The Lyons City Council Monday approved the hiring of a new police chief. Following a 20-minute executive session that included a background investigator, the Council approved Mayor Alicia Hommon’s recommendation to hire Blake Nichols. Nichols will succeed Justin Holliday, who was terminated by the Council in March.
The Council began their review of 2027 budget proposals. Starting with Lyons-Rice County Airport, the proposed budget of $38,500 would be nearly 60% less than the 2026 budget, with the biggest reduction coming from a significant reduction of monthly payments to the airport’s fixed base operator
The proposed Municipal Court budget of $73,500 reflects a 21.46% increase, this connected with a court clerk salary that was not budgeted for. The salary for this position was set by the Council after the 2026 budget was adopted.
Animal Control would be funded at the same $20,400 for 2027 as in 2026. it was noted the city is recruiting for a code enforcement officer, who would have animal control under his or her responsibilities.
The 2027 budget for the Lyons Police Department, presented by Interim Chief Cory Ryan is proposed at just over $1,166 million dollars, which would reflect a 11.91% increase over 2026. The major driver in that is a proposed 35% increase I regular salary and wages for next year.
One adjustment being made in the budget is a reduction of what has been allotted for crossing guards, which will be based on the two guards they actually have rather than the four budgeted. Council members discussed the potential of adding funds to the budget for such things as uniforms and the like.
The Council authorized up to $15,000 for repairs to the main lift cylinders on the Fire Department’s ladder truck. There are two cylinders, one of which has a severe fluid leak and the other also leaking but not as much. The truck was taken to B&B Hydraulics, which has taken both cylinders off for repairs. The ladder has to be able to work in order to access the engine compartment of the truck, even for simple things as an oil change. The department has funds available for this repair.
The Council also approved the appointment of Easton Benavidez to the Lyons Fire Department. Easton is a recent Lyons High School graduate who has his Firefighter 1 certification and is currently working on obtaining Haz-Mat Awareness and Operations Certifications.
The Council awarded to APAC Kansas a $382,330.60 bid for the CCLIP project on South Grand, or K-14 between Taylor and Main streets. The project involves milling, full depth patching, overlay and pavement marking the city is responsible for 5% of construction cost plus engineering fees, with the remainder funded through the Kansas Department of Transportation. APAC’s bid and that of Venture Corporation were well below the engineer’s estimate of nearly $475,000
The Council accepted a bid for new playground equipment at the Little League fields. The bid submitted from Pro Playgrounds at $19,999 dollars for the structure including shipping, anchoring concrete, labor and installation. A separate bid of $3,999 will cover the purchase of engineered wood fiber playground mulch, which Park Department personnel will handle installation of. This is being funded through a special parks fund derived from liquor-by-the-drink taxes, a portion of which is specifically dedicated for park use.
The Council reviewed another section of the proposed comprehensive plan for the city. This section dealt with downtown improvement and begins with an overview of the area including the Courthouse Square, the old County Jail, along with more recent improvements.
The plan suggests a new vision for the downtown area, with recommendations for promotion of mixed use develops, repair of sidewalks, safety improvements at intersections, a bike look around downtown that would connect with nearby trails, support for renovation of building fronts and preserving historic features.
It also takes a look at ways to promote these goals, including modification to zoning and building renovations, pursuit of funding and other opportunities and improvement projects, which could the city setting aside funds to purchase essential properties in the downtown area when needed. It also looks at event opportunities, such as the Gathering Space site on the southwest corner of the square area
Interim City Administrator Bailey Saylor said the city is in the final steps of the environmental review for the CDBG grant connected to the Wastewater Treatment Plant project with the cultural survey accepted and a flood plain study currently in the public comment phase. Until that review is complete the city can’t move forward with any work on it.
Sandra Lopez-Alvarado has begun work as the city’s new Community Development Director, bringing a strong background in public administration and working with businesses.
