News – Page 2232 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Hillsboro hospital in receivership

info2019-01-25T12:26:15-06:00January 25th, 2019|

Temporary administrators for Hillsboro Community Hospital are going through records and shaking their heads, Hillsboro city administrator Larry Paine said Tuesday. A Friday court ruling put the hospital under management of Shawnee, Oklahoma-based Cohesive Healthcare Management + Consulting. Geary County district judge Ryan Rosauer’s ruling came after an ex-parte hearing with lawyers for Bank of Hays and the City of Hillsboro. Both parties filed a joint motion late Thursday afternoon asking that Cohesive be appointed receiver. Rosauer wrote in his order “this court specifically finds that immediate and irreparable harm is likely to result if a receiver is not appointed to [...]

Sweeping changes reviewed to clean up properties in Newton

info2019-01-25T12:19:39-06:00January 25th, 2019|

ity engineer Suzanne Loomis and city manager Bob Myers rolled out a broad and ambitious city beautification plan that would do everything from raise utility rates to pay for free bulky item trash pickup, to establish a land bank for the city to manage nuisance properties it’s foreclosed on, after owners are unable to pay the city’s clean up fees. “We wanted to see what your take was, before we spent so much time on those changes,” Loomis said to the Newton City Commission at its Jan 22 work session. The city had 1,077 property compliance issues in 2019, with 27 [...]

Researchers share process, goals of countywide law enforcement contact study

info2019-01-25T10:23:23-06:00January 25th, 2019|

Douglas County’s pursuit of a study on law enforcement contact is unusual, a researcher told roughly 25 people who attended a presentation Thursday evening at Flory Meeting Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Jack McDevitt, of Northeastern University, has conducted similar studies in cities in Vermont and Missouri, as well as in Seattle and Boston — where data was gathered on 2.4 million traffic stops. But most of those have come after a lawsuit or an allegation of police misconduct. That wasn’t so in Douglas County, he said. “Agencies got together and said, ‘We want to know. We want to be [...]

Lawrence planning commission recommends approval of city’s first short-term rentals where owner lives off-site

info2019-01-25T10:22:01-06:00January 25th, 2019|

Permits for the city’s first short-term rentals where the property owner lives elsewhere received their first approvals at City Hall on Wednesday. At its regular meeting, the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission voted to recommend for approval the first nonowner-occupied short-term rentals under the city’s newly created licensing program. Commissioners considered four permit requests and recommended that all four be approved. In September, the Lawrence City Commission voted to begin regulating Airbnb properties and other short-term rentals, including a process that would require a review from the Planning Commission and the City Commission before a property owner who resides elsewhere could [...]

Attorney General Opinion No. 2019-1: County Commissioners—Powers of Board of Commissioners; Control of Expenditures

info2019-01-25T10:18:08-06:00January 25th, 2019|

Synopsis: A district attorney is an elected official who is not subordinate to the board of county commissioners (BOCC). As the county’s chief prosecutor, the district attorney has several statutory and ethical obligations, including a duty to manage his or her workload so that each matter can be handled adequately. Although the BOCC has general authority over county expenditures, it has a statutory duty to provide reasonable sums necessary for the district attorney to meet his or her statutory duties of office. The Kansas Supreme Court has held that a BOCC must approve an elected official’s expenditure if the expense is [...]

Attorney General Opinion No. 2019-2: Restrictions on Carrying Concealed Handgun; Sign Requirements; Dormitory

info2019-01-25T10:17:48-06:00January 25th, 2019|

Synopsis: A one-story dormitory-type structure having a series of living/sleeping units, each with a separate exterior door, is a “building” under K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 75-7c10. The Personal and Family Protection Act requires that signage for such a structure be posted near all exterior doors of the building. Therefore, signage would need to be placed near the exterior door of each living/sleeping unit. Read: Attorney General Opinion No. 2019-2.

Winfield sells part of electric facilities

info2019-01-25T12:53:46-06:00January 25th, 2019|

Winfield city commissioners have agreed to sell a 65-percent interest in the city’s electric transmission facilities to GridLiance High Plains, LLC, as part of a partnership that would lead to increased revenue for the city and assistance with electric transmission projects. The decision was approved in a 3-0 vote at Tuesday’s commission meeting. The city will receive $1.1 million for the sale, according to Winfield utilities director Gus Collins. The city will also receive regular community contribution payments and the ability to participate in future transmission projects. The city will continue to be responsible for operations and maintenance of the transmission [...]

Winfield grievance policy passes

info2019-01-25T12:55:39-06:00January 25th, 2019|

Personnel policies, including a new grievance policy, were approved 3-0 by the Winfield City Commission at their Tuesday meeting. The policies go into effect immediately, interim city manager Brenda Peters said Wednesday. An earlier grievance policy was removed from the City of Winfield employee handbook last year, supposedly because it was rarely used. The policy removal caused issues after a police officer was fired last year. He wanted to appeal the firing to city officials, but was told no avenue existed to do so. The new policy outlines successive steps city employees can take if they have a problem that needs [...]

Florence water rate decided by mayor’s vote

info2019-01-25T06:57:07-06:00January 25th, 2019|

With the city council split, Florence’s discussion on 2019’s water and sewer rates Monday came down to the decision of mayor Bob Gayle. He voted to keep water rates as they are, but he also expressed concern that the city’s water and sewer expenses will increase in the next few years due to aging equipment. “I know the other side of this thing,” he said. “We have some pretty severe expenses coming up.” Councilman Matt Williams was not heavily opposed to the decision, but he wanted to keep the door open to review the matter later in the year. “Honestly, I’m [...]

Enthusiast hopes to build Hillsboro disc golf course

info2019-01-25T06:54:48-06:00January 25th, 2019|

A disc golf course could come to Hillsboro if its community foundation grants money to the man who wants to develop it. Jerry Schwelling, who moved to Hillsboro with his wife in the fall, is an avid disc golf player who wants to bring the sport to his new community. Schwelling requested the city allow the course, if he gets funding for it, to be built in the city park. “I think if we get a good portion of the grant money I requested, we could put in nine holes,” Schwelling said. Recreation director Doug Sisk also came to Tuesday’s council [...]