Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Lawrence city leaders to consider new ways to manage speeding, other traffic issues in neighborhoods

Lawrence city commissioners will soon consider whether to adopt a more comprehensive approach to neighborhood traffic problems that would go beyond adding speed bumps or other devices to streets.

Earlier this year, the city announced it was re-evaluating its traffic calming program, which attempts to address issues such as speeding and cut-through traffic by adding physical devices such as speed bumps or traffic circles. At its meeting Tuesday, the commission will consider a new traffic calming policy that also includes traffic enforcement and monitoring, among other ways to address problem traffic.

Read more: LJWorld.com.

Lawrence officials to consider city’s legislative priorities

City leaders will consider adding three issues to their list of legislative priorities, including a statement opposed to making the South Lawrence Trafficway into a toll road.

As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider approving its Lawrence Legislative Priority Statement, which it sends annually to the state legislative delegation. The proposed statement comprises 21 priorities, three of which are new additions: one against using tolls to fund the expansion of the SLT; one in favor of giving municipal court judges greater flexibility to consider defendants’ ability to pay when imposing penalties; and one against changing property valuation methods for commercial property.

Read more: LJWorld.com.

New City Administrator in Greensburg: From Big Well to City Hall

The city of Greensburg has a new city administrator coming in and a longtime mayor exiting.

They’re related.

At a special Greensburg City Council meeting Oct. 25, Mayor Bob Dixson presented a letter of resignation, effective immediately. It was his understanding his daughter, Stacy Barnes, the Convention and Tourism director and director of The Big Well Museum & Visitors Center, had submitted an application for city administrator. “I felt it was the ethical thing to do, so there was no sign of collusion or impropriety or nepotism,” Dixson told The News recently.

The city received approximately two dozen applications for the advertised opening at City Hall, said new Mayor Matt Christenson. They interviewed three finalists and on Nov. 19, the council approved a three-year contract with Barnes. She starts the job on Dec. 10.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Governor Orders Flags to be Flown at Half-Staff Honoring Former President George H.W. Bush

In accordance with Executive Order 10-12, and following the proclamation of President Donald J. Trump, Governor Jeff Colyer has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff immediately for 30 days due to the death of former President George H.W. Bush.
“I was saddened to hear last night of the passing of President George H.W. Bush, whom I had the privilege to serve under as a White House fellow. His hard work and dedication over decades of public service was matched only by his love and devotion to his wife Barbara and his children. His contributions at every level of his personal and political life have truly made our country and our world a better place. My prayers are with the Bush family during their time of grieving.”

The many changes to downtown Salina

From Santa Fe being torn up and rebuilt to buildings being removed and new ones taking their places, the look of downtown Salina has been rapidly changing over the past months.

The flurry of activity is part of a major downtown revitalization program that includes both private and governmental entities. And while some people continue to complain about the initiatives, many others are excited about the future possibilities for downtown Salina.

Following are many of the enhancements planned, according to Salina 2020, the master developer for downtown Salina’s revitalization.

(Read more: The Salina Post)

Decisions on property can affect the community, not just the owners

There has been much talk of late about how Wichita is losing its “commons.” That’s not the word usually used, to be sure. Instead, when Wichitans mourn Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, express frustration at the closing of the Palace Theater or watch with concern the changes at Naftzger Park, they talk about how these were sites of fond memories, how they found and strengthened friendships at and through them, how in these places people could come together, interact, learn, engage in commerce and have fun. To see them change or close is felt as a loss of something once commonly held, but perhaps no longer.

In a society where private property is basic to public life, the language of the commons is rare. Still, it’s not just public parks, Riverfest, open-source software or the Ogallala Aquifer that can be considered “common” possessions. There are ways to describe those places, events and things — including those which exist through privately owned businesses — that people lovingly organize their lives around, and thus sometimes feel a claim to. But when claimants conflict, owners regularly hold all the cards (as the noble but thus-far failed attempts to keep the Starlite Drive-In alive demonstrate).

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

City public works director to answer questions about streets in podcast

Topekans still have a lot of questions about their streets.

The Topeka Capital-Journal consequently asked city public works director Jason Peek, who responded to 35 queries about that topic in July, to answer about 40 more.

Peek agreed to do that during a podcast/Facebook Live event, which will be held at noon Tuesday at CJOnline and The Topeka Capital-Journal Facebook page.

Streets have been the topic of many of the questions the public has provided The Capital-Journal this year through its reader engagement program ”#TopCity What? You ask. We answer.” Details about the program are at www.cjonline.com/topcity-what.

Tuesday’s podcast comes at a time when Topeka streets have been a common topic of conversation.

Lake Shawnee Campground intentionally free of individual sewer connections

Shawnee County Parks and Recreation has intentionally left the Lake Shawnee Campground without individual sewer connections to discourage long-term stays there, said department spokesman Mike McLaughlin.

He responded to a question a Topeka Capital-Journal reader posed as part of the newspaper’s reader engagement project, ”#TopCity What? You ask. We answer.”

The reader, who asked to remain anonymous, asked: “Why won’t the county put in individual sewer hook-ups at the Lake Shawnee Campground? It’s considered a top 10 fishing lake in Kansas.”

McLaughlin, the parks and recreation department’s marketing and communications director, said the Lake Shawnee Campground is intended to be a short-stay facility accommodating patrons enjoying such activities as fishing trips, short-term getaways or visits to relatives living in the area.

“Campgrounds that are intended for longer stays are more likely to have individual sewer connections,” he said.

Lyon County Commissioners hear blizzard response update; praise county employees, city of Emporia and Melvern FD

Sheriff Jeff Cope and Emergency Manager Jarrod Fell praised the work of local first responders in the midst of Sunday’s blizzard — which resulted in a complete shutdown of a portion of Interstate 35 — during a meeting of the Lyon County Commission Thursday morning at the courthouse.

More than 50 wrecks were reported by the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office between 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday, with calls coming in one after the other for the duration of that time. Only four injury events were reported.

Emporia Police Adminstrative Sergeant Lisa Sage told The Emporia Gazette in an email that 21 non-injury accidents and one injury call were reported within city limits on Sunday. Cope said he made the call to shut down the highway at the BETO Junction exit, about 25 miles east of Emporia, at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

“We started calling the State [Emergency Operations Center] and it was, ‘We’ll have to check on that and get back with you,’” Cope said. “[A little before 1:30 p.m.] they called and said, ‘Yeah, but if you need to shut it down, you need to do it locally because we don’t have any resources.’”

Cope said City of Emporia Public Works crews responded quickly to set up barricades at exits and divert traffic, though it was a struggle to get assistance from crews in Coffey County.

“We shut down the northbound turnpike gate and then it was a struggle getting Coffey County to participate,” he said. “Jarrod was talking to his counterpart and I wasn’t overly excited about the response we got there, so I called the sheriff. He said he was trying to get there … but he goes, ‘It’s not that bad in Coffey County.’”

Cope said Lyon County responders were putting their lives on the line dealing with travelers who should have stayed home. Eventually, volunteers from the Melvern Fire Department were dispatched to assist.

New Assistant City Administrator eager to get started in Spring Hill

A people person, team builder and proud Kansas Citian, Spring Hill’s newest leader has found a home in the Public Works and Community Development departments.

Jose Leon was appointed by Mayor Steven Ellis at the Nov. 8 City Council meeting to fulfill the role of Assistant City Administrator for Public Works, Community Development and Physical Plant. And he’s eager to begin the new position.

“Spring Hill is a very nice community with a great reputation,” Jose said. “It is a growing community and provides the opportunity for me to continue building on the skills and experience I have but also teach me a couple things along the way. I want to be a part of the growth in Spring Hill and that is what initially attracted me. After interviewing and meeting staff members, I knew this was a great fit.”

(Read more: City of Spring Hill news)

Parsons may buy new public safety radios

The Parsons police and fire departments may receive new hand-held radios at a cost of over $200,000.

Parsons city commissioners plan to consider the request from Fire Chief Jay Hawks and Police Chief Robert Spinks during their Monday evening meeting.

Hawks presented the proposal during a Thursday work session.

The radios would be purchased from Motorola Solutions at a cost of $212,378.80, which would be paid from a sales tax devoted in part to public safety. Hawks and Spinks want to buy the radios through a state contract to get a discounted price that they otherwise couldn’t find through the city’s bid process. City Attorney Ross Albertini alleviated commissioners’ concerns Thursday by saying the purchase would follow the city’s bid policy.

Hawks said the city would save $16,800 with the state contract price as well as a loyalty discount.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

After a rough patch due to former director stealing funds, Lyon County Commissioners hear positive report on Senior Center

Emporia Senior Center Board President Karen Hartenbower gave Lyon County Commissioners a brief update on how things are running at the center Thursday morning.

Hartenbower said the center had been treading water over the last year. Lannie Lyman, former director of the Emporia Senior Center, was charged with stealing more than $100,000 between May 2014 – Sept. 2017 from the organization in July.

Hartenbower said Ian Boyd was recently hired as the new director of the Emporia Senior Center, and things are starting to improve.

“He’s been with us three-and-a-half months and he’s doing really well because, for a year we floated,” she said. “We did what we had to do to stay open. He’s kind of rattled our cages and he’s putting us on track.”

The center has been renting space out for events to bring in revenue. Improvements made to the Sertoma shelter outside will allow the center to rent out that space next year, too.

“Things are looking better,” Hartenbower said. “A lot of things are going on at the senior center.”

(Read more: Emporia Gazette)

Judicial center to get beefed up security in Labette County

Later this month, the Labette County Judicial Center in Parsons will undergo a security upgrade in the court clerk’s office, Labette County commissioners heard Friday.

Bullet-resistant glass will be added the week of Dec. 17 and the front counters and cabinets replaced to accommodate the heavy material. An existing security door will be moved as part of the upgrade.

Advantage Computer of Iola submitted a quote for the work, $37,920.

Court Clerk Terri Thurman said she contacted local contractors and none expressed interest in doing the work. Advantage is the computer vendor used by court offices.

Now, the clerk’s office is open, no barriers to stop an angry citizen, which has been a security concern at many county buildings. The commission is considering security upgrades in other county offices in Oswego and perhaps Parsons, to create a solid barrier between citizens and county employees.

The court clerk’s office has state employees working in it, but the building is owned by Labette County.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Hallmark inspired by Ark City fire truck

A former getaway car used in a bank robbery in the early 1930s is now a Hallmark Christmas ornament.

The 1932 Buick Rag Top was set on fire by the robbers and later purchased by the City of Arkansas City and refurbished as a fire truck.

After several years of fire service, the truck was retired from the Ark City Fire Department fleet and today it serves as a showpiece for the department. For years it has appeared in special events, including the Arkalalah parade.

“Hallmark contacted us in January 2017,” said City Manager Nick Hernandez, who said Hallmark contacted the city in January 2017 after finding a picture of the truck on the city’s website.

The company “thought it met what they were looking for,” Hernandez said.

The ornament, a detailed miniature of the historic fire truck, can be purchased for $30 at the Arkansas City Convention and Visitors Bureau, 106 S. Summit St. It also is available in Hallmark stores or online.

(Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com)

Shawnee County residents can now text 911 during an emergency

Shawnee County residents can now text 911 if there is an emergency, although an official said voice calls remain the top choice.

The new NextGen 911 system was installed earlier this week at the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center.

Melanie Bergers, director of the Emergency Communications Center, said the new system will provide a lot of benefits to residents and dispatchers.

The new system gives people calling 911 the ability to send a text message to 911 as long as the sender has a data plan and the cellphone isn’t in roaming status.

Bergers said the system can be effective in situations where a voice call may endanger a caller, such as in domestic violence incidents or in reporting of human trafficking.

NextGen911 also has the capability to pinpoint the caller’s location on a map.

The system also gives community members who are hearing impaired the opportunity to communicate more effectively with dispatchers.

Manhattan levee awarded $18.4 million in federal funds for improvements

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has notified the City of Manhattan that $18.4 million is being awarded in fiscal year 2019 to fund improvements to Manhattan’s levee system. The total cost of the project will be approximately $26 million and city officials will have several options to cover the remaining $7.5 million.

The levee system provides fortification to 1,600 acres of land, 7,600 residents and protects a total economic impact estimated at $1.2 billion. The project intends to raise the levee along the Big Blue River from the intersection of Casement Road and Hayes Drive, south to the confluence of the Kansas River and Big Blue River, and wrap around upstream to the just west of the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Once finished, the levee project will increase the level of protection from flooding events along the Blue and Kansas rivers, as well as replace several structures and equipment along the levee installed in the early 1960s.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Crawford County Commission discusses horse operation

The Crawford County Commission hosted a work session on Tuesday to discuss a horse rescue operation located in a largely residential area on E 20th St. in Pittsburg.
Tensions ran high as Rich Rhuems, a resident near the horse rescue operation owned by Dani Menghini and Jennifer Girth, addressed the commission regarding what Rhuems said are inappropriate conditions for horses, as well as excessive trash on the property. Commissioner Carl Wood was a vocal opponent of maintaining the status quo. He said he’s been hearing complaints about the operation’s property for four years.
Zoning Administrator Troy Graham said he’d driven by the property several times and had not seen excessive trash. Similarly, Commissioner Tom Moody said Menghini and Girth had stopped by his office earlier in the week and insinuated that any trash had been cleaned up. Menghini and Girth were not present at the meeting. Instead, they were represented by Pittsburg attorney Rick Smith who challenged the commission on the legitimacy of the process.
“They’ve been subjected to numerous inspection by Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), environmental and state inspections, and they’ve never had any problems,” Smith said. “You’re conducting a hearing without due process.
“You haven’t told them at any point in time what the allegations are.“
Smith says Menghini and Girth are owed due process.
“We are entitled to a hearing, either you or zoning court,” he said. “This is not appropriate conduct.“

(Read more: Pittsburg Morning Sun)

City of Topeka, Shawnee County to work to use tax foreclosure to help revitalize neighborhoods

Shawnee County and Topeka’s city government are partnering to use the county’s tax foreclosure process to help revitalize neighborhoods in decline, County Commissioners Shelly Buhler and Bob Archer learned Thursday. Megan Barrett, office manager for county counselor Jim Crowl, spoke about the effort at that morning’s meeting, where Commission Chairman Kevin Cook was absent. Barrett said the county and city are teaming up in conjunction with the Momentum 2022 economic development …

(Read more: Topeka Capital-Journal)

Douglas County considers whether to charge nonprofits to use fairgrounds

The Douglas County Commission agreed Wednesday to put off a decision on whether to start charging some nonprofits to use the county fairgrounds, citing confusion about what types of organizations the new language would affect.

Under the current fee structure, youth organizations and nonprofits with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status are allowed to use the fairgrounds for free. The proposed changes to the fee structure would still allow county nonprofit youth groups free use of the fairgrounds, said Jill Jolicoeur, assistant to the county administrator. However, nonprofits with state 501(c)(3) certification would be asked to rent the grounds or facilities at a discounted rate of 50 percent from the standard charge. Nonprofits would, however, be allowed to apply for a fee waiver.

Read more: LJWorld.com.

Emporia once again discussing biodiesel plant

City officials expressed interest in allowing a little more time for the completion of a biodiesel plant in Emporia.

Renewable Energy Group Executive Director of Corporate Affairs Scott Hedderich accompanied Regional Development Association President Kent Heermann to a study session of the Emporia City Commission Wednesday morning to discuss potentially renewing an old agreement between the RDA and Renewable Energy Group.

The agreement concerns a biodiesel plant, something that had been discussed publicly by the RDA as far back as 2007, when the plant was first broached as a possibility.

If the commission were to sign off on it, it would renew the agreement for another five years.

The groups maintain hope that the partially-constructed plant in Industrial Park III, just east of Norfolk Iron & Metal, may one day be completed. In 2014, Hedderich said the facility was 20 percent complete and, at that time, Renewable Energy Group hoped to have it up and running within three years. The current agreement was signed in 2013 and is set to expire on Dec. 31.

Though the commission didn’t sign off on any agreements Wednesday, commissioners were open to the request.

(Read more: Emporia Gazette)

STAR bond project for American Royal being modified

The Unified Government is modifying the STAR bond project for the American Royal because the state will not approve it as it was originally written, according to UG officials.

Unified Government Administrator Doug Bach told the UG Commission Thursday night that the acting secretary of commerce would not approve the local share being held back for the sales tax revenue (STAR) bond project for the American Royal, outside of the Plaza at the Speedway area contained in the district.

“We were going through the final stages of putting the plan together when we received some comments from the acting secretary of commerce regarding our wording that was in the sharing of local sales tax,” Bach told the commission.

The UG had put in a provision that held back some of the local share, he said.

(Read more: Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!)

Parsons commissioner disapproves of closed session to discuss incentives

Parsons city commissioners met in an executive session during a Thursday work session, but the decision to meet in private wasn’t made unanimously.

Commissioner Peter Cook objected to the closed session because the motion didn’t include enough information for the public. The session was called to discuss possible incentives based on sales and confidential financial information related to the financial affairs of a corporation.

“I think to have an executive session on this, it ought to be a little more revealing because we’re not telling anyone anything except we’re going to meet in secret to talk about something,” Cook said.

As a Parsons Sun publisher, Cook was critical of the commission for often meeting in executive sessions, but Thursday was the first time he voted against a closed session since joining the commission in January. He retired as publisher prior to running for election.

Cook said the commissioners should name the company they would discuss or at least give some detail other than what was given in the motion.

Economic Development Director Jim Zaleski, who was included in the closed session, then abruptly approached the podium.

“At this point in time, if we named the company, the company would not come here,” Zaleski said.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Sale of city-owned building in Chanute : Job retention vs. recruitment

Chanute commissioners received two offers, raised a counter proposal, and are now waiting to see if the other players will call or fold.

The stakes are economic development and privatizing a manufacturing plant at 615 W. Cherry. The players are a long-time Chanute manufacturer and a new business looking to come to town. For now, the winner remains undetermined.

Chanute Regional Development Authority Director Matt Godinez said both offers look good, and he thinks both companies are sound and will do what they promise. He said that the issue seems to be between job retention versus recruitment.

“It’s almost personal taste which one you want to lean towards,” he said.

“We all want the same thing,” Commissioner Phil Chaney said, which is to bring jobs.

Supreme Court case could have major impact on law in Missouri, Kansas

A law that brings in millions of dollars for law enforcement in Kansas and Missouri could soon change.

Under a law called civil asset forfeiture, a traffic stop could end with someone losing their car or life savings. Wednesday, the Supreme Court of the United States heard a case from Indiana that looks at the law.

It centers around a man named Tyson Timbs who sold undercover police in Indiana $400 worth of heroin.

He was arrested, and they took his $40,000 Land Rover through asset forfeiture.

On Wednesday, during oral arguments, his attorney told the Supreme Court that the seizure was an excessive fine, which is banned by the Constitution. The case matters because law enforcement in Kansas and Missouri uses asset forfeiture often, and it generates a significant amount of money.

(Read more: KMBC)

Kansas task force eager to finish stalled T-Works projects, invest in road preservation

The Kansas Legislature’s task force Thursday recommended completion of more than 20 highway projects suspended when the cash-strapped state government drained away highway funding to balance the budget and to place a high priority on investments preventing deterioration of existing infrastructure.

The panel of state and local government officials and industry representatives struggled to identify precise sources of funding to cover $535 million needed to finish 21 projects remaining from the T-Works program started in 2010. It was the same with pinpointing financing as much as $500 million annually for road preservation projects managed by the Kansas Department of Transportation.

In the second half of the 10-year program, the task force said KDOT must continue planning and executing large expansion projects that address profound safety problems and emerging economic development opportunities. The challenge of operating KDOT was put to the test when Gov. Sam Brownback redirected tax dollars earmarked for T-Works into the general budget after the state suffered deep revenue shortfalls. In large measure, deficits were driven by aggressive reductions in state income taxes and elimination of the income tax on more than 300,000 business owners. The income tax cuts signed into law by Brownback in 2012 were repealed in 2017 by the Legislature.

In all, Brownback and state lawmakers stripped more than $2 billion from KDOT since 2011 to keep state government in the black.

Commissioner concerned lawsuit against drug makers could hurt local jobs

Cowley County commissioners have decided to drop out of a opioid lawsuit several months after they joined it.

The commission approved a resolution Tuesday night removing itself from the suit initiated by Sedgwick County and joined by Cowley County in April 2018.

The purpose of the suit, as described by the lawyers for Sedgwick County and explained at length in the suit itself, was to go after the “Big Pharma” companies that have been encouraging physicians to prescribe opioids while denying they are addictive. That, according to the claim, promotes the current opioid crisis.

“The opioid crisis is everywhere. Why wouldn’t you sign on?” commission chair Alan Groom said several months ago in explaining why the commission voted to support Sedgwick County in the case. “There is no cost to us, and Sedgwick County is looking for people to support them.” But Groom now has a different view. He said this week that he had been approached by an individual working at a local Walmart pharmacy who said she was concerned that the litigation could get her fired.

Groom said he was concerned that any Cowley County resident might lose her job because of the litigation, so he thought the commission should consider getting out of it.

After some discussion, commissioners agreed to pass the resolution to get out of the lawsuit.

City selects ballpark design-build group; competing bidder questions qualifications

The Wichita City Council hasn’t officially approved a design-build team for the city’s new $75 million Minor League ballpark, but there’s already been a protest over the recommended group.

On Tuesday, the Council will vote on a selection committee’s recommendation of Kansas City, Mo.-based JE Dunn Construction, which is teaming with Overland Park-based DLR Group and three Wichita companies: Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey Architecture, Professional Engineering Consultants and Eby Construction.

At issue in a protest by a competing team is whether the JE Dunn team meets a key requirement to be selected, which is that it has built at least three similar Major or Minor League ballparks. In a Nov. 19 letter to the city’s contract compliance officer, Dondlinger vice president of commercial construction Troy Kapels questioned if the JE Dunn team has built at least three Major or Minor League ballparks.

Kapels, who didn’t return calls for comment, noted in the letter that the city’s request for proposals on the ballpark stipulated that teams “must have experience in the construction” of those professional ballparks.

“Our team requests the City provide documentation to our team that the JE Dunn Construction team met the experience requirements for the complete contracted services of such work,” Kapels wrote, emphasizing words the request for proposal contained.

#Myarkcity is the hashtag to help Ark City win $500,000

The Small Business Revolution-Main Street TV show will announce on Dec. 10 the 10 finalists for the $500,000 community development prize.

Arkansas City is one of the top 20 finalists, and community supporters hope to make the cut and be included in the next round.

Several groups in the community are making an all-out effort to make sure Ark City remains in the contest.

Jill Wineinger, a strong supporter of the campaign, said it was especially important for all citizens to rally their support on every possible social media platform.

She encouraged residents to use the hashtag #myarkcity and tag the Small Business Revolution with positive posts about local small businesses to impress contest organizers as they select the top 10 cities.

“The more we can show support, the more likely we are to move forward to the next round of the contest,” Wineinger said.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Should Kansas raise the gas tax to pay for highways? Some officials are discussing it

ansas drivers may pay more at the pump — or pay a fee if they own an electric car — to help fund future highway improvements, under ideas proposed by state lawmakers and officials.

One senator says the current gas tax of 24 cents a gallon should increase to 29 cents a gallon.

Discussion of a higher gas tax and fees comes as Kansas begins crafting a new long-term transportation plan that will guide highway projects for years to come. A state task force finalized recommendations on Thursday for a program that will eventually replace T-WORKS, the 10-year, $8 billion transportation plan that kicked off in 2010.

The recommendations call for funding through sales taxes, the gas tax and a fee on electric vehicles, among other sources. The recommendations don’t suggest how high the gas tax should go.

The Legislature and the Kansas Department of Transportation will use the recommendations as they develop a new program in the coming year.

(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Shawnee’s 2019 CDBG plan dedicates funds to city street infrastructure

Shawnee has submitted its application for Community Development Block Grant funding for the next five years.

Should the Kansas Department of Commerce accept Shawnee’s application as is, the city would receive $285,302 in CDBG funds. A majority of the city’s funding request is $217,602 to be dedicated toward street infrastructure improvements on 60th Street between Flint Street and Nieman Road. CDBG funds are designed to provide assistance to low- and moderate-income residents. The city’s five-year plan was updated to include housing rehabilitation, stormwater and street and sidewalk improvements, subsistence payments to low-income Shawnee residents, payments to subsidize child care, and funding for healthcare services for uninsured residents, according to a Nov. 26 city memo from community development director Doug Allmon.

Next year will be the fifth year under the five-year consolidated plan.

Longwell: Public will have input on Wichita baseball team nickname

Plainsmen? Flyers? Wind Sox?

Whatever the nickname turns out to be for Wichita’s new Triple A baseball team, it sounds like the public will get a say.

That’s according to Mayor Jeff Longwell, who said during his Thursday media briefing that the public will be involved in the process to rename the New Orleans Baby Cakes, the Triple-A baseball franchise that plans to move to Wichita for the 2020 season.

“The team wants the public involved,” Longwell said. “That process will organized by the (Baby Cakes). They have a website they’re almost ready to launch and their goal is to have something that this community is going to fall in love with. They’ve already started developing a logo that’s separate from the team name.”

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

El Dorado to consider task force on homelessness

Concerned citizens, individuals from a number of community organizations and representatives from City, County, and State departments all gathered at the Civic Center Tuesday evening to discuss the issue of homelessness in El Dorado.
The City Commission led a fact-finding conversation to address questions received from community members regarding homelessness. City Manager David Dillner facilitated the conversation which began following a welcome by Mayor Vince Haines who also thanked everyone in attendance for their interest and desire to make a difference. He expressed a sentiment felt by many in the room, “We do not have an answer, if we did we wouldn’t be having this meeting.“ Mr. Dillner recognized the importance of viewing all facets to the issue. Those facets are varied, some may yet to be identified, and may not overlap. While many concerns were raised it was acknowledged that a solution will not be found with one conversation, and a task force will be created to continue the conversation.

City Manager Matt Allen given award for excellence in public management

Garden City City Manager Matt Allen recently was named the recipient of the Buford Watson Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Management by the Kansas Association of City/County Management during the association’s annual conference Nov. 14 through 16 in Pittsburg.

Under the leadership of Allen, who has been city manager since 2008 after having served as the assistant city manager for six years, his team has received state and national recognition for innovation in areas of public participation, local government social media, fiscal transparency, embracing diversity and healthy community design for rural communities, according to a press release from the City of Garden City.

“From the moment I first learned about the award three years ago, I couldn’t imagine another manager in the state more deserving,” Assistant City Manager Jennifer Cunningham said in the release. “Matt is everything the award represents. We are lucky as staff to have him as our leader and lucky as a community to have someone that cares and is so deeply connected.”

John Deardoff, city manager in Hutchinson, nominated Allen for the award.

“Matt has been a strong voice for southwest Kansas through his work on major regional transportation issues involving Essential Air Service, Amtrak and highways,” Deardoff wrote in his letter of nomination.

Garden City Mayor Roy Cessna said he was proud to see Allen honored with the award.

Lenexa hosts training to teach first responders about signs, prevention of sex trafficking

The Kansas City area has been identified as a hotbed for human traffickers with both victims in transit and as a destination, an expert told a group of law enforcement officers this month. And police officers are on the front lines of helping identify victims.

Lenexa hosted Opal Singleton, president and chief executive officer of Million Kids, an anti-trafficking organization working to raise awareness in California and nationwide, to present a workshop on the signs of sex trafficking and how to prevent it.

Singleton’s three-hour crash course in anti-trafficking came a month after a Minnesota man was charged in Johnson County with two counts of rape for allegedly having sex with a 13-year-old Lenexa girl. While the presentation was open to the public, her focus was on training first responders to identify signs of trafficking.

Leavenworth renews agreement for K-7 corridor

When they met Tuesday, Leavenworth city commissioners voted to renew a memorandum of understanding with the Kansas Department of Transportation regarding the management of a Kansas 7 Highway corridor.

And Leavenworth Mayor Mark Preisinger expressed concern about the possibility of additional traffic lights or slower speed limits along K-7 in Wyandotte County.

The memorandum of understanding was renewed Tuesday with the City Commission’s approval of a supplemental agreement to the earlier agreement.

The memorandum of understanding between the city and KDOT was signed in 2007. But Leavenworth Public Works Director Mike McDonald said the agreement had expired and KDOT officials were seeking to reinstate it as well as similar agreements with other municipalities. The memorandum of understanding established a K-7 Corridor Review Committee. McDonald said the city participates in this group.

A 2006 K-7 Corridor Management Study indicates there was a recommendation for a “freeway facility type along the entire corridor.” But the study acknowledged that because of a lack of funding to immediately build a freeway, “interim improvements would be needed to accommodate the growing traffic demand.”

