Municipal News & Jobs

In November 2024, Rose Hill voters passed a $20 million school bond. The district’s superintendent says it was to fund much-needed improvements to the decades-old infrastructure. A year later, the improvements are coming to fruition, and school staff are counting the days to the first morning bell of the semester.
Read more: KSN-TV

Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company is celebrating the opening of its new $80 million manufacturing facility in Maize on Monday. The 134,000-square-foot plant, located on the 5801 block of 119th Street West produces polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes for plumbing and irrigation. Sen. Roger Marshall, Wichita Mayor Lily Wu and other officials were in attendance.
Read more: KSN-TV

Pitt State Gorillas are restoring a Pittsburg landmark and creating a new one. Pittsburg State University Gorillas and alumni are combining forces with Crossland Construction to complete the Gorilla Rising Project. 2024 Construction Management graduate, and now Crossland Field Engineer Dylan Halterman is transforming the Besse Hotel into student housing. He says it’s been an honor to work on the city landmark that’s stood for almost 100 years.
Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

Plans for a cold storage facility on the southern fringe of Olathe faced a major setback Monday night. The Olathe Planning Commission denied recommendation for a cold storage facility at 175th Street and Lone Elm Road. The commission’s recommendation concluded a meeting that drew a packed house, including 30 residents who spoke against the measure, and ended just before midnight. A motion to recommend approval of the rezoning and preliminary site development plan failed 5-2, with commissioners citing safety and infrastructure concerns as reasons why they voted against the measure. Commissioners Taylor Breen and Ken Chapman cast the yes votes.
Read more: Johnson County Post

City commissioners heard a request Monday night to improve accessibility at the Rec Center. Senior Foundation of Eudora board member Annie Bryant spoke during public comment asking the commission to consider installing ADA compliant doors at the north doors of the Rec Center. Bryant said updates to these doors would allow more people to come to the center, and also more seniors to come to foundation events. She asked that the bathroom stall doors also be updated to be ADA compliant. 
Read more: The Eudora Times

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday approved a package of tax incentives of up to $94.6 million for KU to develop its Gateway District. The Gateway Project’s first phase included renovating much of the KU football stadium and construction of a conference center. That’s on track to be completed this month and cost about $448 million. Phase 2 of the Gateway Project is proposed to finish the south and east sides of the football stadium, plus develop a large mixed-use district next to the stadium, including an outdoor plaza, hotel, student housing, parking, retail space and more. 
Read more: The Lawrence Times

Frankfort has filled the Chitty Subdivision, a housing development where free lots were offered beginning about a decade ago.
Read more: www.marysvilleonline.net – RSS Results in news,news/* of type article

The township of Ogden’s former treasurer will serve four years of probation after pleading guilty previously to misappropriation of public funds and submitting false expenses. Jimmy Bond, 71, was sentenced to 31 months with the Kansas Department of Corrections for the misuse of between $25,000 and $100,000 public funds and 13 months with the Kansas Department of Corrections for official misconduct by submitting false expenses over $25,000.
Read more: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

Pottawatomie County commissioners on Monday took a step toward bringing a new fire station to Blue Township. The board unanimously approved a resolution, declaring the need for the facility in Fire District Number 5, which serves the southwestern area of the county, east of Manhattan. The resolution authorizes the county to issue up to $2 million in general obligation bonds to help fund construction.
Read more: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

Manhattan-Ogden focused its hiring efforts on recruiting more bus drivers and para-educators for the upcoming school year. While the need for paras varies year to year based on how many students need their assistance, USD 383’s human resources director said the school district is hopeful about recruiting additional bus drivers.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

Synopsis: Because the membership of the joint recreation commission between Independence and U.S.D. 446 was consistent with state law when it was established in 1979, K.S.A. 12-1926(b) allows the commission to continue as constituted, provided the majority of commissioners have not voted to reorganize the commission. Cited herein: K.S.A. 12-1907 (1979); K.S.A. 12-1926.
Read more: Kansas Attorney General Opinions

Built in 1964, Marion’s odd-looking water plant is still going strong. Blocky, made of large bricks, and painted a stark light blue by a former operator in the early ’80s, it strongly resembles a giant ice cube. Compared to the industrial and fierce-looking Hillsboro plant, Marion’s is quainter, easier to digest.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

Marion City Council members reviewed a proposed ordinance Monday that would set standards for customers with renewable energy systems. The ordinance says the city would pay for excess energy produced by a customer’s generator, but it doesn’t specify the rate. Instead, the customer would be paid the average monthly cost of electricity the city purchased wholesale from Kansas Power Pool.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

New PVC pipes soon will replace Peabody’s antiquated cast-iron mains, improving water quality significantly, Darin Neufeld, vice president of EBH Engineering, told city council members Monday.
“We’ve got problems in parts of town with chlorine residual and color,” Neufeld said. Peabody’s old pipes will be abandoned underground, Mayor Catherine Weems said.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

A new study estimates that a lack of investment in utility-level battery storage could increase prices by as much as 80% in the power grid of which Kansas is a part.
Read more: CJonline

It wasn’t patrons the BOE heard from at its Monday meeting, but Hesston students and their parents. Multiple Hesston parents, students, and state senator Stephen Owens addressed the Board of Education. Their parents and students asked that the BOE not end a cooperative agreement that allowed their children to participate in Newton sports.
Read more: Harvey County Now

The public will have its official say about a battery energy storage system (BESS) in town in November. Halstead’s city council voted 4-1 Monday evening to place a petition on the ballot submitted by Halstead resident Kevin Henderson with 331 signatures of registered voters. The council had a choice of either putting the petition to a vote by the people or passing it themselves.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Lawrence’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board voted 4-3 to make a stronger statement to the city commission against a proposal to implement fees for residents to use Lawrence’s recreation centers. The city’s rec centers are currently admission-free. Parks and Rec staff members presented a new proposal Monday for lower fees than what they’d previously proposed, which would’ve charged adult residents $25 per month to use Sports Pavilion Lawrence and the East Lawrence and Holcom Park recreation centers. The new proposal would instead charge adults $12 per month to have access to use all three of the rec centers. There would be reduced rates available for people who qualify based on their income.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

A melange of shadow boxes with seed heads, pressed flowers, prints and faerie doors is on display at the Lawrence Public Library to foster wonder and enthusiasm for native plants and ecosystem diversity. The installation, created by regional artist Lisa Nelick, can be viewed along the self-check wall at the library as part of their public art display program.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

As Lawrence city commissioners prepare to vote on a massive tax incentive package for KU’s Gateway Project, residents near the site said a required community input process was not completed, and an expert said STAR bonds can be a gamble for municipalities. Still, KU is continuing work on the project and is seeking $86 million in public funding. The city commission at its meeting Tuesday will discuss and vote on the incentives package. Approval of the plan will require at least a 4-1 supermajority vote. 
Read more: The Lawrence Times