Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Crawford County hotels fill 100,000 rooms 

History has been made for Crawford County in 2018, surpassing 100,000 rooms in local hotels in the course of one year.
According to the Crawford County Convention & Visitors Bureau this is  the first time to ever reach that mark. The total demand for the year was 106,079 room nights.
Several factors over the years have led to the growth needed to surpass the milestone, Crawford County CVB Executive Director Devin Gorman  said.
“Ten years ago, the county hadn’t even hit the 60,000 mark,” he said. “Since then, everyone has played a part. New hotels and new event centers have opened.“
Older hotels have been renovated and so have sporting facilities. Access has improved at the Mined Land Wildlife Areas and community festivals have continued to grow.
“Throughout the area, we have more events than ever taking place for both residents and visitors,” Gorman said.
The La Quinta Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites allowed for more rooms for larger-scale events, Gorman said.
Gorman also noted two large projects that have had a “tremendous impact”on tourism over the past few years: The Robert W. Plaster Center and Kansas Crossing Casino and the Hampton Inn & Suite.

(Read more: Community – Morning Sun)

After protest, Newton passes resolution of support for housing project

The Newton City Commission was asked to consider a resolution of support for a senior housing project — a project that the commission sent back to the planning and zoning group for further consideration when asked to rezone the property from single-family residential to multi-family residential earlier this month.

“Providing the resolution of support does not preclude the city commission from denying (that) rezoning application if they determine based upon the evidence and the recommendation of the planning commission that such a rezoning does not, in fact, sufficiently satisfy the criteria in which a determination can be made,” said Kelly McElroy, assistant city manager. “Denial of the rezoning application would mean a substitute site would need to be identified.”

The commission voted 5-0 for a resolution of support for a senior housing project. The resolution is needed by developers to apply for a tax credit/grant to assist with construction of the project.

“This is more of an agreement that we believe we need a project like this, and it does not have to happen there,” said Mayor Kathy Valentine.

(Read more: Newton Kansan)

Paola City Council modifies driveway regulations

Residential driveways in Paola can now be a little bit wider thanks to action taken last week by the Paola City Council.

Council members addressed the ongoing issue during their Jan. 14 meeting, but the topic was first reviewed by city officials last summer when developer Craig Browning asked for a revision of the city’s land development ordinance to allow for wider residential access drives depending on garage size. City Manager Jay Wieland also previously has talked about homeowners who have directly asked the city for changes. He mentioned a previous request from a homeowner with a three-car garage who wanted a wider access drive to avoid issues with a vehicle on the paved wing having trouble backing out, especially if another car is parked on the driveway.

In another case, a homeowner wanted to build a driveway big enough to park six to eight vehicles for visiting family members and friends.

In October 2018, the Paola Planning Commission recommended approval of a text amendment that would have changed the criteria from a 10 feet minimum and 20 feet maximum at the right-of-way line to a minimum of 10 feet and a maximum of 32 feet or 35 percent of lot frontage, whichever is less at the right-of-way line.

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Eisenhower Airport focused on bringing more flights to Wichita

Making your way around the country from the “Air Capital” could become a lot easier.

I Fly Wichita is looking to bring more direct flights to Eisenhower Airport. It’s an effort to bring more people to the airport instead of driving elsewhere to fly to their destinations.

The airport says there is a demand for more non-stop flights while keeping prices affordable. The airport says it’s looking to expand flights to the east and west coast where flights to and from Eisenhower are most under-served.

(Read more: KWCH News)

City of Newton approves permit for Safehope

Plans for Safehope, a support network and emergency shelter for domestic violence victims located in Newton, to expand are able to move forward after a decision by the Newton City Commission Jan. 22.

The city commission voted to approve a resolution to allow a special use permit for Safehope Shelter. The expanded shelter will provide a total of 30 beds and accommodate larger families while a new outreach and advocacy center will mean an additional 2,400 square feet for staff and services.

“We knew that the shelter that we have right now, we were going to have to make some decisions on that. It’s a nice, small, clean house, but it’s not large enough and it’s not fitting the needs that we have right now,” said Safehope Executive Director Jan Jones. “Right now, our current shelter provides for 10 people. That’s it. When you divide that, we only have four bedrooms. It’ll go from a 10-pillow shelter to a 30-pillow shelter when we move into the new building here.”

When the facility runs out of room, those in need of a place to sleep are using air mattresses and finding an open spot on the floor.Safehope works with an average of 120 families at a time and as part of its police response advocacy — providing resources to victims of domestic violence or sexual assault — it responds to about seven calls per week.

(Read more: Newton Kansan)

Riley County law board approves position to help sexual assault victims

The Riley County Law Board moved forward on accepting a grant funded position to create a Victim Assistance Coordinator who will work directly with sexual assault and intimate partner violence victims in Riley County. Police Capt. Tim Hegarty says the position will be renewed on an annual basis, thanks to a new state grant. The agreement includes a required in-kind match of 8.5 percent of that salary (about $13,000). Since it will take time to fill the position, RCPD would be responsible for roughly half of the in-kind match in 2019. New law board member Linda Morse calls it a good move for the department.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Saline County approves Senior Services agreements

The Saline County Commission approved two agreements Tuesday morning to allow the Saline County Department of Senior Services to partner with other organizations serving local seniors.

An agreement with the North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging will allow the agency to purchase meals for seniors at a subsidized rate, $3.50 for a meal at the Salina Senior Center and $3.75 for a meal delivered as part of the meals on wheels program. Seniors are asked to contribute toward the cost of the subsidized meals if they can afford to do so.

Meals at the Senior Center typically cost $4.75.

The commission also approved an agreement with Sunflower Adult Day Services to allow their participants to evacuate to the Salina Senior Center in the event of an emergency. Under the agreement, Sunflower staff will be responsible for the supervision, care, and transportation of all their participants while they are present at the Senior Center.

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

First look: Wichita unveils drawings of downtown ballpark

Local leaders this week will begin showing off the design plans for Wichita’s new downtown baseball stadium, promising a game-changing venue that will serve both Triple-A baseball and the community for decades.

Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell, other local officials and representatives of the design-build team led by JE Dunn Construction Group Inc. provided the WBJ with an early look at the design.

It’s a design that will begin becoming a reality soon, as work on the $75 million project is expected to begin next month.

Longwell says the design will go before the Wichita City Council for final approval Feb. 12, with plans for a groundbreaking ceremony for the yet-to-be-named stadium the next day.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

Prairie Village advances idea of regulating drone use in the city

The Prairie Village governing body will consider a city-level ordinance that would regulate drone usage in the city — but some city councilmembers are skeptical of the need for a new law.

On a 6-4 vote Tuesday, the council directed staff to bring a draft ordinance crafted in conjunction with city attorneys back to the governing body for a formal vote at a later date. At present, Mission Hills is the only northeast Johnson County city with an ordinance on the books restricting drone usage.

The question of whether and how to regulate drone usage in Prairie Village has been an active issue since a drone of unknown origin flew over the crowd at the 2017 Jazz Fest. That drone turned out to be piloted by a commercial operator, who was hired by a woman to hang a banner in hopes of finding a lost love connection.

But the incident spooked some at city hall, who worried about the threat drones could pose over crowds and to the individual privacy of residents.

‘Border war’ in KC metro has raged for years. Missouri wants a truce. Does Kansas?

Missouri taxpayers spent around $151 million over the last decade luring companies from Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas a few miles across the state line to Jackson County.

And according to research by the Hall Family Foundation, Kansas reciprocated by spending $184 million enticing border-hopping companies to flee Jackson County for Johnson and Wyandotte.

It’s an economic border war that’s raged for years in the Kansas City metro. And to its critics, it’s long past time for a truce.

“We’re using [economic development incentives] to divide the pie,” said Bill Hall, president of the Hall Family Foundation and longtime Kansas City metro area civic leader, “not increase the pie.” According to the Hall Family Foundation research, the combined $335 million spent by Missouri and Kansas since 2010 resulted in a net of about 1,200 jobs to Kansas.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Roeland Park council updates ‘1% for the arts’ policy to allow installations throughout city, not just on commercial project sites

Commercial developers building in Roeland Park will now have the option to make a financial contribution for public art instead of incorporating art into their project. Roeland Park’s “1 percent for art” resolution requires business developers to spend 1% of total project costs on art, and previously these funds could only be used for art projects displayed on the development’s property. The resolution change was prompted by a request from Aldi to donate funds for art rather than incorporate an art piece into the $3.6 million teardown/rebuild plans for their store located at 4801 Roe Blvd.

Originally the city thought the donation would be around $60,000 but updated project costs from Aldi’s engineer place the donation closer to $36,000.

City staff recommended the resolution amendment, pointing out it would allow Roeland Park to decide where the art will be displayed and to potentially incorporate the donation in public improvement projects like the Roe 2020 initiative.

Douglas County commissioner: As in case of jail expansion, duty may not always align with public opinion

Douglas County Commissioner Nancy Thellman said one hard part of being an elected official is sometimes having to make decisions that don’t entirely align with public opinion. Expanding the local jail may be one of those decisions.

As the Journal-World reported earlier this week, some vocal opponents to previous jail expansion plans amounting to $44 million have not changed their minds about scaled-down plans, which preliminary estimates peg at $23 million. But county leaders and local law enforcement have been pushing for the move for several years now.

“I don’t know that there’s ever going to be reconciling those two stands,” Thellman said. “No question, this is a hard time to get public support for law enforcement projects, and especially anything related to incarceration.

“I understand the angst behind that. I really do,” she continued. “But I also understand that as county commissioners, in our job, our responsibility is to oversee public safety, public infrastructure, public dollars, and work with the facts — and the facts are that our jail is not adequate to meet the needs of the people inside it.”

Winton Hinkle, prominent Kansas bond counsel, passed away recently

Winton Hinkle co-founded Wichita’s second-largest law firm, Hinkle Law LLC, and became what many considered to be the expert in municipal finance, bond law, and tax and securities codes. For 16 years, Winton served as Bond Counsel for the City of Wichita. Winton directly contributed to the growth and development of many important Wichita-area businesses, including Beech Aircraft, Cessna Aircraft Co., the Coleman Co., the Via Christi hospital system, Wesley Medical Center, and many, many others.

Winton Hinkle’s obituary.

Couple seeks Douglas County’s approval for agritourism event venue; neighbors oppose what they call ‘party barn’

Plans for a wedding venue and agritourism site in rural Douglas County have drawn some concern from neighbors — namely, in regards to increased traffic and potential for issues involving gunfire.

Kyle and Codi Wentzel filed plans with the county to construct a barn-style event venue for weddings, corporate events, family reunions and the like. The couple would also live on-site.

The site, 1173 North 150 Road, is about 12.5 miles south of Kansas Highway 10’s interchange with Iowa Street, or just southwest of U.S. Highway 59 and North 300 Road, near Baldwin City. The venue would accommodate 150 people, and its use would be restricted to weekends.

However, a dozen neighbors signed a letter asking commissioners to decline the request and stating that to the surrounding community, the Wentzels are “simply venture capitalist(s) who are trying to put a ‘party barn’ in a bean field under the guise of the popular phrase, Ag tourism.”

Lawsuit filed against city of Lawrence over Queens Road taxing districts

The debate about who should pay for the multimillion-dollar reconstruction of Queens Road is moving from City Hall to the courthouse.

A homeowner in the special taxing districts set up to pay for the project has filed a lawsuit against the city and is asking that the project be halted so that the case can be heard. The lawsuit, which was filed by Kurt Schaake in Douglas County District Court last week, claims the taxing districts, under which property owners near Queens Road would pay most of the cost of the improvements, are inequitable and not in line with state law.

Schaake’s attorney, Richard Hird, said that they have asked the court to issue an injunction to stop the city from proceeding with the taxing districts. Hird said they simply want to maintain the status quo until the case is heard.

“I think it’s important that we select the best and most equitable method of paying for improvements like Queens Road, and the purpose of this lawsuit is to make sure that we’re doing that,” Hird said.

Ford County clerk names polling locations

The end to the polling location fiasco may be nearing its end as Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox announced on Tuesday that two locations have been named for polling locations in Dodge City.

The Hoover Pavilion located at 108 4th Avenue and The Knights of Columbus Hall located at 800 W. Frontview Street will be the locations for the 2019 local elections.

“As previously announced, my office will now be maintaining at least two polling places for Dodge City voters in all elections (i.e., both national and local elections),” Cox said in a press release. “Beginning with this year’s local elections – the primary election on August 6, 2019 (if necessary), and the general election on November 5, 2019 – polling sites will be operated at the two locations.”

According to Cox, the polling places will be assigned to the number of precincts. Voters that vote on the election day will have to vote at the location of the precinct assigned to it. Cox also added that Dodge City Transit will be in place for election day.

“There will be temporary bus stops directly in front of these polling places on election day,” she said. “Routes will be temporarily modified that day and moreover, as usual, Dodge City Transit will provide free, door-to-door bus service to the polling places on election day.”

Reno County Commission puts moratorium on wind discussion pending NextEra recommendation

The Reno County Commission began its meeting Tuesday advising proponents of restrictions on wind development in the county that they could no longer speak during the public comment period at the beginning of commission meetings, at least until resolution of the NextEra application.

Commissioner Bob Bush, who’d been absent from the commission for the past several weeks for health reasons, brought up the issue and asked County Counselor Joe O’Sullivan to explain why.

“For almost three months the public comment session of the agenda has been dominated by the wind energy conversion system issue, particularly the prospective NextEra project,” O’Sullivan noted. “The majority of that time, the issue before you was whether or not a moratorium on wind production should be put in place.”

