Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic reports payroll growth, low cost of living, population

Each quarter the Business & Economic Research Center releases a report called “The Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report.”

The third quarter report, recently released, shared the quarter’s income and overall job growth, unemployment, job growth by industry, payroll growth by industry, labor force, taxable sales, residential permits, commercial permits, office space market, commercial and residential land values, retail space market, bankruptcies and more. Director of Business & Economic Research Center Michael Davidsson, Ph.D. said 2017 was a good year for the Pittsburg Micropolitan Area, with bankruptcies declining and the increase of housing infrastructure.

(Read more: Pittsburg, KS – Morning Sun)

Outside engineer hired by Crawford County finds little concern about Silverback plan

A report from an engineer hired by Crawford County said he does not foresee any significant damage on Crawford County property from stormwater runoff in proposed the Silverback Landing Development.

Neighboring residents had concerns about water run-off from the development area.

After discussion with the City of Pittsburg and the public, the county decided to hire Senior Engineer of Agricultural Engineering Associates Inc. Frank Young to create a report of findings of the Silverback Landing Subdivision. The report was to be completed before the county made a decision on the Rural Housing Incentive District for the Silverback Landing Subdivision during its 30-day county review period. The review period will be over Oct. 25.

According to Director of Community Development & Housing Quentin Holmes RHID is a program set up by the state legislature to incentivize and encourage development in rural communities across Kansas.

Through the RHID the developer pays in advance for infrastructure and roads — rather than the municipality installing the infrastructure — and repaid out of property tax receipts over a 15-year period, which starts Oct. 26.

There is no tax increase for Pittsburg taxpayers, no one is losing tax dollars, Holmes said.

(Read more: Pittsburg, KS – Morning Sun)

Hays taps Russell fire chief for deputy fire chief

When Shane Preston starts Nov. 13 in his new role as deputy fire chief for the city of Hays, he’ll be assisting Fire Chief Ryan Hagans as well as the department’s 22 full-time firefighters.

Preston is currently fire department chief in Russell, where he’s worked as a firefighter for 18 years.

“He’s done a lot for the city of Russell, bringing them into a modern fire department,” said Hagans. “He brings in fresh ideas, and he’s a forward thinker and good with public events. He has a lot of what we’d like to bring to Hays.”

The deputy fire chief’s role is to carry out fire code inspection and enforcement, and see that fire protection equipment is properly installed in new construction commercial buildings as well as maintained in existing ones, Hagans said.

(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

Coordinated cleanup underway at Pittsburg contaminated site

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and a southeastern city have partnered to clean up and re-purpose contaminated property for use in future commercial development.

The Joplin Globe reports that the coordinated cleanup that’s underway in Pittsburg is targeting contaminated soil left behind by a former zinc-smelting plant, Weir City Zinc Works. The plant operated from around 1880 to 1920 and left concentrations of arsenic, cadmium and zinc on the property.

Deputy City Manager Jay Byers says the cleanup is the first step for Pittsburg to put the land into productive use.

After completion of the cleanup, the city hopes to build a roadway extension in the area to connect existing businesses in the city’s tax increment financing district.

Cleanup operations should finish in the next few weeks.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Residents fire complaints to Apex at Neosho County meeting

Heated discussion about a proposed wind generation facility drew a rebuke from a Neosho County Commissioner Friday morning.

Commissioner Jennifer Orr warned people against sarcasm and hostility during public comments at Friday’s commission meeting.

Opponent Dustie Elsworth raised an issue with a document that had been submitted to the state, which said Apex Clean Energy does not own or lease agricultural land. Apex plans to build 100 to 130 electricity-generating wind turbines in the Neosho Ridge project in the southwestern part of the county.

Apex Senior Development Manager Jade Scheele said Elsworth should have brought the question to Apex directly, and said opponents are trying to portray Apex as a bad company.

“We’re not here to pull the wool over your eyes,” Scheele said.

City of Fort Scott to apply for grant to fund runway extension project

Developments continue on a proposed multi-million dollar project to expand and extend the runway at the Fort Scott Municipal Airport.

City officials have applied for a federal grant through the Federal Aviation Administration to fund a project that would expand the current runway an additional 2,500 feet and widen it an extra 12 feet on each side. State and federal grants have been sought as engineering and survey work continues on the project. City officials have lobbied for grant money since an economic development opportunity arose for the airport in late 2017. In May, the Fort Scott airport was one of four airports to receive state funding for improvement projects. The funding came through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation.

(Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)

Homeowners balk at placement of wind turbines

Citizens concerned about the Neosho Ridge Wind Project expressed some alarm on Wednesday about how close the wind turbines would be to homes.

Dustie Elsworth, rural Erie, said he and others have been in contact with Apex Clean Energy, the company proposing the wind project, in an attempt to negotiate the company’s proposed setback of 1,400 feet from homes’ foundations, not property lines. Given the proposed height of the turbines of 610 feet, based on forms filed by Apex with the Federal Aviation Administration, the group prefers at least a mile setback from properties, but said they were told by Apex it was impossible to do within the existing footprint.

Haysville City Council comes to consensus on sign ordinance

After months of discussion, the Haysville City Council seemed to reach an agreement on the city’s sign ordinance at its Oct. 9 meeting.

A Kansas statute requires municipalities to allow the display of temporary political signs up to 45 days before an election. On Feb. 23, a bill repealing the Kansas statute passed 100-25 in the House of Representatives, but it died once it reached the Senate.

According to the Haysville Sun-Times, Haysville’s sign code is in conflict with the statue because it allows unlicensed, temporary signs to be displayed for up to 14 days before an election, but it doesn’t make an exception for political signs. Haysville’s city attorney proposed changing city sign code so that all temporary signs — both political and nonpolitical — can be displayed for 45 days during the pre-election periods outlined in state law.

This proposal would keep the city in line with the Kansas statue, as well as the “content-neutral” ruling from the Supreme Court.

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Lawrence seeks sexual harassment training for bar staff

Lawrence city leaders want bar staff to be prepared to respond to predatory behavior, harassment and sexual assault.

Commissioners asked city staff last week to work with drinking establishments and other stakeholders in developing a requirement that drinking establishments receive SafeBar sexual violence and bystander intervention training as a condition of their local license. That local license is in addition to the state liquor license. Commissioner Jennifer Ananda, an attorney and social worker who handles complaints of discrimination and harassment at the University of Kansas in her role as deputy Title IX coordinator and policy specialist, originally proposed that the commission consider requiring the training. She said many alcohol-facilitated sexual assaults start at bars.

“Even when justice is served, whether through an academic system or a justice system, it doesn’t fix that person and it doesn’t change what happened to them,” Ananda said. “So preventing that is really where we get to the core of changing our culture, changing our community and shifting that paradigm in our community.”

Banker survey: Farmland prices expected to drop in Kansas

A new survey says farmland prices are expected to continue their decline in parts of 10 Plains and Western states. The latest Rural Mainstreet survey shows that on average, bank CEOs in the region estimated farmland prices declined by 4 percent over the past 12 months. They expect farmland prices to fall by another 3.2 percent over the next 12 months. The overall economic index for the region increased slightly to 54.3 from 51.5 in September. That score still suggests growth because it is above 50, while any score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy.

(Read more: The Salina Post)

Sales tax up for renewal in Oswego

The city’s 1 cent sales tax is up for renewal. This is NOT a new tax, just the renewal of the existing sales tax. The renewal question will be on the November ballot. The sales tax is designated for use to maintain Oswego’s streets and parks (which includes making the bond payment for the community building). With the tax lid on, the sales tax revenue is even more important than before as there is no other source to make up for the loss in revenue if the question doesn’t pass.

(Read more: Oswego KS)

City of Pratt will allow IRBs for new track and field complex

Pratt city commissioners voted unanimously to approve a resolution that will allow the issuance of Internal Revenue Bonds to finance the construction of a track and field complex for the city of Pratt, Pratt Community College and other Pratt schools.
“We have been assured that there is no risk of security and no hidden expenses in this,” said Mayor Doug Meyer. “All we ask is that the city be involved in any decision-making discussions as this process moves forward.“

(Read more: Pratt, KS – Pratt Tribune)

Wichita to take a swing at selling golf course

A Wichita city board has decided to put the MacDonald Golf Course up for sale.

