Leavenworth City Commission approves multiple rezonings, festival contract and infrastructure contracts

The Leavenworth City Commission voted Tuesday to approve several zoning actions, event and construction contracts, and equipment purchases as part of its regular meeting.

Commissioners approved a set of rezonings and special-use permits to allow two-family dwellings at multiple addresses and to reclassify several parcels from office-business to higher-density residential designations. The commission also granted a waiver to allow a dealer-style artifact and fossil show at the Riverfront Community Center, awarded a contract to manage the 2025 Camp Leavenworth Festival, and approved contracts for the city's 2025 pavement maintenance program. The commission accepted the recently completed Fourth Street improvements after approving a final change order and authorized purchases of two pieces of public-works equipment.

The rezoning and special-use permit approvals had been introduced at a prior meeting; city planning staff reported there were no substantive changes since that earlier review. All items on the zoning block were approved on roll-call votes recorded as unanimous (5-0).

City staff recommended a waiver of the city's transient-merchant restriction for the Dark River artifact, rocks and fossils show at the Riverfront Community Center. Staff noted last year's event drew about 400 visitors and 120 vendor tables, with displayers traveling from multiple states and staying locally. The waiver was approved by the commission.

The commission authorized a $73,000 contract with O'Neil Events & Management to manage the 2025 Camp Leavenworth Festival. Staff said the amount is included in the 2025 budget and is funded by transient-guest tax revenue; the figure represents an increase of about $1,698 from the previous year and moves the festival's financial-management tasks in-house to the city's finance department.

For street preservation, the commission awarded the mill-and-overlay portion of the 2025 pavement management program to McEnany Paving. Staff reported the low bid for the project plus alternates totals $1,384,543.27; with a recommended 5% contingency the project budget would be $1,453,770.27. The commission also awarded the 2025 granite-seal portion of the pavement program to Vance Brothers for $470,903.14. Staff said those projects were developed from a pavement condition evaluation and are funded through the 2025 capital-improvement program.

The commission also reviewed the Fourth Street reconstruction project, which was redesigned after earlier KDOT bids exceeded budget. Staff presented a final change-order package totaling $430,742.07 that brings the overall project to approximately $3.61 million, about 14.7% over the original contract amount. The commission approved the final change order and formally accepted the project; staff said retainage will be withheld until traffic signals complete a 30-day operational check.

Public-works equipment purchases approved by the commission include a 2025 front-end rubber-tire loader for a not-to-exceed $213,155 from Foley Equipment and a 2025 compact track loader for $89,006.17, also from Foley. Staff said both purchases are included in the 2025 CIP and include extended warranty options.

The commission approved the consent agenda, which included claims totaling $1,681,526.87 and payroll of $436,778.21.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance A256, rezone of 711 Ottawa Street (office-business to high-density single-family residential): approved, roll-call vote recorded as 5-0. - Ordinance 82 57, rezone of 701 Potawatomi Street (office-business to high-density single-family residential): approved, roll-call vote recorded as 5-0. - Ordinance 82 58, special-use permit to allow a two-family dwelling at 711 (Auto/Ottawa) Street: approved, roll-call vote recorded as 5-0. - Ordinance 82 59, special-use permit for 701 Potawatomi Street (two-family dwelling): approved, roll-call vote recorded as 5-0. - Ordinance 82 60, special-use permit for 724 Osage Street (two-family dwelling): approved, roll-call vote recorded as 5-0. - Ordinance 82 61, special-use permit for 724 Potawatomi Street (two-family dwelling): approved, roll-call vote recorded as 5-0. - Transient merchant permit waiver for Dark River artifact/fossil show at Riverfront Community Center (April 2025): approved. - Contract award: O'Neil Events & Management to administer 2025 Camp Leavenworth Festival, $73,000 (transient guest tax funds): approved, 5-0. - Construction contract: McEnany Paving, 2025 mill-and-overlay base bid + alternates $1,384,543.27; commission authorized contract signature and recommended 5% contingency (total program budget $1,453,770.27): approved. - Construction contract: Vance Brothers, 2025 pavement-management granite-seal project, $470,903.14: approved. - Final change order and acceptance: Fourth Street improvements; final change order $430,742.07; revised project total $3,608,747.83; commission accepted project and approved final payment processing while retaining retainage during a 30-day signal burn-in: approved. - Equipment purchases: 2025 front-end rubber-tire loader (not to exceed $213,155) and 2025 compact track loader ($89,006.17) from Foley Equipment: approved. - Consent agenda: claims $1,681,526.87 and payroll $436,778.21: approved.

No new policy or land-use conditions beyond the approvals were adopted at the meeting; staff told commissioners that the rezoning and special-use files had no substantive changes since the prior meeting. Several items had been reviewed in earlier packets and were advanced on roll-call votes without extended public hearing testimony or additional staff changes.

The commission meeting packet and staff presentations include maps and engineer reports for the pavement projects, copies of the vendor contract for the festival manager, and equipment quotes. Staff noted the festival contract contains minor changes from prior years and that the finance department will assume financial-management reporting previously subcontracted by the event manager.

The commission did not take action on public-comment items; speakers were informed prior to speaking that no action would be taken during the public-comment period.