Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Sedgwick County’s top attorney leaving with $77,000 payment

Sedgwick County commissioners have agreed to pay County Counselor Eric Yost $77,000 to leave. The commission majority and Yost didn’t see eye-to-eye on the handling of an FBI investigation.

(Read more: Local News |)

Fight to save Starlite Drive-in not over, councilman says

A Wichita city councilman says the fight to save the Starlite Drive-in isn’t over. Monday, Wichita Council member James Clendenin posted a video on Facebook, encouraging supporters of the drive-in theater not to give up.

“We’re working hard on it. I wanted people to know even though they don’t see a headline, there is work being done to save the Starlite Drive-in,” Clendenin says.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Prairie Village Adopts Ordinance Barring LGBTQ Discrimination

Prairie Village City Council members debated the wisdom and scope of an LGBTQ non-discrimination ordinance and ultimately voted unanimously Monday night for a broader ordinance than it originally contemplated.

The suburban council took action where state and federal law hasn’t yet reached — barring discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity by the city, landlords and any business offering services to the public.

After being formally adopted in a roll-call vote in December, the ordinance should take effect in January, said Tucker Poling, a co-sponsor of the ordinance.

“We made a statement about who we are as Prairie Village,” he said. “We made a very emphatic statement tonight that we are an inclusive community.”

(Read more: )

Chanute city commission wants to negotiate; proposes counter offer on city-owned building

Chanute city commissioners gave a counter offer Monday evening on the cash bid for the sale of an industrial building.

The commission approved a motion to ask for $350,000 for a city-owned building at 615 W. Cherry.

Todd Morris and Lamar Eby have offered $291,000 to buy the building that they would then lease to a so-far unnamed company. Chanute businessman Jim Caldwell of Bridgewood Custom Cabinetry has offered $500,000, but also seeks economic incentives including rebates for 20 jobs created and reimbursement for equipment investment.

The offer by Morris and Eby does not require incentives. Caldwell’s offer would rebate up to the $500,000 up-front payment.

The building is currently appraised at $451,000, and the city purchased it from Caldwell for $350,000 and put $1.1 million in improvements into it as an incentive for Spirit Aerosystems, which has since been purchased by Orizon Aerostructures.

Commissioner Randy Galemore made the initial proposal for a counter-offer, suggesting a price of $300,000. He said it would show that the city is interested in selling the property.

Commissioner Phil Chaney said people will know the city would like to negotiate.

No city code prevents semi-trucks from parking in old Kmart parking lot

A parking lot on S.W. Wanamaker once used by Kmart shoppers incurred damage from semi-trucks that used the lot overnight, but no city code expressly prevents trucks from parking in vacant lots.

A reader asked The Topeka Capital-Journal’s #TopCity What?, which answers reader-submitted questions, if there are any codes prohibiting semis from parking in the old Kmart parking lot overnight because they were tearing up the lot.

Patrick Lockett, of Topeka, said he first noticed semis parking in the lot when Kmart, 1740 S.W. Wanamaker, closed its doors in November 2017. He used to see several trucks parked there at a time, but now he doesn’t see as many. Molly Hadfield, city of Topeka media relations director, said the city does not have a code against semis parking in the lot. It is up to the property owners whether they want to let semis parking on their property.

Ann Marie Queen, spokeswoman for Equity Investment Group, said the parking lot is private property and the issue of semis parking in the lot was addressed when Kmart closed.

From a landlord’s perspective, semi-trucks parking on a lot can be problematic. They can do significant damage to the lot, Queen said.

“I was told by local police that I needed to order signs that said no overnight parking so we posted them at every entrance, Queen said. “Once that was posted, the police department could then enforce the overnight parking.”

Signs are posted around the parking lot on telephone poles.

Water, sewage rate increase proposed to help fund new treatment facility

Lawrence officials will consider whether to move forward with a new plaza and recreation area concept along the portion of the Kansas River that borders downtown.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the city has budgeted $2 million this year to repair the Kansas River dam and address riverbank erosion south of the dam. The city could stabilize the riverbank by building a terraced stone plaza instead of rebuilding the existing retaining wall.

The plaza would create river entry points and extend slightly into the river, which would facilitate pools and whitewater for kayaking and other water activities.

Assistant City Manager Brandon McGuire says city officials are asking potential contractors for the most economical way to address both the dam and riverbank stabilization projects, while possibly integrating the recreational concept. According to public works officials, if the water treatment plant fails it could mean water outages for thousands of people.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

Dreams of a Lawrence boardwalk on the Kansas River re-emerge in new development plans

There are new plans for multistory buildings with nearly 400 apartments and condos to overlook the Kansas River, and the iconic North Lawrence bar Johnny’s Tavern would get a bit of a facelift too.

