By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho let the public know the date for the first study session for the City Council in 2022.
"Our first one will be on the Woodie Seat bridge project January 20th at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall," Piros de Carvalho said. "These are open meetings, they are not open comment meetings. The public is welcome to attend and speak with council members about the project after the meeting is over."
It isn't clear yet if the meeting will be held in the regular council chambers so that streaming may be possible, or if they will try to find another room and other logistics to execute that.
"Since the meetings may often be in the evening, it's going to be interesting to try to toggle staff in a way that reduces overtime," Piros de Carvalho said. "Now, with our first one being in the evening, we're working on that. I'll definitely keep you posted."
The mayor said more information on the meeting will be coming on the city's Facebook page as it gets closer, but as for the policy discussion, it's her hope that the council can come to a consensus on a direction and let staff work out the fine details.
"With the caveat that public input be strongly considered," Piros de Carvalho said. "I think that has been a bone of contention and something the pandemic has made more difficult. We need a renewed effort at that civic engagement and public outreach. I will say, for people who aren't aware of this project, the Woodie Seat bridge project is that 300-pound gorilla that we'll have to decide what to do with locally after multiple unsuccessful federal grant attempts to cost share. When we first started talking about it around four years ago, it was $6 to $7 million if we had to do it on our own. I think that number's right. I can't imagine how much that number is now."
It will also depend on the approach the governing body comes to consensus on how much it will cost, but it appears that there is an appetite for a long-term solution, not just a patch job, if that were even possible. That's part of the discussion to be had on the 20th.