By John Huxman
Freelance Reporter
Special to the Tribune

At its November 18 regular commission meeting, City of Pratt leaders signed an agreement with the South Central Community Foundation to create a “Field of Interest Expendable Fund” to hold money donated toward the Hot and Cold Tower Garden. The foundation will handle all of the bookkeeping aspects of the Hot and Cold Tower gardens, such as giving donors their receipts for tax-deductible donations.

Mayor Zach Deeds requested clarification as to why the Hot and Cold Tower Gardens needed their own fund, rather than operating out of the Friends of Pratt Parks and Recreation Trust Account. Deeds pointed out that the existing account “has acted like this in the past when people want to give to something in providing receipts and write-offs.”

City Administrator Regina Goff called on Pratt resident Tammy Coleman, who is now in charge of the tower gardens, to answer that question. Coleman explained that the hope is for the Hot and Cold Tower Gardens Fund to one day become an endowed fund so that it could be used to pay workers (at present, all of the workers are volunteers). Coleman said that in order for this to be done, the fund needs to be specific to the tower garden.

Goff also pointed out that having a separate fund guarantees donors that their money will be used specifically for the Hot and Cold Tower Garden and not for any other Parks and Recreation projects. The city passed the motion creating the fund.

Coleman also addressed the commission during the open agenda portion of the meeting. She said she had applied for two grants for the tower garden; one for plants and one for flags. She regretted to inform the commission that both of those grants had been declined. However, the Eleanor Kur Fund stepped in and provided the funding of $1,000 for the flags. Coleman presented the check to the mayor at the meeting. This amount will provide both flags and flag poles for the tower garden.

“Just seeing it recently, I can’t believe that’s the same same hot and cold water towers,” said Commissioner Jeanette Siemens. “That’s really nice and it is going to get better.”

In other business, the commission:

*Approved the sale of alcohol at the Vernon Filley’s 2025 Mardi Gras Ball and a Art Auction, which will be held at the municipal building on March 1, 2025. This year, it was held at the armory, the reason for the change to the municipal building is to have a raised stage because they are going to host Kelly Hunt and her acoustic quartet.

*Approved the presence of two sheep, four lambs, and a donkey at the living nativity at Lemon Park for Christmas in the Park on Saturday November 23.

*Approved another component of the EBH agreement to continue toward the digging of well #17.

*Approved the electrical department to sign the Build Kansas Matching Grant Agreement. This gives the city access to a federal grant through the bipartisan infrastructure law that would provide three million dollars in project funding to the city after the city has contributed one third of that money—one million dollars. The city has applied to the state and been approved for a free one million dollar grant to cover the city’s portion, so that, if the federal grant is approved, the city will be receiving $3 million in electrical improvements at no cost to the city. The commissioners referred to this application as “a no-brainer” and approved the agreement necessary for the application.

*Approved the KDOT urban function street classifications. These have not changed substantially since the last set were approved. They provide KDOT with classifications of the street in town that helps KDOT to know how to prioritize construction projects.

*Heard an update on the signs to identify Pratt as the hometown of Bill Farmer who voices Pluto, Goofy, and many other Disney and Warner Brothers characters. Disney has declined to allow Pratt to depict any Disney characters on the signs. The city is now trying to find out whether Disney will allow the signs to use the words “Goofy” and/or “Pluto.”

*Declined permission to a vendor who sought permission to sell hot chocolate at Lemon Park. Permission will only be granted to sell hot chocolate at the park during approved events, such as Christmas in the park.

*Heard that City Inspector Brad Blankenship will be retiring on April 1, 2025. The city intends to find a replacement for him as soon as possible so that his replacement can shadow him for the last couple of months that he works for the city.