Indeed, dreams of Lawrence’s own riverfront development are back in vogue.

A group that owns the property including and around Johnny’s Tavern at North Second and Locust streets has filed new plans at City Hall that would construct a series of buildings tall enough to peek above the Kansas River levee and create a new row of riverside dining and living options.

(Read more: LJWorld)

Parsons to consider hiring retail recruiter

In an effort to attract more businesses to the area near U.S. 59 and U.S. 400, the city of Parsons may hire a retail recruitment firm.

Parsons city commissioners will consider approval of a letter of engagement between the city and Retail Strategies to begin a three-year contract on Jan. 1. The contract would cost the city $25,000 per year.

Jim Zaleski, economic development director, told commissioners during a Thursday work session the company should help him “get in the door” to talk to national retail chains. With a hotel and conference center being built on Cattle Drive near North 16th Street (U.S. 59), the city also wants a full-service restaurant to locate near that intersection. Additionally, the city hopes to fill other empty spaces near the U.S. 59 and U.S. 400 junction with retail businesses.

Zaleski said he worked with Chanute’s economic development group to get a better deal with Retail Strategies. The Chanute group plans to sign a contract with the firm. The Montgomery County Action Council already works with Retail Strategies and recommended the group. Zaleski said he also has talked to four other firms over the last couple of years.

Zaleski goes to trade shows and sets up a booth representing the city, but he equates that with making cold calls. Retail Strategies should help him make more solid connections with decision makers for national retail companies.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Pop-up parks appear in Wichita, city calls them ‘experiments’

Small pop-up parks and playgrounds have appeared throughout Wichita.

One of the newest sites has created some buzz.

“When I first saw them, I thought to myself, ‘What was this?’ said Sabian Powers. “I was just very intrigued by it.”

“I was like, ‘What is this? What are they doing?'” explained Caitlin Herring. “It’s really chill. It’s just a really cool place to go.”

“I think it’s creative. I think it’s nice. I think it’s, like I said, it’s good for the city. It looks good,” said Wichita resident Sean Stewart.

The newest pop-up park is located on Douglas and 135 under the Douglas bridge. It includes several lounge chairs set on what appears to be a gravel and sand mix.

“For Open Streets, what we did was, we used this spot as a gathering spot, kind of a little pop-up park and we decided to keep it here to experiment to see if this would be a good location to put something a little bit more permanent,” said City of Wichita Park and Recreation Director Troy Houtman.

Houtman said the pop-up parks are meant to garner interest and community involvement.

“People want places to be. We want to make this place, Wichita, the best it can be. That’s part of our job as the park and rec department is to create community and we have a lot of different ideas on how we can create community and this is one of them,” Houtman said.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Lyon county commission agrees to republish separate budgets

Lyon County Commissioners approved a motion to republish 2018 budget expenditures for both the Road & Bridge and Noxious Weeds departments during a short action session at the courthouse Thursday morning.

Commissioner Dan Slater said the updated budgets — which are set to be published in The Emporia Gazette next week — accounted for recent weather events.

“The departments are both spending a little bit more money than we intended to spend, so with the weather doing weird things we decided to be safe and republish the budgets,” Slater said. “December can be a strange month for roads, especially when you start November out with snow storms, not to mention the floods we had recently. Hopefully we won’t use any of that extra money. The cash is there, it’s just about us getting the proper budgetary authority to spend it. Either way, it’s not set to be a huge chunk of money.

(Read more: Emporia Gazette)

Governing bodies to discuss mental health crisis response

Mental health crisis response and paperless reports for liquid waste haulers are among topics local governing bodies plan to take up this coming week. Commissioners plan to consider entering into an agreement through which the Shawnee County Department of Corrections, Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office, Topeka Police Department and Valeo Behavioral Health Care would team up to create and finance a job for a full-time employee who would assist sheriff’s and police officers during incidents involving people suffering mental health crises.

The cost to employ that person wouldn’t exceed $60,000 a year, commissioners learned in a recent joint memo from Sheriff Herman Jones and corrections department director Brian Cole. The sheriff’s office and corrections department would each pay $10,000 to help cover those costs, the memo said.

Health assessment shows uneasy feelings in Hutch

As part of their effort to determine where to direct efforts to improve community health, a Community Health Assessment Steering Committee made up of members from nine agencies conducted a recent scientific survey throughout the county.

They are still assessing the data collected, said Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti, but they found some 17 percent of those surveyed rated their overall health as unhealthy, and a third felt their health was being impacted by environmental issues.

Air and water quality were listed as the largest environmental concerns impacting health, he said.

