Topeka council to discuss labor contract, 2020 city budget

A labor contract, Topeka's city budget and a potential sales tax increase at a shopping center are among matters Topeka's mayor and city council plan to take up Tuesday.

The city's governing body, consisting of the mayor and the nine city council members, will meet at 6 p.m. in their chambers at 214 S.E. 8th.

The Shawnee County Commission won't meet Monday because commissioners voted April 11 to cancel that morning's meeting.

The mayor and city council on Tuesday will consider a proposed resolution aimed at greatly reducing the number of hours in overtime the city pays to water division employees who respond to scenes of water main breaks.

The mayor and council initially took up the proposal last week but deferred action on it until Tuesday's meeting. The measure's approval would resolve a contract impasse between the city and the labor union representing the roughly 75 water division employees.

The resolution would provide pay raises totaling 11.5 percent over the years 2018 to 2020; arrange for some water division employees to work a "second shift" lasting from 2 to 10 p.m. in January, February, June, July, August and September; and arrange for employees' raises to occur retroactively, beginning with their first pay period for 2019.

The mayor and council also plan to consider forming a Community Improvement District. It would levy a 1 percent sales tax — in addition to the sales taxes they already pay — upon customers of the planned Sherwood Crossing development at the northwest corner of S.W. 29th and Wanamaker Road, which is the site of the former Villa West Shopping Center.

The revenues would be used over 22 years to reimburse private investment in a proposed $18 million project that Overland Park-based 29th Street Partners, LLC, plans to carry out in multiple phases to redevelop the property.

The mayor and council also plan Tuesday to:

• Consider stating their intent to enact an ordinance issuing industrial revenue bonds to help finance the Sherwood Crossing project. The move would come with no financial risk for the city.

• Consider scheduling a public hearing in which they would consider adopting a project plan put forth by 29th Street Partners for the Sherwood Crossing TIF District they voted to form March 19.

• Begin discussing city manager Brent Trout's proposed 2020 city budget, for which details haven't yet been made public.

• Approve a report from the council's policy and finance committee while enabling it to continue carrying out an evaluation and review it has been conducting of the city's personnel code.