But since it has decided the moratorium question, the commission should no longer consider anything the public offers about wind, pro or con, pending receipt of a recommendation from the Reno County Planning Commission on NextEra’s application for a conditional use permit (CUP), he said.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Splash Aqua Park to join Camping World, Gander Outdoors in south Wichita this summer

Developer Jeff Lange already made a splash by landing Camping World and Gander Outdoors stores for his new Steeple Bay mixed-use development at I-235 and Seneca.

Now, he’s making a literal splash with a deal for the new Splash Aqua Park that will open on the 14-acre lake on the north side of the 80-acre development.

“It’s a big playground . . . of inflatables that we anchor on the bottom of the lake,” said Cole Kalkbrenner, who is opening Splash with his wife, Erin. There will be swings, slides, trampolines, jumps, bridges and other inflatable fun, all connected by inflatable walkways over the size of a football field. Splash is significant because it likely will drive traffic to a part of Wichita that people from elsewhere in the city and region don’t normally go, although Lowrance noted that a lot of families are already traveling there for sports and are likely to take advantage of Splash while they’re there.

(Read more: Local News |)

Cost, breadth of impact among factors in Overland Park’s decision not to offer curbside storm debris pick up

When Winter Storm Gia hit Celeste Aronoff’s neighborhood in northern Overland Park, it snapped two massive branches from one of the trees in her family’s yard.

As clean up efforts from the storm got underway, Aronoff and her neighbors were struggling to decide how to proceed.

“There are large limbs and trees down everywhere,” she said. “The idea that most of us are equipped to manage this on our own seems kind of ludicrous…We just keep joking about getting everything in my Prius.”

Aronoff isn’t the only Overland Park resident irked by the city’s decision to set up drop off sites for storm debris instead of arranging for a curbside collection, and many other cities in the Shawnee Mission area have done. Overland Park’s neighboring cities of Leawood, Prairie Village, Mission and Roeland Park, for example, are all offering special curbside pick ups.

But, say Overland Park officials, the cost of arranging such an effort in a city the size of Overland Park would be considerable — and not every part of the city was hit as hard as the northern neighborhoods.

City of Wichita close to finalizing aquatics master plan

It may seem odd to be talking about the future of Wichita pools in the winter, but that’s exactly what the city council did at a workshop Tuesday morning.

It appears they may be on step closer to finalizing Wichita’s Aquatics Master Plan.

Mary Dean is one of several members who has fought to keep a swimming pool at McAdams Park in northeast Wichita. She is glad to see city council members moving in a direction that would keep a pool in the community.

“You know, we wanted to make sure that the heritage that is McAdams made sure that it stayed there,” she says.

Dean says the fight to keep the pool at McAdams Park has been a long, but important battle.

“All too often communities are getting their legacy taken away because of people who are seeing value to putting something else there, so we’re glad that the legacy and heritage will stay in McAdams,” says Dean.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Shawnee County Commissioner Kevin Cook seeks more say in zoning for those just outside Topeka

Since 2003, owners of land in the 3-mile jurisdiction just outside Topeka city limits in unincorporated Shawnee County have had no representation when the city’s governing body considered planning and zoning moves affecting that area.

But County Commissioner Kevin Cook said Tuesday he was working with county counselor Jim Crowl to craft a proposed home rule resolution that would arrange for the city and county to form a board to address those matters consisting of representatives from both the city and unincorporated Shawnee County.

“This would create a manner in which there would be actual representation of residents in the 3-mile area,” he said.

Cook added that he hoped at some point to see the city and county again operate a joint planning department, as they did until the Topeka City Council in 2003 pulled out of that arrangement.

Wichita Eisenhower National Airport set ridership record in 2018

Last year was the busiest on record for Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, with 2018 ending with an annual record of 1,665,116 passengers flying in and out of the Air Capital.

That topped the previous record set in 2017 by more than 44,800 passengers, according to new data from the airport.

Boosted by new service that included Alaska Airlines’ flights to Seattle that began in 2017 and Frontier Airlines’ flights to Denver that began last year, the airport set numerous monthly ridership records throughout 2018.

That included one for the month of December, which saw 140,304 passengers for the final month of the year.

In addition to the overall ridership growth, the airport also reported a 7-percent increase in air cargo year over year in 2018.

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

Point In Time count allocates homeless funding in Kansas

In the next few weeks, cities across the state of Kansas will do their Point In Time count of the homeless.

“Once a year, this point in time count is done, just to kind of get a snapshot of what’s going on just on this particular day,” said Misty Bosch Hastings with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. “Of course, that’s the individuals that we can find.”

The purpose of the count is to be able to properly allocate public funds to help the homeless.

“This lets us know how much money we can get, statewide, from the federal government, also for the city, for the actual shelter that they go to,” said Bosch Hastings. “Shelter plus care, housing vouchers, all this money that helps house these individuals comes from this count.”

(Read more: WIBW News Now)

Lawrence police expected to have body cameras by summer

Lawrence police officials say all officers in the department should be wearing body cameras sometime this summer.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports 10 officers, with support from four staff members, have been testing the cameras since November.

Police Capt. Trent McKinley said the department will evaluate the test results early next month and then select a camera vendor. The cameras are budgeted to cost $462,000. Half of the cost will be funded by a federal grant, and the city of Lawrence will match those funds.

The city has also hired a technician to help with the body camera program.

McKinley said the department is still working on policies governing the use of the cameras.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Pratt Volunteer Fire chief would like a training facility

Pratt Volunteer Fire Department Chief David Kramer would like to establish a permanent training facility in Pratt for his squad of 22 active volunteer firefighters as a solution to the current training program situation which, he said, adds hours of set-up and tear-down time to training exercises.
Kramer presented ideas for a facility based on shipping containers to Pratt City commissioners at their regular Monday meeting and received positive responses that fell short of commitment.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said commissioner Jason Leslie.
Kramer’s presentation included a slideshow of various configurations, suggesting one that would start with five 40-foot containers with a stairway and walkway, which would cost about $16,000.
“It’s a fraction of the cost of construction and the city would be getting a lot of bang for its bucks,” Kramer said. “It won’t be an eyesore, I promise you.“
Location for the proposed training center is on city-owned property at the corner of 10th Street and Highway 61, north of Pratt Community College where water is available.

Flint Hills Regional Leaders’ retreat brings regional economic concerns to the forefront

Business and industry leaders gathered with area political leaders for a two-day conference held in Olathe Friday and Saturday to identify strengths and weaknesses impacting the Manhattan area workforce and economy.
One of those key aspects discussed during the Flint Hills Regional Leaders Retreat is the Tri-county Region Reimagined economic strategic plan. The plan involves Riley, Pottawatomie and Geary counties. As it looks ahead to new technology, and a growing number of retiring baby boomers in the workforce, a lot of the conversation is now aimed at attracting talent and retaining those employees in the region. Region Reimagined Program Director Christy Rodriguez says collaboration between the various communities is key.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

CJOnline Facebook Live event to focus on Shawnee County land use plan

After more than two years of discussion, Shawnee County commissioners last October approved a comprehensive land use plan to guide decision-making about the physical development of the county’s unincorporated areas and serve as a blueprint for future growth and the preservation of agricultural land.

But some residents still don’t quite comprehend what the plan does and what effects it might have.

The Topeka Capital-Journal consequently asked County Commissioner Kevin Cook to answer questions during a podcast/Facebook Live event, in which he will appear at noon Tuesday at CJOnline and The Topeka Capital-Journal Facebook page.

The Capital-Journal on Monday provided Cook 15 questions it will ask. He will also respond to other questions about the plan that readers submit online during the event.

Study: Kansas strictest in limiting control of food policy

Kansas goes farther than any other state in limiting state and local agencies from influencing policy about food nutrition labels and portion sizes, according to a recent study.

A study published this month by New York University researcher Jennifer Pomeranz found that Kansas does more to limit the authority of local governments on food policy than any of the 13 other states with similar legislation, the Kansas News Service reported.

Kansas’ pre-emption law, which went into effect in 2016, prevents local authorities from restricting portion sizes, taxing soda and sugary drinks and banning “incentive items,” such as toys in a McDonald’s Happy Meal. The law applies to counties, school districts, councils and other local government agencies, which are prohibited from enacting restrictive food policies.

Similar bills have cropped up across the country in recent years, but Pomeranz said Kansas’ law goes further than others by limiting the state Legislature’s power. “The state basically handed over to the federal government control of these issues,” she said. “It’s basically saying ‘we’re not acting, and the locals can’t act either.'”

(Read more: Government & Politics News |)

New downtown recycling trailer in Great Bend already deemed a success

The community’s reaction to the new downtown recycling drop-off site has already exceeded expectations.

Organizers had anticipated unloading the trailer twice a month. But it is filling up quickly and the timetable has been moved up to accommodate the amount of collections at 18th and Williams.

The trailer was the brainchild of the Barton County Young Professionals (BCYP).

“Many of our members had voiced their desire for more recycling opportunities. And Sunflower Diversified Services and the city of Great Bend made it happen,” said Megan Hammeke, steering committee chair. “We are so excited to have this new addition downtown and we support all city and Sunflower recycling efforts.”

