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Topeka public commenters press council for body-cam release; contractor payment practices questioned
Summary
Speakers at the Jan. 6 Topeka City council meeting urged release of body-camera footage in the Dylan Wahlstrom case and raised allegations of irregular contractor payments to Kansas Topsoil, citing specific work orders and payments.
Several members of the public used the Jan. 6 public-comment period at the City of Topeka meeting to press elected officials for transparency on separate but politically sensitive issues.
Keeley Addington urged the council to release body-camera footage in the case of Dylan Wahlstrom, saying the family and the public deserve closure. "If it's justified, it's justified. Then why is this officer in hiding, and why has it not been released like all the other justified shooting cases?" Addington said, asserting the city holds the video and asking the council and police to make it public.
Daniel Twemlow raised allegations of irregularities in city contracting with a vendor identified in his remarks as Kansas Topsoil. Twemlow said he found discrepancies between the city's website records and contractor-provided spreadsheets for work orders in 2024–25, asserting the contractor had 65 hydrant replacements while the city's record showed 70. He cited payment examples he said raise questions: a $4,280 hydrant replacement, a $13,910 valve replacement on 06/10/2025, and a $25,948 water-main repair, and said some payments appeared to have been processed within days of work-order issuance contrary to contract terms that require a 7-day submission window and up to 21 days for approval. "So to be paid for such an exorbitant amount of money for such a small job is worrisome," Twemlow said.
No formal response or action was recorded on either the request to release body-camera footage or on Twemlow’s allegations during the meeting; both matters remained public-comment items with the council not taking immediate action on the record.
Other public commenters congratulated newly sworn officials and announced a community forum scheduled for Jan. 10 to discuss concerns about youth interrogations in schools.
Next steps on the body-camera request and on the procurement concerns were not specified during the meeting; both topics may require follow-up with the police department and the city’s procurement or public-works staff.
