Kansas Municipal News
Fall 2022 Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) Grant Recipients Announced
Governor Laura Kelly today announced the recipients of the fall 2022 Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grants. A total of 15 projects from across the state are receiving almost $773,000 in matching grant funds. HEAL was created in 2021 as a partnership between the Patterson Family Foundation and the Department of Commerce. The HEAL program provides grant funding to assist communities in revitalizing underutilized and dilapidated downtown buildings and turning them into economic drivers in the community. The first round of HEAL grants resulted in 32 commercial buildings being rehabilitated. Interest in the program remains strong. A total of 30 applications were received during the latest HEAL grant round.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Emergency calls up slightly during cold wave
Despite snow and record-breaking cold, the number of 911 calls in Lyon County over the past week was up only slightly from last year. The Lyon County Emergency Communications Center reported Tuesday that its officers handled 1,532 calls between December 21-27. That number includes emergency and non-emergency calls. That was up five percent from the 1,458 calls received in the same seven-day period in 2021. The period last year had only a trace of rain, one morning with a low of 19 degrees and one afternoon with a high of 75. In contrast, the past few days featured a two-inch snowfall, freezing rain and temperatures as low as -5.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Ignite Emporia attempts to forge path to state-wide changes in childcare
Amid a childcare crisis in Kansas, Ignite Emporia is making great strides to address the needs of Lyon County families — and helping those throughout the state. Sherry Harrison started her new position as Ignite Emporia director in June of this year. Early into her role, Harrison conducted in-depth questioning around Emporia and Lyon County, especially about the lack of housing. Within that research, another problem arose: the lack of childcare. “We started hearing from employers that they had people that would like to come to Emporia and work but they could not find housing that they were happy with,” Harrison said. “And of course, there is just a little bit of childcare available and it may not work for them and their situation.”
Source: Emporia Gazette
‘Tiny Jails’: Historic Kansas lockups may be endangered
The Kansas Preservation Alliance’s annual list of the state’s Most Endangered Buildings includes six specific locations and a statewide category called “Tiny Jails.” Several of these lockups can be found in the Golden Belt. Most were built in the 1880s through 1920s and were used merely as “holding tanks” in later years of operation, according to the KPA website. By the 1960s, more were retired and then forgotten about. The “bear cage” jail cell that is alleged to have belonged to the City of Claflin is now located at the Barton County Historical Society Village and Museum. It provides a fun photo op for kids who visit the museum.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Gary Demel retires after 51 years
The question Gary Demel has heard most for the past month is, “What are you going to do when you retire?” Demel’s last day as Superintendent of the Barton County Road and Bridge Department was Dec. 1. He’d worked for the county for 51 years, with some time off to serve in the U.S. Army. “I’ve been busier than ever since I retired,” he said. His wife Renee’s father passed away and they’ve been taking care of selling his property in Trousdale, and Gary also takes Renee’s grandchildren to and from school. Then there’s the Demels’ rural property in the Walnut Creek area. They live in Great Bend but have two houses that he’s fixed up. “That’s our retirement home out there,” he said. “I built a garage out there where I can do a lot of work.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Wastewater recognized by Mid-America Regional Council for sidestream treatment process
Johnson County Wastewater was recently included in the Mid-America Regional Council’s 2022 Resilient Success Stories. The success stories highlight climate resilient-focused policies, plans, projects or practices that are aligned with the Kansas City Regional Climate Action Plan. Wastewater was honored for the impact of the Tomahawk Wastewater Treatment Facility’s sidestream treatment process. The process has resulted in a decrease in energy consumption, helping the facility meet environmental requirements and reduce costs. In the video below, Tami Lorenzen, Assistant Chief Engineer-Integrated Planning Manager and Tomahawk Project Leader, explains the sidestream treatment process at the Tomahawk facility.
Source: Johnson County Kansas |
‘That’s huge’: Kansas grocery tax to drop on New Year’s Day
Starting on New Year’s Day, the state tax on groceries will drop two and a half percent. Right now, the plan is for the grocery tax to disappear in 2025. Say you pay $10 in taxes on groceries. With the state tax reduced by 2.5%, you could save 25 cents for every $10. “I paid, looks like 13 dollars.” That’s what Chuck Crawford paid in taxes on his grocery bill Monday. But, come Sunday, anyone paying $13 in state tax on their bill now, will pay just eight dollars. “Paying less on anything feels good right now because everything just seems to be going up and up and up,” said Crawford. For him, the money goes further than saving a few cents.
Source: KAKE – News
‘We are working day in, night out’: City of Caney battling water troubles
The cold weather during the last few days has added to the water woes in Caney. It’s now issued a Boil Water Order after freezing pipes caused a sudden drop in pressure, but that’s not the only problem they’re dealing with. “This is the stuff that we have pulled from our filters,” said Caney Mayor Josh Elliott. “This gets stuck in our filters. This is like goo.” A day after the city’s latest water troubles began, Elliott took to Facebook live to explain what was going on. “All this stuff has clogged them and we are working day in, night out cleaning and cleaning and cleaning,” Elliott said. The problem, though has its roots in the city’s water emergency we first told you about last summer, which was issued after the drought caused local rivers the city gets its water from to drop too low.
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas public universities finalizing plan in response to shortage of K-12 teachers
Education deans at public universities in Kansas working on solutions to a K-12 teacher shortage want to dramatically expand over three years state financial aid for college students in education programs and to implement a partnership to uniformly compensate student teachers. The task force appointed by the Kansas Board of Regents has also been working to refine an agreement among community colleges and universities allowing education students to automatically transfer 60 credit hours of courses. Another of 15 recommendations in the report draft would strengthen literacy instructional skills of teachers.
Source: Kansas Reflector
County employees benefit from deeper dig into ARPA pocket
County employees on the payroll as of November all received a special piece of the federally funded American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funding by way of a bonus. Atchison County Grants Administrator Mark Zeltner said all fulltime employees received $1,200 and the part-timers were paid $600 bonuses before taxes. The rounds off to about $1,000 and $500 respectively. The employee bonuses are one of the top priorities Atchison County Commissioners approved as one of the internal pieces to benefit for the county.
Source: News | atchisonglobenow.com
City implements mandatory water conservation measures
The City of Atchison is implementing mandatory water conversation measures due to record low river levels which have limited our ability to draw a sufficient amount of water to meet the normal demand from domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. The City of Atchison is requiring all industrial and agricultural customers to limit the use of water to only what is necessary to maintain the health and personal hygiene of employees on duty. The City of Atchison is requiring commercial/business customers (e.g. office buildings, restaurants, salons, stores) to limit the use of water to what is necessary to conduct normal operations including what is necessary to maintain the health and hygiene of employees and customers. *This is subject to change if the current water supply is further affected by river levels, major water leaks, equipment malfunctions…etc.
Source: News | atchisonglobenow.com
County official to retire
Cara Barkdoll, longtime Register of Deeds, will retire at the end of the week. A ceremony will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, in the assembly room in the basement of the courthouse. Gov. Laura Kelly appointed Misty Rice, who has worked alongside Barkdoll as her deputy for the county department, to serve the remaining two years of the term. BARKDOLL earned an associate degree from Allen County Community Junior College before joining the appraiser’s office in 1985.
Source: The Iola Register
Kansas asks U.S. Supreme Court to let states limit how long trains can block crossings
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has joined 18 other state attorneys general in asking that the U.S. Supreme Court restore the rights states and local governments once had to regulate how long trains can block railroad crossings. Absent that power, the public is put at risk, the attorneys general say in their brief. Countless people have died when emergency vehicles were delayed at rail crossings, The Star reported this month in an investigation of railroad safety lapses. The problem has only gotten worse in recent years for many communities across the country, The Star reported, as the rail industry’s practices have made blocked crossings more common.
Source: Kansas City Star
Brad Matkin is the New Fort Scott Interim City Manager
At the Fort Scott City Commission meeting on Dec. 20, Brad Matkin was promoted to interim city manager, after having served as assistant city manager since September 2022. Josh Jones, a Fort Scott Commissioner, congratulated Matkins for being moved up to interim city manager on his Facebook page, following the meeting… “As mayor, I have had the privilege of working with Mr. Matkin on many different occasions in his previous role as Assistant City Manager,” FS Mayor Katherine Harrington said. “I feel that over this time he has grown as a manager and demonstrated that he was ready to take on this new role as Interim. I look forward to working with him more in 2023 and seeing how he leads this community forward.”
Source: Fort Scott Biz
City to take over all operations at McPherson Water Park
Beginning with the 2023 season, the City of McPherson will be taking over all operations of the McPherson Water Park. For 20 years, the operation of the facility was a joint effort between the City and the McPherson Recreation Commission. The City owns and maintains the property as well as pays its staff and a portion of the director’s salary. The Recreation Commission in the past paid the other portion and handled the hiring, certifications and daily operations. The two came to a mutual decision the City would take over moving forward. Its operation will fall under the Public Lands & Facilities Department with support from Finance and Administration. The City hopes to retain as much of the current staff as possible and is in the process of presenting usage fees for 2023 along with other administrative ideas to the McPherson City Commission.
