The next step in the Quaker Park saga was supposed to be the validation of signatures on a petition in opposition to the park’s sale or transfer, however, that will no longer be necessary. The reason is that Emporia Commissioners chose Tuesday to have city staff draft a resolution rescinding the commission’s previous action designating the park as surplus real property and initiating the sale and transfer process. Part of the reason for this decision, recommended by Emporia City Manager Trey Cocking, was the number of signatures the petition gathered, more than 800. 462 signatures from registered Emporia voters were needed to make the petition valid and thus force city leadership to either end the sale process outright or place the item on a future election ballot. The protest deadline was 5 pm Monday and the validation process was expected to take two to three days to complete, however, Cocking says there was no need for further action noting the community has made its desire clear.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio