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Plan to colonize Wichita’s feral cats not quite ready to hunt

A Wichita board has rejected — for now — a proposed ordinance to allow residents to keep colonies of up to eight feral cats in their yards.

But the plan will come back after more fine-tuning in December or January.

The proposal before the Wichita Animal Control Advisory Board would allow “community cat caregivers” to register with the city to establish outdoor colonies of feral felines. The idea is to try to reduce the stray cat population by trapping, neutering and releasing them to backyard cat colonies, where they could live out their lives but not produce more cats.

A motion to advance the measure to the City Council failed on a voice vote Wednesday evening after two hours of debate.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Dino park ironing out financial matters

Field Station: Dinosaurs is working through financial issues that it has recently faced and is paying its bills, according to Executive Producer Guy Gsell of the recently opened attraction.

“All the vendors from Field Station: Dinosaurs’ build-out, including Dondlinger, have been paid in full,” Gsell said in an email to The Informer.

This fall, two liens were filed in Sedgwick County Court. Since the park is in a STAR bond district, it uses special financing vehicles, including a percentage of state sales tax revenue, for its development.

The park recently received an infusion of $700,000 from the district.

The money was designed to be used within the district and is not from taxpayers or a city source, but bondholders.

Those bonds have been sold.

They will be repaid with state and local sales taxes and hotel taxes collected within the district.

The money from the STAR bond proceeds was one of several requested changes by developers.

Because those changes would alter the original agreement, approval was needed by both the city and state.

The council learned about the request on Sept. 11 during a first reading. Following state approval, the council passed the changes on Oct. 9 after a second reading.

When asked in a September interview with The Informer about the park’s revenue or attendance figures, Gsell declined to release them.

As a private company, he’s not required to do so.

Kansas City (Missouri) Suburb Headed Toward Default

Platte County, Mo., home to Kansas City, may default as early as tomorrow if it fails to make a bond payment on a long-struggling shopping development.

County officials are questioning the value of covering the $1 million shortfall that’s due Dec. 1, noting that they are not legally obligated to help out the beleaguered Zona Rosa retail center.

But that resistance has come at a cost. Credit agencies have already punished the county just for considering not stepping in, with multiple downgrades into junk bond status.

At issue is the fact that the Zona Rosa was financed using bonds that were to be repaid with dedicated tax revenue from the development. But the project had the misfortune of opening in the middle of the Great Recession and has struggled with high vacancy rates for years. Tax revenue has consistently fallen short of expectations.

County officials argue that taxpayers shouldn’t have to pick up the tab. But the downgrades, says Municipal Market Analytics’ Matt Fabian, are already costing taxpayers. That’s because it will now be more expensive for the county to borrow money the next time it issues general obligation bonds in the municipal market. And Platte County is also extremely unlikely to find future buyers for any revenue debt that depends on an annual appropriation from the government.

… the fact that Platte County is being downgraded even before an actual default signals that credit agencies are becoming increasingly aggressive about punishing localities for walking away from debt — even when they are legally allowed to.

(Read more: GOVERNING)

Man who led Wyandotte County unification effort says combining Lawrence, Douglas County governments ‘would take a generation’

It “would take a generation” to unify the governments of Douglas County and the city of Lawrence, even if there were a general agreement to do so, a man who led the effort that created the Wyandotte County Unified Government told the Douglas County Commission on Wednesday.

Douglas County commissioners invited Kevin Kelley, director of the Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center, to speak about his experience in Wyandotte County. There, Kelley was the president of a grassroots effort that successfully advocated for the unification of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., governments. He then served on the committee that worked out the details of the dissolution of the city and county governments and the creation of a new unified government.

Read more: LJWorld.com.

AG Opinion No. 2018-16: Placement of Political Signs during Election Period; Constitutionality

K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 25-271 does not abridge the freedom of speech and, therefore, is not subject to scrutiny under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
…
to the extent the content-based analysis in [Reed v. Town of Gilbert, Ariz.] may apply, it would operate to invalidate an unconstitutional local ordinance or enforcement regime, not the state statute.

Rather than restricting speech, K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 25-2711 seeks to protect political speech. It does not require that local jurisdictions treat other types of speech differently based on their content or otherwise. “[P]olitical speech in the course of elections [is] the speech upon which democracy depends.”14 Because K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 25-2711 does not abridge the freedom of speech, it is not subject to scrutiny under the First Amendment. The statute does not violate the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Sedgwick County starts another investigation, this time of commissioners

Sedgwick County commissioners are pressing forward with an investigation of their own conduct in office, despite a dispute over the validity of an outside counsel’s investigation of the county manager that was supposed to come first.

Commission Chairman David Dennis said Wednesday that he’s ready to move forward with a probe examining commissioners’ actions and whether they’ve contributed to low morale and an exodus of top county employees.

Commissioners originally agreed to do that on Oct. 24, but put it on hold until after they got a report on County Manager Michael Scholes. The county-ordered investigations are in addition to a separate probe by the FBI into whether the effort to fire Scholes may have been motivated in part by his cooperation with FBI agents investigating O’Donnell last year. At Wednesday’s commission meeting, Dennis declared the investigation of county management complete and said it’s now time to move on to the investigation of the commissioners themselves.

(Read more: Local News |)

City of Manhattan eyeing increases for recreation program, cemetery fees

Commissioners were largely favorable of fee increases for Parks and Recreation programs and services provided by city cemeteries during the Manhattan City Commission’s work session Tuesday.

City staff said that due to increases in expenses they recommend an increase of $5 per recreation program in 2019. They also recommend an increase in waterpark admission fees by $1, or $5 for a season pass.

Expenses for recreation programs have risen by 12 percent over the past 3 years. Revenue from recreation fees for 2018 amounted to $648,761 as of October 31 while expenses for recreation programs for 2018 amounted to $736,615 as of October 31. Revenue from aquatic center fees for 2018 amounted to $423,163 as of October 31 while expenses for aquatic centers for 2018 amounted to $761,733 as of October 31.

The increase in programs fees is estimated to bring in an additional $35,000 in revenue in 2019, and aquatics fee increases would bring in nearly the same amount. Though the increases wouldn’t completely close the gap in the budget, but city staff said it would be a step toward that direction without making programs too cost prohibitive.

Recreation Director Randi Clifford said the increased expenses are in-part due to wage increases in order to stay competitive in the market, looming important equipment upgrades at city pools, as well as an upgrade to CivicRec, a new department management software.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

City, humane society want unused shelters for unsheltered animals

Newton Animal Control and the Caring Hands Humane Society have debuted a program that should provide dogs and other pets houses in the cold and keep some owners out of the doghouse with the city.

The city and the humane society are asking for residents to donate dog igloos and houses that are no longer in use to Caring Hands’ facility at 1400 SE Third St.

Those who cannot move the houses on their own can receive help by calling 316-284-6047. Donated dog houses will then be distributed to owners who lack proper shelter for their animals in cold weather.

The City of Newton requires pets to have shelter in the winter, and when pets are found lacking adequate shelter, the city cites pet owners for the violation. The Animal Control Department has noticed the problem repeatedly in the community. It worked one such case Nov. 25 finding an unsheltered dog and taking it to Caring Hands.. The donations will help to bridge that gap and keep animals warm in the winter. Those needing shelter for pets are asked to call 316-284-6047 in order to access the service.

“We also would like to remind you that if housing is not immediately available, you as the owner to your pet are responsible for making sure they have sufficient shelter from the elements, as per City of Newton ordinance,” Caring Hands stated in a release on the program.

(Read more: Newton Now)

Prairie Village park to boast garden, playgrounds. But restrooms may get most praise

Prairie Village residents are enthusiastic about the design for the new North Park, which will include a formal garden, playgrounds, bocce courts and — crucially — year-round restrooms.

Planners are putting the finishing touches on the design for the 3-acre neighborhood park at 67th Street and Roe Avenue, on land where Faith Lutheran Church stood for more than six decades. The City Council is expected to review the final design Dec. 17.

“We love the idea of the park, and we hope it’s a really well-used space. I want it busy all the time,” said Alexis Kuklenski, who brought her three sons — ages 7, 4 and 2 — to a meeting Tuesday night to get public feedback on the plans.

“It’s a good plan for the future, for all ages.” While 7-year-old Olin said he was most excited about a playground zipline feature, Alexis Kuklenski said the heated restrooms are something she really appreciates. Prairie Village City Administrator Wes Jordan and Ward 1 City Councilman Chad Herring agreed that heated restrooms are more in demand as new parks come on line.

(Read more: Government & Politics News |)

Ordinances require sidewalks to be cleared in Leavenworth and Lansing

Many local residents and business owners could be seen shoveling snow around the community following this weekend’s blizzard.

But people who do not shovel sidewalks around their properties may be violating a municipal ordinance.

Both the cities of Leavenworth and Lansing have ordinances requiring residents to shovel snow from sidewalks.

In Leavenworth, “every person in the possession and occupancy of any premises adjacent to any sidewalk or sidewalk ramp” is required to remove all snow from the sidewalks within 24 hours after the snow has fallen, according to the city code.

Violation of this code is considered a misdemeanor in Leavenworth.

Leavenworth code enforcement officers generally only send violation notices to people after receiving complaints, according to city officials.

Most of the complaints concern areas near schools.

In Lansing, an ordinance requires property owners or occupants of properties “immediately adjacent to a public sidewalk” to remove snow and ice within 24 hours of the end of the storm. If removal of the ice is impossible, property owners or occupants are still required to place sand or de-icer material on the sidewalks, according to the city code.

Violation of the Lansing ordinance can result in a $20 fine for each day of the violation.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)