Taylor Leads Coffeyville Politics to New Low; Shouting Match Nearly Leads to Fisticuffs

By Don Edwards

Publisher, CoffeyvilleBLOG.com

Tuesday night's Coffeyville City Commission meeting left some to wonder whether politics in Coffeyville is becoming a contact sport.

 

While no one sported headgear or pads on this occasion, an exchange between Commissioner Jim C. Taylor, Sr., and some of his fellow commissioners at the end of the meeting caused many in attendance to wonder if things would come to blows.

 

After having wrapped up a light agenda, the commissioners were taking turns making comments during the 'Comments from Commissioners and Staff' portion of the meeting. Taylor began voicing his displeasure with how a proposed downtown housing development had been handled. In particular, he disagreed with the decision a week earlier by the Board of Zoning Appeals to approve parking, setback and lot coverage variances. The approval of the variances allowed the proposed multi-million dollar, 32-unit downtown apartment development to proceed.

 

"The variances that (were) asked for pretty well gut the building code that we have for our downtown area," Taylor said. 

 

Taylor went on to speculate that the developer had met with Board of Zoning Appeals members and City Planner Dennis Jacobs in private, but offered no evidence whatsoever to back up his allegation. He also voiced displeasure that the issue was handled by the Board of Zoning Appeals and not the City Commission.

 

Commissioner Alec Hendryx attempted to explain the process to Taylor.

 

"I really don't see how it was wrong to go to the Zoning Appeals Board," Hendryx said. "Now you say it didn't come to this commission. It didn't come to (the current city) commission, but it (did) come to the (city) commission before. I know you weren't involved in that and you're just opposed to the project."

 

At this point, Commissioner R.J. Warren interjected.

 

"Alec, what it boils down to is Mr. Taylor is a Shriner and his son owns part of the land (the developer) wants ... and (Taylor) has substantial interest in this, so he's fighting it hard."

 

Taylor reiterated his belief that the proposed apartment development would monopolize parking for the adjacent Terminal Building (which his son owns) and the Shrine Barn.

 

"It is not reasonable, in my notion, to take folks that are going to be needing ... subsidized housing and stack them four (stories) high," Taylor said. "Most cities in the country are taking their assisted housing like that and they are spreading it out more than they are trying to put it in a tube and make them live in that kind of environment. There won't be any place for the children. There won't be any place for anything except to walk inside the door. If the parking spaces are lost to the Shrine Club and whoever is going to develop the Terminal Building in some point in time ... they are going to have to have parking or it just won't work."

 

"Those are discriminatory remarks," Warren replied.

 

"Show me how they're discriminatory," Taylor said. 

 

"You cannot say," Warren began before Taylor raised his voice and again said, "Show me how they're discriminatory!" 

 

As you can see, things quickly spiraled out of control...

 

 

 

During the business portion of the meeting, the commission:

Approved the following Consent Agenda items on a 5-0 vote:

? Regular City Commission Meeting Minutes ? Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009.

? 2009 Appropriation Ordinance No. AO-09-40 ? $3,804,002.98.

? 2009 Appropriation Ordinance No. AO-09-41? (flood) $2,616.85.

 

Items considered during new business included:

? Resolution No. R-09-185 ? A Resolution to approve the Generation Re-dispatch Agreement between the City of Coffeyville and the Grand River Dam Authority. Approved 5-0.

? Resolution No. R-09-188 ? A Resolution to approve an engineering and field services agreement with Sega Inc. for the Yokagawa controller for Boiler No. 5 in the Electric Utility Department. Cost: $22,075. Approved 5-0.

? Resolution No. R-09-189 ? A Resolution to execute an agreement with Sega, Inc., to provide air compliance reporting services for the Electric Utility Department. Cost: $30,000. Approved 5-0.

? Resolution No. R-09-190 ? A Resolution to support the county?s continued participation in the Kansas Enterprise Zone Program as a designated non-metropolitan business region. Approved 5-0.

? Resolution No. R-09-191 ? A Resolution to execute an agreement with Coffeyville Friends of Animals for operation of the new animal shelter which is scheduled to open after the first of next year. Initial compensation paid to CFOA: $1,500. Approved 5-0.

 

The commission took no action on the following items, instructing city staff to cast a wider net in soliciting new bids:

? Resolution No. R-09-186 ? A Resolution to issue a purchase order to Interstate Electrical Construction for a 480 volt MCC for Cooling Tower No. 3 in the Electric Utility Department. Cost: $65,100.

? Resolution No. R-09-187 ? A Resolution to issue a purchase order to Interstate Electrical Construction for a 2.4 kV breaker for Boiler No. 5 in the Electric Utility Department. Cost: $69,200.

 

The commission also took no action on the following item, pending a survey of other area airport t-hangar rental rates:

? Resolution No. R-09-192 ? A Resolution to increase t-hangar rental rates for the Coffeyville Municipal Airport by $30 per month. These rates have not been adjusted since the city assumed control of the hangars in 1985. If approved, the new rates would take effect Jan. 1, 2010.

 

The commission also met in executive session for 45 minutes for matters regarding attorney-client relationship.