Hutchinson, KS – Tuesday evening’s Hutchinson City Council meeting addressed a full agenda, starting with a statement from Mayor Scott Meggers regarding recent unprofessional conduct and moving on to discussions about council travel, the Hutchinson Recreation Commission (Hutch Rec), and a potential moratorium on data centers.
Mayor Meggers opened the meeting by apologizing to the public and council members for his role in the unprofessional conduct at the April 7th meeting. He also reviewed existing, new and updated council rules and procedures designed to ensure orderly meetings going forward.
The public comment portion saw a variety of concerns, including the need for greater professionalism among council members, general city well-being, aspects of Hutch Rec, the lack of current Memorandums of Understanding (MOU’s) between the city and Hutch Rec, and road maintenance issues, notably the Avenue C bridge project.
Council Travel Policy Discussion
Councilmember Stacy Goss introduced an item to discuss a formal travel policy for the City Council, separate from the employee policy, citing the need for transparency in how public funds are spent. Councilmember Garza felt the current long-standing, unwritten system was sufficient, while Councilmember Darrin Truan questioned if the employee policy language might already cover council members. Finance Director Angela Richards clarified that travel is currently approved by the City Manager and reimbursed using standard city rates. The council learned that in 2025, council travel expenses totaled $13,412. The discussion concluded without action, though Councilmember Goss maintained that a formal policy is necessary for transparency.
Recreation Commission Presentation and Discussion
Justin Combs, Director of Parks and Facilities, presented on the Hutchinson Recreation Commission, clarifying that the presentation was a response to a public comment seeking more information and was intended to correct misinformation, not to make or announce any decisions. Combs emphasized that the city has no current plans to cut youth programming, events like Third Thursday, or reduce staff or pay.
The presentation delved into the two primary models for Parks and Recreation in Kansas- joint departments and recreation commissions- and highlighted Hutchinson’s unique taxing boundaries. Hutchinson’s Rec Commission currently taxes all residents of the city of Hutchinson, a boundary established in 2011 to account for multiple school districts within city limits.
Combs noted that some of the four key MOUs between the city and Hutch Rec (covering Elmdale Senior Center, Salt City Splash, Dillon Nature Center, and the Athletic Fields) expired in 2022 but that progress is being made on drafting new agreements. The core contention, Combs stated, is whether the current taxing model, where both the city and Hutch Rec tax the same residents for recreation, creates a duplication of costs and the question of if it is the most efficient system.
Councilmember Goss expressed concern that the presentation lacked details on the intangible impacts of Hutch Rec, such as social connectedness and mental health services, citing the 2025 Community Needs Assessment. Mayor Meggers suggested a future joint presentation by Hutch Rec Assistant Executive Director Amy Conkling and Combs detailing what a combined Parks and Recreation department would look like. Councilmember Truan offered to assist in mediating the stalled MOU process.
The topic of a ~$40,000 third-party study sparked debate. Councilmember Steve Garza supported the study to find inefficiencies, while Councilmember Goss opposed the expense, arguing the money could be better spent elsewhere. Garza also alleged that four individuals who planned to comment on the issue did not do so due to threats to their jobs. Combs confirmed he had only broadly spoken with Wichita State about a potential study but no agreement had been made.
Moratorium Discussion on Data Centers
The final discussion in new business was a non-action item brought by Councilmember Goss regarding a potential moratorium on data centers, hyperscaler facilities, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The proposed temporary ban would allow city staff time to establish appropriate zoning, conditional use permits, and ordinances to safeguard residents before a facility could be approved. Lifting the moratorium would require a supermajority vote, and ensure that no action could be taken without public knowledge.
Councilmember Garza questioned if the moratorium would prohibit the city from even speaking with potential data center companies, which Goss confirmed it would. Matt Williams, Director of Community Development, clarified that the city currently lacks specific zoning for data centers but could apply the most similar regulations. He estimated establishing new, specialized zoning would take a couple of months.
Debra Teufel, president of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, spoke during public comment on the matter, encouraging the city to keep its doors open to investment and warning that moratoriums can signal weakness and cause companies to look elsewhere. The council did not take any action on the moratorium.
The new business portion of the meeting concluded with no action taken.
