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City approves purchase of former Harrington Hospital building for up to $150,000 after executive-session discussion
Summary
The Harrington City Commission voted to buy the former Harrington Hospital building and surrounding property for no more than $150,000 after first meeting in closed session under a Kansas statute exception for real‑estate acquisition.
The Harrington City Commission voted to buy the former Harrington Hospital building and surrounding real estate for an amount not to exceed $150,000, the commission decided in public session after a preliminary closed‑door discussion about property acquisition.
The commission’s decision follows an earlier motion to go into a preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property under the closed‑meeting exception in K.S.A. 75‑4319(b)(4). That executive‑session motion was offered and approved before commissioners considered the purchase authorization.
The purchase motion as stated on the record directed the city to approve the acquisition “not to exceed a hundred and fifty thousand dollars,” and to authorize city officials to execute related contracts. A commissioner moved the purchase; another commissioner seconded. After no additional public discussion, the commission recorded votes with three members voting yes and two voting no, approving the motion and authorizing staff to proceed.
Kyle Becker, the commission’s insurance representative, and other staff were not part of the purchase vote; the meeting record shows the executive‑session discussion was limited to the statutory exception for preliminary discussions of real‑estate acquisitions.
Commissioner Maywood voted yes; Commissioner Smith voted no; Commissioner Staff voted no; Commissioner Bell voted yes; and Mayor Eric Garris voted yes. The motion outcome on the purchase was recorded as approved.
The transcript records the commission moved into the preliminary discussion on the acquisition under K.S.A. 75‑4319(b)(4) and named those permitted to remain for the executive‑session discussion. The commission then returned to open session and approved the purchase motion on the public record.
City staff did not present further financing details in the public motion text beyond language referencing payment via a bank and authorization to execute contracts related to the matter. The record does not specify a closing date, precise parcel legal description, or the identity of the counterparty to the sale; those details were not provided in the public portion of the meeting.
