Schrage talks about the legacy he leaves behind as he steps down as Salina city manager
After almost 20 years working for Salina, city manager Mike Schrage is leaving for the next step in his career in Missouri. Source: Salina Journal
ICMA spotlight: City of Newton’s Daniela Rivas
Daniela Rivas recently participated in a global exchange with support from ICMA’s John Garvey Scholarship, which provides funding for young ICMA members to participate in global knowledge exchange through attendance at a local government management event in a country other than their home country. Source: ICMA Spotlight
Shawnee Mission cracks down on cell phones in school, following Johnson County trend
Shawnee Mission School District teachers and staff will have a new set of rules to enforce after the district’s school board voted 7-1 during its Jan. 13 meeting to approve a new cellphone policy. The new rules vary by grade level but generally prohibit most headphone use and require students’ phones to stay in their lockers throughout most, if not all, of the day. Several other Johnson County districts approved similar rules in the fall. Source: Joco 913 News
Kansas governor proposes another $30M to address dwindling water supply
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly proposed creating a state natural resources office and spending another $30 million each year to address the state’s water crisis in her State of the State address Wednesday night. In her speech, Kelly, a Democrat, looked back over the first 25 years of the 21st century and said she sees “so many good things on the horizon” in the next 75 years. But she called the state’s dwindling water supply “seriously concerning.” “Without that water, the agricultural industry that fuels our economy and sustains our rural way of life cannot survive,” Kelly said. The Ogallala Aquifer, which [...]
Emporia receives $450,000 for ‘Fix Emporia’ project
The City of Emporia has received $450,000 for the Fix Emporia program. The money comes from FHLBank Topeka’s 2024 Affordable Housing Program. The funds will be used to rehabilitate 30 owner-occupied homes in Emporia whose households fall under the 60% Area Median Income (AMI) limit. ESB Financial is also a contributing partner. Source: KSN-TV
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly presents new state budget to Republican-led House, Senate
The proposed state budget crafted by Gov. Laura Kelly features a 2.5% pay raise for state employees, expands Medicaid eligibility for 150,000 lower-income Kansans and fully finances K-12 public education. Kelly’s blueprint contained a $30 million surge in appropriations for water resource programs and called for appointment of a special task force to develop a 10-year plan for conserving the precious resource. She also proposed $10 million in matching grant funding to further spur expansion of child-care capacity statewide. Source: The Lawrence Times
City’s snow crew was out 24 hours a day for six days after blizzard, official says
City crews plowed 42.24 million cubic feet of snow after last week’s historic snow storm, an official said Tuesday. Interim director of public works Wyatt Thompson said at the city commission meeting that officials figured if the snow was 16 inches deep, the snow they plowed between Jan. 4 and Jan. 9 could have filled City Park Pool 468 times. That amount of snow also could have filled 12,500 train cars or filled Bill Snyder Family Stadium 400 feet deep. Thompson said public works had 31 operations team members who were able to mobilize quickly. Source: themercury.com
The past, present and future of Highway 77
For close to a century, U.S. Highway 77 has been a major highway in Cowley County. For a good deal of its length in the county, it is a four-lane highway from the Oklahoma state line to the north side of Winfield. However, from the north side of Winfield onward to the Butler County line, it is merely a two-lane highway. “The possibility of a future four-lane expansion for this section has not been prioritized at this time. Local consult meetings, which are held periodically, with the next round anticipated this fall, are an opportunity for communities to share input on [...]
Few public entities in Cowley County provide online access to meetings
Arkansas City residents who are unable to attend city commission meetings can now watch the meeting through a livestream or watch it later as a video. The city began broadcasting and posting recordings of the meetings earlier this month on YouTube. The new platform makes it possible for residents to stay informed by viewing meetings in real time or by accessing a recorded video at a more convenient time. Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
County slows down energy storage talks
Allen County Commissioners agreed to a 180-day moratorium in regards to a proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) in the southeast part of the county at their meeting Tuesday. Zoning Director Terry Call discussed the project with the commissioners. The current proposal is for a 300-megawatt storage facility near Savonburg and Elsmore. An estimated 15 to 30 acres would be needed for the facility and it would cost $300 million. Source: The Iola Register