Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Shawnee to request CDBG funds for city street project, human services

A total of five community projects in Shawnee are projected to receive $285,302 in community development block grant funding for next year.

The Shawnee council in its Monday meeting conducted the first of two public hearings on the city’s 2019 community development block grant plan. The second public hearing will take place in September. The total amount of $285,302 is based on a Department of Housing and Urban Development formula that considers Shawnee’s population and socioeconomic status. The community development block grant (CDBG) program is designed to assist low- and moderate-income residents.

Shawnee received the same amount in 2018 in CDBG funding, so HUD has advised the city that it will receive a similar amount next year. Eligible projects include housing rehabilitation, stormwater and street and sidewalk improvements, subsistence payments to low-income Shawnee residents, and payments to subsidize childcare, according to an Aug. 27 city memo.

The city’s application requests allocating funds to human service providers that directly assist Shawnee residents, rehabilitate single-family homes and improve infrastructure in low- and moderate-income residents.

Topeka city manager challenges suggestion city is ‘going backwards’

Topeka’s city government is not “going backwards,” city manager Brent Trout said Tuesday.

He took exception to comments Shawnee County Commission Chairman Kevin Cook made Monday that Trout thinks suggested that.

The city manager said that while “not everything’s been great in the past” for Topeka’s government,“We’re making good decisions now and I think that we have our house in order.”

Trout and Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla spoke about the importance of cooperation between the city and county governments during their monthly news conference held at City Hall, 215 S.E. 7th.

“I invite our friends across the street to just sit down with us whenever they need to,” De La Isla said Tuesday. ’I mean, we are here to collaborate. And in the end, we’re all working for the same thing. We’re all working to improve our communities.”

Behind schedule construction projects exacerbating parking issues in downtown Overland Park

When it comes to downtown construction, there can be too much of a good thing, Overland Park leaders are finding out. The numerous building projects downtown – some of which are significantly behind schedule – have now begun to overlap each other, continuing a parking shortage that has irritated nearby residents.

The sheer number of ongoing projects has also caused a shortage of subcontractors, making it even more difficult for things to get completed on time, city council members said Monday.

The Overland Park City Council moved forward with what will be a small fix to the parking situation Monday when it accepted a bid to demolish the Dyna-Jet car wash at 7910 Marty Street in order to create about 24 more parking spaces. But the council also ended up extending construction deadlines on some other downtown work, even as the new Edison project is about to get up and running.

Wichita City Council approve plans to boost growth at local airports

The Wichita City Council approved on Tuesday projects that will mean growth at Col. James Jabara Airport and at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport.

Among the items unanimously approved as part of the council’s consent agenda was an expanded lease agreement for Midwest Corporate Aviation at Jabara that will give the company the land needed to build two new 18,000-square-foot hangars at the northeast Wichita airport.

The estimated $2.8 million cost for construction of the new facilities will be privately financed.

Also approved Tuesday was an agreement with NAI Martens as a real estate broker partner to help market available land and buildings at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport.

The firm was selected from a group of six brokerage firms that responded to a request for proposal last fall.

The Wichita City Council also acts as the Wichita Airport Authority.

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

Chanute seeks assistance for woman whose property is condemned

Chanute commissioners went ahead with a condemnation resolution Monday evening, but said they hoped someone would assist the occupant.

The issue continued discussion from the commission’s last meeting about properties at 918 and 922 S. Malcolm, owned by Brenda Neal, and whether they were in violation of city code. The commission voted to find the properties in violation, but also said they wanted to help Neal.

“I want you to go somewhere where you’re safe,” Commissioner Phil Chaney said.

He said he hoped people would reach out to Neal, and Community Services Director Ryan Follmer helped get a phone number so she could contact assistance.

(Read more: The Chanute Tribune)

Utah man is new Belleville city manager

A Utah man was hired on Monday as Belleville’s newest city manager.
Adam Anderson of Sandy City Utah was officially announced as the city manager at Monday’s meeting of the Belleville City Council. City leaders were unanimous in their hiring of Anderson.
…
While this is Anderson’s first job as a city manager, he comes from an extensive background in municipality work, according to Belleville Mayor Kim Lapo.
“We’re very excited to have him here,” she told the Telescope.
“Adam has more than 10 years experience working in local government administration ,” Lapo said. “He has an emphasis on budget, policy and strategic planning.” Anderson comes to Belleville holding an MPA degree from the George W. Romney Institute of Brigham Young University. He has worked extensively under several city manager type governments, Lapo said. Anderson was one of 14 applicants for the vacant Belleville job.

Johnson County Government announces new Deputy County Manager

Penny Postoak Ferguson, county manager, has appointed Maury Thompson as deputy county manager. He has served as the interim deputy county manager since January 2018. Prior to that, Thompson served as assistant county manager beginning in January 2013. The new position is effective Aug. 26.
“I am pleased to serve our organization in this capacity and look forward to continued work with our approximately 4,000 employees who strive daily to provide the highest quality programs and services to the residents of Johnson County,” said Thompson,.
Thompson began his career within the organization at Johnson County Developmental Supports (JCDS) in 1986, serving multiple roles. In 2001, he left to serve as executive director at Tri-Valley Developmental Services in Chanute, Kansas. There, he served as president of the Chanute Area Chamber of Commerce and Office of Tourism (2004), as a member of the Chanute City Commission (2005-06) and as mayor of Chanute (2006-07).

Douglas County Administrator Craig Weinaug announces plans to retire in December

Craig Weinaug announced Thursday that he would retire Dec. 14 as Douglas County administrator after more than 26 years in the position.
“It’s time,” said Weinaug, who will be 67 in January. “The average length of time a city or county administrator or manager stays in one position is between six to eight years. I’ve served here longer than any Lawrence city manager, Lawrence school superintendent or Douglas County administrator in the history of Lawrence.”
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Douglas County commissioners said Weinaug has been a dedicated public servant, committed to finding solutions to the county’s problems and improving the lives of its residents. Douglas County Commission Chair Nancy Thellman said Weinaug’s dedication and commitment were reflected in the culture he instilled throughout county government.
“Craig Weinaug is the quintessential public servant, and I count it as a privilege and a joy to have worked with him the past 10 years,” she said. “He’s a teacher at heart, too, patiently helping new commissioners learn the ropes of elected leadership, generously sharing his knowledge with citizens whenever they called with a question or complaint.”

Read more: LJWorld.com

Lawrence Police Department to begin testing body cameras soon

Some Lawrence police officers will soon begin testing body cameras in preparation for a department rollout.
A memo to the City Commission from earlier this summer stated that the anticipated body camera testing period would be September through November, and police department representatives say preparations to begin testing are underway. The body camera program will be fully implemented sometime next year, according to the memo.
Police Capt. Trent McKinley said in an email to the Journal-World Monday that though there is not a date yet for when testing will begin, the intention is to keep the schedule as close to the September to November time frame as possible. He said the department hoped to start testing as soon as possible.
“We are working on the logistical piece of that now and hope to conclude testing around the end of the year,” McKinley said.

Read more: LJWorld.com

Shawnee County commissioners want a lot of changes to land use plan

Owners of land in a three-mile jurisdiction just outside Topeka city limits in unincorporated Shawnee County have no representation when the city’s governing body makes moves to regulate planning and zoning in that area, Shawnee County Commission Chairman Kevin Cook said Monday.

It’s important for the county to enact a comprehensive land use plan, because that would give those landowners representation by giving the county a say in those matters, he said.

Though all but one of the 13 members of the public who addressed the commission during a 70-minute discussion Monday spoke critically of the plan, Commissioners Cook, Shelly Buhler and Bob Archer indicated they were willing to try to hammer out a revised version of the proposed document that they could support. Commissioners will allow for two weeks of public deliberation about the proposed amendments and revisit the proposal on Sept. 10. It wasn’t clear whether final action would be taken that day.

The proposed 197-page 2037 Shawnee County Comprehensive Plan would guide decision-making about the physical development of the county’s unincorporated areas. It seeks to guide orderly growth that balances environmental values and reasonable development demand over the next 20 years.

Kansas cities to receive $13.7 million for road improvement projects

Twenty-seven projects that will improve intersections and roads in Kansas cities have been selected for funding through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s City Connecting Link Improvement Program (CCLIP), which funds improvements to state highways that extend through cities.

The cities will receive a combined total of approximately $13.7 million in funding under the CCLIP for these 27 projects. This total includes $6.6 million in state fiscal year 2020 and $7.1 million in state fiscal year 2021.

Under the CCLIP, a city contributes up to 25 percent of the project cost based on its population. Cities under 2,500 in population aren’t required to provide a match. Projects in this program may fall into one of three different categories including Surface Preservation (SP), Pavement Restoration (PR) or Geometric Improvement (GI).

SP projects involve maintenance work such as resurfacing and are funded up to $300,000 per project. PR projects typically involve full-depth pavement replacement without changes to the overall geometric characteristics and may also address drainage issues. GI projects address geometric issues such as adding turn lanes, improving intersections or modifying the lane configuration to address capacity. The PR and GI categories are funded up to $1 million per project.

For the state fiscal year 2020, the city, category and amount awarded include:

(Read more: Western Kansas News)

Douglas County Commission advances behavioral health sales tax ballot question

The Douglas County Commission approved ballot language Wednesday for a referendum to be placed before voters in the November general election asking for approval of a quarter-cent sales tax that would fund construction of a behavioral health campus and programming.
It is the second referendum the county has advanced this year. Voters defeated Proposition 1 in May, which would have authorized the county to collect an additional half-cent sales tax to fund a $44 million jail expansion, an $11 million behavioral health campus and $5 million in behavioral health services. The campus would have included a behavioral health crisis center, a transitional group home and an eight- to 10-unit apartment complex available to those with behavioral health issues.

Read more: LJWorld.com

Voting machine company says it’s rewritten faulty code that caused big delays in Johnson County — but can’t guarantee new software will be approved for use by November

Twenty days after company officials told Johnson County residents technicians were “working around the clock” to identify the issue, Election Systems & Software said this morning that it had rewritten a portion of the software code that led to a massive delay in reporting primary election results earlier this month.

But it’s not a guarantee that the updated software will be approved for use in November’s elections. “The slow reporting of results was unacceptable, and we apologize,” said Tom Burt, president and CEO, ES&S. “We know the Election Office and other Johnson County Government leaders put their faith in us and we let down our valued partners. After exhaustive analysis to pinpoint the issue, we rewrote the portion of code that caused the issue, and initial tests of the optimized code were successful. We will continue testing, and we look forward to federal certification of the optimized software.” However, the company acknowledged it cannot be certain the updated software will be certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in time for it to be used in the November election.

Consequently, the company said it is working on a contingency plan.

Lawrence to spend hundreds of thousands on public art

The city of Lawrence is planning to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for public art as part of several large-scale building and renovation projects.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that a $5.3 million fire station renovation, $4.5 million new bus hub and $17 million new police headquarters building are in the works. A long-standing resolution allows the city to set aside up to 2 percent of a project’s budget for public art. That amounts to about $450,000 for the three projects.

Commissioner Leslie Soden has been a proponent of putting more art into public places, such as parks. She says, “Creative pursuits are really important in Lawrence, so I think it’s appropriate for city leaders to fashion creative engagement throughout our city with these public projects.”

(Read more: Government & Politics News |)

Five Lenexa parks are getting new playground gear. Here’s a look at the updates

Five of Lenexa’s neighborhood parks will get new playground equipment through an agreement between the city and Lenexa-based Athco LLC, unanimously approved by the City Council this week.

The city will pay nearly $550,000 through its capital improvement program to buy the equipment and have Athco install it at Gillette, Heritage Forest, John McNerney, Sar-Ko-Par Trails and Tamarisk parks, according to a Tuesday memo to the council from Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Logan Wagler.

