Fire Chief Luke Westerman shared with the Eureka City Council on Monday, Aug. 25, that the Eureka Fire Department has received a $15,000 grant from the Tim Underwood Memorial Golf Tournament again this year. The department has received the grant for the last five years. “Last year, we were able to build the training facility, which is very close to completion,” said Westerman. The grant is a 100% grant, as no matching contribution is required.
Westerman told the council that this year, they propose to use the funds to replace some of their SCUBA gear, as their current equipment is over 20 years old. “We are looking at replacing regulators, buoyancy control devices, and gauges,” he told the council. Pricing quotes were provided from Midwest Aquatics of Overland Park and Amber Waves of Wichita. Both quotes include equipment designed for high sediment load and cold water diving, which are conditions the Eureka divers are likely to encounter. “This is important,” explained Westerman, “because products not designed for this type of water can clog more easily or may be prone to other issues.” Westerman said that both companies provide quality equipment that would fit the fire department’s needs but recommended choosing Amber Waves, which he said the department has dealt with in the past with good results. The council approved the purchase through Amber Waves at a cost of $12,954. Westerman added that, in September, he plans to send two men to open water certification training at a total cost of $1,240, which will make it possible for them to use the new equipment. Recently, Eureka divers were instrumental in a successful recovery effort after a drowning occurred at Madison Lake.
Ideatek Sales representative Matt Towne presented the council with a service agreement to provide fiber internet service for the city. Eureka’s current internet service provider, KWIKOM, has announced that after October 2025, it will no longer serve the Eureka area. The proposed five-year agreement through Ideatek will cost $995 per month and is designed to provide data speeds of 100 Mbps (megabits per second) or 1000 Mbps, depending on the need of the location. The Memorial Hall and the Greenwood County Community Center (GC3), will receive 1,000 Mbps, Towne said. “More potential users require faster data speeds to prevent slowdowns,” he explained. The council moved to accept the service agreement as presented, and connection with Ideatek is expected to begin soon. Steve French presented bids he had obtained for repairs needed at the city of Eureka’s old street repair shop. The shop, located at 400 W. River St., has been in limited use for some time due to storm damage. The repair project will include demolishing and rebuilding the rear wall of the building while keeping intact a barn door, which will be reused as an access point for city equipment. The roof of the building is also to be repaired and replaced using TPO. It is considered cost-effective and energy efficient. JCE Construction from Emporia bid the project at $46,000 and would rebuild the rear wall using a wood frame and metal siding. Monjaras Roofing of Wichita proposed to rebuild the rear wall using concrete block and bid the total project at $77,626.57. The council voted to accept the bid from JCE with the contingencies that the company first provide a general commercial liability ACORD certificate (or Certificate of Insurance), a Kansas Roofing Contractor Registration Certificate, and a specific set of plans for the project.
The GCC3 committee has announced that racing at Eureka Downs is set to begin in October 2026. Maintenance and improvements are continuing on the Eureka Downs building, said Councilman Dan Campbell. He said the main focus now is the Braden Room remodeling project, which includes painting, flooring, and carpet. Funds are already available, he said. Campbell also said that the GC3 has discussed the installation of air conditioning upstairs, which will be a costly project. “The lack of air conditioning prevents us from renting the upstairs,” said Campbell. He noted that they intend to approach the fair board for possible funding options for that project.
Mayor Stephen Coulter told the council that he had spoken with the Greenwood County Sheriff regarding proposed signage to be placed at the Eureka Lake Spillway. An off-road event in May prompted the city to propose the installation of signs warning visitors to stay on established roads. Coulter explained that because the signs would be on city property but would ultimately be enforced by the county sheriff, more research is needed to ensure that the wording on the signs will be correct. The council plans to discuss this further at the next city council meeting. Eureka will participate again this year with the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) Spay and Neuter Cost Share Program, which provides assistance to licensed animal facilities in rural, unserved, or underserved communities in Kansas. According to the guidelines, eligible facilities, which must be licensed by the KDA’s Animal Facilities Inspection (AFI) Program, can be reimbursed for up to 75% of surgery costs, with a maximum of $4,000 per applicant.
During public comments, Roy Wade requested and 2nd AnnuAl
received permission from the council to shoot fireworks at Philips Cabin on Sept. 6.
New citizen Gary Hansard addressed the council with concerns over a city code that he feels is vaguely written and potentially unfair to pet owners in Eureka. Hansard referenced the city’s Animal Control Code Chapter II Article 4(f), which indicates that any dog having the physical characteristics of a pit bull or similar terrier breed could be considered to be a pit bull, making it subject to requirements not applicable to other breeds. Hansard, who credits his dogs with saving his life, fears they may be in jeopardy because of this ordinance. His pets, he says, are rescues, and so he is not positive of their pedigree. Hansard noted the many misconceptions about pit bull dogs and their supposed potential for aggression. “I understand that there are bad people,” said Hansard, “but I’ve never met a bad dog.” Mayor Coulter said that he is sympathetic to Hansard’s issue. “But, these are the ordinances that were set in place before I was mayor,” he said. We have to adhere to our laws.” Coulter went on to say that there is a process to make a change to the ordinance if one is warranted.
Budget committee chairman Jason Brandt spoke about the city’s donation toward the Veterans Memorial Wall repair. The Veterans Wall, which was built in 2005, is in need of repair due to shifting of some of the stones. Brandt told the council that the committee has decided that a donation of $2,500 from Eureka’s travel and tourism fund will be given toward the cause.
In new business, City Clerk Renee Burk presented the 2026 budget summary for approval of publication. The summary appeared in the Aug. 27 issue of The Eureka Herald.
The budget hearing and Revenue Neutral Rate hearing are set for Sept. 8 at the regular meeting. Burk also shared the 2026 Capital Outlay Expenses report for review.
The council’s next meeting is slated for Monday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m.
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