Riley County commissioners on Monday implemented a temporary moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage systems. A moratorium is a temporary pause on a specific activity or legal obligation — in this case, local investment in data centers — while officials study potential impacts before making a more firm policy decision. Data centers are physical facilities housing an organization’s IT infrastructure to process large amounts of data. Opponents of data centers primarily state concerns over high electricity consumption leading to higher utility bills and potentially vast amounts of water used for cooling. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
Author: Cole Bertelsen
The Manhattan City Commission approved agreements with BHS Construction Inc. and Olsson Inc. to design and construct the Moro Street improvement project, despite one commissioner’s objections. The decision includes a construction manager at risk agreement with BHS in the amount of $22,500 and an agreement with Olsson for $442,979 for design and pre-construction services. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
City commissioners on Tuesday will decide whether to change their meeting policies concerning public comment. They will vote on a resolution which repeals existing policy and proposes changes to how residents may address the commission. Each speaker would still have three minutes per item, but the mayor or majority could modify the length of time per speaker. Agenda items would have no cap on total duration of public comment, except that open public comment is capped at 30 minutes. The mayor or majority retain the flexibility to cap total duration on any item, or to extend open public comment. Public…
Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday weighed their options on addressing street conditions and related funding decisions. Pavement Condition Index values provide a rating of pavement conditions and integrity through a 0-100 range. Manhattan city roadways were generally found to be in fair condition, averaging a 60 rating. City engineer and public works director Brian Johnson said the city’s current “backlog” of road maintenance has reached 18%, meaning those roads require full or partial reconstruction. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
Manhattan city commissioners heard February’s crime statistics and compared Fake Patty’s Day results to prior years during Tuesday’s work session. Riley County Police Department director Brian Peete said overall crimes last month were 16.5% below the five-year average for that time of year, but there was a 30% increase compared to last year. “We were unfortunately 63.6% above the five-year average for violent crimes,” he said. “For the month of February, we had 12 aggravated assaults or batteries. Fortunately, no rapes. Unfortunately, five robberies and one homicide that was reported during February of 2026. This is the highest number of…
Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday will review a pavement management report and discuss future funding options for city streets. Pavement Condition Index values provide a rating of pavement conditions and integrity through a 0-100 range. Local roadways were generally found to be in fair condition, averaging a 60 rating. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
Mayor Susan Adamchak proclaimed this Friday as “Becoming Confident Day” while highlighting upcoming Special Olympics events and recognizing a longtime public safety leader. During Tuesday’s city commission meeting, Adamchak emphasized the importance of self-confidence. “Building confidence in children, young people and individuals with intellectual disabilities helps develop resilience, leadership, empathy and the ability to positively impact their schools and communities,” Adamchak said. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday unanimously agreed to move forward with plans for an installation at the Union Pacific Depot to honor former legislator, city commissioner and retired physician Roger Reitz. Reitz, 93, was a member of the Kansas Senate from 2005 to 2013. He also served in the Kansas House from 2002 to 2005. In addition to his time on the city commission, Reitz served on the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 school board. Parks and recreation director Aaron Stewart said Reitz was “a significant contributor to the restoration of the depot.” To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
Manhattan city commissioners decided to push back proposed changes to a parks and rec master plan after giving mixed feedback Tuesday. The city government proposed adding two initiatives — the Riverfront MHK Conceptual Plan and the Flint Hills Discovery Center Sculpture Trail Plan — and updating plans for an indoor aquatic center with the results of a recent community survey. If adopted into the Move MHK! Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan, officials would add those documents to the city’s website. Adopted in 2024, the master plan is a “living” document of community planning efforts that fall within the city’s…
Manhattan officials broke ground on the city’s upcoming low- to moderate-income senior living center Monday while celebrating completing a long process that led to this point. “When completed, Sunflower Flats will provide 62 ADA accessible senior housing units, creating homes where residents can age in place, in comfort and with dignity,” Mayor Susan Adamchak said. “This achievement has been a long time in the making. … The vision for this project began about five years ago, and public outreach and information sharing began in the summer of 2022. More than three years later, it’s incredibly rewarding to see that vision…