History    

The City of Goodland, county seat of Sherman County, is located in Northwest Kansas. It is conveniently located 17 miles from the Colorado border. Interstate 70 and Kansas Highway 24 & 27 serve the City.  Goodland is two hours and thirty minutes east of Denver, Colorado and six hours west of Kansas City, Kansas.

The City of Goodland was incorporated as a City of the third class on September 5, 1887. The founding and incorporation of the City of Goodland was the outgrowth of a bitter rivalry between a number of pioneer towns, all located within a few miles of each other, and near the present site of Goodland. In a special election, Goodland was overwhelmingly selected as the county seat of Sherman County. When the Rock Island railroad built its line through northwest Kansas, Goodland was made a division point, greatly stimulating the growth of the City.

On December 9, 1893, Goodland was made a City of the second class and has had a Commission-City Manager form of government since 1982.

In 1920, the mayor and city council awarded the paving of Main Street to Cook and Ransom, an Ottawa firm, for the sum of $109,703.60. Cook and Ransom advertised that their Indian bricklayer, Jim Brown could lay brick as fast as eight men could bring them to him.

Main Street was to be paved with brick from 8th Street to 17th Street with 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th Streets to be paved for one block each side of Main Street. Mr. Brown began work on June 7, 1921, the streets had already been prepared with five inches of concrete covered with a layer of sand. He was so proficient that he could lay 125 to 150 bricks per minute. Mr. Brown worked leaning over from a standing position with leather pads on his fingers holding a brick in each hand laying them at a steady pace of two bricks a second. Mr. Brown finished in December of 1921.

Today, one can still see the remarkable work of Jim Brown as you travel down those same streets. The City continues to strive to preserve the amazing work that was completed all those years ago.

The Goodland City Commission is comprised of five members elected at large. Each year the Commission chooses one of their members to serve as their chairperson. This individual is referred to as the Mayor, however under this form of government this position has no more authority than any other commissioner.

The City Commission meets on the first and third Mondays of each month. If a regularly scheduled meeting falls on an official city holiday, the meeting is re-scheduled to the next business day. The City Commission meeting begins at 5:00 p.m. in the Commission Room located on the second floor of City Hall, 204 West 11th Street. All formal actions of the Commission are considered during these meetings.

All meetings of the Commission are open to the public and are accessible to persons with disabilities. In limited cases the City Commission is allowed to discuss certain issues in an "executive session" closed to the public, however the Commission must take any formal action in open session.

The City Manager is appointed by the City Commission and acts as the City’s chief executive in accordance with state law. The City Manager is responsible for appointing all other city employees. The City Commission sets the policy for the city and the City Manager is responsible for the administration of the municipal government.