Kansas Municipal News
Preserving historic cemeteries around Kansas
Director of the Riley County Historical Museum Katharine Hensler joins the 27 News Morning crew with a look into the museum’s cemetery preservation program.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Commission agrees to grant $2,500 to 22 day cares
Labette County commissioners agreed to fund some improvements for 22 day cares in the county on Monday. The money came from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, a COVID-19 economic stimulus package. Jim Zaleski, Parsons’ economic development director, and Laura Moore, the city’s community development director, oversee the ARPA program for the county. The county had $40,000 left in the fund designated for day cares so Zaleski and Moore asked for requests from day care operators. The 25 requests totaled $218,014 and included projects from play equipment and fencing to expanding day care space. Zaleski and Moore suggested eliminating the three largest project requests, ranging from $24,500 to $40,000, because funding those would leave nothing for the remaining facilities. He said most of the remaining requests were for projects totaling $2,000 to $3,000 but some requested larger amounts. He and Moore suggested funding 22 projects at $2,500 each. This would wipe out the county’s fund so the city would kick in $15,000 from its ARPA money designated for day cares. This would provide some funding for all 22 projects. Four of the 25 requests came from day cares that are awaiting a state license, two of them were eliminated because of project size and two of them remain and will be funded as long as their state licenses are issued. “I think that sounds pretty fair,” said Commissioner Vince Schibi. Zaleski said while the $2,500 may not be the amount requested the infusion still will offer support to the businesses. Zaleski also updated commissioners on the former Katy Hospital, which is owned by Labette Health. He said there will be a discussion in the future to assess the structure at market value, which may help find a developer interested in the property. The hospital is on the National Register of Historic Places. Schibi said a development deal fell through in the past related to insurance and taxes on the property. In other matters, the commissioners: — Heard that the county tax sale may be in October. County Counselor Brian Johnson said the petition started with 460 properties and that’s been whittled down to 315 as property owners redeemed the parcels to avoid losing them in a sale. He said about a third of the parcels have been in numerous tax sales before because they are smaller lots, some of them 5 feet in width, or they are in the floodplain. — Approved a contract renewal with Fred Rinne to continue running the Local Emergency Planning Committee meetings and updating the emergency plan. He is paid $1,500 a month. One contract took Rinne’s employment to the end of the year and the other contract was for 2025. — Heard about needs in the Labette County Jail. A wall repair turned into a rebuild because of water issues and deterioration found. This damage relates to a dishwasher that the facility will replace in the next six to seven weeks at an estimated cost of $22,000. Other upgrades of aging equipment will include a garbage disposal and washer and dryer. The jail cells also need improvements, including prison-grade lighting. The sheriff’s office received a federal grant for jail projects several years ago. That and other county funding will help pay for the needed repairs and purchases. A water leak from where two roofs overlap is also needed. Rainwater pours into the jail because of a leak at the confluence of the roof lines. — Visited with Melody Kikkert, the county appraiser that Montgomery County shares with Labette, about her first week in office. She said the current staff in the various departments are doing a “phenomenal” job. Some employees are wanting to get extra training to help the office in the future. Kikkert said she’s also looking for ways to save money going forward.
Source: Parsons Sun
WyCo, KCK officials warn of impacts to public services after sweeping budget cuts
Less than two months after a decision to cap property tax revenue, Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, commissioners passed budgets Thursday with significant cuts to city and county services that will take shape next year. Over the past two weeks, local government leaders identified roughly $15.4 million in spending to carve out. Reductions were necessary, according to top staffers, as costs will naturally rise to meet contractual obligations, employee cost-of-living raises and inflation. No public employees will be laid off or furloughed, according to county administration. Dollars were saved in large part through the reductions of unfilled positions, overtime, capital projects and some programs. Earlier this month, County Administrator David Johnston outlined a proposed budget that curtailed roughly $4.6 million in mostly personnel expenses for police, firefighters and sheriff’s deputies. He also warned commissioners there was no wiggle room, and any restorations of funding would require a decrease elsewhere. Other cuts include parks and recreation, which will see its operating budget scaled back by $750,000. Savings will come through reduced maintenance, including less frequent lawnmowing on publicly-owned property. The public works department is set up to see $790,000 in cuts from open jobs and fleet maintenance. And the Neighborhood Services Center will be cut by $620,000, raising concerns among area neighborhood leaders over volunteer and community service programs. Another item on the chopping block is public transportation. Federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funds will dry up next year, leaving a $2.4 million shortfall the Unified Government may close with the elimination of two bus routes run through the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. The cuts are driven by a 9-0 decision commissioners made in June to adopt a so-called revenue neutral budget. In 2021, the state created new mandates for local governments that require a more extensive public engagement process whenever residents are expected to see any increase on their property tax bills. Residents have long been pressuring commissioners to do something about rising property taxes, including some who say they’re being taxed out of Wyandotte County. While tax rates have stayed largely flat, increases have been felt by homeowners as property values have risen substantially due in part to a housing shortage. Mayor Tyrone Garner, who has advocated for property tax relief throughout his first term, acknowledged Thursday the budget will not lead to a reduced cost for taxpayers. And he relied on a few words once famously delivered by former President John F. Kennedy during his 21 minutes of closing remarks on Thursday. “I have to challenge our residents as well when we talk about shared sacrifice,” the mayor said Thursday in a wide-ranging speech that touched on hopes for efficiencies in local government, an improved business climate and lower costs for residents overall. Other actions taken Thursday by commissioners concern the public utility bills residents will see next year. The Board of Public Utilities PILOT collection, or payments in lieu of taxes, will decrease from 11.9% to 10.9% for residential customers only. The rate will stay the same for commercial businesses and nonprofit organizations. Sewer increases are meant to address infrastructure investments needed to comply with the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s consent decree. The fee is set to rise by 4%. Trash collection will increase by $1.07 per month, totaling $19.01 per month, to meet step increases with the local government’s contract with private company Waste Management. The higher fee is also meant to keep other trash disposal programs run by the city and county government afloat.
Source: KC Star Local News
A Kansas photographer is documenting sports in every county in the state
Jeff Jacobsen spent decades as a photojournalist and as a photographer for University of Kansas athletics. Since he retired in 2020, he’s been working on a project to capture images of sports in all 105 counties in Kansas — and he’s almost done. When Jeff Jacobsen retired in 2020 after decades as the athletic department photographer for the University of Kansas, he found himself looking for one more challenge. So he decided to visit every county in the state to document sports. Four years later, the Heart and Soul of Kansas Sports project is nearly complete. Only eight out of Kansas’ 105 counties remain to be photographed. Among the activities documented: a cyclist’s attempt at the hour record at the Lawrence Grass Velodrome, the Pratt Community College’s rodeo team, and plenty of high school prep sports. To Jacobsen, sports are a unifier, an activity that brings people together across differences in contentious times when people often can’t agree. And featuring Kansas, a state he says is often overlooked, is special too. “So many people in the state, I believe, feel that they’re forgotten,” Jacobsen told KCUR’s Up To Date. “Newspapers aren’t as prevalent. Television doesn’t cover the sports as much as they used to, in a sense, and when somebody shows up and seems to care and wants to do document this, they just roll out everything they possibly can. And it’s been a thrill to to meet everyone I’ve met.” Once he’s finished the photography portion, Jacobsen plans to compile the images he’s taken, along with video interview, into a larger multimedia documentary that he’ll tour around the state. Photos from the Heart and Soul of Kansas Sports project are available to view here.
