After several weeks of discussion, the Ellsworth City Council finally settled the question May 27 of allowing chickens within the city limits of Ellsworth — at least for now.

By a 3-2 vote, the council said “no” to a motion by council member Tyler Renard and seconded by council president Jessica Kootz to adopt Ordinance No. 3174, relating to the keeping of animals and allowing chickens within the corporate limits of the city of Ellsworth.

Mayor Dan Finnegan said he was in favor of keeping chickens in Ellsworth.

Before the vote, Michelle Kinsley, who originally requested the council approve allowing chickens to be raised in Ellsworth, made a final plea.

Kinsley said she had another 25 people ask if they could sign her petition in support of chickens.

“It’s a very hot topic, I think, in Ellsworth,” she said. “There’s a lot of people in support of it.”

Kinsley said when it comes to voting on the question, the council should remember it’s what the residents of Ellsworth want, not about their personal opinions about chickens.

“It doesn’t make any sense why we can’t have creatures on our own property that we are going to take care of,” she said.

“We’re a rural farming community and we deserve to have chickens if we want.”

After the vote, Finnegan said this item could perhaps be brought up for a vote again in November because of changes in the mayor and city council seats as a result of the Nov. 4 election.

In other business:

• Discussion began on the procedures for city appointments. The discussion ended with the council asking Interim City Administrator Allen J.

Dinkel to work with City Attorney Patrick Hoffman to draft a charter ordinance and present it to the council at the next meeting for consideration.

Dinkel reminded the council that at the Dec. 9 city council meeting, the governing body adopted Charter Ordinance No. 27 regarding the appointment and removal of officers.

This charter ordinance was amended to include the appointments of officers, including boards, and was approved by a 5-1 vote.

“Since that time, it has been discovered there was an error in the publication of this charter ordinance, thus making it null and void,” Dinkel said.

Dinkel said during the council’s May 12 meeting, it was discussed to revisit the charter ordinance and remove the appointment of officers because they are city employees. As employees, they would be hired and removed via personnel policies. He noted there appeared to be a consensus to allow the appointment of boards, commissions and committees to be left to the mayor and be subject to approval of the city council. Dinkel said several things should be reviewed by the council when it comes to this discussion. Among those are the hiring of the city clerk, police chief and other lead positions.

“Naturally, the city administrator would be chosen by the governing body, and normally, a contract will be negotiated and approved,” he said.

“Likewise, the city attorney is a contractual arrangement.”

He noted that in a city manager form of government, the city manager has the responsibility to hire and terminate all employees, including department head positions.

Dinkel said the council should also review the process of appointment of a city council member when a vacancy occurs on the council.

“Presently, the appointment would be made by the mayor and then subject to approval by the city council,” he said.

Dinkel said applications should be taken by the council for open positions.

He went on to say that when drafting a charter ordinance, the goal is to be as comprehensible as possible.

“I like the idea of asking for people to apply for open positions,” council member Darcy Hansen said.

“When you choose council members, there are no executive sessions allowed because there is no executive session exemption for an executive session, only for employees,” Dinkel said.

Finnegan said he liked hearing the discussion turn- turning towards a change in the way the hiring process is done, from one featuring appointments to one featuring applications.

• Colby Richard, member of the Ellsworth Convention and Tourism Committee, presented the 2025 transient guest tax (bed tax) funding report. He said the committee awarded $25,105 in funding to the following projects: Rhythm and Reels, Cowtown celebration, $5,000; National Drover’s Hall of Fame, Drover’s Dance Hall, $5,000; El-Kan Saddle Club, annual rodeo support, $5,000; Ellsworth County Historical Society, Cowtown Day and signage, $1,500; Ellsworth County Kids Wrestling Club, tournament equipment, $3,500; Ellsworth Area Arts Council, youth art camp, $2,605; Cowtown Ellsworth, support event coordination/ logistics, $2,500.

All projects were approved.

“The committee believes these investments will generate meaningful results by strengthening the local economy and enhancing community pride,” Richard said. “Each funding decision was made with careful consideration, aiming to distribute impact across the community in a way that maximizes overall benefit.”

• Dinkel reminded those at the meeting the deadline to file for election to the city council (officially open are the mayor and two council seats currently held by Renard and council member Aaron Johnson) was noon Monday, June 2, at the county clerk’s office. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 4.

• Kootz said she has submitted all of her paperwork to run for mayor.

• Dinkel noted that Resolution 2024-12, adopting the declaration of a water warning for the city of Ellsworth, was adopted on May 28, 2024. A second resolution, 2024-12 (A), was adopted to further define the guidelines.

“These restrictions remain in place, until there is a resolution lifting them by the city council,” he said.

Dinkel recommended keeping the restrictions in place. The splash pad and the golf course are exempt.

Dinkel said he received a request by Ellsworth-Kanopolis-Geneseo USD 327 to make the Ellsworth Jr./Sr. High School football field exempt as well.

After some discussion, Dinkel said he would draft a recommendation exempting the football field for the council’s consideration.

“Hopefully, we have turned the corner on the drought,” he said.

City water technician Dave Buchholz recommended the splash pad not be exempt because it uses a lot of water. Dinkel asked Buchholz to provide him figures on the amount of water usage.

• Dan Moon, who has been advocating to the council for months to allow a backboard for tennis and pickleball to be built at the city tennis courts, said he has an invoice for paint and is trying to find a contractor to give him an estimate to do the work. He said the project would not exceed $1,000.

• Ellsworth Boy Scout Troop 84 Scout Guage Weder updated the council on his Eagle Scout project, installing a ball pit at Preisker Park. He said he will use concrete only to set four posts at the ball pit, and they would be covered.

• Keegan Bailey, housing director with the North Central Regional Planning Commission, Beloit, received approval to make the target area citywide for the 2025 Kansas Department of Commerce CDBG Housing Application program in Ellsworth, and to proceed with citywide applications.

• Approval was given to seek approval to solicit requests for proposals for engineering and technical services for the city’s water utility operation.

• Ellsworth Recreation Department Director Ron Tenbrink gave an update on a possible donation and agreement with the Pheasants Forever organization to purchase sound equipment for the Health and Recreation Center.

Tenbrink said Pheasants Forever hosted their banquet recently at the center because it can hold more people than their previous venue.

He said the group mentioned how nice it would be to have a sound system there, and that they would be willing to donate $5,000 towards that if the city would waive the rental fee for the next five years, with Tenbrink drawing up a contract for that.

Tenbrink said he received a couple of bids for the sound system and he recommended the one for $10,250, including installation, from Tom’s Music House. Tenbrink will see if a grant can be secured for the remainder of the amount left after the Pheasants Forever $5,000 donation.

It was noted that, for now, this is a discussion point only until the funds are raised, and then it can be turned into a motion.

“It sounds fair,” Renard said.

• Approval was given to a proposal from City Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. for sewer main improvements on Broadway Street between 9th Street and 11th Street in the amount of $12,849.44. Payment of that amount will come from the water and sewer fund.

• The council tabled consideration of a request from Ryan and Linda Webber for funding of a septic system project at 1401 W. 12th St. until the next council meeting June 9. The Webbers will be asked to attend that meeting.

• Approval was given to the lease purchase agreement with Citizen’s State Bank and Trust Company Inc. of a 2023 Dodge Durango for the Ellsworth Police Department from the Kansas Highway Patrol. Total cost is $39,152.30.

The next meeting of the Ellsworth City Council will be at 6 p.m. June 9 at city hall.