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Schools implement open enrollment as legislators eye bolder policies

Every Kansas school district must implement by the end of the year some form of an open enrollment policy, which allows students to attend public schools outside of their geographical boundaries. Open enrollment was part of House Bill 2567 from the 2022 legislative session. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed the law, which also fully funded K-12 schools, despite objections from some Democrats on open enrollment. Many school districts across the state are just now finalizing their open enrollment policies after learning what they’re legally allowed to do. “There have been organization that have been able to push some information out to help our school boards identify what they need, and what they have to put in place in terms of policy and what those variations can look like,” said G.A. Buie, executive director of United School Administrators of Kansas.
Source: CJonline

info2023-12-25T08:21:11-06:00December 24, 2023|News|

Bel Aire’s city manager retires after 17 years as suburb awaits Integra expansion

After 17 years in the role, Bel Aire city manager Ty Lasher has announced he will retire on March 29 — a move that comes while the Wichita-based manufacturer Integra Technologies is poised to build a new $1.8-billion semiconductor facility in Bel Aire. Lasher, who said he began discussion about his retirement in 2021, will be replaced by Ted Henry, Bel Aire’s assistant city manager for the last 3 years. “Bel Aire is in a great place with a bright future,” Lasher, a native of McLouth, said in an emailed statement. “I felt it was time to step aside and allow someone with new energy and ideas to lead the community into the future.” Since starting his career in 1988, Lasher has worked in government in Jefferson County, Hutchinson and Cheney before taking on the city administrator role in Bel Aire in 2007. Over the years, Lasher has served as a mentor to many master’s of public administration students from Wichita State University. “With the labor market tightening, finding professionals who want to work in local government is becoming more challenging,” he wrote. “Competition for private sector jobs with higher wages, more flexibility and less complaints makes hiring and retaining staff difficult. Those who are dedicated to public service are special people and individuals who I deeply respect.” During his tenure, Bel Aire has seen the development of Sunflower Commerce Park, an 800-acre business and industrial park, and 10 housing subdivisions in various phases of development.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

info2023-12-22T10:40:08-06:00December 22, 2023|News|

Commerce Awards 2023 SEED Grants to 13 Kansas Communities

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the newest award recipients for the Strategic Economic Expansion and Development (SEED) grant program. In total, 13 recipients will receive nearly $275,000 to invest in small communities across the state. “Our state’s smallest communities are finding new and effective ways to become more economically viable and productive,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The quality-of-life investments being made through this program will generate economic development success and prosperity for Kansans now and in the future.” Awardees are located in communities with a population of 5,000 or less, as required by state statute (KS Stat 9-2324 (2021)). They are also required to provide a minimum 10-percent match as well as complete the projects within 12 months. Projects must be focused on economic development and revitalization efforts through one of the following quality-of-life categories: (1) Childcare and senior programming – projects that support or enhance these services, such as building improvements, educational materials, supplies and equipment. (2) Community vibrancy – projects that refresh, re-energize and unlock the attractiveness of rural communities, such as art installations, murals and signage. (3) Food retail – projects that support access to food retail establishments, including development, renovation and/or expansion. (4) Libraries – projects that support providing free and open access to a broad range of materials and services, including reading materials, technology, furniture and building improvements. Funding for the SEED program, which is administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce, is provided through the Technology Enabled Fiduciary Financial Institutions (TEFFI) Development and Expansion Fund. The TEFFI Act was enacted in 2021 through bipartisan legislation to promote economic development throughout the state.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

info2023-12-22T10:37:42-06:00December 22, 2023|News|

Mulvane’s Hixson ends career spanning four decades

When Kent Hixson accepted the job of Mulvane’s city administrator in 1994, little did he know that his service would stretch almost three decades. “Back then, I would have laughed at the idea of staying 29 years,” he said. “I wanted to stay long enough so our two sons could get through high school.” Hixson officially retired from his work with the city in October of 2023. His last city council meeting – after attending hundreds through his years of service – was Oct. 2. “It’s bittersweet,” Hixson said, “but it’s my time to move on and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.” At the time, Hixson retired as the current longest-tenured city administrator in Kansas. He said part of that stability was due to working with great city councils and council members. Overseeing the daily operations of Mulvane and the city’s department heads on a routine basis, one of the accomplishments Hixson said he was fondest of was building the new library. “I’m a big fan of libraries and we have a beautiful one,” he said of the building, which opened in 2016. Additionally, Hixson took pride in the pathway established that connects Mulvane and Derby – and the work put in between both cities and Sedgwick County to make that happen. Hixson saw the Kansas Star Casino become an “excellent” neighbor during his tenure and noted Mulvane was lucky enough to grow over his 29 years with the city while still maintaining a tight-knit feel – with a historic downtown playing a part in that. “We wouldn’t see this growth if we were out in western Kansas,” Hixson said. “We’re the typical bedroom community and glad to be that.”
Source: Derby Informer | Area