Source: KCUR
Low-income Kansans are going into debt because unpaid traffic tickets rack up interest
Unpaid traffic tickets can end up costing low-income Kansans thousands of dollars when cities send unpaid fines and fees to collection agencies and add interest on top. Critics say the system is unfair to lower income Kansans who already could not afford the initial fine and courts should consider alternatives to monetary punishment. It’s also unclear if it’s even legally allowed under Kansas law. Proponents of the system argue it is legal, and communities need to be able to add interest to make sure some drivers who ignore traffic laws don’t go unpunished. Kansas Legal Services, a nonprofit legal agency, helps people like Kuykendall negotiate lower fines in Topeka courts when their debt spirals out of control. The Topeka Municipal Court sends unpaid debt to a collection agency, CBK Inc., which has a contract with the city. That contract allows the collection agency to add a 30% fee on top of the debt as a service charge, according to a contract obtained through the Kansas Open Records Act. Micah Tempel, an attorney for Kansas Legal Services, knows other municipal courts use collection agencies that add fees on top of the original fine, like Olathe and Wichita. That means low-income drivers across the state are likely facing similar debt. In Topeka, Tempel said the court also adds up to 12% interest annually. He argues tacking on those fines and interest fees is unfair to low-income drivers. “We have clients who couldn’t afford originally,” Tempel said. “They definitely can’t afford the thousands of dollars that it’s turned into.” Tempel also questions if it’s even legal to add interest on court fines and fees because there does not seem to be a state law that directly permits it. But there has not been a court ruling that sifts through that legal gray area. Tempel said he would like to challenge the practice through court appeals that would likely take a ruling from the Kansas Supreme Court to settle the issue. But none of his cases have gone that far, because Topeka has offered to wipe away his clients’ debt. That also means the city is not taking a strong stance on their interpretation of the law, either. But those settlements mean less time in the courtroom for Tempel’s clients and they also come with other certainties, like drivers getting the licenses back. Officials for the City of Topeka declined to answer questions about using a collection agency and adding interest on traffic court fines and fees. John Goodyear is legal counsel for the League of Kansas Municipalities, of which Topeka is a member. He said it’s common for municipal courts to use collection agencies on unpaid tickets to get some drivers to finally pay up. He said it’s a legally sound practice, as state law specifically allows courts to use collection agencies. The statute stipulates collection agencies can add a service fee up to 33% of the amount collected. It also mentions adding interest, possibly meaning it’s legal, too. However, Goodyear said his organization is also supports courts lowering fines and fees for people who are making a good-faith effort but are struggling to pay back the debt. He said courts should look at each case individually and make a determination on what is best — whether that’s providing relief to low-income drivers or tacking on interest for drivers who can pay it and continue to skirt the law. Meanwhile, Kansas lawmakers have made recent changes to the state law, making it easier for people with outstanding fines to get a restricted driver’s license. The most recent law, which goes into effect in January, provides relief by consolidating and reducing fines and fees drivers need to pay to get their license reinstated. Curry recommends communities use different ways to hold low-income traffic violators accountable, like sliding fee scales based on a violator’s income or community service instead of fines. Otherwise, cities like Topeka are using fines and fees to fund their government and that poses an excess burden on low-income residents, Curry said.
Source: KLC Journal
Watch out, pickleball: Growing sport arrives in Kansas City area. More courts are coming
It’s kinda like tennis, kinda like squash. Padel is gaining popularity in the United States, though for decades it’s had a presence in Spain, Argentina, Mexico and several other countries. But until now, the Kansas City area hasn’t had padel courts. Then along came six current and former Sporting KC players. Teammates Roger Espinoza, Andreu Fontas, Uri Rosell, Johnny Russell, Daniel Salloi and Graham Zusi partnered with engineer Jamie Mahoney to create their new venture, La Casa del Padel. Last week, they opened two padel courts at the Overland Park Racquet Club, 6800 W. 91st St. “We were surprised to see how many people are already hooked on the game from day one,” Salloi said. “The reaction’s been great.” The sport, invented in Mexico in 1969, is played on a small court encased in glass. If the ball hits the ground, then the wall, it’s still in play. (Hitting the wall first is not allowed.) “It becomes very exciting as you have to always turn and look for new angles as the ball bounces back,” Salloi said. The game is played in doubles, and its scoring system is similar to tennis. The racket is shorter and doesn’t have strings. Players can book a time to play at lacasa-delpadel.com. They don’t need to be a member at the Racquet Club to play. “We understand a lot of people will want to be involved because they are Sporting fans … but that’s OK,” he said. “We really believe that they will love it.” Even more good news for padel-lovers: The soccer players aren’t finished growing the sport. They’ve filed an application to build four indoor courts and two outdoor courts at a brand new, nearly 17,000 square foot facility at 77th and Floyd streets called Padel KC. Plans include a bar and restaurant with an outdoor patio. The Overland Park City Council approved their plans earlier this month. A restaurant inside the facility is also included in the plans. Salloi said that project is still a ways out and couldn’t comment further on it. La Casa del Padel began with Fontas, who’s from Spain. He’s been a longtime fan of the game. “You see padel courts in Spain, every corner around the city,” Salloi said. Fontas introduced his teammates to the sport about a year ago, and they were hooked. Together, they began looking for ways to grow the sport. There aren’t many opportunities to play in the Midwest. The closest padel court is in the St. Louis area — Padel + Pickle in Olivette. It just opened this year. But Salloi hopes both his projects not only satisfy a niche in the market, but encourage others to give the game a try. He’s been impressed with how quickly Kansas City padel players have forged friendships. “We’re trying to create a hub for the community,” he said. “It’s amazing how people … are OK with meeting new people, trying to challenge them for new games.”
Source: Joco 913 News
Halstead Market feeds the town for many years
Forty-seven years. That’s how long Russ Friesen of Halstead has worked at and/or owned Halstead Market. He began working there at age 16. “Started out as a carryout boy, and then he went to meat cutting,” his wife and other co-owner Charlene Friesen said. Now, he’s 63. The Halstead couple purchased the business in 2003, and they added a bakery to their endeavor in 2010. The bakery has the scent of sugary treats floating on the air, and there’s an entryway through which people can get to it through the market or they can use the bakery’s front door. There, they make cinnamon rolls from scratch, and the flavors include caramel pecan, cinnamon and raspberry. The raspberry rolls are the only ones without cinnamon. They also sell a variety of other pastries, like donuts and long johns. They get those pre-fried, and then they bake and frost them. There’s a register in the bakery, so people can pay there or in the market. They also sell coffee to go along with the sweet treats. Other items they bake include a variety of cookies like chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, monster cookies and sugar cookies. Since there’s no flour in monster cookies, they’re gluten-free. Other items include yeast breads. They’re usually done baking by around 1 p.m. The larger part of the store has a full line of groceries including pharmacy items, dairy, meat, produce, canned goods, bottled water and soft drinks. That part of the store takes up about 5,000 square feet. “Pretty much what you see in any grocery store,” Russ said. “We cut our meat and package it and sell it at our meat case.” Whatever breakfast sweets don’t sell, around noon they package them up and have them for sale on a shelf. They also carry area-made items like peppernuts from Durham, coffee from Inman, honey from Hesston and flowers from near Halstead. In 2019, they put in all-new freezer, dairy, meat and produce cases. “It changed the looks a lot,” Russ said. “More efficient too,” Charlene said. Not counting the Friesen couple, the market has 10 employees with two of those being full time. Currently, they have a full staff but that can change, Russ said. “We enjoy the customers and being of service to them,” Russ said. “It’s fun being here for the community, and you just know your customers on a daily basis,” Charlene added. “It’s special to see the community support us.” Sometimes, customers shop once a day, while others go in once a week. Russ and his wife put in a lot of hours, he said, adding he works 10 to 12 hours a day. The couple has three children, one of which is Jana Friesen, who manages the bakery, and all three worked there as teens. The couple also has six grandchildren. Halstead Market is the only grocery store in town. “We really appreciate the support we get from those that do their shopping here,” Russ said. Having their store is important to them, Charlene said. “We want to keep our grocery store since so many have closed in the other towns,” she said. “It seems like a day brightener to have our customers become our friends. They’re here for us, and we’re here for them. Nice having conversations with customers. It’s a pleasure to be able to serve them when they support us.” A big seller is their German sausage, which they make themselves. “The steaks would be a big item,” Russ said. “We cut those here also.” Other popular sellers include ground beef, pork chops and chicken. They get business not only from Halstead but from other towns like Sedgwick and Burrton, which used to have grocery stores. Russ said the grocery store moved to its current location at 145 Main St. in the mid-’60s. Before that, it was catty-cornered to the current location where the chiropractor’s office now is. He wasn’t sure when it opened there. “People are glad we’re here,” Russ said. “They appreciate us being here.” Charlene said people appreciate that they don’t have to drive to Newton to get their groceries. Customers aren’t the only ones who buy groceries. The place where the Friesens purchase their groceries for the store is Affiliated Foods in Amarillo, Texas. “They have a bakery,” he said. “They bake the bread that we sell. They bottle the milk there. They do bottled water.” It’s pretty handy getting all their groceries on one truck that delivers to them twice a week, Charlene said. Their busiest time of year is Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they sell turkeys at that time. Since they’re busy with their store and home, neither Friesen has a hobby. “Trying to keep the home fires burning,” Charlene said. Store hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and the bakery is open those hours except Mondays.
Source: Harvey County Now
Municipal Bond Trends for August 16, 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 August 15, 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.
Ohlsen vs. City of Seneca (zoning reasonableness)
The City of Seneca (the City) and the Board of Zoning Appeals of the City of Seneca (the Board) granted a conditional use permit (CUP) to Ag Partners Cooperative, Inc. (APC) after a public hearing. Brett Ohlsen—the owner of neighboring property—sought judicial review of the Board’s decision. The district court found he failed to prove the actions of the Board were unreasonable under K.S.A. 12-760. Ohlsen now appeals the district court’s decision and argues this court should overturn the Board’s granting of the CUP because its decision was unreasonable. But while Ohlsen points to some instances where the Board may not have strictly followed the City’s procedural ordinances, he has not met his considerable burden to show the Board’s grant of the CUP was so arbitrary that it was taken without regard to the benefit or harm to the community or was so wide of the mark that its unreasonableness is without debate. We affirm the district court’s decision.
Source: Kansas Court of Appeals
JC commission weighs making its own website the ‘city newspaper’ to save money
The Junction City Commission this week considered establishing the city government’s own website as the “city newspaper” to avoid paying for the publication of legal notices. Three commissioners — Pat Landes, Jeff Underhill and Ronna Larson — expressed support for the idea and asked city attorney Britain Stites to provide more information on website visits and how much the city government would save by doing it. Currently, The Junction City Union is the official city newspaper. “What has happened, in the last 20 years, the internet and online publications have affected the paper press,” Stites said. “Not saying it’s good, not saying it’s bad; but that has been the reality of the market there. The reality is, their prices have gone up, but the readership has gone down — so if we publish things in there, are people really getting notice? The charter ordinance establishing the city website as their newspaper would require publication in the newspaper and to go through a protest period so it’s not a one-and-done thing or easy to do.” Stites said the city spends “hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year” on public notices. Because The Union is weekly, he said publishing notices that way also limits them on their time frame. He asked some questions on how the newspaper switching to a magazine format would affect deadlines. He also did not contact The Union before putting this on the agenda. Legally, governments have no control over the format of newspapers, which are necessarily separate (usually private) entities because they report on governments. Pinaire expressed opposition to the idea, saying having a community newspaper is valuable and doing this would “cut the knees off of the newspaper.” “I think the quality of the journalism has improved and so have the pictures, and it’s a valuable tool for the community,” Pinaire said. “This is our only newspaper,” Pinaire said, adding that communities across the nation that have lost their newspaper have set up non-profit organizations to replace them. “I think we need more support of the newspaper, not less. It’s been a rough business, sure, to survive, and we’ re not going to help it by that approach.”
Source: 1350 KMAN
Sedgwick residents lend a hand digging out from major windstorm
A strong summer storm blew through Wednesday evening, with Sedgwick receiving the brunt of the damage. The National Weather Service stated that the storm had winds between 60-70 miles per hour. The Sedgwick Area reported uprooted trees as well as downed power lines. “It pretty well rained down fury over here,” Sedgwick City Administrator Kyle Nordick said. Once the storm moved through the city crews as well as the fire department got to work putting up barricades and dealing with damage. “We got to town at 10:30 and didn’t stop until 3 a.m.,” Nordick said. He added that they got about three hours of sleep and continued cleanup in the morning, with plenty of help from residents. All of our community members have done a phenomenal job,” he said. “It was absolute civic pride and community and that is exactly what we shoot to build here in Sedgwick.” The storm left many without power including businesses as well as the school, which canceled classes for Thursday. The doors to the Sedgwick Dollar General were also damaged and the store was closed Thursday morning for repairs. Power was restored to much of the town in the morning and early afternoon. As of 3:50 p.m. Aug. 15, Evergy reported 205 customers without power in Sedgwick. Nordick said that power lines and limbs were still in the process of being picked up.
“I’ve got two different contractors working here,” Nordick said. He added that Halstead also sent a crew of workers to assist the Sedgwick. Nordick asked anyone willing and able to take limbs down to the city burn pile. He also said that the contractors would be picking limbs up from the curb Friday. He said they would pick up limbs placed on the side of the road. The storm was part of a long line of weather to move through the area. At the peak, the storm had knocked out power for 37,000 customers, and there remain outages in small areas throughout Harvey County. This is the second windstorm this year to do major damage locally. A May storm tore down trees across Harvey County and hit Halstead and Newton especially hard. Nordick said that the storm had spared Sedgwick from major damage. “I guess it was our turn,” he said.
Source: Harvey County Now
Lenexa recommends denying a crucial permit to operate Johnson County homeless shelter
The city of Lenexa is recommending that officials deny the request for a special use permit to operate a homeless shelter, potentially throwing a wrench in Johnson County’s ability to close on the sale of the hotel it wants to convert in a tight timeline. Last month, reStart, Inc., the Kansas City-based homeless services organization selected to own the site, submitted to the city of Lenexa an application for a permit to operate the hotel building as a shelter. Johnson County has committed roughly $10.5 million in federal funds toward purchasing and renovating the La Quinta Inn and Suites off of Interstate 35 and 95th Street. The permit is required to both close on the real estate purchase and to run the shelter. But the county and reStart are now facing a major roadblock as city staff has informed officials of the intention to recommend the application be rejected. Denise Rendina, city spokeswoman, declined to provide details explaining why the city is recommending the permit be denied. She said more information will be released next week, ahead of the planning commission considering the application at its Aug. 26 meeting. The council would vote on the request next, at its Sept. 17 meeting. It’s unclear what criteria reStart’s application fails to meet, or how easily the organization could address the city’s concerns. Denial of the application could at least send officials back to the drawing board, pushing back the county’s ambitious timeline for closing on the sale and opening the shelter as early as next year. Part of the timeline hinges on the county’s deadline to spend federal COVID-19 relief funds, the money officials have dedicated to getting the project done. “The county believes that the proposed Homeless Services Center will meet a known community need and will benefit vulnerable populations throughout Johnson County. We also recognize this is a bold new approach, and therefore reStart and the county have worked diligently to address all questions and concerns raised by the city so far and will continue to do so,” Johnson County spokeswoman Anne Christiansen-Bullers told The Star in an email. “We appreciate the ongoing collaboration with City of Lenexa staff throughout this process, and we respect the work they do on behalf of residents. The City of Lenexa is on the front line of meeting this community need.” Lenexa officials consider special use permits using specific criteria, including the character of the neighborhood and how the project will affect nearby properties, the suitability of the property for the type of development, and gain to public health and safety. Lenexa added homeless shelters as an allowable use in its city code a few years ago, which made it possible for the nonprofit Project 1020 to operate its temporary winter shelter out of a church, plus laid out regulations for a potential permanent shelter. City officials made the move after Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church sued the city and won for its right to house the winter shelter.
Source: Joco 913 News
Roeland Park drafts revised tree rules a year after voting down previous version
The city of Roeland Park is getting closer to adopting a long-discussed tree preservation ordinance. Following years of work inventorying the city’s tree canopy and hosting local ward meetings to discuss proposed rules aimed at preserving it… The draft lays out protections for right-of-way trees — that is, trees in public strips of land between residential properties and the street — as well as trees in private front yards.
Source: Johnson County Post
Overland Park wants to clean up this city lake. The process is ‘kind of stinky.’
Overland Park intends to improve the water quality in its lakes, including Regency Lake in the city’s southern half this year, by dredging sediment from the lake floors. But city staff warn the process is likely to be disruptive — and probably a little stinky — for residents who live near the lake.
Source: Johnson County Post
Redevelopment plan could put affordable housing next to Panasonic
The rehabilitation of World War II-era housing could lead to more affordable options near Panasonic’s 4,000-job electric-vehicle battery plant in De Soto. Wheatland Investments Group submitted an application to the city to create a Kansas Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) covering the Clearview Village apartment complex at 36000 W 103rd St. Clearview Village, formerly known as Sunflower Village, was built in 1943 to meet the housing needs of military members working at the Sunflower Army Ammunition plant. The housing complex sits across from Panasonic’s $4 billion, 4.7-million-square-foot plant on the opposite side of 103rd Street. The ammunition plant was decommissioned in 1992, but the housing development remained. In 2014, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places to tap historic tax credits. According to the RHID application, roughly 9% of De Soto’s almost 6,500 residents live at Clearview. The developer plans to renovate 242 existing apartments and build 99 new units. The project is estimated to cost $55 million, including about $24 million in infrastructure upgrades. An RHID allows a city to steer property tax gains created by a new development to pay for eligible infrastructure improvements. At Clearview, those improvements would include: Repairing and replacing storm and sanitary sewers, Replacing water lines, Installing fire hydrants, Adding a water connection point on Sunflower, and Road Resurfacing and repairing streets in the project site. The proposed RHID is expected to generate approximately $13.7 million over a 25-year term. In May, the project was awarded a 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit from Kansas Housing Resources Corp. After the renovation, all units in the complex will be converted to affordable housing, with rents earmarked for tenants earning between 30% to 80% of the average median income. A lagoon system is being used for sewer treatment for Clearview residents. In July, the city approved a request from Sunflower Redevelopment Group to create a special benefit district to install a new sewer line to serve the former Sunflower Army Ammunition plant property, now known as Astra Enterprise Park. The $10.6 million line will stretch about 2.8 miles from north of 95th Street southwest toward Astra Parkway and will be paid for using a special assessment levied against property owners in the district. A $60,000 special assessment would be levied against the Clearview property annually to pay for the new sewer line. If the new sewer line is not installed by the time the first new Clearview apartment is complete, the developer wants the city to approve plans for a new wastewater lagoon to be used at the site for three years before tying into the wastewater system. The City Council has not yet set a date to vote on Wheatland’s incentive application. If plans are approved, the developer would begin work in January, with construction expected to wrap up by June 2027. The renovation of Clearview is intended to help ease the demand for additional housing in De Soto. Panasonic plans to begin producing lithium ion batteries at the plant in the first quarter of 2025. At full capacity, the Japanese manufacturer aims to operate on a 24/7 schedule, with employees working in four 12-hour shifts. In March, H&T Recharge announced plans to install four automated battery can production lines within the Panasonic plant, which will create 100 additional jobs.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
KCK district OKs $180 million bond for school improvements to appear on November ballot
With buildings in disrepair and estimated construction costs mounting, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools officials are putting forward a $180 million bond issue to finance school rebuilds that voters may consider Nov. 5. The seven-member elected school board voted 6-0 Tuesday to advance a proposed investment in aging buildings that district leaders say is long overdue. In dollars and cents, the new proposal is less than half of the more ambitious plan that voters widely rejected during a single-issue special election three months ago. And district leaders say its passage would not increase the tax rate, a major sticking point during the last round. Potential projects under the revised plan include Central and Argentine middle schools. Each could be razed and built new at a combined estimated cost of $132.7 million. Elementary schools Silver City and Noble Prentis could be knocked down and built as one for an estimated $38 million. Also proposed is a $7 million addition for classroom space at Sumner Academy of Arts and Science. In May, Kansas City, Kansans voted 58% to 42% to reject a larger bond issue that would have invested $420 million toward building five new schools along with millions in other expansions and maintenance needs. Roughly 8% of registered voters cast ballots. Proponents highlighted the needs around the district, where some students take daily classes in outdoor trailers, and climate control is a challenge in the older buildings. The proposal faced opposition from residents concerned with the effect the bond issue would have on property taxes. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com After a return to the drawing board, district leaders developed two alternative plans and started shopping them in recent weeks. The $180 million option, which officials say should not increase the tax rate, was offered alongside a costlier one with a gentler increase than the initial proposal. During the public meeting Tuesday, Wanda Brownlee Paige, a board member and opponent to the earlier and costlier option, said she believes the smaller capital plan is “reasonable.” “We have to consider that people are struggling, and it doesn’t mean that they don’t care,” said Paige, who last week won a Democratic primary to be an incoming Kansas House representative next year. “I think everybody in this room wants better schools, wants better things. But those of us who live in this city, who pay taxes, they’re killing us, and there’s not a lot of options.” Rachel Russell, a board member since 2022, said the building of newer and better schools is one way the community can attract more residents to live in Kansas City, Kansas and widen the tax base. “Regardless of where you stand, I have no doubt that people in KCK care about our schools, care about our kids,” Russell said, adding: “I understand that we want to take care of folks who are already here, but the biggest investment that we can also make for the people who live here is also creating a community where other people want to be a part of as well.” The push for a bond to pass comes as construction costs are projected to rise and some board members have questioned what level of support the state will provide for capital projects in the future. For example, the rebuilds of Central and Argentine have already increased by roughly 7% in a scenario where the bond issue is approved in November, according to the district’s figures. The state’s responsibility for repaying bonds issued for the project would amount to roughly 31% of cost. The step is not the last before the question ends up on the November ballot. Over the coming weeks, the district faces a series of deadlines for publication of legally required notices, approval from the state’s education department and submission of documents to the county clerk. All questions appearing on the ballot must be submitted to the Wyandotte County Election Office by Sept. 3.
Source: KC Star Local News
Debate over Wichita paid parking is intensifying
The debate over paid parking coming to downtown Wichita is intensifying. Some business owners and members of the public are left with questions. The exact cost is still unknown, but Wichita City Council member Brandon Johnson said he believes it will start at 75 cents an hour. Others said their frustration wasn’t about feeding the meter but how the city announced it on Saturday in a social media post with very few details. Russell Arben Fox, a professor at Friends University, said his frustration came from the lack of critical details. “The fact they rolled this out with a lot of those specifics as yet undetermined was really unfortunate,” said Arben Fox. He added, “If people have to plan for a change in how they run their business, in how they arrange their commutes, all sorts of things like that, they want to have some specifics.” Arben Fox said Wichita’s assistant manager was apologetic in Thursday’s meeting. He believes it is important for people to get on the same page. “Despite all the noise and the fury, there’s actually some really productive conversations going on, and I was happy to be a part of one today,” he said. Ray Uriarte, who owns a barbershop in Delano, said employees will have to deal with paying to park during long shifts but welcomes the change if it improves the city. “This area is definitely growing a lot. I feel like with the city growing and downtown getting more people here, it’s going to end up happening,” he said. Johnson said he welcomes the feedback. “Most of us were expecting some form of questions, some push-back, some engagement question. I’m personally excited to see so many people care about it, and I’m hoping that we see attendance at the coming meetings pretty high,” he said. The next and final meeting is Aug. 26 at 10 a.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building. Wichita City Council will bring the topic back around for discussion on the agenda in early September.
Source: KSN-TV
Kansas will pay $50,000 to settle a suit over a transgender Highway Patrol employee’s firing
Kansas will pay $50,000 to settle a federal anti-discrimination lawsuit filed by a former state Highway Patrol employee who claimed to have been fired for coming out as transgender. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and eight leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature unanimously approved the settlement during a brief online video conference Thursday. The state attorney general’s office pursued the settlement in defending the Highway Patrol, but any agreement it reaches also must be approved by the governor and top lawmakers. Kelly and the legislators didn’t publicly discuss the settlement, and the amount wasn’t disclosed until the state released their formal resolution approving the settlement nearly four hours after their meeting. Kelly’s office and the offices of Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins did not respond to emails seeking comment after the meeting. The former employee’s attorney declined to discuss the settlement before state officials met Thursday and did not return a telephone message seeking comment afterward. The lawsuit did not specify the amount sought, but said it was seeking damages for lost wages, suffering, emotional pain and “loss of enjoyment of life.” The ex-employee was a buildings and grounds manager in the patrol’s Topeka headquarters and sued after being fired in June 2022. The patrol said the ex-employee had been accused of sexual harassment and wasn’t cooperative enough with an internal investigation. The lawsuit alleged that reason was a pretext for terminating a transgender worker. The settlement came four months after U.S. District Judge John Broomes rejected the state’s request to dismiss the lawsuit before a trial. Broomes ruled there are “genuine issues of material fact” for a jury to settle.
Source: KSN-TV
Sedgwick County commissioner wants county-wide sales tax to tackle property tax relief
Leaders from 15 Sedgwick County communities met in Wichita to tackle property tax relief. Wednesday’s meeting was only an informational meeting for leaders. No decision or action was taken. The idea is to create an eighth, quarter, or half-cent county sales tax to decrease property taxes. Community leaders want relief for property owners without cutting funding for public programs like the zoo and the arts. Sedgwick County Commissioner Ryan Baty believes a county-wide sales tax is the answer. “We could see an $8, $10, $12 million property tax reduction if we use a quarter-cent or half-cent sales tax,” said Baty. Baty is only on board if revenue from the added sales tax goes directly toward cutting property taxes. He believes most leaders at the meeting are on the same page. “The mood in the room, if we can do it together, let’s give it a shot. I think everyone, all the cities, including the country, are experiencing the same challenges. The cost of government is increasing,” said Baty. That looks different for every city in the country. Ashley Velazquez, Kechi’s mayor, said they use their sales tax to fund a city project. She wants community feedback before making a change. “Figure out language and how that would affect residents before we truly decide if substituting a mill levy is really beneficial for our residents,” said Velazquez. Wichita resident Chris Pumpelly is opposed to raising the sales tax but said it could be the right move. “Raising taxes is a bitter pill, but investing in ourselves is a long-term strategy that our kids and grandkids are going to thank us for,” said Pumpelly. Commissioner Baty plans to get public input, but dates and times for that are not yet decided.
Any change would have to go up for a public vote before being implemented.
Source: KSN-TV