Lenexa Parks Superintendent Danny Huntsinger said in an interview that playground equipment in the city’s neighborhood parks (the smaller of which have no parking and are also called pocket parks) “are past their useful life, and we’re going to bring in something fresh.” Neighborhood park playgrounds should last from 18 to 20 years, he said, and they provide meaningful benefits for the community.

“Parks are heavily used and a big draw,” Huntsinger said.

Consolidation of Barton County voting locations begin

In anticipation of buying new electronic voting machines in 2019, the Barton County Clerks Office has begun the consolidation process of voting locations across the county. Barton County Commissioners Monday authorized the purchase of one electronic poll pad which improves the check in process at polling places. That will be needed since Barton County Clerk Donna Zimmerman says the number of polling locations in the November general election will go from 23 to 11. While making it easier to staff the voting locations with poll workers, the move is also being made to reduce the number of new voting machines that will be purchased next year. The county utilized 87 machines during the August 7th primary, machines that were purchased in 2005 with an anticipated shelf life of 10-years. With the high replacement cost and the fact that there will be no federal dollars available this time around from the “Help America Vote Act”, Zimmerman says the consolidation will cut down on the number of machines they will have to purchase.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

Ellis County receives $130,000 grant for outdoor warning sirens

The Dane G. Hansen Foundation, based in Logan, notified Ellis County Fire and Emergency Management of approval for a grant from the foundation for $130,000.

The grant was submitted to assist in the purchase of new outdoor storm warning sirens throughout Ellis County.

The grant will directly help reduce the costs of sirens purchased for Antonino, Catharine, Ellis, Munjor, Pfeifer, Prairie Acres, Schoenchen, Victoria, Walker, and an area east of Hays.

The new weather warning system will replace storm sirens that are about 40 years old and are meeting the end of their expected lifespan.

The new system will allow the outdoor sirens to more adequately alert Ellis County residents in the event of a tornadic emergency.

The sirens will be linked to monitoring system, which will automatically notify officials if there is a maintenance issue with a siren.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Shawnee County asking public to help choose name for recreation van

Shawnee County’s parks and recreation department is asking the public to vote on a name for its mobile recreation unit.

The names being considered are “Rec on the Run,” “Rec + Roll” and “Wheels of Fun,” according to the parks and recreation department’s Facebook page.

Susan Fowler-Hentzler, recreation superintendent for the department, told county commissioners Kevin Cook, Shelly Buhler and Bob Archer about the contest at their meeting Monday.

“Mobile recreation programs make it even easier to bring fun and play to where people are — and not just kids!” the department said on its Facebook page. “We deliver healthy activities and nature education all over town. The Mobile Recreation Van is outfitted with balls, hula hoops, games, art and fitness supplies.”

City of Lawrence finance director to take position in Missouri

City of Lawrence Finance Director Bryan Kidney will be leaving his post.
Following a nationwide search, the city of Independence, Mo., decided to hire Kidney as the new director of finance and administration, according to an announcement on its website.
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Kidney’s last day with the city of Lawrence will be Sept. 5, according to city spokesman Porter Arneill. Arneill said Lawrence’s search for a new finance director would begin soon.

Read more: LJWorld.com

Flags at Half-staff in Honor of Senator John McCain (until sun down Sunday, September 2)

In accordance with Executive Order 10-12, and following this afternoon’s proclamation by President Trump, Governor Jeff Colyer has ordered flags continue to be flown at half-staff from today, Monday August 27, 2018 until sun down Sunday September 2^nd in honor of United States Senator John McCain, who passed away Saturday, August 25th.

Residents cleaning up from storm damage in Hutchinson

Strong thunderstorm winds caused a lot of tree damage and forced power lines down in the Hutchinson area early Saturday morning. Westar Energy had several hundred customers without power. Westar is experiencing longer-than-normal restoration times in Hutchinson and surrounding areas due to the storms overnight. Large trees were damaged or even destroyed. The campus of Hutchinson Community College was especially hit hard by the storms.

