City Commission

Regular Meeting Minutes City Hall Minutes of June 11, 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, Mayor Pro Tem Clayton, Commissioner Caylor, Commissioner Crowley and Commissioner Skidmore. 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 Consent Agenda Commissioner Crowley moved to approve the consent agenda, which included the minutes from the June 4, 2025 Regular meeting, the minutes from the May 14, 2025 Planning Commission meeting, and the Regular Meeting agenda. The motion was seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Clayton. The motion was considered and upon being put, all present voted aye. The Mayor declared the consent agenda duly approved. Declaration No declarations were made. Unfinished Business Executive Session Recess Mayor Pro Tem Clayton made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Crowley, to recess into executive session for a period of 15 minutes, resuming at 4:23 pm with City Attorney, City Manager, and Finance Director present for the purpose of attorney/client consultation. The justification for the closed session is to engage in confidential and privileged communication with the board’s attorney by K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(12). The motion was considered and upon being put, all present voted aye. The Mayor declared the meeting duly recessed. Reconvene Commissioner Crowley made a motion, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Clayton, to reconvene into open session. The motion was considered and upon being put, all present voted aye. The Mayor declared the meeting duly reconvened at 4:23 p.m. New Business Consideration of Award for Website Design, Development, and Hosting The Governing Body heard from Director Sommer, who presented a recommendation to award the contract for website design, development, and hosting to CivicPlus. The City of Ottawa issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on April 8, 2025. Six vendors submitted proposals, which were evaluated based on experience, technical capability, cost, implementation plan, and references. CivicPlus June 11, 2025 1 City of Ottawa Regular Meeting Minutes June 11, 2025 Page 2 received the highest overall score of 88.9. The City’s partnership with CivicPlus will improve mobile responsiveness, ADA compliance, language translation, and provide a more user-friendly navigation system. The website will also feature advanced search functions to improve access to public documents and city services. The total budget for the first year is $50,000, with CivicPlus’ proposal coming in at $28,942.25 for development, migration, training, hosting, and support. Annual hosting in subsequent years will be $13,805. The City Attorney will review all contracts for compliance with Kansas law. Mayor Pro Tem Clayton made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Caylor, to authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with CivicPlus for municipal website design, development, and hosting. The motion was considered and upon being put, all present voted aye. The Mayor declared the motion duly approved. 2025 Teen Safety Academy and Public Safety Citizen Academy Program Announcement The Governing Body received an informational presentation from Chief Weingartner regarding the launch of two new educational outreach initiatives: the Teen Safety Academy and the Public Safety Citizen Academy. These programs are designed to build community understanding and trust and are aligned with the department’s strategic plan. Teen programming will occur over summer break, while the adult academy will be held in the fall. The department will apply for grants and work with the Ottawa Police Foundation to secure funding for program materials. Participants will be required to sign liability release forms. 2026 Proposed Budget Review – Water Utility Fund 030 The Governing Body heard from Director Landis and Director Snethen regarding the 2026 proposed Water Utility Fund budget. Operations and capital improvements are funded through the collection of monthly user fees for services. The following items were reviewed: • The utility serves 5,404 customers, an increase of 2.0% since 2021. • Revenues are sufficient to cover operations but not long-term capital infrastructure needs. • Fund balance is projected to dip below policy minimums beginning in 2025 and become negative by 2029. A cost recovery analysis is underway to evaluate long-term financial sustainability. • Current rate increases adopted by Resolution 1927-23 are scheduled to end in 2027. • The 2026 Proposed Water Utility Production Budget includes: o $20,000 for grounds maintenance mower purchase o $200,000 for sludge pond dredging at 301 South Beech o $8,000 for chlorine analyzer replacement (end-of-life) o $15,000 for stair design and replacement at the Water Treatment Facility • The 2026 Proposed Water Utility Distribution Budget includes: o $30,000 for aerial flyover GIS mapping o $30,000 for fire hydrant replacement and new installations o $145,000 for 19th & Elm to Twyman water main replacement o $40,000 for pipe inventory expansion to replace five blocks of water main • The AMI meter replacement program has been placed on hold due to future financial June 11, 2025 2 City of Ottawa Regular Meeting Minutes June 11, 2025 Page 3 uncertainties. • Outstanding debt includes the following: o 2009A Bonds – $349,082 remaining for Northeast Water Tower (matures 2029) o 2014A Bonds – $355,663 remaining for 16” water transmission line (matures 2030) o 2021A Bonds - $2,555,340 remaining for the construction of a raw water line from the pump station at Second Street to the Water Treatment Plant and replacement of an existing water line on Main Street from the river to 5th Street. Review of 2026 Operating Budget – Wastewater Utility Fund The Governing Body heard from Director Landis and Director Snethen regarding the 2026 proposed Wastewater Utility Fund budget. Operations and capital improvements are funded through the collection of monthly user fees for services. The following items were reviewed: • The utility serves 5,197 customers, an increase of 2.16% since 2021. • Decreasing fund balance is projected to fall below the City’s minimum threshold beginning in 2029. • Current rate increases adopted by Resolution 1926-23 are scheduled to end in 2027. • The 2026 Proposed Wastewater Utility Reclamation Budget includes: o $130,000 for VFD upgrade • The 2026 Proposed Wastewater Utility Collection Budget includes: o $600,000 for manhole and pipe lining (CIPP project) o $5,000 for NASSCO training for four crew members o $45,000 to replace 1,800 feet of sewer main (three blocks) o $8,000 for arrow board purchase o $10,000 for equipment repairs (VAC truck/camera van) • Outstanding debt includes the following: o 2021A Bonds – $1,220,499 remaining for East Side Interceptor (matures 2034) o Lease Purchase – $91,134 remaining for 2018 Ford E450 CCTV Van (matures 2028) Consider the request from Lightfield Energy City Attorney Finch presented a request from Lightfield Energy to extend the due diligence period by 180 days. This extension would allow the company additional time to complete necessary evaluations while maintaining the overall project timeline by deducting those 180 days from the original 270-day closing period following due diligence. Recent legislative action in Kansas excluding behind-the- meter energy solutions from the state’s data center incentive program has negatively impacted the site’s competitive standing. As a result, Lightfield Energy is actively pursuing alternative energy strategies to ensure the long-term viability of the project. Commissioner Skidmore made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Crowley, to authorize the City Manager and City Attorney to execute an extension. The motion was considered and upon being put, all present voted aye. The Mayor declared the motion duly approved. City Manager Comments City Manager Silcott provided updates on key infrastructure projects, community activities, operational performance, and upcoming agenda items. June 11, 2025 3 City of Ottawa Regular Meeting Minutes June 11, 2025 Page 4 The first of two project updates focused on the ongoing 8-inch waterline upgrade along Main Street from 15th to 17th. Crews successfully completed 820 feet of boring and had initiated reaming as of June 9, with final pipe pull-in and tie-in work scheduled to follow, weather permitting. Staff maintained daily coordination to ensure the project remained on schedule. City Manager Silcott detailed the pavement preservation project underway on 7th Street from Cedar to Cherry. This full-width mill and overlay project was initiated on June 11 and targeted for completion by June 13. Temporary lane restrictions were implemented with continued local access. The total street maintenance budget stood at $234,105, with $121,491 allocated for chip seal and $112,613.74 for mill and overlay. Residents were notified through Facebook, YouTube, and Everbridge alerts. Following requests at the previous Commission meeting, the City Manager presented historical citywide clean-up cost data. Fall 2023 saw 20 roll-off boxes used at a cost of $3,500, tire disposal totaling nearly 13 tons, and transfer fees of $1,873. Spring 2023 recorded significantly higher usage— 41 roll-off boxes and nearly 18.5 tons of tires—but benefited from a waiver of transfer station fees through a county partnership. By Spring 2025, cleanup operations expanded to 42 roll-off boxes and 22.59 tons of tire disposal, costing $10,850 and $5,765 respectively. Fall 2024 cleanup reflected similar activity with slightly lower costs. The presentation briefly acknowledged the City’s newest public servants, Jacob Robinson and Colton Cox as Police Officers, Mason Snook (Parks) and Steven Rose (Streets & Stormwater) in Public Works. The report then shifted to promoting upcoming community events. These included a Chamber After Hours at PrimeTime Grille on June 12, a murder mystery event at the Ottawa Memorial Auditorium on June 13, a blood drive at Enso Self Defense on June 14, and the OU Theatre Summer Academy running June 16–21. Operational highlights showcased strong public engagement, with the City’s Facebook page surpassing 10,000 followers. A June 5 post featuring high river level images drew over 900 reactions and 452 shares. Human Resources reported conducting 100 interviews year-to-date. The Fire Department had responded to 166 service calls in June, and Public Works delivered 12-hour flood response shifts during recent high-water events. Electric Distribution crews responded to outages caused by Tuesday’s storm. The City continued recruitment efforts for several key positions, including a Property Improvement Partner, Water Reclamation Facility Apprentice, and a Facilities Maintenance Worker. Interviews were underway for the Communications & Outreach Coordinator. Additionally, the Ottawa Memorial Auditorium Advisory Board was scheduled to meet at noon on June 17. To close, City Manager Silcott previewed tentative items for the June 18 Commission meeting. These included the May 2025 finance and community partner reports, proclamations recognizing Juneteenth and Small Cities Month, and a resolution to adopt a development plan and create a district for the Northeast Village RHID. The Commission would also begin review of the 2026 budgets for community partners and special revenue funds. An executive session was also anticipated. Governing Body Comments June 11, 2025 4 City of Ottawa Regular Meeting Minutes June 11, 2025 Page 5 None were received. Announcements A. June 18, 2025 City Commission Meeting – 10:00 am, City Hall B. June 25, 2025 City Commission Meeting – 4:00 pm, City Hall C. July 2, 2025 City Commission Meeting – 7:00 pm, City Hall D. July 9, 2025 City Commission Meeting – 4:00 pm, City Hall Adjournment There was no further business before the Governing Body, the Mayor declared the meeting duly adjourned at 5:40 pm. /s/ Melissa Reed Melissa Reed, City Clerk June 11, 2025 5