City Administrator Dustin Stambaugh got city councilors and residents thinking with a presentation at the Elsworth City Council meeting Monday evening.

Stambaugh brought in Brian Bascue and Tom McEvoy to speak about the possible creation of a recreation commission for Ellsworth.

“Multiple entities across the state of Kansas have already allowed for the creation of a recreation commission in their own school districts, including Hays, Abilene, Parsons, Emporia, Newton, Claflin and others,” Stambaugh said. “The purpose of the presentation is to present the idea of a recreation commission.”

McEvoy is director of Emporia Recreation Commission, with decades of experience as well as a degree in parks and recreation. Bascue is the current superintendent at Newton Recreation Commission and also brings 37 years of experience in recreation with him.

Creation of a recreation commission would allow for parks and recreation in the city to be governed by a group other than the city council.

Recreation commissions in Kansas must have five members who are residents of the taxing district according to Kansas statutes.

According to the regulations set forth by the statutes, the first appointed member must serve for four years, the second for three years, the third for two years, the fourth for one year and the fifth member would also serve for four years. Any member of the commission could be removed at any time by the appointing authority.

According to McEvoy and Bascue, a number of positives come with the creation of recreation commissions.

These commissions make recreation their priority and are dedicated to the issues that arise. More information will be provided and more discussions will take place in the future among city officials.

In addition to this discussion, council members approved a $0.25 raise for the estimated 15 returning seasonal staff of the recreation department.

New Business

The budget calendar for 2023 was approved by council members. This calendar is a schedule of the activities that are completed during the creation of the official budget.

“These organizations must usually harvest a great deal of data from several departments, thus requiring a calendar to coordinate when the final numbers from each department are submitted,” Stambaugh said. Dates of note include: March 27 – Personnel budget approved by council April 7 – Departmental budgets finalized with city clerk/city administrator June 12 – Distribute budget materials to city council June 26 – Budget work session with city council regarding 2024 budget July 10 – Budget work session with city council regarding 2024 budget July 14 – Public hearing for 2024 budget Aug. 14 – Adoption of 2024 budget Ellsworth County Council on Aging’s Florence Fosdick attended the council meeting to request $25,000 to assist in increased costs for the organization as well as the replacement of the organization’s van. The funds would be in addition to the $11,000 that is already in the 2023 budget for them.

It is not the first time a request like this has been brought, and those were denied due to the budget having been set for the year already. This too, was denied, however, it was suggested that this request be considered in the 2024 budget.

Council members approved the tuition reimbursement for Stambaugh’s doctorate in public administration from California Baptist University, as well as Colby Richards’ master’s degree in public affairs from Kansas State University for the upcoming semester. The decision is in accordance with the city’s Tuition Reimbursement Program which states, “The City of Ellsworth will reimburse each full-time employee for tuition expenses for one post-high school degree, providing it determines: (a) enrollment was not at the city’s request; and (b) the course(s) are at a collegecredit level, are job-related and apply toward a jobrelated degree.”

Unfinished Business

Council members approved the city mission, vision, and values statements (see sideboxes).

“Management cannot create a new values statement or ethics code and expect immediate change,” Stambaugh said. “For an organization to have an effective values statement, it must fully embrace its values and ethics at all levels of the company and use them daily to guide its attitudes, actions and decision-making. It is my intention to enact these at all levels of the organization. This is the first step of the strategic planning process.”

Kirkham Michael reported on various projects. The multi-use path is moving along with permits and easements having been acquired and necessary documentation submitted to the Kansas Department of Transportation. Vyve Broadband will be relocating their buried cable this month with AT&T moving theirs in the spring.

The KDOT Spring 2021 Cost-Share Project to improve multiple sidewalks has seen some movement, with Multicon’s contracts having been fully executed.

Kirkham Michael has completed the field check plans for KDOT’s City Connecting Link Improvement Program that will resurface Kansas Highway 14.

The council further discussed the Krizek Park detention basin. Contracts and other communications were gathered by Stambaugh. In addition, The Natural Resource Conservation Service with the United States Department of Agriculture has been contacted. They plan to assist the city in seeing what can be done.

“They will conduct soil studies and make recommendations on what type of soil to use as well as what plants would be best suited for the area,” Stambaugh said.

The basin was intended to ease flooding during major rains. The basin functions correctly, however, the basin’s appearance has been criticized, especially when water levels are high. At times, a large amount of standing water is left with nowhere to go. The majority of the basin project was paid for by the Kansas Department of Transportation.