Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Shawnee Mission cities pitch long wish lists to perennially strapped Kansas transportation department

With guarded optimism, city and county leaders stepped toward the perennially strapped Kansas transportation department Thursday with the highway and transit dreams they hold most dear.

For Lenexa, a better interchange at Kansas Highway 10 and Lone Elm and the next phases of the Gateway project at Interstates 435 and 35 led the list. For Shawnee, it was additional lanes under I-35 at 75th Street and Kansas Highway 7 improvements north to the Kansas River bridge.

Overland Park speakers proposed a deal of sorts. They’d hold off on the longer list of needs if the state would please, please grant their biggest request – the expansion of U.S. Highway 69 to six lanes south of I-435.

Industrial engine distributor to locate in Hutchinson

eNGines-LPG, LLC announced today their plans to begin operations at the former bakery facility at 120 E 3rd Avenue in Hutchinson, Kansas. eNGines-LPG is a family-owned and operated industrial engine distributor and generator manufacturer. This facility will serve as their flagship headquarters where they will assemble, distribute, sell, and support eNGines-LPG’s product lines and be a showroom for innovation for current and future products. “Since March, Greater Hutch, the economic development division of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, worked in concert with the Kansas Department of Commerce, City of Hutchinson, Reno County, and JP Weigand & Sons to help attract eNGines-LPG to Hutchinson”, stated Debra Teufel, President/CEO of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber. “We are excited to welcome eNGines-LPG to Hutchinson. Their entrepreneurial spirit and company culture will be a great addition to the Reno County business community.”

Work begins on commission expansion in Leavenworth County

Now that voters have approved an expansion of the Leavenworth County Commission, the county clerk has started preliminary work on a process that will result in a special election for two new commissioners.

During this week’s election, voters in Leavenworth County approved a ballot proposition to increase the commission from three members to five. County Clerk Janet Klasinski said she plans to discuss the process for having the special election when county commissioners meet Tuesday. Klasinski said she will discuss possible dates for actions related to the process.

One of the required actions will be the commission’s approval of a resolution concerning the expansion of the commission. The resolution has to be adopted before Dec. 30.

Klasinski said a special election to select two additional commissioners must take place between 75 and 90 days after the resolution is approved.

She said the special election may occur sometime in March.

Leavenworth County currently has three commission districts. But the boundaries will be redrawn for five districts.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Main Street Kansas: A labor of love continues to grow at Bartlett Arboretum

More than a century ago, a Kansas doctor set up a sanctuary for nature lovers, but over the years, the Bartlett Arboretum became overgrown and unruly.

That is, until it was rescued by a free spirit from Texas and her team of volunteers!

That garden is our next stop on Main Street Kansas.

Ablaze with autumn colors, the Bartlett Arboretum is what the owner calls “her church of the trees”– a religious experience in nature.
“I walked in here, and I’ve never looked back,” said Robin Macy, owner of Bartlett Arboretum. “I mean my parents thought I was crazy.” “It’s strictly a labor of love,” explained Mary Bartlett Gouray, former owner of Bartlett Arboretum. “Never was very profitable.”

Mary Bartlett Gouray is the granddaughter of Dr. Walter Bartlett who created the arboretum in 1910 to grow trees and provide a haven for water fowl. It also became known for its tulips in the spring, but over the years, taking care of it all was just too much. The family closed the arboretum two years before Robin showed up.

“It means a lot to the whole family that Robin has kept this place going,” said Bartlett Gouray.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Junction City Mayor Opposes Proposed Soft Cost Expenditures by the City on New Roundabout

The Junction City Commission this week approved an agreement with KDOT for a new roundabout at K-18 Highway and Karns Road. This will support the new Junction City High School project.

The City must fund the construction of the roundabout, but will be reimbursed by a $1.25 million grant from KDOT. At issue is an estimated $200,000 in soft costs for the project, such as engineering fees or minor land acquisition. USD 475 has proposed payment of 70% of those costs with the City picking up the remaining 30%. But Mayor Pat Landes is opposed to that idea.

Landes stated in the Commission meeting that he thought the City had done the hard part for the school district. “I don’t think the City ought to be paying a dime, any of the soft costs at all on this roundabout. If they didn’t put the high school out there we wouldn’t have to have this. This is their project, we did the work of getting this grant for them. And we have the carrying cost of those dollars waiting to get a check back. So I think we’re doing plenty for this roundabout. I don’t think we need to do anything else.”

