Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Wichita Open tees up economic impact and civic pride

When the Wichita Open kicks off its 30th anniversary tournament in June, the roar of the crowd will celebrate more than just the play of some of the world’s best up-and-coming professional golfers.

It will also celebrate the longevity of one of the city’s premier sporting events, which, thanks to the outside-the-box thinking of its long-time director, has come to raise the profile of the Air Capital and contributes a growing local economic impact measured in the millions.

“It seems to be getting better every year,” says Roy Turner, entering his 20th year as the tournament’s director.

And as one of four original events of the PGA’s Web.com Tour still in operation, Turner says there is no greater sign of its impact than the fact that officials from other tournaments around the country are always keen to learn the secret of the success in Wichita.

“I love it,” Turner says. “I love sticking my chest out in the meetings and saying, ‘We’re from Wichita.’”

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

Making history: Pretty Prairie water plant, sales tax vote in the works

Stakes are planted in the ground at the construction site for the long-desired reverse osmosis treatment plant in Pretty Prairie. The city was told about 30 years ago by environmental authorities that high nitrates in the drinking water were a concern.

The city also is making history with a special sales tax election scheduled for March 26. Pretty Prairie has no city sales tax. If the ballot passes, a one-percent retailers’ sales tax would start likely July 1 and would be in effect ten years. Revenues would be dedicated for streets and infrastructure under streets.

Yet another landmark day looms for the Reno County city of approximately 654 residents. Two prior attempts by the city to obtain a Community Development Block Grant to offset water project costs failed for largely technical reasons. A third application to help cover part of the expense of the new water tower is pending with the Kansas Department of Commerce. Letters announcing those awarded grants potentially could be dated and signed by Gov. Laura Kelly Friday. Applicants could receive the news by mail, probably early next week.

It’s exciting, said Pretty Prairie City Clerk Jenifer Albright, of the approaching breaking of ground on the construction project.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Gardner City Council increases chamber contract by $115,000

The Gardner City Council approved a $150,000 agreement with the Gardner-Edgerton chamber of commerce for business and tourism services during a council meeting Jan. 7.
The agreement, which will run through the year, is $115,000 more than the $35,000 the chamber received from the city last year.
According Mathew Wolff, finance director, the increased budget allocation will fund tourism services for the community.
He said the funding will in part be drawn from transient guest tax revenue the city will get once the Hampton Inn opens later in the year.
“The city shall pay the chamber the sum of $115,000 for tourism services payable by an invoice schedule to be developed in conjunction with city staff after the Hampton Inn opens,” he said.
Wolff said the money includes $15,000 for recreation event promotion that will be used in cooperation with the parks and recreation department and the city’s communications manager.
Jason Camis, chamber CEO, told the council that the chamber will form a new tourism promotion organization in conjunction with the economic development council.

(Read more: Gardner News)

Never too cold for Fire District #1

ohnson County #1 spent Jan. 14 training in snow and 30 degree temperatures. The day was spent deploying and advancing pre-connected hoselines. According to the district, the current weather was a perfect scenario for recruits to adapt and overcome obstacles including the cold snowy elements.

(Read more: Gardner News)

Mission agrees to repay plaintiffs in settlement of ‘driveway tax’ cases

Details on the settlements, and how much will be repaid, will be worked out over the next 30 days, said city administrator Laura Smith. But the city has unanimously agreed to authorize settlement agreements in two pending lawsuits, ultimately to repay TUF dollars to the Heartland Apartment Association and 10 individual plaintiffs in that case, as well as a class action case brought by Rex Danley. In general, the plaintiffs and the city have agreed to terms in both of the cases.

“The city has taken strong positions all along,” said Mission City Administrator Laura Smith. “We feel like we have strong defenses against repayment and that we aren’t obligated to repay that, but in looking at how it was impacting the council’s ability to look at future capital programming and expenditure of street dollars with the potential of that repayment and the cost of ongoing litigation.”

(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post)

Large donation to provide big improvements at Harvey County’s Camp Hawk, West Park

A $90,000 donation will build at least one cabin at Camp Hawk and greatly upgrade playground equipment at West Park.

The Harvey County Parks Department recently announced the donation from the R. Michael Rhoades Foundation, which aims to encourage the use of the outdoors by young people as well as the greater public.

“We were going to get these projects done regardless, but this will allow us to make them high quality,” Parks Director Kass Miller said. “I think we’re real real fortunate that they’ve decided to help Harvey County and park systems.”

For context, it would take around 0.3 mills of taxes to generate $90,000 for the parks system.

Miller said the county plans to install a 400- to 500-square-foot cabin at the park. As the county recently demolished the house that stood at the park, infrastructure for water and electric hookups already exist.

“It will be a real simple plug-in situation,” Miller said. “The Camp Hawk shelter is our most rented shelter. We do a lot of weddings out there. We saw that there is a need for wedding parties looking to rent. It’s also for people who want to stay out but not camp but get away from the house.”

He said while the county planned to build some sort of shelter out at the park, it can now upgrade the shelter’s furnishings and put siding on the structure to make it look like a log cabin.

(Read more: Newton Now)

Newton to take guess work out of incentives

In a work session, the city of Newton laid out priorities for the upcoming year and one of those included establishing criteria for economic incentives.

Hallelujah!

Criteria for economic incentives are relatively common when it comes to governments across the state. Sedgwick County has them. Wichita has them. Even Haven, with a population of 2,000 people, has them.

But currently, Newton lacks any such criteria. The criteria amounts to city staff telling the commission it’s a good idea to give a business incentives, or pay for public improvements, or provide tax abatements, etc.
The commission then decides if that’s a good idea or a bad idea. The commission and city staff have a chance this year to layout a plan that says, “This is what we think is good for Newton; this is the return it will have to bring on our investment and this is how much we have available to make it happen.” We applaud the idea of the city to establish criteria. We recommend that the city evaluates neighboring governments when formulating this plan. We also recommend that the city not settle for bending over backwards to bring in bottom feeders or risky ventures. Its criteria should include respectable returns on public investment, jobs that increase, not decrease average wages and companies whose presence in Newton will not diminish quality of life nor devalue the community.

(Read more: Newton Now)

North Newton to bid goodbye to ‘Radar Ray’

He was affectionately known as “Radar Ray,” serving as the Chief of Police in North Newton for 30 years. Ray Classen retired from that in 2013. His watch, however, came to a full end January 15 at Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita when he passed away.

“He was familiar with a majority of people in the community, and vice-versa,” said Ron Ratzlaff, city council member for North Newton. “He was appreciated and well liked by the community.”

Well-liked enough to have a college band named after him. At one time, a group of Bethel college students created a band called Radar Ray and the Sand Creek Busters.

When Classen came to North Newton in 1983, he was the only officer on the North Newton police force and was the first police chief for the city. He grew the department to include two more officers before he retired.

“He was iconic to North Newton and for 30 years he personified the police department,” said John Torline, city administrator for North Newton. ”… One thing I always appreciated is he was frugal and always managed city money wisely. He was mild-mannered. He did not go out to make a criminal out of anybody. He was a small town cop everybody knew and everybody talked to.”

(Read more: Newton Kansan)

Reno County OK’s contract for second mental health position at jail

The Reno County Commission Tuesday approved a new contract agreement with Horizons Mental Health Center to help to inmates with mental health issues as they’re released from jail – and for a period afterward – to ensure they’re accessing the services they need and not ending back up in jail. The contract with Horizons was tabled on Dec. 31 after Commissioner Bob Bush asked that the proposed agreement have an end date, rather than perpetual automatic renewal so that it could be renegotiated or discontinued.

The county will pay the Horizons “reintegration” employee $1,825.26 a month, with Horizons covering a matching share. The county’s funding will come from the sheriff’s budget, but be covered by a federal grant. The position was one of a few added when the county adopted its 2019 budget.

The county is also obligated to provide the employee office space and computer access.

The contract the commission approved is for one year, but with automatic renewal annually for two more years unless either party gives 60 days-notice of non-renewal.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Greensburg: Is the city still green and sustainable?

Looking ahead was the theme of a round table discussion with city council and department heads Monday Jan 14 at the Greensburg City Hall. The casual, open conversational meeting was set up to help determine future goals and for council members to express to city administrator Stacy Barnes what their desires for the city were moving ahead.
Barnes opened the discussion with a question about the city’s “Green and Sustainable” identity. Although is something that the city has been known for and received a lot of media attention and visitors about, Barnes said she feels like there is a disconnect between what the city is doing and what the actual people in the community feel.
Barnes asked for feedback from a personal perspective and from city council representation perspectives.
“I don’t know if we are that any more,” said city council member Hailey Kern. ” I don’t know if we have now what we had right after the tornado that made us green and sustainable.”

(Read more: Kiowa County Signal)

Manhattan commissioners agree with Aggieville TIF district boundaries, timeline

Manhattan Commissioners were unanimously supportive of a proposed tax increment finance — or TIF — district in Aggieville after a discussion during their Tuesday work session.

Establishing a TIF district would allow the city to capture growth in property valuation — and subsequently, property taxes — over a 20 year period within a set boundary for public redevelopment purposes. The city would use the money captured by the district — estimated between $9.6 million and $11.6 million — for public improvements around Aggieville. The total costs of possible improvements around Aggieville are estimated to run between $23.3 million and $30 million, with the parking garage alone expected to cost between $9.5 million and $12.6 million.

The city has employed TIF districts in the past, namely around the Manhattan Town Center and in the Downtown area. According to Deputy City Manager Jason Hilgers, the Downtown TIF district has grown “significantly” — generating $1.6 million per year.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Survey seeks input on design of Lawrence’s first bike boulevards

The city of Lawrence is looking for residents’ input on the design of the city’s first bike boulevards, which will modify two city streets to make them user-friendly for cyclists and pedestrians.

The city has released a survey that asks residents to identify the top three features they would like on the two boulevards, which will be constructed on 13th Street and 21st Street. The survey is available until 5 p.m. on Feb. 1.

Designs for bike boulevards vary, but they typically use a variety of features — such as speed bumps, restricted entries and curb extensions — to lower the number and speed of cars and optimize the roadway for bicycle travel. More specifically, the survey asks residents to pick among seven potential features, including improvements to street crossings, addition of grassy medians and addition of devices to reduce vehicle traffic and speed.

Shawnee gets first public feedback on concepts for proposed community center

As Shawnee staff and city leaders move forward with plans to put a vote on a property tax increase to fund a potential community center before city residents later this year, designers this week are getting public input on concepts for the proposed project.

City staff led an open house last night to share initial design concepts based on feedback from residents over the past year. The council Feb. on 11 will consider a mail-in ballot question in the spring that would ask Shawnee voters if they would approve a mill levy increase to fund the new community center, which would be located on 26 acres east of West 61st Street and Woodland Drive.Last year, city staff collected feedback from residents through surveys, public meetings and also a “build-a-center” workshop to see what they would like to see in a community center. That feedback, combined with the makings of a master plan for operations, inspired the design concepts being showcased for residents this week, said Tonya Lecuru, deputy parks and recreation director.

Derby City Council makes its views known to state lawmakers

The 2019 Kansas Legislative session got underway this week and, with its start, the Derby City Council has voiced opinions as to what its members see as most important for the city.

They approved the suggested legislative positions presented by City Manager Kathy Sexton at their Jan. 8 meeting.

One of the city’s top priorities from the state, she said, along with the county’s, is a focus – and funding – on behavioral health.Sexton said she is “really proud of Sedgwick County” for putting the issue at the forefront.

That includes opening a new state mental health hospital in the Wichita area.

This issue is on the council’s priorities list and in the past year’s legislative agenda.

It’s an issue of growing concern and is affecting the city, especially the police, who have to deal with mental health issues along with law enforcement.

“The Derby Police Department routinely encounters people who are endangering themselves or the public and who are unable to get appropriate behavioral health treatment from Osawatomie State Hospital or ComCare due to limitations in their funding and services provided,” Sexton wrote in her report to the council.

Such individuals need medical attention, not “get entangled in a law enforcement and judicial system that is not equipped to help them.”

Wichita ‘claws back’ $100,000 in tax breaks from company that created too few jobs

Wichita is “clawing back” about a fifth of the tax breaks it gave a company that failed to create the jobs it promised.

Fiber Dynamics, a company founded by Darrin Teeter to commercialize technology developed at Wichita State’s National Institute for Aviation Research in the early ‘90s, hasn’t had to pay city property taxes since 2008, an estimated value of more than $500,000.

Now, it has to pay $100,000 in back taxes because it didn’t create enough jobs, based on a new agreement with the city.

The city has twice given Fiber Dynamics a five-year tax abatement, dating back to 2008, with the understanding it would complete a $3.1 million expansion and add 79 jobs.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Alexa earning her keep at Douglas County Register of Deeds office

Alexa has extended her reach far beyond reordering laundry detergent and turning off that living room light someone always seems to forget. Now she’s doing a public service.

Kent Brown, Douglas County’s deputy register of deeds, has set up an Amazon Echo Show at the county office. The voice-recognition device can answer 50 questions about the office. That’s short of the 172 Brown was hoping to program, but for now it’s “a good compromise,” he said.

Sabetha City Commission discusses animal control with residents

Jonathon and Alexandra Kilhoffer were present at Sabetha’s City Council meeting Monday to express concerns regarding animal control within the city. J. Kilhoffer said he proposes that the city have more resources available for controlling loose animals.

J. Kilhoffer suggested possible solutions to the issue of dogs at large and wanted the city to commit to a timeline for pursuing these ideas and looking at costs. The suggestions included the following:

• Incentive program for city workers or police officers who pick up dogs at large. He suggested giving the citation fine to the individuals who pick up the dogs.

• Hire a full-time animal control officer.

• Purchase the proper dog-catching equipment so that picking up the dogs is easier.

Mayor Clark deferred to Police Chief Robert Wahwasuck regarding the process for issuance of citations for dogs at large.

Wahwasuck said the practice has been that when a dog call is received, city workers pick up the dogs during normal working hours and police officers are used at other times. “We literally come out and grab them,” Wahwasuck said.

If the dog can’t be caught, the police officers or city workers contact the dog’s owners.

Commissioners said that for the safety of the officers and city workers, proper equipment needs to be available to catch the dogs.

(Read more: Sabetha Herald)

Sports arenas proposed at Great Mall site and OP’s Bluhawk. Olathe seems to have edge

A plan to revitalize the demolished Great Mall site with a hockey arena, golf entertainment complex and apartments advanced Monday, appearing to give Olathe the edge over a rival concept proposed for Overland Park.

By a 5-0 vote, the Olathe Planning Commission endorsed a rezoning and preliminary development plan for the former Great Mall of the Great Plains site, at Interstate 35 and 151st Street. The City Council is expected to vote Feb. 5.

“I think the project is actually very exciting,” said planning commissioner Jeremy Fry. “I think it’s great for all things Olathe and in getting some life back in this section of the city.” The project is contingent on $69.5 million in Kansas state tax incentives, called STAR bonds, which help developers of major tourism projects pay for eligible development costs. The Olathe City Council has already approved the developer’s STAR bond application, but it still awaits a budget approval from the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Olathe is in something of a race with Overland Park, where a different developer, Price Brothers, has also proposed a hockey arena and other entertainment uses for the Bluhawk development, at the southwest corner of U.S. 69 Highway and 159th Street.

Price Brothers is seeking $63.2 million in STAR bond incentives for a 3,500-seat arena and multi-sport complex plus other retail, restaurant and hotel uses. Overland Park City Council members postponed a decision in December on that STAR bond application, saying they needed more information about how that development would be a major tourism destination. The Overland Park City Council could take the request up again Jan. 28.

Andover Fire Rescue hosting Active Shooter Response program

Nationwide and around the globe, communities are facing an increasing number of tragedies involving active shooter and/or hostile events. Andover Fire-Rescue is presenting An Introduction to PA3000: Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program, a standard that addresses all aspects of the process, from identifying hazards and assessing vulnerability to planning, resource management, incident management at a command level, competencies for first responders, and recovery.
The session will include two main parts. Part 1 will be the main presentation, which will provide an overview of the new NFPA 3000. Part 2 will be a discussion session for audience participants to allow representatives from the various groups in attendance to discuss the implementation of the new program.
The program will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Feb. 15, 2019, at Andover Central High School main auditorium, 603 E. Central Ave. in Andover.
Bob Sullivan, NFPA’s Southwest Regional Director, will provide information about the background development, and content of the new NFPA Standard. Following the presentation, audience members will have the opportunity to discuss the information in an open-forum environment, including any programs already in development in this region, as well as to explore the new standard and its implementation in Butler County.

(Read more: Augusta Gazette)

Chanute commission talks fiber optic build-out and equipment

Chanute commissioners viewed equipment Monday evening that will connect a fiber optic network to home customers.

Rick Willis brought the equipment to Monday evening’s commission meeting for discussion about how the city could expand fiber optic service to homes in the community.

A fiber optic connection would link to a box on the outside of a house containing an Optical Network Terminal. Willis said the ONT would be like an electric meter, and would plug into a wireless router or switch inside the house, which would then link to a television, video game or other equipment.

The city would be responsible for service up to the ONT and would fix any problems going to it, and the homeowner would be responsible for any problems from the ONT into the house. The ONT itself would cost about $300.

Willis said maintenance may be by the city’s Information Technology Department or a separate fiber service department.

Two Chanute neighborhoods have requested connection to fiber optic service, and city officials are looking at expansion.

Commissioner Randy Galemore said the cost would be astronomical for a total build out. Officials are looking at a fee of $100 a month, and commissioners discussed how to go about building the connections to home customers.

(Read more: The Chanute Tribune)

New Prairie Village Mayor Eric Mikkelson says council will face big decisions about trajectory of city in coming years

New Prairie Village Mayor Eric Mikkelson used his swearing-in ceremony on Monday to map out a set of guiding principles for governing of the city into its 70th year and beyond.

Mikkelson, who served a full term representing Ward 3 on the city council before rolling off early last year, said that matters of public safety, fiscal responsibility and infrastructure maintenance will continue to be the foundations on which good city government is built — and he credited outgoing Mayor Laura Wassmer with handing over the city in excellent shape on those counts.

But, he said, the city will face a number of tough questions in the coming years that will fundamentally shape how Prairie Village functions five, ten and 20 years down the road. “We have to collectively decide what Prairie Village character and charm means, whether it’s worth preserving, and, if so, how,” Mikkelson said. “Much change is coming either way, but what our city looks like, what it feels like to live here, who can afford to live here, the diversity of our residents and opportunities, the success and quality of our local businesses, the inter-city competition for Millennials buying the first house, they’re all in play over the next few years.”

North Wichita residents upset Westar still hasn’t provided compensation for power poles

Romeo Brewer and his neighbors hate seeing these new power poles in their north Wichita neighborhood; what they hate even more they say is that the electric company Westar isn’t holding good to its promise.

“What about the people? They don’t care about the people,” said Brewer.

In September Westar installed the poles, hoping to provide more durable and efficient power to the area.

Westar understands neighbors consider the new additions eyesores, so the company offered to pay homeowners to put the poles on their property.

“We don’t know what’s going on because there’s been no information provided,” said Robert Jones.

Jones says he hasn’t received a dime from Westar and neither have many of his neighbors.

State representative Gail Finney, said, “I think my blood pressure goes up every time I look at it because it is just terrible looking for a community, and I don’t really think they would’ve done that to a more affluent area in my opinion.”

(Read more: KAKE – News)

Topeka city officials hear concerns about proposed subdivision and stormwater issues

Neighbors suggested Tuesday evening that flooding will result if the city moves forward with proposed plans for the Sherwood Village subdivision at 2400 S.W. Indian Hills Road in unincorporated Shawnee County.

Residents of the nearby Sherwood Park subdivision addressed the city governing body as it discussed but took no action on a proposal it is expected to consider next month through which the city would annex the 33-lot Sherwood Village, which is to be constructed on property contiguous to the city’s boundary.

The annexation is being requested by the property’s owners, developers William L. and Joyce G. Rowland.

Nine people shared concerns regarding the project on Tuesday. One suggested Sherwood Park residents weren’t necessarily opposed to the development but had issues with matters that included traffic and potential flooding.

“Residents of Sherwood Park Subdivision have expressed concerns about stormwater drainage because of the proposed removal of an existing stormwater detention basin,” said a document in the meeting’s agenda packet. “The city of Topeka utilities and public works departments have reviewed the subdivision’s stormwater plans to ensure the stormwater system does not negatively impact nearby properties. The existing detention basin will be re-built further away from Sherwood Park Subdivision.”

New Classification for Fire Safety in Hutchinson goes to Class 1

Fire Chief Steven Beer announced during a news conference Tuesday that the fire rating classification for the city of Hutchinson is changing from a Class Three to a Class One and that Fire District 2 is going from a Class Six to a Class Four.

Classes are scored on a scale of one to 10, one being the best while 10 is the worst.

Currently, there are only six Class One cities in the state of Kansas and only 329 nationwide out of 47,500 fire departments.

He says with being a Class One city, it’s good news for homeowners and businesses when it comes to insurance. Beer states that the Insurance Service Office Public Protection Classification program provides important up-to-date information about municipal fire protection services in each community.

He says there are four things they look at when coming up with a communities classification – Emergency Communications, the Fire Department itself, the Water Supply and the Community Risk Reduction.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Proposed Costs For Flood Management Give Some In Wyandotte County Sticker Shock

At an open house in west Wyandotte County Tuesday night, residents and business owners voiced concerns about proposed changes to their monthly water and electric bills.

Currently, everyone pays $4.50 a month for stormwater management — meaning the sprawling Legends outlet mall pays the same as the owner of a one-bedroom home.

Officials at the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, want to change that, making the monthly payment proportionate to the size of the land.

But resident Greg Lucke, who lives on about an acre near Little Turkey Creek, would see his monthly cost go up by 400 percent.

“I’m not sure an increase is out of line at all, but I’m not sure (they) got the math right,” he said. “If there’s any drainage that comes off our property, it drains into a stream, which drains into the Kaw River. We don’t have any issues.”

The Unified Government says the new plan is intended to bring in more money from properties with more flooding, which tends to happen near non-residential properties because developed land does not absorb water as easily as undeveloped land.

Kim Thrasher has a house on the northern edge of the county and 25 acres that she says are undeveloped. She would owe nearly $1,000 a year under the new plan.

(Read more: )

Hutchinson Police Department aims to be more community oriented

Patrolling the streets of Hutchinson and responding to calls is what officer Jake Graber has been doing for years.

And while he knows just about every street in the city, you’ll mainly find him patrolling the north east side.

This year, the Hutchinson Police Department is changing the way it operates by adding two new systems, one of them being the beat system.

“The beat system, specializes in assigning an officer to a specific area of town,” Graber said.

The systems goal: For officers to get to know the community better and learn the issues within their assigned neighborhoods.

“Yeah ideally, we can get to know the business owners, the schools and be on a first name basis with these folks,” he said. “It’s more personable. I’d rather be called Jake than Officer Graber.”

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Local residents worried about future of Hillsboro Community Hospital

Hillsboro Community Hospital has been slow to pay employees the past two pay cycles, and it has some in the community wondering if the hospital will stay open.

Workers tell KSN they’ve had late paychecks. They said the hospital owes property taxes from at least last year that are overdue.

A former board member said the company out of Kansas City, who owns the hospital, has had trouble payings bills.

“It’s sad. It’s scary,” said Tom Koslowsky, former Hillsboro Community Hospital board member.

Koslowsky was on the hospital board of directors when the nearly $10 million dollar facility first opened. KSN reached out to Mike Murtha, President of the National Alliance of Rural Hospitals, an advocacy group of which Hillsboro and parent company EmpowerHMS are members.

He said, “the hospital ownership group acknowledges that the recent challenges have been a hardship on the employees and the community, but they are confident that the hospital will continue to serve the community under their leadership; the end of the year is particularly hard on rural hospitals because they pay to deliver services for patients who can’t pay. They are awaiting reimbursements from the federal government to kick in in the coming weeks.”

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Hiawatha Community Hospital to meet with county and city officials on financial crisis

Hiawatha Community Hospital is scheduled to meet with city and county officials to discuss its state of financial urgency.

This is according to Jeff Shelton, CEO, who announced last week that the hospital needed to cut — or find additional revenue — to the tune of approximately $3 million in order to deter the financial crisis. Shelton announced last week cuts in employee fringe benefits that totaled around $1 million — and included a 2 percent pay cut for all employees, in addition to other compensation decreases by the providers — but said the hospital would need to find a way to make up another almost $2 million in 2019. /blockquote>

(Read more: Atchison Globe Now)

Planters at end of JoCo streets cause big stir: Are they hazards or safety features?

When a reckless driver last May crashed into a decorative planter at the end of a residential street in Mission, he did a lot more than dislodge some bricks into the roadway.

The errant motorist sparked an impassioned debate over how best to preserve quiet, safe streets and neighborhood tranquility not far from Shawnee Mission Parkway.

City officials say they can’t just fix the broken planter, which has been there for more than 25 years, because it doesn’t meet the latest national highway safety standards. The city has floated the idea of removing this planter and five others that currently create dead-end barriers for 61st Terrace, 62nd Street and 62nd Terrace off Hodges Drive.

But nearby residents are fiercely opposed and have turned out in force at town meetings and petitioned to try to save the planters. Residents say that, while the planters may not technically meet traffic standards, they help beautify the neighborhood and improve public safety by slowing drivers down and preventing cut-through traffic from Shawnee Mission Parkway.

“We like the friendly nature of these,” said Susie Genova, who has lived on Hodges Drive for more than 30 years and sees the planters as an effective traffic calming device. “You can walk your dog through, you can stroll your stroller through, but not cars.”

Genova said the city used to block the streets with guardrails but replaced those unsightly metal features with the six planters at the neighborhood’s request in the early 1990s.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Homeowners throughout Topeka can now apply to get their houses painted

The city of Topeka has expanded its guidelines for homeowners to have their houses painted at no cost this summer, now allowing anyone from throughout the capital city to apply, a city official said.

Shane Wilson, program intake coordinator with the city’s Neighborhood Relations department, said Monday the city had initially focused in North Topeka and Ward-Meade neighborhoods as they looked for struggling homeowners who needed help getting their houses painted.

But after calls from throughout the community, the program is being opened to anyone in the city who meets guidelines.

Group Cares, a Colorado-based organization, will bring its team of 300 to 400 youth volunteers to Topeka from July 7-13 with the goal of helping elderly, disabled or otherwise struggling homeowners get their houses painted, Wilson said.

Hoisington to finish new fencing project at City Cemetery

The City of Hoisington is moving forward with completing the fencing project along the west side of the city cemetery along North Cedar Street.

Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell says the Hoisington City Council voted to retain the services from Eldridge Fencing to finish the already started project. The $26,000 project will finish the fencing along the west side of the cemetery with new gates.

Mitchell says there is not a lot fencing needed for the cemetery along K-4 Highway because of the tree rows that border in the majority of the boundary.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

Heavy snow in KC area left Edgerton City Hall in the dark

Heavy snow has left Edgerton City Hall in the dark – literally.
“Power is out at city hall,” said Don Roberts, mayor. An alert was sent to area residents via the Johnson County notification network.
“We are trying to get moved to a priority list,” Roberts said. Edgerton is serviced by Kansas City Power and Light, which had over 80,000 customers out Jan. 11.
Although city hall has no phones, no lights, no internet, Roberts said he was only aware of about five Edgerton residential customers without power. “People can still call in to city hall, it won’t be the same prompts, but we will get the message and return calls,” Roberts said.

(Read more: Gardner News)

Gardner okays neighborhood revitalization program

The Gardner City Council adopted a resolution to create a neighborhood revitalization program in four zones within Gardner during a meeting Jan. 7
The zones, three business and one residential, will benefit from a tax rebate once the program is completed.
According to Larry Powell, Gardner director of business and economic development, the proposed revitalization program follows the success of a similar program that ran between 1997 and 2007. (There was a final payout in December of 2017.)
He said Gardner was the first city in the county to establish a neighborhood revitalization project and the first to complete it.
He said that in that project one of the businesses recouped the entire cost of constructing a new building.
“This program promotes the revitalization and development of the city of Gardner by stimulating new construction and the rehabilitation and development of the city in order to enhance the public health, safety and welfare of the residents of the city,” he said.

(Read more: Gardner News)

899 people in line ahead of you? Johnson County in for major courthouse traffic jam

If you are scheduled to appear in Johnson County traffic court on the morning of Feb. 6, you might want to bring a book.

A very long book.

For reasons that officials are still trying to sort out, more than 900 traffic cases have been scheduled to be heard at the 8:30 a.m. docket that day in the traffic division at the Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe. “There is likely to be a wait of several hours,” Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said in a written statement.

A typical traffic court docket would schedule 250 to 350 citations, according to the district attorney’s office, and about 40 percent of those ticketed would show up. The issue involves the Kansas Highway Patrol’s digital ticketing system.

At the request of the district attorney’s office, the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration, which oversees the ticketing system, had set limits on the number of cases scheduled at any one time, according to Howe’s office.

For an unknown reason, that limit was removed, the district attorney said.

Hays Regional Airport serves record number of passengers

The Hays Regional Airport will be receiving more funds for improvements from the Federal Aviation Administration, thanks to record boardings in the 2018.

More than 12,000 passengers flew out of the airport last year.

Ovid Seifers, airport manager, said the April addition of SkyWest flights to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport was the reason for the increase. Flights to Denver were also up slightly.

This included a record month in December, Seifers said. The airport last reached 10,000 boardings in 2011 and 2012.

Since the airport exceeded 10,000 departures in 2018, it is eligible for $1 million in FFA Airport Improvement Funds in 2020. The airport barely missed the 10,000 mark last year, but a loophole will allow the airport to still receive the $1 million in FFA funding in 2019, Seifers said.

Airports that have less than 10,000 travelers receive only $150,000 annually.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Wichita company plans payback to city after missing incentive threshold

Local aerospace supplier Fiber Dynamics Inc. is planning an expansion in southwest Wichita while also crafting a plan with the city to make good on monies owed as a result of missing the employment threshold of a previous tax abatement.
According to documents from the city, the company in 2008 was approved for a tax exemption for expansion and new machinery.
At the time, it had a base employment of 22 people and projected the creation of 79 new jobs.
However, at the time of the city’s five-year review of that abatement in 2013, the company had not yet hit that employment threshold.
The exemption was granted a second five-year period to allow time for the new job creation because of a provision related to a greater than five-point decline in the economic conditions index compiled by Wichita State University during the agreement period.
But by the end of that second five-year period on Dec. 31, the city documents indicate that Fiber Dynamics had still not reached the projected number of new jobs.

Johnson County among hardest hit by power outages from weekend winter storm

Efforts to restore power to homes affected by the winter storm that hung over the Shawnee Mission area for a full day this weekend are expected to continue into at least tomorrow.

Information provided by KCP&L to northeast Johnson County cities suggests that many customers may be without power through Monday. The heavy, wet snow the piled up on the area from Winter Storm Gia damaged parts of the local electrical grid, sending blue flashes from blown transformers across the sky Saturday.

More than 120,000 KCP&L customers across the Kansas City metro area were left without power at the storm’s peak. As of 7 a.m. Sunday, approximately 85,000 customers still lacked power. Johnson County was among the hardest hit pockets of the metro, with nearly 23,000 customers still in the dark as of this morning.

KCP&L has issued a call for mutual assistance, which will bring line crews from surrounding regions to the area to help with power restoration.

Shawnee County moves away from removing animal carcasses near roads; policy change allows ‘nature to take its course’

The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office has moved away from its past practice of removing non-hazardous animal carcasses from beside roadways, a supervisor with that office says.

Shawnee County animal control, a support unit of the sheriff’s office, removes carcasses that are considered traffic hazards from roadways in Shawnee County, Sgt. Todd Stallbaumer said in an email Friday.

That unit also may remove carcasses that pose issues in certain non-highway settings, Stallbaumer said.

“As a courtesy, Shawnee County animal control has traditionally assisted with the removal of animal carcasses on the side of roadways,” he said. “More recently, however, animal control has moved away from this type of non-hazardous carcass removal to focus on their responsibility to enforce state and local animal laws in Shawnee County.” Kansas statute 68-115 requires counties and townships to remove obstructions in roadways, and Shawnee County counselor Jim Crowl said in an email Thursday it was his understanding that Shawnee County animal control is responsible for removing carcasses of dead animals from roads.

“However, we were advised last summer of a policy change whereby animal control would move off of the roadway any animals in the actual roadway that might pose a traffic hazard and allow ‘nature to take its course,’ ” Crowl said. “I was told that this was being done as a cost-saving measure.”

Butler County okays Next Generation 9-1-1 for 2019 service

The Commission authorized the 9-1-1 Director to pay the Kansas 9-1-1 Coordinating Council $108,360 for 2019 Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) services. In 2017, Butler County entered into an agreement with the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council for NG911 call handling equipment and participation on the statewide Emergency Services IP Network (ESI Net). It was noted that Butler County Emergency Medical Services Director Chad Pore will be stepping down from his position the first week of February. Will Johnson stated that Mr. Pore has been a great asset to Butler County and the county has made great improvements during his tenure.

(Read more: Augusta Gazette)

Neosho County won’t issue moratorium on wind project

A motion for a moratorium against a proposed wind farm in Neosho County failed with all three county commissioners present at a special meeting Thursday evening.

Commissioners also voted to change their meetings to Thursday evenings from Friday mornings when a commissioner decided against resigning.

The discussion on the proposed Neosho Ridge wind project filled the courtroom at the Neosho County courthouse to capacity, but was less dramatic than previous commission meetings. A representative of Apex Clean Energy, developers of the project, had 30 minutes to make a presentation, then a representative of non-participating landowners had 30 minutes to present the opponents’ concerns. The commission then met in executive session with an attorney for an hour before considering the moratorium.

