Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Overland Park considers changing how it gives out 2 types of development incentives

As part of a months-long effort to review its economic incentive policies, Overland Park is now tackling two that tend to use sales tax to encourage specific types of development and redevelopment. These two economic development tools are community improvement districts and transportation development districts, more typically referred to as CIDs and TDDs, respectively.
Source: Johnson County Post

Fed Governor Waller sees central bank ‘getting closer’ to an interest rate cut

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller on Wednesday suggested that interest rate cuts are ahead soon as long as there are no major surprises on inflation and employment. … Keeping with statements from other policymakers, Waller’s sentiments point to an unlikelihood of a rate cut when the Federal Open Market Committee meets later this month, but a stronger likelihood of a move in September.
Source: CNBC

Who are Wichita’s top water customers?

As of Monday, Cheney Lake is nearly six-and-a-half feet below its normal level, less than 65% full. This is a mark that has Wichita on the brink of mandatory water restrictions. With the City of Wichita treating more than 19 billion gallons of water each year, 12 News looked into water usage in the city, asking for the top 30 users of Wichita’s water supply. Considering Wichita water customers, the supply extends well beyond the city’s limits.
Source: KWCH

What Wichita-area services are down due to global outage?

A worldwide IT outage caused by a faulty update is also impacting several Sedgwick County resources. CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, said that an update sent to Microsoft computers caused widespread problems that led to grounded flights and disruptions to companies across the world. … The county’s vehicle tagging offices are currently closed due to computer problems. “The computers are back up with county software but unfortunately the motor vehicle system is on the state software, and at this moment the state has not gotten their stuff up and running,” Brandi Baily, the county’s treasurer, said at Friday morning’s county commissioners agenda review meeting. “The plan is to keep the tag office doors closed until we have that up and running.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

McCune Lions Club successful community garden providing healthy fresh food to the area

According to the Kansas Healthy Food Initiative, more than 750,000 Kansans did not have access to healthy food within a reasonable distance of their home in 2023. Approximately 26 percent of those Kansans also live in low access areas, otherwise known as a “food desert.” One of the many communities in Kansas suffering as a food desert is in McCune. While McCune Farm to Market provides local produce, meats, and eggs along with basic groceries, the next closest grocery store is 21 miles east in Pittsburg or 15 miles west to Parsons. In an effort to tackle food insecurity in the rural area, the McCune Lions Club has been maintaining a community garden for several years. “Live Well came over here six years ago and Greenbush was still using the school here at that time and they got with them and they wanted to put this building here and have the students work in it part-time,” said Lions Club member Clint McColm. “Well, they asked the city if they wanted it on their ground and they said ‘no’ so I called them that next morning after they met with the city and I said ‘Hey, the Lions Club, we have ground out here that we’ll let you put it on.’ “… Live Well hired the Amish to build it. They built it for us and once it was built, then they signed it over to the Lions Club. We had a garden club from the church and they helped us for a year.”
Source: Morning Sun

New courthouse holds remnants of old, new clocks

The mechanisms that controlled the clock on the exterior west wall of the Harvey County Courthouse are in the second-floor women’s bathroom in a protective enclosure. The clock no longer works, but the mechanisms still are there. “We don’t use it anymore,” said David Ryan, Harvey County facilities and grounds maintenance director. “The last time we had it estimated, trying to fix it was a challenge. It was pretty expensive. There was no guarantee it would be accurate.” “At some point, we took the hands off the clock,” County Administrator Anthony Swartzendruber said. “The hands didn’t move any more,” Ryan said. In this story, there is the old courthouse and the new courthouse. Tying them together is a bell, the location, their purpose and clocks.
Source: Harvey County Now

Lawrence Municipal Court to accept $15 of school supplies to cover $50 of fines

For a second year running, Lawrence Municipal Court is holding a school supply drive that will allow people to pay off $50 in fines with $15 worth of school supplies. “Participants can purchase $15 worth of new school supplies from the approved supply list below and bring them to the Lawrence Municipal Court along with the receipt to get $50 credited towards a traffic infraction and/or parking fines,” according to a Friday news release from the city. “The donations will only apply to existing court fines, not potential future fines. Individuals can also choose to donate toward fines on another person’s account,” according to the release. Municipal Court Judge Chris Kopecky, who started in his role in October 2022, said last year that the Olathe municipal court had a similar initiative, and he thought it might be a good thing to do here. Vicki Stanwix, court administrator, said via email last year that 44 people donated items in exchange for a reduction in parking or infraction fines. The court also received donations from some people who owed less than $50 in fines, and from people who did not owe fines to the court but wanted to give back to the community, she said.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Junction City says goodbye to longtime City Manager Allen Dinkel

All eyes will be on Junction City this afternoon as officials and residents say goodbye to city manager Allen Dinkel. Dinkel, who has spent over 35 years in city government and most of the last 10 in Junction City, announced his retirement in April. He spoke about his career in an interview with KMAN earlier this year. “I’m very proud of my career,” he said. “It has always been a interesting role to be as city manager. I always joke that I got into local government by accident 35 years ago and I’m still here. But it’s been a great career.”
Source: themercury.com

Newton businesses benefit from golf tournament

As out-of-town golfers left, Newton businesses returned to normal but said they’re grateful for the boost in sales they got from the visitors. The USGA Adaptive Open Golf Championship tournament had 96 golfers competing and attracted many more in the form of spectators. Local businesses appreciated the extra traffic in the community. The championship tournament lasted six days and wrapped up on July 10.
Source: Harvey County Now

Shawnee explores adding city-run summer camp next year to meet growing demand

The city of Shawnee is looking to fulfill the continuing demand for a summer camp in the area by adding a city-run program next summer. At the Shawnee Council Committee meeting on July 8, City Manager Paul Kramer outlined the city’s 2025 budget proposal, which includes a summer camp run by the city’s parks and recreation department at Shawnee Civic Centre. “The demand for youth summer camps is high,” Kramer said. “Nearly all local summer camp providers are full, with waiting lists.” Citing full summer camps this year run by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District, the cities of Lenexa and De Soto and the Shawnee Mission School District, among others, Kramer suggested it was time for Shawnee to explore their options. “The problem is that Shawnee families currently search outside city limits for summer camp options,” he said. In the city’s 2024 Parks and Recreation needs assessment survey, people said they wanted a summer camp for their kids in the area. “The summer camp fulfills one of the unmet needs,” Kramer said. The proposal in the city budget would create a fully-licensed, 10-week pilot summer camp at the Shawnee Civic Center for 2025 that includes field trips. The proposal includes hiring 12 new seasonal employees. Their pay would be fully funded by program revenues brought in primarily through fees paid by campers.
Source: Johnson County Post

Prairie Village will take out some pickleball courts at Windsor Park

After months of back and forth, the city of Prairie Village will get rid of some of the pickleball courts at Windsor Park in an effort to respond to residents’ complaints about noise. The Prairie Village City Council on Monday voted 10-0 to resurface four of the six existing pickleball courts back into one tennis court that will still have pickleball lines, enough for up to three pickleball games to be played at once at Windsor Park. Councilmembers Tyler Agniel and Cole Robinson were absent Monday. The move Monday comes months after the council temporarily shut down four of the courts earlier this year in an attempt to mitigate noise coming from the courts and just more than a year since the six pickleball courts were first installed at Windsor Park, replacing two former tennis courts at the time. Since resurfacing the court last summer into pickleball courts, Prairie Village residents and pickleball players have been at odds about the future of the game at Windsor Park. Some residents have complained about the incessant “thwack” associated with pickleball, which has been an issue for others across Johnson County, as well as more broadly around the U.S. Residents near the Windsor Park courts have also complained about parking and traffic issues.
Source: Johnson County Post

Overland Park closer to ‘permit-ready’ housing pilot. What would it do?

Overland Park is one step closer to fully implementing a “permit-ready” housing pilot program, a pillar in the city’s effort to encourage more diverse housing options in the future. Earlier this month, the Overland Park City Council Community Development Committee voted 6-0 to recommend amending the city’s building codes with that effort in mind. These changes would remove some steps in the approval process for single- and two-family homes smaller than 3,500 square feet. Overland Park would still require other administrative steps before such a housing project could be constructed. “Housing, I think, is our number one community issue right now,” Council President Logan Heley said at the July 1 committee meeting. “This is going to help us have smaller housing products come onto the market that are more attainable to more folks.” Under the pilot program, Overland Park would keep a collection of roughly two dozen pre-designed homes that are “permit-ready” — that is designs that are already reviewed and able to be fast-tracked through the planning process. These designs would be available for any resident to use for free on any lot in the city that carries the corresponding residential zoning designation. They would also emphasize more “cottage court” housing developments, which tend to be a little smaller in size, sit on a smaller lot and usually are organized around a common open space.
Source: Johnson County Post

North Newton holding a city flag design contest

The City of North Newton is searching for a new flag to represent their city, and they’re looking for a local artist to create the design. Anyone who lives or works in North Newton is encouraged to submit a design that best represents the city and the community. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize courtesy of Conrade Insurance Group. Artists have until Aug. 2 to submit a design.
Source: KSN-TV

Harper Police Department mourns death of K9 Bruce

The Harper Police Department is mourning the loss of their K9 officer. The department says K9 Bruce died suddenly Tuesday during a medical emergency. Police say Bruce and partner Sergeant Scott McCann were responsible for multiple felony arrests and investigated numerous narcotics cases. According to the department, they were frequently called to assist neighboring counties and served on the Pratt County SWAT team together. The Barber County Sheriff’s Office says Sgt. McCann and K9 Bruce frequently assisted their department, including recently apprehending a suspect who fled from a traffic stop and was hiding in a field. “Bruce was a great dog. Scott worked tirelessly to get him to where he needed to be and the quality of his work was nothing short of excellent,” says Barber County Undersheriff and K9 Handler Garret McLemore in a post on Facebook. “I had the privilege of training next to Scott and Bruce a couple of times and losing Bruce is a huge hit to our area. I pray for peace and comfort for the McCann family as well as everyone in their community that K9 Bruce had a positive impact on.”
Source: KSN-TV

Breed-specific ban putting a strain on Salina animal shelter

A decades-long breed-specific ban targeting pit bulls and similar dogs in Salina could be putting a strain on the city’s animal shelter. City leaders say Salina Animal Services is housing 64 dogs as of the latest update. Nearly half of those dogs are subject to the city’s breed-specific ban, which includes pit bulls and many dog breeds with pit bull characteristics. Salina Mayor Bill Longbine tells KSN News that the breed ban in effect since 2004, when a pit bull attacked a child, is not sustainable. With the ban, the shelter can’t adopt the banned dogs. Instead, it has to transfer them to a rescue in a city without a ban. Mayor Longbine says that’s getting increasingly difficult with shelters all around that are already full of dogs. “Those dogs have no future of being adopted, and we are just essentially holding them indefinitely,” he said. Mayor Longbine says roughly half of the 28 dogs in the shelter under the breed ban are on judicial hold. He says that means they have families and homes, but they were found, so now they must go through a court process and be held at the shelter. Salinans Against BLS has been working for years to get the breed-specific ban lifted. They have a petition going around now. It needs 1,400 signatures from Salina residents by September. Currently, they have about 1,000. If the organization gets the necessary signatures and they’re verified, the petition will go to the city commission. At that point, the city commission can either repeal the ban or put the ban up for a special vote.
Source: KSN-TV

Parsons residents asked to voice opinions in police survey, link here

A federal grant is helping police officers in Parsons become better partners with the community. Police Chief Robert Spinks says a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice is helping to pay for additional training for officers, as well as a community survey. That survey, which Spinks says will take about three minutes to complete, covers things like personal experiences, department visibility, and how comfortable the community is working with police officers. The data is tabulated by Police2Peace, a national nonprofit dedicated to enhancing community policing and engagement. Chief Spinks says the survey and training sessions are part of an ongoing effort to better work with the community. “We need to make sure that as a culture within the department we continue to embrace community policing, being partners with the community, being guardians, being problem solvers, and so that’s really what Police2Peace as an organization provides us,” said Chief Robert Spinks, Parsons Police Department.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office receives grant towards new 4K body cameras

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office received a nice grant of $90,000. Money that will provide 22 new body cameras for patrol deputies, including SROs, court security, and community outreach deputies. Cherokee County is one of 40 departments across the country to receive this grant through Justice and Security Strategies and the U.S. Department of Justice. Meanwhile, the body cameras currently in service will soon be used on the corrections side of the sheriff’s office. Chief Deputy Nate Jones says the new cameras are branded top quality and will produce 4K clear imagery. They’ll also provide a chance to get video evidence to the county attorney’s office quicker. Once an officer stops a recording, the video will automatically upload to a secure website. Then, the county attorney’s office will have its own login information to obtain the video.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Coffeyville firefighters seek help restoring classic fire engine