On Friday, the Park Board voted to seek proposals for the sale of the 146-acre course at 840 N. Yale in northeast Wichita, but with several conditions to ensure it remain a golf course and be open to public play indefinitely.

Under the proposed terms of sale, if the buyer decided to close the course or redevelop it for another use, the Park Board could buy it back for the original sale price.

However, Friday’s meeting didn’t really clarify how that could occur. The money from the sale is expected to be used on the other courses in the system and it remains unclear where the Park Board would get the money if it wanted to buy the course back.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Opponents say wind farms come at a cost

Green wind energy sounds appealing as companies propose leasing land to build new wind farms that would help counties with job creation and economic development efforts.

Concerned citizens in Neosho County have been researching the impacts of wind farms on counties and found things to not be so green, including claimed financial benefits to counties and landowners.

About 30 people met Wednesday night at Tony’s Function Junction south of Erie to discuss the proposed Apex Clean Energy wind farm project in Neosho County and to share what they’ve found about wind projects in Kansas and other states. Apex plans a wind energy generation project on 40,000 acres in Neosho County.

Those gathered Wednesday said wind energy comes at a cost, a cost that counties in Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas are absorbing far beyond what the wind energy companies invest and the value of temporary jobs produced, the citizens said.

Lawrence installs new type of bike lane on portion of Massachusetts Street

A different type of bike lane that changes the rules for both cyclists and drivers has been installed on a three-block portion of Massachusetts Street.

The new bike lanes are wider and more visible than existing bike lanes throughout the city. They also include signage that restricts vehicles from turning right on a red light, as well as a new feature that a city diagram says is intended to make cyclists more visible at intersections.

Debate over multimillion-dollar Lawrence benefit districts raises questions for all homebuyers

A buyer signs up to 150 pages of documents when closing on a home, and among the multitude of notices can be an agreement to pay significant sums to the city. After a contentious debate about the $5.3 million Queens Road benefit districts, city leaders have questions about whether such agreements can be more forthright in the future.

The recently created Queens Road benefit districts will add thousands to the tax bills of residential and commercial property owners in the area, and many said they were not aware they had agreed not to protest the benefit districts. Even though the no-protest agreement would have been included in closing documents, those familiar with the closing process say they are not surprised.

“It’s a lot of paper, and a lot of it is kind of innocuous looking disclosers that say the lender can report your credit, and the lender can get your insurance,” said Greg Haehl, director of commercial services for Kansas Secured Title. “So I certainly understand why people fade out when they try to read it.”

Visitors flock to Baldwin City for annual Maple Leaf Festival

Donna Curran, Maple Leaf Festival booth committee chair, said she knew the 361 vendors she signed up for the festival would be busy Saturday. The day was perfect for the festival, she said, with sunny weather and mild temperatures.

“We’re always busy when we have nice weather,” she said. “I knew it was going to be nice. I didn’t even look at the forecast.”

Curran and other festival organizers estimate from 30,000 to 35,000 people attend the annual festival, although they have no way to take an exact headcount. Even when the booths opened at 9 a.m., she said, there had been large crowds downtown, with people lining up to get the soups and warm breakfasts a few of the food vendors were offering. The park-and-ride lots at the two Baldwin City school campuses were also full, she said.

‘A good fit’: Rose Hill selects new city administrator

After a period of vacancy, the City of Rose Hill has a new administrator.

Rico Aguayo, 46, was sworn in for the administrative position at the Oct. 15 Rose Hill City Council meeting.

“So it’s official now,” said Mayor Steve Huckaby after Aguayo’s swearing-in. “Something we have been waiting for for many months.”

Aguayo, originally from California, has a long track record in public service, both locally and at the state level.

OP Council approves taking neighbors’ land for Quivira upgrade. Court fight could loom

Overland Park may try to take land to improve two-lane Quivira Road from 159th to 179th streets, despite some landowners’ concerns about losing private property for a road widening that’s not anticipated until 2040.

The City Council voted unanimously Oct. 15 to allow the property acquisition, through condemnation if necessary, to prepare for growth along the road.

The council heard from one landowner’s attorney who argued the acquisition is speculative and unnecessary, but voted 12-0 to proceed.

Emporia City and Lyon County commissions discuss possible food council

The Emporia City and Lyon County commissions had a joint meeting Wednesday evening during which they discussed topics ranging from a possible food policy council to housing issues.

Teresa Briggs, Daphne Mertens and Hannah Crowl of Healthier Lyon County addressed the commissioners about the need for a food policy council. Briggs cited information from the Centers for Disease Control which reports life expectancy is growing shorter rather than longer.

“Just let that sink in,” she said. “Whereas, here in the United States, we like to think that we are progressive enough and realize what we need to do to keep ourselves and our families safe and healthy, but we’ve gotten into some bad habits as far as what we eat, the amount of time that we don’t exercise and so the lifespan is actually reducing rather than growing. So, I think that’s a powerful statement and something that we want to try to address with a food policy council.”

The council, if formed, would be a joint city-county effort and would be modeled after the one between Lawrence and Douglas County. It would include members from several sectors, including food producers, grocers, consumers, educators, representatives of nonprofits and others throughout Emporia and Lyon County.

(Read more: Emporia Gazette)

Geary County Sheriff arrested on suspicion of gifting county gun, misusing funds: KBI

Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf was jailed on felony charges Thursday morning, on suspicion of gifting a county-owned firearm and misusing public funds.

Agents of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation made the arrest in Wolf’s office in Junction City about 9 a.m. and booked him into the Geary County jail, the KBI announced. Wolf was then released on bond.

Wolf, 44, has served as sheriff in the county since his election in 2012.

(Read more: Local News |)

Ellis County Commission candidates talk budget, economic development, promoting county

The three candidates running for the first district seat on the Ellis County Commission in the November general election took part in a debate Tuesday at Fort Hays State University. The financial future of Ellis County, the number of commissioners and promoting economic development were among the topics discussed by the three candidates.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Hays artist pitches giant mural on Sternberg water tower

Artist Dennis Schiel envisions one of Hays’ giant water towers painted with a huge mural of the city’s signature branding logo, three people who aptly represent Hays’ pioneer and frontier history.

Schiel this evening will ask the Hays City Commission to consider approving from $65,000 to $96,750 to contribute to the cost of a mural.

Depending on the design chosen, the mural would include not only William Cody, Wild Bill Hickok and George Custer, but also a railroad steam engine, a buffalo and the words Hays America, Est. 1867. The 1-million-gallon water tower hovers over Interstate 70 next to Sternberg Museum, 3000 Sternberg Dr. It was recently remediated and repainted.

“That would be great exposure for me and the city both,” Schiel said. “Can you imagine driving down the highway either way and seeing Buffalo Bill, or the big buffalo?”

(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

County’s park board rejects proposal to built exit path from JCCC through Thomas S. Stoll Memorial Park

Weeks of impassioned testimony and email writing have apparently paid off for neighbors of Thomas S. Stoll Memorial Park. The county park board on Wednesday officially shot down a proposal for a gated exit through the park that Johnson County Community College wanted for emergencies.

Some 40 neighbors applauded as the county park and recreation governing board unanimously voted to deny the egress route for college use. College officials should look for other alternatives, park board members said.

Park neighbors have turned out in force to meetings on the idea and have submitted numerous emails since learning of the idea about a month and a half ago. JCCC had asked for a connection as an evacuation route for the campus that would bring traffic south and out through the park’s entrance. But neighbors feared the idea would be a foot in the door toward college expansion into the park or a traffic cut-through into their neighborhoods.

City of Hays expecting lower rates for employees’ health insurance

Some unusually good news for the city of Hays as it comes time for the annual renewal of the employees’ health insurance policy.

Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood said the 2019 Blue Cross Blue Shield premium is actually a decrease based on the city’s expected enrollments.

“We got really good bids this year. It’s actually a reduction of 2.46%, which in the current healthcare market is pretty good. So, we’re pretty excited about that,” Wood said.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Chetopa council wants park curfew set

The Chetopa City Council has directed an ordinance to be drafted to set a curfew for Veterans Park.

During an Oct. 2 meeting, council member Geraldine Castle recommended more police patrolling of the park at night as there have been kids on top of the shelter houses. She also was concerned about the increased potential for vandalism. Debbie Yost of Chetopa said she was told that the free Wi-Fi in the park has encouraged drug deals there.

The comments led to discussion on a possible park curfew, and the council agreed that an ordinance should be drafted that would close the park from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. if approved. Exceptions would be made for special holiday events or other events approved by the council. The ordinance also would ban squatting in the shelter houses.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Junction City Moves Forward on Rathert Field Turf Improvements

The Junction City Commission has approved an interlocal agreement with Geary County and USD 475 for improvements to Rathert Field. They include a new artificial turf for the infield, foul areas and warning track.

Parks and Recreation Director Ed Lazear explained the project will help alleviate rainout problems. The bid was awarded to Hellas Construction of Austin, Texas for $424,715. City Manager Allen Dinkel explained the project will be paid for via a $200,000 commitment from the county from the transient guest tax that was initially put in place for a sports complex. We have a private donation of $100,000. ” The rest of the cost will be paid for using city funds via a lease-purchase on that to possibly stretch out their funding so other work could possibly be done at Rathert Field like the outfield fence or decking improvements. That will also allow the city to continue with their plan to make budgeted upgrades at some other parks.

(Read more: Junction City Post)

Tonganoxie City Council hears more plans for former TES land

Plans for the rest of the land at the former Tonganoxie Elementary School campus were discussed in more detail at Monday’s City Council meeting.

The Tonganoxie City Council took steps forward at the last meeting with regards to the new library’s future on the south end of the former TES site.

On Monday, Kelley Hrabe of Prairie Fire Development in Kansas City presented to the council.

Hrabe told the council about potential plans for 36 residential units on the property. Though the property might not be exclusively for retired residents, it’s expected to have many of its residents fit that demographic. Council Member Curtis Oroke spoke of the demand for retirement living in Tonganoxie with waiting lists at various retirement communities within the city.

(Read more: TonganoxieMirror.com stories)

Manager search gets help in Winfield

A contract with Osenbaugh Consulting, of Derby, for assistance with the Winfield city manager search was approved Monday by the city commission in a 3-0 vote.

The contract specifies a flat fee of $8,000. This money will go toward consulting services and includes three trips to Winfield by Osenbaugh consultants, according to a copy of the contract. Additional trips will cost the city $1,000 each.

The contract states Osenbaugh Consulting’s duties include discussing the parameters of the search with commissioners, composing and positing a help wanted ad, reaching out to potential candidates, reviewing and organizing résumés, participating in candidate interviews, creating a list of finalists and performing background checks. City commissioners will meet soon with an Osenbaugh consultant to discuss what qualities the city wants in a new manager, Mayor Greg Thompson said Tuesday.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Kansas Opportunity Zone Forum Taking Place on Oct. 25

The Kansas Department of Commerce will host a community forum for Opportunity Zones from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 25th, at the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas.

Opportunity Zones are part of a federally-led tax incentive program intended to localize private investment in economically distressed Kansas communities. Individuals or businesses that choose to invest in these designated areas may take advantage of preferential tax incentives. There are 74 designated Opportunity Zones in Kansas, representing 39 communities.

This forum will provide communities with designated Opportunity Zones information on how they work and the funding resources and opportunities available. Attendees will have an opportunity to hear from both state and private sector resources, with plenty of opportunity for questions and input from the audience.

Rural economy growing again, says economist

The Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index shows continued growth across the Midwest.

“The overall index for October was above growth neutral for the ninth straight time,” said economist Ernie Goss. “Agriculture is not doing as well. In other words, we’re still seeing farm equipment sales declining.”

There are strong sectors in the rural areas, particularly when it comes to finishing some of those agricultural goods.

(Read more: WIBW News Now!)

KCK police officer running marathon in full uniform to honor fallen officers

One runner at the KC Marathon might stand out in the crowd Saturday.

Kansas City, Kansas Police Officer Carlos Mena has run the marathon before, but never like this. He’ll be running in full uniform.

He’s doing it to honor recent fallen officers, including one who trained him.

For more than a month, this seven-year veteran of the KCK Police Department has been running a 2-mile track near the police academy.

Officer Mena originally planned to train for next year’s marathon, but after the deaths of Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Deputies Theresa King and Patrick Rohrer earlier this year, he decided now was the time to step up.

(Read more: KMBC)

Derby’s newest park opens this weekend — after flooding recedes

With recent heavy rains, Derby’s newest recreational resource, Warren Riverview Park, experienced high water levels rising up over its access area to the Arkansas River, putting it several feet under water.

Not a worry for Robert Mendoza, the city’s public works director who is heading up the park’s design and construction.

“If you play by the river, you’re going to expect to get wet,” he said.

The flooding was an ideal “stress test” for the park before it opens to the public on Oct. 20, he said.

The river went up to its 12-foot flood stage and unlike times when it’s low, the water was flowing at a fast rate.

“Everything there is designed to be flooded,” he said. “It’s a great thing we’re doing it now because it’s still ‘under warranty.’”

Lawmakers concerned on rural broadband

The two U.S. senators from Kansas, along with all four U.S. representatives from the state, on Monday wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai urging that he “restore sufficiency and predictability” to the Universal Service Fund High Cost program.

The program helps provide funding to companies working to increase broadband capability to parts of the country with little or no access.

“These services are necessary if rural communities are to compete in a global economy,” the lawmakers wrote to the FCC head.

“The insufficient and uncertain USF budget continues to hamper rural providers’ efforts to invest in rural broadband at a time when the federal government has made (this) a national priority.”

City Administrator takes cautious approach concerning turf at the Great Bend Sports Complex

Several interested parties in Great Bend have been very vocal in their support of installing turf on the baseball and softball fields at the Great Bend Sports Complex.

Mayor Joe Andrasek recently formed a committee that will meet to study the possibility of that taking place in the future. That committee will include new Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis. Francis says the committee that was formed to study the feasibility of turf at the Sports Complex will begin meeting soon. It will include council members Jolene Biggs and Cory Urban, City Administrator Kendal Francis, Public Lands Director Scott Keeler, USD 428 Superintendent Khris Thexton, USD 428 Director of Maintenance Cody Schmidt, and citizen Shawn Behr.

It had been reported that the city transferred $1.3 million into a fund for the possibility of installing turf at the fields but Francis says that isn’t the case. There is a fund that contains around $500,000 but he says that money can be used for any improvement project, not just turf at the Sports Complex.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

Hiawatha City Commission OKs street project starter

The Hiawatha City Commission met on Monday evening, and with all commissioners present, approved a Notice to Proceed for the Citywide Sales Tax Street Improvements.

City Administrator Mike Nichols said the notice gave the first milestone, which will be on the 400 and 500 blocks of Utah Street, as well as a portion of 5th Street, a start date next week, but that work will not begin until after the Halloween parade. The project has an overall estimated completion date of summer 2020, which is ahead of the final deadline.

(Read more: Hiawatha World Online)

Shawnee, Roeland Park receive MARC funds for transportation projects

The Mid-America Regional Council has awarded two cities in northeast Johnson County with thousands of dollars in grant funding for transportation infrastructure projects.

Roeland Park and Shawnee are two of 12 cities in Kansas Missouri that were selected to receive grant awards for MARC’s Planning Sustainable Places program this year. Through the program, cities advance sustainable development in the region by developing connectivity and sustainability while facilitating multiple modes of transportation within their community.

Great Bend Airfest to be featured in nationally-distributed magazine

As more than a couple of weeks have passed since the Mega Motor Weekend in Great Bend, city officials have had time to reflect on the successful weekend of September 28th – 30th that combined three large events.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

City’s contract buy out details provided; hunt for new administrator begins

Laura Gourley, interim city administrator, told Gardner city council at the Oct. 1, 2018, meeting that there have been multiple inquiries about former administrator Cheryl Harrison-Lee’s payout. Randy Gregorcyk, councilman, asked for the expected cost of an interview team and a headhunter for the city administrator position. Alan Abramovitz, human resources manager, stated the charge for a search firm is typically 30 – 35 percent of the first year’s salary.

(Read more: Gardner News)

New County tag office to open in December

The Sedgwick County treasurer’s office is aiming for a December opening for its new Wichita tag office that will replace all satellite offices, including Derby’s.

“Though we still do not have a firm date, we are looking at the first week in December,” said Randy Bargdill, chief deputy treasurer.

When the Derby Informer first broke the news of where the new tag office would be situated, the treasurer’s office expected it to open in June or July. Work remodeling the former Ultra Modern Pool and Patio building at East Kellogg and Edgemoor took longer than expected because Ultra Modern didn’t move out as soon as anticipated.

(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)

Some say panhandling is hurting downtown Lawrence businesses; city may study issue

City leaders could soon be considering whether panhandling is becoming a problem downtown and whether the city should do anything about it.

At the Lawrence City Commission meeting Tuesday, Downtown Lawrence Inc. Executive Director Sally Zogry asked the city to create a stricter ordinance to restrict panhandling downtown. Zogry said that in the last several years, she’s heard from downtown business owners and visitors that an increasing number of transients and aggressive panhandlers are negatively affecting the downtown.
“(Visitors) are solicited regularly by panhandlers, sometimes multiple times in a one-block stretch,” Zogry said. “I myself am witness to a multitude of inappropriate and aggressive behaviors each day among the individuals and groups that are panhandling. These include public drunkenness and intoxication, verbal and physical fights, and threatening behavior.”

Leavenworth County Commission Chairman looks at withdrawing from Port Authority

The chairman of the Leavenworth County Commission said he wants to look into withdrawing from the Leavenworth County Port Authority.

“I think we’re wasting money on the Port Authority,” Commission Chairman Louis Klemp said.

He raised the issue Tuesday during a meeting of county commissioners.

The Port Authority is an economic development organization that was created in 1969 through a joint agreement between the city of Leavenworth and county government.

Currently, the county is the only local government that provides funding each year to the Port Authority.

“I think it’s an organization that has gone past its time,” Klemp said. Klemp said he would like for county staff to look at removing the county from the Port Authority and provide information to the commission. Klemp said he believes the Leavenworth County Development Corporation can do the same thing as the Port Authority. LCDC is a partner organization of the Port Authority.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Dodge City sets record for wettest month

The National Weather Service in Dodge City announced yesterday that another record has been broken in the month of October.

According to the NWS, Dodge City Regional Airport has already received 6.11″ through Oct. 16th, which is up over 600 percent of normal precipitation amounts in this month. This makes this month the wettest October in history.

(Read more: Western Kansas News)

Derby’s newest park opens this weekend

With recent heavy rains, Derby’s newest recreational resource, Warren Riverview Park, experienced high water levels rising up over its access area to the Arkansas River, putting it several feet under water.

Not a worry for Robert Mendoza, the city’s public works director who is heading up the park’s design and construction.

“If you play by the river, you’re going to expect to get wet,” he said.

(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)

Hannes Zacharias sees river potential in Derby

Local residents may not pay much attention to the Arkansas River boarding Derby’s west side, but they should as it could be useful not just for additional recreational activities but as a economic development tool.

That’s just one of the many points Hannes Zacharias made during a recent visit to Derby. He spoke Friday before the Derby Rotary club about his kayaking trip on the river from Colorado to its end in New Orleans as part of the Mississippi River.

A native Kansan, Zacharias was the long-time manager of Johnson County and is now professor at the University of Kansas.

At times, people view the river as “a dumping ground,” as opposed as a life blood for a community, according to Zacharias.

“Why aren’t there paths along the river?” Zacharias asked.

(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)