Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Topeka may spend $2.35M more for Kansas River project where boaters drowned

Topeka’s city government suffered a setback last year when costs turned out to be far more than expected for a project to improve the safety of its Kansas River weir, where three people have drowned since 2007.

But the city council could put the project back on track if it approves $2.35 million as part of city manager Brent Trout’s proposed 2020-2029 Capital Improvement Plan.

“The CIP funds would allow the project to move forward,” said city utilities engineer Paul Bodner.

The project to improve safety at the weir is being considered at a time when local officials had been talking about turning the riverfront into a source of community pride.

The weir is north of the city’s water treatment plant at 3245 N.W. Waterworks Drive. Water flowing over the spillway at its south end creates an undertow, which can capsize kayaks and canoes.

Downtown Sculpture Walk seeking supporters

While marking its seventh year, downtown Hutchinson’s annual Sculpture Walk is also entering a new phase that will require direct public sponsorship if the program is to continue, according to a member of the group now managing the effort.

The program started in 2012 as an art loan program to add art downtown, which was undergoing streetscape and lighting improvements.

After viewing programs in other cities, the late Ron Kelley brought several Main Street merchants together to see if Hutchinson could support a similar program, and Sculpture Walk was born.

The program involves inviting artists from local and national locations to create sculptures which go on display across downtown for a year. At the end of the year, private buyers can buy the art.

When it first started, dollars from city streetscape projects and site donations from mostly Main Street merchants and service providers funded it. After Kelley died, Meryl Dye, then assistant city manager, played a major role in the continuation and success of the program.

With her retirement from the city, however, a sub-committee of the Hutchinson’s Public Art Design Council is now exploring ways to sustain the program, said Lovella Kelley, a member of that council.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Olathe’s Honeywell plant gains jobs from closures in Wichita, Washington state

The Honeywell Aerospace facility in Olathe is expected to gain what could be several hundred new employees over the next year to 18 months, the result of closures in Wichita and Washington state.

A Honeywell spokesman confirmed Friday that the company is centralizing its repair and overhaul operations and will move jobs from Wichita and Renton, Washington to Olathe. The Johnson County plant is just south of the intersection of Kansas Highways 7 and 10.

“We own the facility. It’s centrally located. It’s got the ability to handle the additional work,” Honeywell spokesman Scott Sayres told The Star.

Sayres declined to say how many jobs are involved, but Olathe Chamber of Commerce CEO Tim McKee said Friday it was his understanding that it’s “hundreds of jobs.”

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Baldwin City receives KDOT grant for sidewalk to west school campus

Thanks to a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation, Baldwin City school children will have a new safe route to the community’s west school campus.

Baldwin City Administrator Glenn Rodden said the city learned Jan. 30 that it will receive a $580,000 KDOT transportation alternative grant, which will provide 80 percent of the cost to install a six-foot wide sidewalk on the south side of Elm Street from Eighth Street to the existing walkway at the Midland Railway tracks.

Betting on downtown Hutchinson: Private investment in the last five years is on the rise

In 2018, construction for new homes in Hutchinson hit a half-century low, but private investment has taken a chance on downtown. That’s sparked a resurgence of business and development.

It could be just the right time.

More than $21 million in private investment has poured into the downtown over the last five years, 2013-2018, according to city data. During that time, private investment totaled $7.65 million.

The largest downtown project during that time was the 2013 Wiley Plaza, 100 N. Main. The $9.15 million project was an outlier in downtown investment, but the figures show an upward trend for downtown ever since.

“Since that point on we have been blessed with some pretty good-sized projects,” said interim Planning Director Jim Seitnater.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Johnson County expands public transit

Johnson County government is partnering with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) to launch a first in the nation Uber-like public transportation plan. The plan is aimed at increasing the use of public transit in the county.
Under the plan, whose pilot phase was launched Feb. 1, KCATA will provide up to three 12 passenger vans which can be summoned by commuters using a phone App.
The county has set aside $250,000 for the pilot program.
Jody Hanson, county director of information, said that the plan will initially cover the densely populated areas of Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee and Mission.

(Read more: Gardner News)

Reno County Commission to discuss Reno County Food Policy Council

The Reno County Commission appears to have a mostly routine agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.

The highlight would have to be one study item where the commission will consider backing the food policy council in Reno County.