Firefighters in Coffeyville hope to restore of piece of the department’s history. International Association of Firefighters Local 265 in Coffeyville is raising money to restore a fire engine the department first used nearly 75 years ago. The truck is a 1953 Peter Pirsch 75’ Ladder truck that was once owned by the department. Peter Pirsch and Sons was based in Kenosha, Wisconsin and was the first modern, motorized fire truck with its own ladder system. It operated from 1900 to 1986 before dissolving.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Lawrence city commissioners approve 20-year, $103M plan to make sidewalks accessible

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday approved a plan to bring city sidewalks and curb ramps up to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The plan is estimated to cost the city and residents about $103.5 million over the next 20 years. Evan Korynta, ADA compliance manager for the city, gave the commission a presentation on the ADA Right-of-Way Transition Plan in May and returned to speak to the commission Tuesday. Federal law requires cities and states to have ADA transition plans to ensure that all people can access travel paths.
Some of the issues the city currently has with sidewalks include trip hazards, major cracks, cross slopes and more, Korynta reiterated on Tuesday. He said the city currently has about 4,500 curb ramps that need to be repaired or replaced, and about 280 miles of sidewalks and shared-use paths that need repair — about 65% of those miles — or full replacement — about 35% of them. Vice Mayor Mike Dever asked to clarify whether the commission was approving specific funds for anything in the plan on Tuesday. “The funding will be tied to the (capital improvement plan), and that’s something we’ll be discussing in the future,” Mayor Bart Littlejohn said. Lawrence property owners are responsible for paying for repairs to sidewalks adjacent to their properties. Commissioner Lisa Larsen noted Tuesday that if a sidewalk is damaged by a street tree crew or utility line, that’s paid for by the city.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Lawrence city commissioners have mixed feelings about on-the-go drinking downtown

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday showed a range of interest in creating a “common consumption area,” which would allow folks to drink alcoholic beverages as they move through downtown. City staff members researched other communities in Kansas that have enacted CCA districts and shared their findings in a memo to the commission ahead of the meeting. Key concerns commissioners discussed during the presentation Tuesday were the costs of enforcement if additional downtown security would be needed and cleanup. Porter Arneill, assistant director of arts and culture for Lawrence Parks and Recreation, told the commission that the concept and feedback thus far is “very nebulous right now.” “Everything is a guessing game at this stage because there’s so many factors that are unknown,” Arneill said. “We don’t know what the behavior will be like. We don’t know how many businesses would actually join in on this.” The city already has a process to approve special permits to allow open consumption of alcohol during certain events, such as Lawrence Busker Festival. Some members of the public seemed to be shaken and stirred by the proposal.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Municipal Bond Trends for July 18, 2024

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

Municipal Bond Trends for July 17, 2024

Topeka thwarted in bike lane effort

The Build Kansas Advisory Committee rejected a proposal from the city of Topeka to use federal grant funds to build seven bike lanes across the community. … The city contributed $0 to the project, relying on the Build Kansas fund to contribute the entire local funding needed to qualify for the federal grant. Rep. Kyle Hoffman, R-Coldwater, said he wanted to see some local cost share when he motioned to reject awarding the funds.
Source: CJonline

Municipal Bond Trends for July 16, 2024

Municipal Bond Trends for July 15, 2024

Great Bend City Administrator Brandon Anderson leaving

Great Bend City Administrator Brandon Anderson is resigning. City officials confirmed he submitted his 30-day notice, as required by his employment agreement, on Tuesday and his last day will be Aug. 9. … Anderson said he has accepted another administrative job with the Garden City school district.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Affordable housing still an issue in Holton

New houses have been built or are under construction in Holton, with more on the way, but the lack of available housing in the city continues to be an issue for a Holton contractor who has been involved in the construction of several new homes in the city over the past two years. “My eyes have opened in the last two years to how much of a need there is” for affordable housing in Holton…
Source: Holton Recorder

Merriam explores idea of hiring single trash hauler for entire city

The city of Merriam is looking at contracting with one solid waste hauler for the entire city. Following a recent community survey that showed a majority of residents want a single solid waste provider, the Merriam City Council on Monday expressed support for exploring a move to a singular citywide contract. Currently, there are five …
Source: Johnson County Post