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

New Sheridan Co. K9 officer ready to begin training for duty

Sheridan County’s newest member of the sheriff’s department will be arriving soon.

Dak, the county’s first K9 officer, will begin training next week in Omaha, Neb., with his partner Deputy Adam Babcock.

The department is also accepting donations to help support the K9 program supplies, including such necessities as a dog cage for the patrol vehicle, kennels, veterinarian expenses, food and other necessities.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Report: Kansas electricity costs higher than other states

A report says Kansas customers are paying more for electricity than in neighboring states because of investments in coal and wind power.

The Kansas Corporation Commission recently presented its analysis of electricity rates to lawmakers.

The commission found that utilities Westar Energy and Kansas City Power & Light spent billions of dollars over the last decade on coal-fired power plants in Kansas. They also spent millions of dollars complying with a now-repealed state rule for 20 percent of energy to come from renewable sources by 2020.

Commission Chief Accountant Justin Grady says Kansas decided to invest in coal when it was cheaper than gas, but the price of natural gas has since dropped.

(Read more: Hays Post)

New management to take over the hospital in Hillsboro immediately

Hillsboro Community Hospital is temporarily under new management.

This morning, the Marion County District Court approved the Bank of Hays and the City of Hillsboro’s joint request to remove HCH out from EmpowerHMS and appointed a new company to take over the management.

As the Free Press previously reported, the Bank of Hays filed a foreclosure action against the current ownership group of the hospital, also known as EmpowerHMS.

According to a press release issued early this afternoon by the City of Hillsboro, Cohesive Healthcare Management has been appointed by the court to take possession of the hospital and to operate, manage and oversee it while the foreclosure lawsuit proceeds.

The court’s order states, “that immediate and irreparable harm is likely to result if a receiver is not appointed to operate and manage the hospital in order to ensure that it remains open and retains as much of its value as possible.”

(Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)

Basehor hires new city administrator

The Basehor City Council and mayor have hired a new city administrator.

Leslee Rivarola’s appointment to the position was approved Wednesday during a Basehor City Council meeting. She is scheduled to begin her duties as the new city administrator Feb. 4.

Rivarola, 37, said she has an extensive background in public service.

“I just love serving the public, and I really believe in the work that we do,” she said.

She currently serves as the city administrator of Lake Lotawana, Missouri. She has been in this job for about four years.

She has held other positions in the public service field including code enforcement officer and public works director.

Rivarola also has worked as a consultant to assist small municipalities.

The Basehor City Council began searching for a new city administrator after Lloyd Martley Jr. retired from the position in June.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Website created for Salina downtown project

The website for downtown Salina’s revitalization project is now available at salina2020.com. The website hosts the most up to date information about projects, developments and events related to the renovation. Salina 2020, the master developer of downtown Salina’s revitalization project, and Salina Downtown Inc., will be hosting a cash mob Feb. 9. Shoppers are encouraged to patronize stores, restaurants, bars, and businesses during the event.

Social media users have a chance to win a $50 gift card to one of 20 downtown businesses by spreading information about the cash mob across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The social media contest is being organized by Salina 2020.

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Rural Revitalization gets to work

Only one committee in the Kansas House of Representatives has a leadership team comprised of three lawmakers living west of U.S. 81.

It’s the new Rural Revitalization Committee.

The problems of rural Kansas are varied and challenging, “but perhaps we can bend the curve,” said Committee Chairman State Rep. Don Hineman, R-Dighton. Rounding out the leadership team are Vice Chairman State Rep. Adam Smith, R-Weskan, and Ranking Minority Member State Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson.

“It’s pretty open-ended,” Hineman said of the committee’s agenda. “That’s what has most people excited,” according to Smith. Just about any topic that is a concern for rural areas – broadband access, health care services, adequate housing, economic development, agribusiness, declining school enrollment – overlaps the agendas of other legislative committees. In the committee’s first week, Kansas State University’s Associate Professor of Sociology Matthew Sanderson talked about population trends. There are counties where 55 of every 100 people are over 65, Probst said. “The math doesn’t work to replace that over time,” Probst said.

If population trends continue, projections show that by 2044, Probst said, 47 percent of Kansans will live somewhere in the five northeast counties of Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson, Douglas, and Shawnee counties, Probst said.

“Very sobering report,” committee member and freshman State Rep. Paul Waggoner, R-Hutchinson, said of Sanderson’s presentation.

On the committee’s agenda during the week of Jan. 22 will be speakers addressing the topics of rural demographics, rural development and challenges, and rural tourism development.

“It’s important for us all to understand where rural Kansas has come from before we can begin good discussions about where we are going – and how to get there,” Smith wrote in an email.

The committee’s focus right now is not planning legislation but listening and learning, Probst said.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Shawnee County Commission decision brewing on alcohol at softball fields

Allowing alcoholic beverages at Shawnee County’s four adult softball complexes would help it increase revenues and attract national tournaments, supporters say.

But questions remain as to whether the county is prepared to deal with problems that might bring.

Teresa Miller, a member of the Shawnee County Parks and Recreation advisory board, told commissioners Dec. 20 about how beer consumption made players more aggressive on the teams for which her husband used to play.

“When they had beer, they were pretty rowdy,” she said. “Baseball bats make good weapons.”

Parks and recreation director John Knight responded his department plans to arrange for on-site vendors to sell beer in a controlled environment, where sufficient security is provided.

“We’re missing out on a lot of potential revenue,” he said.

Commissioners Bob Archer, Bill Riphahn and Kevin Cook plan Thursday to consider a home rule resolution sponsored by Cook to allow alcoholic beverages to be possessed and consumed at the adult softball complexes the county maintains.

City of Parsons to consider golf subsidy

City commissioners likely will grant an $8,000 subsidy to the local golf course on Tuesday.

The commissioners plan to receive a financial report from Parsons Katy Golf Course Association and probably will approve the payment to the course.

The city has paid the golf course a subsidy for many years but within the last few years began reducing the amount of $12,000 by $1,000 each year. The subsidy is expected to remain at $8,000 unless commissioners decide otherwise.

The commission agrees to pay the subsidy annually in order to help keep the business afloat as it is the only golf course in the immediate Parsons area. The commissioners consider having a golf course a factor in maintaining a good quality of life for residents.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Wind farm moratorium fails again in Neosho County

Once again, a motion against the proposed Neosho Ridge wind electrical generation project failed to draw a second at Thursday evening’s Neosho County Commission meeting, when matters came to clash over a 1,000-foot setback.

Development manager for Apex Clean Energy, Jade Scheele, said a setback of more than 1,000 feet ends the conversation, although Apex has agreed to a setback of 1,640 feet from the middle of properties that are not involved in leases.

“If you can’t go more than 1,000, I’m done,” Commissioner Paul Westhoff said. “Let’s just get this done. No windmills.”

Apex has signed leases in about 44,000 acres for 139 windmills to generate up to 300 megawatts of electricity, which nonleasing residents in the area want to stop. They have asked for setbacks of 2,000 feet from nonleasing property lines and 4,000 feet from nonleasing residences.

After Westhoff’s motion failed, opponent Lori Whitworth asked why the commission stopped short.

“Every time we’re here, they dangle something else,” she said. “Why can’t we make that formal?”

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Some Lawrence officials frustrated by delayed energy debate

Several Lawrence officials and residents have expressed frustration that the City Commission didn’t discuss an offer to power the city exclusively with wind energy before the option was no longer available.

City staffers said Westar Energy’s offer was under review but officials hadn’t determined whether the energy plan was worth pursuing, the Lawrence Journal-World reported . Westar had approached some of its large-demand customers in July to purchase wind energy at a fixed rate for the next 20 years.

The Missouri-based utility had 200 megawatts of wind power available from a planned wind farm to be in operation by next year, and the energy reservations were offered on a first-come, first-served basis. All energy has since been allocated.

Douglas County, the city of Manhattan, the University of Kansas and Kansas State University were among the entities that took advantage of Westar’s 1.8 cents per kilowatt hour fuel rate offer for a 20-year term.

(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Lenexa, Mission recommit to MARC program coordinating regional traffic signals

To improve traffic flow and reduce carbon emissions from vehicles, the Mid-America Regional Council is continuing its Operation Green Light program with multiple cities in northeast Johnson County and the Kansas City metro area.

Mission and Lenexa in their council meetings this week agreed to renew their commitments to MARC’s Operation Green Light Traffic Control System with surrounding cities, including Fairway, Leawood, Merriam, Mission Woods, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Shawnee and Westwood.

Operation Green Light works with federal, state and local agencies to operate a system that coordinates timing of traffic signals as well as communication between intersections across jurisdictional boundaries, according to Mission city documents. The system monitors and/or operates 705 signals and manages more than 1,200 network devices such as intersection controllers, wireless radios, switches, cameras, routers, serial-to-IP converters and servers.

Participating cities are required to match federal and state funding for Operation Green Light.

Winfield greivance policy may return

Winfield City Commissioners will consider additions to the city’s employee handbook, including a new grievance policy to replace one removed last year.

The new policy states employees have the right to present a grievance concerning interpretation or application of city policies or department regulations, working conditions, relationships with co-workers or supervisors, or application of equal employment opportunity policies. The new policy states the employee will never be subject to retaliation if they present a grievance.

