Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

South Hutchinson police chief talks of hiring officers

Although, there have been cuts made earlier this year to the South Hutchinson Police Department as the city council worked to get its financial house in order, South Hutchinson Police Chief Mark Thompson talked of making a hire despite those cut backs. He also gave advice for those who may want to enter law enforcement as a profession:

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Colby named among the state’s safest communities

After analyzing data that included the rate of violent crime and property crimes, home security company Safewise has listed one northwest Kansas community among the state’s safest.

Colby — the only northwest Kansas city to make the list — ranked ninth in the study.

Mission Hills and Hesston were named the state’s two safest communities.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Grant funds available for new swimming pools (60% grant / 40% local)

The purpose of this round of CDBG funding is to benefit Kansas cities by granting unobligated CDBG funds for an activity not normally funded through the annual CDBG program. Funds in this round will be awarded in a manner to be primarily invested in pools of water within a Neighborhood Center.
In selecting projects to be funded the State of Kansas shall give priority to projects that can award contracts based on bids within one year from contract start date.
Up to $20 million dollars will be made available under the Neighborhood Center round of funding to address an activity listed under eligible activities. Applicants may request up to $1,000,000 in grant funds. The required match is 60/40 (60 percent CDBG funds and 40 percent local funds). There is no minimum grant request. All applications are due by May 15, 2019 with an award announcement on or about July 1, 2019.

More information is available at KS Department of Commerce.

If you are interested in, or have questions about, this swimming pool grant, please contact Rose Mary Saunders for assistance.

Lenexa council changes city administrator’s title to city manager

Lenexa city leaders have taken first steps to change the city administrator’s title to city manager.

Discussion of the title change comes ahead of the pending retirement of Lenexa city administrator Eric Wade, who plans to stay on staff for a few months alongside his replacement to facilitate a smooth transition next year.

The Lenexa council in its Dec. 18 meeting voted 6-1 on an ordinance for the title change. Councilmember Bill Nicks cast the single dissenting vote. Councilmember Thomas Nolte was absent for the vote and council discussion.

Lenexa city attorney Cindy Harmison said that in a presentation earlier this month to the council, a search consultant with Strategic Government Resources suggested that the title change to city manager would best fit Wade’s current responsibilities and duties. The search consultant also found that the title change would widen the city’s search for Wade’s replacement and would be more likely to attract candidates.

The council’s ordinance change required a simple majority and goes into effect upon publication.

Tiny houses bring people home to Nicodemus

They broke ground in April, but then it rained for days, and then weeks. Then it flooded, then a bridge went out, and then it became impossible to find licensed and bonded building contractors willing to take on the work of building four tiny homes in Nicodemus.

“We’ve had one setback after another,” said JohnElla Holmes, leader of the Nicodemus Tiny Homes Project in Graham County. “But now we’re back on track.”

With dirt leveled, footings dug, and some concrete poured, it looks now like four people longing to move back home to the tiny town on U.S. Highway 24 will be able to do so by March 2019 to new 500-square-foot homes.

As Holmes explains it, the Tiny Homes Project helps people come home to the historic town that is beloved by its residents and their families. “It just blows my mind how many people want to come home but were discouraged by the cost and the difficulty,” said Holmes, who moved back recently after a career as a college professor at Kansas State University, Manhattan. Stumbling blocks include dead-end roads, badly platted lots, costly regulatory issues related to septic systems, and outdated and insufficient waterline designed and installed in 1979. Holmes and her helpers have had to work around the problems, like trading around lots to build in the most accessible spots.

“I do this so that Nicodemus will live on forever,” Holmes said, noting a population trend unusual for rural Kansas: The number of people in Nicodemus has increased from 15 in 2015 to 47 today.

(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

Derby Rec Commission looks at esports

As part of its 10-year master plan, the Derby Recreation Commission wants to take part in the growing industry of esports.

Esports is a general term to describe video games played in a competitive setting. With the rise in popularity of video games across the nation, some players are gaining interest in playing them for sport.

Competitive leagues for games such as Fortnite, League of Legends, and Overwatch have been early pioneers in the sports industry. Though the DRC currently has no formal plans to purchase a facility or equipment for esports, Drum said the DRC was “intrigued” by the industry as it gains popularity in the midwest.

“I can tell you, we’ve had some discussions about evaluating the concept and potentially facilitating a tournament or a sports event in our rec center,” Drum said.

Esports are typically played on specialized desktop computers, but some are also played on traditional consoles like Xbox and Play Station.

(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)

Dollar Tree approved in Pratt

It’s official! Dollar Tree is coming to Pratt!
With the stroke of a pen and unanimous vote, Pratt City Commissioners Monday night set the stage for Dollar Tree management to move ahead with plans for a store off U. S. Highway 54 to the east of Hibbett Sports with entrances off Fincham Road to the east and Dale Road to the north.
Pratt Building Inspector Brad Blankenship presented the resolution which defined all the boundaries and other necessary requirements to commissioners. He reported that the Pratt Planning and Zoning Board had done due diligence in making sure all city ordinances and requirements were met.

(Read more: Kiowa County Signal)

E-bikes, other motorized vehicles voted down on JoCo parks trails

Electronic bicycles, scooters and other motorized vehicles will remain banned from Johnson County park trails for at least the near future.

The county Park & Recreation District’s Board of Commissioners on Wednesday voted against a proposal that would have allowed visitors to use e-bikes and electronic unicycles on the 15-mile Gary L. Haller Trail in Shawnee between March and June of next year as part of a pilot project.

District officials said the pilot would have shown them how much interest there was for people wanting to use motorized vehicles on the park trails and whether allowing the vehicles led to additional accidents or complaints from other trail users.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Bill to rename the Big Ditch on president’s desk

The Wichita-Valley Center Flood Control Project, known as the Big Ditch, is one step closer to being renamed after the man who designed it, M.S. Mitch Mitchell.

The U.S. Senate passed a bill the week of Dec. 20 naming the flood-control project; the House of Representatives passed the bill in September. The bill must now be approved by the President.

Mitchell, who died in March 2017, was a local hero, affectionately known as Big Ditch Mitch.

He was the flood control and maintenance supervisor for the City Council Flood Control Office for Sedgwick County and Wichita from 1958-63. He supervised the innovative flood-control project, which diverted excess water around Wichita.

(Read more: Area | derbyinformer.com)

Marion County splits cities in final district plan

County commissioners decided Thursday on a five-district map for addition of two commissioners.

Both Marion and Hillsboro will be split into two different districts, and two of the districts will not be contiguous, with some part of each district isolated from the remainder of the district.

Although state law does not require that districts be contiguous, it does require that they be as compact as possible, and numerous federal court rulings have struck down districting plans elsewhere that include non-contiguous districts.

Bryan Caskey, director of elections for the Kansas secretary of state’s office, said drawing district lines was entirely up to the county.

(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)

The University of Kansas Public Management Center announces graduates of Certified Public Manager Program

The University of Kansas Public Management Center has announced this year’s graduates of the Kansas Certified Public Manager program, who represent the 25th anniversary class.

The graduation ceremony took place last month in the House Chamber at the Capitol in Topeka. The 85 graduates, who began their coursework in January, represent local, county, state or federal agencies from across Kansas. They participated in classes held in Topeka, Olathe and the KU Edwards Campus.

Of these participants, 21 are graduates of the Law Enforcement Leadership Academy (LELA) Command School who completed their CPM certification through classroom instruction and online work. While they were recognized earlier in November at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Yoder, they were also included in the graduation ceremony in Topeka.

“The Kansas CPM program is a dynamic and engaging certification program of 300 contact hours that uses a capstone project as the final exam and course materials that inspire new ways of thinking and innovative approaches to solving problems,” said Terri Callahan, program manager. “This year was particularly special, as we also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the program.” The Kansas CPM program is a professional education opportunity for managers working in government agencies, nonprofits and organizations that contract to provide public services and meet community needs. CPM is a nationally accredited management program and certification in which participants develop and strengthen their management skills through a competency-based curriculum. Close to 1,800 CPM graduates have earned the nationally recognized emblem of management excellence through the Kansas program.

(Read more: The Salina Post)

Ellis County needs residents’ input for planning

Ellis County wants input from county residents on a comprehensive plan being designed for the area, according to Karen Purvis, environmental sanitarian and zoning administrator for the county.

Ellis County has been working with Marvin Planning Consultants, Inc., David City, Neb., and MSA Professional Services, Ankeny, Iowa, since September. The project is now undergoing the countywide public participation phase.

In this phase, residents can guide the process with their thoughts and vision, including through a survey now available online.

(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

Edgerton considers employees’ pay increase

There was spirited debate at the Edgerton city council meeting Dec. 13 over a proposed city staff pay raise.
Beth Linn, city administrator, presented the results of a compensation and benefits study that compared Edgerton’s city employees’ pay scales to those of employees in other cities in the region.
The study looked for cities that mimicked Edgerton in several categories including economic growth, workload and quality of life.
Linn told the council that Edgerton has unique characteristics that presented challenges in selecting the most comparable cities to conduct the study.
“Similar to the unique characteristics of having small town charm in our residential areas while being home to an international logistics hub, Edgerton staff experience the types and variety of work of both smaller and larger communities,” she said. The study compared Edgerton’s pay structure to those of Gardner, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee and Overland Park.
According to the study, there’s a huge disparity between Edgerton and other cities on assessed property valuation per employee and annual capital improvement budget per employee. Don Roberts, mayor, said the city needs to raise the pay for employees because the job market was tight, and it was becoming harder to attract and keep quality employees.
“There’s huge competition with the private sector, and what this study did was establish what the market is. We are able to see the market for what it is,” he said.

(Read more: Gardner News)

Salina City Commission selects Schrage to be city manager

Mike Schrage was chosen Friday to become Salina’s next city manager.

The Salina City Commission voted unanimously about 12:30 p.m. Friday to extend a job offer to Schrage, who in June was appointed interim city manager, and to authorize the preparation of an employment contract that will be part of the agenda for the commission’s next meeting Jan. 7.

Schrage said he looks forward to continuing to serve the city.

“I am very honored, and I know I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me,” he said. “I look forward to working with this commission and future commissions to move the community forward. I have enjoyed serving in my role for 13 years with the community, and I look forward to taking it to the next level in terms of responsibility and taking a leadership role in the community.”

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Cedar Point Fire Station construction continues

Steve Fillmore and Thom Kirk met with the Chase County Commission to provide an update on the Cedar Point Fire Station.

“By this time next year, we want it built,” Commissioner Tony Hazelton said. “Can you tell us where we are at?”

“We are working on the pad,” Kirk said. “I’m trying to get the pad built up to the elevation Steve wants. When we are ready we can make arrangements for the water lines.”

“We need to let the pad sit for a little bit, a couple months at least,” Steve Fillmore said.

Both men expressed they are making progress despite early weather delays. They aren’t anticipating any problems and feel the fire station is moving in the right direction.

“We want to do it right, but we want to make sure we are moving forward timely,” Commissioner Bill Fillmore said. “Those people have been without a fire station for too long. We want to make sure we get it done.”

(Read more: Emporia Gazette)

County working to resolve issue with IRS

Neosho County officials are working to avoid a $61,000 penalty from the Internal Revenue Service.

Human Resources Manager Christy Hofer told commissioners Friday morning that the IRS notified her about the penalty for 2016 because of the Affordable Care Act.

The county is in compliance with the ACA, but Hofer said the problem stems from errors made in forms filed for the year that made the IRS think the county had not met requirements. She said she has received an extension and is working to resolve the issue.

Ottawa becomes first mindful city in the nation

City of Ottawa Fire Chief Tim Matthias wasn’t sure what to think when he first heard about a stress management program being offered in Ottawa. “Truthfully, I was hesitant to commit to the class because I did not know what to expect,” he said. “The first two classes that I attended, I still had that mindset of, ‘What does this have to do with me or for me?’ It wasn’t until the third class that I started to realize the true meaning of mindfulness and the benefits that can come from having this in your everyday routine.” In 2017, Matthias, along with other City of Ottawa department directors, participated in “A Stress Management Program Based on Mindfulness Meditation.” The eight-week program was a collaboration between the City of Ottawa and Ransom Memorial Hospital and was facilitated by William Hale, M.D., of Lawrence.

(Read more: News – The Ottawa Herald)

Former police officer sues Hutchinson

A former Hutchinson Police Department officer is charging the city of Hutchinson with employment discrimination and retaliation.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Topeka, Devin Berman said he was open with the city and the department about his disability, Tourette’s syndrome, when they decided to hire him in late 2013. However, he claims, he “quickly began experiencing acts of discrimination based on his disability.”

He “was incessantly made fun of at work by other employees in ways such as name-calling, mimicking, and being compared to disabled individuals, such as individuals with autism. No adverse action was taken against the employees for these actions and these actions continued throughout Devin’s employment, even after complaints were made by Devin to his supervisors,” the suit claims.

He was denied advancement and opportunities to move up in the department because of his disability, the suit charges.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Saying problems with voting system have been resolved, Election Commissioner recommends completing purchase

Convinced that problems with the new electronic voting machines have been resolved, Election Commissioner Ronnie Metsker told county commissioners that he is ready to sign the papers and cut the check to vendor ES&S.

Payment on the $10.6 million system is expected to go through as soon as the county legal and tech departments give it the final okay, Metsker said.

Metsker said his office is satisfied that the problems that slowed the vote reporting software to a crawl in the August primary have been successfully addressed. The coding problem that led to hours of delay in reporting vote totals was fixed for the general election, and equipment worked well even with an unusually high turnout, he said.

“We’ve all been very traumatized by the difficulty,” Metsker said. “To have a good outcome meant we had no bad media or negative comments within the community and we’re on our way to a successful recovery.”

Johnson County to pilot $250,000 micro-transit program in Overland Park, Merriam, Shawnee and Lenexa

The Bridj van-hailing service that debuted with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority two years ago ended in failure because of low ridership. Eventually, the company closed down. Nevertheless, KCATA and Johnson County are willing to give micro-transit another shot, this time with a similar test program in parts of Overland Park, Merriam, Shawnee and Lenexa.

County commissioners on Thursday approved spending $250,000 on a six-month pilot program to see if it will eventually provide a viable and more sustainable alternative to the full-sized city buses that now serve the suburbs. This time around, the micro-transit service will be offered through Transloc, a company owned by Ford.

The pilot program is basically a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft, except that large vans pick up riders instead of cars. Riders make arrangements on a Smartphone app or by calling a number. If, for instance, three riders appear to be headed to roughly the same place at the same time, a software program figures out the best route.

Mission prepares to take over animal control services for former NEACC cities

Mission has agreed to begin contracts with five neighboring cities to provide them animal control services.

In the wake of the dissolution of the Northeast Animal Control Commission earlier this year, Mission plans to provide animal control services to the cities of Fairway, Mission Woods, Roeland Park, Westwood and Westwood Hills. Those year-long contracts begin Jan. 1.

City administrator Laura Smith, who presented the prepared contracts for the Mission councilmembers during their finance and administration committee meeting Dec. 12, had indicated that Westwood Hills planned to participate in a contractual agreement. That agreement came up for approval in time for the council meeting Dec. 19.

Mission has already taken steps to hire two community service officers for the Mission Police Department; these two positions will be dedicated to animal control for Mission and the other cities and will also handle non-essential police functions such as parking complaints, traffic control for accidents and walk-in reports.

JoCo med examiner project prompts neighborhood outcry

Northwood Trails neighborhood residents are outraged that trees were cut down behind their homes.

Commission unable to agree on redistricting

County commissioners spent more than an hour and a half Monday discussing a new county redistricting proposal and proposing two additional ones, but ultimately chose none of them and set a work session for Thursday.

Commissioners have given much discussion to redistricting the county since voters approved creation of a five-member commission in November. No apparent resolution has been found.

The first proposal studied during Monday’s meeting left both Hillsboro and Marion intact as districts and divided the rest of the county into three districts.

“This is my proposal I’m presenting now,” commissioner Dianne Novak said.

(Read more: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin)

Marion County faces backlash over administrator

County commissioners faced a packed house at Monday’s meeting — many of them there to vent their opinions on a vote to proceed with hiring a county administrator.

Former commissioner Dan Holub was among those who came to speak against last week’s split vote to move forward on seeking a county administrator despite a 2017 advisory vote in which voters gave a thumbs-down to the idea.

“I don’t want to get into an argument,” Holub said.

Holub said the county has no job description for an administrator, and existing employees will have job responsibilities taken away, resulting in pay reductions.

“Also, the cost of a five-member commission was not discussed before election,” Holub said. “I think you’ve lost your credibility. One, you’ve gone against the voters, and the other, you didn’t give out all the information.” Last week Commissioner Novak broached the subject of an administrator before commissioner Randy Dallke arrived, and after a brief discussion with commissioner Kent Becker, Novak made a motion to approve a resolution — not written yet — to hire an administrator. Becker seconded Novak’s motion. Dallke entered the commission room as the motion was made and seconded and asked if he gets to talk about it. He reminded Novak and Becker that the public had voted against hiring an administrator. Dallke voted against the motion and Novak and Becker voted in favor.

(Read more: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin)

Collaboration key to business development in Pittsburg

New businesses abound in Pittsburg, according to the city, with nearly 40 new starts just in 2018.
According to officials at the City of Pittsburg, 39 new business licenses were granted in 2018, coming close to last year’s total of 41.
Along with several up and coming businesses, many startups up and down Broadway and beyond, have been in the works for a while, and in the past two years, have began to come to fruition.
Collaboration and partnership have been key to the growth according to City Manager Daron Hall, Deputy City Manager Jay Byers, Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce President Blake Benson and Director of Community Engagement Sydney Anselmi.
The city is emulating Pittsburg’s motto “Forward Together,” they said.
A few years ago the city gathered information from people in the area to pinpoint how to better serve local businesses.
“We are working on changing the ‘we’re a small town, we can’t do that’ to ‘yes we can,’ Pittsburg Public Information Manager Sarah Runyon said.

(Read more: Community – Morning Sun)

The city of Olathe has installed its first 3D painted crosswalk

The city of Olathe has installed its first 3D painted crosswalk, which gives the illusion of boxes on the street. Motorists will encounter it if they drive on Cherry Street from Park to Loula streets in the downtown area.

The 3D crosswalks are designed to draw attention to pedestrians who may be crossing the street. Drivers approaching the crosswalk will momentarily see what looks like boxes on the pavement, beginning from roughly 40 to 50 feet away. Pedestrians using the crosswalk see only blobs of colored paint.

The illusion is provided by an old artistic technique called a one-point perspective drawing, said Hallie Sheptor, communications specialist for Olathe Public Works. The technique gives a three-dimensional look on a flat surface.

Detour problems near Ark City trigger moves by state, county

State and local authorities are taking action after growing safety concerns caused by the detouring of traffic away from the closed bridge near Arkansas City.

A.J. Wilson, an engineer with Kansas Department of Transportation, was on hand at the Cowley County Commission meeting Tuesday night to address detour complaints caused by the closing of U.S. Highway 166 bridge. The bridge is being replaced and the project is expected to take 18 months.

Local roads, particularly Lovers Lane, have become favored detours for those vehicles used to traversing the Arkansas River over the bridge, which is being replaced and will be closed for an estimated 18 months.

At the Tuesday meeting, Ark City residents described vehicles, including semis, speeding on the roads; near-miss accidents and semis’ becoming stuck when they try to turn around in no-outlet areas.

Mission council passes non-discrimination ordinance on 7-1 vote

Two days after Prairie Village passed a similar measure, the Mission council on Wednesday approved a non-discrimination ordinance with legal protections for LGBTQ+ residents and employees.

The ordinance, which goes into effect Jan. 1, extends legal protections in the city to sexual orientation and gender identity, and also covers currently protected classes at the state and federal levels (such as race, ethnicity, military status, etc.).

The 7-1 vote drew a round of applause from the packed council chambers.

Because the ordinance covers currently protected classes in addition to sexual orientation and gender identity, the city of Mission can investigate all cases of nondiscrimination if a complainant so chooses, said city administrator Laura Smith. However, the city can also forward cases on to other sources such as the Kansas Human Rights Commission, if those cases involve instances of discrimination against classes protected at the state level.

The council’s vote also approved a penalty fee increase from $500 to $1,000, per the councilmembers’ discussion at committee level last week. Prairie Village also set its maximum penalty for a violation at $1,000.

Reno County Planning Commission to begin discussion on wind farm

The Reno County Planning Commission will begin discussion on a possible conditional use permit that is expected from NextEra Energy in regards to the proposed wind farm near Pretty Prairie on Thursday.

Planning Director Mark Vonachen says the commission will discuss various matters pertaining to the wind farm, including scheduling alternative meeting dates. The planning commission was left to make some of the major decisions on the wind farm after a moratorium that was requested by area residents failed to gain any support by the commission.

Vonachen says that once the permit is filed, the planning board will have to piece any concerns together. Once that is completed, a public hearing will be held, which is sure to draw a lot of attention. Once that is finished, the planning board will make their recommendation to the county commissioners for action.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Commission votes put Washburn Tech East site on track to open by summer

Two Shawnee County Commission votes taken Thursday were expected to put Washburn Tech East on track to offer classes beginning next summer out of its planned permanent site at 2014 S.E. Washington.

Commissioners Kevin Cook, Shelly Buhler and Bob Archer voted 3-0 to enter into a contract that county counselor Jim Crowl said resolved all issues resulting from the county terminating its agreement with the initial general contractor, Champion Builders.

Commissioners then voted 3-0 to enter into a contract through which the county will pay Kelly Construction to complete the project. The company accepted responsibility for finishing it by May 1.

Washburn Tech East is being developed by Washburn University, GO Topeka and the Joint Economic Development Organization, a body of Shawnee County and city of Topeka elected officials.

Wyandotte Co. sues opioid industry, joining other Kansas, Missouri localities

Wyandotte County joined the parade of local governments lining up to sue opioid manufacturers and distributors Tuesday, filing suit in federal court against 14 industry giants and their affiliates.

Wyandotte County is at least the 20th local government in Kansas and Missouri to file suit against the companies, accusing them of getting rich by hooking people on pain meds while costing citizens large amounts of money in health care and law enforcement to deal with drug addiction, diversion and overdoses.

(Read more: Government & Politics News |)

High-tech incubator that the Lawrence and Douglas County purchased for $3M in 2010 now ‘bleeding cash’

Local governments made a nearly $3 million investment into a high-tech incubator space in northwest Lawrence that city leaders now say is losing more than $400,000 per year.

In 2010, Lawrence and Douglas County spent $2.9 million to purchase and renovate the former Oread Labs building, 4950 Bob Billings Parkway. The University of Kansas Bioscience and Technology Business Center operates the building’s lab and office space as an expansion facility to its main building on west campus, but BTBC leaders say the facility is struggling financially and needs more money from the city and county.
The city and county made the unusual deal to purchase the building in 2010 with the idea that it would retain CritiTech, a Lawrence-based pharmaceutical company that local leaders feared would leave the community without the lab space, the Journal-World reported at the time. CritiTech remains in Lawrence but left the BTBC expansion facility about five years ago.

Douglas County approves subsidy for new psychiatrists, discusses Fire Medical negotiations

The Douglas County Commission meets in the historic courtroom on the second floor of the county courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.
The Douglas County Commission agreed Wednesday to subsidize the hiring of three new psychiatrists for $350,000 — a move that one official said would allow about 1,100 more people to get the mental health treatment they need in 2019.

The subsidy will allow Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center to hire a new full-time psychiatrist and will allow Lawrence Memorial Hospital to hire two psychiatrists who will work part of the time on contract for other agencies, said Bob Tryanski, the county’s director of behavioral health projects, at the commission’s meeting. One of the new psychiatrists at LMH will spend 50 percent of his or her time working for Bert Nash, while the other new LMH hire will work 50 percent of the time for Heartland Community Health Center, he said.

City Commission in Junction City grants Community Partnership Empowerment Program request

The Junction CIty Commission has approved a request from the Community Partnership Empowerment Program for the use and waiver of fees at the 12th Street Community Center on the second and fourth Tuesday evenings of 2019.

City Manager Allen Dinkel said, “They’re trying to offer another program to help people help themselves in this community and they just want to have a place where they can get together. Counsel people from job searches and everything else. I think it’s a great thing to serve people in our community.

The program will be designed to allow participants to get those resources needed to empower them in areas ranging from hospital clinic assistance to spiritual help.

