On Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025 the Liberal City Commission addressed the following items during their regularly scheduled meeting:
Consent Agenda items (airport leases, cereal malt beverage applications) were approved by the Commission.
Eli Svaty, Executive Director of the Seward County Development Corporation, provided an update on economic development projects taking place in the city and county. Svaty announced that Liberal has been selected by Apogee Power for the establishment of a manufacturing site for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery systems and related energy storage technologies for commercial, industrial, and grid-scale applications across the United States. Liberal will serve as Apogee’s first North American location and is expected to bring an initial 40-50 new local jobs, in addition to related manufacturing partner companies in the future.
The Commission voted to approve a contract and separate change order with French Construction for the construction of streets and infrastructure for the Doll Addition Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID). Commissioner Ron Warren abstained from the votes. The development plan for the district includes the construction of 66 single-family homes along Larry and Hickory Streets in Southeast Liberal.
Commissioners voted to approve Resolution No. 2447 adopting the Kansas Homeland Security Region D Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Staff presented multiple housing programs available to assist residents in the 2026 budget year. Following review, the Commission voted to approve the following changes:
The First-Time Homebuyer, New Construction Multi-Family, New Construction Single Family, Home Repair Program, Paint the Town Program, Safe at Home Program, Wastewater Improvement Waiver Program, and Fence Program were approved to continue with no changes from the prior year.
A new Sidewalk Install or Repair Program was introduced and approved. The program will calculate incentive rates per square foot to provide up to $1,500 per residential property or up to $2,500 per commercial property for sidewalk repair or installation. The program is intended to improve pedestrian safety and community walkability. Eligible property owners will be reimbursed $1 per square foot for installation or repair. Reimbursement will be $2 per square foot if an installation extends an existing section of sidewalk. Property owners are eligible for $3 reimbursement per square foot in reimbursement if their sidewalk repair or replacement is located along a prioritized route recognized in the Launch Liberal 2035 Comprehensive Plan. For more information, residents may contact the Building Department at 620-626-2261 or in person at City Hall, 324 N. Kansas Ave.
Commissioners also voted to approve changes to the 2026 Façade Grant Program to include removal of old signage displays from business façade improvements. The program will allow up to $10,000 in matching funds for businesses to make improvements to storefronts. The overall program budget for 2026 was increased to $100,000 and is funded from the Economic Development portion of the 1-Cent Sales Tax.
A change order in an amount not to exceed $13,090 was approved for Seaton Construction in the construction of the new CityBus transit facility to address concerns about the site’s soil base material.
Commissioners voted to approve utility billing waivers in the amount of $2,079.98 for the Stepping Stone Shelter for the months of June to December 2025.
The next regularly scheduled Liberal City Commission meeting will take place January 13th, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.