A representative from the Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL) spoke to the council about a child abuse prevention program during their bi-monthly meeting on Monday, March 23. Healthy Families America (HFA) is a national home visiting program designed to support families of children ages prenatal to three years. HFA works with families in the home to educate parents on parent- child bonding, complete assessments on development and connect families with resources. HFA also helps with transportation and organizes family time events, parent clubs, and playgroups. The events are typically scheduled around other community activities, as their goal is to get people engaged with their communities and “build a village.” As April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, HFA is planning to invite local families to join them in a Pinwheels for Prevention campaign, where participants will plant pinwheels to raise awareness. The pinwheel represents joy, innocence, and the healthy, happy future all children deserve, serving as a reminder that everyone plays a role in creating supportive communities.
Mayor Stephen Coulter read a proclamation declaring April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Eureka, saying, “Together, we can create a state where every child can grow up happy, healthy and safe with a home for their future.”
Information regarding the KCSL and HFA can be found at www.kcsl.org.
eCommunity Partnership In public comments, Janet Miller presented information about eCommunity Partnership, an initiative of Network Kansas dedicated to fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems throughout the state, and invited Eureka and Greenwood County to apply to become an eCommunity. “The eCommunities feel that entrepreneurship and small business development are at the center of economic development,” she said. By working hand-in-hand with local communities, the Partnership provides essential tools, expertise, education, and financial resources to support community- driven entrepreneurship and economic growth.
Miller said that one function of the eCommunity partnership is to provide loans for new or existing businesses that cover up to 60% of a total loan. The remaining 40% must be secured from other sources, such as a bank, credit union, or public funding options.
Miller said there is no cost to be involved and that the application deadline for 2026 is March 31. Two to four new eCommunities are accepted each year, according to Miller. Communities who are not selected are encouraged to apply again in following years. Mayor Coulter said that he felt this type of partnership could be a big help to the community.
Library Report
Library Di rect o r Anneliese Brubaker presented her library report for February and March. Brubaker was pleased to report that the library has seen very good participation in February with 195 total participants across all library programming. Passive programming is doing especially well, which are things that people can do without having to sign up. Brubaker said that the Blind Date with a Book had a lot of participants in February, and St. Patrick’s Day activities did well in March. Also in March, spring break programming was well attended with story time, a teens and tweens tie-dye party, and Lego Day.
Coming in April, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, a nationwide program encouraging parents to read with their children from birth to age five to build early literacy skills, is being organized by Ariel Treece.
Brubaker reported that the library has received a $250 materials delivery grant, which covers the courier expense and helps distribute books and DVDs to other libraries in the state. Additionally, Brubaker said, the library received a very generous $2,000 donation from a regular patron. The funds were perfectly timed, said Brubaker, as the library’s Cricut machine, used to create bulletin boards, had recently failed.
Brubaker also noted that she is still working to bolt down the shelving in the children’s section as per an insurance audit recommendation. She explained that because the concrete floors were created to withstand a great deal of weight, anchoring the shelves has been a challenge, but that she is actively working toward a solution.
Street Vacation Process The council had a discussion regarding the establishment of a process for vacating streets and/ or alleyways in the City of Eureka. Council members discussed the need for an application or some kind of documentation when a street vacation is requested, to ensure that the process is completed correctly and consistently.
Council discussed the potential need for an administrative fee to cover tasks required to complete the process, such as ordinance creation, publication costs and staff-hours. Notification of impacted parties such as utility providers, garbage collection, emergency services, and neighboring property owners was also considered.
Code Enforcement Officer Steve French stated that, because the vacated streets or alleyways are cityowned, taxpayers would ultimately be affected and asked if the adjacent property owners should be required to purchase the land from the city rather than having it fall to them by default. Mayor Coulter said that this question might best be answered by City Attorney William McClendon.
Council also debated in what order the specific committees or departments might be asked to review a request for a street vacation. The transportation committee, the street department, and the planning and zoning commission would all need to be involved in the process. It was agreed that the application process would cover the questions regarding the chain of order.
A rough draft of the application was presented for council members to review and make recommendations at a future date.
Sale of Tax Credits
City Clerk Renee Burk announced that a buyer has been found to purchase the city’s state historic rehabilitation tax credits. Robert Thompson, a Kansas limited liability company, has offered to purchase the city’s total $41,000 in tax credits at the price of 85 cents on the dollar.
The council voted to approve the purchase agreement in the amount of $34,850.
The transfer of Eureka City Lake lot #79 was presented and approved. The lot will transfer from Timothy Dimick to Wayne E. Brandt and Valentina Recinos.
A motion was approved to advertise for hay bids for the areas of the City of Eureka by April 10. The bids will be accepted for the cemetery, Eureka Lake, the mixing grounds, and Lt. William M. Milliken Airport The consent agenda, including the minutes of the March 9 regular meeting, the minutes of the March 11 special meeting, the scheduled claims list for expenses due through March 23, 2026, in the amount of $72,799.13, and purchase order #731082 to Brenntag for $6,027.99, were approved as presented.
The next Eureka City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 13, at 7 p.m. at the Eureka Public Library.