(Read more: Junction City Post)

Planning commission turns down zoning request for bio-fuel plant in Sumner County

he Sumner county Planning Commission Wednesday turned down a company’s conditional use permit to build a bio-fuel plant in north Sumner County and a zoning-change request for the land where it planned construction.

Sumner Newscow reports the planning commission voted 7-1 to deny VNA Corporation a conditional-use permit for the project and voted 6-1 to deny the rezoning request to rezone about 100 acres west of the Ninnescah River from rural to heavy industrial.

The opposition does not put a fork in the company’s plan for its plant.

The Sumner County Commission does have the power to overturn the planning commission’s request at its Nov. 26 meeting.

At a meeting in late September, a crowd gathered into a room as the planning and zoning committee came together to discuss the fate of the controversial bio-fuel plant.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Lawrence adopts ‘more concrete’ ethics policy for city employees and commissioners

City leaders have approved a new ethics policy to replace a more general policy that was created in 1991.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to approve a revised ethics policy that now explicitly applies to all city employees, elected officials and appointed officials, which includes advisory board members, and provides more specific language regarding what constitutes an ethics violation.
City Attorney Toni Wheeler told the commission that the goal of the new policy was to clarify whom the policy applies to and to “make the provisions more concrete and less aspirational.” Wheeler said the city consulted the ethics policies of many other communities in creating the new policy.

Voters favor expanded Marion County Commission

Marion County commission will go from three members to five after 2,450 voters voted in favor and 2,016 voted against a ballot question asking if the commission should change to a five-member district.
Dianne Novak, who first brought up the idea of a five-member commission, was pleased to hear the measure passed.
“I believe this is going to really benefit Marion County,” Novak said. “I think this is a good move on the part of the county. I think it will make a difference in the way things are done in the county.”

(Read more: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin)

Wellington city council adopts amended animal ordinance

After two meetings with lengthy discussions, and a whole two hour work session devoted to the subject, the Wellington City Council quickly passed the 2018 amended changes to the city animal ordinance. By a 6-0 vote, the council passed the ordinance with no discussion at its regular meeting Tuesday night. The new ordinance defines what is considered a “dangerous” dog and what animals owners can have within the city limits. The revised codes were adapted from the City of Wichita. One provision just recently added to the ordinance included a “adequate lighting” of a pet enclosure.

(Read more: Sumner NewsCow)

Supreme Court: Federal Age-Discrimination law applies to all local govt, no matter their size

All local and state governments—no matter their size—need to comply with a federal law banning discrimination against employees on the basis of age, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Tuesday.

The case stems from a dispute between a small Arizona fire district and two firefighters, who were laid off in 2009 during a budget crisis. John Guido and Dennis Rankin say they were terminated because they were the oldest employees at the district covering the Santa Catalina Mountains, later filing an age discrimination lawsuit.

But the issue before the Supreme Court was not whether the Mount Lemmon Fire District discriminated against Guido and Rankin. Instead, the justices looked at if a small public employer like Mount Lemmon could even be sued under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. The fire district, which at the time of the lay off had just 13 full-time employees, argued it was exempt from the law, as is the case with small businesses with fewer than 20 workers. But Guido and Rankin, along with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, said the law covers all governments.

In a short opinion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg sided with the firefighters. All the other justices joined the 8-0 decision, except new Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who didn’t take part in the case because he wasn’t on the court when it was heard in early October.

(Read more: Route Fifty – All Content)

Shawnee photographer sets focus on city hall, helps change ordinance

Only a small percentage of Shawnee citizens cast a ballot in a local election each year.

A typical city council meeting attracts very few residents.

And less than a year ago, Shawnee mom Sarah Chou couldn’t have told you the names of the elected officials who represent her ward.

When her life was nearly turned upside down because of a single phone call, however, she found herself in the midst of an unexpected civics lesson, and on the path to changing a city law.

For the past five years, Chou has been a successful professional photographer, with a home-based studio. Marie Photography became so successful, and with another daughter on the way, the Chou family realized they needed a bigger house with better studio space. They fell in love with a gorgeous home in a wooded Shawnee neighborhood and moved there earlier this year.

Chou received the green light from her new homeowners association, and the state of Kansas, to conduct her in-home photography studio.

