Kansas Municipal News
County employee resignation costs
Sedgwick County Manager Michael Scholes agreed recently to resign. It will cost the county a lump sum of $205,427. The agreement also states the now former county manager will not sue the county.
“That was an important piece in the agreement,” said county commissioner Richard Ranzau.
But Ranzau also says the cost to the county, along with the release agreement of county counsel Eric Yost, could go up to half a million. “I am really pleased we were able to get this settled before my term expired and I left the commission,” said Commissioner Dave Unruh, who did not run for office again and leaves at the end of the year. “I think this concludes a chapter in Sedgwick County history that has significantly eroded and degraded the stature and the influence of the county government in our community.”
Unruh says he hopes the commission can focus on the business of running the county and put some of the legal issues in the past.
Ranzau, who will no longer be on the commission after the end of his term, says he has the same hopes.
(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)
Topeka Police auctioning tactical vehicle purchased for more than $425,000
The Topeka Police Department is getting rid of the tactical vehicle it quietly bought two years ago for more than $425,000, saying it experiences frequent mechanical failures that are costly to fix.
“The sale will save the city thousands of dollars in warranty and repair costs,” Molly Hadfield, the city’s media relations coordinator, said Thursday.
She confirmed the city plans to auction the truck at www.govdeals.com.
“City Manager (Brent) Trout and Chief (Bill) Cochran have decided that it is in the city’s best interest to sell the mobile command incident vehicle that was purchased under different city leadership in 2016,” Hadfield said.
(Read more: News – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Winfield chief search on hold
The search for a new Winfield police chief is on hold until a new city manager is hired, interim city manager Brenda Peters said Wednesday.
Because the police chief is hired by the city manager, a search cannot commence until a permanent manager arrives, Peters said.
The closing date for applications in the city manager search is next week. Since the city commission still has to review applications, interview candidates and make an offer, the police chief search isn’t expected to get under way until next year, Peters said.
Advertisements for the police chief job have not been placed yet, Peters said.
(Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com – RSS Results)
Osawatomie approves mandatory trash service
Osawatomie will soon join the list of area communities that require their residents to use city trash services.
Osawatomie City Council members unanimously approved an ordinance establishing mandatory trash service using the city’s contracted service provider at their meeting Nov. 29.
The ordinance goes into effect Jan. 1, 2019, and requires every occupied premises or premises with city utilities in Osawatomie to set up the service and “use the solid waste pickup and collection service operated or contracted by the City of Osawatomie,” according to the ordinance’s language.
(Read more: The Miami County Republic)
Commission approves vision for Aggieville infrastructure
The Manhattan City Commission unanimously approved phase 2 of the Aggieville Infrastructure Report at their meeting Tuesday.
The plan lays out possible features for the business district’s future, incorporating community input that came in the form of surveys as well as focus groups. It included multiple options, ranging from various street and parking designs down Moro and Laramie, a potential pedestrian mall on 12th Street stretching from Laramie to Moro, alley improvements, publicly available WiFi as well as a parking garage at the intersection of Manhattan Avenue and Laramie. None of the features were specifically chosen for approval, the report just laid out possibilities and all options could be tweaked and updated when the commission begins to look more seriously at any of them.
(Read more: 1350 KMAN)
Council hears plans for Olathe Fire Department’s new $4 million training center
The Olathe Fire Department is moving forward with plans to build a $4 million training center that will not only serve the department’s own firefighters but also attract fire departments and rescue agencies throughout the region.
Fire Chief Jeff DeGraffenreid on Tuesday laid out plans for the center to the City Council, who still must approve the design and spending on the project.
DeGraffenreid said the facility would allow Olathe personnel to train locally while still being able to respond to emergencies nearby. Currently, he said the department has to travel to training facilities in Overland Park and Platte County, Mo. “It is an exciting opportunity for us to provide some much-needed training space here in our community,” DeGraffenreid said.
(Read more: KC Breaking News, Sports & Crime |)
Wellington Council comes to an agreement with developers on Dollar Tree 17th Street project; developer apologizes to council
The 17th Street project, north of the Dollar Tree store in east Wellington has been pretty well resolved, according to city officials at its meeting Tuesday.
Wellington Public Works Director Jeremy Jones told the council he has been in touch with the developers and contractors, and have worked out an agreement for the correction. All but 29 feet of the project will have to be repaved and brought to city specifications. At Tuesday’s meeting, Ryan Kiser, a developer for Ridge Investment Group of Wichita, apologized to the council for paving the road too early, and said:
“We didn’t educate each other about the details of the project. We want to do what we say, and do the right thing.” Kiser also said RIG owns several other properties in Wellington and there is a lot of opportunity in Wellington.“I am looking forward to us doing more development in Wellington,” he said.
(Read more: Sumner NewsCow)
Osawatomie’s electric shop to serve multiple functions
The city of Osawatomie’s new electric shop and storage building is taking shape on Ninth Street.
“We hope to have it buttoned up soon,” Osawatomie City Manager Don Cawby said.
The building will serve multiple functions. “It is the new electric shop, but will also house some of our water equipment,” Cawby said. “Water (department) used to operate out of the sewer plant until the bridge was closed in 2011. We have crammed them in since then.”
The new structure also will free up space in the existing building for the fire department’s use, he said.
“The primary reason was to get out of the current building because the fire department needs much more space,” Cawby said. “They are already storing equipment in the electric side. Also, public works and utilities will be consolidated in one location to be more efficient and easier to manage.” The project is being funded through electric bonds, Cawby said.
(Read more: The Miami County Republic)
Brown county commission suspends permit for local EMT
The Brown County Commission voted Monday morning to suspend the emergency vehicle permit for a local EMT.
The matter came before the commission at the Nov. 19 meeting as EMT Jeremy Stover spoke and asked the county to reconsider keeping his permit. They tabled the decision for a week, noting they had not reviewed the citation issued to Stover.
At this week’s meeting, Brown County Attorney Kevin Hill said he had reviewed a Hiawatha Police Department report on the Oct. 31 incident involving Stover. Hiawatha Police Chief John Defore joined the meeting via telephone and informed the commissioners that Stover had been issued a citation by Hiawatha Police for allegedly activating emergency lights and sirens on his private vehicle when he was not responding an emergency call. He indicated the situation had to do with barricades following the Halloween Parade.
The commissioners voted to review the permit in 6 months and determine at that time if it should be reinstated. In the meantime, Stover was requested to take a lights and sirens class.
(Read more: Hiawatha World Online)
Sedgwick County Manager Michael Scholes is out after 3-2 commission vote
Sedgwick County has reached a settlement ending the controversial tenure of County Manager Michael Scholes.
On Wednesday, the County Commission approved an agreement paying Scholes $205,427 to leave.
In exchange, he’s agreed to drop any claims against the county related to his departure.
Scholes is the second top county official forced out by commission action in the past month. On Nov. 19, the commission settled out Counselor Eric Yost for a $77,000 payment.
(Read more: Politics & Government News |)
City receives KDOT funding for I-35 and Gardner Road project
The City of Gardner announced today that the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) granted funding for improvements to the interchange at I-35 and Gardner Road.
The funding will cover the first and second phase of the project. KDOT will provide $3.925M for phase 1, which consists of the realignment of 191st Street west of Gardner Road and signalization of the intersection ramps. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2019. An additional $6M will be granted for phase 2 for the replacement of the existing Gardner Road bridge over I-35 with construction starting in 2022.
KDOT is currently designing a diverging diamond interchange for this area, an emerging concept in roadway design that aims to eliminate left-hand turns into oncoming traffic and thereby increase safety. An engineering analysis, as well as input from the public, helped determine this direction.
(Read more: Gardner News)
Leavenworth commissioner makes motion to end lawsuit expenses
A Leavenworth County commissioner made a motion Tuesday to not spend any more money on a lawsuit that challenged the contract of a former employee. No vote was taken on the motion.
Commissioner Bob Holland made the motion after Kansas Senior Judge Edward Bouker issued a ruling in which he declared the employment contract of former Human Resources Director Tamara Copeland invalid.
“Given the judge has made the final ruling, the bleeding needs to stop,” Holland said.
Bouker issued a written decision over the weekend. He ruled that Copeland’s employment contract with the county “was an attempt to improperly bind future boards in matters involving their own administration and responsibilities, thus violating public policy. The contract is thus invalid.”
(Read more: Leavenworth Times)
German woman training with Derby police
Since she was a little girl, Kimberly Klein wanted to be a police officer. Now that dream is coming true. Klein is spending three weeks as an intern with the Derby Police Department, but when she’s done, she won’t be staying here, but taking her newly found knowledge back home near Frankfurt, Germany, some 4,888 miles from Derby.
Klein is enjoying her stint in America.
“It’s great here, she said. “I really like the culture and all the Americans are always so nice to me.” The 24-year-old is not a total stranger to the U.S. or the Derby area as in 2010-2011 Klein stayed with the local family of Eldora and Randy Brock while an exchange student at Rose Hill High School, where she graduated. She is staying with them again.
One major difference between policing in the two countries is the amount of training.
In Germany, officers have to undergo three years of training, including three internships, before going out on the streets full time. It’s much shorter in the U.S., although officers often have military police or other security backgrounds.
Another big difference, she said, is that Derby’s police usually drive solo in their patrol vehicles, whereas in Germany, they always go as a pair. And while the German police are armed, civilians usually aren’t, as their gun control laws are much stricter.
(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)
Derby trash service contract up for bid in 2019
The city will be opening its trash and recycling contract to qualified companies next year.
That was a change to the City Council’s list of priorities approved at the Nov. 27 council meeting. Derby has a 10-year contract with Waste Connections that is due to expire Dec. 1, 2019.
“We need to issue an RFP (request for proposals) soon to ensure other companies have an opportunity to compete,” Sexton said.
The objective is to have a contract in place by May, City Manager Kathy Sexton said.
The early lead time is necessary because of the equipment required to provide service to Derby residential customers. There are about 10,000 household customers and that would mean providing 20,000 carts.
There will likely be two or three companies bidding on it, Sexton said, including the major trash operators.
The city previously had multiple trash services to choose from, which is the system its northern neighbor, Wichita, operates under.
Now, there’s just one, which Sexton said allows residents to get lower rates. She said residents are getting trash and recycling for less than what they paid for just trash before.
(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)
Community provides valuable input on walkable city in Derby
Virtually every day, Charlene Gonzalez gets outside and goes for a walk, usually for four to five miles, so she knows what walking in Derby is all about.
That’s why an open house on the city’s Walkable Development Plan was of particular interest to her.
But there are issues, including safety, she said at the gathering, which took place from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 28 at Madison Avenue Central Park. Gonzalez’s comments and input are just what planners from an outside agency, RDG, were looking for at the workshop.
“We’re pleased with it,” said project manager Charlie Cowell of the reaction.
There wasn’t an overwhelming crowd present, but a steady flow of people during the two-hour period had a lot of good points to make, he said. Around the room, large photo poster boards were placed and attendees were asked to rate different designs on how they felt about them.
There’s a lot that can be done from the design aspect to help cities such as Derby, he said.
While the city already has a solid foundation of walking and bike paths – some 25 miles worth – its major challenge now is connectivity.
(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)
Reno county wind farm must be operable before end of 2019 to qualify for federal tax breaks
Forty-five seconds of silence following a motion to impose a moratorium on commercial wind development perhaps resounded louder than two hours of an open mic before the Reno County Commission Tuesday morning.
Commissioner Ron Hirst’s motion to impose a six-month moratorium died for lack of a second. No other motion followed.
NextEra Energy is now free to file its application for a conditional use permit, which will go before the Reno County Planning Commission. The company previously indicated it planned to do so by mid-December.
The planning commission could propose additional restrictions or requirements for NextEra’s Pretty Prairie Wind Farm outside of existing zoning regulations, according to county commissioners and NextEra officials.
Any restrictions, however, must be set soon if NextEra is going to meet its timeline of getting the wind farm operable before the end of 2019 — a deadline required to qualify for federal tax breaks and meet energy delivery obligations.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Bourbon county, Fort Scott sign agreement for ambulance
Bourbon County Commissioners on Tuesday signed an agreement with the City of Fort Scott to provide an ambulance service.
Prior to signing the agreement, Bourbon County Counselor Justin Meeks said many people have been involved in the process of organizing a county-city ambulance service. This has been a fairly quick process, all things considered,” Meeks said.
