> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.citizenjournal.us/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Hutchinson City Council Summary - URL: https://www.citizenjournal.us/hutchinson-city-council-summary-10/ - Published: 2026-07-22T12:42:48.000Z - Updated: 2026-07-22T12:42:48.000Z - Description: Week of July 22, 2026 - Author: Cronkite - Tags: hutch, #summary, dnn # City addresses Plum Creek developer over missed deadlines # Council approves special assessments for Plum Creek infrastructure # Spyglass Hills waterline project completed under budget # City repeals stormwater utility fee, fulfilling sales tax promise # Council approves study for aging wastewater treatment plant # City proceeds with removal of three underutilized traffic lights # National Park Service to assist with Carey Park master plan # Ordinance opens door for alternative DUI sentencing programs --- ### City addresses Plum Creek developer over missed deadlines HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council addressed ongoing construction delays Tuesday with Jim Strawn, the developer of the Plum Creek subdivision. City Manager Enrico Villegas and assistant city attorney Cody Smith presented a detailed timeline showing the developer failed to meet a June 30 deadline to complete 29 residential units, having started only two structures and finishing none. The council expressed frustration over the lack of vertical construction, with city officials noting the developer must begin demonstrating tangible progress to protect the city's investment in the subdivision's infrastructure. --- ### Council approves special assessments for Plum Creek infrastructure HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Following discussions regarding construction delays, the city council unanimously approved ordinances Tuesday levying special assessments on properties within the Plum Creek Phase 1 and Lift Station Benefit Districts to pay off approximately $1.59 million in temporary notes coming due Oct. 1\. While the city anticipates a Reinvestment Housing Incentive District will cover the Phase 1 street and infrastructure costs through property tax increments, the assessments legally assign the financial burden to the specific lots benefited by the improvements. Currently owned by the developer, the assessments secure the city's upfront investment against the land itself should the development fail to generate the necessary tax revenue. --- ### Spyglass Hills waterline project completed under budget HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Property owners in the Spyglass Hills neighborhood will pay less than anticipated for new water lines, as the city council formally levied special assessments Tuesday for the recently completed infrastructure project. Initiated by a unanimous petition from the homeowners, the project bypassed the need for short-term temporary notes because it was finished in just three months, bringing the total assessed cost down to $286,446 from the originally budgeted $330,939\. Residents will now have the option to prepay their roughly $16,000 per-lot share by Aug. 24 to avoid interest, or have the cost assessed to their property taxes over 20 years. --- ### City repeals stormwater utility fee, fulfilling sales tax promise HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The city council unanimously passed an ordinance Tuesday repealing Hutchinson's stormwater utility fee, a move promised to voters following the passage of a 0.75% city sales tax increase earlier this year. The repeal will take effect on Oct. 1, coinciding with the implementation of the new sales tax. City officials noted that approximately $7 million remains in the stormwater fund, which is legally protected and will be dedicated strictly to ongoing and future stormwater infrastructure improvements throughout the city. --- ### Council approves study for aging wastewater treatment plant HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Looking ahead to future infrastructure needs, the city council approved a $246,000 engineering agreement Tuesday with HDR Engineering Inc. to conduct a scoping study for the city's 70-year-old wastewater treatment plant. Utilities Director David Guinn stated the facility is nearing the end of its usable life and requires immediate safety and emergency upgrades. The phased study will help the city determine whether to rehabilitate the existing plant or build an entirely new facility — a massive future undertaking estimated to cost between $100 million and $300 million — while planning how to maintain current operations during construction. --- ### City proceeds with removal of three underutilized traffic lights HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Public Works Director Cecil Weible updated the council Tuesday on the pending removal of three traffic lights located at 11th Avenue and Baker Street, one intersection near Bigger and Maple, and 23rd Avenue and Tyler Street. The aging signals, originally installed for historic school zones, no longer meet the traffic warrants required to maintain them and will be replaced with stop signs by Aug. 11\. Despite some public pushback regarding pedestrian safety on 23rd Avenue, the director assured the council that the intersections will be continually monitored during a 90-day trial period to determine if additional measures, such as flashing crosswalk beacons, are necessary. --- ### National Park Service to assist with Carey Park master plan HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson has been accepted into the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program, initiating a yearlong, pro bono partnership to develop a master plan for Carey Park. A team of landscape architects and community planners from the federal agency visited Hutchinson to assess the park's amenities, river access and potential community connections. The team will collaborate with city staff and local stakeholders to design a community engagement process later this summer to gather public input on the future of the park and regional water trails. --- ### Ordinance opens door for alternative DUI sentencing programs HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The city council unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday amending the municipal code to allow municipal judges to sentence first-time driving under the influence offenders to an approved "restrained environment" intervention program instead of a mandatory 48-hour jail stay. Assistant city attorney Cody Smith explained the change gives the municipal court the same discretion currently utilized by the district court, which often sees these cases upon appeal, thereby saving the city administrative time and costs. Any specific intervention program, which typically involves locked-down weekend educational sessions paid for directly by the offender, must still be formally evaluated and approved by the council via resolution at a later date. --- [Click here for local obituaries](https://cjus.me/hutch-obit?ref=citizenjournal.us) [Click here for local jail logs](https://cjus.me/hutch-jail?ref=citizenjournal.us) --- --- Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below: [Contact Us](https://www.citizenjournal.us/contact/) --- [![Job Board](https://rosebud-ads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/JOB.png)](https://gregl72.github.io/job/?ref=citizenjournal.us)