Some of the animal pens on the Kansas State Fairgrounds were also blown around from the strong winds.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Gardner City Council discusses airport; lack of restroom facilities thwarts possible lease

There was spirited debate at the Gardner City Council Aug. 21 as councilmembers grappled with what to do about the deteriorating buildings at the Gardner Municipal Airport.
The councilmembers heard presentations from Michael Kramer, public works director, who pleaded with the council to give staff time to complete evaluations and develop options before deciding what to do with the airport.
Kramer outlined what the staff has already done and the next steps needed before a decision can be made.
He said the city had conducted inspections to the buildings at the airport, developed cost estimates, conducted a survey of city residents about the airport and developed an Airport Layout Plan. He said there was still more work to do before the council decides what to do about the airport building.
“Don’t pick the first option. Avoid emotional decisions. Let’s gather as much input as possible, so we have the information we need for the next steps,” he said.
Kramer was however interrupted by Mayor Steve Shute and councilmembers Rich Melton and Lee Moore who said they wanted to hear from representatives of Apex Environmental Services about an inspection the company conducted at the airport.
“We don’t want to hear this as presented by the staff but by Apex,” said Shute.
Melton said the councilmembers have been waiting for 16 months to hear from the corporation, and Kramer should yield the floor for a company representative to explain details about the report.
But Kramer resisted the move saying that councilmembers have in the past wanted to know what the staff have been doing about the airport.
“One of the comments during the last meeting was that nothing has been done, so we wanted to let you know what has been done,” he said.

(Read more: Gardner News)

Neosho County hears about wind generation project

A county engineer who worked with a previous wind generation project gave information to Neosho County Commissioners at Friday’s meeting.

Coffey County engineer Wayne Blackbourn gave a presentation about a wind generation project there in 2015. The developer, EDPR, constructed 95 turbines to generate 200 megawatts of power, and Blackbourn said the project impacted 60 miles of roads.

A town hall meeting is scheduled for 6:30 pm Tuesday about a plan by Apex Clean Energy to construct a 300-megawatt wind farm in southeast Neosho County. The meeting location has been changed to the Galesburg Community Center.

Blackbourn discussed agreements the county and private property owners negotiated on the Coffey County project. Coffey County has countywide zoning. The project required more than 10,000 tractor-trailer loads that impacted the roads.

Fort Scott City Commissioners debate permit to allow downtown residence

Specifics of a conditional use permit to allow residential living on the first floor of a commercial building in the downtown historic district were debated at the Tuesday meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission.

Commissioners and other city officials discussed a draft of a permit commissioners approved at their Aug. 7 meeting that will allow local residents Jerry and Judy Witt to live on the first floor of a commercial building at 9 N. Main St.

Residential living in the downtown district is only allowed on the second floor of a building, according to current city ordinance.

The commission at that meeting opted not to change the ordinance, but granted a conditional use permit for the Witts to reside in the building, which only has one floor. The commission also approved Witt’s designs for the building. On Tuesday, discussion centered around wording in the permit and who would be allowed to live in the building once the permit is approved. Commissioners discussed whether the permit should refer to the “Witt family” or only Jerry and Judy Witt.

City Attorney Bob Farmer told commissioners the conditional use permit is a draft for them to review. Community Development Director Rhonda Dunn said the draft of the permit was created based on stipulations commissioners approved at their last meeting.

Dunn said she researched the International Zoning Code “to make sure of what we’re doing.” She said the permit is not activated until a building permit is issued.

(Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)

Founders of Wichita tiny-homes project discuss plan, respond to opposition

The developers of a tiny homes project in southeast Wichita plan to have a model home up this fall, and want the community to come out and see it.

The development is planned near 143rd and East Harry, and the developers have faced opposition from neighbors.

“We’re using every inch of the houses we’ve got, so very compact but still you can see it looks like a lot of room,” says Abby Nelson, co-founder of microMansions, the company behind the project.