The county-city ambulance service will replace the existing Mercy EMS as of April 1, when the county’s contract with Mercy expires. The county learned on Oct. 1 it would be responsible for providing an ambulance service after Mercy Hospital Fort Scott closes on Dec. 31.
(Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)
Plans for controversial wind farm moving forward in Reno County
Plans for a controversial wind farm in Reno County are moving forward. The county commission Tuesday morning decided not to delay the project by imposing a community-backed moratorium.
A moratorium would’ve delayed the project near Pretty Prairie. Some Reno County residents are trying to stop it from happening.
NextEra Energy says it wants to start construction on the wind farm at the beginning of next year in hopes of completing the project by the end of 2019. Because county commissioners for now cleared the project to move forward, those opposed to the project against voiced their concerns Tuesday.
But others support plans for the wind farm.
“Even though the moratorium didn’t pass, we’re still promoting the same message. We are not anti-wind energy. We’re not anti-green energy. We support green energy. We welcome renewable energy sources in any form as long as the citizens of the county have the proper protections and we had the chance to determine the economic impact to our county,” says Reno County resident Kristyn Horsch at Tuesday’s meeting.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Newton planning board votes against senior living zoning change
In a split vote the Newton Planning and Zoning Board voted against a proposed zoning change to allow for the construction of senior living apartments near Sand Creek Golf Course.
Newton Developer Ron Harder asked for a change of the zoning of a combined 13.2 acres to multi-family residential to allow for a 6.73 acre retirement development.
The development would be built south of Highway 50, along S. Anderson Drive and North of Summer Drive.
That didn’t sit well with nearby residents. According to Newton City Planner Ryan Sellers about 15 people showed up to a public hearing at the meeting to voice their opposition to the change.
He said those against the change had concerns the change in zoning and the facility would decrease the value of their homes.“They also said when they purchased the property they were told that (the area) would all be single family dwellings.”
The zoning board, five out of eight were present, voted 3-2 against recommending the change.
(Read more: Newton Now)
Hutch City Council approves eNGines-LPG incentive package
The Hutchinson City Council gave its approval to the new incentive package for eNGines-LPG, LLC, during Tuesday’s agenda session.
The small engine company is preparing to relocate to the old Betts Bakery and begin the assembly of small engines for generators and other industrial applications.
The company will receive $56,500 over a five-year period. The incentive is similar to one approved by the County Commission last week. The proof of employment by eNGines-LPG to the city and county will be on the same schedule, making reporting easier for the company.
The incentives are employee driven with the company adding 10 jobs in 2020, 15 jobs in the following year, 14 in 2022 and another 17 in 2023 for a total of 56.
(Read more: Hutch Post)
Harvey County moving forward with purchase of armored carrier
The Board of Harvey County Commissioners gave its consent Monday for Sheriff Chad Gay to order a $295,000 armored personnel carrier.
Delivery of a custom-built Lenco BearCat will not take place for at least six months, and commissioners can decide how they want to pay for the vehicle at a later date. The three options are to finance the vehicle through Lenco at 3.97 percent interest over five years; search for a lower interest rate from a company that is approved to do lease programs for local governments; or use reserve funds.
About one-third of the expense will be covered by a $50,000 pledge from Friends of ERT, which operates a fireworks stand in Newton and another $50,000 coming from drug-forfeiture funds. Gay previously said that he’s planning on spending $10,000 per year for five years from forfeiture funds for the BearCat.
Finance Director Dan Bronson said he was hesitant to use reserve funds because they still doesn’t know how much the planned renovations at the Law Enforcement Center will cost. He said payment probably wouldn’t occur until 2020, so commissioners and administration has time to consider options.
(Read more: Newton Now)
Home on the Range: Smith County historical boosters work to put Kansas and US36 on the map
It’s an iconic tune that has made Kansas–and El Dean Holthus–instantly recognized around the world.
But Home on the Range is more than just a song. It also leads listeners to a historic site and an award-winning documentary, things that Holthus hopes will continue to put Kansas, Smith County, and US36 Highway on the map.
…Holthus shares a dream held by other US36 Highway Association boosters in Republic County: that the Home on the Range log cabin and other sites along the highway will draw tourism dollars to North Central Kansas. Paul Kallman, Belleville, is chairman of theUS36 Association.
“The US36 Association includes communities from Hiawatha clear across the state,” Holthus said. “If we can get day tours to stop at each of our historic properties along US36–those travelers may also buy something in the communities along US36.”
Source: Belleville Telescope.
Crawford County approves funding for County Corrections insurance
After several meetings, the Crawford County Commission has arrived at a temporary solution to help County Corrections provide full-family insurance for its employees.
A day shy of deadline, the county approved a motion to absorb $80 of each County Corrections employee’s single premium per month to help defray health insurance costs. For employees paying for the full-family plan, the county will absorb the same amount off the employee share of the premium. The funding will last to the end of 2019 and come from the Employee Benefits Fund.
This change comes in response to Director Tracy Harris’s request to give County Corrections employees full access to the county’s insurance plan. While full integration was not reached, due in large part to the county’s 2019 budget already being set, Harris said she appreciated the county’s willingness to help.
(Read more: Pittsburg, KS – Morning Sun)
Symbol of Huthinson
A generic, white flag with a swirl and the words “City of Hutchinson” came down and up went a more symbolic flag that a group of community members hopes will bring about a sense of pride.
The Hutchinson flag went up at 23rd and Severance streets on Tuesday afternoon — a few hours after the city council approved it as the official city flag. A grassroots effort started 10 months ago to design a flag using community input from three town hall meetings and specific guidelines.
The result, chosen by a selection committee from more than 50 designs, was the white, gold and blue flag with a gold compass rose designed by Jason Depew.
“I am just so proud that our community was able to take this project this far,” Depew said in a message. “I am honored to have been a part of it. I have been amazed by how much positive support the community has shown thus far.”
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Hiawatha City Commission hears request to plan memorial banners
The Hiawatha City Commission met on Monday evening, and with all commissioners present, heard from Katina Vonderschmidt, who would like to start a program called Hiawatha’s Hometown Heroes.
Vonderschmidt says two other towns in Kansas – Neodesha and Topeka – have similar displays, which feature banners of military veterans on downtown light poles.
The commission agreed that Vonderschmidt could move forward with her plans, which she said would include a small board or committee to help tailor the idea to the community of Hiawatha. Mayor Collins suggested Commissioner Toni Hull as the first board member, and said that Vonderschmidt should stay in contact with City Administrator Mike Nichols.
(Read more: Hiawatha World Online)
Great Bend postpones decision to hire firm to help with retail recruitment
In an effort to take a proactive approach to retail recruitment, the City of Great Bend issued a request for proposals for a consultant to assist with retail development and recruitment. From the four proposals received, city administration recommended going with Retail Strategies for $50,000 in the first year.
City Administrator Kendal Francis wanted to make it clear that hiring Retail Strategies would not be a knock on the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce and their effort to bring in new business. The Great Bend City Council voted 5-3 to table the decision until the January 21st meeting when three new council members will be part of the board.
Retail Strategies is based in Alabama and it is their assignment to gather community statistics and represent Great Bend at national and regional retail conferences. Great Bend Chamber of Commerce CEO Jan Peters said having Retail Strategies’ connection at large retail conventions would be helpful because they already have the contacts and connections to talk with national retailers.
(Read more: Great Bend Post)
Ark City updating fee schedule
The water costs are part of a revision to the city’s fee schedule for a variety of costs, including municipal court fees, franchise fees and rent of city venues.
City Manager Nick Hernandez said the proposed rate jumps for water customers would be 2 percent per year for the next five years.
This would mirror a 2-percent annual hike commissioners approved in 2013, which expires this year.
Hernandez said extending the relatively small, annual increases is necessary to keep up with the cost of inflation in running a water utility and avoids larger increases down the road.
“We want to avoid having those 10-15 percent increases, so we try to have incremental increases each year,” he said.
(Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com – RSS Results)
Partnership Agreement Between Fort Riley and the City of Manhattan
August 21, 2018) Fort Riley Garrison Commander, Col. Stephen Shrader, and Mayor of Manhattan, Linda Morse, will formally sign an InterGovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 21 in City Hall. This agreement is the first of its kind between the two agencies and represents many months of planning and discussion.
The purpose of this IGSA is to reduce costs for the yearly purchase of bulk salt used in winter months to treat roadways in Manhattan and on Fort Riley. The agreement will require the City to procure bids and purchase bulk salt that will be delivered to both locations. The City of Manhattan will invoice Fort Riley for their portion plus an administrative fee of 3% of the total cost of the product delivered to Fort Riley. This partnership is estimated to save Fort Riley roughly $89,000 per year over their previous procurement methods.
As part of the agreement, the City will be allowed to use excess salt reserves from Fort Riley if needed. In severe winter conditions, additional salt purchases may not be available as suppliers provide salt first to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), then to local jurisdictions. Building additional salt storage facilities, which would allow for greater emergency reserves, would be costly for the City. However, Fort Riley has a large amount of available space and typically keeps three years of salt reserves on hand. Each ton of salt used by the City in an emergency situation would be replaced.
“To our knowledge this is the first ever commodities procurement Intergovernmental Support Agreement in the Army. This is a testament to the innovation, persistence, and strong relationships that exist in the Flint Hills between Fort Riley and our surrounding communities.” says Col. Shrader.
(Read more: Manhattan – News Flash)
Wichita city council approves demolition of Mead’s Corner
The building which once house the popular coffee spot, Mead’s Corner, will come down.
The Wichita City Council voted, 6-1, to move forward with demolishing the building. Councilman Brandon Johnson voted against it.
The city’s historic preservation board had recommended denying that demolition request.
The city also approved a community improvement district for the project which will replace the current building with a new, four-story mixed-use space.
The CID allows special taxes imposed in the district to be used to pay for the development.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Wichita council balks at picking developer for baseball stadium
Wichita will have to wait at least a week to learn who will build the new stadium to house the city’s Triple-A minor league baseball team.
City Council member Bryan Frye asked for additional time to study a design-build agreement for the ballpark, which will cost an estimated $75 million with at least $2 million of accompanying street and infrastructure work.
Frye’s request passed on a 4-3 vote.
Frye objected that he got the contract the morning of Tuesday’s council meeting and said he wanted additional time to verify that the group recommended to design and build the stadium has the required experience in constructing Major or Minor League ballparks.
(Read more: Local News |)
Visitors report “first impressions” of Washington, KS
Thirty-one people attended the First Impressions presentation of Washington last week. The presentation shared the opinions of three volunteers from Wakefield who visited the town in October. Those visitors took photos and provided comments from their visits. The common themes from those reports included the clean and well-kept appearance of Washington, the visitors’ love of the brick streets, the helpfulness of City Hall, the town’s lack of a noon-time restaurant and the negative impression of three of the town’s four entrances, among other things.
Source: Washington County News.
City Council to Consider a Non-Discrimination Ordinance on Dec. 10
Merriam City Council will consider a draft non-discrimination ordinance at its Dec. 10 meeting at City Hall.
The ordinance would provide uniform legal protection within the City of Merriam, prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, familial status, or veteran status. In addition, the ordinance would provide a complaint and enforcement process.
(Read more: Merriam, KS news)
Overbrook sets comprehensive plan for geese control; schedules controlled hunt
For the past year, the city of Overbrook has been looking at ways to control the goose population as well as the blue-green algae issue at the Overbrook City Lake and the Kid’s Fishing Pond. The city received input from Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, the lake steering committee, Overbrook Parks and Recreation, and the public. Using that information, the Overbrook City Council formulated and approved the following comprehensive plan to control the geese population:
Finney County GIS Director Phillips earns Esri certification
Finney County GIS Department Director Trey Phillips recently was awarded Esri Technical Certification, which recognizes superior skill levels utilizing Esri’s software for geographic information systems (GIS).
Esri is the global market leader in GIS, and developed ArcGIS the world’s leading mapping and location analytics platform.
Phillips earned the Esri ArcGIS Desktop Professional Certification, which is the highest level of professional software certification in this field. Only 200 GIS professionals in the United States are registered with this certification. Phillips is the only Esri ArcGIS Desktop Professional listed for the state of Kansas.
“Trey is a valuable employee with an abundance of skills,” Randall Partington, Finney County Administrator, said in a news release. “His recent certification solidifies how essential he is to our organization and as a community partner. We are proud of Trey’s professional accomplishments.”
(Read more: Greater Garden City » Feed)
Ellis County Commission approves extra IT position
Despite some financial concerns, the Ellis County Commission approved a request to hire a network technician before a retiring staff member leaves the department next spring.
Ellis County IT Director Mike Leiker made the request for the overfill position at Monday night’s commission meeting. The request was approved 2-0; Commissioner Barbara Wasinger was absent.
A staff member will be retiring at the beginning of April, and Leiker told commissioners he wanted to help retain that individual’s 20 years of knowledge by hiring a replacement as soon as possible so that person can be trained by the retiring employee.
Most of the new employee’s training will focus on cross-training with other staff so they can cover for each other in case of vacations or illness, Leiker said, but he wants a new employee with knowledge of security issues.
(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)
Prairie Village considers plans to deal with flooding along Mission Road
Prairie Village officials are considering a plan to raise the elevation of Mission Road between 67th and 69th streets to alleviate flooding from nearby Brush Creek that has stranded motorists and damaged nearby homes.
(Read more: KC Breaking News, Sports & Crime |)
Valley Center to start housing fix-up incentive
The City of Valley Center will unveil a program in 2019 designed to provide incentives for homeowners to fix up their properties.
The Neighborhood Revitalization Program, which will run from 2019 through 2022, gives qualified owners of single-family residences a property tax rebate.
The program applies to certain properties that a recent survey has determined are in need of help.
To be eligible for the program, owners of such properties must spend at least $5,000 or 10 percent of existing assessed value, whichever is greater, on the improvement. The five-year, 100 percent rebate is for the city portion of the increase in property tax that results from the improvement.
Read more: Ark Valley News.
Shawnee County Commission listens to public comments, defers action on permits
After a pair of public comment sessions that became emotional at times, the Shawnee County Commission on Monday morning voted unanimously to defer action on two conditional use permit resolutions, each of which would allow for wedding and event centers on private properties in the eastern and southwestern parts of the county.
The meeting, which drew a standing-room only crowd in the council chambers in the Shawnee County Courthouse basement, lasted about two hours and 15 minutes.
(Read more: News – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
‘Leave the trees’: Public expresses concerns over Topeka Zoo’s drainage project
Members of the public expressed concern Monday during a meeting about a storm water management project at the Topeka Zoo.
Zoo director Brendan Wiley said the development of a detention pond and drainage swale, a shallow ditch with sloping sides, is necessary to meet the minimum standards laid out in the Clean Water Act. The pond will collect water and slowly release it toward the Kansas River. Plants will surround the pond and run along the swale, which will help filter pollutants out of the storm water.
The plants, including native grasses, will also form wetlands.
The project will require about 43 trees to be removed, according to Wiley. Some of the trees may be relocated while others will be recycled.
Don Moler asked why the pond couldn’t be placed in an area where fewer trees would have to be removed.
Wiley said they made efforts to minimize the effect on trees.
Michael Hooper proposed bulldozing Helen Hocker Theater and putting the pond in its place.
“Helen Hocker’s not natural — cut that down, tear it down, leave the trees which are beloved and used by us every day of the year,” Hooper said. “We need more trees in this world, not less. We are in a polluted world that is losing its ozone layer and you destroying these trees is contributing to the demise of our earth.”
Wiley said he could guarantee the project benefits the environment from a storm water perspective and that more trees will be planted than are there now.
“We can’t continue to shirk the responsibility of managing storm water,” Wiley said, “and unfortunately that means something like this has to fit into the landscape.”
(Read more: News – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Saline County to consider special tax fund disbursement
Saline County Commissioners will be asked Tuesday to consider a request to disburse money in a special tax fund.According to information in the commission meeting packet, “the 1979 Kansas Legislature established a 10% gross receipts tax on the sale of alcoholic liquor in clubs. The legislation required the revenue be distributed as follows: one-third to Special Parks and Recreation programs, one-third to Special Alcohol programs, and one-third to the County General Fund.
“Monies in the Special Alcohol Fund are to be used ‘for the purchase, establishment, maintenance, or expansion of services or
programs of alcoholism and drug abuse prevention and education, alcohol and drug detoxification, intervention in alcohol
and drug abuse or treatment of persons who are alcoholics or drug abusers or are in danger of becoming alcoholics or drug
abusers.’“Monies in the Special Parks & Recreation Fund are to be used for the purchase, establishment, maintenance, or expansion of park and recreational services, programs, and facilities.”
According to the agenda, commissioners will consider the following distribution of funds.
(Read more: The Salina Post)
City of Pittsburg to celebrate completion of Safe Routes to School Project
The City of Pittsburg will celebrate the completion of its Safe Routes to School Project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 12:00 pm Tuesday, December 4, at Westside Elementary School. The event celebrates the construction of new multi-purpose trails at Westside Elementary School, Pittsburg Community Middle School and George Nettels Elementary School.
The project was made possible thanks to a grant for $187,183 from the Kansas Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School program and $53,000 in matching funds from the City of Pittsburg.
“These trails give children and their parents a much safer route to school, and provide additional destinations to the City’s existing trail system,” says City of Pittsburg Public Works Director Cameron Alden. “These new connectivity points are part our active transportation plan, which will connect residents to schools, businesses, recreation, retail and healthcare resources throughout the community.”
(Read more: City of Pittsburg)
Shawnee planning commission to consider Veterans Park senior housing development plans
New plans continue this week for a senior housing development near Veterans Park in Shawnee. The developer’s plans call for the creation of an independent senior residential development with 60 attached villa units in 30 buildings as condominiums and 240 apartment units in five multi-story buildings. The property is zoned as planned unit development mixed residential, with a final plat of six lots and three tracts on 28.66 acres. The developer intends for the 60 villa units to be marketed to “empty nesters” age 55 or older. Each unit will range from 1,558 to 2,300 square feet and have two bedrooms, two bathrooms and two car garages. All homes will have basements with some walkouts.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)
Why have there been so many water main breaks?
A flood of water main breaks in Topeka this year has left some local residents wondering about the system of pipes tucked beneath the surface of the city that carry clean drinking water to homes and businesses.
One reader asked #TopCity What? for a breakdown of materials and the schedule for replacement.
Topeka has about 870 miles of water lines, including 265 miles of transmission mains that carry water to storage towers and 605 miles of smaller distribution pipes, according to Braxton Copley, deputy director of utilities for the city of Topeka.
Most of the original water mains are cast iron, and some of those lines are still in service and well over 100 years old, Copley said. In the 1940s and early ’50s, the city shifted to ductile iron pipes. In the 1960s, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes joined the mix of materials. The city moved away from ductile iron toward more PVC pipes in the past 15 to 20 years. Today, the city’s system of pipes is about 39 percent cast iron, 27 percent ductile iron, and 25 percent PVC, with the remaining made of various materials such as concrete and Transite.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Finney County becomes latest local government to raise tobacco-buying age
More local governments in Kansas aren’t waiting for the state to raise the legal age to buy tobacco or e-cigarettes.
Finney County Monday became the 23rd county or city in Kansas to raise the legal age to buy tobacco or e-cigarettes from 18 to 21. The county commission approve the change with a 3-2 vote.
This change was already implemented in April 2017 in Garden City with the passage of a city ordinance. Holcomb then took similar action.
Other jurisdictions in northeast Kansas, including Lawrence, have adopted the ordinance known as T-21. Monday Eyewitness News spoke with one of Garden City’s leading proponents of T-21 and asked if the movement could come to Sedgwick County.
Donna Gerstner works with Garden City High School students to spread awareness about the dangers of tobacco use. Gerstner says she was part of the group that lobbied to pass the ordinance in Garden City, then Holcomb, and finally, Finney County.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Neighbors file protest petitions against tax districts; Lawrence city staff says that isn’t enough to stop the process
About 250 homeowners in the special taxing districts set to pay millions of dollars for improvements to Queens Road have signed onto protest petitions opposing the districts, but the city says the petitions are not enough to stop the process.
According to state law, 51 percent or more of property owners — whose properties also represent more than half of the geographic area of the taxing district — must sign a protest petition to prevent a taxing district from being established. A review by the city indicates the Queens Road petitions did not meet those requirements.
Read more: LJWorld.com.