(Read more: Junction City Post)

Hiawatha City Commission votes to move forward on brick streets

Monday night marked the final meeting of the year for the Hiawatha City Commission, and with all commissioners present, the group voted to authorize KDOT to move forward in awarding the bid for the Brick Streets Project to Amino Brothers Company, Inc.

There was some concern among commissioners, as Amino Brothers was the State contractor for the walking trail, and there were some issues during that construction. Despite those concerns, the commission understood that with state funding— minus the $177,000 that the City must pay before the end of January — there is little they can do about the State-selected contractor, so they approved the authorization. City Administrator Mike Nichols reminded the commission that despite some extra time and corrections, the overall workmanship of Amino Brothers was good, and that the final product turned out great.

(Read more: Hiawatha World Online)

Olathe Council OKs plans to revamp Great Mall site, despite competing OP project

Olathe City Council members on Tuesday signed off on a developer’s plan to request $69.5 million in Kansas state tax incentives to build a hockey arena and a mixed-use development at the former Great Mall of the Great Plains site.

The 6-1 vote came despite the concerns of at least one resident and even some of the council members themselves that the project, called Mentum, could be on a collision course with a proposed development 10 miles away in Overland Park that is also seeking more than $63 million in state incentives and would also include a hockey arena.

“I’ve spoken to a number of financiers, and they agree that only one will probably be built in Johnson County,” said Mayor Michael Copeland. “The community can’t support two.”

Ellis County projects it will end year under budget

The Ellis County Commission is projecting it will end the year under budget and approved a series of transfers of the unused funds Monday.

The county intends to keep $2.925 million in unencumbered cash in its general fund account. This is about 15 percent of the county’s expenditures less transfers, Phillip Smith-Hanes, county administrator, said.

Smith explained the county’s general fund is like the county’s checking account, and the unencumbered cash is extra money to help with the county’s cash flow and to use in case of emergencies.

The two departments that had the largest surpluses in 2018 were the Road and Bridge, and Sheriff’s departments. Road and Bridge saved money because the cost of diesel was less than budgeted. The department also spent less than expected on road commodities.

The jail had days this summer when its prisoner population was low. This meant the Sheriff’s Department didn’t have to spend as much money on housing prisoners in other counties.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Bus shelters coming to South Hutch in 2019

The Reno County Commission on Tuesday approved a licensing agreement with the city of South Hutchinson that will allow placement of two Reno County Area Transit bus shelters in that city.

The board also approved the transfer of a van that will allow the Department of Aging to set up a grocery delivery service for the elderly, OK’d disposing of two aging RCAT buses on an auction site, and heard a report on bus driver wages.

Both shelters will go on Main Street in South Hutchinson where there are existing concrete pads that city previously set up with benches, Reno County Transportation Director Barbara Lilyhorn advised the commission.

That is if the sites – at 8 N. Main and 309 S. Main – are approved as ADA compliant.

One other caveat on approval was that the agreement drafted by the city requires the county “meet the maximum liability under state and federal law.” The two shelters are among 16 to be constructed along RCAT routes in 2019 using a $76,600 state grant. The project has been in the works since early this year, but it was delayed by a state requirement all the sites had to be individually engineered.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Valley Center hires former long-time Derby Rec Commission superintendent

Former DRC Superintendent Frank Seitz will work as a consultant for the Valley Center Recreation Commission Board. According to The Ark Valley News, the board approved a contract with Seitz at its Dec. 10 meeting.

Hired in 1980, Seitz was the first superintendent for the Derby Recreation Commission and served until his retirement in 2017. Chris Drum, current DRC superintendent, started working in the role in November of the same year.

Seitz’s hiring comes two months after the board fired longtime recreation director Steve Geddes, claiming he had fractured relationships with other Valley Center governmental agencies.

Derby Rec Commission moves forward in acquiring arts center

In a move that advanced its acquisition of the building, the Derby Recreation Commission approved a donation agreement for the Hubbard Arts Center. The agreement, approved at the DRC board’s December meeting, provides formal structure for the deed of the property located at 309 N. Woodlawn. The agreement was established by the DRC, the city, and the Derby Historical Society. It is not a final lease agreement.

As part of the deal, the historical society will donate the Hubbard Arts Center to the DRC, which will pay for building insurance and utilities for both the museum and the arts center.

