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Municipal News & Jobs

Municipal News & Jobs2026-08-07T10:07:18-05:00

Kansas Municipal News

An eastern Kansas resident is the state’s first confirmed case of the omicron COVID-19 variant

Kansas health officials have confirmed the first case of the COVID-19 omicron variant in the state. Janet Stanek, acting secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said laboratory tests confirmed that an adult in Franklin County in northeastern Kansans was infected with the highly contagious variant of the coronavirus. The unidentified individual was fully vaccinated but had not received a booster shot, the agency said Thursday afternoon. “The detection of the variant does not come as a surprise,” Stanek said. “This virus is highly infectious and transmittable.” Though breakthrough infections are on the rise, officials say vaccination remains the best protection against serious illness and hospitalization.
Source: KCUR News

Kansas schools see damage from wind storm

Several Kansas school districts are dealing with damage from Wednesday’s wind event. Great Bend High School suffered roof damage due to the wind and classes were canceled Thursday. Gas service and heat were also disconnected. Further north in Russell, classes were canceled due to wind damage and area wildfires. Russell recorded a 100-mph gust which knocked out power. In Caldwell, the elementary school gymnasium roof was torn off and landed on the secondary building. Caldwell also canceled classes as a result. The district said announcements will be forthcoming.
Source: KSN-TV

Overland Park’s credit rating downgraded amid pandemic slump in convention business

The bond rating agency Moody’s has downgraded Overland Park’s credit rating, due to pandemic stresses on the hospitality industry and the city’s convention center hotel. The city’s general obligation unlimited tax rating dropped from Aaa to Aa1 on Dec. 6. Triple A is the highest rating on the Moody’s scale, and Aa1 the second highest. General obligation tax bonds are those a city puts its full faith and credit behind, under the knowledge that the bond can be repaid through taxes. Moody’s also revised Overland Park’s outlook from “stable” to “negative.” An explanation on the Moody’s website notes that the city has $99.6 million in this type of debt.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Pandemic Sweetens Lure of Smaller Cities’ Relocation Incentives

Moving from New York City to Tulsa, Oklahoma, might seem an unlikely choice for a young African American scientist like Christopher Bland. His new home is known as an old oil boomtown—and as the site of a massacre of Black residents 100 years ago. But life in his sixth-story West Harlem walkup was starting to wear on him, just as remote work in the pandemic freed him to live anywhere and still conduct his pediatric health environmental research for a Manhattan hospital. And Tulsa’s new artistic vibe reminded him of Athens, Georgia, where he studied at the University of Georgia.
Source: Route Fifty – All Content

USDA Invests $43.4 Million to Build and Improve Critical Rural Infrastructure in 13 Kansas Communities

Funding Will Expand Access to Clean Water and Dependable Electric Power in Homes and Businesses in Rural Areas

TOPEKA, Dec. 16, 2021 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Acting State Director for Kansas Dan Fischer today announced that USDA is investing $43,431,700 to modernize the critical drinking water infrastructure in towns and counties across Kansas.

“Upgrading the infrastructure that delivers safe drinking water will improve public health and drive economic development in our small towns and cities,” Fischer said. “USDA is dedicated to rural communities and their long-term commitments to economic prosperity; because when rural America prospers, all of America prospers.”

Background:

These Kansas investments are part of a larger national announcement involving 46 states and Puerto Rico. The programs from which Kansas will benefit are Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program, Water and Waste Disposal Loan Guarantees, Water and Waste Disposal Technical Assistance and Training Grants and Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program.

The details of the Kansas projects are:

  • ($2,050,000 loan and $290,000 grant) This Rural Development investment will rehabilitate the sewer system in Chetopa. A partial repair was completed in 2010. The unrepaired areas have rain water entering through cracks and breaks in the collection mains causing sewage back up in residential properties. The repairs will complete the rehabilitation of the system and include approximately 888 vertical feet of manhole repair, 275 service tap repairs, 50 point repairs, and 34,000 feet of fold and form liner or cast-in-place pipe.
  • ($771,000 loan) This Rural Development investment will provide water improvements for the City of Nortonville. This project represents the second phase of the rehabilitation of the existing water system where two-thirds of the distribution system was previously replaced. The proposed project will replace an abandoned well and replace the remaining 1.5 mile portion of cast iron waterline with 9,300 feet of 4-inch PVC pipe, construct two new wells with chemical feed buildings, and includes 185 new meters, 90 meter settings, 14 valves, and 9 fire hydrants.
  • ($272,000 loan and $$1,229,000 grant) This Rural Development investment will be used for construction of a new water well, standpipe and distribution system for the City of Vermillion. The current cast iron pipe infrastructure was installed in 1936 and most of the valves are underneath several inches of asphalt and cannot be located. The city’s current water tower needs repainting. Several fire hydrants leak badly when they are in use. The residential water has poor taste and odor. This project will be the first phase of the rehabilitation of the existing water system, which is to include construction of new supply wells, a new stand pipe for water storage, installing approximately 2,500 linear feet of force main, 1,600 linear feet of pipe to connect new storage tank to existing distribution system, and dismantle the existing elevated storage tank.
  • ($1,011,000 loan and $261,000grant) This Rural Development investment will provide improvements to the City of Mullinville‘s water distribution system. The existing water tower is over 70 years old. The project will consist of installation of 13,900 linear feet of six-inch water line, 900 linear feet of eight-inch line, 64 valves, 98 water service connections and 17 fire hydrants. This will improve the water pressure and increase reliability of the water system.
  • ($1,262,00 loan and $534,000 grant) This Rural Development investment will be used to start repairing the City of Highland‘s water distribution system. This phase of the project will construct a new Ion Exchange Treatment Plant.
  • ($998,000 loan and $492,000 grant) This Rural Development investment will construct and improve the City of Neodesha’s water distribution system. The project will provide the city with a 200,000 gallon elevated water storage tank, upgrade an existing elevated storage tank, and install approximately 12,000 linear feet of 12 inch water line and approximately 2.700 linear feet of eight inch water line. Repairs to the Fall River dam will also be made and other infrastructure improvements.
  • ($9,444,000 loan and $3,096,000 grant) This Rural Development investment will be used to construct and improve Neosho’s Rural Water District No. 4’s water distribution system. The district’s original system was installed in 1965. The district experiences leaks, high pressure loss and loss of water. The proposed project includes a new booster pump station, construction of a 400,000 gallon elevated storage tank and installation of new water supply lines.
  • ($250,000 loan) This Rural Development investment will replace and improve Dickinson County Rural Water District No. 1‘s water systems. The project, currently under construction, is to replace roughly 400,000 feet of water line, 74 gate valves, 18 flush hydrants and repairs to three storage tanks. Rural Development previously awarded a $2,319,000 loan and a $1,305,000.00 grant to complete the project. Due to changes during construction, these additional funds are needed to complete the project.
  • ($74,000 loan and $$360,000 grant) This Rural Development investment will construct water services to new customers of Linn County Rural Water District No. 2. Currently the water district doesn’t have the existing capacity to provide water to upwards of 100 potential new customers. The project will install nearly five miles of water line, 40 service meters, 24 galvanized valves and a new 50,000 gallon elevated storage tank.
  • ($1,771,000 loan and $649,000 grant) This Rural Development investment will repair the City of Mankato‘s existing water distribution system. The current system is believed to be 100 years old or more. The proposed project is the first of a multi-phased plan to improve the City’s water system. This phase will replace about 30 percent of the City’s water lines, associated valves and hydrants.
  • ($10,222,000loan and $7,283,000 grant) This Rural Development investment will construct and expand the City of Linn Valley’s water system. The city entered into an agreement in April 2019 to purchase potable water from the city of LaCygne, contingent upon the completion of this project. This project consists of 20,700 feet force main to be installed between the two cities, 147,730 feet of pipe for the distribution system, 244 hydrants and the construction of a 250,000 gallon elevated water storage tank.
  • ($668,000 loan and $398,000 grant) This Rural Development investment will replace a section of waterlines for the City of Caney. This project received previous funding from Rural Development in the amounts of a $2,741,000.00 loan and two grants for $265,000.00 and $600,000 on Aug. 29, 2018, and another $693,000.00 loan on May 19, 2020. This additional funding is needed to cover costs associated with replacement of the additional water lines found during the excavation and repairing of existing waterlines.
  • ($46,700 grant) This Rural Development investment will provide technical assistance and training through Kansas State University to rural state parks in with an emphasis on food waste reduction and proper management of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) containing waste. These funds will serve communities of 5,500 and less in ten Kansas counties.
  • Four Kansas counties: Morton, Seward, Barber and Harper will benefit from an Oklahoma centric investment to the Western Farmers Electric Cooperative. These four counties receive some of their generated electricity from the this Electric Cooperative.

