Committee directs staff to draft resolution reallocating remaining Evel Knievel transient-guest-tax funds to Evergy Plaza ice-rink project

The Transient Guest Tax Committee on March 6 instructed city legal staff to draft a resolution to reallocate the remainder of funds previously designated for an Evel Knievel project to construction of an ice rink at Evergy Plaza.

The committee chair said the written resolution would be provided to members for amendment and that the committee hoped to vote by Zoom in the coming week so the item could be on the March 18 City Council agenda. Chair remarks described the change as an amendment to timing and scope in the existing allocation rather than a permanent redefinition of the TGT fund.

Nut graf: The move formalizes a change the council discussed last year — using undisbursed Evel Knievel allocations for an ice-rink project — and sets a schedule for staff to produce a resolution that the TGT committee will review and approve before council consideration.

Committee staff presented a TGT overview showing the current structure and balances. The committee was told the overall TGT levy in Topeka is 7 percent at present, composed of a base 5 percent for the city’s general purposes and additional designated percentages that fund Visit Topeka and other named recipients. Staff said the Evel Knievel-related cumulative fund balance stood at $93,553 and projected future collections to 2027 would add about $90,000, bringing the total available for reallocation to approximately $183,000 if the committee approved applying the remaining Evel Knievel dollars to the rink.

Evergy Plaza representatives outlined a phased approach to building the rink. Phase 1 would install a concrete slab (approximately 40–42 feet by about 100 feet) with integrated light standards; construction preparatory dirt work is planned to begin April 21. The project team said installing a removable liner for the ice surface rather than embedding glycol refrigeration lines in concrete will reduce risk to the slab in Kansas’s wide temperature swings and lower total project cost by roughly $150,000 compared with the original design. Phase 1 slab construction would be paid with the Evel Knievel funds the committee approved to reassign; later phases (including chillers and specialized equipment) would rely on sponsorships and other fundraising, with a possible small loan if gaps remain.

Committee discussion clarified funding constraints and prior contract language. A committee member asked whether the reallocation would exceed previously guaranteed amounts to Evel Knievel; staff said they would verify the historic contract totals and ensure no party’s guaranteed funding would be shorted. Staff noted the TGT fund must still pay annual special assessments tied to Sunflower Sports (about $275,000 per year for this year and next) and a modest administrative fee (roughly $10,000–$15,000 annually). Those obligations reduce the amount immediately available for new awards in 2025.

The chair said legal would draft the resolution early next week and the committee would schedule a short Zoom session (target: Wednesday) to review and, if ready, approve the draft before placing it on the March 18 council agenda. The committee did not take a formal roll-call vote on the resolution language at this meeting; instead members agreed to the staff drafting-and-review process.

Ending: Staff will return a written draft resolution to the committee; the committee aims to vote by Zoom so the item can be included on the March 18 City Council agenda for final action.