Kansas Municipal News
“This is the people’s ballpark”: Baseball team owner, city leaders react to new design renderings
From the dugouts to the footings for the grand stands, the new baseball stadium is starting to take shape. The city released new renderings that show more detail of what the stadium will look like, as well as the developments that will surround it.
“This is the people’s ballpark,” said Lou Schwechheimer, owner of Wichita Baseball 2020.
The latest renderings feature art, the way people will be given directions around the park and even what the stadium will look like at night.
These renderings are the most detailed so far.
“This is literally being designed as we build it,” Schwechheimer said. “That gives the public a little more chance.”
Input from the public is something city officials and the team owners said they’re paying close attention to, especially the concern about the success of the surrounding development around the stadium.
“I think there’s a little more work to be done,” said James Clendenin, city council member. “I think they realize that. The great thing about these renderings is they’re starting to reflect the feedback we’ve been getting.”
(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)
Local sustainability leader says Lawrence needs to take bold action on climate issues
The local sustainability director told city leaders Tuesday that ambitious climate action is needed on the global, national and local levels, and that the city needs a plan to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Lawrence-Douglas County Sustainability Director Jasmin Moore told city commissioners at their study session that local governments are already dealing with more frequent flooding and extreme heat, and that the city needs a plan for the years to come to deal with those and other climate-related issues.
“What are we doing to adapt to those changing conditions?” Moore said. “The status quo is pretty risky at this point, and so (we should be) thinking about how we can continue to move forward.”
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Governor approves SB 105 authorizing cities to determine start date of officials by resolution
From the legislative summary:
Start Dates for Terms of Certain Local Offices; SB 105
SB 105 authorizes a city to determine the start date of a regular term of office for a city officer by resolution of the city. In law regarding city elections, the bill requires the start date be on or after December 1 following certification of the election and no later than the second Monday in January following certification of the election. If the city does not establish an alternative date, the bill specifies such term will begin on the second Monday in January.
In law regarding terms of office, the bill adds a municipal officer to all state, district, county, and township officers as those whose regular terms of office shall begin on the second Monday in January except as otherwise provided by law.
H/T: LKM.
Kansas liquor laws changed April 1. Here’s how several Shawnee Mission area cities updated local ordinances as a result
After Kansas legislators changed state laws to allow grocery stores and convenience stores to sell stronger beer, several cities in northeast Johnson County have been changing their codes to reflect the change.
Grocery and convenience stores are now permitted to sell beer with an alcoholic content up to 6 percent by volume under the law signed by Gov. Sam Brownback in April 2017. Those stores were previously only able to sell beer with an alcoholic content up to 3.2 percent by weight.
The new state laws will also permit drinking establishments to serve alcoholic liquor between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. Previously, liquor could only be served between 9 a.m. and 2 a.m. Additionally, the state law change also allows liquor stores to sell related items such as mixers, ice, lottery tickets and cigars, without requiring them to keep liquor separate from non-alcoholic products.
Here’s a breakdown of code changes by city:
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post – Community news and events for northeast Johnson County)
County commissioners approve hiring of solid waste director
Shawnee County is officially in the market for a solid waste director.
At Monday morning’s meeting, which lasted about 25 minutes, Shawnee County Commissioners Bob Archer, Kevin Cook and Bill Riphahn voted 3-0 to approve the hiring of a person to oversee the county’s solid waste division, which provides trash and recycling services for individuals in Topeka and throughout the county.
The change in job description would separate the position that currently is held by Curt Niehaus, who is serving as director of both Shawnee County Public Works and Shawnee County Solid Waste.
Commissioners had delayed a vote on the recommended job change from their March 28 meeting after Cook requested additional information on the financial aspects of the job split.
Angela Lewis, Shawnee County’s human resources director, said at Monday’s meeting that the solid waste job would pay a minimum salary in the range of $80,000.
(Read more: Local Government – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
New hospital to open in Derby
A new hospital will soon open in Derby, which has become an emerging market for health care in the past few years.
The $40 million, 31-bed Rock Regional Hospital, which staff began occupying in February, is still awaiting state inspections and clearance by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to start accepting patients, according to hospital CEO Jason Eitutis.
Located across from Derby North Middle School and just north of Field Station: Dinosaurs, the hospital is part of a new 15-acre medical campus at 3251 N. Rock Road being developed by CBC Real Estate Group from Kansas City, Mo.
Rock Medical Assets — made up of the developers, local investors and private capital firms — owns the for-profit hospital as well as an ambulatory center it bought from Derby Family Medicine in 2018. Ascension Via Christi became a 25% owner in the hospital when it signed an agreement in late October with Rock Medical Assets.
(Read more: Local News |)
Sedg. Co. Sheriff unveils new vehicle for community events
The Sedgwick County Sheriff has unveiled a new look for one of his department’s patrol cars.
This vehicle will be for special community events, like DARE programs and parades.
It features the Sheriff’s Office logos, along with images like the Keeper of the Plains and wheat fields.
The department says it’s been working on this project for about five months.
They hope the new look will help them with recruiting, too.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Does your council/board eat at meetings? One school district looking to make meetings more efficient
Haven USD schools have been planning this year for the redesign of their delivery of education in 2019-2020. That spurred Haven school board member Jessica Schmidt to consider how the school board could redesign its meetings to condense the agenda and possibly provide snacks in addition to mints. The Haven board meeting starts at 6 a.m.
School districts across Kansas responded to an inquiry from USD 312. A number said they are able to keep the meeting under two hours or within two and a half hours.
On the food question, responses ranged widely.
Brewster USD 314: A local grocery store puts together a brown sack meal for everyone who requests one.Southern Lyon County USD 252 supplies anything from pizza to sandwiches for board members and occasionally the superintendent grills something.
Galena USD 499 orders dinner for board members to eat before the start of the meeting.
Skyline USD 438′s food service prepares a small sheet cake or dessert.
Attica USD 511 board members used to have snacks but with members on a health kick, that’s been reduced to coffee and water.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Geary USD 475 reaches settlement on price of land in eminent domain case
Geary USD 475 has reached a settlement with Rick Munson on the price of the land obtained by the school district for the new Junction City High School project.
The Board of Education approved a settlement of a case that had been pending in Geary County District Court. BOE President Tom Brungardt said the two sides had proposed two different prices. “The court had said pay this amount, which we did. We paid a certain amount, but Mr. Munson appealed so that was the basis of the court case.” The case would not have delayed construction of the new high school because the district had already obtained the land through an eminent domain process. Brungardt believes because the case had not gone on into the court process that will save the school district a lot of money in legal fees.
(Read more: Junction City Post)
Parking patrol officer sees her role as an ambassador for downtown Lawrence, despite some undiplomatic words thrown her way
Some people don’t hold back their feelings when they catch Tanya Green slipping a yellow parking ticket under the windshield wiper of their vehicle.
As one of Lawrence’s parking patrol officers, Green has had some nasty words hurled at her while checking the meters around downtown.
“Have you ever watched the show ‘Parking Wars?’” Green asked, referring to reruns of a reality TV show about Philadelphia Parking Authority employees. “We don’t boot tires or tow cars away, but we get the verbiage.”
Green walks right past meters with one minute left. But if the time has actually run out, she stops and writes a ticket. She shows no favoritism. Even her son has received a yellow envelope.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Lawrence City Commission to discuss city’s progress on reducing emissions, other environmental goals
Recent changes have helped Lawrence significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, and city leaders will soon discuss what else can be done to reduce the city’s impact on the environment.
As part of its work session Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will receive an update on the city’s climate protection and sustainability goals. The commission adopted a Climate Protection Plan in 2009, which included the goal of reducing communitywide greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020 and by 50 percent by 2030.
Sustainability Director Jasmin Moore said that since the baseline year of 2005, greenhouse gas emissions from City of Lawrence operations have dropped by about 17 percent. The community as a whole — which includes the privately owned landfill used by the city — has reduced emissions by 26 percent.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
City manager finalists outline plans, answer questions from Lawrence residents
In their first meeting with the public, the two finalists for Lawrence city manager were greeted with a full crowd and a variety of questions, ranging in topic from economic incentives to the city’s role in arts and culture.
About 150 people filled the meeting room at the Carnegie Building on Sunday for the event, where city manager finalists Susan Sherman and Craig Owens gave presentations that included their plans for the first 100 days in Lawrence. After their presentations, each finalist answered questions from the public for 30 minutes.
Lawrence resident Paul DeGeorge, who co-owns Wonder Fair, said he thought some people are frustrated with how development incentives have been used, and asked both finalists how they would approach economic development to ensure that both the opportunities and the benefits are distributed more equally.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Ellis County to hear by end of month on Hansen grant for busy road corridor
Ellis County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes says “Keep your fingers crossed,” as county and business leaders wait to find out if Dane G. Hansen Foundation will fund a $2.2 million grant request from Ellis County.
The grant, if approved, would transform busy 230th Avenue north of Hays from a dangerously steep and narrow hilly rock road, bustling with semi-tractor trailer rigs, to a well-engineered two-lane paved route with shoulders, referred to as the Northwest Business Corridor.
Ellis County submitted its grant application in March.
“Typically they have a 30-day turnaround when they make their decisions, so we’re hoping to hear something this month,” said Smith-Hanes.
Rep. Barb Wasinger, who represents Ellis County’s 111th District in the state House of Representatives, announced Thursday that the Kansas Department of Transportation has pledged to match $1 million in funding for the corridor, contingent on approval of the Hansen Foundation grant.
(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)
Augusta and El Dorado are recipients of Waste Tire Recycling Grants
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s (KDHE) Bureau of Waste Management has announced the recipients of waste tire recycling grants. These annual solid waste grants are awarded to municipalities and school districts across the state. The grants total nearly $379,000 for 2019.
The City of Augusta was awarded the largest grant in the state for 2019. A $75,000 grant will replace the mulch with “pour-in-place” rubber ADA safety surfacing at the Downtown Dalton Palmer Memorial Playground.
In addition to the safety surface at the park, private donors have raised $6,000 in cash and materials to construct two more parklets adjacent to the playground.
El Dorado USD 490 was also named a recipient with a $8,000 grant for the purchase of loose fill rubber mulch totaling 9,800 square feet to top off the existing surface at Skelly Elementary Playground that is now going into its sixth year of usage.
(Read more: El Dorado Times)
Couple sue city over century-old tunnel under Lawrence neighborhood
After discovering a century-old tunnel directly under their house, a Lawrence couple have filed a lawsuit demanding that the city either relocate the tunnel — which is still used for storm water drainage — or pay them for damages.
The 6-by-6 foot, arched brick drainage tunnel was constructed in 1911 in response to a typhoid outbreak and follows the course of a ravine that once ran from Mount Oread to the Kansas River. More than 100 years later, when Sarah Merriman and Donna Geisler bought their house at 812 Ohio St., they had no idea that the tunnel ran corner-to-corner under the home.
As the Journal-World reported last year, the couple asked the city to relocate the tunnel, but the city declined due to the significant cost of doing so. In response, Merriman and Geisler recently filed a lawsuit against the city, saying the city is trespassing on their property and asking that the city award them at least $75,000 in damages and either relocate the tunnel or purchase the property from them.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Wind arguments at Neosho county continue to be heated
Debate over a proposed electrical generation project got even more heated at the Neosho County Commission meeting Thursday.
The residency of former Commissioner Jennifer Orr, who resigned March 28, continued to be an issue and some opponents criticized the Chanute Tribune, Parsons Sun and the reporter individually.
Discussion continued on the Neosho Ridge project, a wind-powered electrical generation area on 44,000 acres in southwest Neosho County with 139 electrical generator towers.
Critic Kim Norris said project opponents have been portrayed as bullies by developer Apex Clean Energy, Commissioner David Bideau, former Commissioner Jennifer Orr and news coverage.
“I am mad that a corrupt company may succeed in Neosho County,” Norris said. She said Apex will say and do anything.
“Greed is the one and only reason to build them,” Norris said.
She speculated that Bideau would get campaign funding from Apex to run for higher office.
“What are you getting out of this?” she asked.
(Read more: The Chanute Tribune – news,news/)
Hays assistant city manager heading to Salina
Jacob Wood has been named the city of Salina’s new deputy city manager.
City Manager Mike Schrage announced Friday that he has appointed Jacob Wood as the new deputy city manager. Wood was selected from a pool of 60 candidates from across the country.
Wood will begin his new role at the end of April.
“We received a terrific number of applicants for the deputy city manager position which is certainly beneficial, but also makes selection of a finalist much more difficult,” Schrage said.
Wood has served as assistant city manager for the City of Hays, Kan., since 2015. Prior to Hays, he was the city administrator in Oakley, Kan.
A native of Bennington, Wood is returning to the City of Salina where he previously held positions as a city management intern and interim manager of the Bicentennial Center.
(Read more: Hays Post)
City crews working to remove sand from streets
Spring time for life-long motorcyclist and General Manager of Bikers Edge Powersports Glen McGowen is the perfect time to bring out the bike.
“This is when everybody’s really starting to bring out the bikes and take a ride, the warm weather brings a lot of them out,” said McGowen.
But the sand on the roads could steal they joy out of a joy ride.
“The amount of rubber touching the ground is minimal it’s very small and it doesn’t take very much underneath it to actually get it to actually slide out from under you,” said McGowen.
The sand becomes a road hazard for motorcyclist and bicycle riders alike.
“I’ve had at least three already this year that have come in for that very thing where they’ve gone into a corner and it slide out from under them,” said McGowen.
It’s the leftovers from the 14,000 tons of sand the city says it placed on the streets this winter to treat the roads.
The city is working to fix that. The city says it has three shifts of street sweepers currently cleaning the roads in the neighborhoods. At the end of April, the city says it will temporarily redirect the first shift sweepers from residential to arterial streets like Central and Rock Road.
(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)
Johnson County implements watershed program
A new stormwater management program that will see the county divided into six watersheds is being implemented by Johnson County.
In a presentation to Edgerton City Council March 28, Lee Kellenberger, Johnson County water resource manager, said unlike in the past when county dollars for stormwater systems improvements would be distributed to individual cities and townships, the new program will be based on a plan that targets particular watersheds.
The six watersheds are: Brush/Turkey Creek, Indian Creek, Upper Blue Valley, Marais Des Cygnes River, Captain/Kill creek and Cedar/ Mill creek.
Edgerton, Gardner and Spring Hill will all be within the Marais Des Cygnes River watershed.
“In the past cities and communities would do projects individually with the county. Now you band together with other jurisdictions within the watershed,” he said.
The county’s watershed management program was started in 1990 after the Kansas Legislature enabled counties to adopt 1/10th of one percent sales tax to fund stormwater projects. Johnson County is the only county in the state that has established a stormwater management program under the guidelines and more than $300 million have been disbursed.
(Read more: Gardner News)
El Dorado hears proposal on amending Failure to Appear code
The City Commission heard a proposal for a municipal code amendment regarding “Failure to Appear” and the option of providing community service, in lieu of fines, at the meeting on March 18th. The Commission asked staff to revisit the community service portion. Police Chief Zieman spoke to the Commission on the topic of the community service and informed them that it is required to be offered as an option, per the insurance company. Should someone be charged with “Failure to Appear,” there is the possibility of $500 fine, 6 months imprisonment or both. The City Attorney and Prosecutor are working on a new amendment for community service and it will be brought back to the Commission at a later date. The amendment pertaining to the Municipal Court “Failure to Appear” was approved.
(Read more: andoveramerican.com)
Sedgwick County moves forward with $6.8 million jail expansion
Things have gotten pretty cramped these days in the district attorney’s office.
“I’m completely out of space here,” said District Attorney Marc Bennett. “I could not hire another attorney unless I doubled up and put two attorneys in one office. We literally converted a bathroom into an evidence locker.”
Help’s on the way.
To clear space for prosecutors in the congested courthouse, the Sedgwick County Commission this week approved borrowing $6.82 million to expand and renovate space in the county jail.
The project will allow the sheriff’s office to transfer about 40 of its employees to the jail, which is next door.
And that in turn will free more than 9,300 square feet that can be remodeled for use by the district attorney’s staff.
“The biggest problem that we’ve got is space in this facility and this is going to help open up some of that space,” said Commission Chairman David Dennis. “We appreciate how rapidly this is coming together because I know a lot of people are needing this space.”
(Read more: Politics & Government News |)
‘We’ll be stronger in the end’: How one Kansas town dealt with losing its hospital
Nearly 90 rural hospitals across the country have closed their doors since 2010; another 355 are considered at risk for shuttering, beset by low patient volume, staffing issues or inadequate Medicare reimbursements. Fort Scott joins Independence, Oswego and Horton as Kansas communities where residents feel vulnerable and on-edge.
Places like Fort Scott, a town of 8,000 in Bourbon County, about 90 minutes south of Kansas City, are at the center of the debate in Kansas over the expansion of Medicaid now allowed by federal law. Kansas is one of 14 states that has yet to grow the program, which provides health coverage to low-income individuals and the disabled.
Under federal law, states that broaden Medicaid eligibility to up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line ($34,600 for a family of four) will receive extra money to help cover the costs, estimated for Kansas at somewhere between $34 million and $47 million a year.
(Read more: Government & Politics News |)
Proposed birth center in Winfield moved to location better suited for licensing requirements
A new location has been chosen for a planned birthing center in Winfield due to licensing requirements, the nurse-midwife behind the project said Wednesday.
Tarena Sisk, a nurse-midwife practicing in Winfield, had previously hoped to start a freestanding birth center at the former Iron Gate Inn at 1203 E. Ninth Ave.
However, licensing requirements from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment say all birthing rooms must be on the ground floor, something that would be hard to do in the multi-story home, also called the Baden House after its first owners.
Sisk has made an offer to buy a former group home owned by the Easter Seals-Capper Foundation at 1726 Chicago Ave., contingent on financing. This house is already ADA compliant and would meet licensing requirements, Sisk said.
Sisk and the current owner of the Iron Gate Inn petitioned the Winfield planning commission in February for a zoning change, which was granted Monday. She also has a Kickstarter campaign, trying to raise $25,000 to go toward the birth center. Having more money to put toward closing will make a big difference, Sisk said.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)
Horton Commission moves EMS into Armory
The Horton City Commission met for their final March meeting, and discussed the outcomes of moving the city’s EMS services into the Armory offices.
NEK-CAP would like to renew their lease for another five years, which will be discussed at a later meeting, but the move would remove HHS, Faith & Fun and Keith Olsen from the Armory, with the EMS group taking two offices to manage their activities. Interim City Administrator John Calhoon mentioned that scheduling and security would need to be discussed further with ambulance service now housed there.
(Read more: Hiawatha World Online)
Property owners give more feedback on proposed wind farm in Reno County
The Reno County Planning Commission Thursday heard public input on a proposed wind farm for land in the southeast part of the county.
The Thursday afternoon-into-Thursday-night meeting provided numerous people on both sides of the argument opportunities to make their opinions heard on why a wind farm should or should not come to Reno County.
NextEra Energy Resources is the company making the proposal for an 80-turbine farm east of Pretty Prairie. NextEra says the farm would add jobs and bring millions of dollars into the local community to go toward schools, roads and first responders. It says wind energy is safe and there are no negative health effects.
Aaron Andra who lives in the proposed area for the wind farm says its benefits outweigh potential risks.
“We’ve had a pretty bad farm economy, and having a payment that’s guaranteed every single year helps with financing at the bank and puts food on the table for our families,” he says.
Others who spoke Thursday night oppose the plans, expressing concerns about the turbines’ location to homes, the impact on property values, the noise and potential health issues.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Emporia City Commission lends support for i6 eco devo grant
The Emporia City Commission pledged its support for an economic development grant during an action session Wednesday afternoon.
The i6 Economic Development Grant is a program of the Economic Development Administration that was identified by Commissioner Rob Gilligan as an opportunity to bring more tech-based jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities to Emporia.
The $750,000 grant requires matching funds. The city has tentatively pledged $225,000 over three years toward the grant.
Mayor Jon Geitz said the goal was not to take away from the work that Emporia Main Street or the Regional Development Association already do in attracting businesses to the region, but rather to build on those successes.
“It is part of our economic development program,” he said. “Main Street does a very good job with entrepreneurship. Obviously, we don’t have much of a tech industry; this is an industry where we could maybe partner with ValuNet and utilize the ValuNet network. It’s something that’s thinking outside the box of the city’s economic development efforts.”
(Read more: Emporia Gazette)
On split vote, Ellis will apply for state grant for new swimming pool
A public hearing regarding construction of a new municipal swimming pool was conducted by the Ellis City Council Monday evening prior to the regular council meeting.
The Kansas Dept. of Commerce is offering a special round of grant funding for small city swimming pools.
A new pool for Ellis is projected to costs $1.85 million. The city can apply for a maximum $1 million state grant with a local match of $850,000.
It was a 3-2 vote later in the meeting on a resolution for Ellis to apply for the Community Development Block Grant funds.
(Read more: Hays Post)
Lawrence City Commission to consider study to evaluate trash rates; rates expected to change
Lawrence city commissioners will soon decide whether to hire a consultant to study the city’s solid waste service and the collection rates charged to Lawrence residents.
Currently, residential customers pay $18.80 per month for trash and recycling collection, and commercial customers pay a wide range of fees based on the size of container and number of pickups per month, according to the city’s fee schedule. However, it has been several years since the last cost analysis, and Solid Waste Division Manager Kathy Richardson said the city doesn’t know at this point whether the current rates are covering the city’s costs.
“The current trash rates were developed years ago based on cost of service, and that includes everything from the trucks and personnel to the containers and so forth, including the landfill fee,” Richardson said. “So there are a lot of different components that go into that.”
Read more: LJWorld.com.
KDOT pledges $1 million match for Ellis County Northwest Business Corridor
The Kansas Department of Transportation has pledged to match $1 million in funding for road improvements in Ellis County’s Northwest Business Corridor, contingent on approval of a grant the county has made to the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Logan. Rep. Barb Wasinger (R-Hays), 111th District, brought together a coalition of federal, state, county and city leaders in February to see the road first-hand, tour businesses whose operations are affected by the road, and asked all parties to work together for a solution. “I’d like to thank Congressman Marshall, Commerce Secretary Toland and Deputy Transportation Secretary Douglas, as well as Senator Billinger, Representative Rahjes, and our county and city commissioners for their work on this project,” Wasinger said.
“Commitment of these funds from the state, along with previously approved Ellis County funding, are moving this project forward. We’re hopeful the Dane G. Hansen Foundation will favorably consider the county’s grant application, and help make these improvements a reality.”
(Read more: Hays Post)
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.
(Read more: Political – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
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.
(Read more: KC Breaking News, Sports & Crime |)
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.
(Read more: KC Breaking News, Sports & Crime |)
‘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.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
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.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
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.
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(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.”
(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)
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.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)