[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6081214,"mediaKeyId","2943229-affef02ec26261808aa62dff8e7d01d2","parentId",2943229,"title","Council reviews draft CIP: staff propose higher pavement-management spending, list major citywide projects","audioSeconds",1938,"startMs",4932000,"endMs",6870000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2943229-affef02ec26261808aa62dff8e7d01d2&start=4932&end=6870","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2943229-affef02ec26261808aa62dff8e7d01d2/thumbnail_4932000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6081214/Topeka-City/Shawnee-County/Kansas/Council-reviews-draft-CIP-staff-propose-higher-pavement-management-spending-list-major-citywide-projects","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081214-aae1610cbc7c610a93a0ca4bc0c4e6d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194400&Signature=ciIHoHV40361m2CDN3G7~mnfyOkrN5OAwrLWN~h2LEOiTuP-S2SHzy0GNF6jAx4JRQzLQaDfusZNQIfOOWCnGUSd-QhEGqr5h70uuKo9CvHUPH8RQtQ7JxQHjvm~CG4~6HckZ6UOGkEOQu1OBQ2wXM5wAtZglZOXuvabmCzdv9kc-FtyzsdPruQC2dNrGIsKIpb9yXILjhIq~PotBnbG3dtdXRbXSdTnEAgeOZzc9CafIuEvuxZijmACvgjyz-StrZ5V5qCz3jC1wBId8gIYThnNi6vpvYsibtw4gB~dW4boCNLaQkqs3wAM3iO9vtE9JI5sCzPRk7v~bZV4pXrXvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Topeka, KS","date","2025-04-10T12:32:59.867Z","article","Josh MacInarney, the city’s Budget and Finance Division director, and Steve Gaughan, director of public works, led a review of the draft 2026–2035 Capital Improvement Plan and the proposed 2026–2028 capital budget during the April 8 meeting.

MacInarney said the citywide half-cent sales tax (a 10-year tax set to sunset Oct. 1, 2029) currently has a fund balance of about $17.5 million and generated roughly $19.9 million in 2024. As part of the draft CIP staff proposed increasing the annual pavement management program from roughly $11 million to $14 million to spend down the accumulated fund balance before the tax’s scheduled expiration and to accelerate street repairs.

Major citywide projects identified in the presentation include: reconstruction or rehabilitation of Southeast Quincy Street (Eighth to Tenth), improvements at Northwest Menninger Road and North Topeka Boulevard to correct an offset intersection (a joint project with Shawnee County), additional phases on Southwest Topeka Boulevard, and design of a shared-use path on 40th Street between Gage and Cambridge. The presentation included timelines that place several projects in the 2026–2028 window with design and utility-relocation phases preceding construction.

Council members raised questions about program priorities. Councilwoman Huerra and others expressed concern about preserving sufficient funding for full-depth reconstruction versus shifting more money to contract preventive maintenance (microsurfacing and UBAS). Staff said pavement management choices, alley repair and curb-and-gutter projects would still come before the Public Works Infrastructure Committee and that staff would provide tentative lists of project candidates and condition data to inform prioritization.

Several councilmembers requested more historical comparison data (spending by program for prior years) and asked staff to reflect updated construction-cost inflation assumptions in multi-year estimates. Staff agreed to supply comparative figures and to present debt-service and bonding-limit information in upcoming budget work sessions. The presentation also noted that an engineering-cost-inflation factor has increased project estimates since 2020 and that the city will review the debt policy resolution as part of CIP budget discussions.

