The Emporia Recreation Commission’s Steering Committee has its next regular meeting Tuesday afternoon.
The meeting Tuesday will review so-called Phase 1 efforts on community engagement and development of potential sites like the current Lee Beran Recreation Center, Champions Landing and the DeBauge Family Sports Complex. Discussions will then get into possible funding options, including a 0.5-cent or 0.25-cent sales tax for voter consideration, before revisiting the conversation about a possible site. Special election timing and a related education campaign will also be discussed.
Committee members have been discussing when — or whether — to present a proposal on a new public recreation facility to Emporia voters for over two years, pausing conversations almost immediately after Tyson Foods announced an extended shutdown process in late 2024. Conversations resumed late last year. The meeting, 3:30 pm at the White Auditorium Wheeler Conference Room, coincidentally was scheduled well before Monday’s announcement about the immediate Hopkins Manufacturing shutdown.