The policy lays out the steps for filing a grievance. Those steps include presenting the grievance first to the employee’s immediate supervisor, who will then respond. If the employee is not satisfied with the response, they can present the grievance to their department head for a response. If they are still unsatisfied, they can choose to have a hearing with either the city manager or a grievance board, including five voting members from various departments and one nonvoting city employee chosen by the person filing the grievance. Board members must be agreed upon by the aggrieved party and the city manager or human resources.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Could modern peanut butter have been invented in Ark City?

The late Edith Joyce Davis recalled as a child of 10 riding on a horse-drawn wagon as Arkansas City’s original “peanut butter man” made his rounds in the late 1890s.

Long before peanut butter became one of the world’s favorite spreads, R.H. Brock was delivering his tasty peanut paste throughout Ark City and to customers in Winfield and Geuda Springs. He also shipped buckets of peanut butter to customers in New York and Iowa.

For many years, Ark City residents have referred to him as the inventor of peanut butter, although that’s hard to prove. He certainly is one of the first people in the U.S. to have set up a peanut factory to grind peanuts into a buttery paste.

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg patented a process in 1895 for creating peanut butter from raw peanuts. He marketed it as a nutritious protein substitute for people who could hardly chew on solid food. Dr. Ambrose Straub of St. Louis, Mo., patented a peanut-butter-making machine in 1903.

But a Traveler writer, in its Jan. 25, 1899 edition, objected to an Oklahoma City Times Journal item about a “new article of food” in India, where a factory was put in operation for manufacture of butter from oil of peanuts.

“Wake up brother,” the Traveler stated. “Arkansas City has been using peanut butter for the past year, made by Rev. Brock, of this city.”

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Bel Aire starts safety initiative for bikers, walkers

Bel Aire, like other nearby cities, is looking to improve its walking and biking paths.

While city officials work on creating an updated Biking and Pedestrian master plan, the Bel Aire Police Department is stepping up to ensure the public enjoys outdoors safely.

“Bel Aire, like many small communities, doesn’t have sidewalks in all of their neighborhoods,” explained Police Chief Darrell Atteberry. “We would like people, when they’re out in the street, to wear reflective equipment so they’re easily seen by vehicles.”

The police department is passing out reflective arm bands and belts for walkers, joggers and bikers.

According to Atteberry, the safety initiative came after a resident expressed his concerns to city council about walkers and bikers in the community.

Bel Aire hasn’t had a vehicle-pedestrian accident, but Atteberry doesn’t want to wait until one happens.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Mr. Park City, Jack Whitson, says farewell

In a world where government officials often don’t return calls, don’t answer questions or speak in legalese when they finally do, Jack Whitson is an exception.

The Park City administrator returns calls promptly — even providing his cellphone — answers questions and speaks like a normal human.

“If I have a question, he has an answer, and he’ll get me the answer if he doesn’t know,” said developer Lou Robelli, who owns Air Capitol Delivery & Warehouse. “He helped me through . . . the hoops to get started in Park City,” Robelli said. “He’s done a lot for Park City.” That includes helping incorporate the city in 1980.

The Nashville, Tenn., native came to the area through the Air Force and couldn’t believe how affordable housing was in what was then the Park City Improvement District.

He and a couple of other members of the Jaycees club needed a project in 1979 and decided to take on incorporating the city due to how others in the county were treating the area.

Whitson said zoning requests that weren’t approved elsewhere seemed to be sent up to the district.

“The people up here were very upset,” he said. “We felt like if we became our own city, we could deal with those issues.”

Whitson said former Wichita Mayor Bob Knight wasn’t happy about it. Then Bel Aire “jumped on board and wanted to create a city of their own.”

“The city of Wichita said, ‘Whoa, now wait a minute. Enough’s enough.’ ”

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Historic building survey in Clay Center almost complete

The downtown Clay Center historic building survey is almost complete and findings from the survey will be presented at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at the Clay County Museum.

The goal of the survey is to determine if there is enough historic integrity to be considered for a National Register nomination as a historic district. A representative from the Kansas State Historical Society will be at the meeting to explain the advantages and disadvantages of being in a historic district. According to the National Park Service, and contrary to popular belief, National Register listing does not place any restrictions as to what can be done to the property unless federal licenses or permits are needed or federal funding is used. Listing a property on the National Register will not stop any private or locally funded projects. It is the use of State and Federal grants and tax credits that trigger the requirement for review and compliance with historic standards. However, changes made to the property that causes it to lose substantial historic integrity may cause the property to be removed from the Register listing.