Why it matters: The CIP sets the city’s near- and medium-term project priorities and funding commitments; decisions about how much to allocate between preventive maintenance and full reconstruction affect service life, repair frequency and long-term costs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting April 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff proposed raising annual pavement-management spending to $14 million and outlined major 2026–2028 projects including Southeast Quincy Street reconstruction and Menninger/North Topeka Boulevard intersection improvements.","taxTitle","Topeka City, Shawnee County, Kansas","taxId",4988,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6081218,"Public works presents pothole program: winter freeze-thaw, staffing and funding explained",447,1903000,2350000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2943229-affef02ec26261808aa62dff8e7d01d2&start=1903&end=2350","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2943229-affef02ec26261808aa62dff8e7d01d2/thumbnail_1903000.jpg","/articles/6081218/Topeka-City/Shawnee-County/Kansas/Public-works-presents-pothole-program-winter-freeze-thaw-staffing-and-funding-explained","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081218-b6918ac0227a06d994c823aec688c2d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194400&Signature=AVooPT9PVYwiA2WTla5TTYOu5qyb2WiEOJ2Wn7AmFIaGb50VXl5-VbKJnefn7b0T2yfnf0GQkiOeAcILBkRV1Q3dTG8FuKRCNQ0d~h9lCjbAZQudoA37dHlxOEPQfKeZ1uERAZ53rxRNSteq6L9V2mbGJTqUgQ5H8x5MyoWkHF61Iy6YI9UTd3XB9cJRag8MKQELp7IWohclehmXmDY5UDE9gR7oUtDikwVR0ufanpu-czQj5~qc5QiuGeq1QmQL05AI6sKg915g7nMmBFdKsGwJyKbxyOIlUCn3ntmqUFHnQvw9ib58Bon5i7A918USSNdiouATKTbPfhsh8RYupA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Steve Grone, director of public works, presented the city’s pothole program report at the April 8 meeting, explaining causes, crew capacity and how the city prioritizes repairs.

Grone said the street department maintains roughly 1,600 lane miles of streets and about 1,000 miles of alleys (about half paved), and that the department also owns and maintains 101 bridges. The street department has 51 employees, including 38 maintenance workers, two patch trucks and four hot-box trailers; during winter the department can field as many as seven crews to address potholes, and during summer crews vary between four and six depending on workload.

On causes, Grone emphasized the freeze–thaw cycle: water infiltrates pavement cracks, freezes and expands, and repeated cycles create voids that collapse under traffic. He described winter cold-mix patches as temporary fixes — ‘‘they could last between an hour and a week’’ depending on traffic — and contrasted those with hot-mix repairs performed in warm weather that use tack oil and compaction and typically last much longer.

Grone outlined funding: the citywide half-cent sales tax raises about $19 million annually; the street program spends just over $11 million of that on the pavement management program and roughly $4 million on contracted preventive maintenance such as microsurfacing and UBAS. He said the city contracts a pavement-condition consultant every three years to generate a PCI score; Topeka’s PCI has increased in recent assessments and staff expect another rise after the next data collection.

Council members pressed staff about specific problem corridors cited by residents, including 30th Street and concerns about sections of Buchanan and other neighborhood routes. Grone said segments of 30th Street are programmed for improvements over the next three years, with an overlay scheduled for specific segments next year, and that staff had already been out to take additional corrective actions.

Council members also asked whether winter temporary repairs could be improved and whether data on repeated repairs could justify earlier full-depth fixes. Grone said that while many experimental products have been tested, nothing matches hot mix for longevity; he said staff are working on improved field-tracking (AVL) to better document repeat repairs and that pavement-management staff already maintain condition records per street to inform prioritization.

Why it matters: The report ties the city's pavement-management investments to a combination of emergency winter work and planned reconstruction, explains limitations of winter repairs and clarifies how half-cent sales tax revenue is allocated to keep streets in a state of good repair.","Public Works Director Steve Grone briefed the governing body on the city's pothole repair program, citing freeze–thaw damage as the primary cause, describing staff and equipment resources, and outlining how the city spends half-cent sales tax revenue on pavement management.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6081224,"Topeka staff outline 'complete streets' design, cite 2009 policy and 2019 guidelines",658,663000,1321000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2943229-affef02ec26261808aa62dff8e7d01d2&start=663&end=1321","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2943229-affef02ec26261808aa62dff8e7d01d2/thumbnail_663000.jpg","/articles/6081224/Topeka-City/Shawnee-County/Kansas/Topeka-staff-outline-complete-streets-design-cite-2009-policy-and-2019-guidelines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081224-f1ec9c1bb5f13e55c904af7ffbc164ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194400&Signature=KdhDJygmqfsScYB1~m8Sn6s9I7Ph6IQelcKAy~1N8rjFzIyDXJFlL9ULm42pjgXMwot-LXUoG2qBvX8aq364tn9HCHLkXuqVDtw5N-7KuKo82CmRYoZkwNv92m2B8-yPJv8FgxrHHWiMzToGLUriq7EX1Tre7xIyYoKRFwn5oCOSOTt8Stx58P7uWk72Ph86JQIR0I0azDlqPBOdftX3gCB6GJ-C~LIcgt9BpZlCO8k7iaHAIlVzZwVX1gmpMPrxT8C0icMaBt3GoIdRB5NPS3z9oBoVs0GZzgXW-~koTIHF0hgsJttMMswXVOQHSdK6hscHA7F038LQ~rXcX7PxFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy City Manager Braxton Copley presented the city’s Complete Streets framework to the governing body on April 8, describing the policy’s history, design guidelines and practical tools for making streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and motorists.

Copley said the governing body initially adopted the Complete Streets concept by resolution in February 2009 and then in 2019 the region’s MPO adopted design guidelines developed with consultant TOOL. ‘‘The design guidelines are predicated on the basic principle that we want to promote safe access for all users and accommodate all ages and abilities,’’ Copley said, summarizing the policy’s goals.

Staff described an 11-type street typology that ties design elements to land use and corridor character — examples cited included a ‘‘mixed-use boulevard’’ near Washburn and a ‘‘main street’’ example on Kansas Avenue. The guidelines provide recommended elements for each typology, such as sidewalks, bike lanes, shared-use paths and bus accommodations.

Copley emphasized traffic-calming techniques and presented collision-risk statistics used in the policy: he said studies show a pedestrian or bicyclist struck by a vehicle at 20 mph faces an approximately 18% chance of fatality or serious injury; at 30 mph that probability rises to about 50%, and at 40 mph to about 77%. Copley said staff use ‘‘tools in the toolbox’’ such as vertical elements (speed tables, raised intersections) and horizontal features (curb extensions, chicanes, lane narrowing) to reduce speeds and conflict points.

The presentation included examples of recent projects where calming and design elements were used: a raised table at North Kansas and Gordon, a raised table on Twelfth Street near Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and the Huntoon project where lane reductions and other changes were made after a crash analysis. Copley said the Huntoon work reduced the number of conflict points by about 24% and informed lane configuration decisions.

Council members asked about specific neighborhood needs and whether speed bumps remain in use. Copley said conventional speed bumps are not used because they interfere with winter plowing; instead the city prefers situational solutions such as raised tables and horizontal calming in locations where maintenance and drainage permit. Several council members requested follow-up meetings with staff to review neighborhood-specific proposals and funding timing.

Copley closed by saying downtown street projects are largely on hold pending the completion of the Polk–Quincy viaduct project, and that staff will re-evaluate downtown traffic patterns after that work is finished.

Why it matters: Complete Streets design shapes future capital projects, affects lane allocation and pedestrian safety and frames requests for street-level funding and grant applications.","Deputy City Manager Braxton Copley reviewed Topeka’s Complete Streets principles, tracing policy origins to a 2009 resolution and design guidelines adopted by the regional MPO in 2019. Staff described street typologies, traffic-calming tools and a data-driven approach to lane configuration and pedestrian safety.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6081228,"Votes at a glance: Topeka governing body actions, April 8, 2025",5689,3277000,8966000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2943229-affef02ec26261808aa62dff8e7d01d2&start=3277&end=8966","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2943229-affef02ec26261808aa62dff8e7d01d2/thumbnail_3277000.jpg","/articles/6081228/Topeka-City/Shawnee-County/Kansas/Votes-at-a-glance-Topeka-governing-body-actions-April-8-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081228-9b28fb255ac1f11daa426eb632ee49eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194400&Signature=C-uCWeH~gFZTVKpRUmeAboNVrBAUSSCmUdhK99BZkBzvXNpmkToubeEsqVptJAJQPVDcdIwpVbPqroF9WmhpCK0xHoWhulKCJqlEax16TVIdkkVm6IDUqFaGtLWb2CP9JVWdhNrPZEMOj0BIbcQo8dcTzxvLFwJpCp~ZV88GOpQdbj-ZxNoRbH4VJPCoPT7Zm7RLdk0kAh7b0uedYEg5ACJKQls6XuZNBnvYI0aBER~FSO2DnmqN-cXnFkSMKfxkA7r3J~c1lZ3wnti4qELnr1kUwZiZV4fHIHrteLkbQrPkBAHPox3z-GoE~XCpDTV9DAjCeZlnf3Nb36tRgvKW8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Topeka governing body took a series of formal actions on April 8, 2025. Key outcomes included appointments, adoption of infrastructure project funding, the city's consolidated HUD action plan and budget, an ambulance-services ordinance update, and the creation of the Lawrence Bay Community Improvement District (CID). Highlights:

Lawrence Bay CID (Ordinance, agenda item 6a)
- Action: Adopt ordinance creating the Lawrence Bay Community Improvement District to finance and spread future special assessments.
- Motion: Deputy Mayor Kell moved; second by Councilman Gogler.
- Vote: Adopted on roll call, 8 yes, 2 no (Yes — Duncan; Hofer; Mayor Padilla; Hiller; Ortiz; Kell; Miller; Dobler. No — Valdivia Acala; Banks.)

Appointments (Consent)
- Reappointment of Ronald Mellons to the Topeka Board of Electrical Appeals (term ending 04/11/2027) and appointment of Brett Martin to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Review Committee (term ending 04/08/2027).
- Motion: Councilwoman Ortiz moved; second by Councilman Miller. Outcome: Approved by voice vote.

Consent agenda (contracts/minutes)
- Items included a professional engineering contract with Bartlett & West for stormwater pump station master planning and Oakland pump-station rehabilitation (CIP project 16-10-13) and deferral of April 1 meeting minutes.
- Motion: Councilmember Miller moved; second by Councilmember Banks. Outcome: Approved by voice vote.

Resolution: Kansas Homeland Security Region J Hazard Mitigation Plan (agenda item 6b)
- Motion: Councilwoman Ortiz moved; second by Councilwoman Valdivia Acala.
- Outcome: Approved by voice vote. Staff noted the plan is a prerequisite for FEMA hazard-mitigation grant eligibility but does not in itself grant funds.

Resolution: Ward Martin Creek restoration (agenda item 6c)
- Action: Approve project numbers 501108 phase 1, 501109 phase 1, 501110 phase 1 — restoration, stabilization and rehabilitation of Ward Martin Creek adjacent to Washburn Park.
- Motion: Councilmember Banks moved; second by Councilwoman Ortiz. Outcome: Approved by voice vote. Project budget set at $552,177 and cash-funded from the stormwater program.

Budget adoption: FY2025 consolidated annual action plan (agenda item 6d)
- Action: Approve the city’s Consolidated Annual Action Plan and associated HUD funding buckets for FY2025.
- Motion: Councilmember Hiller moved; second by Councilwoman Ortiz. Outcome: Approved by voice vote. Staff noted small text amendments remain possible before HUD submission.

Ordinance: Ambulance services code amendments (agenda item 6e)
- Action: Approve updates to Municipal Code sections governing ambulance services to modernize terminology and correct citations.
- Motion: Councilmember Duncan moved; second reported during the meeting. Outcome: Approved by voice vote.

Notes
- The meeting included a public hearing on the Lawrence Bay CID with multiple public commenters. Several items referenced handouts and ordinance text distributed to council prior to the vote. Staff emphasized that adopting the hazard mitigation plan is a condition for FEMA grant eligibility; adoption does not itself award grant funds.

The council also recessed into two executive sessions near the meeting’s end (labor negotiations and privileged legal advice); no actions were reported immediately after those sessions.","At its April 8 meeting the Topeka governing body approved appointments, a range of infrastructure and planning measures, and an ordinance creating the Lawrence Bay CID (8-2). Several budget and planning resolutions also passed by voice vote.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6081232,"Governing body approves Lawrence Bay CID to refinance future special assessments",880,3350000,4230000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2943229-affef02ec26261808aa62dff8e7d01d2&start=3350&end=4230","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2943229-affef02ec26261808aa62dff8e7d01d2/thumbnail_3350000.jpg","/articles/6081232/Topeka-City/Shawnee-County/Kansas/Governing-body-approves-Lawrence-Bay-CID-to-refinance-future-special-assessments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081232-75e84b026148f28420a08cbaf0651200/orig.mp4?Expires=1771194400&Signature=ljlI1XyqiSNzqPPVb4xuKaeT7Vyf4JG0gZdjSRy1Rc1LnWrLxgWsdG-efMEY-5GppdpcS5u6vclY7v0GgSu~2KKIn9yn90n2J7lggH9Mir1e7pCllfSO7fOgde-h01TjZeyBTrD5nUaxsXPvFF6iVwMmylG0W4Mt5S1ngFw5DvIJCFOUb7Kxvo6fW0WWv3tWWdS6iN4lLme6px1lxBAra-BeHLaxYZIuy3awGSJyk0gnkTs-yth45Zqmld91pDcQg23mKxO5kLfPl6AyYLucw2NSUwD8mCn8sDUwWvmqi9570cDnDcj6rW~Yn0TZa3HcqtNnx40z2L3aw~VyOp3JoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Topeka governing body voted 8-2 on April 8 to adopt an ordinance creating the Lawrence Bay Community Improvement District to refinance and extend payment of certain future special assessments.

Deputy Director of Planning and Development Rhiannon Freeman told the council that the CID will allow the future specials on 16 lots owned by Klossman-controlled entities and three city-owned lots to be ‘‘spread out over the course of 20 years’’ and that doing so will reduce the current monthly special-assessment amounts. Freeman said the plan reduces payments on developer-owned lots from roughly $300 per month to about $185 per month once issuance costs and interest are included.

The city’s presentation noted the CID will use assessment payments to pay interest and principal on bonds issued for the financing; the ordinance circulated at the meeting included the estimated assessment amounts for each of the 16 developer lots and the three city lots.

Council members debated the item at length during a public hearing convened before the final vote. Councilwoman Hiller and others sought clarification about which obligations would remain in force and whether past-due specials would be addressed under previously approved development agreements. Freeman and Deputy City Manager Braxton Copley confirmed that past-due specials were addressed in an earlier development agreement and that the CID is intended to refinance existing future specials rather than to create a new subsidy.

Two members of the public spoke at the hearing. A resident who identified herself at the podium read a 10-year-old Topeka Capital-Journal editorial that criticized past city practices around special-assessment districts and urged more protections for taxpayers. A second commenter, identified in the transcript as Mr. McCurr, backed the CID and described it as ‘‘the most creative way to make this property add value,’’ arguing refinancing could make lots affordable enough for new buyers.

Deputy Mayor Kell moved adoption of the ordinance; the motion was seconded and then carried on roll call 8-2. The clerk’s roll call recorded the following votes: Yes — Councilmember Duncan; Councilwoman Hofer; Mayor Michael A. Padilla; Councilwoman Hiller; Councilwoman Ortiz; Deputy Mayor Kell; Councilman Miller; Councilman Dobler. No — Councilmember Valdivia Acala; Councilmember Banks. The meeting minutes show the motion carried and the ordinance adopted that evening.

Because the ordinance authorizes issuing debt and establishes assessment methods, the council’s action sets the financing structure for the parcels described in the legal description attached to the ordinance. The ordinance text circulated at the meeting includes legal descriptions and the city’s calculation method for the assessments; those specific figures are referenced in the planning department’s handout distributed to council members.

The CID was one of several Lawrence Bay items that had previously appeared on the March agenda; staff said the reinvestment housing incentive district (RHID) portion had been submitted to the state commerce agency as part of earlier steps in the project.

The council did not take further action on related lots outside the 19 parcels covered in the ordinance; speakers repeatedly noted other outstanding special-assessment balances on additional Klossman-controlled properties and asked about foreclosure and collection options, which staff addressed in summary during the hearing.

The ordinance and accompanying assessment schedule will be posted with the city clerk’s office as part of the official record.","The Topeka governing body voted 8-2 to adopt an ordinance creating the Lawrence Bay Community Improvement District, a measure the city says will spread future special-assessment payments over 20 years and reduce monthly charges on 16 developer-owned lots and three city-owned lots.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council reviews draft CIP: staff propose higher pavement-management spending, list major citywide projects

Public works presents pothole program: winter freeze-thaw, staffing and funding explained

Topeka staff outline 'complete streets' design, cite 2009 policy and 2019 guidelines

Votes at a glance: Topeka governing body actions, April 8, 2025

Governing body approves Lawrence Bay CID to refinance future special assessments