Saturday’s Eggs and Issues forum proved one thing — it’s going to be a busy summer for the Emporia City Commission.
The “to-do” list so far includes a budget, a policy on retail development, and a final draft of the comprehensive plan. There’s still a police chief to be hired and a parks director. And before long, the Emporia Human Relations Commission will propose how to best enforce the rental housing codes.
No, not a slow summer at all.
“As the rookie, I might have anticipated a six-month honeymoon to ease into things,” new Commissioner Jeff Longbine joked. “But it’s been really busy.”
This year, the list also includes a few more chances for the public to be heard. On May 30, the city will hold a “pre-budget” meeting to set the stage and hear what residents think should be a priority. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. The location will be announced.
“If you don’t tell us, all we can do is make our best estimates and go from there,” City Manager Matt Zimmerman said to an audience of about 20 at the Emporia Public Library. “The problem is that once some decisions have been made, people then come forward and say ‘I don’t want that!’ It’s much better to come forward earlier in the process.”
City Commissioner Bobbie Agler noted that this year, the city is looking at creating a separate multi-year fund for capital improvements, to avoid putting off equipment purchases and long-term maintenance.
“The temptation, if a perceived emergency comes up, is to say ‘Let’s delay our capital needs and spend the money to shore up the operating budget,’” Agler said. “This builds in some discipline.”
K.B. Thomas Jr., whose family is developing a tract near the turnpike for commercial business, brought the conversation around to retail development. Developers have been interested in Emporia, he said, but Emporia needs to do some work promoting itself. He suggested a Web site that would push all the available properties in town — and added that a more positive attitude wouldn’t hurt.
“The current proposal for retail development says that Sixth Avenue and U.S. 50 need revitalization,” Thomas said. “Sixth Avenue has the highest traffic count in Emporia, about 23,000 cars. When I see something like this promoted in that way, it makes it sound like a blighted area.”
Part of the reason why more hasn’t been done, Zimmerman said, is there hasn’t been a single point agency for retail development or a clear policy about when to offer or refuse incentives.
“We need to establish a TIF and TDD policy to see when it makes sense to bring retail businesses to the city and what some of our options are,” Zimmerman said, referring to Tax-Increment Financing and Transportation Development Districts, two options for retail recruitment. “That will probably be worked out by the end of summer.”
“I, for one, am looking forward to getting there,” Commissioner Jim Kessler said. “It seems like we’ve talked about it forever.”
At its first June meeting, the commission will decide whether to name the Regional Development Association as the “point agency.” Longbine, who is stepping down as RDA president June 30, said that point agency was needed to both recruit new businesses and help old ones expand.
“We’re not at the end,” Longbine said. “I don’t think it ever ends. But I’m excited about our progress in the process.”
Also coming by the end of summer may be a conclusion to the comprehensive plan. Zimmerman said the final draft of the city’s major land-use plan should be before the commission and the public sometime in June.
No timetable was given on the hiring of a new police chief, although Zimmerman said things were getting closer. Deputy Chief Mike Lopez has been the acting chief since mid-December.
“I was wondering if we were going to go outside of Emporia to look for a new chief of police,” asked resident Jesse Solis.
“In a word, yes,” Zimmerman said.
“And if you know Matt, he doesn’t often answer with just one word,” Commissioner Julie Johnson quipped.
“Why use one word when 10 will do?” Zimmerman joked.
Another audience member asked whether the hiring would wait until after the city and county had decided whether to merge their law-enforcement agencies.
“In a word, no,” said Johnson, who serves on the law-enforcement consolidation task force. The task force officially has until August to create a proposal, but Johnson called that optimistic. And even if they made it, she said, it’s too long to wait for a police chief.
“I don’t think the city can wait that long to fill the position,” Johnson said. “Whatever the recommendation might be, we can’t wait that long.”
Some other city-county decisions are still holding. Kessler, who serves on another joint committee, said the two governments still haven’t reached an agreement on ambulance funding.
“We hope to have some ideas on that soon,” Kessler said. “I don’t know how it’s going to come out. ... We’re trying to look at (all our agreements) as a package, but something has to be done.”
One audience member asked whether the city had begun to talk with Emporia State University about improving the housing conditions near ESU. Not yet, Zimmerman said, but the city’s human relations commission is working on ways to put some teeth in the existing rental codes.
“It is a challenge and I know it’s a priority,” Longbine said. “The trouble is how do we do that and how do we fund it?”
Perhaps the most unexpected question came near the end of the forum, when an audience member asked whether the commission would support banning smoking in public places, such as restaurants. Silence fell for a few seconds.
“I was hoping no one would ask that,” Kessler said, grinning.
Kessler said he preferred to leave that to businesses to decide. Johnson and Agler said they’d be willing to look at it, though Agler said it wasn’t high on his list yet.
“I think there are enough things sitting on our plate that have to take priority,” Agler said.
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
Thank you Agler. It is about time one of you stood up for the more important things. Sounded like someone had too much time on their hands and want to change what they think is best for everyone. They need to know more people are killed by drunk drivers than smoking drivers. If they stop smoking, maybe we should also go back to prohibition.
May 22, 2007 at 8:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )