City Commission

Regular Meeting Minutes City Hall Minutes of June 18, 2025 The Governing Body met at 10:00 a.m. on this date for the Regular City Commission Meeting, with the following members present and participating: Mayor Allen, Mayor Pro Tem Clayton, Commissioner Crowley and Commissioner Skidmore. Commissioner Caylor was absent. Mayor Allen called the meeting to order. Mayor Allen welcomed the audience and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Pastor Timothy Roth from Faith Lutheran Church gave the invocation. Public Comments No public comments were received. Appointments, Proclamations, Recognitions, Nominations, and Public Hearings Juneteenth Proclamation Commissioner Skidmore read a proclamation recognizing June 19, 2025 as Juneteenth. This proclamation recognizes the effort to make Ottawa an inclusive community and honor the true meaning of the holiday. Richard Jackson accepted the proclamation and thanked the Governing Body for the recognition. Small Cities Proclamation Mayor Pro Tem Clayton read a proclamation recognizing June 2025 as Small Cities Month, recognizing the essential contributions of cities under 50,000 in population. The proclamation emphasized intergovernmental support and community partnerships vital to small city success. Commissioner Skidmore accepted the proclamation on behalf of the City of Ottawa. Consent Agenda Commissioner Crowley moved to approve the consent agenda, which included the minutes from the June 11, 2025 Regular meeting, the May 2025 Finance Monthly Report, Outside Agency Reports for April 2025 with the removal of Ottawa Library 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 Budget Recap The Governing Body received a follow-up presentation and discussion from Finance Director Melanie Landis addressing questions from the Utility Funds portion of the 2026 budget presentations. New Business Resolution Adopting Development Plan and Creation of District – NE Village RHID The Governing Body heard from Director Landis, who presented a resolution calling for a public hearing to be held on July 23, 2025 at 4:00 pm for the consideration of the creation of a Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) and adoption of a Development Plan for the Northeast Village Housing June 18, 2025 1 City of Ottawa Regular Meeting Minutes June 18, 2025 Page 2 Project. The proposed RHID would support a housing development anticipated to include 40 single family townhomes. Mayor Pro Tem Clayton made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Crowley, to approve the resolution calling for a public hearing to be held on July 23, 2025, at 4:00 pm for the consideration of the creation of a Rural Housing Incentive District and adoption of a Development Plan for the Northeast Village Housing Project. The motion was considered and upon being put, all present voted aye. The Mayor declared the resolution duly adopted, and it was duly numbered Resolution No. 1984- 25. Review of 2026 Operating Budget Community Service Fund The Governing Body heard from Director Landis regarding the 2026 Community Service Fund budget. This fund financially supports community service/programming requests made annually by our Community Partners. Expenses are currently supported by annual transfers from the Water, Electric, Wastewater, and General Funds. Ms. Landis reviewed the following items: • Community Partners requested funding for 2026 is $247,795.12 • 2026 requests represent an increase of $58,489, equating to a 25.27% increase over 2025 Prairie Paws Animal Shelter The 2026 request is $63,430 which is an increase of $1,030 over the 2025 allocation of $62,400. Vanessa Cowie from Prairie Paws Animal Shelter answered questions from the Governing Body. Veteran’s Day The 2026 request of $1,000 is a level funding request over the 2025 awarded allocation. City Band The 2026 request is $4,915 which is $300 less than the 2025 allocation of $5,215. Murle Mordy and Mark Paquette answered questions from the Governing Body. Franklin County Development Council The 2026 request of $67,594 is a level funding request over the 2025 awarded allocation. Paul Bean answered questions from the Governing Body. Ottawa Main Street Association The 2026 request is $47,000 which is an increase of $5,000 over the awarded 2025 allocation of $42,000. Sara Stauffer answered questions from the Governing Body. Ottawa Fireworks The 2026 request is for $9,500 which is an increase of $5,500 over the 2025 allocation. Ryland Miller answered questions from the Governing Body. Elizabeth Layton Center The 2026 request is $7,807 which is an increase of $710 over the awarded 2025 allocation of $7,097. Leslie Bjork answered questions from the Governing Body. June 18, 2025 2 City of Ottawa Regular Meeting Minutes June 18, 2025 Page 3 Ottawa Chamber of Commerce The 2026 request is for $10,000 which mirrors the unfunded 2025 request. Ryland Miller answered questions from the Governing Body. Recess The Governing Body recessed from 11:50 am to 11:56 am for a short break. Franklin County Coalition to End Homelessness This is a new request for 2026 in the amount of $7,000. Brett Staneslow was present to answer questions from the Governing Body. Hope House This is a new request for 2026 in the amount of $9,549.12. Tiffany Wyatt from Hope House answered questions from the Governing body. Franklin County Child Advocacy Center This is a new request for 2026 in the amount of $20,000. Skylor Yeager answered questions from the Governing Body. Review of 2026 Operating Budget for Special Revenues The Governing Body heard from Director Landis and Director Welsh regarding the proposed 2026 Special Streets and Special Parks Funds budgets. These funds support infrastructure and maintenance activities through designated revenue sources including state distributions and sales tax allocations. The following items were reviewed: Special Streets • Revenue sources include fuel tax, federal fund exchange and highway connecting links • 2026 Highlights: o $517,000 for pavement preservation o $75,000 for striping/dust control o $20,000 for studies related to upcoming capital improvement projects Special Parks • Revenue sources include 1/3 liquor tax and park development fees • 2026 Highlights: o $5,000 KDHE grant match for picnic tables and benches o $65,000 reserved for future Lakeside subdivision improvements Review of Tap Fee Costs Director Snethen presented a review of water tap fees and costs recovery rates. A recent evaluation of actual material and labor cost were compared to current fee schedules. Recommendations were presented to align fees with market costs and consider a discounted rate for infill development on vacant residential lots. The Governing Body agreed by consensus to proceed with developing a draft resolution for fee updates and directed staff to include options for incentivizing housing infill development in underserved neighborhoods. City Manager Comments June 18, 2025 3 City of Ottawa Regular Meeting Minutes June 18, 2025 Page 4 City Manager Silcott provided updates on community events, operational activities, infrastructure progress, and upcoming commission business. Community engagement remains strong, with several events scheduled, including trivia night at PrimeTime Grille, a Summer Concert Series performance at Legacy Square, and a ribbon cutting for new ownership at Pizza Time. Operationally, the Utilities Department completed a tour of the Smith & Loveless facility in preparation for the delivery of the new Pin Oak lift station. Public Works cleared riverbank debris following recent high water, and the Police Department is investigating a stolen vehicle while also reporting full enrollment for its inaugural Teen Academy. The 7th Street pavement preservation project is underway, involving a full-width mill and overlay from Cedar to Cherry, with a combined street maintenance budget exceeding $234,000. The Main Street waterline upgrade from 15th to 17th is now complete, with all key components installed, chlorinated, and service connections initiated. The final phase involves boring west under Main to complete the tie-in. Recruitment continues across several departments, including openings in Neighborhood Services, Water Reclamation, and Facilities Maintenance, with interviews ongoing for a new Communications & Outreach Coordinator. The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for June 26. Looking ahead, the June 25th Commission meeting will include continued 2026 budget reviews for Community Partners and Special Revenues; consideration of an amendment to the City’s auto policy as required by the City’s insurance carried Travelers, Director Stegman-Jacobsen is distributing a memo to all City employees and Commissioners outlining the changes and reasons for the amendments; revisions to the RHID policy; presentation of the annual Consumer Confidence Report; and receipt of the May 29th Planning Commission and Library Board minutes. Governing Body Comments Mayor Pro Tem Clayton noted the depth and importance of the community partner presentations and emphasized the value of their services to citizens. Announcements A. June 25, 2025 City Commission Meeting – 4:00 pm, City Hall B. July 2, 2025 City Commission Meeting – 7:00 pm, City Hall C. July 9, 2025 City Commission Meeting – 4:00 pm, City Hall D. July 16, 2025 City Commission Meeting – 10:00 am, City Hall Adjournment There was no further business before the Governing Body, the Mayor declared the meeting duly adjourned at 1:42 pm. /s/ Melissa Reed Melissa Reed, City Clerk June 18, 2025 4