Brandon Burch selected to fill Ward 4 city council vacancy

Marjorie Anderson appointed to Design Review and Sister City committees

Utility pedestals removed to beautify Lincoln Street corridor

Unexpected $9,000 equipment purchase approved for Public Works

City approves $15,000 annual sewer maintenance contract

Council renews $2,500 monthly state lobbying contract

City absorbs bulk of 21.6 percent health insurance premium increase

City advances draft policy for license plate readers, rejects proposed ban

1. Brandon Burch selected to fill Ward 4 city council vacancy

LINDSBORG, Kan. - The Lindsborg City Council unanimously appointed and swore in Brandon Burch to fill the vacant Ward 4 council seat on Monday. Burch, a local resident known for co-founding the citizen group "DeFlock Lindsborg," replaces Joshua Swanson, who recently vacated the position. A selection committee composed of city officials and two council members recommended Burch after interviewing a pool of interested candidates. Burch was nominated by Councilmember Lysa Palmer-Augusta and approved by a voice vote.

2. Marjorie Anderson appointed to Design Review and Sister City committees

LINDSBORG, Kan. - Mayor Clark Shultz appointed Marjorie Anderson to serve on Lindsborg's Design Review Board and the Sister City Committee. The city council voiced no objections to the appointment, with city leadership praising Anderson's extensive local experience. Anderson previously operated The Butcher, The Baker and The Candlestick Maker (BBC) bakery on Lindsborg's Main Street for over eight years, establishing long-standing ties to the local business community.

3. Utility pedestals removed to beautify Lincoln Street corridor

LINDSBORG, Kan. - In a move to improve downtown aesthetics, the last remaining utility pedestals along Lindsborg's Lincoln Street corridor have been successfully rerouted or removed. City administrator Tanner Faust thanked utility providers IdeaTek, Spectrum and AT&T for partnering with the city to clear the infrastructure, noting that the only remaining items along the corridor are those that would be cost-prohibitive to relocate underground.

4. Unexpected $9,000 equipment purchase approved for Public Works

LINDSBORG, Kan. - The council authorized the emergency purchase of a new Bobcat NB160 nitrogen concrete breaker for $9,089.88 after the city's 2002 model suffered a catastrophic hydraulic fluid leak during a sewer line project on Cole Street. Public works director Denny Walker explained that replacement parts for the old equipment are no longer available and renting a breaker is impractical for middle-of-the-night emergency water main breaks, as the tool serves both water and sewer infrastructure needs. The unbudgeted expense will be covered using available balances from the city's general sales tax funds.

5. City approves $15,000 annual sewer maintenance contract

LINDSBORG, Kan. - To prevent costly infrastructure failures, the city council approved a quote not to exceed $15,000 for annual sanitary sewer cleaning services. Goddard, Kansas-based Mayer Specialty Services LLC will conduct the maintenance, which includes clearing lines and utilizing cameras to inspect known problem areas within the city's sewer system. Public works director Denny Walker noted that the proactive annual program has successfully prevented major sewer issues in recent years.

6. Council renews $2,500 monthly state lobbying contract

LINDSBORG, Kan. - The city council unanimously approved an annual consulting agreement with Federico // Duerst Consulting Group at a cost of $2,500 per month, totaling $30,000 annually. The registered lobbying firm has provided advocacy services at the state legislature for Lindsborg since 2018. Council members praised the firm's past work, noting their instrumental role in securing state infrastructure grants, including Moderate-Income Housing funds, for the Stockholm Estates housing development and assisting with child care center grants.

7. City absorbs bulk of 21.6 percent health insurance premium increase

LINDSBORG, Kan. - Lindsborg will renew its self-funded employee health insurance plan through Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Kansas Municipal Insurance Trust (KMIT) Association Health Plan, despite a 21.61 percent increase in premium costs. Finance director David Hay noted the city anticipated the hike by budgeting for a 20 percent increase, allowing the city to pass only minimal cost increases — ranging from $5 to $15 per month — onto employees. The city will continue using Great Bend-based Freedom Claims Management, Inc. as its third-party administrator for the upcoming year.

8. City advances draft policy for license plate readers, rejects proposed ban

LINDSBORG, Kan. - City administrator Tanner Faust presented draft updates to Lindsborg's automated license plate reader policy, proposing a 14-day data retention limit, requirements for reasonable suspicion before running searches and mandatory internal and external audits. Faust also addressed a citizen-proposed ordinance that would have required all surveillance data to be stored exclusively on city-controlled servers, advising the council that adopting the measure would effectively force the city to remove its current Flock Safety cameras. The council will review the draft policy for final approval at a future meeting.

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