The DRC will not be responsible for liability insurance on the contents of the museum nor the operations of the historical society.

City land sale will square up lot

The City Council approved the sale of a small portion of park land to a private party. Mark Fritze and his wife, Kourtney Fritze, asked to buy 3,600 square feet of city-owned land at the very east side of the Woodland Valley Park, which is adjacent to their residential lot at 1231 N. Wild Turkey. The sale price is $1,800, or 50 cents a square foot.

“While the city does not generally favor selling its park lands, because this particular piece of the park is an odd shape, selling this small area would be of little to no consequence to the public use and enjoyment of the park,” City Manager Kathy Sexton said in a report to the council. With the sale, the lot would square up with the adjoining lot line and enable the homeowners to construct a fence.

Development needed says city manager, but planning and zoning board vote against senior development

In the coming month, the City of Newton Commission will face a vote to override its planning and zoning board and allow for the development for senior citizens, but actual details on the proposed development are short.

Redwood Developments, out of Joplin, Mo., is in the early stages of working on a development of a 6.7 acre retirement development, available for those 55 years and older that would be built near Sand Creek Golf Course along S. Anderson Drive and north of Summer Drive.

To make the development happen, the zoning of the property needed to be changed from single family to multi family residential.

Of the nine members of the zoning board, five were present for the presentation, and voted against the proposed change, 3-2, following concerns from area residents that the development could lower property values.

With a looming vote on the issue by the commission, Newton Now attempted to gather more information on the possible development.
However, Redwood Developers returned no phone calls on the possible development.

(Read more: Newton Now)

Garden City to change practice with repeat offenders

The Garden City Commission on Tuesday directed the Garden City Police Department to revise its existing practices regarding “Own Recognizance,” or OR, bonds for people who have violated the city’s code of ordinances, changing the language relating to repeat offenders.

Suspects issued an OR bond are released with only explicit instructions to appear in court at a certain date and time, rather than posting a payment or other surety.

Since July 2016, the GCPD has released people arrested on non-warrant arrests for municipal charges on an OR bond almost immediately, unless they are considered a danger to the community or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, in which case they are held for an additional six hours, City Prosecutor James Dummermuth told the commission.

The practice has resulted in some people being arrested for another charge within the same day, said Garden City police Capt. Courtney Prewitt. Someone could be arrested for criminal trespass, for instance, be released on an OR bond within an hour, per the practice, and then immediately trespass on the same property again, he said. The result, he said, was a persisting safety issue.

“From the law enforcement perspective, the safety of the community, the safety of our officers and even the safety of the suspects is important,” Prewitt said.

Over the last year, the department has arrested a person for a second charge within a 12-hour period about 25 times, Prewitt said, sometimes arresting individuals up to three times in relatively quick succession. With every repeated arrest, interactions become more confrontational between officers and jail staff and the suspects, he said.

Topeka Mayor, city manager hold final joint news conference of 2018

Mayor Michelle De La Isla and city manager Brent Trout conducted their final joint monthly news conference of 2018 on Tuesday morning at City Hall, discussing accomplishments that have taken place over the past 12 months and challenges awaiting the city next year.

Early in her comments, De La Isla noted the city had balanced its budget this year. She said the city also has enjoyed a smooth working relationship with Shawnee County, something she said hasn’t always been the case.

She praised the Topeka Police Department for its role in “some really difficult conversations in our community,” particularly in the aftermath of the fatal police shooting of Dominique White in September 2017 on the city’s east side.

With Police Chief Bill Cochran in the audience, the mayor said, “It’s been amazing to see how the police have stepped up and to see how we have really dug into our community and really built better relationships.”

North Newton residents now can get leak credits

North Newton City Administrator John Torline told council members on Monday night one resident had a huge water bill because of a leak, and there was nothing he could do to help that person pay for the water bill.

He said the leak was between the meter and the structure, which resulted in the large water bill. He said his response was to say, “Sorry, we don’t give a leak credit.”

“We think it’s time to amend the policy,” Torline said.

The council agreed, voting unanimously to give a “50-percent adjustment to the cost associated with the leak” if the leak is on the customer’s side of the meter and occurs before entering the structure. However, certain conditions must be met before the adjustment is given.

(Read more: Newton Now)