Federal judge has rules that Dodge City’s elections don’t discriminate against Latinos

A federal judge has ruled Dodge City’s five-decade-old election system does not unfairly suppress Latino voter choices and can remain in place, rejecting arguments from the American Civil Liberties Union and others. The southwest Kansas city has used an “at-large” system to elect city commissioners since 1971. Instead of dividing the city into voting districts, commissioners are elected by voters all over the city — a structure the ACLU says unlawfully dilutes the voices of Latino voters and violates the U.S. constitution and federal election law. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren disagreed in a ruling issued Wednesday.
Source: KAKE – News

McConnell Air Force Base generates $1 billion economic impact for Wichita

More than 1,000 civilians were employed at the base, including general schedule, federal wage board and other civilian employees. The number also includes non-appropriated civilian employees paid with appropriated funds, such as Army and Air Force Exchange Services and Defense Commissary Agency employees.
Source: KAKE – News

Powell indicates Fed won’t wait until inflation is down to 2% before cutting rates

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Monday that the central bank will not wait until inflation hits 2% to cut interest rates. … “The implication of that is that if you wait until inflation gets all the way down to 2%, you’ve probably waited too long, because the tightening that you’re doing, or the level of tightness that you have, is still having effects which will probably drive inflation below 2%,” Powell said.
Source: CNBC

Sedgwick County government officially drops ‘Working for you’ tagline. Here’s why

The tagline “Working for you” will no longer appear on official Sedgwick County government branding. The County Commission voted Wednesday to drop the tagline, which for decades has appeared packaged with the official county seal featuring a stylized illustration of the Keeper of the Plains. The change comes as the commission adopted an updated brand guide detailing how employees should and shouldn’t represent the county in official materials. Commissioner Jim Howell cast the only vote against the brand guide, saying he believes “Working for you” sums up the county’s mission well. “This is the moment where we’re going to get rid of that tagline. Can I steal it?’ Howell asked Strategic Communications director Nicole Gibbs. “To the extent that the county gets rid of that tagline, I’m going to put that on everything I do personally. I love it,” Howell said. Gibbs said dropping the tagline will improve the aesthetic appeal of county branding. The goal, she said, isn’t to imply that the government has stopped working for people. “Just because we don’t have the words out there doesn’t change the work that we do, and we all continually work to serve the community and work for the people, but for our marketing purposes and what we’ve been doing going forward, it makes it a little bit cleaner look and easier for us to go forward without the slogan,” Gibbs said. She said the change will be gradual, and won’t cost the county extra money.
Source: Wichita Eagle

City manager candidate finalists to meet with public on Jul. 22

The names of the four finalists for Manhattan City Manager have been released to the public. The candidates will be Jacob Wood, Jamie Miller, Jason Gage and Danielle Dulin. The four finalists will be coming to Manhattan on Jul. 22 to meet with city residents at the Flint Hills Discovery Center from 4:30 to 6 as they’ll answer questions from the public. All four candidates have lengthy experiences working in city government. Mr. Wood has more than 15 years of experience in local government, including more than 10 years in senior leadership positions. Currently, he serves as the Deputy City Manager for the city of Salina a position he’s held for the last 12 years. Ms. Miller has more than 10 years of experience and she has spent the last two years as the City Manager of Paris, Kentucky, a 10,000-person town 18 miles northeast of Lexington. Previously, she served in roles in the city of Port Orange, Florida. Mr. Gage has the longest tenure in city government of the four, serving more than 25 years in local government currently serving as City Manager in Springfield, Missouri, a position he has held since 2018. He is no stranger to Kansas, serving as Salina City Manager from 2005 until 2018 and was also assistant City Manager of Salina from 1994 until 1999. Ms. Dulin has more than 10 years of local government service, serving the last three years as City Manager of Warrensburg, Missouri which is the home of the University of Central Missouri. She also ties to Kansas serving as Assistant to the City Manager for Lenexa, Prairie Village and Mission Hills. 44 applicants applied for the position previously held by longtime city manager Ron Fehr who retired in April. Jason Hilgers is the current interim city manager but is not applying for the position.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Wichita, USD 259 announce athletic partnership

