevelopment in designated areas. • Tax Increment Financing (TIF): Captures new tax revenues in a district to fund infrastructure; typically used as pay-as-you-go financing. • Rural Housing Incentive Districts (RHID): Supports residential infrastructure development and requires state approval and a feasibility study. • Community Improvements District (CID): Implements an additional sales tax within a April 9, 2025 1 City of Ottawa Regular Meeting Minutes April 9, 2025 Page 2 defined district to fund infrastructure improvements. • Transportation Development District (TDD): Finances transportation infrastructure through a sales tax or special assessment. • Special Benefit Districts (SBD): Funds public improvements via special assessments with costs shared among benefitted property owners. The presentation also emphasized the legal and financial oversight each tool requires. The Governing Body received and filed the report, and engaged in discussion regarding the application of the various incentives. Request to Consider an Ordinance Amending the Common Consumption Area (CCA) The Governing Body heard from City Clerk Reed on a proposed amendment to Ordinance 4131-24, which would eliminate the event-by-event licensing process for the Common Consumption Area (CCA), allowing year-round daily use from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm. Key points included: • The CCA was originally adopted by Ordinance 4131-24 and licensed by the State of Kansas in April 2024. • Thirteen events utilized the CCA in 2024, with five applications already submitted in 2025. • Removing the separate CCA license process would reduce administrative burden by approximately 50% • The amended ordinance allows daily use of the CCA from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm. • No safety incidents have been reported at CCA events. • Flexibility is retained through suspension authority granted to the City Manager or Police Chief. • Feedback from participating businesses supports maintaining the CCA year-round. Commissioner Crowley made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Caylor, to adopt an ordinance to amend the Common Consumption Area to remain open year-round, with the provision that the City .Manager or Chief of Police may close the area at their discretion. The motion was considered and upon being put, all present voted aye. The Mayor declared this ordinance duly adopted and numbered 4158-25. Request for Approval to Purchase Replacement Front Loader City Manager Silcott presented a request for the unscheduled replacement of Loader #148, a 2001 Case C621C. The loader has logged nearly 8,000 hours and experienced repeated mechanical issues, including a cracked bell housing and a failing torque converter, which is now obsolete. Since 2019, the City has spent $15,379 on repairs, with 40+ hours of staff time required per repair. A competitive bid process was conducted, and Equipment Share provided the lowest qualified bid. The replacement unit is priced at $179,652, inclusive of trade-in value and additional equipment, with funding available through the Equipment Reserve. Commissioner Skidmore made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Crowley, to authorize the purchase of a new front loader from Equipment Share in the amount of $179,652. The motion was considered and upon being put, all present voted aye. The Mayor declared this item duly approved. Consideration of a New Cereal Malt Beverage License for Pizza Time The Governing Body heard from City Clerk Reed, who presented a request to approve a new Cereal Malt Beverage license for new owners of Pizza Time located at 208 S. Main St. The following points were noted: April 9, 2025 City of Ottawa Regular Meeting Minutes April 9, 2025 Page 3 • The previous license was held by the former owners and is non-transferable per municipal code. • The application is for on-premises consumption of CMB. • The application has been reviewed and approved by both the Police Department and City Attorney. • Upon approval, the City Clerk will collect the required $225 license fee and apply the state- issued stamp. Commissioner Crowley made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Caylor to approve the CMB license for Pizza Time, 208 S. Main St. The motion was considered and upon being put, all present voted aye. The Mayor declared the license duly approved. City Manager Comments City Manager Silcott reviewed upcoming events at OMA as well as operational highlights for Public Works, Utilities, and the Golf Course. Governing Body Comments Mayor Pro Tem Clayton reminded the community that on Saturday, April 19, at 8:00 a.m., there will be a downtown clean-up event beginning at Haley Park, focusing on alleyways and street corners. Following the clean-up, at 10:00 a.m., the community is invited to participate in an Easter Egg Hunt featuring 13,000 eggs. Announcements A. April 16, 2025 City Commission Meeting – 10:00 am, City Hall B. April 23, 2025 City Commission Meeting – 4:00 pm, City Hall C. April 30, 2025 City Commission Meeting – 4:00 pm, City Hall Adjournment There was no further business before the Governing Body, the Mayor Pro Tem declared the meeting duly adjourned at 5:07 pm. /s/ Melissa Reed Melissa Reed, City Clerk April 9, 2025