“Some 76 percent felt their households were doing well, which I was a little surprised by,” Baldetti said. “I preface that with by the very nature my work, I usually hear more bad things than good. But responders were certainly positive and optimistic.”

On the other hand, Baldetti noted, that means 14 percent “don’t believe they’re doing well, which is a substantial number.”

One other finding he didn’t find too surprising but was still sobering, was the number of respondents that indicated they struggle with mental illness.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

National League of Cities Announces $100 Million in Partnerships to Support Entrepreneurship, STEM Education and Innovation in Communities Across America (including Hays and KCK)

Today, the National League of Cities (NLC) is announcing $100 million in local partnerships to expand America’s innovation economy. These investments come at a critical time when there is a growing need for resources to create startups and train the next generation of science and engineering talent in communities across America. Currently, 80 percent of venture capital goes to just five metropolitan areas, and computer science is not offered in 75 percent of American high schools.

Cities must lead on the nation’s most pressing issues in the absence of federal leadership. Over the past year, NLC, with support from Schmidt Futures, has worked with city leaders, universities, the business community and the social sector to design innovative partnerships that harness the power of science, technology and entrepreneurship to build stronger, more equitable local economies.

Today, over 50 cities, ranging from rural townships and college towns, to major metros, as well as over 200 local partners, are announcing new and specific partnerships that will be supporting young businesses, leveraging technology and ensuring STEM education and workforce training for all.

(Read more: NLC)

Century II Task Force Committee to give updates at Rotary Club meeting Monday

We’re getting closer to some answers about the future of Century II in downtown Wichita.

Since February, a task force committee has studied the options and challenges facing the nearly 50-year-old performing arts facility.

The years long debate weighs renovating the round building or building a new one.

The committee will present its findings during the Rotary Club of Wichita’s meeting Monday. Friday we caught up with the performing arts community in anticipation of the task force’s update.

“I think most of us who work here would very much welcome a new facility provided that it gave us the things that the old facility did,” said Wayne Bryan, Producing Artistic Director, Music Theatre Wichita.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Wichita firefighters complete new search and rescue training

Firefighters have one of the most dangerous jobs, their training has to be realistic. That’s why the Wichita Fire Department created a new learning experience for all firefighters.

No, there wasn’t a trailer fire in Wichita Friday, but city firefighters got to practice for one, in a staged scenario.

“There is an adult and two children inside, unknown location.,” said one firefighter.

The training is to make sure they’re ready to navigate, during the real deal.

“Once we force that door everything that we hear that we learn, gets challenged,” said Capt. Carlos Rodriguez, Wichita Fire Department.

Firefighters have been practicing search and rescue skills inside this trailer for five weeks. The department uses theater smoke to create a realistic environment, that can test their judgment.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

‘I cannot explain it’: Hand recount shows drop in votes in S.E. Kansas county commission race

The official results of a hand recount for the District 3 Crawford County Commission race show Democrat Jeremy Johnson defeating Republican Chad Ulepich by a margin of 25 votes.

It was a much different scene on Friday when the Crawford County Board of Canvassers met to carry out their duties on the results of Thursday’s hand recount of the District 3 Crawford County Commission and District 2 Kansas State Representative races, The Pittsburg Morning Sun reported.

The room that was packed to capacity for Tuesday’s canvass was practically empty and neither candidate was present.

“It was a lengthy process,” County Clerk Don Pyle said. “Counting by hand is not an exact science. We had to recount some precincts five or six times to settle on a number.”

These numbers settled the mercurial results of the District 3 Crawford County Commission race. After the hand recount and second canvass, the results found Johnson defeated Ulepich 1,648 to 1,623, a difference of 25 votes. The total recounted ballots were noticeably lower than those from the first canvass, which put Johnson up 1,652 votes to 1,630.

Vic Miller, an election lawyer hired by the commission to oversee the first canvass and subsequent recount, said he was perplexed by the drop in votes.

“That’s the one thing I can’t explain,” he said, “why both of them lost a handful of ballots. Without in depth research, I cannot explain it. The good news is that the margin was similar in both instances.”

Moody’s draws attention to Kansas’ positive economic indicators

The revised revenue forecast recently released for the state of Kansas, along with other positive economic indicators, led Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday to make a “credit positive” statement about the state.

Although a credit positive declaration doesn’t carry the weight of a rating or outlook change, it is indicative of the effect of a distinct event or development as one of many credit factors affecting the issuer, said David Jacobson, Moody’s spokesman.

The greater-than-expected revenue growth in Kansas, particularly from state income taxes, will reduce the burden of increasing education funding and also enable the state’s flexibility to improve reserves, according to Matthew Butler, a Moody’s analyst.

