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Ellis County launches budget talks with 1.5 percent in cuts

info2019-03-20T10:24:47-05:00March 20th, 2019|

Department heads in Ellis County have managed to cut 1.5 percent from their 2020 budgets so far, the first steps in helping avert a future county budget crisis. Ellis County Commissioners previously asked every department head to make the cuts, with the goal being to cut $2 million out of the budget. County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes presented the first round of proposed budgets to the Ellis County Commissioners during their regular meeting Monday evening at the Ellis County Administrative Center, 718 Main. “Obviously this is just the start, this is the tip of the iceberg, for what we need to get [...]

Garden City hears results of Big Pool community input survey

info2019-03-20T10:23:32-05:00March 20th, 2019|

The Garden City Commission heard the results Tuesday of a two-month process to gauge public opinion regarding the future of the nearly 100-year-old Big Pool, taking in a summary of thousands of resident comments and, surprisingly, what the input said about the city itself. Assistant City Manager Jennifer Cunningham, who spearheaded the process, spent weeks holding in-person presentations about the upcoming project for more than 6,000 people, including every student from third to 12th grades in Garden City, high school students in Holcomb, Lakin, Deerfield and Cimarron, the Garden City USD 457 Board of Education, Finney County Commission, Neighborhood Learning Center, [...]

Topeka OKs TIF District to benefit former Villa West property

info2019-03-20T10:21:34-05:00March 20th, 2019|

The tower at southwest Topeka’s former Villa West Shopping Center will be torn down as part of a redevelopment project aimed at helping that center get a fresh start and shed the notoriety of its past, which includes having deteriorated while being owned by developer Kent Lindemuth, Topeka’s governing body learned Tuesday evening. The demolition will be part of an $18 million project Overland Park-based 29th Street Partners, LLC, plans to carry out in multiple phases to redevelop the property on 14 acres at the northwest corner of S.W. 29th and Wanamaker Road while renaming it “Sherwood Crossing,” said Ferd Niemann [...]

Prairie Village city government considering wind power for electric needs

info2019-03-20T10:20:38-05:00March 20th, 2019|

The Prairie Village City Council on Monday approved an agreement with Kansas City Power & Light that potentially could result in a significant portion of the city government’s electric needs coming from wind energy. The agreement pledges that the city will buy power from an as-yet unbuilt wind farm in the region for 20 years. It still hinges on whether KCP&L can persuade enough local governments and other large electric customers in northeast Johnson County to follow Prairie Village’s lead. Drew Robinson, the company’s manager of renewable energy, told the council he needs at least 100 megawatts of dedicated monthly peak [...]

Wyandotte County at same place on new County Health Ranking list

info2019-03-20T10:17:57-05:00March 20th, 2019|

Wyandotte County came in again at No. 99 on the County Health Rankings list in Kansas published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The list has Johnson County as the healthiest in the state, and Chautauqua County as the least healthy. Wyandotte County was No. 99 last year, and it has raised its ranking from even lower in some previous years. The County Health Rankings are not just about physical health. They also include factors such as crime rates, education levels, incomes, children living in poverty, and housing. “The County Health Rankings have [...]

Reno Co. Commission starts the process of eliminating a half-cent sales tax

info2019-03-20T10:12:55-05:00March 20th, 2019|

With little discussion, the Reno County Commission on Tuesday approved a resolution for the payment of bonds used to build the Reno County Correctional Facility, improve the Reno County Jail Annex and improve security at the courthouse. The next step will be to provide notice to the Kansas Department of Revenue that the county intends to sunset the sales tax used to fund the bond repayment. Notification will be made by April 1, and the tax will sunset on July 1. The county expects to save $879,400 in interest and have as much as $1 million from the sales tax collected [...]

Hutchinson City Council agrees to tear down a historic building

info2019-03-20T10:12:15-05:00March 20th, 2019|

After a public hearing Tuesday, the Hutchinson City Council agreed to tear down the old Sugar Mill building in the 600 block of East First. The building suffered a partial collapse in February, and owner Ted Robinson wants to tear down the rest of the structure. “You know I hate to see the building get torn down, honestly. But, at this point, I don’t see that there are any other options. I don’t have the funds to correctly rebuild it,” he said. The cost to repair the structure would come to around $204,000, but to bring the structure to the point [...]

Salina City Commission discusses tree removals and benefits

info2019-03-20T10:11:31-05:00March 20th, 2019|

Park Operations Manager Brett Lamer told the Salina City Commission Monday afternoon that trees have many benefits for city residents and taxpayers. Lamer said two projects have been removing trees on Ninth Street: along North Ninth Street, the North Salina Community Development Group partnered with Westar Energy to remove trees that endangered nearby power lines. Along South Ninth Street, trees were removed that wouldn’t be able to remain healthy and stable following road maintenance, as well as trees with roots that damaged driveways, curbs, or the street. During his presentation, Lamer said trees have many under-appreciated benefits. Studies have found areas [...]

City of Horton sets public forum on healthcare options

info2019-03-20T10:09:49-05:00March 20th, 2019|

The City of Horton has set a community forum for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Horton High School auditorium. The purpose of the meeting will be to inform local residents of healthcare options that have been explored by Mayor Bryan Stirton, Commissioner Wade Edwards and City Administrator John Calhoon. City officials were planning a presentation as an option to acquire a comprehensive primary and preventative healthcare program. The meeting was planned as informational only, to listen and gather feedback from residents from Horton and the surrounding areas interested in future healthcare option in South Brown County. (Read more: Hiawatha World Online)

Some landlords in Hutchinson says inspectors go too far in regulating them

info2019-03-20T10:55:42-05:00March 20th, 2019|

Some landlords say the city is going too far in regulating them, even claiming inspectors are peeping into windows of homes. Now, landlords are hoping the city will change the way inspections are done. ... "We don't want to freak people out, that's not why we're there," said Trent Maxwell, a Hutchinson Building Official. Maxwell insists they're doing what they can to help tenants. "We get calls every week from tenants complaining about their living conditions, open holes in the wall, whatever it is," said Maxwell. "We never will go inside a rental that no one wants us inside." (Read more: [...]

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