HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Reno County Chamber of Commerce hosted its monthly Membership breakfast on Wednesday, featuring an upbeat State of the City Address delivered by Vice Mayor Greg Fast and City Manager Enrico Villegas. The leaders highlighted significant financial recovery, progress on major projects, and a fully-staffed city workforce, expressing strong optimism for Hutchinson’s future.
Vice Mayor Fast began the address by introducing the city council: Mayor Scott Meggers, Councilwoman Stacy Goss, Councilman Steve Garza, and Councilman Darrin Truan, commending the diverse strengths each member brings to the city.
City Manager Villegas provided a detailed overview of the city’s progress since his arrival two years ago, focusing heavily on fiscal health. Villegas revealed that upon his hiring, the proposed budget showed the city’s savings account balance at a negative $5 million. Through implemented strategies, including regular cost analysis, the city has worked to reach its policy-mandated savings goal of approximately $7 million. Villegas explained that this financial improvement acts as the city’s “credit score,” raising its municipal bond rating and increasing purchasing power for major projects like the Woodie Seat Bridge.
A key highlight of the address was the significant increase in city staffing. Villegas commended the HR department for hiring 85 full-time employees in 2025. Vice Mayor Fast noted the dramatic turnaround, stating that the city, which once struggled with a 15-20% vacancy rate, is now down to a 4% vacancy rate. Villegas attributed the success to a positive shift in city culture and thanked all employees for their dedication, noting that a fully-staffed Police and Fire Department allows for more proactive and efficient services.
Villegas also provided an update on the contentious FEMA Flood Plain Map, an unexpected cost not accounted for in the budget. He described the map for anyone in the audience who had not seen it, “Imagine a map of the city, and taking a can of tomato paste, and then dumping it on the city. Well that tomato paste spread, became the FEMA flood plain map.” After the City chose to challenge the state on the map’s accuracy, asking for proof of flood-prone areas, the City successfully achieved considerable shrinkage of the map, which is expected to lower insurance costs and reduce hindrances to development.
Addressing infrastructure needs, Villegas stressed that rehabilitation of the wastewater treatment facility is “well overdue.” He stated that if the proposed $0.75 sales tax passes, the revenue and expenditure lines would become equal, enabling the City to address major issues like the wastewater facility and further improve the city.
In terms of immediate developments, Vice Mayor Fast announced that the Woodie Seat Bridge Project is nearing completion, saying, “in case you hadn’t heard, that should open on Monday,” pending the conclusion of this weekend’s weather events.
Villegas underscored the city’s aggressive approach to reducing blight, citing the recent demolition of a property at 806 North Plum and promoting available programs such as the Commercial Facade Improvement Program and Brush Up Hutch.
The address concluded on a note of exciting potential, with Vice Mayor Fast hinting at future economic victories. “We can’t always share things,” Fast said, “but just know that there’s hundreds of jobs that we’re this close to getting.”