info2023-12-22T11:40:56-06:00December 22, 2023|News|

New shared Fire/EMS facility breaks ground

Ground has officially broken on the Garden City Fire Department and Finney County EMS Station 3. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday for the facility to be located on the northwest corner of the Schulman Avenue and Jennie Barker Road intersection. Deb Oyler, Garden City Mayor, said the facility is the final project using the 2017 sales tax proceeds that voters of Finney County supported. “Today is not just a celebration of this new joint facility, but it’s a testament to the power of community support and collaboration,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to celebrate the partnerships between Garden City and the county, and we want to thank you all for taking this time to join us in celebrating this milestone.” Allen Shelton, former Garden City Fire Chief, said while this project was a part of the 2017 sales tax initiative, he’s been working on this for 27 years. It started as a project in 1996 between him and Bob Holloran, the former City Manager of Garden City, to build a third fire station on the east side of the city. “At that time, we were having a lot of fires in the mobile home parks on this side of the community, and we knew that we needed to have a fire station that was closer to improve our response time,” he said.
Source: Garden City Telegram

info2023-12-22T10:32:47-06:00December 22, 2023|News|

County Commission establishes committee focusing on LEC remodel

A Law Enforcement Center Remodel Committee was established by the Finney County Commission at their regular meeting Monday. Gerry Schultz, County commissioner, said the purpose for the committee’s creation is to assist in the planning and construction phase of the LEC’s remodel and to assist in communication with the effected parties including the city of Garden City, Garden City Police Department, Finney County and the Sheriff’s Office, and to ensure participation by the County commission in important decisions relating to the planning and construction. Commissioner Duane Drees will serve as the chair of the committee which will be composed of Finney County Administrator Robert Reece, Assistant County Administrator and Finance Director Jenny Hamil, Finney County Sheriff Mike Warren, a county citizen designee of the Sheriff, Garden City Manager Matt Allen and Garden City Police Department Captain E.J. Ochs. Schultz said the committee wasn’t created due to a lack of confidence or ability to complete the project but “rather to improve communication and collaboration.” Drees said to him the project is “a very multi-million-dollar project” and it behooves the county to have representation and communication with all parties.
Source: Garden City Telegram

info2023-12-22T10:18:52-06:00December 22, 2023|News|

Hesston Fire/EMS transitioning to 24-hour service

Hesston Fire/EMS will undergo a major overhaul, and residents will see an improvement in service, thanks to a county grant as well as investment from the City of Hesston. That’s according to Hesston Fire/EMS Chief Russ Buller. He said the city council, following a Tuesday work session, gave the go-ahead for a plan that would allow two full-time staff members from the county. The additions would allow Hesston to staff its service for 24 hours per day, five days a week with full-time staff. Part-time staff, previously paid for call response, would be paid minimum wage for on-call hours. Previously, full-time staff worked from 8 a.m. to midnight on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and worked regular business hours Tuesday and Thursday. Gaps were filled by volunteers, technically part-time employees who would be on call and paid per response. “I really want to send the message that this is such an amazing step forward for us, not only from the standpoint that we’re able to put more full-time people into the system to serve the community but it’s going to speed our response time and make our department that much stronger and sustainable,” Buller said. The county grant allocation to Hesston for $140,000 was primarily directed to increase the amount of emergency medical technicians able to respond at various local departments. These employees will also be cross-trained to serve as firefighters, Buller said, also helping the department’s response to emergencies. Hesston Fire/EMS would increase its number to six full-time employees.
Source: Harvey County Now

info2023-12-22T10:01:11-06:00December 22, 2023|News|

Wyandotte County residents disagree about whether to dissolve the Unified Government

