Riley County suspends participation in joint intergovernmental meetings

County data center moratorium blindsides city officials

Commission divided over accessory dwelling unit research

Officials clarify cost creep on joint maintenance facility

In-house road striping saves city significant funds

Commissioners push back on $13 million cemetery facility

Riley County suspends participation in joint intergovernmental meetings

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The Riley County Commission has indefinitely suspended its participation in joint city-county meetings, citing a lack of value in recent informational presentations. City officials expressed frustration at the decision during Tuesday's work session, noting that the county's recent stance felt adversarial. City staff will now focus on engaging Pottawatomie County independently as the city continues its East Manhattan Gateway vision, while the commission debated transitioning to quarterly, rather than monthly, regional meetings.

County data center moratorium blindsides city officials

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The city commission expressed concern Tuesday after learning Riley County imposed a moratorium on data center construction without consulting the city. The county's unilateral decision to halt data center developments to establish new location regulations drew pushback from city officials, who argued they should have a seat at the table. The commission agreed to add the data center moratorium to the agenda for their next intergovernmental meeting to address the lack of communication.

Commission divided over accessory dwelling unit research

MANHATTAN, Kan. — A request from the Manhattan Area Planning Board to research accessory dwelling units (ADUs) — such as garage apartments or pool houses — sparked immediate division within the city commission. Some commission members opposed ADUs, arguing they could harm single-family neighborhoods and encourage a proliferation of short-term rentals, while others argued ADUs could provide vital housing for aging parents or disabled family members. City staff will prepare a work session for later this summer to review previous ADU studies and present options.

Officials clarify cost creep on joint maintenance facility

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Addressing concerns about historic project budgets, Public Works Director Brian Johnson detailed how the city's Manhattan Joint Maintenance Facility project ballooned from a $10 million concept to a nearly $20 million final project. Johnson clarified that the city spent seven years negotiating the final contract, during which severe inflation and market volatility drove up construction costs. He noted that utilizing a construction manager at risk (CMAR) model ultimately saved the city hundreds of thousands of dollars by locking in lower steel prices before they surged globally.

In-house road striping saves city significant funds

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Faced with high mobilization costs from outside contractors, the city will continue painting its own road stripes for approximately $25,000 annually. Public Works Director Brian Johnson noted that hiring regional contractors from Wichita or Kansas City incurs massive mobilization fees because travel time eats into federally mandated commercial driving hours, turning a one-day job into a three-day expense. While the city's $35,000 paint truck is a fraction of the cost of higher-end commercial models, Johnson confirmed the in-house method remains the most cost-effective solution for local taxpayers.

Commissioners push back on $13 million cemetery facility

MANHATTAN, Kan. — The city commission directed the Parks and Recreation Department to significantly scale down a proposed $13 million cemetery maintenance facility, balking at the high conceptual price tag. Parks and Recreation Director Aaron Stewart explained that the cost included roads, irrigation and hardened severe-weather spaces, noting that construction prices have surged by up to 60 percent since 2019, reflecting trends reported in national producer price indexes. Despite the explanation, the commission argued that a basic public service office and storage shed should not cost millions of dollars, prompting staff to commit to redesigning the project for a future work session.

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