City Government
City History
Hiawatha was founded in 1857. John M. Coe, John P. Wheller, and Thomas J. Drummond were instrumental in organizing the town, and the site was staked out February 17, 1857. B.L. Rider reportedly was responsible for naming Hiawatha, taking the young Indian's name from Henry W. Longfellow's poem, "Song of Hiawatha." The main street was designated Oregon Street after the Oregon Trail. Parallel streets north of it were named after Indian tribes north of the Trail, and streets south carried tribal names of those south of the Trail. Hiawatha became the Brown County Seat in 1858, and the first school opened in 1870.
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Hiawatha is noted as the "City of Beautiful Maples," due to the brilliant foliage in the fall, and home of the world renowned Davis Memorial, a unique tomb featuring 11 life-size statues of Mr. and Mrs. John M. Davis. Since 1914, Hiawatha has been the site of the Halloween Frolic, the oldest such celebration in the nation, held on October 31.
Hiawatha is located between the Kickapoo, Iowa and Sac-Fox Indian Reservations at the intersection of Highways 36 and 73 in northeast Kansas.
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Founded: 1857
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Population: 3302 (2020)
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School District: USD 415
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Elevation: 1136 feet
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ZIP code: 66434
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Latitude: 39° 51' 9" N
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Area Code: 785
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Longitude: 95° 32' 8" W
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City Ordinances
- City Ordinances
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
- CHAPTER I. ADMINISTRATION
- CHAPTER II. ANIMAL CONTROL AND REGULATION
- CHAPTER III. BEVERAGES
- CHAPTER IV. BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION
- CHAPTER V. BUSINESS REGULATIONS
- CHAPTER VI. ELECTIONS
- CHAPTER VII. FIRE
- CHAPTER VIII. HEALTH AND WELFARE
- CHAPTER IX. MUNICIPAL COURT
- CHAPTER X. POLICE
- CHAPTER XI. PUBLIC OFFENSES
- CHAPTER XII. PUBLIC PROPERTY
- CHAPTER XIII. STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
- CHAPTER XIV. TRAFFIC
- CHAPTER XV. UTILITIES
- CHAPTER XVI. ZONING AND PLANNING
- PREFACE
- INDEX
- APPENDIX A. CHARTER ORDINANCES
- APPENDIX B. FRANCHISES
- 2011 Ordinances
- 2012 Ordinances
- 2013 Ordinances
- 2014 Ordinances
- 2015 ORDINANCES
- Ordinance 2025
- Ordinance 2026
- Sewer rates
- Ordinance 2027
- Capital Improvement Fund
- Ordinance 2028
- Employee Wages
- Ordinance 2029
- Amending Pay Ordinance
- Ordinance 2030
- Water Rates
- Ordinance 2031
- Personnel Policy
- Ordinance 2032
- Zoning Ordinance
- Ordinance 2033
- zoning Ordinance
- Ordinance 2034
- Chase Condemnation
- Ordinance 2035
- Noise Ordinance
- Ordinance No. 2036
- Ordinance 2038
- Ordinance 2039 STO
- Traffic ordinances
- Ordinance 2040
- Zoning-Aztec Avenue
- Ordinance 2041
- Ordinance 2042
- Ordinance 2043 Sales Tax 2017
- Ordinance 2044 Sewer Rate Increase
- Ordinance 2045
- Employee wages
- Ordinance 2046
- Concealed & Open Carry Guns banned from Commission/Court Room
- Ordinance 2047
- Amending Personnel Policies
- Ordinance 2048
- Tobacco Free Parks
- Ord 2049
- UPOC
- Ordinance 2050
- Standard Traffic Ordinance
- 2018 Ordinances
- 2019 Ordinances
- 2020 ORDINANCES
- 2021 ORDINANCES
- CHARTER ORDINANCES
- 2022 Ordinance
- 2023 Ordinances
- 2024 Ordinances
Commission Agendas
- 2007 Agendas
- 2008 Agendas
- 2009 Agendas
- 2010 Agendas
- 2011 Agendas
- 2012 Agendas
- 2013 Agendas
- 2014 Agendas
- 2015 Agendas
- 2016 Agendas
- 2017 Agendas
- 2018 Agendas
- 2019 Agendas
- 2020 Agendas
- 2021 Agendas
- 2022 Agendas
- 2023 Agendas
- 2024 Agendas
Commission Minutes
- 2006 Minutes
- 2007 Minutes
- 2008 Minutes
- 2009 Minutes
- 2010 Minutes
- 2011 Minutes
- 2012 Minutes
- 2013 Minutes
- 2014 Minutes
- 2015 Minutes
- 2016 Minutes
- 2017 Minutes
- 2018 Minutes
- 2019 Minutes
- 2020 Minutes
- 2021 Minutes
- 2022 Minutes
- 2023 Minutes
- 2024 Minutes
Mayor and Commission
Mayor:
Becky Shamburg, Mayor - January 2023 - January 2027; Commissioner from 2017-2023
Becky is the Director of Special Education for Brown County Special Education Interlocal #615. She is also the head cross country coach and assistant track coach for Hiawatha High school. She received her undergraduate degree from Kansas State University and her Masters degree from Fort Hays State University.
Becky has three children: Sam, Ryan and Aly.
City Commission:
David Middendorf, Finance, May 2020 - January 2027
David was born and raised in Hiawatha. He was first married to Nancy who lost a battle to cancer. They have two daughters: Jessica and Jeff Young (Haley and Benton) and Katie and Chris Knoll (Ava and Liam). He is currently married Lela who has two children: Brandon and Laura Smith (Mitchell and Meredith) and Jenna Smith.
David graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree and is a Professional Engineer Emeritus. He retired from a 40 year career with an international engineering company in Overland Park working on the design and construction of power generation facilities and air quality improvement projects.
He currently serves on the Tree Board and Land Bank Board for the City of Hiawatha and is an active member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Hiawatha.
His hobbies include landscaping, collecting and working on jukeboxes and other vintage electronics, and spending time with his grandchildren.
Evans Woehlecke, Police - January 2021 - January 2025
Evans graduated from Hiawatha High School in 1982; Highland Community College in 1984; and from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in 1992.
Evans spent 25 years with the Hiawatha Police Department before retiring in 2016. In those 25 years, he spent 8 years with Patrol; 12 years as Chief of Police; and 5 years as Code Enforcement.
Evans is married to Ginger Woehlecke. They have two children, Jaycea and Drake, and one grandchild, Cayson.
Evans enjoys fishing and hunting. He is also registered with the KSHSAA sports official.
Evans is currently employed with the Brown County Sheriff's Office as a Corrections Officer, and with Chapel Oaks Funeral Home of Hiawatha/Highland
Brian Shefferd, Utilities - January 2021 - January 2025
Brian is the son of Gary & Karen Shefferd. He graduated from Hiawatha High School in 1999, where he met his wife Tami Shefferd.
After college, Brian and Tami moved back to Hiawatha to raise their family. They have lived in Hiawatha since 2008, and have two kids - Tucker and Mackenzie.
Brian has been a helicopter mechanic for almost 20 years, and currently works with the United States Fire Service maintaining helicopters for forest fires.
