HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Following another, more than hour-long discussion Tuesday night, the Hutchinson City Council once again tabled action to order demolition of the former Eaton facility at 3405 East 4th.
Building official Jason Laney told the council shoring work is underway on the part of the building the worm farm is located at, and he advised a demolition permit application is pending issuance for a portion of the building once the shoring work is done which could be in a few days. However other issues remain, and staff’s recommendation remains to move forward with condemnation of the property as recommended during a public hearing Dec. 17. In the end after lengthy discussion the Council agreed to table action until the meeting on Feb. 18 to allow the owner of the property to provide additional plans that are in the works.
In another ongoing case involving a dilapidated structure, the Council set a hearing on March 4 for the former Bernard’s Restaurant building on South Bonebrake which has been the subject of prior proceedings.
The Council was presented a draft of a proposed major revision of taxicab regulations in the city. The Council and staff had both expressed interest in revisions to that part of the code. City Attorney Paul Brown prepared the draft, which he stressed is not yet in a form where it can be adopted, and asked the Council to contact him with any questions or suggestions. He cautioned them not to discuss this with another in order to avoid Kansas Open Meeting Act requirements.
An ordinance was approved authorizing bonding of reconstruction of 30th Avenue between Main and Adams. Purpose of this ordinance is to allow the city to pay for certain expenses connected with the project prior to bond issuance which will take place later this year. The bond authority is for up to $925,000, and it will be included in a bond package that will be put out for bid in the spring.
It adopted a resolution to establish the Landmark Reinvestment Housing Incentive District, connected with the financial package for the renovation of the Landmark Building at 5th and Main into apartments and ground floor commercial space.
Revisions of two very old and definitely outdated sections of the city code related to the city of Hutchinson’s operating structure were approved. One revision sets out the city’s administrative departments, several of which have been created or modified since that section was last amended in 1969. The other deals with the creation of departments and their relation to the City Manager, changing a part of the code that’s been in place since 1958.
The Commission approved an ordinance related to ex-officio membership on the Housing Commission to increase from two to six the number of ex-officio members that can be appointed, and not designated to certain organizations, and select those on an annual basis. A few years ago a number of organizations lost their ex-officio status.
The Council also received the annual report of the city’s Land Bank Committee and heard an update on downtown Hutchinson activities and projects.
