Next week’s City Commission meeting regarding the influx of Somali refugees to Emporia figures to be a major event for the community.
At the end of Wednesday’s commission action meeting, City Manager Matt Zimmerman said a number of state agencies had already been confirmed to be represented at the Nov. 28 meeting, including the state’s Social and Rehabilitation Services’ Office of Refugee Services. State Sen. Jim Barnett and state Reps. Don Hill and Peggy Mast are all scheduled to be there. All the agencies, Zimmerman said, will provide information about the impact of the refugee resettlement and will then be available to answer questions from the public.
As of Wednesday’s meeting, though, the Nov. 28 gathering at the Little Theater at the Civic Building lacked one big component: a facilitator.
Zimmerman delivered the details of the Somali resettlement-related meeting in his city manager’s report concluding Wednesday’s meeting.
“This (Nov. 28 meeting) is more of a dialogue, where we’re going to provide information and let people ask questions, and we’re going to give them answers,” he said. “And if we don’t have answers, we’ll track on getting answers to talk about what the impact is going to be on the community and what we envision in the future.”
After Zimmerman said the meeting was “definitely ready to go for next Wednesday,” Commissioner Jim Kessler asked, “Are we going to have a facilitator for that event?”
Zimmerman said he hadn’t been able to find one on such short notice.
“When you have the holidays, we just haven’t been able to find one,” he said.
Kessler responded, “I think we need one.”
Zimmerman agreed that the meeting would be better with a facilitator.
“If you have any suggestions for me,” he said to the commission, “we’d be happy to try and put it together. But, being gone most of last week, and we’ve had a short week this week... even the people I talked to with suggestions, they’re not even in to ask (for) suggestions.”
Zimmerman agreed to continue searching for a facilitator.
In other activity Wednesday, the commission:
Conducted a public hearing on the Neighborhood Revitalization Program. However, the only people to speak were Patty Gilligan, director of the program, and real estate broker K.B. Thomas.
Gilligan lauded the success of the program, saying, “It has no state or federal money involved in it. So therefore, it’s simple, it’s straightforward, it makes sense, and it works.”
Thomas said the program didn’t need to offer real estate tax rebates for the building of apartments in Emporia because of the demand for apartments.
“There’s opportunity here in the community for developers to move forward on apartment houses without having a tax rebate,” he said. “I don’t think that’s fair. There’s other people that already own apartment houses here in Emporia that we give people free taxes for five years, or 10 years, 80 percent of the (new property value) taxes.”
Voted 5-0 for Mayor Julie Johnson to sign a proclamation recognizing Emporia High senior Michaela Reynolds, who won her second state championship in 5A cross country.
Voted 5-0 for Johnson to sign a proclamation recognizing the Emporia High boys cross country team, which won the 5A state team title.
Approved 5-0 the purchase of seven in-squad cameras for the Emporia Police Department. The commission accepted the low bid of $45,381 for the Digital Patroller 2 cameras from Integrian.
F Approved 5-0 a payment of $5,500 to SOS, Inc., to help the organization’s efforts in domestic violence prevention. The money will come from court diversion funds.
Tabled an ordinance to rezone 2.6 acres of property being transferred from Norfolk Iron and Metal to REG. The ordinance would change the property from I1, Light Industrial District to I2, Heavy Industrial District. The measure will be examined again at the commission’s Dec. 5 meeting.
Approved 5-0 an ordinance rezoning 1900 Road J from AL, Agricultural District to R1, Low Density Residential District.
Approved 5-0 a conditional use permit for Mission La Esperanza to establish a church at 201 S. Commercial, an R1, Low Density Residential District.
Approved 5-0 an ordinance and interlocal agreement between the city and the Emporia Recreation Commission for interior remodeling and repair of the aquatics area in the Lee Beran Recreation Building.
Approved 5-0 a motion to appoint Commissioner Jeff Longbine to the Regional Development Association board.
Welcomed newly hired Police Chief Clark Morrow, who was in attendance for Wednesday night’s meeting. Morrow will inherit the job from Interim Chief Mike Lopez on Dec. 17.