Kansas Municipal News
Shawnee County defers action on purchase of pool cabanas
Shawnee County Commission chairman Bob Archer questioned the notion Thursday of spending nearly $59,000 to acquire and install 11 pool cabanas at the county’s Midwest Health Aquatic Center.
He suggested the facility at 2201 S.W. Urish Road lacks the room for that many cabanas, adding that the county could find better ways to spend that much money on parks and recreation.
“I don’t think this is Miami Beach,” Archer said.
But after further discussion, Commissioners Archer, Bill Riphahn and Kevin Cook decided they needed more information.
They voted 3-0 to defer action on the matter until April 25 while asking aquatics director Dave Allacher to provide photos of the cabanas, diagrams showing how they would fit into the facility and information about potential costs for additional staffing.
(Read more: Political – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Augusta approves requests for liquor tax funds
The City received $28,042.39 in Liquor Tax Revenue during 2018. Each year, the funds generated by the Liquor tax are redistributed to non-profit organizations. The money can only be distributed to organizations that assist children who are victims of domestic violence. Three organizations submitted requests to receive funds for a total of $20,000. Family Life Center requested $12,000, which is a decrease of $1,000 from last year. SCARF requested $3,000, a decrease of $1,500 from last year. And a new organization to submit a request, Thrive Butler, requested $5,000.
Commissioner Badwey questioned whether any organization could request the funds, and what would be done with the remaining approximately $8,000. City Manager David Dillner reminded him that anyone could make a request but would be subject to the statutory requirements. City Clerk Tabitha Sharp added that the remaining funds would be available for future requests from either one of the current awardees or other organizations who make a request during the current year.
(Read more: Augusta Gazette)
Leavenworth County Commissioners approve land use concept for road corridor
Leavenworth County commissioners have formally approved a land use plan for a County Road 1 corridor south of Tonganoxie.
The concept approved by commissioners Wednesday includes areas of the corridor that can be used for commercial and industrial businesses as well as residential areas.
The County Road 1 corridor spans six miles south of Tonganoxie. The corridor also extends 1.5 miles to the west of County Road 1 and 1.5 miles to the east of County Road 1.
The corridor includes the county’s only interchange with the Kansas Turnpike. Krystal Voth, deputy director for the Leavenworth County Planning and Zoning Department, said the type of development envisioned in the concept could take many years.
“So we’re talking a few decades potentially,” she said.
(Read more: Leavenworth Times)
Resident wants zoning regs enforced at Marion county lake
Donna Kaiser’s concern about her county lake neighborhood filling up with storage buildings brought much discussion at Monday’s county commission meeting.
Zoning regulations in the residential area by the lake require single-family homes to be built in the area with water and sewer connections.
The rule is on the books, but the county does not have a building inspector to enforce it. “What is happening is, three lots were sold and people were going to store their lake toys,” Kaiser said. “My concern is, if one gets to do it, pretty soon everyone wants to do it.”
[MORE]
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)
Riverfront legacy master plan a “once in every 100-year opportunity”
Community leaders announced Thursday plans for a Riverfront Legacy Master Plan, a comprehensive vision that connects projects and both banks of the Arkansas River.
The vision and plan are still in early stages but will consider a performing arts center, convention center, Century II, the former library and pedestrian bridge among other elements.
“We’ve got one chance to do it really well for generations to come,” Evan Rosell, VP of projects for the Greater Wichita Partnership said.
Rosell wants it to be a place where the community can gather and put on events.
Over two decades ago, seven-term Wichita mayor Bob Knight also had a vision for the riverfront, but things were in a much different place. The river was so polluted, it limited opportunities for business in the area but successfully avoided becoming a superfund site.
“I don’t think you can overstate the importance of the river to this community,” Knight told KSN. Funding for the Riverfront Legacy Master Plan is in the works.
“It is expected that the lead organizations will fund a significant portion of developing a comprehensive master plan along with some anticipated public funding from the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County,” a press release said.
(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)
Crawford County commissioners reluctant to approve work on land use plan
The Crawford County Commission hosted a work session Tuesday with representatives of the firm Olsson Associates to discuss a land development plan the firm is working on with the City of Pittsburg, but did not reach any agreement with Olsson to expand that plan to include the county.
“The City of Pittsburg has the long range goal of producing a citywide comprehensive plan,” said Brian Coomes, a civil engineer with Olsson Associates, “and so as a first step to that process they want to develop a citywide land use planning document as a baseline and then build upon that as they work towards a whole citywide comprehensive plan.” Olsson’s study “really just focuses on Pittsburg’s city limits,” said Coomes, “but what we’re here to talk about today is options to perhaps add on to this project while we’re here doing this work, and take a look at areas adjacent to the city or even further out within the county.” Boone said the county might be able to save money on its own planning efforts by contracting with Olsson while the firm is working with Pittsburg on its plan. “I see how the City of Pittsburg benefits from this,” said Commissioner Tom Moody. “Can you tell me how does Crawford County benefit from it?”
(Read more: Pittsburg Morning Sun)
Topeka’s new flag featuring star, sunflower received runaway support
Voters choosing from among three finalists to be the next city of Topeka flag overwhelmingly approved a design featuring a sunflower accompanied by a white star at Topeka’s location on the state map.
That design was chosen by more than 70 percent of the nearly 4,000 people who participating in the selection, representatives of Forge, the city’s young professionals association, said Thursday.
Forge planning committee members Leo Espinoza and Brittany Stiffler Crabtree announced the winner near the end of the annual State of the Community luncheon, which organizers said 500 people attended at the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center.
The number of votes cast was “incredible for a community of our size,” Crabtree said.
“It is clear which flag the community wanted,” Forge executive director Lindsay Lebahn said in a news release issued Thursday by the Greater Topeka Partnership. “With all the exciting developments and changes within the Topeka community, there really isn’t a better time for this.”
(Read more: Political – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
‘Investors Are Hesitant’: Rural America Might Miss Out on ‘Opportunity Zones’
This week, the federal government released new guidelines for the nation’s more than 8,700 “opportunity zone” communities trying to attract venture capital investment and boost their struggling economies.
Rural areas account for 40 percent of the designated opportunity zones, which offer private companies and investors tax breaks in exchange for investing in certain low-income communities. But some warn that even with the tax incentives, many rural areas still likely won’t benefit unless state and local governments intervene to make the investment less risky. The zones were created by the 2017 federal tax overhaul as a way to entice companies to invest in underdeveloped areas. Investors can reduce the capital gains taxes they owe on previous investments if they invest those gains in opportunity zone communities for at least seven years. They can eliminate that tax bill entirely if they let the money ride for a decade.
But that’s not enough for most firms and investors to take the leap in rural areas — even if places try to sweeten the deal with additional state and local tax breaks. Under the new rules, investors will be allowed to share or sell their stakes in an opportunity zone fund or their interest in a start-up as long as the money is reinvested in another qualifying business or asset. The new rules also clarify that long-vacant properties will immediately qualify for the tax breaks.
John Lettieri, president of the Economic Innovation Group, praised the new guidance, saying it “removes many of the impediments that have kept capital on the sidelines instead of flowing into communities and supporting local growth.”
(Read more: GOVERNING.com)
City Center Lenexa purchases final 4.9 acres from city of Lenexa
The city of Lenexa is selling 4.9 acres of City Center property to City Center LLC, the developer that has been in a development agreement with the city for the past several years.
The purchase agreement of 4.9 acres located in the center blocks of 87th Street Parkway west of Renner Boulevard will complete City Center Lenexa’s acquisition of all of the property covered by its development agreement with the city, according to a city memo. Lenexa first entered into a development agreement with Copaken White & Blitt in May 2006, according to the memo. Subsequently assigned to City Center Lenexa LLC, the agreement covers about 80 acres on the southwest corner of 87th Street Parkway and Renner Boulevard, which the City had acquired around 2001.
The development agreement also gives City Center Lenexa LLC certain development rights, including the contractual right to purchase various portions of the property from the city.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)
Roundabouts right-of-way property acquisitions to be considered by Hays city commission
An engineering design supplement for the North Vine Corridor roundabout project will be considered by Hays city commissioners tonight.
The agreement would give the engineering firm WSP more authority related to right-of-way property acquisitions needed as part of the project.
When the initial engineering contract was awarded, the scope of the project had not yet been formally defined.
“Without having the design started, we weren’t exactly sure which portions of property we would need to require right-of-way on,” said Jacob Wood, asst. city manager.
“We felt like it was better to have this happen after the fact, once we had a little bit of the design done and we know where the roundabouts are going to go, where the streets and sidewalks are going to go.”
(Read more: Hays Post)
Sales tax helping Junction City debt recovery
The continuation of a one-cent sales tax will be crucial for Junction City’s debt recovery program.
The tax is scheduled to expire December 31,2020 and with city commission approval could possibly go on the ballot this November for possible extension. Mayor Pat Landes told the city commission this week that if the city didn’t have the sales tax everyone’s property tax would have gone up at least 20 or 30 mills. “We’re still looking at that if we don’t renew it. ” Landes added, ” If we lose that ( sales tax ) we’re all in big trouble, especially property owners.”
(Read more: Junction City Post)
New stadium may have half the parking of Lawrence-Dumont. An expert says there’s enough
There are enough public and private parking spaces downtown to serve the new baseball stadium, but not close-in, the head of a national parking company told a Wichita advisory group.
Instead of a main parking lot right next to the ball park — the way it was at the now-demolished Lawrence-Dumont Stadium — parking for Wichita’s new Triple-A team will be a patchwork of existing public lots and garages, streetside parking, and office parking that is vacant during evenings and weekends.
That’s the analysis by Jeff Wolfe, president and CEO of The Car Park Inc., who briefed the city’s Transit Advisory Board about stadium parking Wednesday.
Walkability has been a significantly higher priority than parkability in planning the stadium, the future home of a Miami Marlins farm team now called the New Orleans Baby Cakes.
The overall goal is to create a pedestrian, bike and public-transit friendly business district with bars and restaurants anchored by the crowds drawn to the ball park.
(Read more: Wichita Eagle)
Leavenworth County elected officials to be removed from pay plan
While they took no vote, Leavenworth County commissioners seemed to reach a decision Wednesday to remove the salaries of elected officials from a county pay plan.
Commissioners discussed the issue during a work session, which took place Wednesday afternoon. The work session came after commissioners had met earlier in the day for a regular weekly meeting.
Salaries of the county elected officials are set each year by the commission. But currently, the salaries of the elected officials follow the same pay plan used for employees of the county government. The elected officials include the commissioners as well as others such as the county clerk and sheriff.
The issue of whether the salaries of elected officials should be removed from the pay plan came up last month. But no action was taken at the time.
The issue was brought back Wednesday after two new members joined the commission.
(Read more: Leavenworth Times)
Wind farm opponents speak again
Opponents of a proposed wind farm spanning from Florence to Aulne to north of Peabody once again showed up at county commission meeting to ask for a moratorium on wind farm development.
“What it comes down to, I think, is money,” said Hillsboro resident David Marsh. “If you have a moratorium, it will buy you time.”
He said other counties have extended the time allowed for protest of wind farm zoning decisions. Peabody farmer Randy Eintzen said, “What we need is time to try to get through those issues, to figure out how we’re going to get through this.” Eintzen, who last week told commissioners that landowners have become hostile toward each other, predicted lawsuits will be filed from different angles if a conditional use permit is granted for National Renewable Solutions Expedition Wind Farm.
[MORE]
(Read more: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin)
KSHSAA shares update on public-private high school sports dilemma after striking survey
In late March, Paola High School principal Jeff Hines sat at attention listening to Bill Faflick speak at the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s executive board meeting and heard something promising. He even wrote it down.
“This is step one,” Hines wrote, transcribing Faflick’s words. “It’s mission accomplished, but it doesn’t stop there.”
Between executive board meetings held in January and March in Topeka, KSHSAA brought in representatives from every private school in Kansas to discus the findings of a January survey that showed more than 87 percent of Kansas high schools want a change to the state’s public-private dynamic.
Hines was a driving force behind the survey, which posed several questions about the desired future of public-private competition in Kansas high school sports.
“KSHSAA knows in its heart of hearts that there is an issue,” Hines said. “How could they not when 87 percent of the schools are saying there is a problem?”
(Read more: Wichita Eagle)
Scraping of right of ways has been done before in Wellington, Council learns
Several Wellington residents have been wondering about the scraping of the right of ways occurring around town, especially alongside the curbing on U.S. 160.
Wellington Director of Public Works Jeremy Jones said at Tuesday’s city council meeting periodically the curbs need to be scrapped due to sand build up accumulated from years of using a snow plow and traffic residue. The city has not done this process since before 2008.
Jones said there are three reasons for this: 1) it helps with drainage, 2) it is easier to mow, and 3) makes it aesthetically pleasing. He said many of the curbs have deep gouges and it needed to be leveled. Wellington City Council Jim Valentine said he is worried about the curbing and Jones said the city is taking great care in making sure the curbs are not damaged.
(Read more: Sumner NewsCow)
Newton/North Newton popular migrating stop for turkey vultures
Nothing’s dead in North Newton. It just happens to be a pit stop for vultures.
Last fall, Newton resident Howard Schrag counted about 90 turkey vultures flying around in the northern part of Newton/southern part of North Newton near the co-op/Northridge Elementary School/St. Matthew’s Church area.
On Monday night, there were far fewer than that there, gliding on the breeze, letting it take them on the air as the sun set, spreading oranges, reds and yellows on the Newton landscape.
Schrag, who has an advanced degree in animal behavior, said the turkey vultures now are migrating north following the winter, and Newton is one of their stopping places.
(Read more: Newton Now)
Great Bend to receive two more firework displays
Two more firework shows are scheduled this spring and summer after the Great Bend City Council approved the displays following a pair of Great Bend Bat Cats games.
The summer collegiate baseball team’s manager Roger Ward met with City of Great Bend officials on April 4 to discuss the displays at certain home games.
The safety area surrounding the launching site will only necessitate the short closing of the west roadway around Veterans Lake.
“These would be Class C fireworks,” said Great Bend City Attorney Bob Suelter. “The fireworks will be set off near the center field fence. We have a 200-foot radius that we can let people in during the display. It will not affect the tennis courts or parking.”
(Read more: Great Bend Post)
Kansas law gives counties new options for polling sites
A new law gives Kansas counties the legal option of letting voters cast ballots at any polling site within their county, but spotty internet service and aging voting equipment is expected to curtail its availability in many places, election officials say.
The legislation signed this week by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly aims to expand and improve voting opportunities in Kansas by giving local election officials the discretion to allow all registered voters on Election Day to cast their ballot at any polling place in their county, rather than only at an assigned polling site.
It is still unclear how many counties will take advantage of it, particularly some rural ones with remote voting sites or those counties that still rely primarily on paper ballots. Some counties also have older voting equipment that is not capable of producing different ballots with local races at all locations.
“That is why it was written to be voluntary, not mandatory, because not everybody has the technology to be able to do it,” said Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Tabitha Lehman.
(Read more: Politics & Government News |)
Agriculture census shows farm numbers decreasing, sizes increasing
Results of the latest U.S. Census of Agriculture were released last week, and following a trend that has continued over the past decade, they show the total number of farms in the state decreasing as the average farm size increases.
The Census of Agriculture is taken every five years. Although the last one was in 2017, the results were not published until April 11 of this year. In 2007 there were more than 65,500 farms recorded in Kansas, a number which decreased to less than 62,000 in 2012, and most recently dipped below 60,000 for a total of 58,569 farms in the state. Over the same period the average size of Kansas farms has increased from 707 acres in 2007, to 747 in 2012, to 781 in 2017, according to the newly released figures.
“We’re seeing fewer farmers and they are getting bigger,” said Mark Nelson, director of commodities at the Kansas Farm Bureau. While changes over the period between 2012 and 2017 were not as extreme as between 2007 and 2012, Nelson said the latest census figures are “just kind of continuation of the trend.”
(Read more: State News – Morning Sun)
Louisburg expands facade improvement program funds to assist with residential repairs
The city’s Facades of Louisburg Improvement Program (FLIP) has expanded its pool of money available to qualified residents who want to spruce up their homes.
City Administrator Nathan Law said the residential portion of FLIP has been successful this year, and that just more than $4,000 of the $5,000 set aside for the 2019 program has been allocated for reimbursement to residential property owners. The money is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Law said city staff receives multiple inquiries weekly about the program.
The residential program provides money to homeowners or renters to make improvements to the fronts of their homes. FLIP is open to any resident in Louisburg whose home is valued under $175,000. Law said in addition to increasing funds for the residential program, staff was seeking to raise the appraised property value requirement from $175,000 to $190,000 to compensate for an increase in property valuations.
(Read more: The Miami County Republic)
Mulvane police settling into new facility
After 30 years in the basement of city hall, the Mulvane Police Department has a new home.
Located at 410 E. Main, the building was formerly leased to Cowley County by Dennis Donahue of Topeka. He sold the building in 2018 to the City of Mulvane for $675,000.
The funds came from $1 million in bonds issued by the Mulvane Public Building Commission. That left about $300,000 for the police department to equip and renovate the new station. “Overall, [the new station] just gives us the ability to run the way we should be running,” said Gordon Fell, director of public safety in Mulvane.
Compared to the former facility, he said the new police station has a larger dispatch center, more space for employment offices and evidence storage, and the ability to incorporate new technology for radio systems.
At 5,000 square feet, the new station’s area is nearly five times that of the old facility. It also has a 1,000 square-foot basement, which is only 200 square feet less than the total area of the former facility.
(Read more: Area | derbyinformer.com)
No quick fix to train horn noise on west side of Derby
Tom Wilhite, who owns and operates Wilhite Auto Service just a few yards west of the city’s railroad tracks, knows about train horn noise all too well.
“It blows out the shop when they come by here,” he said. “I just have to stop talking to people a lot of times.” As if to reinforce that point, an interview with an Informer reporter was interrupted by the sound of a loud train horn blasted several times.
Wilhite is not alone. There have been complaints and comments about the frequent sounds of the horns blown by train engineers as they past through town.
And there are a lot of trains, too, or about 34 a day, sometimes several each hour during a busy period.
Of course, nothing can be done about the sound of a train itself, but it’s the horns that get under the skin of many people. However, the engineers are just following the law as the Federal Railroad Administration set rules regarding the use of horns at rail crossings in 2007.
But it also included provisions for the creation of what are called “quiet zones,” wherein a city could follow certain guidelines and eliminate the mandated horn sounding.
With that in mind, Derby officials wanted to know more about a quiet zone.
(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)
Reno County Commission approves rate increase in annual landfill fee; funding to start expansion project
Another rate hike in the Solid Waste User Fee charged to all Reno County property owners was approved on Tuesday by the Reno County Commission.
The annual assessment will climb from $92 to $96 per year per household, effective on the November property tax statement.
It’s the second consecutive year that the commission has approved a $4 jump in the annual assessment, with a third, similar hike, also is planned for next year, bringing the fee to $100 by 2021.
The additional funding is necessary, according to the landfill staff and an outside consultant advised the commission, to start an expansion project in 2021 that will extend the landfill’s life out some 50 years.
It will also allow the county to maintain current operations at levels that meet state and federal landfill regulations.
The commission Tuesday also approved an annual update to the South-Central Solid Waste Management Plan, which covers trash disposal for Reno, Rice, and Kingman counties, as well as retaining SCS Engineers of Wichita as a consultant for another year.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Topeka defers action on proposed sales tax hikes to aid development
Topeka’s mayor and city council postponed action late Tuesday on two proposals that would enable developers to assess customers an additional 1 percent sales tax at each of two shopping centers along S.W. Wanamaker Road.
Mayor Michelle De La Isla and the nine council members first voted 10-0 to defer action until their May 7 meeting on one proposal that would establish a community improvement district.
That CID would levy a 1 percent sales tax — in addition to the sales taxes they already pay — upon customers at retail properties at the southeast corner of S.W. 17th and Wanamaker Road owned by Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Equity Investment Group Wanamaker, LLC. Those buildings include a former K mart at 1740 S.W. Wanamaker.
The revenues would be used over 22 years to reimburse investment in a proposed $31.4 million project to redevelop that property.
The mayor and council then voted 10-0 to postpone action until their June 18 meeting on a proposal that would establish another CID.
(Read more: Local Government – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
City commission rejects 2 requests for streetlights
Parsons city commissioners rejected two requests for new streetlights Monday.
Rob Montee requested a streetlight at his property at 3631 Morgan Ave. because of suspicious vehicles near the dead-end, and Mike Godbey wanted a light added by his property at the end of South 29th Street near Ashwood Avenue.
The city has an unwritten policy to add and maintain streetlights only at intersections, but commissioners have discretion to add others. The city pays Westar Energy about $9 a month per streetlight.
Commissioners earlier this year considered a cost-share program for residents wanting to add streetlights not normally covered by the policy but later learned Westar couldn’t allow that. They then agreed to creation of an application for new streetlights that provides all of the pertinent information.
On Monday the commission turned down Montee’s request on a 5-0 vote because city staff presented information that the light would be placed on a pole that would light only Montee’s driveway and a grassy area. It is too far from the roadway to light the street. There is another pole west of Montee’s property, but it is even farther from the street. Montee could pay Westar for a security light on the pole in his yard.
Godbey already has a security light on a pole near another pole where he is requesting a streetlight. City Manager Debbie Lamb said he likely wants to remove that light if a streetlight could be added.
(Read more: Parsons Sun)
Bourbon County 2019 budget now includes ambulance service
Bourbon County Commissioners on Tuesday amended the 2019 budget to include the newly organized Bourbon County Emergency Medical Services.
The ambulance budget is set for $1,020,000. During the public hearing held Tuesday, commissioners said of that amount, $316,000 was already set aside in the budget to pay Mercy Hospital Fort Scott for EMS it provided through a contract with the county. The remaining funds are expected to come from Medicare and insurance reimbursements, although county officials said they don’t know how much that will be.
(Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)
Prairie Village council has questions about enforcement of proposed drone regulations in city
Questions about enforcement by the Prairie Village city council on Monday stymied significant progress on the advancement of a new ordinance to regulate unmanned aerial drones.
The council had directed city staff back in January to fine tune draft ordinance language that would prohibit recreational use of drones in situations that could be seen as an invasion of privacy for residents. But upon review of the updated language this week, a number of members of the council raised concerns that putting a new law regarding drones on the books could make people liable for unintended actions and could pose enforcement headaches for police and prosecutors.
Still, a number of members of the governing body and one resident expressed concerns about the threat that drones equipped with cameras could pose to privacy.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
How Reno County can keep baby boomers at home
A threat is on the horizon for Reno County’s largest revenue source — property tax.
Ben Winchester, a rural sociologist with the University of Minnesota Extension, showed about 50 people on Wednesday at the Atrium Hotel and Conference Center how the future deterioration of homes will affect property tax as baby boomers are no longer able to maintain their homes. …Winchester said it would be prudent of city and county officials to start thinking about policies for elderly homeowners to keep their homes up to par or create opportunities for people to fix up those homes down the road.
Read more: Hutch News.
Beccy Yocham named new Lenexa City Manager
With more than 20 years of experience serving the community in several capacities, Beccy Yocham has been appointed as the new City Manager for Lenexa, Kansas.
Following a national recruitment and selection process, the City Council unanimously approved Yocham’s contract during their April 16 meeting. Appointed by the City Council, the City Manager works closely with elected officials to set and achieve goals for the community and oversees the city’s professional staff.
When she officially begins her duties on May 1, Yocham will be the fourth City Manager to lead the organization. The appointment comes as current City Manager Eric Wade prepares to retire in June after serving the community for 15 years.
“One of the clear messages we heard during our recent Vision 2040 process is that Lenexans think we are on the right path and want us to continue delivering high quality services and programs,” said Mayor Michael Boehm. “We have great confidence in Beccy and the continuity she will provide for the organization. She has outstanding relationships throughout the community, is a proven leader and is dedicated to serving all of Lenexa.”
Since 2011, Yocham has served as Director of Community Development, leading a team responsible for planning, engineering, building and construction services, right-of-way management and community standards. Previously, Yocham served in Lenexa’s Legal Department in several roles including Deputy City Attorney, where she advised city staff and elected officials on a wide variety of legal matters. Her unique career path has afforded Yocham the opportunity to work closely with every city department.
“I am very pleased that Beccy was selected to be the next Lenexa City Manager,” said Ward 2 Councilmember Tom Nolte. “She is a valued leader that has already served Lenexa over the last 21 years. The ‘Lenexa Way’ will evolve and improve under Beccy’s leadership and, most importantly, continue.”
Ward 3 Councilmember Dan Roh said, “Beccy was one of the first city staff members I interfaced with as a new City Councilmember in early 2018. As a key player in my orientation, it was her responsibility to cover economic development. The topic is somewhat complex for a newbie, but with her excellent communication and listening skills and a deep understanding of how to manage local economic development, she presented the subject in a very clear, concise, understandable manner. Since the on-boarding session there have been countless times I’ve seen her demonstrate these skills, which will be very valuable as she begins her tenure as the new Lenexa City Manager.”
As one of the fastest-growing communities in the Kansas, Lenexa has seen record economic development for four consecutive years. Yocham is one of the primary leaders responsible for the development of Lenexa City Center, the community’s new downtown. To date, more than $655 million of public and private investment has occurred in Lenexa City Center.
“Beccy’s selection is fantastic news,” said Blake Schreck, President of the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce. “She has the skill set, the experience and the leadership qualities to be an excellent City Manager. Beccy has been directly involved with our economic development efforts during these record-setting years and has been a great partner with the Chamber and the business community. She will do a wonderful job for Lenexa, and we look forward to working with her.”
“I am grateful to the Lenexa Governing Body for giving me this exciting opportunity,” said Yocham. “Lenexa is a unique and special community – from our visionary Mayor and City Council to the dedicated and hardworking city employees that provide exceptional service to our residents. It has been my privilege to be a part of this organization for over 20 years, and I look forward to continuing to serve the Lenexa community in the role of City Manager.”
Yocham received a Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing degree from Pittsburg State University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Kansas School of Law. Prior to joining the City of Lenexa, she served as Assistant General Counsel for the League of Kansas Municipalities in Topeka, Kansas.
Yocham is an alumna and serves on the Board of Trustees of Leadership Kansas, a prestigious statewide program designed to enhance future leaders from various Kansas communities. She is actively involved with the United Community Services of Johnson County Board of Directors, the Urban Land Institute Kansas City District Council, the Mid-America Regional Council’s Total Transportation Policy Committee, and the Lenexa Rotary Club. Previous organizational involvement includes the United Way of Greater Kansas City, City Attorneys Association of Kansas Board of Directors, University of Kansas Women’s Heart Health Advisory Council Board of Directors, Pittsburg State University Alumni Association Board of Directors, Leadership Lenexa and the Kansas Bar Association, where she served as President of the Government Lawyers Section.
Yocham has received many awards for her service, including Lenexa City Employee of the Year in 2007.
The city will immediately look to fill the role of Community Development Director. Current City Manager Eric Wade will continue to serve in an advisory role until his retirement on June 21, 2019.
“Beccy is an exceptional choice to lead the dedicated team of professionals who work on behalf of Lenexa,” Wade said. “She is a strong believer in the vision, mission and values which drive our employees. I am confident that the community will continue to flourish under her leadership.”
How slow internet hurts rural Kansas, starting with cattle sales
Crawling internet speeds in rural Kansas make trying to sell cattle online exasperating. Instead of uploading photos and videos of cattle for sale from home, farmer and cattleman Jay Young drives to his parents’ house or into the town of Tribune in far west Kansas where internet speeds are faster. Young has a broadband connection and says he’s able to create a cattle listing from home, but the slow internet brings on additional work. “I just can’t post the videos to that listing,” he said. “So, what I’ll do is I’ll email them or I’ll go into town and, and put the photos on there.” In Kansas, rural internet speeds and spotty mobile phone service generate barriers for business owners like Young, hamstringing their efforts to make a living
in an increasingly online world. Sometimes workarounds, like driving to a public Wi-Fi connection, offer an option for taking
care of business online. But that can take time and, in some cases, cost business owners money. Susan Ness and her husband recently went online in their hometown of Jetmore to enter water usage reports required by the state. “It took us two nights,”
she told the Statewide Broadband Expansion Planning Task Force, “to put in all the information.”
(Read more: Scott County Record)
Tonganoxie City Council approves utility vehicle ordinances
Expansion of UTV usage in Tonganoxie moved forward with approval of ordinances addressing the vehicle use.
Tonganoxie City Manager George Brajkovic laid out ordinances and fees that he said staff did a good job of “streamlining” for residents who want to operate the vehicles within city limits.
If the ordinances become official after legal publication in The Mirror, the changes could go into effect next month.
Some of the highlights of updated UTV usage would be that they can only be operated on streets with speed limits of 30 mph or less. They also would need to be compliant with noise and standard traffic ordinances.
Valid driver’s licenses will be required to operate the vehicles, along with a city registration sticker that will need to be displayed on the UTVs.
(Read more: TonganoxieMirror.com stories)
City rejects $3.19 million increase in City Hall renovation funding
Topeka city manager Brent Trout won’t get the more than $3.19 million in additional funding he sought to carry out the first phase of a project to renovate City Hall.
But Trout did see Topeka’s governing body late Tuesday approve amended versions of his plans for capital improvements here.
That body, consisting of the mayor and city council, first voted 5-5 Tuesday evening — with six “yes” votes being needed for approval — to reject a proposal that would have added more than $3.19 million to the budget for a City Hall renovation project.
Council members Sylvia Ortiz, Tony Emerson, Aaron Mays, Jeff Coen and Mike Lesser voted against the increase.
Emerson said he felt most bothered by the size of the project’s proposed budget, given the city’s other needs. He said citizens have made it clear that their priorities for city spending are “streets, streets, streets.”
(Read more: Political – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Sound and fury of Neosho County wind farm dispute reaches state Capitol
Alternative-energy controversy pulsated through Neosho County’s political circuits Tuesday with a force tantamount to one of the gigantic 600-foot-tall wind turbines at the root of this neighbor-to-neighbor clash in southeast Kansas.
Spokes of a passionate debate reached into rural economic development, corporate secrecy, property values, political leadership and green energy. The scuffle raised questions at the Capitol about whether it was time for state government to set standards for turbine setbacks from homes, access to service roads by power companies, guaranteed payments in lieu of taxes and decommissioning of old turbines for benefit of counties without a zoning framework to guide wind farm projects.
This impetus was Apex Clean Energy’s strategy of investing an estimated $500 million in installation and operation of 139 massive turbines and to swiftly gain approval for the project in time to gain the full benefit of federal tax credits.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Hutch City Council tables job incentive policy
The Hutchinson City Council discussed a proposed job incentive policy during its regular agenda session. After more than an hour of discussion, no agreement could be reached and the matter was tabled. The sticking point centered around whether there should be verbiage in the policy regarding job retention and job creation. Councilman John Daveline was spearheading the addition and said such incentives were given to Eaton when it threatened to close and to Lowen when it hinted at relocating jobs elsewhere.
Questions came up whether the extra wording might cause some restrictions in the policy. Council members also worried if the policy was left as is, it would keep the door open to other companies that might not entirely fit the scope of the incentive program.
(Read more: Hutch Post)
Kansas’ stronger beer likely won’t mean bigger buzz
Kansas finally abandoned a Prohibition-era rule that restricted certain stores to only sell beer with up to 3.2% alcohol content, but the stronger beer that’s now allowed doesn’t contain much more alcohol.
Kansas this month ended its law dating back to the 1930s, allowing groceries and convenience stores to stock beer with up to 6% alcohol by volume. Beer drinkers are unlikely to notice a big difference because the outdated law measured alcohol by weight but alcohol is now measured by volume, the Wichita Eagle reported.
Chantel Fletchall, who handles brand registration for the Kansas Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, said that a 3.2% beer measured by weight contains as much alcohol as a 4% beer measured by volume.
Popular light beers, such as Miller, Coors and Bud Light, are between 4.1% and 4.2% alcohol by volume. For a 12-ounce can of light beer that wouldn’t have been permitted under the old law, it might contain just seven to 14 more drops of alcohol than the 3.2 variety.
Regular beers from the same brands have 5% alcohol by volume, which is roughly three-quarters of a teaspoon more alcohol per 12-ounce can than the 3.2% varieties.
But the change still helps brewers, according to Michael Uhrich, chief economist for the national industry group Beer Institute.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)
County mulls merging corrections, community corrections departments
Shawnee County commissioners plan to consider consolidation the county’s corrections and community corrections departments under the control of the corrections department.
Commissioners Bob Archer, Bill Riphahn and Kevin Cook plan to hear the first reading Monday of a proposed home resolution sponsored by Archer that would make that move, according to information in the agenda packet for that meeting made public this week by the county.
Community corrections had been part of the corrections department until commissioners made it a separate department in 2000. Archer said Thursday that Rebecca Cartmill retires soon as head of the community corrections department, and no succession planning has been performed.
“So, we are returning to the previous model of community corrections reporting to the department of corrections team to ensure strong leadership, results and accountability,” he said.
Archer’s proposal says: “Effective June 1, 2019, the personnel and functions of the Shawnee County Community Corrections Department shall be transferred to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. The Director of the Shawnee County Department of Corrections shall supervise and direct the personnel and functions of the Shawnee County Community Corrections Department.”
(Read more: Political – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Wichita moves forward with $7 million police station project
The Wichita City Council on Tuesday gave the green light to begin a $7 million project for the construction of a new police sub-station in east Wichita.
The new facility will be built next to the Patrol East sub-station, at 350 S. Edgemoor, that it will replace on adjacent Park Board land.
Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay told the council Tuesday morning that the new, approximately 23,000 square-foot facility is greatly needed to reduce cramped space at the existing sub-station.
While originally constructed for 30 to 40 officers, Ramsay said more than 100 officers work out of the sub-station now.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
City Council votes to narrow McLean to accommodate ‘walkability’ around new stadium
McLean Boulevard won’t be a boulevard anymore where it passes the new baseball stadium, the Wichita City Council decided Tuesday.
The council approved a plan to narrow McLean, now a four-lane street, to two lanes where it jogs around the $75 million ball park under construction at the corner of Maple and McLean.
“It will be reduced to one lane in either direction” between Maple and Douglas, with the intent “to make it more pedestrian friendly,” said Paul Gunzelman, the assistant city engineer who presented the plan to the council.
The overall plan for the stadium district includes a new walking bridge over the Arkansas River and commercial development along the west bank.
“Walkability” has been the watchword, as close-in parking will be far more scarce that it was at the now-demolished Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
(Read more: Local News |)
PV council considering drone regulation. But the question is, how are rules enforced?
Putting together an ordinance to control recreational drone use is still on Prairie Village’s agenda — but just barely. The council voted 6-5 Monday night in favor of continuing its discussions on an ordinance that some members felt would be difficult to enforce.
The idea is to address the worries of residents like Kate Faerber, who was disturbed by a drone flying low over people in her yard.
“I think drones sound like a really fun idea, but … there’s a potential for harm and danger,” Faerber said.
The council’s majority vote to continue talking about the ordinance comes with concerns about both safety and the idea that people could misuse drones to harass or spy on people.
There was some confusion over what’s already regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration and in what circumstances a city ordinance could make a difference.
(Read more: KC Star Local News)
Leavenworth County population expected to swell
Mike Reilly, owner of The Reilly Company in Leavenworth, said the county population is expected to increase to more than 80,000 in the next 10 years. He said much of the initial growth will be in the extended northwest corridor out of Kansas City and into the Basehor area.
“We are situated in the bullseye of that growth pattern,” Reilly said. “And I don’t think we’ve seen the start of it yet. The county in 10 years will substantially change. Clearly, south county has been a beneficiary of that growth. Basehor has already seen a lot of growth.”
Several factors have influenced that population growth, Reilly said, including proximity to the Kansas City metro area and Interstate 70 and Interstate 435. He said another factor is that Basehor has affordable housing with a small-town way of life and high-quality schools.
(Read more: Community – The Leavenworth Times – Leavenworth, KS)
Leawood council unanimously approves 1% sales tax hike at Ranch Mart North to help fund shopping center redevelopment, raising rate to 10.1%
The Leawood city council on Monday unanimously approved a community improvement district (CID) sales tax that will provide revenue to fund certain redevelopment costs for Ranch Mart North, located near 95th and Mission Road.
The CID will increase sales tax from 9.1% to 10.1% for purchases made inside Ranch Mart North boundaries starting July 1, 2020 and can stay in effect for up to 22 years. Mayor Peggy Dunn and councilmember James Azeltine noted they had heard comments from individuals who believed the city should not approve the CID, and that public funds should not be used to fund private development.
Azeltine said Leawood has been very conservative in allowing these types of incentives and reiterated that the city would not receive funds from the CID.“It really has no effect on the City of Leawood’s budget,” he said. “It’s neutral.”
Azeltine also commented that “if you don’t like the idea you certainly don’t have to shop there.”
(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)
KGS: Groundwater levels up slightly or near steady in western KS
Groundwater levels during 2018, on average, rose slightly or remained about even throughout most of western and central Kansas, according to preliminary data compiled by the Kansas Geological Survey.
“By and large, 2018 was a good year for groundwater levels,” said Brownie Wilson, KGS water-data manager. “Virtually all levels in south-central Kansas wells were up along with a good portion of those in northwest Kansas, and although southwest Kansas saw a few decline areas in the usual spots, they were not as great as in years past.”
(Read more: Hays Post)
Kansas tells court it should OK school spending law because of bipartisan support
Lawyers for Kansas told the state Supreme Court on Monday that it should sign off on a new law boosting spending on public schools and end a protracted education funding lawsuit partly because the law has broad, bipartisan support.
Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, filed written legal arguments defending the new law. It contains Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s proposal for an education funding increase of roughly $90 million a year and is aimed at satisfying a state Supreme Court ruling last year that education funding remained inadequate.
(Read more: Local News |)
Retired police chief (and current Maize city administrator) remembers Herman Hill riot in Wichita, 40 years ago
It was Easter Sunday on April 15, 1979 when Richard LaMunyon remembers getting the call of a hectic situation at Herman Hill park near Pawnee and Broadway.
A musical concert was taking place in the park, but thousands more people came to the concert than what the park was set up for. People began parking in the street, blocking in nearby residents in their homes.
Drugs and alcohol were also being passed around.
"They informed me that basically, they had a situation that was pretty much out of control and did not have sufficient officers to deal with it," LaMunyon said.
(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)