Derby sales tax dispute settled

Attorneys for the city of Derby and the Kansas Department of Revenue have reached an agreement on terms to settle a dispute over how the state has been distributing revenues from the half-cent Derby Difference sales and use tax.

The parties filed a request Nov. 15 in Shawnee County District Court for a consent judgment and final order to ensure the state begins in December 2018 to remit all revenues collected from the Derby tax to the city instead of remitting a considerable portion of those revenues to Sedgwick County.

In 2013, the 0.5 percent tax was approved by Derby voters to make park improvements and to supplement operations of the library and fire and rescue department. In late 2015, Derby officials learned that the state had implemented an automated system that distributed a portion of Derby’s tax revenues from certain vehicle sales to the county.

In 2016, Derby pointed out the error to KDOR, but after receiving no relief, turned to the judicial system for interpretation and enforcement of the law.

City of Humboldt, Ks hires a new Police Chief

The Humboldt City Council appoints Shannon Moore as the new Chief of Police. Moore grew up in Humboldt and has served in law enforcement for 23 years, including 13 years in an administrator capacity.

“I am extremely honored to be able to serve my hometown and look forward to leading our department into the future, alongside the community, schools, businesses and other law enforcement agencies. It takes all of us working together to succeed and provide the best law enforcement possible for this community,” says Moore.

Chief Moore graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in criminal justice and a minor in child psychology. Chief Moore started her law enforcement career in Iola, Kansas in 1995. She spent a few months as a dispatcher, often seen as the lifeline of police officers. She then served as a patrol officer for the Iola Police Department for 5 years and detective for the next 5 years.

In 2005, she became Undersheriff in Allen County, Kansas, where her father had previously served as Sheriff. She served under Sheriff Tom Williams.

In 2009, Chief Moore says she was elected as Sheriff in Woodson County, KS after being nominated by a republican committee.

She continued to get all-round experience in the field in 2012, when she moved to Coffee County, KS to become a jail administrator.

In November of 2017, she moved back to her hometown of Humboldt, where she has patrolled the streets as a Sergeant with the police department.

On November 13th, 2018, the Humboldt City Council hired her to become the town’s next Chief of Police. Congratulations Chief Moore.

(Read more: KOAM – Local News)

Draft affordable housing plan includes new ideas, including buy-back program for certain old rentals in Lawrence

Many older homes in Lawrence’s core neighborhoods have long since been converted to rental properties, with some physically divided into apartments. Now, the city could consider a program that would undo some of those changes.

The city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board is reviewing the first draft of a plan to address specific deficiencies identified by a recent housing market study. The approximately 50-page draft plan, called the Lawrence Housing Toolkit, includes various options the board will consider to address the city’s housing issues, including zoning changes, funding assistance and a program to purchase and renovate certain rental properties and convert them back to owner-occupied, single-family homes.

Survey: Rural economy being hurt by tariffs, low prices

For the first time this year, a monthly survey of bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states indicates the regional rural economy is shrinking.

The overall index of the Rural Mainstreet survey for November sank to 49.9, the first time it’s dipped below 50 since January and down from October’s 54.3. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy in the months ahead, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the farm sector continues to be weakened by tariffs and low commodity prices.

(Read more: KOAM – Local News)

Marketing firm: Wichita should focus talent search on four U.S. metro areas

With a talent attraction and retention challenge continuing in Wichita, workforce leaders are attempting to take their efforts to the next level.

Earlier this year, the Greater Wichita Partnership, a regional economic development organization, began working with Development Counsellors International in an effort to begin work on the design of a multi-faceted marketing campaign to draw people to Wichita.

“Talent is the key commodity now,” says Andrew Nave, the GWP’s executive vice president of economic development. “I’ve been doing economic development for 15 years. Workforce promotion and talent promotion has always been a key criteria, but now it’s now not only at the top of the list, it’s almost in a category all its own.” Wichita, like many other cities, is looking for ways to bring workers here and, once they’re here, to keep them. That’s where DCI — the firm calls itself a “highly-specialized” company in the areas of tourism and economic development marketing — comes in. In short, it markets places.

What DCI has provided the partnership is basically a blueprint for a multi-year marketing plan to sell Wichita. Part of the plan that DCI presented includes marketing Wichita to residents in four specific metro areas — Los Angeles, Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Dallas/Fort Worth. Additional markets could be added.