The Wichita Park and Recreation Department and the Wichita school district have announced a partnership to enhance the Wichita Junior Football League and to share facilities, starting this fall. The partnership will have the city’s Junior Football League playing its games on Wichita Public Schools turf fields. In the fall of 2025 Wichita Park and Recreation will transform the Junior League Football League program for 7th and 8th grade students to align with WPS high school attendance areas. As part of the program, WPS will provide mentors and tutors to support students’ academic success. As part of the partnership, there will be other opportunities to share facilities, including:

WPS can use city baseball fields in August and March – May for early-morning practices;
The City of Wichita can have access to West High’s swimming pool at designated times to provide lifeguard certification and water safety training;
WPS students and staff may obtain lifeguard certification through the city and students will have an opportunity for employment as lifeguards at the City pools;
WPS PE teachers and swim coaches may attend courses to become instructors in Lifeguard Certification and Water Safety.

The use of City and WPS athletic facilities will be provided free of charge. The city’s recreation superintendent, Reggie Davidson, said the city and the school district have a shared belief in providing athletic opportunities for young athletes. He said this will enhance the football experience for students and it will create a strong connection between the Junior League Football program and the broader educational community.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Panasonic plant’s benefits will ripple through Western JoCo and metro area, panelists say

Reflecting on his nearly 25-year career with De Soto, City Administrator Mike Brungardt said the debut of Panasonic’s $4 billion electric-vehicle battery plant will be transformative for the city. “This place is almost automatically shortlisted for every megaproject that wants to build in North America,” Brungardt said. “Whatever it is, we’ve got transportation. You’ve got a laborshed. You’ve got the land. We’re very excited about those opportunities moving forward.” Although Panasonic’s massive battery plant will be based in De Soto, the economic effect will ripple throughout the region, said Libbey Tucker, vice president of economic development at the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce. “All our communities have a little something different to offer. Overland Park is not a manufacturing-heavy community. We have a little bit, but we’re more on the office space side,” Tucker said. “We’ll benefit that way. Other communities that do have that acreage and manufacturing space, they’ll benefit in that regard. It’s a big pie, and we can all have a bite.” Tucker and Brungardt joined John Petersen, principal at Sunflower Redevelopment, and Travis Schram, president of area homebuilder Grata Development, in discussing just how far those ripples will extend during the Kansas City Business Journal’s Regional Development: Western Johnson County panel event on June 21.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

Solar farms up for discussion in Reno County

Monday night, a town hall meeting in Nickerson discussed the future of solar farms in Reno County. Reno County currently bans large-scale commercial farms, and commissioners are considering lifting the moratorium. While Monday is important to whether or not portions of Reno County are zoned, leaders tell KSN this is just a chance to get community input. As it stands, only 1/3 of Reno County is adherent to zoning laws. Reno County officials are adamant that zoning the remaining 2/3 of the Reno County would be beneficial. “Zoning will regulate land usage. When you’re an unzoned property, then there are no zoning regulations, and you can do whatever you want with your property, but so can your neighbor,” said Reno County Planner Mark Vonachen. They say zoning is the difference between having a say in what is built around your property, like solar or wind farms. “Solar and wind are types of land usage that zoning can regulate, and when you’re unzoned, those land uses are not regulated by zoning, so they can just go into a property area,” said Vonachen. Some residents, like Melony Ball, don’t see the benefit. They call zoning a double-edged sword, limiting what they can do with their property “I hear what they’re saying about other people being able to come in and do. But if your livelihood is out of your garage,” said Ball. “It would just be nice to have those freedoms and to not have government control over that.” Two more town hall meetings are scheduled across Reno County this month: July 22 in Arlington and July 23 in Pretty Prairie.
Source: KSN-TV

County attempting to keep road rights-of-way clear

Jackson County officials want to remind property owners that it’s illegal to plant crops, install electrical fences and place other items in road rights-of-way. Letters are now being sent to some landowners where this has become an issue, according to Scott Kieffaber, public works director. Those landowners are being asked to meet with Kieffaber and the commissioners in person to discuss correcting the issues. “People don’t care,” Kieffaber said. “The county has a right-of-way of 145 feet on these roads. Some people think it’s smaller than that.” Kieffaber said that while landowners do own to the center of the road, they don’t pay taxes on it. “It’s the county’s right-of-way for us to do whatever we need to do to get the water off the road,” he said. “When we have these big torrential rains that we’ve had, it’s no surprise that the roads are washing because there’s no ditch.” Kansas statute 68-115 states that “counties and townships shall keep road rights-of-way in repair and shall remove or cause to be removed all obstructions that may be found therein.” There are several other statutes dealing with obstructions in the right-of-way. “Some people are also putting drain tiles in and running them off into the ditch. There’s supposed to be a berm between the ditch and their property for a waterway,” he said. Kieffaber said that the ditches can’t handle the extra run-off from tiles and terraces.
Source: Holton Recorder