Previously, the city of South Hutchinson passed a resolution establishing the Reno County Food Policy Council, but has since dissolved its involvement. Now, the Reno County Commission will consider backing it.

The council addresses food disparities and food access issues in the county. Officials say the council is still active, but is not formally recognized by a governing body at this time.

They say food security is a necessity of life, recognized as a condition in which all county residents must be able to obtain a safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally-adequate diet through a sustainable food system.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Lyon County hears favorable report from health center

Things are looking up for the Flint Hills Community Health Center, according to a report given to the Lyon County Commission Thursday morning.

FHCHC CEO Renee Hively said the quarterly report — which focused on services and programs rendered between Oct. 1 — Dec. 31, 2018 — was overwhelmingly positive. She said she expected more upswings throughout the year.

“I’m very optimistic on what 2019 is going to bring to Flint Hills Community Health Center as a whole,” she said. “Overall, Flint Hills Community Health Center has done really well. We’re in that restructuring phase of our turnaround plan, which started back in July 2017. That is going really well.”

(Read more: Emporia Gazette)

Garden City reviews student input, hears from public on Big Pool

The City of Garden City’s Thursday night public information session about the Big Pool moved slowly, or at least at first.

The dozen residents present had countless questions, and the presentation’s opening was “very rough and very long,” said Assistant City Manager Jennifer Cunningham, who for weeks has spearheaded the city’s comprehensive community input process about the future of the Garden City landmark. But two hours later, after answered questions, righted misconceptions and candid conversation, the mood changed.

People were more open to compromise, to options and to what may come next.

“I really haven’t had anybody that has said ‘We can’t take out the Big Pool.’ When they listen and they really consider the options, and they really consider where we are, I haven’t really been met with anybody that said ‘No, let’s not do it,’” Cunningham said.

Faced with a nearly 100-year-old facility that loses more than 200,000 gallons of water a day when filled, attracts an average of 330 daily attendees and costs the city nearly $700,000 more than it brings in, the Garden City Commission approved a plan to ask residents via school visits, public sessions, surveys and more, what they want to do with the Big Pool or other public water recreation projects.

Trego Co. fire station burns down Friday

The Trego County Rural Fire Department lost a station in WaKeeny to fire on Friday.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but the State Fire Marshall is investigating the blaze that also destroyed the gear of firefighters in Station No. 1 located on the west edge of WaKeeney, according to a press release from Trego County Emergency Management.

The fire was reported just after 2 p.m. Friday with a report flames were coming from the building. WaKeeney City Fire Department responded along with rural fire crews.

The rural department’s four vehicles were able to be moved the building. Crews were on the scene until 6 p.m.

The building is a total loss.

The rural fire company will still be able to respond to fires and wrecks, however, as Western Cooperative Electric offered the use of a building, according to the release.

(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

WATCH: Singing Kansas law enforcement officers take stage with Kelly Clarkson, sing ‘Stand By Me’

Two Kansas law enforcement officers hit the stage Thursday night to show off their pipes as part of musician Kelly Clarkson’s concert at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Kansas Capitol Police Officers LaMont Jackson and Michael Pagel, who have become known on social media for their version of carpool karaoke, were invited by Clarkson and sang “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King.

Clarkson chimed in as a backup singer for the song. The concert was part of her “A Minute and a Glass of Wine” tour.

Pagel posted a message about the performance on Twitter.

“It’s not a secret anymore,” Pagel wrote through the Kansas Capitol Police Twitter account. “Words can’t even explain how much fun Officer Jackson and I had last night at the @SprintCenter. #WOW. A big SHOUTOUT & THANK YOU to @kelly_clarkson for inviting us.”

KDOT awards $8.5 million in Transportation Alternatives projects

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has selected 23 projects for inclusion in its Transportation Alternatives (TA) Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2020.

Eligible projects under this federal program include facilities for pedestrians and bicycles; scenic or historical highway programs; landscaping and scenic beautification; historic preservation of transportation facilities; conversion of abandoned railway corridors to trails; control or removal of outdoor advertising; archaeological planning and research related to transportation; and the Safe Routes to School program.

KDOT received 46 applications from eligible project sponsors requesting nearly $36.9 million in federal funds. Cities and counties across the state submitted applications for the TA program, which were received during an open application period from June 14, 2018, to Sept. 10, 2018. “We were happy to see so many quality applications from across the state this year. This proves how popular the TA program is and how important these types of projects are to Kansas communities,” said Matt Messina, Coordinator of the Transportation Alternatives Program for KDOT. “The main goals of the TA program are to help provide communities with more transportation options and to preserve or improve what they already have, and that’s what these projects will do.”

