Gage Park Improvement Authority reports $16.3 million distributed; plans MOU, financial review and additional expenditures

Jim Martin, chair of the Gage Park Improvement Authority, gave an update to the Shawnee County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 13, 2025, saying the authority has distributed $16,300,000 over the past two years to four Gage Park partners and is preparing several planned expenditures and a financial review.

"We have fulfilled the mission of distributing the tax revenues to the Gage Park partners, the zoo, parks and rec, and the discovery center," Martin told commissioners. He said the authority’s tax-revenue average is about $760,000 per month and that the authority sets aside 5% of receipts for a discretionary fund used to support projects.

Martin said the authority’s board has received slightly more than $814,000 in total receipts since its inception; it holds about $703,000 in interest-bearing accounts and has earned roughly $14,000 in interest. He said the authority has paid out $75,800 to date, of which about $815 has been for board expenses, and has committed about $220,000 for upcoming items.

Martin outlined recent and planned expenditures: $50,000 provided last year to the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library/Zoo/Discovery Center to restore a free and reduced-admission program after partners ran out of budgeted funds; roughly $18,000 paid to Parks and Recreation for additional parking-area security during December zoo events; about $25,000 contributed toward master planning; and an expected commitment of approximately $95,000 in the second quarter to support field inspections of sanitary sewers in the park through a memorandum of understanding with the City of Topeka.

Martin said the authority issued a request for proposals for an independent financial review and procedural review, with responses due in the days following the meeting. He also said the volunteer board is considering contracting out monthly disbursement processing to ensure reliable, timely payments.

"We have a paper application that has to come in" for discretionary-fund requests, Martin said, describing a process in which a finance subcommittee reviews requests and the board acts the following month to create a paper trail and stewardship for spending decisions. He added that two board members will be up for reappointment later this year and reminded the commissioners of their responsibility to make those appointments.

Commissioner Aaron Mayes moved to suspend the usual public-comment time limit to allow the authority’s presentation; Commissioner Bill Rippon seconded the motion, which passed 3-0.

Martin said the authority intends to put idle funds to use in a measured way and invited questions from the commissioners.