Great Bend has two-day blood drive for Battle of the Badges

Donors can help hospitals stay prepared to weather challenges this summer at Red Cross blood drives. Great Bend will offer a two-day blood drive next week during the annual Battle of the Badges. Donate blood and vote for your favorite: Law Enforcement or Fire/EMS. St. Rose Auditorium, 1412 Baker Ave., is the location from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, July 15, and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16. The process, from check-in to the post-donation visit to the canteen, is usually just about an hour’s time, according to Corry Herrman, Great Bend blood drive chair. Other upcoming opportunities to donate blood in Barton County will be July 29, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Legion, 1011 Kansas Ave., Great Bend, and July 30, 12:30- 6:30 p.m., St Joseph’s Parish Center, 110 W. 2nd St., Ellinwood. This July, the American Red Cross continues to stress that blood donors are critically needed right now to support lifesaving transfusions this summer. Donors of all blood types are in demand, especially those with type O blood and donors giving platelets. Every donation counts in the mission to keep blood products stocked for patients, including those facing life-threatening situations. More than a quarter of all blood products each year are used in critical care and emergency room cases, highlighting the importance of generous blood donors. Be a force for good.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Cheney Reservoir at lowest level since 2013

The National Weather Service said the Cheney Reservoir in Reno, Kingman and Sedgwick counties is at its lowest level since 2013. The Weather Service issued an update this week that said the reservoir is a little more than six feet below the normal conservation level. This is due to a drier start in the first half of the year and current drought conditions. The elevation level on July 10th was 1,415.4 feet, which is 6.22 feet below the normal conservation level of 1421.6 feet. Wichita officials have been watching the water levels at the reservoir, which is one of the main sources of drinking water for the community. The city is currently in Stage One of its drought response plan, which calls for voluntary water conservation efforts, but a decision to move to Stage Two may be in the near future. That would involve some mandatory restrictions on water use. The city’s public works director, Gary Janzen, recently told City Council members that the city has been using a 50-50 mix of water from the reservoir and the Equus Beds aquifer. He said staff has been looking at increasing the use of the aquifer because of the situation at Cheney.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Overland Park a pilot city in new campaign to bring Kansans back to state

After graduating from William Jewell College, Overland Park Councilmember Drew Mitrisin left the Midwest for Washington, D.C. A Missouri native, Mitrisin says it was a call from his father-in-law about five years later that brought him and his wife back to the area. They settled in Overland Park and now live in the Nall Hills neighborhood with their young daughter. “We knew that we wanted to come home because we wanted to raise our family, we wanted to have access to good schools, and we wanted to have great jobs. And that’s what we found,” he said. A new Kansas Department of Commerce campaign called “Love, Kansas” is designed to create more “boomerangs” like Mitrisin — trying to appeal to more native Kansans and others with personal connections to the region back to the Sunflower State. “We need more people to come to our community, work in our community, buy homes in our community, live in our community,” Mitrisin said at a kick-off event Thursday in Overland Park that included state and city officials, local business owners and members of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce. (…) Andrew Weisberg, director of talent at the Overland Park Chamber, said the “Love, Kansas” campaign is focused “on attracting skilled talent back to our state” while also “keeping skilled talent” here. Bridgette Jobe, director of Kansas Tourism, said the state has roughly 86,000 open job opportunities in a variety of industries. At the same time, more than half of Kansas’s counties are reporting shrinking populations. While Johnson County doesn’t have the population loss challenges other Kansas communities have, Jobe said she sees “Love, Kansas” as an opportunity to address the statewide need for employees and the general population decline some counties are seeing.
Source: Johnson County Post