Unfortunately, it didn’t occur to Chou to contact her new city government.

(Read more: The Dispatch stories)

Sales tax passes in Chanute

Chanute voters passed a proposal to extend a quarter-cent sales tax for economic development, and incumbent county commissioner Paul Westhoff appeared to have won re-election in Tuesday’s elections in Neosho County.

Thayer-area voters appeared to favor a school bond proposal for USD 447, but the measure failed on opposition from Cherryvale voters.

In the results counted Tuesday evening, the Chanute sales tax question passed 1,308 in favor to 849 against. The proposal will extend an existing sales tax, due to sunset at the end of March, which supported the Maring Aquatic Center construction. The new sales tax to fund economic development and maintenance on city of Chanute-owed properties will last five years.

(Read more: The Chanute Tribune)

Derby businesses featured on new board game “Derby-Opoly”

Mark Staats sported a smile worthy of a kid on Christmas morning when he looked over the first copy of a new board game, Derby-Opoly, last week.

“I’m impressed,” said Staats, president and CEO of the Derby Chamber of Commerce, as he went through the box.

As the name implies, it’s based on the best-selling and world-famous game of Monopoly, but it’s a strictly local endeavor. Or as Staats put it: “Everything has a Derby connection.” Chamber officials picked up on the game concept and decided it would be a good fit for Derby and its businesses.

They were right on that.

“We sold out all the spots before we could even get an official email to our members,” Staats said.

Business’s names are featured throughout the game board. Even the money and tokens have sponsors.

More than 40 Chamber member businesses and organizations are part of the game.

(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)

Voters approve expansion of Leavenworth County Commission

The Leavenworth County Commission will expand to five members.

A ballot question seeking to increase the commission from three members to five passed in Tuesday’s election, according to the unofficial results.

There were 15,662 “yes” votes in favor of the expansion, and 9,357 “no” votes. The question was placed on the ballot in Leavenworth County after a group calling itself Give Me Five collected the necessary signatures earlier this year. Now that the measure has passed, county commissioners will approve the boundaries for five commission districts.

The county will have a special election to determine who will fill the two additional commission seats.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

City of Pittsburg may buy trucks to improve ice, snow removal

The city of Parsons could begin pre-treating streets prior to winter storms instead of just reacting to the slick mess that follows.

On Monday evening, city commissioners gave permission to the city staff to spend up to $35,000 on two trucks with brine tanks.

All of the public works employees attended a snow removal seminar in Burlington recently in which among other things the Kansas Department of Transportation described how the highways are treated with brine before storms. Brine, which is a mixture of salt and water, lessens the ability of ice and snow to adhere to roads, making it much easier to scrape them clean after ice or snowfall.

City staff later went to the KDOT office in Chanute to look into buying a couple of used dump trucks. While those trucks weren’t what was needed, they did find two trucks used for snow and ice removal.

City Manager Debbie Lamb said the trucks are 2002 or 2003 models with low mileage. KDOT planned to sell them on Purple Wave, an online auction site specializing in government vehicles and equipment. The vehicles would bring about $40,000 on Purple Wave, Lamb said, but KDOT is willing to sell them for about $30,000 if the city commits to them beforehand.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Derby names new deputy city manager

Kiel Mangus has been selected from a competitive pool of candidates to be Derby’s deputy city manager, a newly created position.

The city received 55 applications for the position during the application process in August and September.

That group was narrowed to the best 12 qualified candidates and of those, five were interviewed by a team of City Manager Kathy Sexton, City Attorney Jacque Butler and Police Chief Robert Lee.

“The quality of the applicant pool was exceptional,” said Sexton. “Selecting from the best of the best was a challenge.” Magnus, who starts his job on Nov. 19, has a strong local tie, too, as he is a graduate of Mulvane High School.

He went on to earn a bachelor’s in Construction Science and Management at Kansas State and then a master’s of Public Administration at Wichita State.

His most recent job was assistant city manager of Manhattan, Kan., which he has held since 2014.

