Dear Chamber Supporters,

As I met with my Executive Committee this past week, we talked about all your Chamber has on our calendar over the next month or so. Boy oh boy do we have a lot in store! We start off with a concert this evening (you can see more info on that here), Eggs and Issues on August 29 (tickets for that here), the third quarter Small Business Seminar with the SBDC on September 5 (more info here), and Ladies Night Out on September 27 (businesses can register for LNO here). Along with Ladies Night Out, we will be selling this year’s LNO T-Shirt featuring this year’s theme, Sunflower Splendor (view a link with more info here). Along with regular networking Chamber Coffees and Ribbon Cuttings, August and September should be a blast. If you’re wondering how to get involved in any of these programs, give us a holler; we’d love to get you plugged in! Check out some of what has been going on this past week below.

Franklin County Primary Election Recap

Franklin County voters came out Tuesday to participate in the August Primary Election (you can view those results here).

The congressional race for District 3 on the Republican side locally had Karen Crnkovich just eking out Dr. Prasanth Reddy. Though District 3 as a whole had Dr. Reddy winning by a fair margin (53.1% to 46.9%). He will face incumbent Sharice Davids in the General Election.
We saw several state senate and house races move forward with no primary competition, including Carrie Barth (R) and Henry Johns (D) in District 5 and Rebecca Schmoe (R) and Michael Lewis (D) in District 59 for the House of Representatives. Senator Rick Kloos (R) and Democratic candidate Dena Sattler (D) also moved on without opposition for District 3.
Caryn Tyson won her primary race against Stetson Kern and will face Libertarian opponent Cullene Lang in the general for the District 12 Senator spot.
State Board of Education District 4 saw Connie O’Brien (R) win over two others in her primary, along with Kris Meyer (D) moving along to the general while running unopposed.
The only local race with opposition was for Franklin County Commissioner in District 3, where Sabrina Meador received more votes than Shawn Turner and John Marconette. Sabrina will join Rod Harris as county commissioner, who will start a new term.

Those on the ballot for the General Election will hopefully make an appearance at the Chamber’s General Candidate Forum on October 9th at 7 p.m. in the Ottawa Memorial Auditorium. This event will allow community members to submit questions, much like the Primary Candidates Forum that took place in July. It will also be streamed live on Facebook and published for later viewing. The Legislative Action Committee is committed to keeping our community informed and connected to information, legislators, and candidates in our area.

Planning Ottawa’s Next Chapter

Wednesday evening I was able to attend the City of Ottawa’s public Comprehensive Plan Update at the Historical Society Archives here in town (see picture here). This was the third and final gathering of this kind. City Planner Zach Martin shared information about the Neighborhood and Community Services department, what a comprehensive plan is, why it’s being updated, and the next steps in this process (you can view all of his slides here). The most recent comprehensive plan for the City of Ottawa was crafted twenty-some years ago in 2004. Zach shared that this is not an outlandish amount of time for a plan to be in place, but it is definitely hitting the end of its lifespan. Much has changed over the course of twenty years which is the biggest reason for the update. Before I get ahead of myself, if you’re unfamiliar with what a comprehensive plan is, in short, it acts as a guideline for decision-making on items like zoning, infrastructure, parks, and more. Zach shared that he frequently references their current plan when making presentations on different items to the City Commission. Along with being a guideline, it also helps outline community goals and helps shape what it will take to reach them. This new plan will not be a document started from scratch but will most likely have much of the same bones as the current plan. This will be based on the input and findings throughout the process.

This project is currently in the information-collecting stage. Along with this session, a public survey is accessible to give your opinion on certain matters that affect this plan (view that survey here). This new plan is likely to be finalized in mid-2025, and plenty of drafting will still be done before it’s completed form. One of the key points Zach shared was the city's desire to hear from those with thoughts, concerns, or general input. You can view his contact information here. I appreciate the effort to receive as much feedback as possible from the community. With 12,000+ voices in Ottawa, receiving input from an array of viewpoints can sometimes slow down progress. But if you want to go fast, you go alone―if you want to go far, you go together.

