Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Marion County transfers ownership of historic building

Commissioners unanimously approved transferring the Bowron Building to the Marion Advancement Campaign Monday.

The building needs a new roof and other repairs, but Marion economic development director Randy Collett hopes to have them done within six months.

“Our history and heritage is a priceless thing,” he said. “The Bowron Building is part of Marion’s history, it’s been here since 1886.”

Possibilities for the space include a retail space, a studio apartment, and a small theater. “I look at, not just Marion, but Hillsboro too, and see buildings along Main St. that have been for sale a long time or finally sold for 10 to 20 percent of what they originally asked,” Commissioner Becker said. “If I weigh that against the tax benefit of getting it back onto the roles, I’m leaning toward transferring it.”

The advancement campaign is considering partnering with Marion Land Bank to provide a tax abatement to whomever uses the space.

(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)

Marion County announces new EMS director

Dave Owen was announced as the county commission’s choice for EMS director Monday.

He is serving his final 30 days as EMS director in Morris County, which ends after Thanksgiving.

“He’s well-known throughout EMS in this area,” county commissioner Kent Becker said. “A lot of our people know him and we had high recommendations.”

The department is making minimal changes to ensure a smooth transition, Becker said.

“We want it to be as seamless as possible,” he said.

(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)

Prominent longtime resident of Derby leaves legacy

The bronze sculptures displayed throughout Derby are a tangible legacy of how Charlie Hubbard touched the city. Getting the works in place was just one of his many passions, said Theresa Hearn, executive director of the Derby Community Foundation.

There are now 19 of them, but if he had his way, “there would be 100,” she said.

Charles Hubbard, usually called Charlie, lived and worked in Derby for more than 60 years. He passed away on the morning of Oct. 25. Charlie had dedicated 37 years working in the Derby School District, but he also was instrumental volunteering in the community as if it was a full-time job.

Charlie was the first president of the Derby Community Foundation, served as president of the Derby Chamber of Commerce and Lions Club, and had been an active member of the Rotary Club of Derby. City Manager Kathy Sexton said Charlie was a man “who not only had big dreams, he worked hard to achieve them.”

“Whether it was Derby Rotary, the community’s bronze art collection or the historical museum, Charlie put his money where his mouth was,” Sexton said. “He has my utmost respect as a dreamer and a doer.”

(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)

Yoder shopping center drawing new tenants

Downtown Yoder is experiencing a retail resurgence.

In the past several months three new stores and a commercial office have opened in the Heritage Square strip center just off Main Street that had been largely empty for the past several years.

The growth is especially remarkable when you consider there are less than a dozen businesses in the small community six miles south of Hutchinson, in the middle of Amish country.

The business owners, remarkably, are all named Yoder, though only a pair are related.

The three retailers will celebrate a Christmas Open House on Friday and Saturday with Christmas décor, discounts, drawings, and other activities.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Miami County to get new fuel island pumps system

A fuel island pump system that has served vehicles in all Miami County government departments for more than two decades will soon be replaced with a modern system.

Miami County commissioners at their meeting Wednesday, Oct. 24, approved purchasing a fuel pump system for $32,311.35 from Holidale of Shawnee. The cost includes a SynTech Fuelmaster 2500 system with data logger, modem, NIC card, software, hose controller switch, Gasboy pumps and other hardware, plus installation. Road and Bridge Director J.R. McMahon told commissioners the county’s current fuel system is about 23 years old and in need of an upgrade. The purchase will come out of the county’s fuel fund, he said.

McMahon told commissioners the system is not used just by Road and Bridge and Public Works departments.

“Everybody in Miami County (departments) uses it,” McMahon said.

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

MARC awards $3.1 million grant for road project in Louisburg

A $3.1 million federal grant to improve a one-mile stretch of South Metcalf Road in Louisburg is now in hand.

Rob Roberts told fellow Miami County commissioners at their Wednesday, Oct. 24, study session that Mid-America Regional Council, the grant’s administrator, approved the grant the day before on Oct. 23.

“Two years ago, I told Mr. (J.R.) McMahon I didn’t want to sit through another one of these (grant selections) without a Miami County project on the table,” said Roberts, who is a vice-chair of MARC’s board of directors. “I am happy to report that the (Metcalf 2.0) grant was approved for $3.1 million.”

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Ballpark design proposals due to city

Design proposals for the planned new Wichita multi-purpose ballpark were due at City Hall by Wednesday afternoon.

After announcing it plans to build a new ballpark to replace Lawrence-Dumont Stadium earlier this year, the city put out a request for proposals for the design of the facility, which will sit on or near the footprint of L-D.

It’s all part of a package put together by the city to lure the minor league New Orleans Baby Cakes baseball franchise. The team plans to play its first season in Wichita’s new ballpark in 2020.

As of midday on Friday, Hannah Lang, a senior buyer in the city’s finance department, said no bids had been submitted. According to city records, nearly 50 individuals representing various firms attended a pre-proposal meeting on October 12.

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

Hutchinson city manager, police chief discuss recent disciplinary action

In a room filled with law enforcement, dispatchers and media, Hutchinson Police Chief Jeffrey Hooper and City Manager John Deardoff held a press conference to discuss the recent events involving the Hutchinson Police Department.

While few other details were given about the recent personnel matters within the department, they did take time to discuss changes that are ahead and how the department is coping with the recent events. During the press conference, Hooper informed those in attendance that the incident involving an off-duty officer has led to a number of personnel changes. Hooper says one of the three officers terminated was Capt. Troy Hoover. He was terminated Monday. The rest of the personnel matters have come over the past three days. Hooper says he is making changes to how the department is structured.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Eudora city officials hope designs spark developer interest in downtown gateway properties

With conceptual designs in hand, city of Eudora officials are looking for investors to redevelop two properties on the southern entrance to downtown.

Eudora City Manager Barack Matite said one of the properties is the 4,320-square-foot former public safety building at 840 Main St., which has been used for storage since the city’s fire and police departments moved in July 2013 to a new building at 930 Main St. The other site is west across Main Street from the old public safety building and includes a city-owned vacant lot and a privately owned car wash.
The city requested proposals to purchase and redevelop the old public safety building in early May, Matite said.

Reno County residents still want moratorium on proposed wind farms

Although the Reno County Commission met, it had no agenda items to approve. However, commissioners did get more comments on proposed wind farms in Reno County and how the county needs to have a moratorium while it puts together blanket zoning for such facilities.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Hutchinson Police Department shakeup includes suspensions

Besides the firing of Hutchinson Police Capt. Troy Hoover on Monday, other personnel at the police department have been suspended pending completion an internal investigation, Hutchinson Police Chief Jeffrey Hooper confirmed Tuesday.

Hooper would not say how many individuals are on suspension or identify them.

“We will be taking further action this week,” Hooper said. “I’d rather not say at this point (the number or the individuals) because it’s an internal matter and we are still working with them. I’d hate to find out it was more or less than I say is involved.”

The internal investigation should be wrapped up by Wednesday afternoon and more information will be released at a press conference following that on Wednesday, the chief said.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Hutchinson’s assistant police chief fired

Hutchinson Police Department’s Capt. Troy Hoover, the department’s assistant chief for more than a decade and a veteran of more than 30 years, was fired on Monday afternoon by the city’s new police chief.

Hoover and City Manager John Deardoff both verified the firing. The News was unable to reach Chief Jeffrey Hooper, who started in the job less than two weeks ago.

Deardoff said there would be a press conference Wednesday afternoon about the firing.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

As Shawnee Mission’s first tax increment financing districts expire, evidence that things don’t always go as planned

The promise was there, twenty years ago, as cities began to dabble in a new way of raising money for hard-to-develop land. Cities, the county and school districts would forgo revenue from higher property values on newly improved land. Instead that money would go to developers for their costs. After a couple of decades, those costs would be paid and that revenue would be a boon to be reclaimed by the schools and cities.

It was called tax increment financing, and back in the 1990s, only a few Johnson County cities were brave enough to dip in a toe to an arrangement that is now a regular feature of city council meetings.

But 20 years is now about up on some of the oldest of those first Johnson County TIF districts. And as the clock winds down, it has become apparent that things don’t always pan out as expected.