Source: McPherson, KS
Kansas Receives Nearly $5.7M to Expand Equitable Broadband Access
Governor Laura Kelly today announced Kansas has received nearly $5.7 million to expand broadband access, adoption, and affordability, from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Office. “Communities across the Kansas have enormous potential for a new chapter of innovation and success,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This funding will propel the state forward, accelerating our efforts to ensure all Kansans can fully participate in the digital world.” The funds are part of the designated $65 billion as outlined in the federal bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021, dubbed the “Internet for All Initiative.” “The Internet for All initiative will bridge the digital divide in Kansas and ensure rural areas have the service they need to access telehealth, education and jobs,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “I appreciate Governor Kelly’s commitment to connecting all Kansas homes and businesses to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service.” “Kansans use the internet to work, learn, keep in touch with family, grow a business, get health care, and more. While access to high-speed internet is a gateway to opportunity, that opportunity is not distributed equally in our state,” said Rep. Sharice Davids (KS-03). “I’m proud to have voted for this new federal funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law that will help every Kansan thrive in the digital age.” The Kansas Department of Commerce’s Office of Broadband Development (OBD) will use these funds in a variety of ways. Almost $5 million will be used to deploy the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program that is part of the Internet for All Initiative. The remaining $692,000 will be used to deploy the first phase of NTIA’s Digital Equity Act. “Broadband equity starts with access, but also includes adoption and application,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The state is committed to providing capacity and resources to ensure everyone has the access and skills needed to benefit from digital technologies in their lives.” OBD will engage with stakeholders across Kansas to develop both a five-year action plan and a Statewide Digital Equity Plan, which will provide direction and measures to assist in deployment of high-speed affordable and reliable internet to all Kansans. Both plans will be submitted to NTIA by August 2023. The office will hold events at 25 to 30 locations around the state beginning in January. Special attention will be paid to groups and communities that are disproportionately impacted by digital inequity. These groups include low-income households, aging populations, people with disabilities or language barriers, racial and ethnic minorities, rural inhabitants, incarcerated individuals, and veterans. “These planning dollars will allow our office the opportunity to connect and engage with all Kansans,” said Jade Piros de Carvalho, Director of the Office of Broadband Development. “We will launch our planning efforts at our inaugural Kansas Broadband Summit on January 19 at Wichita State University. This event will be the first opportunity to connect with communities across Kansas and ask for partnership and support as we coordinate efforts to connect Kansans with high-speed, reliable internet access.” All 50 U.S. states and six territories applied for planning grant funding from the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and the Digital Equity Act program. Grant awards for all 56 eligible entities will be announced on a rolling basis.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Atchison calls for voluntary water conservation — UPDATE: Now Mandatory
Update: City of Atchison now implementing mandatory measures
On December 20, 2022, the City became of aware of an ice jam in the river moving this direction over the next few days. The Army Corps of Engineers control the water management upriver that determines our river levels and manages the removal or dislodging of ice jams. The ice jam making its way from Nebraska is causing the river to back up and we anticipate we will experience another one and-a-half-foot drop in river levels over the next 48 hours. This creates a unique and unprecedented situation with the convergence of several factors. The rivers have reached a low level making us unable to run our permanent intake pump at the river. We are relying solely on the auxiliary intake pump to pull water from the river until the river levels are restored after the ice jam passes. The culmination of the ice jam moving this direction over the next few days, extreme cold temperatures, extremely low river level, and the reliance on the auxiliary intake pump at the river creates a fragile situation. This combination of factors means that our ability to produce water at normal capacity is more vulnerable, or at risk, than normal.
Source: City Government | atchisonglobenow.com
Kansas asks U.S. Supreme Court to let states limit how long trains can block crossings
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has joined 18 other state attorneys general in asking that the U.S. Supreme Court restore the rights states and local governments once had to regulate how long trains can block railroad crossings. Absent that power, the public is put at risk, the attorneys general say in their brief. Countless people have died when emergency vehicles were delayed at rail crossings, The Star reported this month in an investigation of railroad safety lapses. The problem has only gotten worse in recent years for many communities across the country, The Star reported, as the rail industry’s practices have made blocked crossings more common.
Source: KC Star Local News
Mulberry PD reaches out for help . . . and Angels appear
Since becoming Mulberry’s chief of police, Joe Adelman has made it his mission to serve the people of his small town, and its surrounding area. It is not always easy in the poverty-stricken town, especially in today’s economy. Adelman and his officers spent much of the summer passing out food and water to those who needed it, and continue doing the same over the winter. But Adelman says he doesn’t have the resources necessary, so he recently asked for help from an unlikely source. In a letter to rap artist Izzy White, founder of a Maryland-based charity dedicated to helping anyone in need, regardless of circumstances, Adelman laid out his dilemma, saying his resources are stretched because “the homeless population is sometimes larger than the actual population of the town I serve.” In response to his letter, Izzy’s Angels appeared in Mulberry.
Source: Morning Sun
Sirens have long and storied history
The ubiquitous sound of tornado sirens on a clear Monday has been around for generations, but when the warning devices were first installed in the early 1950s, inclement weather was an afterthought. Harvey County Communications Director Don Gruver said when the sirens were first installed, their purpose was to warn residents of a nuclear attack from America’s old nemesis, the Soviet Union. Wichita became the first city to use the civil defense sirens to warn of an approaching tornado in June 1958. He said cities used also them for other purposes – a lunch whistle at noon and to alert volunteer firefighters about a fire – before they became a universe warning for a tornado. Halstead Fire/EMS Director Anderson Lowe new sirens the city installed within the past year had the capability for a flood-warning alert or if the levee protecting the city would have a breach during a high water event. “I don’t know if I’ve heard that one,” he said. While most cities had upgraded their warning systems over the years, Gruver said smaller cities like Burrton and Walton still had old sirens dating back to the 1950s or 1960s until recently.
Source: Harvey County Now