Wind storm updates: Over 100,000 remain without power in Kansas, recovery expected to take days

Over 108,000 Evergy customers remain without power, officials said Wednesday night, and it is expected to be a multi-day effort to restore service to areas without service. Chuck Caisley, senior vice president and chief customer officer for Evergy, said in a press conference that, at the storms’ peak, over 200,000 residents in the company’s service area were without power. The storms, he said, produced gusts of up to 85 miles-per-hour, golf ball-sized hail and severe thunderstorms across central and eastern Kansas.
Source: CJonline

Fed will aggressively dial back its bond buying, sees three rate hikes next year

The Federal Reserve provided multiple indications Wednesday that its run of ultra-easy policy since the beginning of the Covid pandemic is coming to a close, making moves that were even more aggressive than markets had anticipated. For one, the Fed said it will accelerate the reduction of its monthly bond purchases. The Fed will be buying $60 billion of bonds each month starting January, half the level prior to the November taper and $30 billion less than it had been buying in December. The Fed was tapering by $15 billion a month in November, doubled that in December, then will accelerate the reduction further come 2022.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

The Fed’s latest move will send borrowing costs higher

The days of rock-bottom rates are nearly over. The central bank will unwind last year’s bond buying sooner than originally planned after recent reports on inflation continued to show a sharp rise in prices. While the Federal Reserve said Wednesday that interest rates will stay near zero for now, the tapering of bond purchases is seen as the first step on the way to interest-rate hikes. “For consumers, the writing is on the wall that interest rates are likely to start climbing in 2022,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Governor Laura Kelly Announces Broadband Acceleration Grant Program Submission Window

Governor Laura Kelly announced the application window for Broadband Acceleration Grant Program submissions. “Access to high-speed internet is critical for Kansans to access health care, education, and compete in an increasingly digital economy,” Governor Kelly said. “My administration is committed to getting every Kansas home and business connected. I encourage anyone who qualifies to apply for this round of Broadband Acceleration Grants.” The Broadband Acceleration Grant Program is critical in Kansas’ plan to address broadband gaps statewide. Funds will be targeted to areas that are unlikely to receive broadband service without state or federal funding support.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Main Street Kansas pays Atchison a visit

Main Street Kansas personnel paid a visit to Atchison for a working session and a look at the progress on the downtown area. The improvements are substantial with the canopy coming down and store fronts beginning to take on a life of their own. Main Street Kansas is a self-help, technical assistance program that targets revitalization and preservation of downtown districts through the development of a comprehensive strategy. The local staff, board of directors for Main Street Atchison and local business leaders are all participating. Meeting with the staff and board of directors took up most of the morning and then everyone toured downtown.
Source: City Government | atchisonglobenow.com

High winds, debris forced Interstate 70 to close from Hays, Kansas, to Colorado border

Interstate 70 was closed Wednesday from the Colorado border all the way through Hays, Kansas, due to low visibility and multiple vehicle collisions, according to Kansas Department of Transportation. The department announced the closure of the I-70 on Twitter around 1 p.m. KDoT officials encouraged commuters to delay any plans of travel until about midnight on Wednesday. The interstate was closed in both directions, from Russel County, Kansas, to the Colorado state line. People are being warned to look out for blowing dust.
Source: Kansas City Breaking News & Sports | The Kansas City Star

‘Wall of dust’ blows into western Kansas as schools and roads close amid strong winds

A “wall of dust” is moving east into western Kansas as hazardous wind warnings continue across the region. In some areas, high winds have reduced visibility to less than a mile, weather officials report, while gusts are expected to reach up to 80 mph. Schools in the area closed as a precaution, and roads continue to close as winds from Colorado reach Kansas. Gov. Laura Kelly addressed the dangers at a news conference. The winds are “a concern,” she said, “and I’m glad that our folks are on it.”
Source: The Kansas City Star

