Atchison Commission Obligates Remaining ARPA Funds, Approves Equipment Purchases and Licenses

At a regular meeting (date not specified in the transcript), the Atchison City Commission adopted Resolution 3402 to obligate the remaining $1,598,733.48 in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provided through the American Rescue Plan Act, and approved several other business and capital items.

City Manager Mark Westhoff summarized prior allocations and proposed uses. He said the city received $1,598,733.48 in ARPA funds and reported earlier obligations: economic development and housing, $614,450; downtown façade improvements, $12,500; nonprofit facility projects, $206,671; and other city projects, $363,290. That left $401,822.48 remaining, of which Westhoff said staff would obligate $200,000 for additional nonprofit grants and $201,822.48 for the revenue-replacement category. "If we do not obligate the money, we do have to return it to the federal government," Westhoff said.

The commission approved Resolution 3402 by roll-call vote; Vice Mayor Wilcox, Commissioner Greenlee, Commissioner Murphy, Commissioner Slattery and Mary Young each voted yes.

The commission also authorized 2025 public-works equipment purchases included in the Equipment Replacement Plan (ERP). Public Works Director McNamee described five pieces of equipment: a Bobcat skid-steer loader (state-contract pricing), a RAVO 5 street sweeper, and three Chevrolet pickup trucks with associated upfitting. McNamee said the ERP budget for the items was $537,500 and the bids came in $15.10 over that figure; he noted the sweeping attachment is an optional $6,000 item and commissioners agreed staff should separately pursue the attachment if feasible.

The motion authorized purchases at the amounts discussed: the RAVO street sweeper and related equipment for $325,000, pickups for $124,087.06, and a flatbed/toolboxes/fuel tank package for $9,772. The commission voted to approve the purchases as presented.

On business licenses the commission approved multiple 2025 cereal malt beverage licenses and tow-business licenses on the consent agenda; one license for Quick Stop West (Will Cupps, Inc. d/b/a Quick Stop West) was pulled for new-business consideration and approved with at least one abstention noted. City Manager Westhoff said the license application for Quick Stop West contained the required documentation and that the business was associated with a commissioner on the record.

In communications, staff provided the November 2024 financial report, an Atchison Event Center report, library board minutes, river-level monitoring (reported at about 12,000 cubic feet per second), updates on airport-runway gas-line relocation bidding and grading, and progress on the South Headworks sewer/stormwater separation project following railroad approval. Staff also said the non-operational Amelia Earhart bridge lights will be included as a question on a January community survey to gauge resident interest and potential funding.

Next steps: staff will open grant application rounds for nonprofit ARPA funding in early 2025, return with plans for any revenue-replacement projects, and follow through on equipment procurement and any recommended ordinance work related to towing if directed by the commission.