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Sedan council meeting: booster payment dispute, parades, trails and community projects
Summary
Councilors approved routine business and several community projects but debated a $500 payment to the Sedan Boosters Club; the city will pursue grants, parade permissions and trails planning and held an executive session on legal matters.
At its Sept. 17 meeting, the Sedan City Council approved routine agenda items and discussed several community projects while a disagreement over a $500 payment to the Sedan Boosters Club drew a public disagreement among council members.
Council approved the meeting agenda and minutes without contention. A dispute arose when Council member Kathy Miller said she "cannot back" a $500 payment to the Sedan Boosters Club because the council should have had the opportunity to vote and because she believes donations should come from citizens rather than the city. Adam Clark agreed. Mayor Bryan Blankinship said he "made the call in order to give back to the community." Despite Miller’s objection, the council approved payment of bills totaling $50,602.64, with Miller recorded as the lone Nay.
Staff updates covered multiple community items. City Clerk Lana Robinson said she located a PPE reimbursement grant for new volunteer firefighters (coverage Nov. 2023–Nov. 2027) and forwarded details to the Rural Fire Department. Dave Taylor reported that Hwy 166 signs will be installed Sept. 24. Robinson also said she secured KDOT approval for Main Street parade routes for homecoming and Christmas parades; Jim Miller and Chief Kirk Richardson will handle road closures.
Robinson introduced community initiatives including proposed downtown wayfinding signs (council asked staff for a quote), a request from Friends of the Sedan City Library about an upcoming fundraiser, and a sponsorship request for Christmas in the Hollow. She also summarized a parks/trails site visit with Mike Goodwin of the Kansas Trails Council; Goodwin described a volunteer-based "Trail in a Box" program and indicated engineering and grant-writing support may be available through local partners such as CFS Engineering.
Kaden Sanders of AFLAC introduced himself to the council and offered an employee-presentation; Robinson will arrange a date. The council approved a $237.50 reimbursement to the SAEDC Committee. Late in the meeting, the council entered an executive session under K.S.A. 75‑4319(b)(2) for attorney‑client consultation at 6:20 p.m.; the meeting resumed at 6:50 p.m. with no decisions reported and then adjourned.
The minutes do not record detailed roll-call votes beyond motions carried and do not show any council commitment of city funds for museum repairs; staff were directed to pursue grants and gather quotes.