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

Gardner city council establishes land bank

The Gardner City Council has established a land bank in a renewed push to revitalize blighted parts of the city and give potential landowners a chance to purchase land without inheriting delinquent taxes on the properties.
The council, during its Nov. 5 meeting created the land bank which will allow the city to acquire property sold at tax sale without having to pay the delinquent taxes.
“If a city is a successful bidder at a tax sale, the city is required to pay delinquent taxes. In contrast, when a land bank acquires property, the county treasurer must remove from the tax roll all taxes, charges, penalties and interest,” said Larry Powel, director of economic development.
Powell said that through a land bank the city can abate or re-amortize delinquent special assessments.
“If there are tax and special delinquencies on properties that are impending development, a land bank provides a vehicle for taking title to the property and cleaning up these encumbrances so that the new owner starts with a clean slate,” he said.
Steve Shute, mayor, said the establishment of the bank should not be construed to mean the council is doling out corporate welfare.

(Read more: Gardner News)

Lenexa’s Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park is going to be lit for the holidays

Every year for the past 25 years, Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park lights up for the holiday season.

Jeff Carlson, parks and recreation facility maintenance supervisor, said his crew decorates 80 to 90 trees in the park with dozens and dozens of stringed lights. Some of the trees are pretty large, about 70 feet tall, so they require tall lifts to hang up the lights.

And all of the lights are different: traditional C9 and C7 bulbs and modern LED, traditional Christmas colors of red and green and unique colors from all over the rainbow.

“There’s a big oak tree out here in the park that’s about 70 foot tall, and it has close to 600 lights just on that one tree,” he said. “It’s quite a few lights scattered throughout the park. Lots of different colors; we try to mix and match, we try to change some around every year so it doesn’t look exactly the same.”

Spring Hill hires Assistant City Administrator

At the Nov. 8 City Council meeting, the Governing Body approved Mayor Steven Ellis’ appointment of Jose Leon to Assistant City Administrator of Public Works, Community Development and Physical Plant.

“The City of Spring Hill is very excited to have Mr. Leon join the team,” Jim Hendershot, Spring Hill City Administrator, said. “His experience, knowledge and leadership will be an asset to this community, our residents and City staff.”

Leon previously worked for the City of Roeland Park as the Public Works Director and the City of Overland Park Public Works department. Leon also served seven years in the private sector as a structural engineering technician.

(Read more: City of Spring Hill news)

Wichita firefighters dressed as superheros rappel down Wesley Children’s Hospital

Children at a Wesley Healthcare hospital saw six superheroes through their windows on Thursday — heroes who are Wichita firefighters when they’re not rappelling down buildings.

The Wichita Fire Department tweeted photos of the superhero firefighters on the roof of Wesley Children’s Hospital. They included Batman, Captain America, the Hulk, Spider-man, Thor and the Green Lantern.

“Our local firefighters always seem to be on the lookout to give back to the community and you could tell they really enjoyed dressing up and visiting the kids today,” Wesley Healthcare said in a statement. “It’s a great day at Wesley Children’s Hospital when you can provide some fun for patients and take their minds off of their hospital stay for a while.”

The children’s hospital posted a video on Facebook of the superheroes rappelling down the side of the building.

(Read more: Local News |)

Hoxie hospital receives $2.25M federal loan for facility improvements

USDA Rural Development State Director Lynne Hinrichsen today announced that USDA is investing in health care infrastructure and services in rural Kansas.

“Ensuring that rural Kansans have access to quality medical care, close to home is a top priority for USDA Rural Development,” said Hinrichsen. “Several of our rural hospitals are aging, and we are committed to assisting communities with financing for innovative health care projects that meet the needs of rural Kansans.”

Today’s announcement is part of USDA’s commemoration of National Rural Health Day, which is held annually on the third Thursday of November to focus on the specific health care issues facing rural communities. The Department is investing $501 million in 60 projects nationally, through the Community Facilities direct loan program. These investments will expand access to health care for approximately 2 million people in 34 states.

In Kansas, the following projects are receiving financing, which totals more than $34 million:

(Read more: Hays Post)

Ark City makes cut for online TV show

Arkansas City’s long-shot odds of winning $500,000 in a TV show contest are getting stronger.

Word was received Tuesday that Ark City made the cut of 20 finalists from nearly 12,000 nominations for Small Business Revolution — Main Street, a TV show produced by the Deluxe Corporation.

Ark City Chamber CEO Paisley Howerton said on Wednesday she is excited by the news. She and her staff are looking for new ways to increase community involvement and support.

Businesses in the winning community apply for part of the $500,000, Howerton said. This is fourth season of the contest; season 3 winner was Alton, Ill. The series airs on smallbusinessrevolution.org, Hulu and YouTube, according to press release from Deluxe Corporation.

Howerton said the contest’s website encouraged the use of social media to get the word out and build support. The Ark City Ask and Answered Facebook page was a major tool used to encourage people to visit the show’s website and vote for Ark City, she added.

After learning that enough votes had been cast to attract the attention of show officials, a group of Ark City citizens gathered in the downtown area last month to take part in a promotional video.

Ellis Co. election canvass will determine winner of state rep seat

With the race for the Kansas House of Representative 111th District still too close to call, all eyes will be on the Ellis County election office and Clerk and Election Officer Donna Maskus on Thursday night as the vote tallies are finalized.

Just 40 votes separate incumbent Democratic State Rep. Eber Phelps and Republican challenger Barb Wasinger after the final votes were tallied on election night. Wasinger led Phelps 4,259 to 4,219 votes.

There are still approximately 200 provisional ballots and more than 30 advance ballots that still must be counted, a process Maskus said could take a significant amount of time Thursday.

The election canvass will be at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Ellis County Administrative Center in the commission chambers and a vault nearby.

During the canvass, the remaining provisional and advanced ballots are opened, counted and then added to the vote totals to determine the final tally, which is then approved by the canvassing board.

(Read more: Hays Post)

City Hall staying put in Leawood

After hearing from residents on Nov. 12, the Leawood City Council decided against moving the former City Hall from its current site at 9615 Lee Blvd.

City leaders had considered placing the building close to the current City Hall at 4800 Town Center Drive, leaving more green space for a park that’s being planned on the Lee Boulevard property.

Chris Claxton, the city’s parks and recreation director, said most residents who spoke at the meeting favored keeping the building on its current site.

However, the old City Hall will have to be moved to different spot to accommodate construction of a new fire station where the now-razed police building once stood next to the City Hall. The fire station is in the early stages of planning, so nothing will happen to the building for a while

The city’s Historic Commission has requested that the former City Hall, now used for storage, become a local history museum where the story of Leawood would be told. No decision has been made on that idea.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Holcomb City Council votes in Yolanda Cox as new member

On Wednesday night, the Holcomb City Council approved Yolanda Cox to fill its fifth seat, left empty since former council member Jerry Quint stepped down in August to join the city’s short-staffed police department.

Quint originally left the council on Aug. 8 to temporarily become a part-time officer at the Holcomb Police Department, which has long been understaffed, said Robin Lujan, city administrator.

At the end of his originally slated 60-day leave, when positions at the police department remained unfilled, Quint decided to stay with the department in the interest of the city’s public safety, Lujan said. She said the city did not widely advertise the vacancy but informed people via word of mouth over the past few weeks.

Cox, who knows Mayor Brian Rupp and some current council members, was the only resident that showed interest in the position, Lujan said, submitting a letter to the council on Oct. 30.

Zoning best protection, say wind farm opponents

Some people have questioned why Apex Clean Energy would want to build wind turbines in Southeast Kansas.

Lack of zoning regulations in Neosho County could be one of the greatest enticements for the company, according to information shared with Neosho County residents Tuesday night at Tony’s Function Junction near St. Paul.

Anderson County residents Dane Hicks and Burk Peterson spoke to citizens at the event center who have raised concerns about the Neosho Ridge Wind project that is proposed in a footprint covering land between Galesburg and Thayer.

Hicks and Peterson were part of a group of Anderson County residents who fought a wind company that wanted to build a wind farm there by using the county’s zoning regulations. Residents in neighboring Coffey County warned them to get off their hands and do something to keep the wind farms out. They, in turn, are warning Neosho County residents, whose only option at this point to stop the wind farm project appears to be zoning or road use permits.

(Read more: The Chanute Tribune)

Anderson county residents speak about wind farm negatives

From Burk Peterson’s back door in Anderson County, he can see the turbines stretched across his sight line from horizon to horizon in Coffey County 26 miles away.

At night he said, it is like he is being invaded by aliens, because the turbines’ red lights are synced to blink in unison.

Looking at Kansas wind maps and the marginal to poor winds in Southeast Kansas, some might wonder why wind energy companies would come here to harvest wind for power.

With wind turbines that stand nearly 600 feet tall and blades reaching another 200 feet in the air, the energy companies think there is a better chance to capture those winds, but opponents, such as Peterson, have concerns.

That was not always Peterson’s perception, or his friend Dane Hicks’, according to what they shared with concerned residents of Neosho County Tuesday evening. The two men were part of a group in Anderson County that stopped a wind farm project there.

At first they thought, “We’ve already got a nuclear power plant, what’s a few more bucks,” Peterson said. Because the wind farms could impact property values, and given the tax breaks the wind companies receive, property taxes are increased on area residents to compensate. As well, their electricity bills often increase. Also, people are taxed to pay the federal subsidies to build the wind farms, the men said.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Lawrence Parks and Recreation finalizes new cemetery rules allowing more decorations

New rules allowing more decoration options at grave sites in Lawrence cemeteries were finalized Wednesday, said Derek Rogers, director of the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department.

Rogers said the rules, which were adopted after three public meetings held in September and October, will go into effect Jan. 1. The rules do not need to be approved by the Lawrence City Commission because they are part of park guidelines, which are under the department’s purview.

Douglas County to hold recognition ceremony for retiring administrator Craig Weinaug

At its short meeting Wednesday, the Douglas County Commission announced plans for a recognition ceremony for retiring County Administrator Craig Weinaug.

Weinaug announced in August he would be retiring Dec. 14 from the position he has held for 26 years.
Commission Chair Nancy Thellman said the county would have a retirement celebration for Weinaug from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 14, at the Flory Meeting Hall at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2110 Harper St.
Assistant County Administrator Sarah Plinsky said the celebration will include a 3 p.m. program of remarks about Weinaug’s long career with the county.
The celebration will be free and open to the public.

Osawatomie approves contract with Waste Management

Osawatomie City Council members approved a five-year contract with Waste Management at their meeting Thursday, Nov. 8.

Billing will continue to be handled by Waste Management. The council has said that once the city installs new software there is a possibility billing might revert to the city, though no formal decision has been made. Difficulties with billing have been points of contention with some residents.

The city’s contract with Waste Management was set to expire at year’s end. The council in mid-September opted to stick with Waste Management, which was competing with Harrisonville-based WCA for Osawatomie’s solid waste and recycling collection contract.

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Miami County receives ballpark cost to turn property into parking lot

A plan to turn a vacant county-owned lot at the corner of Agate and East Shawnee streets in Paola into an asphalt-surface parking lot could cost $40,000 to $60,000 to construct.

At the County Commission’s Nov. 7 study session, Road and Bridge Project Manager Matt Oehlert provided county commissioners with BG Consultants Inc.’s ballpark estimate for turning the 55-foot by 130-foot property at 102 E. Shawnee St. into additional parking for county employees.

Miami County commissioners at their meeting Wednesday, Oct. 25, directed county staff to put in a change order to add the parking lot’s design to a contract the county already has with Lawrence-based BG Consultants to design the Agate Street rehabilitation project.

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

County rehires retired attorney to try to navigate FBI, personnel investigations

Sedgwick County commissioners have turned to a familiar face to help them navigate investigations by them and of them, hiring back the retired Mike Pepoon to take over as their top lawyer.

Pepoon, a former assistant county counselor and county lobbyist, will run the legal department in place of County Counselor Eric Yost.

Yost, a former district court judge, is on indefinite paid leave after a news conference two weeks ago, where he released a statement accusing commissioners of trying to commit illegal acts in their efforts to oust County Manager Michael Scholes.

Pepoon enters a difficult legal landscape at the county.

Three members of the commission have retained a lawyer to investigate county personnel practices with an eye toward firing Scholes, according to e-mails obtained by The Eagle and Yost’s statement.

Simultaneously, the FBI is investigating whether the move to oust Scholes is in violation of federal laws that protect government whistleblowers from retaliation by their bosses, according to county memos and interviews.

Yost is expected to leave the county’s employment one way or another, through either a negotiated settlement or the commission firing him.

The motion to hire Pepoon, by Commissioner David Unruh, said Pepoon will head the county legal department “until appropriate county counsel is chosen.”

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Tax levy funding to support Rose Hill Historical Society structures

A measure recently approved by USD 394 residents will use tax levy funds to improve the structural quality of Rose Hill’s museum and its outlying buildings.

The measure passed 1606 to 1507 in the Nov. 6 election. It states that the levy shall not exceed an annual tax of one mill upon tangible property in the school district and that funds shall be used to “provide, establish, maintain and conduct a community historical museum for the City of Rose Hill.”

“We’re just funded by grants and donations, and grants are pretty hard to get for a small museum like ours,” said Cindy Bradford, treasurer and coordinator for the Rose Hill Historical Society. She said the museum has traditionally received funding at both the city and county levels, amounting to approximately $3,000 a year. The rest of the museum’s income comes from donations, membership dues, and fundraising.

“Our membership has aged so much that it’s mostly seniors, and I’m talking 80 and over, that it’s just hard to find people to work for those fundraisers,” Bradford said. “So just doing fundraising was not taking care of all of our needs.”

Bradford explained it had become a strain to maintain the condition of the society’s buildings while covering utilities and taxes.

The society currently oversees three buildings: the main historical museum, the remodeled Pleasant School Center, and a third building for larger historical objects that is still under development.