The founders of microMANSIONS plan to have a model up this fall, and hope to start the development next spring.

“We’ve already had quite a few people in the community who have supported it and signed up and expressed interest,” says microMansions co-founder Brady Sherman.

Nelson says they’ve received about 50 emails from people wanting to secure a lot in the planned development.

Neighbors say they aren’t done fighting. They’ve put up signs saying “Protect your property value, stop tiny homes.”

(Read more: KWCH News)

Lenexa city administrator Eric Wade announces intent to retire in 2019

Eric Wade, the city administrator who has overseen the completion of a new city hall, recreation center and much of the City Center development, announced today that he will retire from the city of Lenexa sometime in 2019. Wade became city administrator in 2004 and has served a total of 15 years working for Lenexa. He is just the third city administrator in Lenexa history.

Mayor Mike Boehm issued a statement signaling his gratitude for Wade’s leadership of city operations.

“During his tenure, Eric assembled a world-class team of directors and employees to serve the citizens of Lenexa,” said Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm. “His unwavering commitment to our community has made Lenexa a leader in the region and one of the premier cities in the country for residents and business investment.”

Wade is expected to leave the job in mid-2019. Boehm said the city will conduct a national search to find a replacement.

Lenexa approves plans for The Yard development, with office, dining, entertainment space

The Lenexa City Council has approved the final plan for The Yard, an estimated $15 million mixed-use office, restaurant and outdoor-entertainment development planned for the southeast corner of 87th Street Parkway and Renner Boulevard in Lenexa City Center East Village. Plans call for a four-story, L-shaped building with two stories of office space on top of two stories of structured parking, and two levels of retail and restaurant space, according to Development Administrator Magi Tilton in her address to the council at its Tuesday meeting and to a council memo.

The Yard’s outdoor patio space is planned to be integrated with the restaurants and to include pickleball and shuffleboard courts, multiple gathering spaces and seating, a firepit, restrooms and a host station. The Lenexa Planning Commission recommended approval of the project’s final plan at its Aug. 6 meeting, and city staff also recommended approval. The council on Tuesday also approved a public pedestrian access zone easement as part of the project.

Kansas Attorney General Opinion 2018-10: no longer unlawful under Kansas law to possess or sell products or substances containing any amount of cannabidiol

Effective May 24, 2018, it is not unlawful under Kansas state law to possess or sell products or substances containing any amount of cannabidiol.
Further, Epidiolex is a Schedule IV drug and is excluded from the definition of “marijuana” under subsection (2) of K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 65-4101(aa) and 21-5701(j).

Lenexa City Administrator Eric Wade announced his intent to retire mid-year 2019

Lenexa City Administrator Eric Wade announced his intent to retire mid-year 2019. At the time of his retirement, Wade will have completed a 15-year tenure with the city, having been appointed in June of 2004 upon the departure of David Watkins, a 19-year veteran with the city. He is only the third person to hold the position.

“During his tenure, Eric assembled a world-class team of directors and employees to serve the citizens of Lenexa,” said Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm. “His unwavering commitment to our community has made Lenexa a leader in the region and one of the premier cities in the country for residents and business investment.”

Under Wade’s leadership, the city achieved AAA bond rating status from Moody’s and Standard and Poor, indicating strong financial management; opened a new city hall and recreation center; implemented Vision 2020, which included development of the nationally recognized Rain to Recreation Program and significant progress on Lenexa City Center; made major investments in the city’s parks and transportation infrastructure, including the interchanges at I-35 and 87th Street, I-35 and 95th Street, completion of Prairie Star Parkway and the current construction of Ridgeview Road from K-10 to Prairie Star Parkway; and the accreditation and/or reaccreditation of Municipal Services and Fire.

Prior to coming to Lenexa, Wade served the public in positions with Johnson County, Kansas; City of Merriam, Kansas; City of Blue Springs, Missouri and City of Kansas City, Missouri, a career spanning 35-years.