Kansas to spend $361M on crowded highways in Johnson, Wyandotte counties

Kansas is preparing to spend $361 million on highways in Johnson and Wyandotte counties in areas that pose congestion and safety issues, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Wednesday. Four new projects in the Kansas City metro will receive nearly half of a broader statewide plan for $750 million in highway improvements paid for with local and federal dollars: Kansas 10 highway: The biggest project spends $223 million to study and expand K-10 between Kansas 7 and Interstate 435 in Johnson County. The state will determine if eight lanes are necessary and where six lanes are sufficient. Interstate 35: $74 million will go to safety improvements, including adding lanes, on this high-traffic area in Olathe, from Old 56 highway to 119th Street. I-35 and Santa Fe Street: $40 million will go to improving this interchange in Olathe to address safety concerns.
Source: The Kansas City Star

No decision made on new county admin

The Barton County Commission emerged after a day-long special meeting Wednesday dominated by hours of closed-door meetings without selecting a new county administrator. It is anticipated a decision will come when commissioners meet for their regular weekly meeting this coming Tuesday morning. The Wednesday meeting was called to conduct interviews with administrator candidates. These were conducted in executive session over the course of Wednesday morning and afternoon. Commissioners reconvened in open session at 3:15 p.m. following the final interview only to go back into closed session to discuss the results of the discussions. They ruled out making a selection Wednesday because they didn’t want to rush to a conclusion.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Johnson County advances some of the country’s most restrictive solar farm rules, leaving few happy

The Johnson County Planning Commission on Tuesday approved regulations that have been dubbed some of the most restrictive in the country for solar-generated electricity farms, pleasing just about none of the spectators at the two-hour meeting. Supporters of the proposed solar farm said the rules were a disappointment and “not our desired result,” while opponents expressed anger that any arrays of the photovoltaic panels would be allowed at all in the unincorporated western part of the county. “Have a good night as you destroy our rural part of our county,” said Sharmen McCollum of Gardner after being told the commission would not accept more comments on the solar farm regulations.
Source: KCUR News

Osawatomie establishes Healthy Rental Homes program

The Osawatomie community now has a licensing and regulation program to cover residential rental dwellings within the city. The City Council on Thursday, Dec. 9, approved an ordinance establishing the Healthy Rental Homes program. A Committee of Landlords and city staff collaborated on the initiative that has been more than a year in the making. City officials and landlord committee members agreed a licensing and external inspection program was a way the city can safeguard its interests in protecting the “life, safety, general welfare and health,” as well as help landlords protect residential properties and their appraised values.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com

More Kellogg construction on the horizon? Here’s where state plans to spend $166M on it

Gov. Laura Kelly’s new $750 million highway improvement plan calls for $166 million in upgrades to Kellogg freeway in east Wichita. Kelly announced the highway modernization and expansion Wednesday, less than a month after Kellogg construction ceased for the first time in 30 years. The next phase of Kellogg construction will address a bottleneck from the K-96 interchange to 159th Street east. At a press conference in Topeka, Kelly singled out the Kellogg improvements in her comments. “This is a pressing issue because by addressing the congestion at the north junction interchange, a significant bottleneck has been shifted to the new area,” she said.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Parsons planning commission talks tiny homes

Parsons is looking at integrating regulations relating to tiny homes in the city. Members of the Parsons Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals discussed tiny homes during their Tuesday meeting. The city does not have formal regulations on tiny homes. “Right now, I don’t have like a district for tiny homes,” said Laura Moore, community development director. “Right now, you can put one tiny home on a normal, traditional city lot.” “That’s an awful big lot for a tiny home,” she added. Verdunity Inc., based in Dallas, recently answered a question from Moore about the smaller structures. Moore asked Verdunity, the group that created the city’s new comprehensive plan, what Parsons could do regarding tiny homes and regulations.
Source: Parsons Sun

