City commissioners met with only 1 item on the General Agenda but found themselves debating other issues and concerns.
Commissioner Wynn Butler first expressed concern over the funding of two items on the Consent Agenda. Butler said his concern wasn’t in funding the items themselves, but where the funding was coming from. Butler implied the commission needs to be more aware of the small payments made on a regular basis and what funding sources each small payment derives from.
Commissioners then heard from representatives from the Public Works Department and Benesch Consulting among others, on plans for the K-18/K-113 Diverging Diamond Intersection improvements. The commission saw a mock-up of what the intersection improvements would look like when finished and were able to see how the project would proceed through illustrations of each phase of the project. Commissioners expressed concern over the fact that KDOT would head the project with very little input from city government, but were advised that the project would only be able to proceed in that fashion.
The Diverging Diamond project will be funded primarily by KDOT but if a cost of $3 million is surpassed, the city will have to foot the rest of the bill.
Commissioner Wynn Butler then expressed concerns over the re-appointment of Mayor Usha Reddi to the Riley County Law Board. His concern came from a local resolution passed in 2006 that allows commissioners to serve in place of citizens at-large on the board. Butler believes the resolution provides commissioners a way to violate state statute.
Commissioners debated the issue amongst themselves but the rest of the commission didn’t share the same concern as Butler and instead voted Mayor Reddi into a position on the board that would otherwise be occupied by a citizen at large, citing different reasons why, such as city budget knowledge and complexity of Manhattan’s Police force organization. City Attorney Katharine Jackson stated the Attorney General cleared the commission to appoint commissioners to the board in place of citizens at large but also stated the law could be challenged in a court of law on the basis of interpretation. Butler said the public can also petition that the appointments to the board be changed.