In October, the mayors of the three largest cities in Wyandotte County floated the idea of dissolving the Unified Government as an option to address debt and service issues. But not everyone thinks those structural changes are the right approach. The possibility of dissolving the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, is now on the table but it’s not clear whether that would be an effective strategy. In October, the mayors of Bonner Springs, Edwardsville and Kansas City, Kansas floated the idea of splitting up the Unified Government, and announced they wanted to hear from residents about how to best address debt and service issues in the county, among other issues. Edwardsville Mayor Carolyn Caiharr ran listening sessions on the issue last month. She said some residents support the idea of dissolving the Unified Government entirely. “If it (deconsolidation) was an easy solution, I think a lot of people would be all for it, just because of how disenfranchised folks are right now in Wyandotte County,” Caiharr told KCUR’s Up To Date. “But there is the reality also of what it would take.” Other solutions, such as amending the Unified Government’s charter, are also being considered. But some residents don’t believe that any of those options would work.
Source: KCUR

info2023-12-22T09:48:45-06:00December 22, 2023|News|

Panasonic still moving forward with Kansas factory after pulling plans for Oklahoma plant

A global company has once again decided against building an electric vehicle battery plant near Tulsa despite lawmakers offering a $698 million incentive package and funding millions of dollars in site improvements at the company’s request. A Panasonic spokesperson said Friday that the company will not build a multibillion-dollar battery plant at Pryor’s MidAmerica Industrial Park. “In April 2023, we entered into an agreement with the state of Oklahoma to explore building a factory in the state, with the understanding that we would make a decision about whether or not to move forward at the end of that exploratory process,” Panasonic spokesperson Alison Klooster said in an email. “After careful deliberations, we have made the decision not to move forward with developing the site.” Klooster did not say why the company is no longer considering Pryor. Decisions about where to build new facilities are complex and based on a wide range of factors, she said. Oklahoma officials have been trying to lure Panasonic to the state since at least 2022. Panasonic announced plans last year to locate a new, $4 billion-dollar electric vehicle plant in Kansas, but the company then explored the possibility of building a second plant in Pryor that could have resulted in 3,500 new jobs. State lawmakers put together a $698 million incentive package for the company in an attempt to close the deal. After Panasonic requested $245 million in site work at the MidAmerica Industrial Park, lawmakers appropriated $145 million this year for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to fund facility upgrades and infrastructure and safety improvements at the park. “The Legislature provided that which was requested by the executive branch to win the commitment of Project Ocean,” House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, said in a statement, referencing the codename given to the proposed Panasonic project.
Source: KCUR News

info2023-12-22T09:46:22-06:00December 22, 2023|News|

City of Wichita planting over 1K trees to tackle heat islands

The City of Wichita will be planting over 1,000 trees to tackle heat islands across Wichita. District 6 Council Member Maggie Ballard held a public meeting on Wednesday afternoon at Emporia Park to discuss how the lack of an extensive tree canopy contributes to the area being identified as a heat island by NASA. After extensive outreach and public input, the Wichita City Council approved a tree policy for the city on Tuesday. “Our goal for the tree policy is to lessen the effect of heat islands across our community,” said Ballard. “Implementing a tree policy isn’t just about creating a nice green backdrop for our city, although that’s a bonus. It’s about setting up our community for a better, healthier future. By planting more trees, we’re not just making the city look prettier. We’re also fighting climate change and making sure we all breathe a bit easier.” City of Wichita Arborist Gary Farris says from East Central Avenue and North Broadway Street, up to East 21st Street North and North Grove Street is the most significant heat island, or with the least tree canopy out of the 17 in the city. “We chose this area to plant over 1,000 trees, I believe it’s 1,382 trees in that area. To help increase the tree canopy overall,” said Farris. Farris is also encouraging homeowners in the area to plant trees. The City of Wichita is partnering with Seeders, Inc. to not only plant the trees but care for them for the next two years. “The EPA has identified tree planting as the most cost-effective way to mitigate heat islands, and so that’s what we’re trying to do here,” said Farris.
Source: KSN-TV

info2023-12-22T09:43:07-06:00December 22, 2023|News|

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Schools implement open enrollment as legislators eye bolder policies

Bel Aire’s city manager retires after 17 years as suburb awaits Integra expansion

Commerce Awards 2023 SEED Grants to 13 Kansas Communities

Mulvane’s Hixson ends career spanning four decades

New shared Fire/EMS facility breaks ground

County Commission establishes committee focusing on LEC remodel

Hesston Fire/EMS transitioning to 24-hour service

Wyandotte County residents disagree about whether to dissolve the Unified Government

Panasonic still moving forward with Kansas factory after pulling plans for Oklahoma plant

City of Wichita planting over 1K trees to tackle heat islands

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