Derby’s housing concerns similar to others

Putting together a housing outlook for Kansas is a bit like placing jigsaw puzzle pieces together – and is sometimes the case, a few pieces are missing to make a successful picture. That was one of the points from a presentation by the Topeka-based Kansas Housing Resources Corporation’s statewide housing needs assessment study on Dec. 9 at the Derby Public Library. About 35 people attended the hour-long event, including several city officials. An aging housing stock, especially in rural areas, and affordable housing, especially for the senior market, were some of those needs cited by the study.
Source: The Miami County Republic

Former police chief, current city Chief of Staff Cochran to become Topeka’s interim city manager

A divided mayor and city council on Tuesday evening elected former police chief and current city Chief of Staff Bill Cochran to become Topeka’s interim city manager. … The measure approved Tuesday calls for Cochran to become interim city manager effective at 5:01 p.m. Dec. 31. He will oversee Topeka’s city government as the mayor and council conduct a search for a permanent city manager.
Source: CJonline

Reno County formally bans industrial wind in zoned areas

Reno County Commission voted unanimously to ban commercial wind development in all zoned areas of the county. A plan to create a new zoning overlay district that would regulate wind for the remaining unzoned areas of the county, however, was tabled until Jan. 11. A countywide moratorium on commercial wind development remains in place through mid-March. Tuesday’s vote prohibiting wind energy conversion systems or WECS in certain parts of the county came more than three years after a pair of residents first appeared before the Reno County Commission seeking a moratorium on wind development. That after NextEra Energy began buying up land leases for a proposed wind farm in the southeast quadrant of the county, near their homes.
Source: Hutch News

Kansas going big on broadband

With an influx of federal funding for broadband development, the governor’s office is championing a goal to have Kansas among the leaders in highspeed internet access by the end of the decade. “We’re being bold,” said Lt. Gov. and Commerce Secretary David Toland. “We’re being ambitious. We’re being aggressive. Because we understand how high the stakes are. We are in a race as a state against other states, and we want to win that race so that we can win new residents, we can win new businesses and we can retain the ones that we have.”
Source: Hutch News

Salina moves step closer to possible esports arena

After hearing in October about an opportunity to transform an older building into something new, the Salina City Commission voted to support a potential esports arena in the city. The commission voted 5-0 in favor of an expression of support to redevelop Memorial Hall into an arena and multipurpose facility…
Source: Salina Journal

The Federal Reserve is expected to take a very big step toward its first rate hike

The Federal Reserve is expected to announce a dramatic policy shift Wednesday that will clear the way for a first interest rate hike next year. Markets are anticipating the Fed will speed up the wind-down of its bond buying program, changing the end date to March from June. That would free the central bank to start raising interest rates from zero, and Fed officials are expected to release a new forecast showing two to three interest rate hikes in 2022 and another three to four in 2023. Previously, there had been no consensus for a rate hike in 2022, though half of the Fed officials expected at least one.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Illness prompts Sedgwick schools to extend their Christmas break

USD 439 will start its Christmas break two days sooner than planned. With 92 students currently out of school due to influenza, COVID, and COVID quarantine, Superintendent Larry Roth recommended on behalf of the central office and school administration that the Board of Education cancel school and all school-related activities, including basketball practices, for Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 20-21. Those days were scheduled to be the final two days before the break. “We’d like to put an end to exposures as quickly as we can here at school,” Roth told the board at the regularly scheduled meeting last Monday night. “We recommend we not have school next Monday and Tuesday in hopes that getting everyone away from each other will let everyone go home and have a healthy and safe Christmas.”
Source: Harvey County Now

Appraiser’s Office property imaging project scheduled to begin

The Johnson County Appraiser’s Office will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 14, a state-mandated property-imaging project to help the county appraise property values. Kansas law requires counties to update property information every six years to maintain accurate data on every parcel in the jurisdiction. The Johnson County Appraiser’s Office has contracted with Tyler Technologies and Cyclomedia to take high-resolution street-level photos of the exterior of every property in Johnson County. The county will use these photos to create land record information used in the appraisal process. All images collected, where faces and license plates are visible, will be made unrecognizable by ‘blurring’.
Source: Johnson County Kansas |

What to know ahead of potential tornado-strength winds Wednesday

Evergy has crews on standby as power outages Wednesday are likely with such high winds expected, but there are several other potential dangers you might also want to consider. “In the past two decades, It’s only the second time that one has been issued as far east to include the city of Wichita,” said KAKE Meteorologist Jay Prater. Jay is talking about the Critically Extreme Fire Danger warning that’s been issued from western Kansas all the way east of Wichita on Wednesday.
Source: KAKE – News

Fire and power crews warn Kansans ahead of Wednesday’s high winds

“It’s our best defense against wind” says Evergy communications manager Kaley Bohlen. With gusts that strong, even the best prep can be overcome, that’s why Evergy has crews waiting on standby. “We monitored monitor weather conditions ahead of time and closely and then again, stop those crews accordingly. So we’re ready to respond quickly and safely”, said Bohlen. Power outages are not the only the only issue created by the high winds. According to the Chip Redmond of the Kansas Forest service, incredibly dry conditions throughout the state will make for a high fire danger.
Source: KAKE – News

A blue Christmas in Olathe? Manufacturing errors changed the colors of the street lights

Have you been feeling blue lately? Don’t worry, it’s not just you. The City of Olathe is feeling the same, as some street lights in the area have changed colors. City spokesperson Cody Kennedy said it’s the coding in the light that’s causing the issue. It’s a nationwide issue with a light model that was made between 2017 and 2019. To fix it, the city replaces the head of the light. It’s working on changing all of them.
Source: KC Star Local News

Lenexa formally establishes community advisory board to help oversee police department

Lenexa has formally established a Community Advisory Board to serve as a liaison between the Lenexa Police Department and residents. While the group has existed informally since the early 2000s, the Lenexa City Council’s unanimous move Dec. 7 to officially establish the board comes at a time police agencies in Johnson County and beyond are facing calls for more transparency and public engagement. The Community Advisory Board will advise the police department on a variety of prominent issues, including addressing potential bias in policing, use of force, responses to mental health crises and homelessness, among others.
Source: KCUR News

Altamont, Chetopa view KMEA lineman services

Managing director/electric operations Gerry Bieker and general manager Paul Mahlberg of Kansas Municipal Energy Agency (KMEA) visited with city council members from Chetopa and Altamont Saturday in Chetopa, proposing the cities contract with KMEA for full-time electrical line maintenance in their communities.  Both cities still own their own public power utilities and are among the 82 members of KMEA, benefiting from the Joint Action Agency’s energy purchasing power from the market.
Source: Parsons Sun

Single-Family Homes Big in Kansas

Early on in the pandemic, many families in densely populated urban areas set out for more spacious homes in rural or suburban areas. As more workplaces adopted permanent work-from-home possibilities, some workers made the move permanent, preferring space and affordability over proximity to the workplace…and Kansas is in a good place for those folks. The website Construction Coverage notes that at ages 25 to 40, Millennials are currently in their peak years for starting or growing a family and are seeking more spacious homes to accommodate that. However, apartments and multi-family construction have been presented as more efficient, affordable, and sustainable options. As a result, the share of new single-family building permits dropped from nearly 80% in 2005 to less than 60% ten years later.
Source: WIBW News Now

Fed Meets for First Time Since Powell Signaled Policy Shift

Federal Reserve officials meet Tuesday and Wednesday for the first time since Chairman Jerome Powell said last month that the central bank needed to shift its focus toward preventing higher inflation from becoming entrenched and away from fostering a rapid rebound in hiring from the pandemic. … parts of the Fed’s statement or Mr. Powell’s postmeeting press conference could provide clues on how officials see the prospect for rate increases next year. … Fed officials’ economic projections to be released Wednesday could shed additional light on changes to their policy outlook. In September, they were evenly divided between whether they would likely start lifting interest rates in 2022 or in 2023. The new projections could show most now expect multiple rate rises next year.
Source: Wall Street Journal

Winfield’s Fox Theatre hopes to make historical register

The Winfield Fox Theatre at 1007 Main Street in Winfield, currently known as the Marquee Performing Arts Center, has been recognized by the Kansas Historical Society for nomination to the Register of Historic Kansas Places. On Nov. 13, the Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review met to consider the nomination of the Winfield Fox, unanimously approved the nomination without question, and forwarded the nomination to the office of the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C. There the nomination is being evaluated by the national professional staff, and if they concur with the findings of the Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review, the property will be included in the national Register of Historic Places. Marquee, Inc. will be notified about the decision when the national review is completed.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

