Emporia City Commissioners had a lengthy study session Wednesday morning, covering a range of topics at both the local and state levels.
Kansas Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine, along with 60th District Representative Mark Schreiber and 76th District Representative Eric Smith provided commissioners with an update on major items to be addressed by the Kansas Legislature during the 2020 legislative session. Senator Longbine reported the legislature is currently sitting in the best financial position it has seen in many years with a substantial increase in revenues.
Representative Smith says this is great news for the state, however, they will have to be extra cautious in terms of how they choose to allocate the additional funds.
During Wednesday’s update, a question arose regarding the future of Medicaid Expansion which Schreiber believes could have a proposal pass through the Senate early on in the upcoming session.
All three individuals agree a major item which will garner an abundance of conversation will be one of three proposed constitutional amendments regarding abortion within the state of Kansas. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the 2020 legislative session or governmental matters, contact your local representative.
The legislative session will begin Monday, January 14, 2020.
In other business, discussions continued regarding the South Arundel Sewer line project. As reported by KVOE earlier this year, a 36-inch sanitary line failure was discovered back in late June. Since that time a temporary fix has been in place as city administrators continue exploring options for a permanent fix with BG Consultants.
The commission is currently exploring the possibility of a realignment of the current lines, which according to Bruce Boettcher of BG Consultants would carry a total cost of roughly $750,000. Boettcher explains the realignment, while costly, is ultimately the best option for the purpose of longevity.
At this time, city staff are in discussions with local landowners regarding easements for construction on the project in the area. Boettcher estimates at this time the whole project could take roughly 9 months to complete and be finished by late summer 2020.
Separately, commissioners discussed developing a proposal for bringing all city-funded organizations under the umbrella of a single contract for maintenance and services for each group’s respective websites. City Commissioner Rob Gilligan believes this option would be an effective use of city dollars and help put all organizations on even footing regarding their online presence.
City staff have been tasked with gathering information regarding each organization’s current website, contracts and costs which will be presented to commissioners at a later date.
Additional discussions Wednesday focused on updates for Emporia building and construction regulations, updates on a list for city alley maintenance and the remaining city action and study sessions for 2019. The Emporia City Commission will meet next Wednesday at 7 pm inside the municipal courtroom at White Auditorium.