Sipping and Shopping With New Common Consumption Area

This past week, the Ottawa Main Street Association, the City of Ottawa, and liquor license holders in downtown Ottawa got together to discuss one of the most recent ordinances in town, the Common Consumption Area (CCA). You may have noticed new markings off Hickory or Walnut Street, these are tied to this hyperlocal edict (pictures here). On February 14th of this year, the City Commission gave the green light to an ordinance that establishes a permitting process for temporary events where alcoholic beverages will be sold, served, and then can be taken outside the normally defined area of the establishment. While you're inside the designated boundaries and the CCA is activated, you can sip on your favorite alcoholic beverage while moving throughout downtown (boundary for the CCA here).

This new law has a few important aspects.

The first is that it isn’t an all-the-time thing―the CCA is only operational during specific city-approved events.
This doesn’t allow for outside alcohol to be consumed within the CCA; only drinks purchased from a licensed establishment within the boundary are allowed.
Drinks taken outside the location purchased need to follow the guidelines set in place. They must be in a clear plastic cup, 16oz, with a clear depiction of the business that it was purchased from on the cup.
These drinks can be taken inside businesses that do not have a liquor license, as long as the business owner permits them to be. Congruent signage will be posted on businesses that do not allow alcohol to be taken into their establishment.
One of the most important rules, drinks cannot be taken outside the boundaries previously stated. Whether you’re outside in Haley Park, Legacy Square, or shopping in your favorite retail store (that’s within this boundary), you’re in the clear. But everything needs to be tidied up prior to leaving the markings stating you’re leaving the CCA area.

This law will bring a new element to events like the annual Car Show or Third Thursdays that take place each month. With that comes new opportunities to incentivize shoppers in our downtown commercial district. There will undoubtedly be some bumps while starting off, but educating the public about the purpose of the ordinance, how to follow the rules, and how to effectively communicate with the businesses within the district will play a large role in the success of the program. The Ottawa Main Street Association has served and will continue to serve, as a focal point for this program. I know Sara and her board would love to talk more about this new offering (OMSA info here). I'm thankful the City Commission has approved the ordinance to benefit this commercial area, as well as City staff who have worked to make this effective and safe for all concerned.

Leadership Franklin County Kicks Off 40th Year with New Class

The end of summer is here! Along with that comes the start of a new class year for Leadership Franklin County. This morning we introduced the nineteen new class members at our morning Chamber Coffee (pictures here). The LFC Board of Trustees is one of the most high-functioning boards you’ll ever see around. They take extreme pride in the work that is done through this program and continue to find ways to improve these classes each year. I look forward to seeing these nineteen individuals grow their leadership capabilities individually, learn how to interact with other community leaders effectively, and develop their knowledge of our community (incoming class here).

This year marks the forty-year anniversary of Leadership Franklin County, which had its first graduating class in 1985. There are plans to commemorate this accomplishment later in 2025, we look forward to releasing more details about what this will look like later in the year. This morning we took a photo of all of those attending the coffee who had completed LFC over the past forty years (picture here). This is just a small portion of hundreds who can say they are LFC alums. To me, this photo embodies a massive leadership cohort that exists within our community. The Chamber takes great pride in cultivating leadership qualities through this program and looks forward to seeing how impactful the next forty years will be.

Here in just a few hours, the Chamber will be hosting our second concert of the summer! Local band Clevermax is ready to rock out in downtown Ottawa over at Legacy Square. We had to pull a lot of strings to receive the coolest weathered day in all of August (maybe even this summer) for this evening concert… don’t let it go to waste! All are invited to sit back and enjoy the cool summer day at the free community event. Make sure to bring your lawn chair unless you are joining one of our Pit Sponsors at the front (full list of Concert Pit Sponsors here). We wouldn’t be able to host these events without the help of our great community supporters who partner with us on these two fun evenings. Whether you’re a sponsor of the event or just coming out to enjoy the show, we’re glad you’re here! See you in a bit,

Ryland Miller

President/CEO

Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce

ryland@ottawakansas.org

785-242-1000