(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)

Beyond Agriculture: Kiowa, Kansas Makes Hay Out of Becoming a Manufacturing Hub

With just more than 1,000 residents, the agricultural city of Kiowa is known for its wheat, milo and canola crops. In fact, according to City Administrator Lou Leone, Kiowa has such a bountiful crop yield, the State of Kansas uses the town’s crops as a gauge to tell how the harvest is fairing in the entire state.
But agriculture isn’t the only business Kiowa wants to be known for. According to Leone, the city is hoping to attract more manufacturing jobs, such as ammunition manufacturing, telecom or even a data center.

“We have at least three locations that would be good for manufacturing, two on the west side of town and one right off main street,” Leone notes. “We also have teardowns, so there’s lots of available land.”
Despite its size, Kiowa is surrounded by infrastructure. A BNSF rail line runs just west of town, which Leone says could become a stop if requested, and the city is seated along Highway K2 (a connection to US 281) and K8, which runs from Kiowa to nearby Oklahoma.

Reno Commission may take up wind moratorium later this month

The Reno County Commission in a couple of weeks will likely consider issuing a moratorium on the development of wind farms in Reno County, Commissioner Dan Deming advised. “I think it will be granted,” Deming said of a proposed moratorium. “The question is its length.”

The commission previously agreed more regulation needs to be in place to protect the entire county during wind development and tasked the Reno County Planning Commission with drafting proposed regulations.

Less than half of the county is currently zoned, so existing zoning regulations can only control development in those parts of the county.

A consultant helping the planning commission draft a new comprehensive plan suggested both the creation of the overlay zone and a moratorium while the county drafts the new rules.

While agreeing to the idea of a countywide “zoning overlay,” officials have been reluctant to impose a moratorium on development because of the progress already made on what will be the first commercial wind project in the county, the Pretty Prairie Wind Farm being developed by NextEra Energy in the southeast quadrant of the county.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Topeka citywide half-cent sales tax for streets passes by significant margin

Topeka voters by a significant margin Tuesday evening approved a 10-year extension of a citywide, half-cent sales tax used to finance the maintenance and improvement of existing streets.

Complete, unofficial results showed 26,117 voters, or 61.51 percent, cast ballots in favor of the proposal while 16,346, or 38.49 percent, voted against it.

“It’s a good day for Topeka, to get this thing passed,” said Jim Parrish, chairman of the nonprofit group Future Forward, which ran an advertising campaign to promote passage of the question. No groups were formed to actively campaign against it.

Parrish said the margin of victory suggested that voters recognized that Topeka’s public works department, under the direction of Jason Peek, has working in a logical and economical way to use revenue from the tax to improve the condition of Topeka’s streets.

Liquor-by-the-drink passes in Bourbon County

A liquor-by-the-drink ballot question passed by more than 1,200 votes…according to unofficial results of Tuesday’s general election. The ballot question, which deals with requirements for food sales in public drinking establishments, passed with 2,949 “yes” votes and 1,725 “no” votes tallied. The question passed 63 percent to 37 percent.

(Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)

County clerk assumes role of Ness Co. sheriff after resignations

The Ness County Sheriff’s Office is in a state of upheaval Tuesday, as the majority of the department turned in their resignations.

According to a social media report, the undersheriff, three deputies and a dispatcher resigned as of 10:50 a.m. Tuesday.

With a vacancy in the sheriff’s position after former Sheriff Bryan Whipple resigned following federal firearms charges, and Undersheriff William Sutton’s resignation today, the position of sheriff falls upon Ness County Clerk Renee Kerr.

“Due to the resignation of the undersheriff and the majority of the department, County Clerk Renee Kerr has assumed the duties of sheriff, per KSA 19-804a,” Kerr said in a prepared statement. “An emergency declaration has been signed and mutual aid is forthcoming.”

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

McPherson County nixes wind turbines indefinitely

All three McPherson Country commissioners voted earlier this week for a moratorium on applications for conditional-use permits that would allow the construction of wind turbines in the county.

No applications for conditional-use permits in connection with commercial wind turbine projects will be accepted for an indefinite period, said Rick Witte McPherson County Administrator.

The move was done to allow a comprehensive review of the impact commercial wind turbines may have on the county’s new E-911 emergency system that is being installed as a replacement for EDACS. Witte said the commission wanted to be sure the county’s new emergency system would work as it should — and wanted to make sure that it would not be harmed by interference from wind turbines.

“The county has a $7 million investment in this project. And the commisisoners don’t want to have a $7 million project being built and then all of a sudden, their coverage is not acceptable.”

(Read more: McPherson Sentinel)

Lawrence commission votes to eliminate longevity bonuses for future employees, decrease amounts for existing employees

City leaders have voted to no longer offer bonuses based on seniority for future city employees and will be making changes to longevity payment amounts for existing employees beginning next year.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted, 4-1, with Commissioner Leslie Soden opposed, to adopt a new policy for the city’s longevity bonus that will tier and cap the amount paid to qualifying employees beginning in 2019 and eliminate the payments for employees hired after Jan. 1, 2019. City management recommended that the difference between the two payment structures for 2019, estimated to be $64,000, be diverted to other compensation programs, such as increases in wages for merit and market adjustments.

A place to PLAY: Moundridge moves forward to give pups their own park

When Moundridge resident Lori Frazer moved from a house with a big yard to an apartment with no yard, she realized her city needed a dog park.

When she jokingly mentioned the idea to Moundridge City Administrator Randy Frazer (who is also her brother-in-law), he encouraged her to take action.

“I formed a committee…and we took it to city coucil,” Lori said.

Amy Stinchcomb, owner of Pawsitive Pet Styles, is also a member of the dog park committee. She said the project will benefit all Moundridge residents, not just pet owners.

“It keeps the dogs out of the regular park so that people who do enjoy getting out with their dogs have somewhere to go and they don’t have to worry about bothering (anyone),” Stinchcomb said.

The city unanimously approved the proposal for a dog park and donated around an acre of city-owned land west of the Grasshopper Field baseball diamonds.

(Read more: McPherson Sentinel)

Andover Mayor issues second veto for Butler Community College expansion

On Tuesday, November 6, Mayor Ben Lawrence issued a veto on Ordinance 1685. This Ordinance was to create a Special Use Permit for the expansion of the Butler Community College campus at 715 East 13th St.

The City Council will consider the Mayor’s veto at their Nov.13, 2018 City Council meeting at 7 p.m. at the Andover City Hall, 1609 E. Central.

(Read more: Augusta Gazette)

Wichita City Council approves STAR bonds package

Wichita’s City Council on Tuesday voted to authorize the issuance of $40 million in STAR bond monies for the development of an area along the Arkansas River that will include the construction of a new sports stadium.

The series 2018 STAR (sales tax special obligation revenue) bonds, which were marketed beginning on November 1, will be in the principal amount of just over $42.1 million (including financing costs).

STAR bonds capture sales tax revenue in a development area and funnel it to project costs. The sales tax rate does not increase in those districts, but the portion of sales tax paid to the state, county and city would be used to pay debt service on the project.

A STAR bond district requires Kansas Department of Commerce approval, which was granted, according to city documents. The move essentially paves the way for the city to build a new multi-purpose sports stadium that is expected to cost around $70 million.

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

New assistant city manager in Shawnee excited for the challenge

There’s a lot going on in the city of Shawnee and new assistant city manager Caitlin Gard is excited to be a part of it.

Gard, who took over the position earlier this fall, recently sat down with the Dispatch to discuss her promotion and her love for city government.

When Nolan Sunderman was bumped up from assistant city manager to city manager earlier this year, Gard admits he left big shoes to fill. But, she’s looking forward to making her own positive mark on the city.

The Lee’s Summit native joined the city of Shawnee in 2013 and has filled several roles, including assistant public works director and strategic initiatives manager.

Being a public servant comes naturally to Gard, but she revealed to the Dispatch her current career stemmed almost accidentally from an unlikely source: the recession.

(Read more: The Dispatch stories)

OP Council swallows drive-thru concerns, pushes for upscale project

A proposed high-end development at 115th Street and Nall Avenue appeared to be in big trouble last month when the Overland Park City Council complained it had too many fast-food drive-thru restaurants.

But after developer Ken Block mounted a vigorous defense Monday night and promised his Galleria 115 project would be a first-rate “Class A” development, the Council agreed to let it move forward.

Roeland Park reports lack of interest from developers for restaurant, hotel, and adventure course concept at The Rocks

A lack of interest is forcing Roeland Park’s Ad-Hoc Development Committee to shift its development focus for the old pool site, known as The Rocks. The city has been working to generate interest for the site from a restaurant, hotel, and adventure course – as depicted in the architectural rendering being used for marketing purposes shown above.

