info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Walkability Enhancement: Pittsburg’s plan for school route sidewalk

info2023-11-29T11:57:00-06:00November 29th, 2023|

The City of Pittsburg is looking to install a sidewalk near Meadowlark Elementary School. Pittsburg city staff applied for a "Safe Routes to School Grant" to install a sidewalk on the south side of East 20th Street from Meadowlark Elementary School to Rouse Street. The city's Active Transportation Advisory Group identified the need for a sidewalk through parents and students. The Kansas Department of Transportation has a Safe Routes to School program to help support connectivity to schools and walkability. "This sidewalk helps identify a need for a safe route if you will for walkability from Meadowlark Elementary to our one of the city's fire [...]

Shawnee Airbnb owners push back against banning rentals

info2023-11-30T10:05:07-06:00November 29th, 2023|

After months of discussion, the Shawnee City Council remains in a holding pattern on whether to regulate short-term rental properties or ban them outright. At a Shawnee City Council committee meeting on Monday, councilmembers asked city staff to explore the idea of issuing special use permits for short-term rentals, like Airbnb and VRBOs. Since the meeting was only meant to gather feedback from the community, no vote or motion was taken by the council. While previous committee meetings about short-term rentals have mostly centered on feedback from neighbors who say they have been negatively affected by Airbnbs in Shawnee, Monday’s meeting drew more short-term rental [...]

Jolene Graham selected as City of Andover Assistant City Administrator

info2023-11-29T09:55:26-06:00November 29th, 2023|

Jolene Graham became the new Assistant City Administrator for the City of Andover as of Monday, November 27, 2023. She was chosen after interviews conducted by City Council members and City of Andover department heads. Graham served the City of Maize since 2014, most recently as the Deputy City Administrator for the past four years. During her time at Maize, she coordinated economic development for Maize Industrial Park, managed competitive grant & federal transportation awards to over $4.4 million, led multiple cross-departmental teams for policy and infrastructure planning, development and implementation and oversaw seven staff members. “We are thrilled to have [...]

With zoning change, this car lot would sell 5 at a time

info2023-11-27T15:51:45-06:00November 27th, 2023|

A proposed Topeka car dealership would give new meaning to the term “small business.” The most vehicles that dealership would have for sale at any one time would be five. DreamMakers LLC would operate the business in a 12-space parking lot just north of the building it owns at 2900 S.E. Kentucky Ave, which is the site of businesses that include a real estate office. The Topeka Planning Commission voted 9-0 late Monday to recommend Topeka’s mayor and city council approve a zoning change that would enable the dealership to operate there. ... DreamMaker’s application included an image showing how five [...]

Pawnee County adopts commercial solar farm regs

info2023-11-27T14:57:26-06:00November 27th, 2023|

The Pawnee County Commissioners, as part of agenda business Monday, adopted zoning regulations for privately developed solar farms in Pawnee County. The regulations were developed by the Pawnee County Joint Planning Commission, which conducted a public hearing on Nov. 9 to discuss changes and submit the recommended final result to the Commissioners for approval. As approved, Resolution 2023-R-10 provides a “regulatory scheme for the construction and operation of Commercial Solar Energy Conversion Systems (CSECS) and/or Commercial Solar Energy Facilities (CSEF) in Pawnee County,” subject to reasonable restrictions which will preserve the public health and safety. Both operations will be subject to [...]

Great Bend wayfinding signs progressing

info2023-11-27T14:32:06-06:00November 27th, 2023|

The final hurdles for the installation of new wayfinding signage around Great Bend has been cleared, said Christina Hayes, community coordinator and CVB director, addressing the City Council Monday night. The project has been in the works since earlier this year. “The permits from the state were just approved so we’re hoping to have all those wayfinding signs installed by spring,” she said. They had hoped to have them in place by year’s end, but the licensing took longer than anticipated. The CVB will work with Mark’s Custom Signs and the Street Department. Before things can get started, though, they had to secure [...]

New Marion County treasurer brings nearly a decade of experience

info2023-11-27T14:33:49-06:00November 27th, 2023|

Tina Groening stepped to a lectern Friday morning, raised her hand, and swore an oath of office to serve as county treasurer. She comes to her position with 9½ years of experience in the treasurer’s office. She was appointed to serve out the unfinished term of Susan Berg, who died Oct. 4 of cancer after two years as treasurer. Groening had been deputy treasurer since February. More than 50 people came to watch the swearing-in, including family, friends, county commissioners, county employees, and former treasurer Jeannine Bateman, who retired in October 2021 after nearly 38 years in the office. "The dynamic [...]

Hospital wants zoning to block rivals

info2023-11-27T14:37:39-06:00November 27th, 2023|

Hillsboro Community Hospital is asking for a zoning change that would prohibit outside out-of-town medical facilities from locating facilities within the city limits. ... "When other health care organizations propose entering the local rural community to provide additional services, they are often looking to duplicate profitable service lines that are already provided by the local community hospital. These organizations call their entry into our local rural community a 'strategic move' or 'plan.'" The strategy often is to create additional revenue streams back to their facility, which does not support the local rural community or county and threatens the long-term sustainability of [...]

Stafford PD officer recognized for life-saving event

info2023-11-27T14:45:17-06:00November 27th, 2023|

When a life needs saving, it does not matter what size the responding department is. What matters is that there’s one level head and quick action. Andrew Buzako, who graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in March, was on duty as a full-time member of the Stafford Police Department on Oct. 8, when a report came in of an unresponsive female at a residence in town. According to Stafford Police Chief Carl Wettstein, officer Buzako was unable to make contact with anyone inside the residence upon arrival, so he broke down the front door and observed an unresponsive female on the [...]

See the unique playground in this Johnson County park opening after 6-month renovation

info2023-11-27T14:46:55-06:00November 27th, 2023|

A popular Johnson County park will reopen soon after being closed for several months while undergoing an extensive renovation. Visitors to Gum Springs Park in Shawnee will notice lots of improvements at the park when it reopens later this year. The park at 67th and Flint Streets has undergone a $3.7 million face-lift. Renovations include the removal of an old asphalt trail and installation a new eight-foot wide concrete walking path around the perimeter of the 9.7-acre park. In addition to the walking path, improvements were made to the four baseball fields which include new fencing, updated backstops and new dugout [...]

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