Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council selects Canvas Community Church as new polling place for Rolling Hills precinct; approves public comment schedule
Summary
Winchester’s council chose Canvas Community Church to replace the former YDC site as the Rolling Hills precinct polling place and directed staff to use a 30‑day public comment period before finalizing the ordinance and timeline.
The Winchester City Council voted Dec. 9 to relocate the Rolling Hills precinct polling place to Canvas Community Church after the former Youth Development Center (YDC) became unavailable.
Elizabeth Martin, the city’s director of elections and general registrar, said the YDC building is "no longer available as a polling place" and outlined two primary options: the Shawnee Fire Hall (easier to find but costly to rent) and Canvas Community Church (less expensive and serviceable). Martin warned the council the relocation requires public notice and statutory timelines, and she explained two paths: a standard ordinance with a 30‑day comment period or requesting a certificate of no objection from the Attorney General’s Office to compress the timeline.
Councilors discussed accessibility, parking and the fiscal trade-offs of a recurring $7,500 rental for the fire hall versus lower fees for the church. After a round‑the‑table poll, the council directed staff to pursue Canvas Community Church and amended the motion to require a public comment period of no fewer than 30 days before final adoption of the ordinance and timeline.
What happens next: Elections staff will draft an ordinance, publish the required notices and return to council with a proposed timeline allowing the statutory comment period; the change will be finalized in time for the 2026 election cycle, subject to state deadlines.
Provenance: presentation and discussion by Director of Elections Elizabeth Martin (topic introduced SEG 2300; decision taken SEG 2990–3014).
