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Soldier Township tables 15-acre land purchase; hears updates on fire station, road work and equipment sales
Summary
The board tabled consideration of buying a 15-acre lot at 62nd and Topeka Blvd and received monthly reports: the fire department logged 190 incidents in February and plans groundbreaking for a new station in June; administration said road crews will do dirt work (estimated $1,000,000 savings) and several pieces of equipment will be sold in June.
The Soldier Township Board on March 10 tabled discussion of a possible purchase of a 15-acre parcel at the corner of 62nd Street and Topeka Boulevard and received routine operational reports from the fire, road and administration departments.
Board members discussed the parcel located directly west of the Road Department but did not take action; the topic was tabled for the next meeting so trustees can consider it further.
Fire Chief Chad Lady presented the department’s monthly report, saying the department responded to 190 incidents in February. Chief Lady reported several vehicle maintenance problems during the month — one brush truck was out of service and unit B-74 had a pump failure — and said planning for a new station remains on schedule with a planned groundbreaking in June 2026. He also announced the department’s annual Pancake Feed on March 28, 2026.
Road Superintendent John Tipton told the board February work focused on drainage repairs in the Hillers subdivision, using a Pipe Hunter culvert-cleaning machine where appropriate, replacing culverts, stabilizing slopes with grass mats and seed, repairing potholes, replacing road signs, removing refuse from rights-of-way and preparing for two predicted winter weather events. Tipton said the road crew purchased two used salt/sand spreaders from Facebook Marketplace to be used with upcoming Ram pickups.
Administrator Audree Guzman reported the exterior design and floor plan for the new fire station have been selected and that construction is anticipated to begin mid-summer 2026; Guzman said the township has moved the bond sale timeline to June 2026 and has established a bank account for the bond. Guzman said the township received the order for property tax exemption related to the project and that the Road Department will perform all dirt work and grading for the station, which she estimated will save about $1,000,000 on the project. The minutes record no further accounting detail for that estimate.
Guzman also said the title for the Johnson street sweeper has been received. She said that in June the street sweeper, a Kubota tractor and two trucks will be listed on Purplewave for sale. She is updating employee emergency badges in the Shawnee County Emergency Management Salamander System and said monthly safety training provided by MEM Insurance will begin on the first Monday of each month at no cost.
No public comments were recorded on the land purchase or the reports. The board adjourned at 12:38 p.m.; the next regular meeting is scheduled for April 14, 2026, at 12:15 p.m.
