Van City Council Regular Meeting

The Van City Council met in regular session on October 8, 2026, at 7:00 PM at Van City Hall. Mayor Ernie Burns called the meeting to order with all council members present. The agenda included a consent agenda with routine approvals, a city manager's report, and three action items: a request to remove stop signs, a request to reduce a speed limit, and the selection of an official city newspaper. No public comments were received during the Open Forum.

Consent Calendar

• The council approved the meeting minutes from the budget hearing and regular meeting on September 10, 2026, and the called meeting on September 24, 2026.
• The financial report was approved.
• Ordinance 09-14-2023-4, related to limitations on public information requests, was repealed. Councilmember Mark Thompson requested discussion on this item. Staff clarified that the ordinance created an administrative burden by requiring the city to track time spent on requests minute-by-minute without effectively limiting requests, and that repealing it would streamline operations. The consent agenda was approved unanimously with this item included.

City Manager Report

• City Manager Jeff Hudgens reported that the October sales tax disbursement was $117,000, a 14.9% increase compared to $102,000 for the same period last year.
• The water well project is progressing smoothly; the hole and screens are complete, and well development is underway. The final completion date remains on schedule for February or March of the following year.

Discussion Items

• Item A: Removal of Stop Signs at West Kansas and Cherry Street. The council considered a citizen request to remove stop signs from the intersection. Staff reported that a traffic engineering study could not be completed with available equipment. The pneumatic counters used provided daily averages (Eastbound: 268, Westbound: 417, Cherry Street: 462) but could not determine directional volumes or peak hourly counts required by standard engineering criteria. Staff stated the available data strongly suggested the intersection did not meet the minimum thresholds (300 units per hour on the major street for eight hours) needed to recommend an all-way stop. Some council members expressed reluctance to remove the signs without a formal petition, while others noted resident safety concerns. A motion to remove the signs failed for lack of a second. The council agreed to wait for a formal citizen petition before revisiting the issue.
• Item B: Reducing the Speed Limit on W. Florida Street. The council discussed a proposal to lower the speed limit. A two-week speed study conducted after road cleanup showed 85th percentile speeds of 18 mph eastbound and 25 mph westbound, with a combined average speed of 14 mph. The Police Chief noted limited enforcement resources and commented that the data indicated most drivers were already traveling well below the 30 mph limit, with only a few outliers (e.g., a single 46 mph reading). Council members concluded that the data did not justify a reduction. No motion was made, and discussion of further action was effectively concluded without a change.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously, including the repeal of Ordinance 09-14-2023-4.
• Stop Signs (Item A): Motion to remove failed for lack of a second. Further action deferred pending a citizen petition or new request.
• Speed Limit (Item B): No action taken. The council declined to lower the speed limit based on traffic study data.
• Official Newspaper (Item C): Resolution 10-08-2026 selecting The Van States News as the official newspaper for the city was approved unanimously.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote.