Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Shawnee hires architect, owner’s representative for community center project

The Shawnee council has officially hired an architect and owner’s representative for a proposed community center near 60th Terrace and Woodland Drive. Some councilmembers considered these steps to signal the city’s clear intention to move toward a public vote on the project.

The council at its Monday meeting approved 6-1 both of staff’s recommendations on the project. “While the official action this evening is limited to the approval of architectural services and an owner’s representative, tonight, in my opinion, is about so much more,” said councilmember Stephanie Meyer. “Tonight, we are affirming to our residents our intention to move forward towards a public vote for a community center at 60th and Woodland.

Reno Commission leans toward offering incentives for fewer jobs

A majority of the Reno County Commission indicated support this week for amending the county’s job incentive policy to grant cash payments to companies adding five to nine new jobs.

The debate, however, again evolved into the intent of the policy and its likely impact, leaving the door open to additional future changes.

As presented, the amended policy proposed paying a company that adds five to nine new jobs paying at least $15 per hour half of the incentive paid for each position when adding 10 or more jobs, or $250 each.

The current policy doesn’t offer incentives for less than 10 jobs.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

New hotel, crash lab, and the YMCA: Construction boom continues at Wichita State University

Wichita State University on Thursday updated multiple construction projects, headlined by a new plan for a Hyatt Place hotel.

The university said the four-story, 110-room hotel will be built at 19th and Oliver and, pending approval of the plan from the Kansas Board of Regents, construction will begin this spring. The hotel is expected to open in spring 2020. Hotel management group Lodging One Hospitality is developing the project. The new hotel will also include a restaurant and bar, meeting space, indoor pool and fitness center. The new hotel plans were among multiple construction updates the university provided Thursday, which also included:

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

County’s oldest newspaper ends publication

The oldest newspaper in Marshall County is closing this week.

The Telegraph, which is based in Waterville and covers the Valley Heights community, is ending publication with this week’s edition after 148 years.

That leaves only two newspapers in the county, the Frankfort Area News and the Marysville Advocate.

Telegraph co-publisher Don King said his weekly newspaper has been for sale for several months but he could not find a buyer.

The Telegraph’s circulation was 335.

“The real reason we are closing down is we’re not making any money,” King said. “We’ve been trying to keep it alive. We offered to sell the paper, but nobody called.”

(Read more: The Marysville Advocate)

Central Kansas cities apply to be new home of USDA offices

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced Monday that cities in 35 states had expressed interest in being the new home of the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Of the 136 expressions of interest, five came from cities in Kansas: Kansas City, Lawrence, Manhattan, Salina and Wichita.

“Why are we interested? Well, jobs and investment are the two biggest reasons why we’re interested in one, or both, of the USDA offices moving here,” said Mitch Robinson, executive director of the Salina Economic Development Organization.

Salina EDO submitted the expression of interest to USDA, and Robinson said he believes Salina meets many of the criteria USDA is looking for.

‘Florence nearing water deal’ council member says

Florence city council held a 40-minute executive session at Monday’s meeting to discuss the lease regarding Crystal Springs.

The council was present, along with mayor Bob Gayle and city attorney Randy Pankratz.

Pankratz addressed the audience regarding how much eminent domain would cost, if that were the result.

Local business owner Sarah Dawson requested a worst-case scenario from the attorney for the cost of the case. A letter with 60 signatures was presented to show community concerns and support for the DeForests, owners of the land.

(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Main Street Kansas: Haunted hotel in Wilson attracts business from thrill seekers

It’s a hotel with a reputation, first, as a popular train stop in the 1890’s.

Then, for the movie, “Paper Moon,” which shot several scenes here in 1973.

Even the hotel’s food has a following!

“This was known for having the largest steak around. You got it free if you ate it all,” said Melinda Merrill, owner of the Midland Railroad Hotel. But the hotel’s darker side that may get the most attention.

“Actually, as soon as I bought it, which was four years ago, the stories started coming out,” said Merrill.

Stories of an orphaned girl haunting the third floor.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Cowley County residents want bridge replacement sooner

Residents from northeast Cowley County expressed concern Tuesday about the county’s apparently slow response in replacing the stone-arch Fox Bridge, north of Cambridge.

The bridge, built in 1910 over Grouse Creek, collapsed and was swept away just more than two years ago, in October 2016, by flood waters from heavy rains in the eastern part of the county.

Visitors to the commission meeting complained of the difficulty of getting around the area. Deborah Calvin spoke about people trying to get across the former bridge, which is near her home.

Without the Fox Bridge, school buses have to go miles out of their way to pick up students on the Ferguson Ranch, David Burdette said.

Josh Whitehill, a Harvey Township officer, said to grade a road 2 1/2 miles, a grader must be taken 54 miles out of the way.

Sales tax renewal featured on upcoming ballot in Hiawatha

Early voting started this week, and one of the key issues being discussed about the ballot is a renewal of a quarter-cent sales tax for economic development.

The tax has come up several times at recent Hiawatha City Commission meetings, and the Hiawatha Foundation for Economic Development has circulated flyers over the past few weeks in an attempt to educate voters on what the sales tax has accomplished, and what they hope to see from it in the future.

During city meetings, the commission has urged voters to renew the tax, stating that current bond payments are funded by the tax, and those payments will eat up other portions of the budget if the sales tax goes away.

(Read more: Hiawatha World Online)

City of Dodge City offering free public transportation to only polling location

One polling location in Dodge city has grabbed people’s attention all over the nation.

Some people saying it’s suppressing people’s right to vote now that it’s moved outside the city limits to the Western State Bank Expo Center.

“It’s harder for people who don’t have transportation to get to the polling and it’s out in the country,” voter Jeremiah DeCouteau said.

But do residents know the city is offering to help voters get there?

“No, I wasn’t aware of that,” Allysa Reyes said.

“I haven’t heard of that, any transportation.” Emilio Zacaries said. “I just usually use my car ,that’s about it.”

The city has chosen to offer free transportation to any person that wants to vote.

Voters can call 620-371-3879 to make a ride reservation.

Mayor Kent Smoll said the city is not in charge of the polling location and the decisions behind it, but they’re here to help with transportation.

(Read more: Top Stories | KSNW)

Goessel Council Approves Emergency Response Plan

The Goessel city council met on October 15 and approved the emergency response plan that was put together by Phillip Fishburn of Midwest Assistance Program. MAP works with small rural communities on matters of disaster management, in addition to numerous other issues. The central office is in Missouri, but Fishburn’s office is in Haven.

An emergency response plan is required in order to receive loan and grant money for the city’s sewer project. According to city clerk Jennifer Whitehead, the city needs a “Letter of Conditions.” This plan will satisfy that requirement. The document is about 200 pages long and includes a list of contacts that the city would need to contact in case of an emergency. It also includes basic plans for emergency situations.

Whitehead and public works director Karen Dalke planned on attending a meeting in Park City to learn about preparing for floods and tornadoes.

(Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)

Marion County Commission considers expanding commission to five members

The Marion County Commission debated on the issue of five members as opposed to three members, but this time Marion city officials also attended the Monday, Oct. 22 meeting. Mayor Todd Heitschmidt and city administrator Roger Holter provided some options related to dividing the county into five districts, along with what they have been hearing from constituents.

(Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)

Redesigned disc golf course is open for play in Great Bend

The grand reopening of the disc golf course at Veteran’s Memorial Park included challenges, a tournament, a “how to clinic”, and a ribbon cutting. The event Tuesday afternoon in Great Bend was to celebrate the redesigned course with 18 tees, new tee boxes, and baskets.

Jeremy, Rusco, a Great Bend native and owner of Dynamic Discs, was on hand with the Dynamic Discs Mobile Store. Rusco started Dynamic Discs in 2005 in Emporia and since then the company has emerged as a leading brand for disc golf.

The disc golf course at Vet’s Park was designed in 2005 as well and the redesign was intended to make the course more inviting and challenging.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

KDHE Continues Outreach on Former Wichita Area Dry Cleaner Sites Meetings in Wichita and Haysville held to address environment and health concerns

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is actively engaging
residents affected by dry cleaning contamination in the west Wichita and Haysville areas. Within the
last week, two public meetings were held to share with residents, the latest on contamination clean up
and health-related studies being conducted to evaluate the impact of private well water
contamination. “Our top priority is ensuring residents understand their level of exposure and know the steps we are
taking to remediate the sites,” said Bob Jurgens, KDHE Bureau of Environmental Remediation
Director. “We appreciate those who attended the meeting and asked questions. We understand the
concerns surrounding dry cleaning contamination, and we will do all we can, with the available
resources, to remove the chemicals from the ground water.”
– In Haysville, since the private well water contamination was discovered, we have had
209 properties connected to the city public water system (PWS) and 8.7 miles of new PWS water line
installed. The next step is to assess the indoor air quality.

Reno County residents have concerns over proposed wind farm

With the Reno County Planning Department considering limited zoning for the entire county, some say it won’t happen soon enough. The planning department believes it could take as much as six-months for any zoning to be put in place. Two residents in the Haven area are asking the Reno County Commission to put a six month moratorium in place to stop Next Era Energy from building any wind farms in the county until zoning is in place to protect residents who live in the area of the proposed wind farm.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Bourbon County in planning phase for ambulance service

Bourbon County officials said Tuesday they have moved beyond the fact-finding stage and now are in the planning phase of retaining an ambulance service.

On Oct. 1, Mercy announced it would close Mercy Hospital Fort Scott on Dec. 31, which means the county is now responsible for providing an ambulance service to its citizens.

Since then, Bourbon County Economic Development Director Jody Hoener, County Counselor Justin Meeks and Third District Commission Nick Ruhl have been researching options for an ambulance service. They said Tuesday they have been working with the city of Fort Scott about the issue.

(Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)

Sedgwick County Commission orders outside investigation into county leadership

An clear divide among the Sedgwick County Commission came to the surface Wednesday, a day after reports of a possible FBI investigation involving multiple commissioners. The divide on the commission has led commissioners to approve an outside investigation into management and the commissioners themselves.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Local entrepreneur named director of Grow Hays

Doug Williams has been hired as executive director of Grow Hays, after serving as interim director since May.

Williams is a lifelong entrepreneur and has been involved in a wide variety of business interests during his 30-year career.
“Grow Hays is critically important to the long-term growth and prosperity of our community, and I know that the board of directors and I are committed to work toward making that happen any way we can,” Williams said. “Since May, we have been grateful to Doug’s efforts as our interim director, and we are increasingly excited about our future with someone of his stature at our helm,” said board chairman Ron Fields. “He brings a level of experience with every aspect of the regional business community that is unmatched.”

(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

Giant mural in north Wichita begins to come alive

Every day, as commuters make their way south down I-135, the faces become more visible.

What’s being billed as the largest mural to be painted by a single artist in the world is coming to life on the side of a north Wichita grain elevator, and many in the community are taking notice.

And some are donating money to help get it completed.

Armando Minjarez once saw those grain elevators across north Wichita and thought they looked like walls — physical barriers between different neighborhoods and cultures.

Minjarez also saw something else in those aging grain silos. An opportunity. And a giant canvas.

(Read more: Local News |)

Tiny cafe in tiny Kansas town gets big crowds for its Friday-night German buffet

It might be the most Kansas experience you could have.

Hop in your car on a Friday night and point it north on I-135. You’ll drive past miles of farm fields, zipping by Newton and Goessel, and after about an hour — not long after you’ve passed the giant, white Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church on K-15 — you’ll arrive in Durham, population 106.

When you pull up to the Main Street Cafe, it will appear to be the only business open on downtown’s main drag, and the main drag is a gravel road. Every available parking place will likely be taken.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Haysville approves political sign ordinance in compliance with state law

A controversy concerning political signs in Haysville comes to a solution with the city passing an ordinance that complies with state law.

In accordance with the state, yard signs can now be displayed for up to 45 days leading up to an election. The previous law in the city only allowed political signs to remain up for two weeks before they had to be taken down.

Haysville’s mayor made a case for the previous law , but ultimately the city agreed stepping in line with state law was the best course of action to take.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Kansas Attorney General Opinion 2018-15: Electioneering

The mere presence of a person offering non-partisan voter assistance, or signage advertising the same, within 250 feet of the entrance to a polling place does not constitute electioneering so long as such activities do not include acts prohibited by K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 25-2430(a). The offering of non-partisan voter assistance or signage advertising such assistance, by themselves, do not constitute unlawful disorderly election conduct or intimidation of voters unless the person or persons conducting such activities also engaged in conduct prohibited by K.S.A. 25-2413 or K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 25-2415, respectively. Whether the offering of non-partisan voter assistance and education, or the posting of signage advertising a non-partisan voter assistance hotline or website, constitutes the crimes of electioneering, disorderly election conduct, or intimidation of voters depends on the facts of each individual case. || A polling place is a nonpublic forum subject to reasonable restrictions on speech. The election board of each polling place is authorized to guide, manage, direct, and oversee the polling place to ensure that voting is conducted in an orderly manner. Cited herein: K.S.A. 25-2413; K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 25-2415; 25-2430; 25-2810.

City Council approves ballpark development agreement

The return of affiliated baseball to Wichita is quickly becoming less of an idea and more of a reality.

The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a ballpark development and facility-use management agreement that essentially paves the way for a 7,000-seat multi-purpose stadium to go up on the site of soon-to-be-razed Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Including party and group areas that don’t include regular seats, between 10,000 and 11,000 is expected to be the capacity for the facility.

During the City Council meeting Tuesday afternoon, assistant city manager Scot Rigby said that Pacific Coast League officials on Monday gave their conditional approval of the relocation application from the ownership of the New Orleans Baby Cakes to move the Triple-A baseball franchise to Wichita.

Final approval, Rigby said, is contingent on ballpark design specifications meeting the standards of the PCL and Minor League Baseball.

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

ONEOK developing new gas pipeline running through Rice and Reno counties

ONEOK is in the process of acquiring right-of-way to construct a new 46-mile underground liquid gas pipeline through Ellsworth, Rice and Reno counties which will end at the company’s fractionation plant west of Hutchinson.

The company so far has secured about 18 percent of the necessary right-of-way through contracts with landowners, Michael Gillaspie, ONEOK manager of government relations advised the Reno County Commission Tuesday. “We’re alerting you so that when we do start construction of the pipeline, you’ll be aware,” Gillaspie said. “You’ll start seeing more trucks and piping moving through. Hotels and restaurants will see an uptick with pipeline employees coming through.” The line is actually part of a 900-mile pipeline under construction that will deliver unfractionated Bakken natural gas liquids (NGLs) from near ONEOK’s Riverview terminal at Elk Creek in eastern Montana to its existing Mid-Continent NGL facilities in Bushton.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Lawrence-Dumont demo job awarded to Wichita firm

Bradburn Wrecking Co., Wichita, has been awarded the contract to demolish Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Members of the Wichita City Council voted Tuesday to accept Bradburn’s bid of $178,555.44 to tear down the city’s 84-year-old ballpark. H. Excavating earlier this month submitted a cheaper bid (about $146,000) for the work, but that bid was left off a final list of bidders on the city’s website.

A start date isn’t set, but Darren Bradburn said work will begin in the next few days once utilities are cut to the stadium.

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

City-owned building being demolished in downtown Leavenworth

The demolition of a city-owned building in downtown Leavenworth has started.

The city purchased the building at 301 Delaware St. in August for $52,500.

City officials purchased the building with plans to tear it down. With the building demolished, officials hope to find a developer for the site.

City Manager Paul Kramer said the city already has a couple of leads that will be explored.

“If those don’t come through, we will probably look at some sort of active marketing of the location,” he said. The building is located at the same intersection as a new hotel and a recently refurbished cinema.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Analysis: Labette County can mine, crush rock cheaper than it can buy it

A study by a Pittsburg State University graduate student concluded that it’s cheaper for Labette County to mine and crush its own road rock than it is to buy the rock from a quarry operator.

The Labette County Commission paid John Botts $1,000 to analyze the county’s road rock mining and crushing operation. Botts was to find out if it’s cheaper for the county to crush road rock or buy it on the open market. Botts is working toward a December graduation from PSU with a master of business administration degree.

The county purchased a rock crusher in the mid-1990s and has been crushing its own road rock. Most of what the county produces is used for the gravel roads in the county. The smaller rock is used on various projects, including chipping and sealing hard-surface roads. Commissioners have been discussing the future of the rock crushing operation for quite some time, because a new crusher may cost a lot of money and it’s expensive to operate. The county now contracts with a company to blast the rock out of the quarry south of Mound Valley instead of doing the blasting itself. This saves the county money on its liability insurance policy. The commission considered buying road rock from Midwest Minerals instead of crushing rock, but Commission Chairman Doug Allen wanted a study completed to see if it’s cheaper to do so.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

FCC Says Rule Change Could Boost 5G Internet, But Critics Say It Could Hurt Rural Broadband

The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-1 on Tuesday to undo Obama-era rules intended to help small companies provide faster wireless internet service.

The FCC said the decision will foster more investment and use of the 3.5 gigahertz band, a radio frequency spectrum that can be used for 5G internet service.

But small wireless internet service providers said the decision could shut smaller players out — limiting their ability to bid on licenses and deliver broadband in rural areas.

(Read more: )

City council reviews denial of ‘erotic’ sports bar

The Wichita City Council chambers became a courtroom Tuesday for several hours, as the council held a hearing for an appeal filed by a south-side “erotic bar.”

Vixen’s Erotic Sports Bar has been closed since the city decided not to renew its license to operate. That decision came from a recommendation by the Wichita Police Department. Investigators cited a series of incidents at Vixen’s in the past year, including two homicides and an unrelated undercover investigation involving possible prostitution. The hearing included testimonies from officers who patrol the area, and the bar which they knew all too well. The city’s legal team argues those officers saw several incidents of nudity.

“And what they learned when they got there was there isn’t just dancing going on at that bar,” said Jan Jarman, attorney in the City of Wichita’s legal office. “There were three separate dates where officers went in and saw it happen.”

(Read more: KAKE – News)

Under the surface: the fight for water rights in central Kansas

On the surface, it looks like there is plenty of water to go around in parts of Stafford and Pratt counties, especially with recent rains flooding an area known as the Rattlesnake River Basin. But farmers and ranchers who have lived in the area are getting ready to fight for their rights to use water far under the ground, threatened by a complaint from federally-controlled Quivira Wildlife National Refuge.

Concerned about federal laws taking away state rights to regulate water use, a group of Stafford County area residents has joined forces to form the non-profit “Rattlesnake Basin Cause.” They are focused on water rights issues stemming from the Quivira Wildlife National Refuge (Wildlife and Parks Services) Impairment Complaint of 2012 which, they believe, is now at a boiling point for resolution.

Rural Stafford County residents Leah Chadd, her son Shaine Chadd, Rachel Crane and her father Alan Crane are the principals in the grassroots movement. They hope to call attention to the issues and proposed resolution between Quivira and southcentral Kansas farmers and landowners, represented by the Ground Management District 5 Board and Kansas Chief Engineer David Barfield.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Oak Park Mall isn’t like other malls — it’s not dying. Here’s what its future holds

When American fashion designer Rachel Roy was looking for a place to open her first pop-up this fall, she picked Overland Park’s Oak Park Mall for its “vibrancy.”

Alchemy Bath Co. in Lawrence also opened its first storefront there this year, hoping the “traffic and exposure” would raise the profile of the home-based business. And Cupcakin Bakery did so well as a holiday pop-up, it opened a permanent location and added an event space for children’s parties.

Heading into the holidays, mall vacancies nationally hit 9.1 percent in the third quarter from 8.6 percent in the second quarter, the largest one-quarter jump since 2009, according to data by real estate research firm Reis.

But Oak Park, one of the metro’s last traditional malls, has only a handful of empty spots. Though the future loss of the 200,000-square-foot, three-story Nordstrom in 2021 is “clearly not good news,” according to real estate experts, it does open up opportunities for new destination draws, even on-trend entertainment venues.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Topeka to once again be ‘Topikachu’ for one day

Topeka on Saturday will again be known as “Topikachu” for a day.

Mayor Michelle De La Isla read a proclamation at Tuesday evening’s City Council meeting announcing the temporary move, which will take effect on a day when Nintendo will provide the public a free preview opportunity to play two new Pokémon games for the Nintendo Switch. The “Pokémon Let’s Go Road Trip” experience will be offered from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the parking lot of the Topeka Zoo at Gage Park.

Festivities planned for Saturday at the zoo are welcome news “for nerds like me who play Pokémon Go,” De La Isla said.

The Pokémon Go game uses augmented reality to place virtual tools and creatures at indoor and outdoor locations, where players use their smartphones to find the tools and capture the creatures.

The experience being offered Saturday in Topeka will be made available to the public in only seven other cities: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Seattle and San Francisco.

New life for Great Mall of the Plains property

Two years after the Great Mall of the Great Plains in Olathe succumbed to the wrecking ball, a Salt Lake City-based company has unveiled a $271 million mixed-use project that will replace the retail behemoth with offices, restaurants, apartments and a 4,000-seat arena and ice hockey center.

Woodbury Corporation on Tuesday announced plans for the project, to be called Mentum, adding that it is under contract to buy the 100-acre site at Interstate 35 and 151st Street from current owners VanTrust Real Estate LLC.

The developers said the project would include 250,000 square feet of entertainment, retail and restaurant space, two hotels, 300 apartment units and 200,000 square feet of office and medical office space.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Downtown Salina overhead structures could go from four to two

A compromise on how many overhead structures to be installed in downtown Salina was discussed during Monday’s city commission meeting.

Commissioner Joe Hay Jr. proposed that the anticipated four overhead structures be cut down to two with one being placed at the intersection of North Santa Fe and Ash Street and the other near the First Bank Kansas on South Santa Fe.

Hay, who likes the overhead structures, said the suggestion came after speaking with many individuals during the Oct. 10 Downtown Streetscape Progress Party.

“I went on a walk with some of them and we discussed the different perspectives,” he said. “Some people are for overhead structures and some are against it. I think this is a good compromise that considers both sides. With the two structures, they could work as sort of a gateway into downtown Salina.” Jim Kowach, public works director, said Monday the move could save nearly $500,000.

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Pair of Reno County county residents request commission impose moratorium on wind development

Two Reno County women, one living within the zoned portion of the county and one outside, appealed to the Reno County Commission Tuesday to impose a six-month moratorium on development of wind farms in the county.

The Commission last week sent the issue of a proposed countywide zoning layer for certain commercial uses, including wind farms, back to the Reno County Planning Commission to draft a proposal.

While recognizing it would take 3 to 6 months to get new zoning in place, however, officials declined in the meantime to put a moratorium on development.

“The planning commission indicated there is a limited need for this zoning and it is not urgent,” said Kristina Horsch, 22591 Kent Road. “I disagree. NextEra is in the county researching and building meteorological towers… We were told yesterday they’d finalized their map.”

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

People of Caney, Kansas, Mostly Glad To Have The Federal Goverment Come Clean Things Up

The federal government recently tore up Debbie and Tony Morrison’s front yard in the small southeast Kansas town of Caney.

And the two are happy about it.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency came in, scraped away contaminated dirt, replaced it with clean soil and spread sod on top.

“It actually looks very good,” Morrison said. “After they put the new grass in, they came down and they faithfully watered and cared for it continually until they felt like it had taken hold.”

The Morrisons and hundreds of other Caney residents were living on contaminated lots — the legacy of two lead and zinc smelters that closed their doors there nearly a hundred years ago.

The EPA and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are putting the final touches on a cleanup paid in part through legal settlements with mining companies that left the mess behind.

(Read more: KCUR)

City of Hutchinson and community groups bring Strong Towns’ president to town to speak at historic Fox Theater

In an effort to spark a new dialogue about how Hutchinson and Reno County should grow and what it will take to sustain that growth, the public is invited to a “Curbside Chat” on Oct. 23 with Strong Towns President Charles Marohn.

The city of Hutchinson, Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, Hutch Rec, Young Professionals of Reno County and Hutchinson Community Foundation will welcome Marohn from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Historic Fox Theatre, 18 E. First Ave. The final 20 minutes of the presentation will include a public question-and-answer session with Marohn.

Strong Towns is a media organization leading a national conversation about a model of development aimed at helping cities, towns and neighborhoods become financially strong and resilient. It is challenging Americans to fundamentally rethink how their cities are built. In the “Curbside Chat,” Marohn will discuss how so many American cities have found themselves in decline after decades of “growth.” The presentation will identify how current economic development models value short-term gains over long-term prosperity. To strengthen cities and ensure their economic success, Marohn says we must look to traditional ways of building them.

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

New rules imposed for Shawnee County Civil Service Board

The three-member board that decides promotions in the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office must now interview applicants for those at least twice a year.

That requirement was among revised rules for the Shawnee County Civil Service Board that County Commissioners Kevin Cook, Shelly Buhler and Bob Archer voted 3-0 to approve Monday.

Sheriff’s Maj. Jay Simecka thanked those involved afterward for their “engagement, decisiveness and response action” in getting the rules revised, which he described as being “a truly collaborative effort.” The county’s Civil Service Board — which consists of Aaron Mays, Gary Ross and Matthew McGivern — seeks to ensure Shawnee County provides qualified, professional law enforcement. Its duties include ensuring benefits and protections for sheriff’s officers with the rank of major and below, and arranging for the most qualified officers to receive promotion to the ranks of corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and major.

Health officials to hold groundwater contamination meeting in Haysville

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment plans to hold a public meeting in Haysville to address groundwater contamination.

The agency’s Dry Cleaner Remediation Program’s public availability session will be held at 6 p.m. today at the Haysville High School Gymnasium at 1975 West Grand Avenue. It is expected to last two hours.

The groundwater contamination is attributed to the American Cleaners site located at 412 West Grand. The KDHE says it will provide information regarding the status of the site, current investigative and remedial plans and future plans for the site.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

The Supreme Court Cases for State and Local Governments to Watch

The eight current justices face a quiet docket without any headline-grabbing blockbuster cases. Still, there are several cases with implications for state and local governments.

“State sovereignty is a really big issue this term,” says Lisa Soronen, executive director of the State and Local Legal Center. Chuck Thompson, executive director of the International Municipal Lawyers Association, adds that several of this term’s cases “have the potential to expand the amount of litigation against local government.” Here’s a rundown of the most important cases for state and local government officials to watch:

(Read more: GOVERNING)

Kansas Sheriff pleads guilty to firearms charge, agrees to resign

The Sheriff of Ness County pleaded guilty Monday to a federal firearm charge and agreed to resign, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister. Sheriff Bryan Whipple, 48, Ness City, pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly selling a gun to a person who was prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm. In his plea, Whipple admitted he arranged to sell a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition to a man he knew was a convicted felon.

The plea agreement calls for Whipple to resign his position as sheriff and to surrender his law enforcement certification from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training.

(Read more: Junction City Post)

Wellington aviation enthusiasts celebrate a new municipal airport mile-long runway

With the Wichita band “Soul Injection” singing the song “Celebration”, the City of Wellington, airport authority officials, flying enthusiasts and the community at large were indeed doing just that Saturday. The grand opening and open house of Welington Municipal Airport’s new runway was held during a perfect fall day.

After years of planning, bureaucratic red tape, and then a year’s worth of construction, Wellington now has a 5,250 foot runway to accommodate larger private jets. The runway, which was previously 4,000 feet, will put Wellington’s airport on a level playing field with various area airports in providing services for those with larger private jets.

(Read more: Sumner NewsCow)

Bird supporters fight back, accuse Wichita board of feral cat favoritism

As a Wichita city board continues to claw its way toward an ordinance making it easier to be a stray cat, bird lovers are pushing back and accusing the board of feral feline favoritism.

Tom Ewert, president of the Wichita Audubon Society, told the board last week he thinks the ordinance would be bad for birds and other local wildlife animals. At the minimum, he said the proposed “community cat colonies” should be banned around 15 parks and open spaces that are designated as wildlife habitats. The Animal Control Advisory Board has been working for months and is nearing completion on a proposed ordinance to set city policies allowing trap, neuter and release, or TNR.

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Ark City going for the prize

The Arkansas City Chamber of Commerce is hoping to raise enough votes to win a $500,000 prize that is being offered by a unique TV show, Small Business Revolution, Main Street Productions.

The program picks a community each season to receive a makeover of main street businesses. The winner is determine by the number of votes received through the program’s website.

Chamber CEO Paisley Howerton said in early October, a link with information about the contest was shared on the Ark City Ask and Answered Facebook page. She said she saw it as a possible opportunity and everyone quickly started sharing the information.

“It looked like it would be awesome for Ark City to be part of that,” she said. “So we just shared it and nominated Ark City, of course.”

Howerton said people were being encouraged to visit the website and to vote for Ark City. Last Thursday, she discovered that the community might actually have a chance at winning.

“Kanyon Gingher called and said Nick Hernandez had told her we had enough nominations to be noticed by the show,” she said.

City of Topeka to take up employment contract, asphalt purchase

An employment contract with Topeka street maintenance employees and Shawnee County’s emergency purchase of 828 tons of hot mix asphalt are among matters local governing bodies plan to take up this coming week. The city’s governing body, consisting of the nine council members and Mayor Michelle De La Isla, plans to consider entering into a three-year contract covering 2019 through 2021 with city street maintenance employees represented in collective bargaining by Teamsters Local No. 696.

The employees involved have approved the contract, which would provide a 1 percent across-the-board pay increase in each of the three years involved, said a document in the agenda packet for Tuesday’s meeting.

The agreement would arrange for all employees it covers to be paid at least $15 an hour, that document said. It would create four classifications of workers and a comprehensive training program to ensure all employees can perform a wide variety of tasks.