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Dollar Tree approved in Pratt

info2018-12-27T13:07:48-06:00December 27th, 2018|

It’s official! Dollar Tree is coming to Pratt! With the stroke of a pen and unanimous vote, Pratt City Commissioners Monday night set the stage for Dollar Tree management to move ahead with plans for a store off U. S. Highway 54 to the east of Hibbett Sports with entrances off Fincham Road to the east and Dale Road to the north. Pratt Building Inspector Brad Blankenship presented the resolution which defined all the boundaries and other necessary requirements to commissioners. He reported that the Pratt Planning and Zoning Board had done due diligence in making sure all city ordinances and [...]

E-bikes, other motorized vehicles voted down on JoCo parks trails

info2018-12-27T13:06:42-06:00December 27th, 2018|

Electronic bicycles, scooters and other motorized vehicles will remain banned from Johnson County park trails for at least the near future. The county Park & Recreation District’s Board of Commissioners on Wednesday voted against a proposal that would have allowed visitors to use e-bikes and electronic unicycles on the 15-mile Gary L. Haller Trail in Shawnee between March and June of next year as part of a pilot project. District officials said the pilot would have shown them how much interest there was for people wanting to use motorized vehicles on the park trails and whether allowing the vehicles led to [...]

Bill to rename the Big Ditch on president’s desk

info2018-12-27T13:05:47-06:00December 27th, 2018|

The Wichita-Valley Center Flood Control Project, known as the Big Ditch, is one step closer to being renamed after the man who designed it, M.S. Mitch Mitchell. The U.S. Senate passed a bill the week of Dec. 20 naming the flood-control project; the House of Representatives passed the bill in September. The bill must now be approved by the President. Mitchell, who died in March 2017, was a local hero, affectionately known as Big Ditch Mitch. He was the flood control and maintenance supervisor for the City Council Flood Control Office for Sedgwick County and Wichita from 1958-63. He supervised the [...]

Marion County splits cities in final district plan

info2018-12-27T13:03:19-06:00December 27th, 2018|

County commissioners decided Thursday on a five-district map for addition of two commissioners. Both Marion and Hillsboro will be split into two different districts, and two of the districts will not be contiguous, with some part of each district isolated from the remainder of the district. Although state law does not require that districts be contiguous, it does require that they be as compact as possible, and numerous federal court rulings have struck down districting plans elsewhere that include non-contiguous districts. Bryan Caskey, director of elections for the Kansas secretary of state’s office, said drawing district lines was entirely up to [...]

The University of Kansas Public Management Center announces graduates of Certified Public Manager Program

info2018-12-27T13:01:20-06:00December 27th, 2018|

The University of Kansas Public Management Center has announced this year’s graduates of the Kansas Certified Public Manager program, who represent the 25th anniversary class. The graduation ceremony took place last month in the House Chamber at the Capitol in Topeka. The 85 graduates, who began their coursework in January, represent local, county, state or federal agencies from across Kansas. They participated in classes held in Topeka, Olathe and the KU Edwards Campus. Of these participants, 21 are graduates of the Law Enforcement Leadership Academy (LELA) Command School who completed their CPM certification through classroom instruction and online work. While they [...]

Ellis County needs residents’ input for planning

info2018-12-27T12:58:00-06:00December 27th, 2018|

Ellis County wants input from county residents on a comprehensive plan being designed for the area, according to Karen Purvis, environmental sanitarian and zoning administrator for the county. Ellis County has been working with Marvin Planning Consultants, Inc., David City, Neb., and MSA Professional Services, Ankeny, Iowa, since September. The project is now undergoing the countywide public participation phase. In this phase, residents can guide the process with their thoughts and vision, including through a survey now available online. (Read more: News - The Hays Daily News)

Edgerton considers employees’ pay increase

info2018-12-27T12:56:31-06:00December 27th, 2018|

There was spirited debate at the Edgerton city council meeting Dec. 13 over a proposed city staff pay raise. Beth Linn, city administrator, presented the results of a compensation and benefits study that compared Edgerton’s city employees’ pay scales to those of employees in other cities in the region. The study looked for cities that mimicked Edgerton in several categories including economic growth, workload and quality of life. Linn told the council that Edgerton has unique characteristics that presented challenges in selecting the most comparable cities to conduct the study. “Similar to the unique characteristics of having small town charm in [...]

Salina City Commission selects Schrage to be city manager

info2018-12-27T12:51:19-06:00December 27th, 2018|

Mike Schrage was chosen Friday to become Salina’s next city manager. The Salina City Commission voted unanimously about 12:30 p.m. Friday to extend a job offer to Schrage, who in June was appointed interim city manager, and to authorize the preparation of an employment contract that will be part of the agenda for the commission’s next meeting Jan. 7. Schrage said he looks forward to continuing to serve the city. “I am very honored, and I know I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me,” he said. “I look forward to working with this commission and future commissions to move [...]

Cedar Point Fire Station construction continues

info2018-12-27T12:12:58-06:00December 27th, 2018|

Steve Fillmore and Thom Kirk met with the Chase County Commission to provide an update on the Cedar Point Fire Station. “By this time next year, we want it built,” Commissioner Tony Hazelton said. “Can you tell us where we are at?” “We are working on the pad,” Kirk said. “I’m trying to get the pad built up to the elevation Steve wants. When we are ready we can make arrangements for the water lines.” “We need to let the pad sit for a little bit, a couple months at least,” Steve Fillmore said. Both men expressed they are making progress [...]

County working to resolve issue with IRS

info2018-12-27T12:06:18-06:00December 27th, 2018|

Neosho County officials are working to avoid a $61,000 penalty from the Internal Revenue Service. Human Resources Manager Christy Hofer told commissioners Friday morning that the IRS notified her about the penalty for 2016 because of the Affordable Care Act. The county is in compliance with the ACA, but Hofer said the problem stems from errors made in forms filed for the year that made the IRS think the county had not met requirements. She said she has received an extension and is working to resolve the issue. (Read more: The Chanute Tribune - news,news/)

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