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Garden City Commission reorganizes leadership, affirms meeting rules and official newspaper
Summary
On Jan. 7 the Garden City Commission accepted outgoing Mayor Roy Ortiz's remarks, selected new leadership, reaffirmed meeting times and rules of order, authorized staff seating at the dais and designated the Garden City Telegram as the official city newspaper.
Garden City — The Garden City Commission convened at noon on Jan. 7 and completed its annual reorganization, accepting outgoing Mayor Roy Ortiz's year-end remarks, selecting new leadership, and approving several routine administrative items.
Mayor Roy Ortiz opened the reorganization with a summary of 2024 accomplishments, saying, "As my term as mayor of Garden City concludes, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and pride for all that we have achieved together in 2024." Ortiz highlighted capital projects, economic measures and partnerships, including a completed 27,000-square-foot regional airport terminal and a collaboration between Garden City Community College and Kansas State University to bring a four-year degree program to the city.
The commission then moved through standard organizational actions. By voice vote the body approved a motion to select a chairperson and transfer the mayoral duties and title; the motion passed after a roll call-style voice vote of "aye" and no formal roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript. Commissioners also selected Commissioner Tam Tom Wynne as vice chair; adopted the existing rules of order as set in the municipal code; confirmed the regular meeting schedule as the first and third Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers; authorized the city clerk and city attorney to be seated at the commission bench; and designated the Garden City Telegram as the official city newspaper "as provided by state statute." Each of those motions was made, seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded roll-call tallies in the transcript.
Ortiz reviewed public-safety and infrastructure investments he credited to 2024, including near completion of Fire Station 3 and a new computer-aided dispatch system linking emergency vehicles with the communications center. He noted economic indicators — a record number of retail sales, the Garden City Regional Airport's reported 56,000 passengers, and 23,731 rounds played at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course during its renovation — and said the city had begun a $30,000,000 water reuse project that leverages a $19,100,000 congressional award.
Following the motion to reorganize leadership, the newly named mayor (name not specified in the transcript) said, "I'm very humbled and honored to be named mayor of Garden City," expressed appreciation for outgoing Mayor Ortiz and thanked city staff and family for their support.
No contested or substantive policy debates, budget votes, ordinance adoptions or referrals to committees were recorded during the reorganization segment of the meeting. The items addressed were procedural and administrative, and all were approved by voice vote with the recording noting "all in favor say aye" followed by "motion passed."
