City, schools consider joint planning committee

Formation of a joint school facility advisory committee will be on the agenda for the Hutchinson City Council and School District 423 Board at their first meetings in November.

The council got its first look Tuesday night at a proposed resolution creating a committee made up of council and board members, city and school staff, and “selected” community representatives.

Mayor Steve Cook said the idea “kind of came about through some community members talking about it.”

The permanent committee would engage in long-range, comprehensive joint facilities planning and could suggest future public facilities priorities and identifying financing options to minimize the tax impact.

It could look at ways the city and school could team to provide services. The city already has a contract to maintain school grounds and plow snow.

The committee also could look at maximizing the shared use of existing or future facilities.

Cook said the school board may consider the resolution at its Nov. 9 meeting, the night before the council meets.

Read more of this story in the Leader’s Oct. 29 print edition.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com.)