Olathe planners will weigh first phase of BlueScope’s proposed $77M industrial park

A $77 million industrial park in Olathe may be on its way to its first phase of development. Developer BlueScope Properties Group proposes building a $23.4 million, 236,160-square-foot speculative office/warehouse building on almost 19 acres at the Great Plains Commerce Center, northeast of 159th Street and Lone Elm Road, south of Interstate 35. The proposal goes before the Olathe Planning Commission on Monday. … This first project is anticipated to generate $170,318 in annual property tax revenues during the abatement period, up from $965 each year now coming from the vacant acreage.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

26 Johnson County elected officials sign letter urging county to ‘end the mask mandate for all children’

A letter signed by 26 elected leaders in Johnson County urges the Board of County Commissioners to end the county’s current public health order requiring masks in schools serving younger students. The letter, which bears the title “Locally Elected Working Together Advocating for Johnson County Children and Families,” was sent to commissioners last week. Its signatories include several Republican state lawmakers, including Sen. Mike Thompson of Shawnee and Sen. Kellie Warren of Leawood, along with Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden.
Source: KCUR News

Abandoned building fires causing concern for Topeka Fire Department

Early Monday morning the Topeka Fire Department responded to a building fire believed to have been set intentionally. The estimated damage? $0.  That’s because this isn’t the first, second, or third time this building has caught fire this year.  According to the TFD, the abandoned house at 1600 SW Clay Street has caught fire four times since July. This time of year is already rough for fire departments. “I don’t want to say when winter hits we get more arsons involving vacant structures, but we do get more fires involving structures in general house fires, commercial fires, everything,” Topeka Fire Public Education Officer Alan Stahl said.
Source: KSNT News

Masks required for visitors at City of Topeka buildings effective Dec. 14

If you are going to visit a city of Topeka building beginning Tuesday, Dec. 14 you will be required to wear a mask. According to a city official, “this decision was made as a result of the increased community spread of COVID-19 in Shawnee County.” The mask requirement will include those visiting Municipal Court. The Shawnee County Health Department reported, as of Friday, Dec. 9, there are 986 people in isolation and 70 Shawnee County residents currently hospitalized. There is currently only one cluster in Shawnee County: Rossville School district 321 is reporting 17 cases in the last 14 days. The requirement to wear a mask will be in effect until at least Jan. 7, 2022, then the policy will be reviewed.
Source: KSNT News

As Johnson County solar farm plan faces opposition, proposed regulations get more restrictive

Because solar utilities are new to the area, Johnson County currently has no regulations on the books governing solar farms. That includes rules for things like setbacks, landscaping, size and decommissioning of the panels once their useful life is over. After the West Gardner Solar Project emerged, what followed were weeks of meetings with a consultant poring over how other counties have done it, plus more time hearing from landowners, officials of nearby cities and the developer.
Source: Prairie Village Post

City manager wants to privatize Wichita’s golf courses with Illinois management company, parks board puts it on hold

It’s no secret that Wichita is a big golfing community. “I play 200 rounds of golf a year in the public courses,” said Dale Goter. But now, the future of our public courses is now hanging in the balance. “The bottom line is we want to improve the golf experience for our golfers. And so we want to do, we want to have the best courses that we can have,” said City Manager Robert Layton.
Source: KAKE – News

Wyandotte County launches program to reduce strain on emergency services

A new program in Wyandotte County, Kansas, is working to reduce the strain on the health care system. … WYCO Care Connection is bringing non-emergency care right to people’s homes. “When we talk about people who frequently use 911 calls or emergency rooms, we’re talking about hundreds of times a year,” said Patrick Sallee, President and CEO of Vibrant Health in Kansas City, Kansas. Those patients are the reason behind the new WYCO Care Connection program, to help people who frequently rely on emergency services because they don’t know where else to turn. “Some of it is other social services and other support that they need in their home,” Sallee said. “They don’t have a solution. They can’t find what they need on their own and so they’re calling for assistance.”
Source: KMBC.com

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