Manhattan City Commissioners all spoke in support of possible renovations to Peace Memorial Auditorium, but worried about the costs for them Tuesday night in City Hall.
Commissioners gathered a work session and heard from the Friends of Peace Memorial Auditorium, a group pushing for renovations that include dedications to military veterans — World War II military veterans especially.
The project is estimated to cost $2.9 million and $2.4 million has been committed so far.
No motions were made, as work sessions are strictly for discussion.
Commissioner Mike Dodson, who has 37 years of military experience, was especially in favor of moving forward with the project.
“As we go down the road a couple years, what you want is a place that causes interest,” he said.
Dodson, who is also mindful of the cost, also wants to make sure the project is done right, if it continues to progress.
“The point I would make is that whatever we do, we want to make sure that it lasts and doesn’t take a lot of maintenance,” he said. “Because sometimes you go into these memorials and it looks like nobody cares.”
Mayor Karen McCulloh is concerned about what room the city budget has for the renovations, though.
“What’s happening to cities and counties, because of our state government, is not pretty,” she said. “And many more things are getting shoved off on us. KDOT (Kansas Department of Transportation) is losing funds and we’re just… um… we’re getting squeezed very badly.”
In other items, Deputy City Manager Jason Hilgers discussed potential benefit district and property tax policies.
On June 17, 2014 commissioners passed a resolution establishing a benefit district policy that required individuals or entities submitting a petition for a benefit district to disclose if they owed back taxes for special assessments or property in Manhattan.
Hilgers said that during the 2016 budget discussion, that commissioners expressed a desire to consider policies to hold users of City services more accountable for taxes owed.
“Basically, we’re establishing conditions for the acceptance of petitions for benefit districts in the future,” he said.
