Motor vehicle insurance is mandatory for all drivers in Kansas. But city governments aren’t required to carry it, and Topeka city manager Stephen Wade has decided to not renew the city’s vehicle coverage. Topeka’s city government is consequently becoming self-insured, in a move anticipated to save it $250,000 a year, city attorney Amanda Stanley told The Capital-Journal. Topeka’s city government has alternated over the years between carrying vehicle insurance and exercising its option of being self-insured, Stanley said. Lawrence’s city government self-insures its vehicles, with accidents involving those vehicles being investigated by the Lawrence Police Department and the city’s risk management [...]

The Reno County Commission expanded from three commissioners to four on Monday, during the commission’s first meeting of 2023. Voters had extended the commission in November, during a countywide vote, moving the body from three to five commissioners. Due to the resignation of Mark Reese in late December, a new commissioner needed to be appointed. The Reno County Republican Party nominated John Whitesel to fill the vacant position. Source: Hutch News

City leaders will soon discuss policy options to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags in the community, including banning them, charging a fee at checkout or creating an educational campaign. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will once again take up the topic, which has been in discussion for more than four years. A group of elementary students from Kennedy Elementary brought their concerns about the harmful impact of plastic bags on the environment to the City Commission in 2018. Source: LJWorld

Lawrence city leaders will soon discuss whether they should ask Lawrence voters about changing the city’s form of government, including the possibility of having a directly elected mayor. The Lawrence City Commission will discuss the potential changes as part of its meeting Tuesday. A task force previously considered the issue in 2021, but the commission did not come to a clear consensus on how to proceed and directed city staff to defer the discussion until this year. The city has not reconsidered its government structure in 70 years, and in 2021 the commission created a task force to study the issue. [...]