(Read more: Area | derbyinformer.com)

Newton reviews five-year projection

Two changes to the budget could make a big difference to future of the city, according to a financial projection given to the city commission Nov. 13 during a work session at City Hall.

“I took out the $95,000 for outside agencies, and added two mills. … Two little tweaks like that made that much difference,” said Donna Pickman, director of finance for the city.

The financial plan, projecting the next five years, showed a pretty large swing in ending balances with those two changes happening in the 2020 budget.

The ending balance swung from a negative $3.1 million to a negative $1.8 million — a difference of more than $1 million. The commission did not discuss how to prevent going into the negative in year five of the plan, looking primarily at the effect on the 2019 budget and 2020 budget — namely an increase in the ending balance in 2020.

The removal of outside agencies would mean no longer funding Health Ministries ($40,000), the Chamber of Commerce ($30,00) and Grand Central ($25,000).

(Read more: Newton Kansan)

City of Manhattan hears latest on plans for City Park, recreation centers

The latest updates on plans for two planned recreation centers and the future of City Park were presented at the Manhattan City Commission’s work session in City Hall Tuesday. The plan lays out the long-term vision for improvements and projects around the park. The last version of the plan was adopted in 2006, but city administration decided it needed updates as many projects within it have already been completed.

Park Planner Alfonso Leyva said the goal of this plan was to “create a space that caters to bicyclists and pedestrians” while enhancing activities already in the park and improving accessibility. He said these goals were determined after reaching out to community members for feedback on what they’d like out of the park.

The total cost of all projects contained within the plan is estimated to be somewhere between $4,315,2000 and $5,985,840. The price tag would be incurred over time rather than all at once as the plan is broken into phases of implementation.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Goddard STAR bond project breaks ground

Officials broke ground Nov. 6 at the location for a planned hotel, indoor water park, and ball field development in Goddard. According to The Times-Sentinel, this was the second groundbreaking for the project, which is being funded in part through STAR bonds.

Once completed, the project will feature a new hotel, Genesis Health Club, preschool, along with outdoor baseball fields and a 10-lane, 25-meter competition pool.

The Times-Sentinel reports that the STAR bond project should see construction before the end of the year, and the target for completion is late 2019. The project will receive $23 million in sales tax revenue (STAR) bonds.

New economic development plan in council’s hands

The Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) approved a final proposal for the city’s new economic development plan. Now it’s up to the city council to make a final decision.

At its Nov. 7 meeting, CDAB approved a final draft of the 2019-2021 Derby Economic Development Plan.The six-person board forms a new plan every three years that details a broad vision for progressing the city’s economy.

Similarly to the one from 2016-2018, the proposed plan prioritizes three main objectives: retain and develop business, attract and develop new business, and market the quality of the city.

Derby looks to be more walkable

What should the city of Derby be doing to become a more walkable community?

That’s the overall question being posed at an upcoming open house – and officials and planners are seeking the public’s input.

The impetus behind this is the creation of a Walkable Development Plan. City Manager Kathy Sexton said the undertaking is an important one.

“For 15 years, the city has worked to improve the walkability of the community,” she said. “Now with more than 25 miles of bike paths and lots of sidewalks, we decided to assess our progress and chart a course for the future by creating a walkable development plan.” The feedback the city gains from the public will help determine what needs and desires exist to reduce the reliance on vehicles, said Jayne Siemens, president of Venice Communications Inc., which is handling event publicity.

The concept is to promote safe, enjoyable and convenient transportation options for all, she said.

That would be accomplished through sidewalk connections and streetscape amenities, she said.

They also would promote different means of transportation along with seeking methods of reducing the number of vehicle trips, Siemens said.

Public input is going to be a key driver in the process.

Reno County Commission OKs meteorological tower after previously ordering company to take it down

With little discussion, the Reno County Commission Tuesday approved a permit to allow construction of a meteorological tower by NextEra Energy at the corner of East Irish Creek Road and South Mayfield Road which the county previously ordered the company to take down because it was not permitted. The permit is for a 199-foot tall tower, below the 200 feet that would required lighting by the FFA. It will gather data on wind speed and direction and other weather-related information. The permit is for three years, at which time it can be extended, or the tower must be removed.

The landowner where the tower is sited and the Reno County Planning Commission both recommended approval of the permit. Two people who addressed the planning commission on the tower last month opposed it and one person spoke against it on Tuesday.

“At Haven, at the first meeting NextEra had, they had a copy of the zoned and unzoned areas,” Commissioner Chairman Ron Hirst said. “I accept their apology. But with all the geological information today, with GPS, it’s hard to understand why this (permit) was not done. They were provided a map. I’ll leave it at that.”

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)