By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The two new Hutchinson City Council members are already looking at what they need to do even between now and the time they take their seats.
"I've got some things to go through in regard to transitioning from some of the subcommittees I'm on," said Jon Richardson, who will represent the northwest district. "There were some items brought up during the campaign from people I talk to that I would consider to be low-hanging fruit. I don't even have to be on the city council. There's just some questions that came up that I need to address in regard to permitting and building development, that I'd like to get handled immediately. Then, it's reaching out to some of the community groups in regard to how they work with the city. The chamber, the community foundation and some of the other groups and what this new role for me will mean, working with some of those groups, too."
New southwest district council member Greg Fast noted that there are several issues that are likely to last into his term that will be coming before the council soon.
"There's a whole lot of things on the horizon," Fast said. "Woodie Seat Freeway, ARPA money, there's an $85,000 study report that will be coming in soon. There's a lot of potentially good things on the horizon, to help our city do better. One of the other things that I'm really interested in is possibly restructuring that stormwater utility fee. That's been on my radar for quite awhile."
Sitting at-large city council member Sara Bagwell was also re-elected. The final canvass of votes is November 9.