On Wednesday, the Emporia City Commission said good-bye to two veteran commissioners and hello to two new ones and a new city manager.
City commissioners Ray Toso and Tom Myers officially stepped down Wednesday, making way for the newly elected Jeff Longbine and Kevin Nelson. Toso has served 20 years on the commission while Myers has served 14.
“A lot of good things have happened in this town since these two have been commissioners,” Mayor Jim Kessler said. “They have been a positive force for us ... and we are honored to have had them on the city commission.”
A five-time mayor, Toso has been a consistent player in the city’s industrial development, helping to found the Regional Development Association in the early 1990s. Myers has been mayor twice and was often a player on social issues such as domestic violence and housing standards. A proposal of his eventually became the city’s first minimum rental housing code.
“I always had the pleasure of having great governing bodies with great commissioners, and these were two of the best,” said former City Manager Steve Commons, who came to the meeting from Edmond, Okla. to wish the two well.
Toso said it had been great to serve the community, though he joked a little about his own service.
“The two biggest changes I’ve seen in the city since I’ve come here have been my age and my width,” he kidded.
For Myers, the moment grew briefly difficult.
“It’s been my honor and a great privilege to ...” he said, before growing quiet a second and swallowing. “...to serve this community for 14 years. And I’ve appreciated that honor.”
Myers has applied for a vacancy on the city’s Human Relations Committee.
The new commissioners, meanwhile, had a few other jobs to think about as well. City Commissioner Jeff Longbine will be resigning as chairman of the RDA on July 1. City Commissioner Kevin Nelson, on the other hand, will remain on the Emporia school board until that date.
“We looked into it and there was only one other similar occasion, in 1979, where a person was running for both at the same time,” Nelson said. “Dr. Heim (John Heim, Emporia superintendent) asked me to stay and I agreed. The voters elected me for a four-year term and I felt I ought to stay if nothing was stopping me. And nothing was.”
The evening was also the first official meeting for new City Manager Matt Zimmerman, who started his job Monday. Zimmerman said little during a generally routine meeting, though he did thank the commissioners toward the end for hiring him.
“I think it’ll be a good couple of years with the new commission on board -- and hopefully more than that,” he quickly added, chuckling.
“Are you trying to suggest something?” Commissioner Bobbie Agler quipped.
Agler, who was re-elected in April, was sworn in along with Longbine and Nelson. Agler and Longbine will serve four-year terms, while Nelson has a two-year term.
Commissioner Julie Johnson, who has served since 1999, will be this year’s mayor. This is her second time in the office. Agler, the top vote-getter at the last election, was named vice-mayor.
The re-organization followed the final meeting of the old commission. In that action:
- The commission approved a 30 percent increase in sewer rates. The rates will be reviewed annually to prevent future hikes from being as large. The average increase will be $6.64 per month for a family of four.
- Approved a contract with APAC-Kansas, Shears Division to realign the Interstate Highway 35 east off-ramp with 18th Avenue on Industrial Road. The project has a maximum city share of $815,000 and a maximum share of $811,747 for the Kansas Department of Transportation.
- Awarded the Weaver Street sidewalk project to Emporia Construction and Remodeling for $65,950.
- Awarded the 2007 street rehabilitation project to APAC-Kansas, Shears Division for $150,006. The city will also experiment with a chip seal on South Exchange Street to see if it could be a less expensive way to finish unpaved streets until the money for an upgrade is available.
- Agreed to vacate 10.5 feet of right-of-way at 919 W. 12th Avenue so that an elevator for the handicapped can be added.
- Presented Community Area Recycling Excellence awards to Ron Thomas, the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, and the fifth-grade classes of Kay Carl and Teresa Smithhisler.
- Presented Master Recycler Awards to Nick Laurent, Anna Harder, Ginnie Eddy, Michael Smith, the family of Dan and Amy Scheller, Tranquility Day Spa & Salon, Kids Korner Child Care and the Kiwanis club.
- Proclaimed April 22 “Earth Day,” April 27 “Arbor Day” and April 22 through April 28 “Earth Week.”
- Corrected an error in the right-of-way for the new Walgreens.
- Named Jesse Solis and Sharon Stephens to the library board.
- Named Kevin Nelson and Jeff Longbine to the Emporia Recreation Commission. Nelson until recently served on the commission as the Emporia school board’s representative.
pizza (anonymous) says...
I find it interesting, indeed, that there is a considerable write up on the installation of the new city commissioners while the county commissioner installation was completely ignored as if it did not even happen. I do not believe a Gazette reporter was even in attendance. Would be interesting to know why.
April 18, 2007 at 11:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )