LJWorld.com

November 29, 2006

This chat has already taken place. Read the transcript below.

Moderator: Hello we're here with Eudora Mayor, Tom Pyle. I'm Haley Harrison and I'll be the moderator for today's chat.

Tom Pyle: Good afternoon. It's nice to be with you today. I'll try to answer all your questions. Some I may know, some I may not. But I can get your name and answer back later if I don't know.

kstar: Are there any plans on developing a park on the south side of K-10? If so, where will the park be and when can we expect it to be started.

Tom Pyle: Yes we have a plan for a park on the south side of K-10. We're at least a year away. We're working on the purchase of the grounds but I cannot release the area because we do not want others to know what area we're looking at.

CPyle: Hey Grandpa! You should arrange for us to be out of school tomorrow. That would be great. Love you! Christina

Tom Pyle: Christina. I do believe you deserve the day off tomorrow, but I'm going to go straight to the superintendent because he has more power. Love Grandpa.

cheeseburger: Do you believe the continual infighting amongst the council members, the administrator, and the mayor inhibit proper planning for the city?

Tom Pyle: Yes I do. I do believe it has slowed down considerably. It will continue to slow down even more. We're not going to put up with nonsense. Most of us are working for the benefit of the city and we should be working on the same page for the betterment of the city at large.

my2girls: Any chance of Eudora becoming smoke free in public places?

Tom Pyle: Being an ex-smoker, I can sympathize with those who haven't been able to kick the habit and believe that they would like to continue smoking. I know it bothers the elderly and young children though. I'd like to leave it up to private businesses. But in public places, like the city hall and private businesses should be governed by themselves.

my2girls: Will 20th street be paved all the way down?

Tom Pyle: I believe you're referring about paving all the way to Winchester Road. Yes, I believe in time, It will be at least a year away or more. We need more right of way and it should be paved.

kstar: Can you give me an update on the interchange at Winchester Rd. and K-10?

Tom Pyle: It's not a true update. But KDOT has told us it's probably 8 to 10 years away from being an interchange. But they have not ruled it out, so we feel positive that it will later be finished. Then it will benefit the whole west side of Eudora.

icareeudora: Why did you appoint this person for the open council position? Why did you choose not to appoint the man who ran for the spot two years ago and received several votes from the "people" of the city? He appeared to have interest in the politics and took the time to run. Thanks Barry

Tom Pyle: The decision was because of the interviews and who I felt, at this time, would be the right person for the position. There have been many people who have run for city elections who have not been elected but are not appointed. In April, the person in question, will certainly be encouraged to run. He has the city at heart and will make a very good city council member.

Rena: How do you feel about Eudora adopting a Clean Indoor Air policy?

Tom Pyle: We all enjoy clean air. We're all entitled to clean air. This is what we're talking about with public buildings that will be kept clean with a smoking ban. If we like it or not, it will probably be outlawed in the future...at least in public property.

kstar: Can you update us on the development plans for the reamining vacant land near the middle school and high school?

Tom Pyle: This is really a question for our superintendent of schools because they own much of the land in that area. In the city we're interested with developing that land. We work with the schools and school board and want to be successful with them, because we work with the same tax dollars.

icareeudora: Do you support the Administrator having more power over the employees and leaving policy to council?

Tom Pyle: The policy are always dictated by the city council and carried out by the administration because they are there on a day to day basis and the city council meets twice monthly and cannot try to micromanage what goes on with the employees. That is why we have administrators, superintendents because they're there on a daily basis and should have more knowledge on the operations.

kstar: Will there be another road that eventually leads in and out of the Shadow Ridge housing development, helping to ease the traffic on 1061?

Tom Pyle: Yes the school district already has in mind that a street coming out and going onto 20th st. and going toward Winchester Rd. that way would relieve traffic on 1061.

Moderator: That's all the time we have this afternoon. Thanks to Mayor Tom Pyle for coming from Eudora to join us on this dreary afternoon.

Tom Pyle: Thank you for all of the questions. They were very well thought out and it's the intent of the Mayor and council to continue to work with the citizens of Eudora and all those interested so our city will continue to grow in an orderly fashion and work for the best of all concerned. Eudora is growing and when we get up to a 10,000 plus population, we'll be a city of the first class.