Garden City commission approves series of ordinances, contracts and funding commitments

The Garden City Commission on Jan. 20 approved a package of ordinances, contracts and resolutions, voting to designate a new collections vendor, establish a redevelopment district on East Highway 156, amend a cellular tower lease, authorize banking depositories and adopt other items on the agenda.

Why it matters: The decisions set the city's administrative and financial posture on multiple fronts — collections practice for delinquent accounts, a preliminary step toward tax-increment financing for redevelopment, a longer-term revenue stream from a tower lease and a local funding commitment needed for a federal infrastructure grant application.

The commission voted to allow the mayor to enter into a collections contract with Collection Bureau of Kansas (CBK Inc.) to pursue delinquent utility and municipal court accounts and to adopt an ordinance formally designating CBK as the city's collection agency. Staff told the commission the judicial district had recently switched to CBK and seen higher collections revenue, and that under the new arrangement collection costs will be charged to the delinquent account holder rather than being deducted from amounts remitted to the city.

Commissioners also approved ordinance No. 3004-2025, establishing a redevelopment district for property generally located in the 2800 block of E. Highway 156. Staff said the step is part of a multi-step process to enable tax-increment financing and related incentives; the developer will next submit a TIF redevelopment plan for Planning Commission review and a subsequent governing-body approval if the project progresses.

Other votes on the consent and business agendas included: adopting the annual list of depository institutions by resolution (Resolution No. 3156-2025); approving an environmental nuisance abatement resolution for 2316 N. 7th St. (Resolution No. 3157-2025); accepting a second amendment to a water-tower lease with Verizon Wireless that extends the term beginning Sept. 16, 2025, and sets initial rent at $18,000 annually with 5% increases for subsequent five-year renewal terms; authorizing an audit engagement letter with Lewis Hooper and **** LLC using the Kansas Municipal Auditing Accounting Guide (KMAG) for the 2024 audit with an estimated fee not to exceed $103,000; directing staff to negotiate a contract with Hutton Design & Build and GMCN Architects for architectural design services for Lee Richardson Zoo improvements; and authorizing a funding-commitment letter to support the city's application to the U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE program for preconstruction work on a grade-separated crossing at Spruce Street and U.S. 83/50.

The governing body also authorized the mayor to sign a development agreement to create a Community Improvement District for property at 401 E. Kansas Ave. (developer: 4 Ace Properties Inc.), approved appropriation ordinance No. 2579-2025A and approved the consent agenda items listed as 13A through 13C.

Votes at a glance (motions and outcomes taken from meeting record): - Proclamation: Approve proclamation recognizing Jan. 31, 2025 as the Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland Council 100th anniversary in Garden City — motion approved. - Collections contract: Approve contract with CBK Inc. for delinquent account collections — motion approved. - Ordinance No. 3003-2025: Authorize new debt-collection service agency for the city (formal ordinance approving CBK designation) — motion approved. - Ordinance No. 3004-2025: Establish redevelopment district at 2800 block E. Highway 156 (preliminary TIF step) — motion approved. - Resolution No. 3156-2025: Designate banking institutions as depositories for public funds — motion approved. - Resolution No. 3157-2025: Abate environmental nuisance at 2316 N. 7th St.; abatement costs to be charged to the property — motion approved. - Tower lease amendment (Verizon): Accept second amendment extending lease to Sept. 16, 2030 with $18,000 annual rent for the first five-year term and 5% increases thereafter — motion approved. - Audit engagement: Authorize mayor to sign engagement letter with Lewis Hooper and **** LLC for audits using KMAG; estimated 2024 fee not to exceed $103,000 — motion approved. - Zoo design services: Direct staff to negotiate contract with Hutton Design & Build and GMCN Architects for design, renderings and construction documents — motion approved. - RAISE funding commitment: Authorize mayor to sign funding-commitment letter for the RAISE grant application for a grade-separated crossing at Spruce Street and U.S. 83/50 — motion approved. - CID development agreement: Authorize mayor to sign development agreement with 4 Ace Properties Inc. for a CID at 401 E. Kansas Ave. — motion approved. - Appropriation Ordinance No. 2579-2025A: Approve appropriation ordinance listed on agenda — motion approved. - Consent Agenda items 13A-13C: Approved as presented.

What commissioners said: Discussion on these items at the meeting was brief and largely procedural; staff provided background for each proposal and recommended actions. No public speakers addressed the redevelopment-district public hearing, and commissioners proceeded to vote after staff presentations.

What happens next: For the redevelopment district, staff said the developer will submit a TIF redevelopment plan and the planning commission will consider whether it is consistent with the comprehensive plan before the governing body takes any final action. For the RAISE application, staff said awards are expected in June and, if selected, construction would start near year's end and take roughly two years; the grant application required a local funding-commitment letter stating the city will cover any project overruns beyond the grant award and contingency.

Ending note: The meeting recorded unanimous voice votes on the items listed above; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the minutes for these motions.