Signs to honor Clint Bowyer will not be going up at Emporia’s entrances after Bowyer withdrew himself from consideration out of respect for veterans, Mayor Jeff Longbine said at the city commission’s study session on Tuesday.
“Clint has expressed his desire to be removed from consideration from the entrance signs,” Longbine said. “... He feels strongly that the veterans signs are more appropriate and that he doesn’t want to be co-located with that because he understands the sacrifices and the dedication that the veterans have made, and he doesn’t consider himself in that same category.”
Although the city commission had discussed the possibility of acquiring Clint Bowyer signs, commissioners had taken no action yet to do so. City manager Matt Zimmerman said the topic came up as one way to better market Emporia.
“When we were looking at our goals in the winter of ’09, one of the things we identified was to improve our marketing ...” Zimmerman said. “... This was about marketing our community. We never went to him and he never came to us. This was about the city trying to improve its marketing, nothing more.”
Bowyer — and possibly others — still will be honored in Emporia as part of an honorary designation program commissioners also discussed Wednesday. The discussion revolved around naming streets in honor of Emporians who deserve recognition. Under the program, street names would not change, but signs would be added to existing street signs to point out the designation.
“We’re not changing the official name of the street, ... this is simply an honorary designation,” Zimmerman said.
Longbine suggested putting Bowyer’s name on Graham Street, where Bowyer grew up and got his start.
“I think it would be a nice, appropriate way to recognize his past contributions to the city and his present contribution plans to the city,” Longbine said. “My original idea was Graham Street because that’s where his racing career was born. ...”
Commissioner Jim Kessler suggested giving the name to a more visible street. After more discussion, commissioners agreed that it would be possible to move the designation to other streets in the future if it were so desired.
“To me, this is about marketing,” Zimmerman said. “We’re certainly not limited to a person or a location. If we decide, for whatever reason, either through a request or at the direction of the city commission, if we want to honor others who are well-known and from Emporia ... we can take a look at those as well.”
Commissioners also discussed a draft of a policy that would allow the city to create community improvement districts, or CIDs, for development and redevelopment.
Earlier this year, the state legislature approved the use of the districts in Kansas. A community improvement district functions in a similar fashion as a tax increment financing district or a transportation development district, but offers a broader use of dollars to reimburse the costs of development. The process of creating a CID is easier and more streamlined as well, for instance requiring in some circumstances the approval of 51 percent of property owners in a development area instead of a TDD’s 100 percent approval.
Mary Carson, counsel for the city, said the districts will be especially good for redevelopment.
“The CIDs allow much broader types of improvements, ...” Carson said, adding that there is an option to allow general obligation bonds for development projects. “Community improvement districts are kind of a broadened version of transportation development districts.”
Commissioner Julie Johnson asked Carson the difference between CIDs and other financing methods.
“Why is this more conducive to redevelopment?” she asked. “What would make this a more attractive means for doing that?”
“The main thing that makes it more attractive is the broader purposes and the broader number of things you can do, including rehabilitating buildings, ...” Carson said.
Commissioners agreed to move ahead with the policy.
In other business, commissioners:
- Reviewed possible changes to the 2006 International Building Code.
- Decided not to move forward with changing stop signs on Oak Street at Fifth Avenue to yield signs.
- Discussed changing the intersection at Weaver Street and Sixth Avenue from a four-way stop to a two-way stop.
- Tabled discussion on a cost benefit analysis for replacing the city’s parking meters with variable read heads.
hornetsreign (anonymous) says...
I think it would be appropriate to rename a prominent street for Mr. Bowyer who has been such a positive influence for the city of Emporia. I notice from news stories that he continues to support his hometown community in many ways. He seems to be a very modest man concerning his achievements. A positive role model for all!!
November 11, 2009 at 5:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
I still think a section of the I-35 bypass is the best idea I have heard yet to honor Bowyer. I don't know what processes would be involved to accomplish this but I know a portion of the same Interstate was at one time named the Martin Luther King Expressway in Wichita...and as far as I know it still is.
November 11, 2009 at 5:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JONES1 (anonymous) says...
WELL I'M GLAD TO SEE IN THE GAZETTE
THAT ONE OF MR. LONGBINES MAJOR CONCERNS IS WHETHER OR NOT TO PUT
UP CLINT BOWYER SIGNS. WOW I WOULD THINK THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER. I WONDER WHO
ELSE BESIDES ME HAS EVER WONDERED
HOW MUCH MONEY WE COULD SAVE IF WE WOULD QUIT ALL THE STUPID STUFF LIKE DEDICATED HIGHWAYS, STATE REPTILE,BUG,SPIDER,TREE, ETC. I BET IT WOULD AMAZE PEOPLE HOW MUCH IS SPENT TO PUT UP AND MAINTAIN SIGNS FOR HIGHWAY DEDICATION. IE: MARTIAN LUTHER KING SIGNS ALL ACROSS THE NATION. WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME TO PRAISE A TROUBLE MAKER AND RABBLE ROUSER. (NOT MY WORDS, HARRY TRUMANS WORDS).
I THINK WE HAVE BIGGER THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT THESE DAYS.
November 12, 2009 at 8:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
JONES, I'm a pretty fast reader, but even the seconds it took me to read your post was a great waste of precious time.
November 12, 2009 at 8:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ToxicPink (anonymous) says...
I don't understand why anyone needs to go through the hassle of renaming a street after him. Businesses have to change a lot of information to accommodate that, both on paper, online and in advertising and I can see the confusion that it could create.
I'm not one on the bandwagon people that have jumped on board the whole Bowyer worship that seems to happen in this community by any means, but I feel it's ok to honor him in some way for the contributions he's done for Emporia, however I don't feel we should be doing something that messes with someone else. (Like the sign fiasco)
November 12, 2009 at 9:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Joe_Strummer (anonymous) says...
I agree Create...there's some time I'll never get back.
By the way Jones....all caps = yelling.
November 12, 2009 at 12:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )