LYONS, Kan. — There’s a vacancy on the Lyons City Council. Mayor Alicia Hommon announced at a special meeting of the Council Tuesday night Ward 3 Councilman John Mehl has resigned, effective immediately, as he has purchased a home just outside the city limits. Information on the application process will be posted Wednesday on the City of Lyons Facebook page. Hommon said it is her intent to bring to the Council her recommendation for Mehl’s replacement at the Council’s Nov. 3 meeting.
The meeting had been called to make a decision on construction of a new public works building which was approved on a 4-2 vote with Cecil Burdette and Debra Metzger voting no. This would replace lean-to that was severely damaged in a 2023 windstorm and would provide indoor storage for all city equipment. It would be funded through a portion of a FEMA reimbursement.
Public Works Director Jones said the plan is to replace it with an 80×50′ structure that would adjoin the utility building. The building has a cost of $179,640 and would enable the city to store all of its equipment. Tim Cheatham Construction of McPherson submitted the low bid for the new building, with city crews handling demolition of the existing structure and removal of concrete, that work expected to take about a day.
A new twist to this was brought up by City Administrator Troy Houtman, who told the Council the Kansas Department of Transportation is planning to vacate their existing shop facility and that potentially could be a long-term option, although it was indicated that site might not be available for a couple of years.