‘A hot-button issue’ — Another JoCo city tackles tree preservation ordinance

The city of Mission is working on a new tree preservation ordinance, the latest city in northeast Johnson County to look at ways to maintain its mature tree canopy. The Mission City Council during a committee meeting on Wednesday voiced support for a possible ordinance that would outline how to protect, remove and replace trees throughout the city but stop short of stricter regulations like requiring permitting for removal of trees on private property. Other neighboring cities, including Fairway and Prairie Village, already have tree preservation ordinances on their books, either modifying or approving those regulations in the past five years. In Roeland Park, a tree preservation ordinance was a key issue during the 2023 municipal election. That led to a series of recently wrapped-up ward meetings on the topic, which the city council will likely discuss at a workshop next month, City Administrator Keith Moody told the Post. Deputy City Administrator Brian Scott told the Mission City Council on Wednesday that following recent storms this summer, “dead or dying trees have been kind of a hot-button issue for code enforcement.” Scott said some concerns are still lingering from last summer’s major storm that left residents in Mission and other parts of Johnson County cleaning up limbs and debris for weeks. “When anybody sees a tree that is dead or looks like it’s dying, they get very anxious about that, and they’ll call the city,” Scott said.
Source: Johnson County Post

Lenexa K9 officer Kobi retires after seven years and nearly 600 calls

After seven years of serving Johnson County, a K9 officer for the Lenexa Police Department is retiring from the force. Having racked up hundreds of deployments and drug finds, Kobi, a 10-year-old Dutch Shepherd, served his last shift on July 5. His partner officer Sgt. Rich Sanchez got to formally announce the end of his final day of duty over the police dispatch. For Sanchez, it was tough making the call, but after Kobi suffered some hip issues and his sense of smell lost its sharpness, it was time to let him be a civilian dog. “I know he could still do it today. But it’s really not fair to the dogs to keep working, especially when their nose is starting to go, and we’re starting to see some of those medical issues,” he said. In Kobi’s time with the Lenexa Police Department, he was sent out 589 times, making 211 narcotics finds and 28 criminal apprehensions, according to the Lenexa Police Department. Kobi made a name for himself by having a keen sense of smell and the ability to track down suspects. “If there’s anyone that needs to be found — burglars, robbers, rapists, murderers — Kobi is the dog you want,” Sanchez said. “That’s what he’s geared toward. Dogs, they all have different drives, and his hunt drive is very finely tuned.”
Source: Johnson County Post

Baxter Springs mural project to honor Route 66 and local heritage

A project is underway to highlight the history of Baxter Springs. An announcement today launched a new mural planned on the north side of town. It includes elements of baseball, the military, the railroad, a cattle drive, and, of course, Route 66. The project attracted an initial grant of $7,500, then got the same amount in matching funds from the Ronald Thomas Foundation. “It’s going to hopefully greet our national and international friends that travel Route 66, as well as local residents who work outside of town and just visitors to town,” said Jennifer Burton, Baxter Springs Public Art Mural Comm. The mural will sit at the intersection of Highway 69 and “Route 66” near the high school. They plan to unveil the completed artwork around Labor Day.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Valley Center’s $19.5M recreation and aquatics center sees an opening ahead

A long-awaited Valley Center community project will open its doors early in 2025. City administrator Brent Clark said Valley Center’s 44,000 square-foot recreation and aquatics center is “well underway” and is slated to open in January. “We’re starting to see everything come together,” he said. Clark said the center, located near Valley Center Middle School on 800 N. Meridian Ave., includes a fitness center, a gymnasium with a court for basketball, volleyball and pickleball, a children’s area, service offices and a 25-meter, six-lane competition pool, which will be used by the community and the Valley Center High School swim team. The center is connected to the far southwest corner of Harvest Place, a 130-acre development involving Lou Robelli. Clark said the center is part of the 30-acre stretch of land the city bought from Robelli. Clark said McCownGowdon Construction, the project builder, is working on putting up sidewalls and installing sheetrock in the facility. “The gym is taking shape. The sheetrock is going around the walls, the children’s area right now is getting stuff put into it as far as the sheetrock and kind of laying out where the kid’s area is,” Clark said. Clark said the city’s recreation commission will operate the facility. He added the recreation commission’s Blake Penniston is in talks and has signed contracts for equipment while he explores options for business opportunities at the facility. He said the next step would be working on pouring the pool deck, installing HVAC systems and general cleanup of the site.
Source: Wichita Business Journal