Chevy Nick
Nitro Member
I was at last night's Topeka city council meeting. When I have more time I will post up more info.
City holds lengthy discussion on Heartland Park
City holds lengthy discussion on Heartland Park
Registered member said:Topeka city officials responded to a flurry of questions Tuesday evening from council members concerned about potential pitfalls regarding the city’s proposed purchase of the financially troubled Heartland Park Topeka racing facility.
City manager Jim Colson stressed that the city would require whoever it contracts with to operate Heartland Park to be financially responsible for the facility’s success or failure going forward, and to make investments in it.
“There is no consideration — none, zero — that the city is going to invest any money in Heartland Park,” Colson said.
Colson, city attorney Chad Sublet and administrative and financial services director Doug Gerber responded to numerous questions during a detailed, three-hour discussion regarding the proposed purchase of the track from Jayhawk Racing, LLC. No action was taken.
Tuesday’s talk came at a time when the city governing body has approved every proposal it has considered to proceed with the purchase, but turnover that body saw as a result of the April 7 election could threaten the move’s chances for final approval.
Sublet said the city plans to schedule two public hearings before governing body members vote May 5 on whether to proceed with the purchase. He said the hearings will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th; and at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 29, in the city’s Holliday Building, 620 S.E. Madison.
Council members near the beginning of Tuesday’s 6 p.m. meeting heard a presentation to kick off the city’s process of crafting its 2016 budget. Budget manager Nickie Lee indicated the city administration didn’t plan to seek an increase in the city’s property tax mill levy for 2016.
The council then began hearing a presentation regarding Heartland Park about 6:45 p.m.
That discussion ended about 9:45 p.m. after the council heard from nine members of the public who included both supporters and opponents of the purchase.
Those posing questions Tuesday included Councilwoman Sylvia Ortiz, who urged Colson not to hold back any information.
Ortiz said: “We need to put everything on the table. We really, really do. No matter how big or small or whether you think we know it or not.”
In response to a question from Councilwoman Sandra Clear regarding who would be responsible for Heartland Park’s unpaid water and electrical bills should the purchase go through, Sublet said Jayhawk Racing would cover those costs using money it would receive.
Some of Tuesday’s questions focused on the NHRA’s plans to hold its annual Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park from May 22 to 24. Sublet stressed that a contract with the NHRA that the city entered into regarding the event last summer was contingent on reissuance of STAR Bonds for the track — which hasn’t happened — so that contract is being renegotiated.
The contract’s new version would arrange for the NHRA to sell the tickets and put on this year’s event itself, Sublet said.
“They have a significant investment in seeing this race go off,” he said.
Council members also were shown a video featuring Chris Payne of Shelby LLC, a Missouri developer who has become the frontrunner to obtain the track’s lease.
Colson said he liked that Payne hopes to develop more of Heartland Park’s property than just its racetracks. He acknowledged the city and Payne were still “a long way” from reaching a finished deal.