MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
Hutchinson City Council to Hold Hearing on Meyer Landmark CID, Discuss Proclamation Policy
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council will consider economic development and governance matters during its meeting Tuesday evening, including a public hearing on a proposed Community Improvement District (CID) for the Meyer Landmark Project and a discussion on a new policy governing ceremonial proclamations and recognitions.
The council meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, at Hutchinson City Hall.
A public hearing will be held on a request from Meyer Landmark, LLC, to establish a 2% Community Improvement District sales tax to help fund the Meyer Landmark Project. Under the proposal, the additional sales tax would remain in effect until either $1.5 million in eligible project costs are reimbursed or 22 years have passed, whichever occurs first.
If approved, the city would notify the State of Kansas, and the CID would become effective Oct. 1, 2026. Businesses within the district would collect the additional tax on taxable purchases and remit the funds to the state. The City of Hutchinson would retain 5% of the collected revenue for administrative costs, including reviewing project expenses and distributing CID proceeds to Meyer Landmark, LLC.
The council will also discuss a proposed policy that would establish formal guidelines for ceremonial proclamations, recognitions and similar public acknowledgments issued by the city.
Assistant City Attorney Cody Smith is recommending the city adopt a written policy to clarify how proclamations are requested, approved and presented. Tuesday's discussion is intended to gather feedback from council members before a final policy is drafted and brought back for formal consideration.
According to Smith, proclamations issued in the city's name are generally viewed by the public as official government messages. As a result, he argues the city should maintain control over whether a proclamation is issued, its content and the manner in which it is presented.
The proposed policy follows instances in which outside organizations submitted proclamation language and expected city officials to present it without changes. Smith said that practice can create legal concerns by blurring the distinction between government speech and private speech.
The discussion will focus on whether proclamations should be limited to city-controlled ceremonial messages, how they should be presented during council meetings and what procedures should govern requests for recognition.
In materials provided to the council, Smith cites several U.S. Supreme Court decisions that emphasize a government's responsibility to control its own messaging in order to preserve legal protections associated with government speech.
City staff are seeking council direction on the structure and scope of the policy before preparing a final version for potential adoption at a future meeting.
Also on the agenda is the consideration of bid results for IRA Grant Tree Removal Project.
City staff is recommending that the Hutchinson City Council approve a $19,990 contract with Barnes Tree and Stump Removal, LLC to remove 48 dead street trees as part of a federally funded urban forestry project.
The work will be funded through a $100,000 Inflation Reduction Act urban forestry grant administered by the Kansas Forest Service. The grant replaces an earlier $250,000 award from the Arbor Day Foundation that was withdrawn following federal action.
According to Parks and Facilities Director Justin Combs, the grant will be used to remove dead street trees and plant replacement trees within a high-need neighborhood identified through the city's Urban Forest Master Plan, Kansas Forest Service data, and the city's Tree Plotter canopy management system. The Founders Neighborhood was selected in part because of the city's ongoing partnership on tree planting and neighborhood improvement efforts.
The project includes the removal of 48 eligible dead street trees located within public rights-of-way. Tree selections were based on condition, safety concerns, location and grant eligibility. Property owners in the project area were notified and given 30 days to express interest in having a replacement tree planted adjacent to their property.