(Read more: Western Kansas News)

Administrator’s contract is for one year; judge found multi-year contracts improperly binds future boards

A new contract for the Leavenworth County administrator is for a term of one year. But it will automatically renew each year unless county commissioners give a sixth-month advance notice.

…
In 2017, county commissioners filed a lawsuit to challenge the validity of several multi-year contracts that had been approved by a former commission. Under these contracts, the employees would have continued receiving their salaries after being terminated.

Last year, the County Commission reached settlements in the lawsuit with two former county employees.

In December, a judge ruled that the contract of a third former county employee was invalid.

Kansas Senior Judge Edward Bouker found that the contract of former Human Resources Director Tamara Copeland “was an attempt to improperly bind future boards in matters involving their own administration and responsibilities, thus violating public policy.”

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Ice storm wreaks havoc on Miami County

After a sleet and ice storm laid a white carpet across the region Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 6-7, J.R. McMahon said this winter has been unlike any other in his 35 years working for Miami County.

“In Miami County, this has never happened before as long as I’ve been around — we’ve been in a blizzard warning, we’ve been in a winter storm warning and now we’ve been in an ice storm warning,” said McMahon, director of the Road and Bridge Department. “That usually doesn’t happen in the same year, and this thing started in November. We had snow storms in early November.” McMahon said the department used six main trucks, three single-axle trucks and two four-by-four vehicles to carry out its work on county roads, laying down a mixture of sand and salt. “Usually it’s a combination of five parts sand to one part salt,” he said. “With sleet and ice, typically you can go to a seven-to-one ratio.”

In this area, most people don’t realize the mixture relies on traffic to be most effective, McMahon said.

“The salt will lay on there, and it takes that traffic to put it into what’s called brine,” McMahon said. “That’s why you see the main routes are the first cleared.”

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Park City to unveil new city flag

The City of Park City announced this week it will unveil a new city flag later this month.

Leaders said the flag will be a symbol of community pride, celebrating all Park City has accomplished and what it will become.

“Park City is a city of resilience,” said Mayor Ray Mann. “Over the past several decades, we’ve celebrated successes and worked together through challenges and adversity. Our hope is that the flag will continually remind us of our collective strength and encourage us toward greater unity.”

The flag design was the result of a collaboration between the city and Gardner Design, a branding and design firm. To gather inspiration for the design, the Gardner team conducted a series of community meetings to gain a true understanding of what makes Park City great.

Valley Center blocks wind turbines

The trucks will stop — for now.

The Valley Center City Council on Feb. 5 directed city staff to deny haulers permission to bring heavy wind turbine sections through the city for at least two weeks. Council members wanted to learn more about the effects the loads are having on city streets and the potential safety issues they create around the railroad tracks near Meridian and Ford (77th North).

“Our infrastructure is not set up for this type of load,” said Josh Golka with the city’s engineering firm, PEC.

Florence closer to signing water lease agreement

Florence city council members moved another step closer to resolution on the Crystal Springs lease agreement Monday.
Mayor Bob Gayle said the document is being reviewed for final details.
…
The council did not discuss the reason to pursue eminent domain several months ago. Local business owner Sarah Dawson asked whether it would be addressed at the special meeting.The special meeting will be exclusively for signing the lease agreement, but the council will set a future meeting to answer residents’, Gayle said.

(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Mayor launches program to offer free WiFi to Wichitans

Wichita is trying to narrow the digital divide between rich and poor neighborhoods by offering free Wi-Fi hotspots for check-out in two low-income neighborhoods.

More than 16 percent of Wichitans were below the Census Bureau’s poverty line in 2017, which for a family of four was $25,094. And more than one out of four homes are without internet, according to a study cited by Mayor Jeff Longwell at a news conference Thursday.

A hotspot is a pocket-sized mobile device that provides wireless internet access to Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as a laptop computer or a smartphone. They are typically password protected.

Anyone who is 18 or older and living in Wichita will be able to check out a hotspot with free unlimited internet use for two weeks at a time.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

City’s pilot project to put internet access in more homes

Wichita residents will be able to borrow internet hotspots for two weeks under a city pilot program partnering with T-Mobile.

Hotspots are available at the Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center, 2755 E. 19th Street, and Colvin Neighborhood Resource Center, 2820 S. Roosevelt. Borrowers must be 18, have identification and proof of address.

The T-Mobile devices are designed for better coverage within buildings and in rural areas, the city said in announcing the program.

About 26 percent of Wichita homes do not have internet access. The city said a study prior to the program’s introduction showed Atwater and Colvin were best-suited to house the projects since homes in their neighborhoods are often blocked by cost in adding internet access.

The hotspots will have filtering in line with the Child Internet Privacy Act, and be protected from fraud, phishing, malicious sites and spyware.

The pilot program, which is underwritten by T-Mobile, lasts eight weeks. After that, the city will use data from the program to decide if it will continue and attempt to find a funding mechanism.

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

Manhattan Public Works says infrastructure holding up well against Mother Nature

Despite frigid conditions this winter, the city of Manhattan has gotten by with minimal impacts to the city’s water system.

Water main breaks can be more common in the winter months in extreme cold, given the age of the infrastructure. Manhattan Assistant Public Works Director Randy DeWitt says fluctuating weather conditions can impact underground utilities. Other cities across the region, such as Topeka and Emporia have already battled multiple water main breaks this season. Thawing after a winter storm can also wreak havoc on city streets in the form of potholes like the one in the above photo from late November. Potholes can be reported to city officials via the Report It! smart phone app available for Android and iPhone.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Topeka City Council to hold special meeting to discuss capital improvements

Millions of dollars worth of City Hall improvements are among items to be discussed when the Topeka City Council holds a special meeting from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday regarding city manager Brent Trout’s proposed 2020-2029 Capital Improvement Plan.

No action is to be taken at the meeting, which is open to the public and will be held in the first-floor conference room at the city’s Holliday Building, 620 S.E. Madison. It will be broadcast live on the city’s Facebook page and on City4, its cable TV channel. Expenses in Trout’s proposed CIP total nearly $408.94 million over the first five years. No estimates are available for the following five. The governing body heard a presentation about the proposed CIP on Tuesday from Nick Hawkins, the city’s interim financial and administrative services director. The city this week posted the proposed CIP on its website.

Kansas law enforcement officers make case for ‘Brandon’s Law’

Master Deputy Brandon Collins was conducting a traffic stop Sept. 11, 2016, when a truck slammed into his Johnson County Sheriff’s Department patrol car and engulfed it in flames.

The tragic death of Collins was drawn into the conversation Wednesday at the Capitol during a House committee’s hearing on a bill elevating prison sentences for people convicted of causing injury to employees of a law enforcement, fire protection, public works or emergency management agency.

“I am as disgusted today as the day Brandon’s killer received such a light sentence,” said Sgt. Christopher Mills, of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department. “I could write many pages of my thoughts on this issue, but I think I can simply say, I feel it is time the state of Kansas better protects those who protect us.”

Under Senate Bill 45, the penalty for involuntary manslaughter and aggravated battery of a public safety sector employee would be a higher severity felony.

Butler County lawmaker: “Butler County taxpayers are subsidizing the education of Sedgwick County students”

State Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta, is not happy with the mill levy imposed on Butler County property owners to support a community college that largely serves students who live outside the county.

This week, she introduced House Bill 2144 that would require greater public access to community college spending.

“Accountability and transparency remain cornerstone issues for me this legislative session,” Williams wrote in her “Capitol Highlights” on Tuesday, the day she introduced the “Community College Taxpayer Transparency” bill.

Leaders at Hutchinson Community College and other two-year institutions around Kansas say while they support transparency in spending, this bill goes too far. Butler Community College’s current 20.068 mill levy ranks lower than most levies supporting a community college.

In Seward County, the levy for Seward County Community College is 39.973 mills. Seward County Community College Trustee John Engel said he’s been on the college board six years and only one person over the years has come to the budget hearing. It was the college’s former financing officer who gave “support for what we were doing,” Engel said.

National Helium Corporation appealed its property valuation in Seward County and a settlement adversely affected taxing entities. “That cut 9 percent of our budget,” Engel said.

“We’re in southwest Kansas where there’s not a lot of industry to help support the mill levy countywide,” Engel said Thursday. “I wish we could lower it, but it is what it is.”

Thomas County property owners see a 45.123 mill levy for Colby Community College on their tax bills.

“I’ve been here for four years, and we have had zero protests,” said Colby Community College President Seth Carter. That’s not to say some residents aren’t concerned about taxes, he said. “We’ve absolutely had those conversations,” he said. Carter noted that the current rate is down. It was closer to 47 mills in fiscal year 2017.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Hiawatha Commission debates over hospital committee

Needing to make a formal appointment to the joint city-county committee working on funding the Hiawatha Hospital, much of Monday’s Hiawatha City Commission meeting was spent discussing the correct way for the commission to handle the meetings. Mayor Collins, who was eventually officially appointed to the committee, was adamant that the committee move quickly but carefully to find a suitable solution. Commissioner Becky Shamburg expressed her interest and desire to observe the meetings and said she believed it would be wise for all commissioners to attend to stay abreast of the situation. Appointing another commissioner was discussed, but it was decided that waiting until all commissioners were present would be more appropriate. Later in the meeting, Administrator Nichols addressed the first joint-commission meeting on hospital funding, and said that it was productive, but some questions remain about exactly how much is needed. Nichols said the group seemed to be leaning toward a sales tax-based solution, but as the county is involved, the recent events at Horton Community Hospital would need to be considered as they move forward.

(Read more: Hiawatha World Online)

Shawnee city leaders consider changes to unique loan program, will focus on reinvestment in downtown Shawnee

Shawnee is considering a series of changes to the unique Shawnee Entrepreneurial and Economic Development program that allows it to provide business loans to promote employment in the city.

The discretionary fund, which has been in place since 2012, is a city-led effort with the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce that focuses on job creation and retention in the city.

“It has also been useful in attracting new employers that have led to millions of dollars of investment and the creation of hundreds of jobs in the community,” city manager Nolan Sunderman wrote in a memo to the council. Shawnee Chamber of Commerce executive director Ann Smith-Tate reviewed a list of proposed revisions to the program at the council’s committee meeting Feb. 5. The recommended changes include supporting reinvestment in downtown Shawnee and the Nieman Road corridor, especially for restaurants and retail.

Another change would require the city council to approve more than $50,000 in assistance given to any participating business. SEED loans must also be capped at $250,000 based on the number of jobs and average annual salary up to a three-year period.

Baxter Springs city operations temporarily relocating because of mold

Baxter Springs City Hall is temporarily closing and its operations moving next week after mold was discovered in the building’s walls and ceilings.

“We had it recently tested, and the results weren’t very good,” Mayor Randall Trease said. “The recommendation was to evacuate the building and go from there.”

The City Hall operation, currently at 1145 Military Ave., will be closed on Monday and will transfer to the former Empire District Electric Co. building at 1011 Military Ave. City Hall services will be closed down next week. Officials said if they’re not moved in by Friday, Feb. 15, then late fees on water bills will be postponed.

“The mold is mainly in the council chambers and the bathroom area,” said Dawn Reeser, utility clerk. “We’re hoping we can get everything moved over and running by the 15th. We have to get our servers moved over and all of our documents.”

Trease said they’ve experienced issues with mold before in the building, which he believes was constructed in the 1970s.

(Read more: www.joplinglobe.com)

Sedgwick County Commission moves to hire familiar face as new manager without a search

Negotiations for the highest unelected position in Sedgwick County government will happen without a job search.

Commissioners say a search for a new county manager would be a waste of time and taxpayer money because they already have the best man for the job: Interim County Manager Tom Stolz.

Some commissioners suggested Stolz should have been chosen as county manager in 2015 over Michael Scholes, who was paid $205,427 to leave in December. Stolz is now in negotiations with the county to drop “interim” from his job title. A vote to approve the contract could come as soon as next week.

Stolz has been in public life for 37 years. He spent 31 of those years with the Wichita Police Department, rising to deputy chief. He has spent the past six years with the county, first as the director of the Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department and then as assistant county manager of Public Safety, Code Enforcement and Emergency Management before moving into the interim deputy county manager position in 2017.

“If you would have asked me three or four months ago if I wanted this job, I would have said, ‘No way,’” Stolz said. “But this county has a tremendous core of hardworking, loyal employees who I appreciate a great deal. I want to be a part of the solution to the recent damage to the county’s reputation.”

(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Moundridge USD 423 proposes smaller bond issue; uses area contractors

Ballots should appear in the mailboxes of Moundridge USD 423 voters this week.

Ballots must be back in the McPherson County Clerk’s office by noon Feb. 26, according to the McPherson County Clerk staff. Postage for the return mailing is included, so voters will not have to supply a stamp, staff said.

Moundridge USD voters rejected a $23.8 million bond issue in 2016 and a second one, smaller but also over $20 million, in 2017.

The new proposal costs less, uses area contractors, and addresses Greer gym – three issues USD 423 patrons said they wanted, according to school district officials.

School board member Dwight Goering said he’s “optimistic, but it still has to pass.”

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Water flow study approved for Ellis sewer system

The sewer system in Ellis has problems with inflow and infiltration and the city council has agreed to pay for a month-long flow monitor study to determine what’s wrong.

Alan Scheuerman, public works director, told council members Monday twice as much water is entering the sewer system than is produced, causing it to work over capacity and resulting in excess chemical cost.

Wilson & Company will conduct the flow study at a cost of $22,646 to determine the location of the infiltration.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Former city clerk pleads guilty to theft

Rick Voisin, the former Towanda Municipal Court and utility clerk accused of stealing more than $186,000 from the city, pleaded guilty to two charges Friday morning in Butler County District Court.
In August of 2016 after a customer received an overdue notice on a utility bill that had been paid and providing a cancelled check, Towanda City Administrator Matt Engels and then-treasurer Andy Newbry, contacted the sheriff’s office after finding several manual adjustments to utility accounts.
Through investigation, the Sheriff’s department discovered several checks manually endorsed and not run through the point of sales system and other discrepancies with the accounts. On Friday, Voisin pleaded guilty to misuse of public funds and making a false information. In exchange for his plea, the prosecution dropped charges of theft by deception and unlawful computer acts.

(Read more: andoveramerican.com)

Dodge City approves panhandling ordinance

Dodge City commissioners have approved an ordinance establishing a Chapter XI, Article 7 of the Code of the City of Dodge City for prohibiting pedestrians from entering or staying upon a designated roadway to facilitate a transfer of anything from pedestrian to vehicle occupant would be prohibited.

What is being referred to as the “Panhandling Ordinance,” it states that pedestrians stepping out into the roadway or for those that remain along side a designated roadway, to complete a transaction, would be prohibited.

Therefore, anyone that goes into the roadway or along side the roadway and approaches a vehicle stopped on the roadway would be prohibited.

“The emphasis for this is traffic and pedestrian safety,” attorney for the city Brad Ralph said. “We want to make sure everyone stays safe which includes people getting and people giving transactions.”

The designated roadways would be any road listed within the ordinance would not be allowed for panhandling.

The roads that are being designated are Wyatt Earp Boulevard, 14th Avenue, Trail Street, Central Avenue from Comanche Boulevard north to Highway 50, Highway 50, 2nd Avenue south from Wyatt Earp Boulevard to the south city limits.

Paola crime rate drops 20 percent

The Paola Police Department has released its year-end statistics for 2018, and the total reported criminal offenses dropped from 692 in 2017 to 549 in 2018, a reduction of 20 percent.

Capt. Eric Jenkins said the department leaders were particularly pleased to see a reduction in preventable offenses, such as burglaries (down 21 percent), theft (down 33 percent) and automobile theft (down 30 percent).

“As in the past, we attribute these reductions to the citizens of Paola taking crime prevention more seriously,” Jenkins said in a news release. “Crimes such as these are typically a crime of opportunity. While we all love the small town feel of Paola, it is important to take simple quick steps to prevent crime, such as locking residences/garages and vehicles.”

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Ellis County fire chief presents 2018 report to Ellis County Commission

The Ellis County Fire Department responded to 320 calls for service in 2018, a slight decrease from the year before but they still spent more than 6,600 hours on emergency incidents in and around the county.

Director of Fire and Emergency Management Darin Myers presented the commission with the departments 2018 annual report Monday. The response times within the county continue to improve, according to Myers. He said in 2018 the average on-scene time within Ellis County was 9 minutes, 34 seconds. Recently, the number of volunteer emergency personnel has been trending downward, according to Myers.

“Luckily, over the last four years, we’ve steadily increased,” he said. “I wouldn’t say we ever have enough, just because of the time of day the incident happens. Usually between 8 a.m. and 5p.m. is when the firefighters are working their primary jobs.”

There are currently 83 paid-per-call firefighters in six companies after two recent retirements.

(Read more: Hays Post)

City holds meeting on downtown transportation

At a standing room only meeting about downtown transportation, a lot of people had opinions.

The City of Wichita is working on a downtown development plan for transportation issues. The first listening session happened Tuesday night at Distillery 244.

Right now, city buses only run at certain times and the Q-Line only runs along Douglas in Downtown. The city is meeting with downtown residents to see if that should change.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

Taggart Wall to manage city he once helped govern

Taggart Wall, city manager of Sterling and a former Winfield city commissioner, said he looks forward to coming back home after being hired as the new Winfield city manager.

The decision to hire Wall, a Winfield native, by the city commission on Monday was unanimous, according to a press release issued by the city immediately after the announcement.

Wall’s expected start date is May 13. He replaces former city manager Jeremy Willmoth, who left the city in October 2018.
Wall earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy/religious studies in 2011 from Southwestern College and a Master of Public Administration from Wichita State University in 2013. He also has degree certifications from Wichita State University in city/county management and public finance. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have two children. Wall served on the Winfield City Commission from 2009 to 2013. He was 20 years old when elected, making him the city’s youngest commissioner in history.

In 2011, at age 22, he was sworn in for a one-year term as Winfield mayor, becoming the city’s youngest mayor. He was a management assistant in Arkansas City from 2012 to 2014, a position he resigned from to become Sterling city manager.

Garden City commission OKs charter ordinance updating bond issuance authority

The Garden City Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a charter ordinance that would give the city significantly more freedom in addressing general improvements and issuing general obligation bonds for certain projects.

The new charter ordinance would repeal a 1975 charter ordinance that until this week dictated that the city may borrow money and issue bonds for government projects without local voter approval at the ballot box, as long as the amount of issued bonds does not exceed $350,000 a year. Under the new ordinance, city projects are instead broken into two categories — utilities and transportation repairs and projects, and general governing projects regarding public bridges, parks, land and other facilities — with different bond limits.

The city commission will now have no limit when issuing bonds related to utilities and transportation, and up to $2.5 million without voter approval when issuing bonds for general governing projects.

Does Olathe’s Mentum have momentum over OP for ice rink, mixed-use development?

The Olathe City Council has unanimously approved rezoning the former Great Mall of the Great Plains site, giving a boost to a developer’s vision to transform the property.

The Council on Tuesday endorsed the rezoning and preliminary plan for Mentum, a $318 million mixed-use development on the old mall site at Interstate 35 and 151st Street. The concept calls for a 3,700-seat hockey arena, interactive golf facility, fitness center, other retail and entertainment uses, plus about 500 apartment units.

“This has the potential to be something truly special,” Mayor Michael Copeland said. But hurdles still remain before the project can become a reality, including a decision by the Kansas Commerce Secretary on whether to authorize up to $69.5 million in state tourism tax incentives to make the financing work.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Derby public schools to use new safety tool

An anonymous tip line will give Derby Public Schools a new tool to try to keep students safe.

The school board approved implementing the “See Something, Say Something” program on a 6 to 0 vote at its Jan. 28 board meeting, entering into an agreement with the Wichita Metro Crime Commission, the Derby Police Department, the Wichita Police Department, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department and the cities of Derby and Wichita.

The program will allow people who are concerned about a threat to schools to call or text anonymously. Rewards will not be offered for tips. Tips can be submitted through the “P3 Tips” mobile app on smart phones. The Wichita Police Department will receive tips and forward them to the appropriate authorities and school personnel. The board approved the memorandum of understanding on the same day the school district received an anonymous tip through the Kansas School Safety Hotline about a potential school shooting at Derby High School. School administrators worked with the Derby Police Department to investigate the tip, determined to be unsubstantiated.

Celebrate 150 years of Derby

A lot has changed in 150 years, especially in the city of Derby. In 1869, the Alexander Garrett family staked a claim near Spring Creek close to what’s now Garrett Park, sparking the community that soon became El Paso and then in the 1950s boomed into Derby.

Let’s get this in perspective. In 1869, Ulysses Grant was sworn in as our 18th president. The outlaw Jesse James robbed the bank that made him famous, and the first transcontinental railroad was completed. The terrain here was mostly prairie grass, and Kansas had just become a state in 1861. Look around Derby today and try to picture it with dirt roads and only a few blocks of “town” buildings in the vicinity south of Madison Avenue around the railroad track and what’s now K-15 highway. The rest of what’s Derby today was all farmland.

Wellington City Council members express concern with school’s redesign curriculum

There was a lot to talk about at the Wellington City Council Tuesday meeting – including talking about Wellington School Board.

Wellington Mayor Shelley Hansel said she was concerned with rumors around town that people are going to move away because of the new Summit Redesign curriculum being implemented at the school district.

“I heard a disturbing thing that there are several families who are considering of moving from Wellington because they don’t like the way our school district is going,” Hansel said in the audience participation portion of the meeting. “I am just wondering as a district partner, should we call for a meeting to have a joint work session?… When I hear that people are considering moving away from Wellington, I feel it becomes a community issue.”

(Read more: Sumner NewsCow)

Sheriff’s Office considers contracts with cities

The City of Barnes is considering a contract with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to provide city ordinance enforcement, sheriff Justin Cordry told the Board of County Commissioners on Monday. He will meet with the Barnes City Council in the near future to discuss a contract where Barnes would pay $50 to the sheriff’s office every time ordinance enforcement is requested, he said. He told the commissioners that this is the first per-incident basis contract his department will have done with cities.

Source: Washington County News.

Harvey County says no fee for day use at parks

The Board of Harvey County Commissioners made just one change to the fee structure for its three parks by eliminating the $125 seasonal camping fee.

Parks Director Kass Miller said the action would prevent people from taking advantage of a season pass by living in a tent during the camping season. He also said it eliminated the issue but penalized those “who are in a situation in life where that might be the option for them.”

Miller said allowing homeless people to live at a park created concerns among staff about the safety of staying in a tent when the temperature surpasses 100 degrees.

“It’s a concern that we’ve had medical emergencies due to heat,” he said. “We have other resources available to them [homeless people] in the county.”

Commissioners have debated at length whether park visitors should be charged an entrance fee for picnicking, swimming or other day uses. Those who ride horses are charged a $5 daily fee or $40 for a seasonal pass, and those who operate motorized watercraft are charged a $10 daily fee or $70 for a seasonal pass. They decided against an option that would have charged visitors $2 per carload.

“I’m for no fee,” said Commissioner Randy Hague. “I don’t think you should have to pay to have a picnic.”

(Read more: Newton Now)

City of Topeka hires Kansas native as new finance director

Kansas native Jessica Lamendola was recently hired as the city of Topeka’s new administrative and financial services director. She starts work March 4.

Lamendola comes to Topeka from the city of North Hempstead, N.Y., where she has been finance director and acting comptroller since July 2016, the city of Topeka said in a news release Tuesday. North Hempstead’s population in the 2010 census was 226,332, compared to 127,473 for Topeka.

“Lamendola’s education, background and experiences will be very beneficial to the city of Topeka as we start work on the 2020 budget and CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) process,” city manager Brent Trout said in Tuesday’s release. Before taking her job at North Hempstead, Lamendola worked for the Nassau County, N.Y., Office of Management and Budget and spent more than three years with Moody’s Investor Services as a senior credit and financial analyst responsible for a large portfolio of municipal issuers, Tuesday’s news release said.

Reno County approves trash compactor rebuild

A contract to rebuild a three-year-old trash compactor at the landfill was approved Tuesday by the Reno County Commission.

The contract with Foley Equipment in Wichita for $347,841 will make the equipment like new for about a third- to half the cost of buying new, said Justin Bland, director of Field Operations at the landfill.

“They’ll tear it down to the frame and reconstruct the engine, powertrain, the wiring, the harness. It will get new paint, new seats, new floor liners, and headliners.”

The county started a program rebuilding landfill equipment in 2004, and this will be the fifth piece of machinery through the process.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Hutch City Council agrees to lease new fire truck

The Hutchinson City Council approved the lease of a new fire truck during Tuesday’s agenda session. The department will once again use a lease similar to the one that allowed the fire department to acquire a new ladder truck last year.

The nine-year lease will allow the department to continue the new practice of setting a timeline for equipment replacement to better stabilize the budget. Councilwoman Jade Piros de Carvalho expressed concern about using an outsourced leasing agent to acquire the truck versus using a local institution to fund its outright purchase.

(Read more: Hutch Post)