Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

City of Newton acts quickly to address stink

South winds, wet ground and a winter’s worth of sludge made for a smelly few days on the south side of Newton.

The City of Newton, as it regularly does, distributed a byproduct of its was wastewater treatment plant, what they call “sludge”, on a city-owned field to be used as fertilizer. Normally the sludge, is disced into the field soon after. However, according to city public information officer Erin McDaniel, the field was too wet for the farmer to get into immediately.

“That was the issue,” she said. “The wind was coming out of the wrong direction. It’s unfortunate.
It’s not the city’s intention to stink up the town.”

The sludged field, Southeast of B&B Lumber near the intersection of First and Meridian Streets, made for a Tuesday that plain stunk, according to manager Greg Hanson.
“I grew up on a dairy farm,” he said. “I’ve been around cows. This was perplexing because it was the most malodorous odor I’ve ever experienced.”

He said he had every candle lit as well as a recently purchased popcorn machine running in the store to try to overpower the smell of the sludge.
Hanson contacted the city about the issue and posted about it on the company’s social media page.

“I do want to praise the city,” he said. “They were very responsive and I’d like to let them know I appreciate it.

(Read more: Newton Now)

Augusta City Council approves request to move “Blessing Box” to city property

Council also approved a request from Heather Holmes, who has been maintaining a Blessing Box near 14th and Ohio Streets, to move the box a short distance across Ohio St. on city property in front of the Community Garden. She explained that the move would make it more accessible and visible to the public.
Holmes, along with the Augusta community has kept the free little pantry stocked. People are encouraged to take what they need and leave what they can for others. Anyone can put a donation in the pantry, as well.

(Read more: Augusta Gazette)

Former Riley County employee claims he was wrongfully terminated in suit against commission

A lawsuit filed last week in Riley County District Court alleges Riley County Commissioners terminated an employee for speaking out against one of the commissioners.

The lawsuit was filed March 27 by former county employee Steven DeHart of Olsburg, who claims the board fired him in 2017 because he continually spoke out against Chairman Ron Wells. DeHart worked for the county as an environmental health specialist. In the petition, DeHart claims he drew the ire of the commission when he reported Wells had a private sewer hookup at his residence that allowed him to receive free service. It was initially a county sewer line. He says Wells constructed an apartment on his mother’s property without the required building permit for personal use. To bring it into compliance he was required to obtain a necessary permit with DeHart’s signature. DeHart also discovered Wells didn’t have a valid septic permit and raised concerns about the validity of the septic hookup at the time of the permit’s issuance in 2016. He claims County Counselor Clancy Holeman advised that resistance to the hookup would jeopardize DeHart’s employment.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

City of Wellington official release on new plastic policy

On April 1, 2019, the City of Wellington began only accepting cardboard, office paper and plastic #1 and plastic #2. Other materials including plastics #3 through #7 will not be accepted as there is currently little to no market in this region and some materials are being landfilled by material recovery facilities.

(Read more: Sumner NewsCow)

County to spend $400,000-plus to replace HVAC systems at 18 buildings

Shawnee County has earmarked $416,275 to replace heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at 18 parks and recreation buildings it maintains.

County Commissioners Bob Archer, Bill Riphahn and Kevin Cook voted 3-0 Thursday morning to approve a project budget authorizing that work to be done over four years between 2019 and 2022. County administrative services director Betty Greiner said the budget approved Thursday fits in with steps the county is taking to establish and maintain an annual capital improvement budget.

Chetopa mayor declines to sign newly passed minimum housing code

After an absence of about five years, Chetopa once again has minimum housing standards.

In a March 19 regular meeting the Chetopa City Council approved an ordinance to provide a minimum housing code.

The council voted 6-0 in favor the ordinance, but Mayor Terry Robison refused to sign it, bringing discussion on how the council should proceed. According to minutes from the meeting that were recently made available, Council Member Betsy Koontz read from the governing body handbook that an ordinance could become effective without the mayor’s signature.

Robison said on Wednesday that as a member of the city council in 2014 he voted with the majority to remove minimum housing standards from the city code.

“It wasn’t a good code, and it wasn’t enforceable,” Robison said.

Robison agrees with the rest of the council that minimum housing standards are needed for the city, but not the code the council approved. As mayor he had three options, either sign the ordinance, veto it or let it pass without a signature. He knew there was no point to veto an ordinance that was passed on a 6-0 vote, so to voice his opposition he declined to sign it.

The ordinance has since taken effect after its publication in the Labette Avenue, the city’s official newspaper.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Olathe council airs concerns about cost of building code update

A potential building code update for Olathe prompted worries from City Council members that residents and business owners would be the ones stuck with rising costs as a result.

Tuesday night’s meeting was the council’s first chance to review possible amendments to the approximately 4,000 pages of material that could affect everything from residential lighting to regulations for fire-proofing both residential and commercial buildings.

The codes cover a wide swath, including building, residential, existing buildings, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, electrical, energy conservation, swimming pool, property maintenance and fire codes.

Possible changes include requiring new residences to illuminate house numbers and requiring sprinklers for many storage facilities. Other amendments dealt with requiring storm shelters or basements in new residences and sprinklers in buildings with three or more units. “This is the biggest tax increase we’re going to do on the city council,” Councilman Larry Campbell said, suggesting that the costs of these code changes will eventually be passed along to residents.

City seeks input on future of east Douglas Avenue

Two separate meeting times were offered on Wednesday to hear opinions on the future of east Douglas Avenue.

Douglas has served as Wichita’s “main street” for years and with capital improvement dollars set aside for the area for 2022-2023, developers are seeking opinions on how to make the street a hub for dining, gathering and entertainment.

“We’re trying to rethink the street as as place for commerce for young people and older adults rather than a highway that cuts through the middle of the city,” Jeffrey Tumlin, principal of Nelson/Nygaard Transportation Planning said. There is $6 million in the capital improvement fund set for the year 2022. You can view the entire funds distribution here.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Where are the lifeguards? Applicants to work at some JoCo pools are dropping

Overland Park aquatics supervisor Renee Reis remembers when cities like hers had to turn down dozens of applicants for summer lifeguards.

It was the quintessential summer job — a way for teens and college students to earn cash, work experience and street cred in a position with both fun and responsibility.

Not so much anymore, said Reis and staffers from other cities who have watched applicants for such summer jobs dwindle.

“Our lifeguard positions have been getting harder and harder to fill over the years,” said Reis, who is responsible for hiring around 225 lifeguards to monitor Overland Park’s indoor and outdoor pools. Reis still needs roughly 40 employees before the city’s last training session in May. Though summer is around the corner, cities including Mission, Shawnee and Olathe still have open lifeguard positions.

Some city officials and aquatic supervisors in Johnson County attribute the problem to a shift in priorities for the young people who typically take on these summer positions.

‘People’s lives transformed’ in drug court, parole officer tells Douglas County

Before she came to Douglas County, Shannon Bruegge, behavioral health parole officer, worked for eight years in Cass County, Mo., supervising clients with substance use disorders as part of a drug court.

“I saw people’s lives transformed,” she told Douglas County commissioners during their Wednesday work session on specialty courts.
Bruegge was hired with the 2017 launch of the county’s behavioral health court, which aims to reduce the number of people with serious mental illness in the Douglas County Jail and provide support to them. Now she and others in the county’s criminal justice system are pushing for another specialty court that would focus on helping those with substance use disorders.

Kansas Legislature approves governor’s school funding plan; whether it will satisfy court isn’t clear

Kansas’ new Democratic governor promised on the campaign trail to end a protracted lawsuit over education funding by increasing state spending on public schools, and the Republican-led Legislature approved her proposal Thursday evening.
It may not be enough.
An attorney for the local school districts suing the state certainly doesn’t think so, and his clients have won before the Kansas Supreme Court repeatedly. Even some legislators who backed Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan for an increase of roughly $90 million a year think they’ll be discussing another Supreme Court order to boost funding again next year. Others are hopeful the court will sign off, but no one is dead certain.

Broadband issues angering rural Kansas residents

Rural Kansas residents are angered by bad cellphone connection in Conway Springs due to only one service provider working in the area.

“It’s kind of a monopoly as far as the cellphone service goes,” said Clay Murphy, superintendent of Conway Springs schools.

A map released by Gov. Laura Kelly showed the broadband connection throughout the state of Kansas. In rural Kansas areas it was the lowest, including Conway Springs.

“Even the one’s that have the carrier depending on where you’re at in town or on the edge of town, you can’t get service,” Murphy said.

Cities in Marion County make sure ‘tiny’ homes properly built

Dakota Patterson has embraced the virtue of living small with a 12-by-32-foot “tiny” house he is furnishing in Florence.
While it might be easier to build than a full-size home, there are still safety measures to consider, said Trayce Warner, a Florence city councilmember.
“Just using it as a shed is one thing, but if he’s planning on living in it, there are other requirements to be met,” she said.
[MORE]

(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Wellington to launch educational campaign on how to sort recyclables at home

While the biofuel plant rezoning vote may have had the most long-term implications, recycling was most on the minds of the council members Tuesday night at its first April regularly scheduled meeting.

Recent changes in the industry brought on by the nation of China no longer accepting certain types of plastics has created chaos for small recycling operations such as the City of Wellington’s. Waste Connections recently informed the city it will be charging $120 per ton for recyclables effectively immediately. With 275-300 tons of material collected by the city annually, that cost adds as much as $36,000 to the Sanitation operating costs.

Wellington Director of Public Works Jeremy Jones updated the council on possible changes that would help alleviate higher trash rates or scrapping of the program altogether. But it all comes down to citizens and their ability to sort recyclables.

“The only method that is going to get rebates or at least break even is to go back to separating each material and keeping them clean,” Jones said. “Sorting would be the most sustainable, environmentally friendly and financially responsible method, but I strongly recommend City staff not taking the responsibility.”

(Read more: Sumner NewsCow)

Lenexa, KDOT to build multipurpose trail connecting Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park and Electric Park

Lenexa is adding more multipurpose trails to its trail network, ultimately connecting Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park to Electric Park.

The city is partnering with the Kansas Department of Transportation to build a multipurpose trail along 95th Street from Loiret Boulevard (near Electric Park) to Lackman Road and along Lackman Road from Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park to 95th Street.

In a city memo, staff reported that the project will provide a “key missing segment” of the current mixed-use trail system along Lackman Road and 95th Street.

Lenexa’s current trail network in the area extends from Renner Boulevard to the east side of the new Kiewit building, along 95th Street from Ridge Drive to Loiret Boulevard and along 95th Street from Lackman Road to Santa Fe Trail Drive, according to the memo.

“This project will build a major connection to the trail system in this area,” staff wrote. “This segment will complete the trail connection between Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park and 95th Street.”

Roeland Park digs into the details of plans for improving city pool

Potential improvements to the Roeland Park Aquatic Center were discussed Monday during the governing body workshop. Councilmembers agreed to move forward with learning more about potential costs and conceptual designs related to several items:

Replacing the kiddie pool and sand pit with a splash pad and shade
Adding overhead lighting so the pool can be open for extended night-time hours
Improved landscaping
Replacing and/or relocating slides
Adding in-water bench, shade, and a potential kiddie feature in the zero-depth area
Adding an ADA-compliant ramp and chair
Improving the mechanical room and water filtration methods
Various changes to the vortex pool were also discussed. Councilmembers signaled their interest in learning more about removing the vortex pool altogether, keeping the pool and adding a feature like floaties, or replacing the vortex pool with a lazy river.

After denying new CUP, Miami County votes to keep concrete company operating at current location

Despite a recommendation from the Miami County Planning Commission to revoke the existing conditional-use permit for Concrete Strategies, Miami County commissioners last week voted 4-1 to modify the CUP so the business can remain at its current location.

Concrete Strategies is located on Cedar Niles Road south of 231st Street and north of Hillsdale Lake.

Last year, the Planning Commission and County Commission both agreed to deny owner Joe Vitale’s request for a new CUP for Concrete Strategies. The business currently is operating under a CUP that was used by the previous property owner and proprietor, Stahl Excavating. Stahl was grandfathered in when the county went to countywide zoning in 1991, and Vitale purchased the property in 2017. The CUP stays with the land, not with the owner, so Concrete Strategies began operating under the same CUP.

After last year’s denial of the new CUP request, neighbors submitted a petition to revoke the existing CUP based on claims that the business has intensified in use.

Multiple neighboring landowners spoke during the March 5 Planning Commission meeting and said large trucks are now making deliveries, more vehicles are being stored on site and more noise is coming from the business.

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Disc golf ready to go in Marysville

Spring is starting to warm the air and green up the parks in northeast Kansas, and Kyle Goracke is ready for some disc golf.

The Marysville resident recently installed 10 disc golf baskets in Marysville City Park as part of a new nine-hole pocket course. The course is to have a test period over the next several months. The baskets were purchased with funds raised from local businesses after Goracke sought community support for a new course.

A 10th basket was placed as a practice basket. It was donated by Innova Discs, a national disc golf equipment company.

Last year, City Council argued about whether to place the course in the park, with some members saying it posed a safety threat because it wound its way near park camping areas and play areas.

Other members said the park is full of recreational activities which all pose some risks and disc golf is no different.

Crowds showed up at council meetings in support of the course, saying the park is a good, central venue for all ages to play disc golf and that it encourages physical activity.

The council ultimately gave the course a chance with a six-month test period.

(Read more: The Marysville Advocate)

Overland Park council thinks redevelopment of convention center parking lot could revive College Boulevard ‘dead zone’

With spring and an approved concept plan, Overland Park officials said Monday they’re eager to take the first steps toward an improved College Boulevard corridor they hope will bring life back to what is becoming an entertainment dead zone.

Council members endorsed the first action steps of their new College and Metcalf corridor plan, allowing staff to start work on it as early as this month. Some members were particularly enthusiastic to take a look at how the convention center parking lot could be better used.

With the vote, they set in motion plans for a traffic and engineering study — to look at the feasibility of reducing the number of lanes on College – plus a parking analysis. Those two projects, budgeted for $175,000 altogether, could begin this year.

City of Topeka defers action on City Hall renovations, capital improvement budget

Topeka’s governing body postponed action Tuesday evening for one week on proposals to increase the amount budgeted to renovate City Hall and to approve capital improvement plans proposed by city manager Brent Trout.

Toward the end of a meeting that lasted four hours and 15 minutes, members voted 7-3 to defer action until their April 9 meeting on whether to earmark nearly $3.86 million in additional funding to carry out the first phase of a project to renovate the building at 215 S.E. 7th and 214 S.E. 8th, which houses City Hall, Topeka Municipal Court and the Topeka Performing Arts Center. Trout’s proposed CIP would total $791,284,687, said Nick Hawkins, the city’s budget and performance director.

Wellington City Council unanimously approves biofuel plant’s request to rezone property at U.S. 160 and Seneca for $100 million facility

By a 6-0 vote tonight, the Wellington City Council passed an ordinance rezoning property located in the southwest quadrant of the intersection of U.S. 160 Highway and Seneca Road that could pave the way for a new biofuel plant in Sumner County. The 145-acre tract has been rezoned from HCP – Planned Highway Commercial to heavy industrial, I2. This was a huge victory for those hoping to build a biofuel plant on the property.

The zoning change comes on the request of VERBIO North America which is proposing to build a renewable natural gas production facility on a tract of land currently owned by Charter Equities II, a company of local investors. Greg Northrup, President/CEO of VNA North America, has previously said the proposed methane-only plant will be the first of its kind in North America.

(Read more: Sumner NewsCow)

Topeka OKs two communications tower permits, denies a third

The Topeka City Council and Mayor Michelle De La Isla on Tuesday evening OK’d two permits allowing tall communications towers to be put up in separate parts of the city but denied a proposed permit for a third. The city’s planning staff had recommended the mayor and council approve the permits for the properties on Fairlawn and S.E. 29th but deny the one for the property on S.W. Taylor.

Planning and development director Bill Fiander said the latter area is economically distressed and the tower’s presence could discourage investment there.

Still, city attorney Lisa Robertson warned that the city might face a lawsuit if it rejected AT&T’s application for that permit.

For small-town Johnson County, internet service isn’t a given

Something was very wrong in De Soto, and Kevin Honomichl knew it. Then came the incident that drove the point home.

His son was collaborating with classmates on a team project, but the kids couldn’t meet just anywhere in De Soto. So Honomichl hauled the boy to McDonald’s, one place in town where everyone could tap into the internet at once.

Honomichl lives south of Kansas 10, an area of De Soto that has lacked land-based internet service of any kind. Businesses simply haven’t found it profitable to serve that part of town.

Internet options are better in other parts of town, officials said, but haven’t reached the level that families and businesses demand.

“Broadband has achieved a point of being critical infrastructure, just like water, just like sewer, just like electricity,” said Honomichl, whose passion for the issue prompted him to run successfully for the City Council.

“We’re reaching a point where communities with robust broadband access — to essentially everybody — are communities that are going to thrive economically.”

De Soto isn’t the only outlying community in Johnson County to face this difficulty. Spring Hill and Gardner, too, are tackling the issue.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Leavenworth County, city hosting cleanup events

Now that spring has officially started, many people may be wanting to get a start on spring cleaning.

The Leavenworth County Transfer Station has started a year-long cleanup event for county residents. And the city of Leavenworth is having its annual Spring Cleanup this Saturday.

The annual Leavenworth County Community Cleanup will run through April 1, 2020 at the Transfer Station, according to Tammy Saldivar, solid waste superintendent for the county.

The Transfer Station is located at 24967 136th St. in Lansing.

Leavenworth County residents can drop off one free load per household during the year-long event.

“It’s one free load with a two-ton limit,” Saldivar said.

She said residents will have to show identification.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

South Hutchinson City Council declines Sunday liquor sales

Most residents expected the South Hutchinson City Council to decline the proposal for Sunday alcohol sales. The council did just that. The rejection came on the same day grocery and convenience stores in Kansas were stocking their shelves with stronger beer.

The request came from South Hutchinson businessman Greg Dovel, who wanted to sell alcohol on Sunday.

Jeff Dovel, who is on the city council and is the brother of Greg Dovel, abstained from voting. However, the rest of the council voted in favor of the ordinance banning the sale of any type of alcoholic beverage on Sunday within the city of South Hutchinson.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Wichita approves $100,000 for Water Conservation Rebate Program

The Wichita City Council has approved funding continuation of a program that encourages households to purchase water-saving devices by offering rebates.

According to a news release, $100,000 has been approved for the Water Conservation Rebate Program. Applications will be accepted at the Environmental Health office at 1900 East 9th Street north. The City strongly recommends bringing a printout of the qualifying appliances for reference when shopping. There is a limit of five rebated items per water customer account. Rebates will not exceed the purchase price.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

Finney County to buy LEC security camera system

Finney County commissioners on Monday approved a roughly $341,000, unbudgeted spending request by the Finney County Sheriff’s Office to buy new security camera equipment for the Law Enforcement Center that will replace aging, failing equipment and upgrade video surveillance in the 37-year-old building.

Finney County Sheriff Kevin Bascue told commissioners the need to buy new equipment became urgent as it became increasingly difficult to rebuild or refurbish failing equipment, leading to security concerns at the LEC, specifically in the jail area.

“We just felt that for security reasons, we just needed to get a new system,” Bascue said in a separate interview Monday.

The sheriff’s office plans to buy the equipment from Johnson Controls of Wichita. Equipment in the company’s $341,701 quote includes 48 cameras, three network recorders, two video monitors, multiple mounts for the monitors, a controller board and various other equipment. Bascue said he didn’t have a specific timeline for when the new system would be installed.

What’s in store for your neighborhood library in $3.7 million improvement plan?

A $2.3 million expansion of the Westlink Library and finding a new home for the Linwood Library are among the highlights of a master plan for what to do with satellite branches, now that the new downtown library is up and running.

In contrast to earlier plans that envisioned shrinking the library system and closing the Linwood and Evergreen branches, the new plan envisions putting at least $185,000 into each of the six satellite libraries.

The overall cost is just short of $3.7 million. The plan was presented publicly for the first time during a joint meeting of the City Council and the Library Board on Tuesday.

Drafted by a subcommittee of the two boards and city staff, it was also the first look for most of the members of the panels.

They seemed to like what they saw.

“I think it’s good we’re looking at expansion and improvement of the libraries instead of closing them, which is where we were a year ago,” said Library Board member Jonathan Winkler. “It does the best we can within the financial constraints.”

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Lyon County commission tables cell phone tower discussion

The Lyon County Commission tabled a discussion about a communications tower last week and sent the application for it back to the county planning and zoning board.

This discussion has been ongoing since February.

AT&T and Network Real Estate have requested agricultural land on Road 190 be re-zoned to allow the tower to be placed there.

The commission removed the discussion from the table and put it back into play.

Chair of the Lyon County Planning and Zoning Board Sam Seeley addressed the commission about the tower. He said the county planning and zoning board had voted 2 to 1 in favor of allowing the tower.

According to Seeley, the tower, if it were to go up, would be located about a quarter mile west of the intersection of Road 190 and Road E, in the southeast corner on a 100-by-100 square foot parcel of land. The tower would be a 180-foot tall, self-supporting structure, he said, in a fenced compound and a fall radius that would prevent it from landing on anyone else’s property or the road.

Landowners in the vicinity of the would-be tower have complained, fearing the possibility the tower will cause health problems and lower the value of their properties.

(Read more: Emporia Gazette)

Roeland Park citizen satisfaction has trended upward over past decade, new results show

Roeland Park residents are very happy overall with their city and its services, according to a recent citizen satisfaction survey, with 97% of respondents rating Roeland Park as an excellent or good place to live. Satisfaction with Roeland Park services rated at the same level or higher than 51 of the 59 KC Metro areas assessed. Overall satisfaction with Roeland Park increased 1.8 points since 2016 and 7.2 points since 2008.

“Roeland Park received excellent ratings,” said Ryan Murray, project manager at the ETC Institute, the group that performed the survey.

Citizen Satisfaction Surveys were sent to every household in Roeland Park and more than 600 surveys were completed.

Sabetha officials “disappointed” with Brown County decision to exclude Sabetha Community Hospital from proceeds of healthcare sales tax

The Brown County Commission has denied a Sabetha Community Hospital request for a share of any sales tax revenue generated for healthcare in Brown County.

Three weeks ago, on March 11, the Brown County commissioners approved Resolution 19-07 — calling the question for a 10-year, 1/2 percent sales tax question to support healthcare services in Brown County — to an election on May 21. At that time, the stated use for the generated funds would be to first pay industrial revenue bonds obtained through the City of Hiawatha for $2 million, then subsequently be directed to Hiawatha Community Hospital as general tax support for the hospital. If approved, the sales tax would be implemented on Oct. 1.

This decision by the county commissioners came after months of meetings of a joint advisory committee that included officials from the Hiawatha hospital, as well as Brown County and the cities of Hiawatha and Horton. The committee, which did not include any City of Sabetha or Sabetha Community Hospital representatives, was formed after the urgent situation at Hiawatha’s hospital was brought to light.

(Read more: Sabetha Herald)

Overland Park council denies permit request for Two Dogs and a Cat pet day care on Metcalf

In a victory for neighbors but a setback for pet owners in new downtown apartments, Overland Park denied a permit for a pet boarding facility and day care with outdoor play area close to downtown.

The facility proposed for 7620 Metcalf Avenue, would have been a second location for Two Dogs and a Cat, owned by John Cavalcanti. He said afterward he would start looking for a different location rather than remove the outdoor play area, which had been the main sticking point.

Council members took an hour and a half and four votes to turn the project down. Several neighbors, who had filed a valid protest petition, also waited through to the end of an otherwise long meeting to urge denial vote.

Shawnee councilmember Stephanie Meyer leading delegation of American political leaders on trip to East Timor

Shawnee councilmember Stephanie Meyer is gearing up for her second political trip overseas to represent the United States as a democratic country.

This month, Meyer will lead a group of seven American political leaders on a weeklong trip through East Timor, a small Southeast Asian island country north of Australia. Meyer and her colleagues will talk with the country’s leaders about the initiation of their democratic process. The relatively new country gained independence from Indonesia in 2002.

“I’m excited to talk to them about how the last 17 years have been and what struggles they still have,” Meyer said. “Hopefully, we can provide areas where we can be helpful in our insight, being in a little bit older democracy than they are.”

The politicians’ trip is part of an initiative by the American Council of Young Political Leaders, a nonprofit organization in part supported by the U.S. State Department that provides political leaders under 40 with the opportunity to share democratic ideas and best governmental practices with other countries. It’s also an opportunity for participants to practice diplomacy.

Old bridges of Ellis County require close monitoring

While seven of Ellis County’s more than 200 bridges are in poor condition, they don’t need closed, but new heavy vehicles will force weight limits on more of them in coming years.

“My estimate right now is that 50 to 60 percent of the bridges that we inspect will have to be posted some way or another,” said civil engineer Jordan Dettmer with Penco Engineering, Plainville, who inspected the county’s bridges in November 2018. “You guys are currently at 21.2 percent of your bridges are posted. So that will double; something to be aware.”

Kansas Department of Transportation requires the inspections every two years. In a report Monday evening at the regular meeting of the Ellis County Commission, Penco’s Dettmer referenced a new federal standard that defines a structurally deficient bridge as one having a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert in poor condition.

(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

Missouri River continues to recede in Leavenworth area following rain

After plateauing over the weekend, the Missouri River has resumed a slow recession in the Leavenworth area.

At 1 p.m. Monday, the river was at a depth of 22.88 feet, according to the National Weather Service.

The river remains in a flood stage. But floodwaters have been receding since the river reached 31.3 feet on March 23.

The river leveled off over the weekend around 24 feet following rainfall in the area. But by Sunday afternoon, floodwaters had started to recede again.

A NWS forecast on Monday predicted the river will drop below its flood stage of 20 feet on Wednesday.

One of the areas that has been impacted by the flood is Second Street in Leavenworth. A portion of the street was closed because of flooding.

But floodwaters have receded from the road. Leavenworth Public Works Director Mike McDonald said city personnel were reopening the street Monday afternoon.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

County Commissioners To Assist Greenwood County Hospital

Representatives of the Greenwood County Hospital (GWCH) board of trustees once again expressed the need for county funds, during the Greenwood County Commissioners meeting, on Monday of this week. With the half-cent sales tax not going into effect until April 1, GWCH will not see the benefit until early summer, which has put the hospital in a bind. Board President Pam Brown and Treasurer Randy Cox expressed the urgent need for approximately $32,000, which will go towards two supply vendors. President Brown shared that during their recent board of trustees meeting (see related article), CFO Melody Curnutt stated they have made great strides in cost savings measures; however, two vendors were requesting immediate payment. The board has been utilizing their funds, as well, to help pay down accounts payable, but do not have the needed funds to pay those accounts in full. President Brown stated the board was willing to pay back funds, if that was needed; but they were in need of $32,172.58 to appease two vendors.

(Read more: Eureka Herald RSS)

Great Bend City Council members reflect on Washington D.C. trip

The Great Bend City Council meeting Monday night was the first meeting following the Western Kansas Congressional Delegation in Washington D.C. Great Bend sent City Administrator Kendal Francis, council members Cory Urban, Jessica Milsap, and Andrew Erb, and Great Bend Chamber of Commerce CEO Jan Peters to the nation’s capital to discuss topics of interest to the western part of Kansas with elected officials.

Urban spoke of the experience as a great chance to talk with counties making similar improvements to their communities. The delegation was March 23-25 and the Great Bend representatives were able to speak with Senators Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts and Congressman Dr. Roger Marshall. Urban says the Great Bend group was also able to talk with the officials’ staffs and developed contacts for future projects or assistance both locally and federally.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

City gives resident OK to keep bees

The Salina City Commission approved a request Monday afternoon from a Salina resident to keep bees in the city to pollinate her vegetable garden.

City staff received a request from Lynn Grinage to keep bees in two bee hives next to her vegetable garden located at 1000 W. Walnut St. She also plans to use the bees to pollinate apple, peach and orange trees.

David Dupy, a health officer from the Saline County Health Department found no public health concern from the request. Dupy and Jason Tiller, director of the Saline County Health Department, granted their approval to the application.

The commission voted 4-0 to approve Grinage’s request. She plans to collect the bees in Falls City, Neb., in May.

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Fire calls down in Geary County

The number of fire calls for the Geary County Rural Fire Department are down so far this year.

The Geary County Commission received an update on Monday, with Chairman Charles Stimatze providing the numbers. “Year to date fires for 2019 are 27. In 2018 they had 48 at this time, eight just in March alone.

(Read more: Junction City Post)

Montgomery County and Coffeyville Resources issue settlement on decade-long tax dispute

A decade-long tax dispute filed by one of Montgomery County’s largest industries was declared settled and resolved on Monday.
The Montgomery County Commission announced that a settlement had been reached with Coffeyville Resources concerning the property tax appeal filed by the company regarding the valuation applied to its nitrogen fertilizer plant in 2008.
Under the terms of the settlement, Coffeyville Resources will forego an immediate refund of $7.9 million to which it would be otherwise be entitled under a decision rendered by the Kansas Court of Appeals in September 2018. Montgomery County sought to have that decision reviewed by the Kansas Supreme Court, which has yet to rule on the request. This settlement resolves the appeal.

Wayne Developers files petition against Shawnee for invoking eminent domain

After the city of Shawnee moved to use eminent domain to plan for the conversion of a piece of private property into a new building for a parks and recreation facility, the property owner has filed a countering petition against the city, urging the Johnson County District Court to enter a restraining order and prohibit the city from pursuing its claim.

The private property being contested in Johnson County District Court is located at 18570 Johnson Drive in western Shawnee and is owned by Wayne Developers LLC. Wayne Developers, which is affiliated with Republic Services Inc., a provider of solid waste collection, purchased the land in August 2018, intending to develop the site as a multimillion-dollar transportation facility for collections vehicles.

The city is claiming it must acquire the property, which is adjacent to the city’s public works facility, by eminent domain in order to build a parks and recreation facility. Melissa Hoag Sherman, an attorney with Spencer Fane LLP who represents Republic Services and Wayne Developers, said the city of Shawnee knew that the private property was for sale last year and could have purchased it then.

Public to vote on designs for next city of Topeka flag

Three designs have been chosen as finalists for the next city of Topeka flag, out of more than 300 submitted.

Now the public will vote to pick the winner, with ballots being cast by going online to topekaflag.com or sending text messages to (785) 425-4393, according to a document in the agenda packet for Tuesday’s Topeka City Council meeting. Voting will be open until 11:59 p.m. April 9, that document said.

City council members plan to hear a report on the Topeka Flag Redesign Initiative when they meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in their chambers at 214 S.E. 8th.

Forge, the city’s young professionals association, last July announced it was holding a competition to redesign the city flag.

The city included on its website as part of the meeting’s agenda packet a copy of the report that will be given at that meeting. It includes visual images of the three finalist designs and information about the symbols they portray.

Pothole ruin your car? Cities, states can help pay for repairs but good luck with that

Stuart Hall is still livid over the Kansas City pothole that ate his car — blew two tires, bent one rim — and left him with a $410 bill, towing not included.

“I’m still pissed,” he said.

That was over a pothole not from today, with thousands of them in the wake of a harsh winter still pockmarking roads from Liberty to Olathe, turning the Kansas City area’s streetscape lunar. It’s from six years back, when a crater-like pothole opened at Brookside Boulevard and 50th Street, rattling the bones of his then wife, Christina, along with the undercarriage of their Mazda 6. Equally rattling is what happened when Hall tried to get the city to pay him back for the damage: Nothing.

Even after a formal appeal, he received not a dime. Not a penny. But applicable to every pothole-pounded driver thinking of holding their city accountable, he did receive a valuable lesson:

“This year and every year since,” said Hall, 48, and now of Grain Valley, “I feel 100 percent certain that if we hit a pothole and we’re damaged, we are on our own. … I would love to know how often they (a city) would pay out a claim.”

Answer: Hardly ever.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Wichita works to catch up with potholes: ‘It’s worse than I’ve seen it in a while’

There may or may not be a lot more potholes after this year’s wintry winter, but it sure seems like we’re dodging more of them, and more of them certainly are being reported.

“We definitely have received more calls than we typically do,” said Aaron Henning, maintenance engineer for the city of Wichita. The city usually receives about 1,000 pothole reports a year; by the third week of March the number was already more than 700.

In addition to filling potholes that have been reported, the city scouts them out, too, and about 11,000 of them were patched in January and February this year. That’s a lot more than last year in that time frame — 8,400 — but less than in 2017, when just more than 12,000 were filled in January and February.

Henning is not sure what’s up.

“We have seen a huge uptick in the number that are being reported. It might be because we have a lot of different and probably more convenient ways for citizens to report potholes now. It could also be we have more in areas that are perhaps more visible, I don’t know.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Goodland to host Livestock Emergency Response workshop

Livestock owners face numerous challenges, including natural disasters like flooding and wildfire and the threat of foreign animal diseases like African Swine Fever and food-and-mouth disease, which have impacted other countries. The Kansas Department of Agriculture works to help Kansas livestock owners, from large feedyards to families with show animals, in preparing for the impact any of these disasters could have on their lives. This spring, KDA will host eight regional workshops to assist Kansans throughout the livestock industry with emergency preparedness.

(Read more: Hays Post)