Larned City Council Meeting 9/3/24 Highlights
By Lucky Kidd
LARNED, Kan. — The Larned City Council Tuesday approved a 2025 budget and a resolution to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate for it following public hearings on both. The budget calls for the mill levy to remain the 2024 levy rate of 51.085 mills, which is just over 4.5 mills above RNR and thus will generate an additional $114,000 in revenue for the city The total budget for 2025 is just over $14.8 million , over $8.7 million of which is attributed to utilities that are funded by user fees rather than taxes. The budget also includes various reserve funds, not all of which are spent in a given year.
The Council approved bids for lumber and materials for the Larned Community Garden, which involves no cost to the city. Jenny Manry gave a presentation to the council on the garden prior to action being taken.
The Council agreed to allow the Larned Noon Lions Club to drill holes in concrete in the downtown streetscape area for the Larned Indian Flag Program that is one of their major fundraisers which is popular with both businesses and community members.
Approval was given for purchase of materials, approximately $7,200 worth, for construction of pickleball courts just west of the Larned Swimming Pool. Installation will be handled by Street Department crews between other projects along with removal of a large tree, the roots of which are causing a tripping hazard.
Based on recommendations from the Larned/Pawnee County Planning Commission, three zoning changes were approved by the Council Tuesday. One of the zoning changes was requested by Pawnee County for property at 1002 and 1004 Fry, west of the county public works yard. As part of this request to change zoning from two family residential to commercial highway, an amendment to zoning regulations to add highway, street and bridge construction to the conditional uses allowed in this zoning
Zoning for two lots in the 800 block of Topeka sought by Matt Watkins Construction was also approved. He plans to store trailers and eventually put up a building there. All but one other property in that half block is already commercially zoned, as are properties to the west and south.
The Council also approved a text amendment that will allow pre-schools in the C-1 commercial district as a conditional use. Last year the Council changed zoning regulations to also permit pre-schools in the C-2 Commercial District.
The text and zoning amendments require a 14-day protest period following publication of the ordinance in the Tiller and Toiler, after which if no protests are filed the change becomes effective.
An ordinance regarding fire reserve funds was approved, making official what was intended to have been done some years ago. This ordinance creates an official Fire Reserve Fund, which will among other things house funds to be paid to the city as part of a fire service contract with Larned State Hospital and Larned State Correctional Facility.
There is an existing line item in the budget that was intended to be the fire fund, but the ordinance creating it was never drafted or published by the city attorney at the time.
The Council approved an $86,000 purchase of 12 dual band radios that are also connected with the fire service contract. While slightly above what was budgeted, savings on other purchases are expected to offset that.
The Council also approved grant agreements with KDOT for fuel system upgrades and replacement of the automated weather observation system at the Larned-Pawnee County Airport, and the annual revision of the Standard Traffic Ordinance prepared by the League of Kansas Municipalities with local adjustments. It tabled action on a new franchise agreement with Kansas Gas Service to allow more discussion on Franchise fees.
