News – Page 2216 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Shawnee will hold public election in May on property tax increase to fund proposed $38 million community center

info2019-02-13T07:01:45-06:00February 13th, 2019|

The city of Shawnee is moving forward with a public vote on a property tax increase to fund a proposed community center. After months of discussion, the council voted 7-1 on Monday to hold a mail-in ballot election this May on whether to increase property taxes to fund the project, which will have a maximum cost of $38 million. Councilmember Mike Kemmling cast the dissenting vote. City finance staff estimated the community center would require a property tax increase of 2.919 mills. That would equate to an additional $7.36 per month for the owner of a home with an appraised value [...]

Ellis Co Clerk sets dates for two more voting machine demos

info2019-02-13T07:00:13-06:00February 13th, 2019|

Ellis County residents can preview the next round of voting machines at demonstrations set for Feb. 19 and 21. As with the first demo, the next two will be at 10 a.m. in the County Commission chambers downstairs in the Ellis County Administrative Center, 718 Main, said Ellis County Clerk Donna Maskus, the county’s chief election officer. Maskus announced the dates at the regular meeting Monday evening of the Ellis County Commission. Voting machines from two other vendors will be demonstrated. At the first demo Feb. 5 about 30 people showed up to see voting machine equipment from Nebraska-based Election Systems [...]

County commissioners explain decision on new manager

info2019-02-13T06:59:04-06:00February 13th, 2019|

As leaders committed to thoughtful public process, we also understand the Editorial Board’s position that a public search for the best person to lead a large public organization is usually preferred. For this important decision, we believe it is our responsibility to consider some of the most unusual and difficult circumstances we’ve personally seen in an organization. This context is an important part of the discussion, so we appreciate the opportunity to directly provide information so the public can better understand what we’ve experienced and learned. (Read more: Wichita Eagle)

City of Manhattan seeks designs for new flag

info2019-02-13T06:45:56-06:00February 13th, 2019|

Manhattan area vexillologists have an opportunity to show off their skills in a new city contest announced Monday, Feb. 11. Manhattan is seeking designs for a new flag and will accept submissions through Friday, March 29. Submissions will be reviewed and narrowed down to one or two options by the Arts and Humanities Advisory Board, with the winning design to be decided by a public vote sometime in May. The winner will also be recognized by Mayor Mike Dodson and receive a flag of their own. Assistant City Manager Dennis Marstall says the city hopes the new flag will be a [...]

Lawrence City Commission to discuss how new affordable housing funds should be spent

info2019-02-12T08:46:31-06:00February 12th, 2019|

With the city’s new affordable housing sales tax set to go into effect this spring, city leaders will soon discuss how those dollars can be used to help alleviate the affordable-housing shortage. As part of its work session Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will meet with members of the Affordable Housing Advisory Board. The city will soon have hundreds of thousands of dollars more in funding to address affordable housing, and the commission and the board will discuss goals and strategies for using the funding. Read more: LJWorld.com.

City of Topeka considers dropping employee residency requirement

info2019-02-12T07:03:03-06:00February 12th, 2019|

Topeka’s governing body plans next week to discuss dropping the city’s requirement that its employees live in Shawnee County. The move would improve the city’s ability to hire the best-qualified people, the city council’s economic and community development committee heard Jan. 16 from Police Chief Bill Cochran, Fire Chief Craig Duke and planning director Bill Fiander. “We have lost people because they did not have that option,” Fiander said. Council and committee members Karen Hiller, Jeff Coen and Tony Emerson voted 3-0 on Jan. 16 to recommend the proposal be approved by the city’s governing body, which consists of the nine [...]

Downtown KCK grocery store to be on city planning agenda tonight

info2019-02-12T07:00:10-06:00February 12th, 2019|

A downtown Kansas City, Kansas, grocery store is on the agenda tonight of the Kansas City, Kansas, City Planning Commission. The item to come before the City Planning Commission tonight is conformation to the master plan for the downtown grocery store redevelopment district. The Unified Government staff has recommended approval of the item. The grocery store would be located at 5th and Minnesota on the east side of a parking lot across from the Reardon Center, and it would be operated by the Merc, a Lawrence grocery. The Unified Government would build the store. The downtown grocery redevelopment plan, contained in [...]

Olathe animal control officer praised for saving small deer trapped in 12-foot drain

info2019-02-12T06:58:43-06:00February 12th, 2019|

A deer's rescue from a sewer drain is capturing hearts and earning praise for a metro animal control officer. Olathe Animal Control helped save the doe, which they believe had been trapped for days. Nadya Dibenedetto often walks her dogs along a grassy path in her Olathe neighborhood near 146th and Halsey. But Sunday, she and her husband's dogs started acting strange. "One of our dogs pulled her toward this manhole," Igor Sorkin said. The manhole's cover was missing, and a little deer was trapped inside. "She was all kinds of freaked out by the whole thing. She's like, 'This little [...]

New ballpark’s basics headed for City Council vote

info2019-02-12T06:55:43-06:00February 12th, 2019|

Before the ceremonial shovels can dig into the ceremonial dirt Wednesday at the site of Wichita's next baseball stadium, the City Council has to approve some — but not all — of the ballpark's design. The Council on Tuesday is expected to approve $7.6 million to get the project going. In essence, the Council will be approving the location of home plate and giving the go-ahead for construction of stadium bones — site grading, utilities, infield walls, dugouts and dugout tunnels. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday. There's little time to waste, as Wichita's unnamed Triple-A baseball team is expected [...]

Shawnee council to consider mail-in ballot election for voters to approve funding for proposed community center

info2019-02-12T06:54:10-06:00February 12th, 2019|

The Shawnee council tonight will consider financing details and plans for a proposed community center. If approved by the council, the measure will go out to a mail-in ballot election in which Shawnee voters decide whether to finance a community center through a property tax increase. The proposed community center would be located at Woodland Drive and 61st Street. The project team, including Perkins+Will, Project Advocates and J.E. Dunn Construction as well as city staff, will present information on the proposed community center during tonight’s meeting, including facility amenities, construction costs, staffing and operational costs and estimated costs, including an ordinance [...]