Zip KC and Sunflower Hotel Group had shown initial interest in the site but have not followed through with formal offers. The city also did not receive any responses for its request for qualification, or RFQ, which invited potentially interested parties to present development concepts for The Rocks, council members heard Monday.

90 percent of initial wind offering spoken for at new Soldier Creek Center in Nemaha County

Fourteen Kansas organizations enrolled in Renewables Direct and will receive all or a portion of their electricity from the Soldier Creek Wind Energy Center to be built in Nemaha County and will begin operations by the end of 2020. Customers signing up for the initial program introduction include: Ardent Mills, Newton and Wichita; Benedictine College, Atchison; Bunge Milling, Atchison and Emporia; Cargill, Cummings, Emporia, Hutchinson, Topeka and Wichita; Cox Communications, multiple Kansas locations; Evcon, Wichita; Kansas State University, Manhattan; Landoll Corp., Marysville; Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita; Sisters of Charity, Leavenworth; Textron Aviation, Independence and Wichita; University of Kansas, Lawrence; Veteran’s Affairs Medical Centers in Leavenworth, Topeka and Wichita; and Washburn University, Topeka.

“The institutions, the customers that we serve, stepped up and said we want to be part of this,” said Westar spokesperson Gina Penzig. “They very much have been letting us know that this is something that they want. They want to be sustainable and have sustainable energy options. They also have to mind budgets. We were able to offer them a sustainable energy option that would also lower their costs. Of course, they lined up.”

(Read more: WIBW News Now!)

Parsons City Commission approves new police weapons

The Parsons Police Department will get new weapons after approval by city commissioners Monday evening.

The commission approved the purchase of 36 Glock G-17 Gen 5 Safe Action 9 mm pistols for $11,167.50 from Kieslers Police Supply Inc. The price includes three magazines for each gun and all of the needed attachments, including holsters and night sights, as well as a trade in of $10,610 for the police department’s old Sig Sauer 9 mm pistols.

Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks requested the purchase of the new guns based on a review of potential firearm replacements by the firearms instructors and staff input. He said in a report that the Glock Model 17 semiautomatic pistol is a standard weapon for policing.

During a Thursday work session, Commissioner Bill Hogelin asked Spinks if prices from other gun dealers were sought. On Monday Spinks submitted his report that showed John’s Sports Center, Pittsburg, gave a price of $26,783. Spinks explained that Glock uses Kieslers, based in Jefferson, Indiana, as its sole-source seller for law enforcement agencies in the Midwest. For that reason, Kieslers was able to charge a lower price through Glock’s Blue Label Plan. Kieslers also was the only company that could provide a trade-in option. Range 54, Wichita, provided a similar price to John’s but advised it wouldn’t provide an official quote because of Glock’s single-source provider program. Two other dealers in Texas provided higher prices as well.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Labette County approves 911 agreements

Labette County commissioners on Monday approved five agreements for backup 911 answering services.

The agreements will allow the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council to set up these call routes in the next generation 911 system that operates in Labette County and will automatically transfer 911 calls that go unanswered after 30 seconds or if there are technical issues in the county that interrupt 911 service.

Parsons Police Department and Labette County 911 are each other’s backups, so if the county’s 911 system were down in Oswego, Parsons Police Department dispatchers would answer 911. Allen County is a secondary backup for Labette County and Labette County will answer Allen’s overflow calls as well as a secondary backup.

Labette County will answer Bourbon County overflow 911 calls, but there was not a corresponding agreement for Bourbon to answer Labette’s overflow calls.

911 Director Brandy Grassl discussed these agreements with commissioners.

She said once the coordinating council builds these routes, the system will reroute calls as needed.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Atwoods pondered move to Maize, but will remain in Park City

Atwoods, which is in the 6200 block of North Broadway, has decided to remain in Park City but open a new and larger location in Echo Hills.

“They were going to Maize and I had to convince them not to do it,” said City Administrator Jack Whitson. “I worked with Mike Loveland because the price of the lots was way too high for Atwoods. I was able to talk Mike and his owners into bringing it down to where they could do it and it all fit together.”

Whitson said the city did not want to see Atwoods leave after the recent loss of True Value. The store’s commitment to Echo Hills has made the city feel comfortable moving forward with infrastructure improvements and Whitson hopes that will be the boost others need to start building.

