Dodge commission recognizes tri-city cooperation

Together we stand, divided we fall.
    Area officials are hoping that old adage still holds true as the governing bodies from Dodge City, Garden City and Liberal join forces in a regional agreement.
    Monday night, Dodge City commissioners signed a cooperation agreement with the other two cities, essentially giving the word that all three would work together on shared issues.
    Over the past year, members of the governing bodies have been meeting to discuss problems that all three share: transportation, gangs, no four-year education institutions. Yet, for all the talk, there was no real official declaration of intent, but rather a group of officials who had the desire to work together.
    The agreement, unanimously approved, hopes to change that.
    According to the agreement: "The purpose of this agreement is to create and establish a regionally united entity designed to effectively identify, support, promote and advocate for and on behalf of local, state and federal policies to address common issues impacting the southwest region of the state of Kansas."
    In essence, City Clerk Nannette Pogue said, it simply outlines in writing what the tri-city coalition has been working on for the past year.
    The agreement has no real binding power, and the board itself cannot exercise any unanimous control over the area. However, Pogue said it was a way for the respective cities to offer their assurances that rather than lobby on behalf of individual cities, they would attack from a united front.
    According to the agreement, when the coalition wishes to make change in policies affecting all three cities, each policy change must come before the three respective commissions during a regular meeting.
    In its last meeting, the coalition said the first issue it would tackle would be raising a louder voice when the state's comprehensive transportation plan was revamped next year.
    In other news:
    • Commissioners approved a 5 percent raise to City Manager Ken Strobel as part of his annual evaluation.

Reach Mark Vierthaler at (620) 408-9908 or e-mail mark.vierthaler@dodgeglobe.com.