Kansas communities may apply now for designation as an Opportunity Zone

On Tuesday, Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D. announced that the Kansas Department of Commerce is now accepting proposals from communities to designate eligible low-income census tracts as Kansas Opportunity Zones under the new Federal Opportunity Zones program. Opportunity Zones are a new economic development tool enacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 designed to encourage long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities. Based upon the number of low-income communities identified by the Federal Census, the Governor can designate 70 census tracts in Kansas as Opportunity Zones. Census tract eligibility is based upon population and income. Information about census tract eligibility for this program may be found at http://kansascommerce.gov/opportunityzones. Communities interested in submitting proposals to be considered as a Kansas Opportunity Zone should submit a letter of interest by March 1, 2018.

Voters to decide on commission expansion in Leavenworth County

In this year’s general election, voters will decide whether the Leavenworth County Commission should be expanded from three members to five.

A group known as Give Me Five collected the necessary signatures to have the question placed on the ballot for the November election.

Janette Labbee-Holdeman, who helped spearhead the effort, argued that expanding the commission to five members will provide better representation to southern Leavenworth County.

“To me, that has not been well represented,” she said.

She said a lot of people are moving into Basehor and Tonganoxie.

Currently, both communities are represented by one county commissioner.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Designers detail features of new Johnson County courthouse set to open in 2021

The new Johnson County Courthouse will open in early 2021 with 24 finished courtrooms, up-to-date accessibility and an entry-way sculpture of multi-colored chains by Los Angeles artist Benjamin Ball, according to a presentation by design team members to the county commission.

Designers and county officials are working on final details of the building’s interior as they prepare to set the next round of guaranteed maximum price limits on the building. The entire courthouse building project is expected to cost about $175 million. Once the details are nailed down, work will begin early next year, with the building to be enclosed by fall. Substantial completion is expected by August 2020.

Reno County will cover insufficient postage on mail ballots

Reno County advance mail ballot voters are advised in the mailing from the county to put $1.21 in postage on the envelope when mail back the ballot.

A U.S. Postal Service Forever stamp currently costs 50 cents and many voters are putting three such stamps on the large envelope, measuring 14 and a half inches by 9 and one-quarter inches, according to Reno County Clerk and Election Officer Donna Patton.

But if a voter puts insufficient or no postage on the envelope, it still will be delivered to the Reno County clerk’s office. The Postal Service will not send it back to the voter, emphasized Patton.

“We basically have a fund at the Post Office,” Patton said, and county funds are used to cover the cost of insufficient postage.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Wichita firefighters give out coats to students ahead of the cold

As temperatures begin to drop, more people will pull out their winter coats.

But for some families, it’s more of a challenge being able to afford clothes to keep warm.

Those who protect and serve the community, helped ease some that burden for local kids Monday afternoon.

For the third year in a row, Wichita firefighters, in partnership with Operation Warm, are handing out brand new coats to children from low income families. There were a lot of smiles at Colvin Elementary Monday, as students were given the winter essentials.

“It’s getting kind of wintery out,” said Christopher, a student at Colvin Elementary. “It’s almost like Christmas. So, I think that that’s a very thankful thing that they do.”

One by one the kids lined up to get the right size.

“I haven’t gotten a coat from the firemen before and it made me really happy,” said Colvin student Lakeya.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Andover City Council decision could delay construction on new high school

The Andover City Council Tuesday met to address the future of Butler Community College as it pertains to the college’s planned expansion in the city.

Andover Mayor Ben Lawrence made it clear in Tuesday’s meeting that he has a lot of reservations with Butler’s expansion plans moving forward. He said he wanted to see a plat from the the planning commission detailing proposed changes.

Previously, Lawrence vetoed the special use permit for the expansion of Butler at its campus on East 13th Street. In a letter to the city council he said, “This property is not suitable for current zoning. I renew my objection of placing a community college in the middle of an industrial park. It is not compatible use.”

Tuesday night, the city council decided to move forward for now with an ordinance that is slightly different than the one Lawrence vetoed last month. With Tuesday night’s 5-1 council approval, Butler can move forward with construction to add on to the campus on 13th Street. But the college is holding off for now until a final decision is made.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Edna firefighters get $2,000 grant

The Edna Volunteer Fire Department received a $2,000 grant for firefighting gear from Frontier Farm Credit’s Working Here Fund. The department’s new turnout gear will improve the safety of first responders as they answer emergency calls.

Edna Volunteer Fire Department is one of 16 organizations to receive a Working Here Fund grant in the third quarter of 2018. Frontier awarded $24,035 during the latest cycle.

The Edna Fire Department provides Edna, Elm Grove and surrounding townships, with first aid and fire protection. The department has 20 volunteer firefighters. Jason Myers is fire chief.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

City of Shawnee names new community development director

Shawnee City Manager Nolan Sunderman has announced the promotion of Doug Allmon to Community Development Director.

Allmon has nearly 25 years of municipal planning experience and has spent the last 19 years at the City of Shawnee.

In his previous role as deputy community development director, Allmon served as the lead in the development process, working closely with developers, city staff, planning commission members and board of zoning appeals members.

“Doug has proven himself to be an expert in the field. He’s flexible in his work approach and a leader in the department,” said Sunderman. “I am excited to see what the future holds as Doug moves our Community Development Department forward with an open approach and innovative ideas.”

(Read more: The Dispatch stories)

Shawnee Fire Department trains for mass casualty crash

For three consecutive days last week, all 66 Shawnee Firefighters worked their way through a mock mass casualty crash.

Each day the scenario involved a school bus, several vehicles, and volunteers playing the role of injured and hysterical people at the scene. Deputy Fire Chief Sal Scarpa told Operation 100 News this drill was the first time they had the opportunity to use a school bus.

“On a three or four vehicle crash we may see five or six people with injuries,” he said. “The school bus changes everything, and we have to be prepared for that.”

The school bus was donated to the department for use in the scenario by the Kincaid Group which operates school buses for the Shawnee Mission School District as DS Bus Lines.

(Read more: The Dispatch stories)

Developers plan “riverfront village” next to new downtown Wichita ballpark

A group of developers announced Monday they have plans to turn the area north of soon-to-be-razed Lawrence-Dumont Stadium into a ‘riverfront village.’

In a news release, a group called Riverfront Partners LLC — consisting of George Laham of Laham Development, Dave Burk of Marketplace Properties, Dave Wells of Key Construction and Jerry Jones of Jones Commercial Development — said it plans to develop residential, restaurant, entertainment, retail and office space in the area where the Metropolitan Baptist Church sits. According to the release, the development will be called riverfront village. The plans are just the latest in a series of big announcements for the city’s Delano District and its riverfront area downtown. Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell called it a “generational” development.

“We are not just building a baseball stadium, we are building a gathering place for the community that will draw visitors from across the region,” Longwell said. “This will be part of a master plan that will be put together probably in the next couple of months.”

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

Registration closing for governor’s water conference

Only two days remain to register for the Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas.

Registration for the seventh annual conference is due Nov. 1. The two-day event, hosted in Manhattan, will cover reservoir management, water technology farms, the Ogallala Aquifer, the implementation of the 50-year Water Vision and more.

A current list of speakers and registration form can be found at http://www.kwo.ks.gov/.

“We encourage anyone to attend who has an interest in our state’s water resources. Legislators, water managers, state, federal, city and county officials, as well as scientists, organizations and agricultural producers, are all welcome,” said Tracy Streeter Kansas Water Office Director.

McPherson company looking to hire hundreds of people

The Pfizer drug manufacturing plant that sits on the northern edge of this central Kansas town of 13,201 is on a hiring spree.
Already at about 2,000 people — 1,700 of whom are full time with the remainder temporary and contract employees — Pfizer’s McPherson plant is looking to hire 350 more workers. It’s already had job fairs in Wichita and Salina as part of its efforts to increase employment at the plant that manufactures sterile, injectable medicines.
“We are seeing an increase in demand, which is driving a number of the head count positions,” said Carole Johnson, Pfizer’s McPherson site leader.

Construction begins on $500K Hanover firehouse

The Hanover City Fire Department has begun construction on a new firehouse. The building will be on Washington Street where the old lumber yard once stood. Fire department members have been raising money since 2000 to build a new firehouse. The $500,000 building will measure 60×100 feet with five truck bays, a meeting room, bathrooms and an office for the fire chief. The building will also feature a city clerk’s office.

Source: Washington County News.

Ford County responds to polling location lawsuit

With a pending American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit, Ford County and the Ford County Clerk’s Office has found outside counsel regarding the change of the polling location from the Dodge City Civic Center to the Western State Bank Expo Center.

The location change, moved the one polling location for Dodge City, outside the city limits on the southend of town.

…Ford County Administrator J.D. Gilbert said in a press release…. that the county is aware of media reports and social media posts relating to a temporary restraining order filed by the ACLU of Kansas.

“Dodge City has maintained a single polling place for all elections for more than two decades,” Gilbert said. “A new polling location had to be selected for the upcoming Nov. 6, general election in the interest of public safety because the previously-used polling place – the Civic Center and parking areas – will soon be used as a staging area for a major construction project.

“The County Election Officer chose the Western State Bank Expo Center as an alternative due to the fact that the county owns the building, carries insurance to cover crowds, is designed for large crowds specifically, has adequate parking, is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and is already part of the county’s operations and planning in relation to severe weather and security response.

“There was no intent whatsoever to discriminate against any group of voters in the selection of this location nor will its use have the effect of discriminating any group of voters.

“Suggestions to the contrary are meritless.”

Lawrence officials raise concerns about possible new tolls

Concerns are being raised about a proposal to make one of Lawrence’s busiest highways into a toll road.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Douglas County Commission Chair Nancy Thellman says a delegation of city and county officials will testify before the state’s Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force on Nov. 8. They’re against a plan to use tolls collected from the South Lawrence Trafficway to help pay for a potential project to expand the western leg of the road to four lanes.

The South Lawrence Trafficway takes travelers from Interstate 70 northwest of Lawrence to Kansas Highway 10 east of Lawrence.

County Commissioner Mike Gaughan says he doesn’t want to see Lawrence served by two toll roads. He was referencing the Kansas Turnpike, which goes along Lawrence’s northern border.

Pop-up dog park event draws hundreds to Mission

It’s hard to say who was having more fun at the pop-up dog park event in Mission: the dogs or their humans.

Volunteers for Mission: Dog Park said at least 200 canine participants and their owners dropped by to check out Pop Up Dog Park on Saturday in Broadmoor Park. Christina Farmer, chair of the dog park committee, said the goal of the pop-up dog park was to generate awareness for their goal to build a dog park in Mission. Nick Schlossmacher, a Mission councilmember on the Mission: Dog Park committee, said the pop-up event had great turnout and positive feedback from attendees.

“Even before the event, the social media presence we had generated a lot of good buzz,” he added, citing the 450 survey responses for a new dog park in which 95 percent expressed support.

KPERS’ unfunded liability falls below $9 billion, revenue tops benchmark

The unfunded liability of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System declined by more than $150 million in the previous year and return on the pension fund’s investments exceeded the 7.75 percent target, officials said Monday. KPERS executive director Alan Conroy told House and Senate members of the Joint Committee on Pensions, Investments and Benefits that challenges remained in the system serving state employees, judges, teachers, firefighters and law enforcement officers. But the unfunded actuarial liability dropped to $8.907 billion at the end of 2017 from $9.061 billion at the close of 2016, he said. Members of the joint committee, including Rep. Steven Johnson, an Assaria Republican, and Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat, said the annual report offered a promising snapshot of KPERS.

“It’s really great to see the consistency in both funding in the returns and the progress in extinguishing the unfunded liability,” Johnson said.

Hensley said that in 2021 contributions by state government to the combined state and school retirement portions of the system would be equal to the actuarial required rate for the first time in 24 years.

Shawnee adding six miles of fiber for network buildout

Shawnee is adding six more miles of fiber as part of its ongoing efforts to build out its fiber optic network.

The city’s goal is to to provide high-speed connections to city facilities and traffic infrastructure, according to an Oct. 22 city memo by Mel Bunting, director of information technology for the city. This network will also provide a regional backbone that connects Shawnee with Johnson County and neighboring cities, he added in the memo.

Shawnee plans to expand the new fiber west of Interstate 435, which will connect fire stations 73 and 74, traffic signals and a potential community center.

Major development to bring restaurants, other businesses to riverfront near stadium

For decades — maybe even longer — Wichitans have complained about the lack of restaurants, bars and other businesses along the Arkansas River.

That’s going to change with Riverfront Village, a 7-acre mixed-use development that Riverfront Partners plans along the river just south of Douglas and north of where the new baseball stadium will be built.

“We want to bring something to downtown, to the river, that truly takes downtown development and river development to a new level,” says developer George Laham.

He’s partners in the project with Old Town developer Dave Burk of Marketplace Properties, Key Construction president Dave Wells and Jerry Jones of Jones Commercial Development.

The developers are working with Metropolitan Baptist Church, which currently is at the property and will retain a small presence with the redevelopment.

City of Topeka defends presence of school zones that aren’t close to schools

A spokeswoman for Topeka’s city government this past week defended the city’s practice of maintaining school speed zones on stretches of S.E. and S.W. 37th streets that aren’t particularly close to any public schools.

Those zones help protect students who walk to school through those areas, said Molly Hadfield, the city’s media relations coordinator. Maps of elementary schools, middle schools and high schools available on the website for Topeka Unified School District 501 indicate the elementary school the district maintains closest to the school zone location is Ross Elementary, 1400 S.E. 34th. The closest middle school is Eisenhower Middle School, 3305 S.E. Minnesota Ave., while the closest high school is Highland Park High School, 2424 S.E. California Ave.

Hadfield said Friday that the city maintains a pedestrian crossing in the school zone on S.E. 37th.

The school zone and crossing are in place to serve students who walk to Ross Elementary and Eisenhower Middle schools, she said.

Hays, Sherman Co. among winners of Kansas tourism awards

Kansas tourism professionals presented several awards at the 2018 Kansas Tourism Conference awards banquet held Oct. 24 at the Geary County Convention Center in Junction City. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism presented the following awards.

(Read more: Hays Post)

United Government committee will consider fast-food development that would be financed by public money

…a proposed fast-food development in Argentine funded almost entirely by government grants or tax breaks might be voted on Monday by a committee of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kan.

A nonprofit agency, Argentine Betterment Corp., is the developer of a proposed Wendy’s and Pizza Hut restaurant at the southeast corner of Metropolitan Avenue and 21st Street in Argentine, near a Save-A-Lot and Dollar General store.

The developer argues that there’s private money involved through an upfront $1 million loan for the $2 million project. But a closer examination shows that most of the project, including the loan, over time is likely paid through public sources.
…

Unified Government staff said part of the reason it won’t recommend approval of the ABC project is the developer won’t agree to give the property back if it fails to finish the project 18 months after construction begins or if it fails to start construction 180 days after ABC gets all its permits and approvals.

(Read more: Kansas City Star)

In attempt to mitigate noise from house parties, City of Manhattan rolls out party registration program

A new program in Manhattan aims to help with noise mitigation during house parties while building bridges between K-State students and RCPD.

The City of Manhattan announced in a release Monday that they are partnering with the Riley County Police Department and Kansas State University to develop their new party registration program. Party organizers can register their Friday and Saturday night get-togethers through the program. As part of the registry, hosts must share their contact information. That way, should anyone call and complain about the noise generated by the party, officers will be able to call the host and ask that the noise be reduced without an officer having to be dispatched to the scene. If there are repeat noise complaints after a party host is asked to keep it down via phone, officers will come to the address.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Judge to decide if Dodge City needs a second polling site; Ford County says it will immediately appeal if a second site is ordered

A federal court judge is preparing to decide if he should force Ford County to open a second polling site in Dodge City on Election Day. It comes after some voters sued the county last week, with the help of the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Americans Civil Liberties Union. At a preliminary hearing held by phone Monday afternoon, Judge Daniel Crabtree was most concerned with the timeline in this case. We are, after all, just a week away from Election Day. He also had questions getting at the intent behind the temporary move of the polling site to a location outside the city limits and behind an error in voting location notices sent to new voters still listing the old site. The judge wanted to know if notices sent to newly registered votes with the old polling site listed on them were sent to all new voters or just some of them. The county’s attorney said, so far as he knew, those went to all newly registered voters.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

KPERS turns in positive report for 2017

After taking steps in recent years to shore up the state’s troubled pension system, Kansas lawmakers got good news about the fund’s long-term outlook Monday.

Its unfunded liability — how much the pension fund will have to pay out over the next 40 years that isn’t covered by current assets and assumed earnings — fell by $154 million during calendar year 2017, while the overall size of the pension fund grew to $19.5 billion.

And even though the remaining size of the unfunded liability, at $8.9 billion, may still appear daunting, the head of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System said the state is now on track to have the entire unfunded liability paid off by 2033, about three years earlier than previously estimated.

“The big part … could be extinguished by that time frame,” KPERS executive director Alan Conroy said in an interview after briefing a joint legislative oversight committee. “The funding is based on getting to that point.”

Want to report dangerous driving? City of Lawrence has a new website for that

The city of Lawrence now has a website for residents to report traffic safety concerns and to potentially get improvements made to roadways and increase traffic enforcement by police.

Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard announced the creation of the website at the City Commission’s most recent meeting. Stoddard said the website allows residents to provide information about any dangerous driving behavior in their neighborhoods.

“So if there are any concerns about people speeding or other hazards that are in the neighborhood, this is a way to get that information to us,” Stoddard said.

Wichita police officer hopes letting cops show tattoos will help with recruitment

Wichita police officers could soon show their body ink if a potential regulation change is approved, and department staff hope it would help with recruitment.

Officer Anthony Villegas, a Patrol East community police officer, told the Wichita police Citizen Review Board last week that he hopes the department will revise its policy.

Current regulation states that tattoos must not show while an officer is on duty, regardless of whether the officer is in uniform or civilian clothes, Villegas said. Facial, head and neck tattoos are not permitted under policy. Capt. Chet Pinkston said the tattoo policy has been debated within the department for the last decade.

“We’re starting to see, frankly, where it’s impacting our ability to attract quality applicants,” he said. “So we have to revisit it from time to time.”

(Read more: Local News |)

City of Topeka to begin installing new water meters Tuesday; majority of 57,000 to be replaced

The city of Topeka will begin rolling out new water meters starting Tuesday as part of a program that will replace the majority of 57,000 water meters.

The new meters will allow readings to be collected wirelessly.

The program will convert commercial and residential water meters to a wireless device that transmits the meter readings on a licensed radio frequency to collectors placed strategically throughout the city, said Ryan Woolaway, the city’s community education manager.

Readings will be transmitted hourly to monitor usage and alert the utility department if a leak is suspected.

“This technology will not only improve the efficiency and accuracy of the meter reading program, it will also improve the customer experience,” Woolaway said.

City survey asks residents how to make Lawrence more bicycle-friendly; lower speed limit for cars among possibilities

Transportation planners are asking residents what changes would help make the city more bicycle-friendly, including the possibility of additional bikeways, amenities and traffic enforcement such as lower speed limits.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization is conducting a survey about potential changes as part of its update to the Countywide Bikeway Plan, which aims to create a low-stress bicycle network throughout Lawrence and Douglas County, according to a city news release.

Specifically, the survey asks residents whether they would support implementing 16 potential changes.

Kansas lawsuit seeks to open second Dodge City voting site

Moving the only polling site in Dodge City, Kansas, outside the city limits will make it more difficult for the city’s majority Hispanic population to vote because they tend to have less access to transportation and flexible work schedules, according to a federal lawsuit filed Friday.

The lawsuit also seeks a temporary restraining order that would force Ford County to open a second voting location in Dodge City for the Nov. 6 election after the county sent newly registered voters an official certificate of registration that listed the wrong place to cast a ballot in the general election.

(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

YaYa’s Euro Bistro coming to downtown Salina

Salina 2020, the master developer for downtown Salina’s revitalization, has announced the addition of YaYa’s Euro Bistro, a PB&J Restaurant Inc. concept, to downtown Salina.

Located within the Homewood Suites by Hilton® hotel, currently under construction, YaYa’s will be the hotel’s premier restaurant partner, offering dining and catering options to travelers and residents alike. It is scheduled to open in late 2019.

With 6000 sq. ft. of interior restaurant space, which includes two outdoor patios, guests will delight in an eclectic mix of YaYa’s Italian, French, and Greek cuisines. The Mediterranean mix of oak-fired pizzas, pastas and fresh seafood dishes share the menu with innovative entrees and an array of award-winning catering options.

(Read more: The Salina Post)

Barton County estimates more than $250K in damages from earlier flooding

Barton County Emergency Risk Management Director Amy Miller was contacted by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management this week in regards to the flooding damage from earlier this month.

A damage assessment team came to Barton County this past Wednesday and Thursday to evaluate the damages from the rainfall that dropped as much as 15 inches in the northern portion of the county. Miller anticipated the Kansas Division of Emergency Management would want to finish their meetings with all the counties that experienced damages by the end of next week. Miller stated the majority of Barton County’s damages and expenses came from debris clearance issues underneath bridges and water over the roads which moved gravel.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)