As Dodge City voting gets underway, voter complaints are few

The one polling place for Dodge City, in an arena outside the city limits and about 6 miles south of downtown, has been a site of national controversy about race relations and the right to vote.
…
7:30 a.m. — Voting has been underway for about half an hour and lines have been steady so far. There were 45 voters lined up to enter the polling place when the doors opened at 7 a.m.
Early arrivers said they weren’t inconvenienced by the location of the polling place, although some thought a city the size of Dodge, 27,000 people, should probably have more than one place to vote.

(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Barton County Commissioners vote 3-2 to provide letter of support to Rosewood Roots and Wings Foundation

In July, Rosewood Services asked for but did not receive a letter of support from Barton County Commissioners for Kansas Department of Commerce tax credits to help remodel the old E&E Glass building in Great Bend.

Monday, the Rosewood Roots and Wings Foundation requested a similar letter of support for a Kansas Department of Transportation grant to help purchase a 14-passenger vehicle for assistance with transportation operations.

Alicia Straub, who was not in favor of the letter of support in July for state tax credits for the building remodel, was also not in favor of providing a letter of support for the latest grant request. Commissioners eventually voted 3-2 Monday to provide the letter of support with Straub and Homer Kruckenberg voting no and Commissioners Jennifer Schartz, Kenny Schremmer and Don Davis voting yes.

The grant request from K-DOT is for $49,200 for the purchase of the vehicle and $10,000 for operational costs. The Roots and Wings Foundation will provide a $12,300 match from funds that Rains said would come from private donations.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

Manhattan City Commission approves Community Improvement District (CID) for Mall

The Manhattan Town Center (MTC) submitted a petition to establish an additional 0.75% sales tax at the mall shopping center to fund future improvements and upgrades to the interior and exterior common spaces, which the City Commission approved after a public hearing on October 23. The sales tax will likely begin in April 2019, and last for 22 years. The mall will make improvements on a “pay-as-you-go” basis, meaning the City of Manhattan will collect the three-quarter cent sales tax proceeds and distribute to the mall annually. The mall wouldn’t be able to make improvements until funds are available. MTC has a project budget of approximately $20 million worth of improvements over the next 20 years.

The City will receive 10% of the CID sales tax proceeds (estimated $2 million over 22 years) to assist with improvements to the Public Plaza near the MTC entry at 3rd Street and Poyntz Avenue.

(Read more: Manhattan – News Flash)

Shawnee County to seek bids for corrections department food, commissary services

Shawnee County Corrections Director Brian Cole said he is happy with the job Philadelphia-based Aramark Correctional has done providing food and commissary services the past several years for his department.

Still, Cole told county commissioners Monday the fiscally responsible thing for them to do would be to see what other agencies have to offer.

“It’s all about accountability and providing quality services and being responsible to the taxpayers,” he said.

Commissioners Kevin Cook, Shelly Buhler and Bob Archer subsequently voted 3-0 to authorize Cole to solicit bids separately from companies interested in providing food and commissary services to his department after its contract with Aramark runs out at the end of next year.

Cole said the process would be a lengthy one, which would include creating specifications and — should commissioners hire a company other than Aramark — making the transition to a new provider or providers.

Leawood will get public input on idea of relocating old city hall building on Lee to current city hall land

Leawood city leaders are inviting the public to provide input on the possible relocation of old city hall near 96th and Lee Boulevard. City administrator Scott Lambers said the city doesn’t have details yet on what the move would look like. Rather, the intention of the meeting is to present an overlay of the site so the public can see it and provide input before any firm plans are made. Those plans include a potential new fire station on the property.

“This is really just getting a sense of people’s opinions,” Lambers said. “We don’t have any plans right now because we’ve been trying to get them (city councilmembers) to decide what to do with the fire station so that we could put together a concept plan, depending upon whether that stays or gets torn down.”

The city has been looking at the idea of converting the old city hall into a community space with a small museum. Other ideas include demolition and replacement with a replica, or possibly moving the building south to Ironwoods Park.

Shawnee planning commission to consider renewing landfill operations permit

A special use permit for the company operating the landfill in western Shawnee is up for review.

The Shawnee planning commission tonight will consider renewing a special use permit for Deffenbaugh Industries to continue operating the landfill at the southwest corner of Holliday Drive and Interstate 435. Deffenbaugh is a subsidiary of Waste Management.