Commissioner Paul Westhoff, whose district covers the area of the proposed project, proposed a six-month moratorium, but the motion died without a second. Commissioner David Bideau said he was opposed because a moratorium equates to a ban, and Commissioner Jennifer Orr said she opposed it due to zoning laws. Orr, who missed county commission meetings during December, apologized for her absence and said she does not want to resign.

County Commissioner Jennifer Orr reportedly told County Counselor Seth Jones she would resign, but had not properly submitted written notice to the State and the county clerk. Friday morning, officials said they understood Orr withdrew her plans.

Commissioners voted Thursday evening to move their meetings to 6 pm on Thursdays to avoid job scheduling conflicts.

Land bank works to revitalize neighborhoods in Pittsburg

The City of Pittsburg is ramping up its efforts to improve properties in Pittsburg. With the help of the Pittsburg Land Bank, the City is continuing to turn blighted, vacated and underused properties into new opportunities for businesses, homebuilders and developers.

The City of Pittsburg established the Pittsburg Land Bank in 2015 to convert vacant, abandoned, tax-delinquent and otherwise neglected properties into productive use. The land bank strategically acquires problem properties that destabilize neighborhoods, create fire and safety hazards and drive down property values, and transfers them to new, responsible owners in a manner that results in outcomes consistent with the City’s revitalization efforts.

“The land bank is a means to address blight in our community,” says City of Pittsburg Community Development and Housing Director Quentin Holmes. “It’s a tool the City can use to improve neighborhoods and improve our housing stock.”

The land bank also provides an opportunity for landowners who no longer want their properties or cannot afford the maintenance required to keep them in good condition. Because the land bank is a not-for-profit entity, landowners receive an added tax benefit.

“The land bank could be a way to solve a problem that a property owner may not know how to resolve. In these cases, we can eliminate a financial burden on the property owner and redevelop the property for future use,” says Holmes.

(Read more: City of Pittsburg)

Lawrence to consider extending fast-track incentives program for business parks

City leaders soon will decide whether to continue a program meant to jump-start development at the city’s business parks and other industrially zoned areas.

As part of its meeting Monday, the City Commission will consider approving a three-year extension of the Catalyst Program. The program, which the commission created in 2017, provides a simplified application process for industrial projects that want to build or expand facilities in VenturePark, East Hills Business Park or other industrially zoned land in the city.

City staff is recommending that the commission extend the program, saying that it has been successful, according to a memo to the commission. The memo notes that three companies have received incentives to build or expand their facilities under the program over the past two years.

Roeland Park tallies up completed priorities from 2018, looks to 2019 projects

Removing dead trees in Nall Park, finishing a high priority sidewalk project, and maintaining the city’s art were among 2018 objectives completed by Roeland Park.

Twenty tasks, with a total budget of $330,000, were planned for completion in 2018. Two-thirds of completed tasks came in at or below budgeted cost.

“We got a lot accomplished in 2018,” said Roeland Park Mayor Mike Kelly during a council workshop. The city is also continuing work on two 2017 objectives, the most notable being a $1 million task to find a new location for Public Works. According to a staff report the city is continuing to evaluate 35 potential relocation sites.

The city has a total of 33 objectives planned for completion in 2019.

Commissioner Mike Gaughan looks back on decade of service to Douglas County

Interim County Administrator Sarah Plinsky told Gaughan during Wednesday’s meeting that she appreciated his dedication to initiatives that may not be flashy or make headlines, but that help the organization function better.

Gaughan said certain administrative tasks — such as a salary study and overhaul of the pay structure that the county completed — will help the county be a competitive employer for those drawn to public service, despite its position sandwiched between Johnson and Shawnee counties as well as facing the University of Kansas, city of Lawrence and the local school district.

“Just like every other employer in town, we’re hoping to recruit and retain talented, smart people,” he said.

He also noted the inevitability that Craig Weinaug, who served as county administrator for more than 26 years, would eventually retire. Gaughan wanted to make sure the county would be in a position to move forward when Weinaug’s experience and knowledge left the courthouse — which it did, with his December retirement.

Hays city commission debates ‘road to nowhere’: should development or infrastructure come first?

Is it a road to nowhere or bridge to somewhere?

Hays Mayor James Meier Thursday voted against improvements to East 41st Street from Home Depot east to Vineyard Park, calling it a “road to nowhere” and a “project in search of a problem.”

Commissioner Ron Mellick voted with the majority for the improvements, which include grading, pavement, storm sewer and waterline. The low bid of $629,133.50 was from Paul-Wertenberger Construction, Hays, and was less than the engineer’s estimate.

“I look at this as a ‘bridge to somewhere,’ ” Mellick countered. “You can’t develop on either side of the actual road. I think this is a bridge out to where a developer can afford to put in housing or even commercial.”

Meier clarified in discussion that he respects those who intended to vote for the project but pointed out over the past few years the commission has discussed whether development or infrastructure should come first.

(Read more: Hays Post)