If the planning commission recommends renewing the special use permit — and the council approves it — then Deffenbaugh will be allowed to continue landfill operations for the next 15 months. A city staff report indicates that the landfill’s anticipated life is 41 years, from its inception in 2002 until 2043.

Overshadowing the landfill use permit are the constant odor complaints from people who live in the areas near the landfill.

Wellington council to vote on new animal ordinance which specifically define ‘dangerous’ dogs

The Wellington City Council will be voting this Tuesday on a new animal ordinance that will literally bring more “teeth” to the existing law for those citizens with vicious and problematic animals — especially dogs.

The new ordinance, if adopted, will also more closely define what type of animals Wellington citizens are allowed to have within the city limits. One of the biggest changes under the proposed stipulations is giving animal control officers the authority to immediately address the viciousness of a dog and take immediate action – which includes the option of killing it.

(Read more: Sumner NewsCow)

Finney County loosens regulations on electronic signs

The Finney County Commission on Monday approved an amendment to the county’s zoning regulations regarding signs and outdoor advertising, altering the rules on electronic message boards and signs in residential areas.

Prior to the change, the code allowed the electronic signs in residential zoning districts with restrictions regarding brightness, how long they can be used and how often the sign can change messages. The changes came in light of the boards’ evolving technology, which give owners more control over the displays, said Kaleb Kentner, neighborhood and development services director.

Using similar sign code ordinances from Topeka and Manhattan, as well as Madison, Wis., staff drafted an ammendment that dictates the boards’ maximum luminance will be 5,000 nits from sunrise to sunset and 500 nits from sunset to sunrise, and that they must be equipped with an automatic dimmer.

Pittsburg names new police chief

Pittsburg has a new police chief.

According to a release from the City of Pittsburg, after an extensive, four-month search, the City of Pittsburg has announced the selection of Brent Narges to serve as the new chief of police for the Pittsburg Police Department.

According to City Manager Daron Hall, Narges was one of three finalists for the position, and his experience with the police department and focus on community partnerships were important factors in his selection.

“Brent has been with the Pittsburg Police Department for 22 years and has deep ties in our community,” Hall said in the release. “He has been a leader in promoting community policing efforts and has encouraged the use of new technology to improve public safety in Pittsburg.”

(Read more: Community – Morning Sun)

Lawrence paid $7.5M in bonuses to senior employees over past 20 years; city manager recommends phasing payments out

End-of-year bonuses for senior city of Lawrence employees that typically cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars annually could eventually be phased out. City management is recommending the change; employee groups are opposed.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider a new policy for the city’s longevity bonus that would tier and cap the amount paid to qualifying employees beginning in 2019 and would eliminate the payments for new employees.

Hutchinson to Receive $250,000 in Community Development Block Grant

The city of Hutchinson will receive a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Kansas Department of Commerce to improve the former Stevens Building. The grant funds are part of the CDBG funding the State receives from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. The building’s owners will provide $115,400 in matching funds to make needed repairs to the building.

Built in 1876, the Stevens Building is the oldest building still standing in Hutchinson. The restoration will include local business Evolution Salon, Spa, and Boutique expanding business into the building.

“Restoring the Stevens Building is exactly the sort of thing the CDBG fund is meant for,” said Robert North, Interim Secretary for the Kansas Department of Commerce. “Now, instead of a diminished eye-sore, the historic site will be a useful location for Hutchinson, as well as something that will evoke community pride.”

Two Pottawatomie County retailers intend to appeal their 2018 property appraisals based on the “dark store theory”

Two Pottawatomie County retailers — Menards and Academy Sports — have said they intend to appeal their 2018 property appraisals.
The move is an indication that promotion of the “dark store theory” of property appraisal is alive and well in Kansas, county appraiser Lois Schlegel told county commissioners Monday.
The “dark store theory” is an appraisal technique being promoted nationwide by large retail chains which claim they are treated unfairly in the property appraisal process.

Their buildings, the theory claims, should be valued as if they were vacant and available for sale to a future hypothetical user rather than as a functioning, occupied store.
If the “dark store theory” gains traction, appraisers such as Schlegel believe it could have a “mushrooming” effect with other franchising businesses such as restaurants and hotels making similar appeals.
The trend would have a dramatic impact on the valuation of taxing districts and, consequently, on property tax revenues.