“Lenexa has a strong legacy of leadership and we anticipate our national search will attract the attention of a number of highly qualified applicants to the position,” said Boehm. “We appreciate Eric providing a 10-month notice of intent, which will allow for a rigorous search process and a smooth transition of leadership.”

Source: City of Lenexa.

Marshall County commissioner proposes offer of $4,000 incentive for start-ups here

Providing $4,000 in start-up money to each of five new businesses in Marshall County per year. That is county commissioner Dave Baier’s plan to spur economic development.

He outlined his plan Monday during the board’s meeting.

“This lets them get their feet wet and get going to help pay utilities, rent and promote their new business,” Baier, board chairman, said. “This may help those ones that are worried about the startup costs.

“They know they can make it, but it’s just the startup costs and getting everything going.”

Baier said businesses would be eligible for the funds only one time, and the funds could possibly be incorporated into the county’s Neighborhood Revitalization program, which gives taxpayers three years of property tax breaks on new construction projects valued at $5,000 or more.

(Read more: The Marysville Advocate)

Businesses both big and small helping little Merriam grow

Thanks to a blend of big-name stores and unique mom-and-pop shops, Merriam is expanding, and city officials hope it continues to do just that.

The city of Merriam stretches 4.3 square miles. Located along Interstate 35, it’s known for its location within northeast Johnson County and its prominent stores.

One of the biggest draws: IKEA.

"We have a lot of unique, cool shopping things to begin with, but IKEA definitely brought in a new crowd of people to our community," said Karen Crane with the Merriam Visitors Bureau.

With a growing arts scene, a shiny new community center in the works and the expansion of local shops, there’s a lot happening in Merriam.

(Read more: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF)

Topeka consider combining committees looking at issues related to homelessness

Topeka governing body members plan Sept. 4 to consider combining two committees that are looking at separate proposals regarding poverty and homelessness.Topeka’s city government posted Thursday on its website the preliminary agenda for that meeting, which includes the proposed creation of the 10-person committee to consider measures regarding camping and traffic/pedestrian safety.The former proposal would ban camping on public property, including sidewalks, …]

Lawrence repeals old law on alcohol sale restriction

Lawrence officials have repealed a restriction on alcohol sales that dates back to Prohibition.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the ordinance restricted alcohol sales within 400 feet of a school or church. The rules had rarely been enforced in recent years, but getting around them required city leaders to go through a time-consuming review process each time a request for a waiver was made.

(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Topeka considers combining committees looking at issues related to homelessness

Topeka governing body members plan Sept. 4 to consider combining two committees that are looking at separate proposals regarding poverty and homelessness.Topeka’s city government posted Thursday on its website the preliminary agenda for that meeting, which includes the proposed creation of the 10-person committee to consider measures regarding camping and traffic/pedestrian safety.The former proposal would ban camping on public property, including sidewalks, and on …

Hays water director explains ups and downs in city water pressure

City Commissioner Sandy Jacobs said for the past few weeks she’s noticed the water pressure at her house has varied at times.

“I keep running outside to make sure I don’t have anything running because I’ve noticed that,” Jacobs said on Thursday night during the regular meeting of the Hays City Commission at City Hall, 1507 Main.

City water pressure can vary right now as painting wraps up on the city’s 1-million-gallon water tower in northeast Hays, said Jeff Crispin, director of water resources.

(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

Hays: Changes in height regs for some fences, accessory buildings approved

Hays city commissioners unanimously approved two ordinances Thursday night to amend regulations regarding the heights of some side yard fences and of accessory structures, such as garages.

Jesse Rohr, public works director, said city staff and the Hays Area Planning Commission agreed the items in the Unified Development Code (UDC) were “unnecessarily restrictive.”

Commissioner Sandy Jacobs wondered “how that got by us.”

The massive UDC was adopted in August 2016, and has been amended more than once. That is to be expected, according to Mayor James Meier.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Health needs assessed at town meeting in Cowley County

Community members gathered Tuesday at Winfield Public Library to identify and discuss the county’s most pressing health needs, and things that the county is doing well to ensure people’s health.

The Community Health Needs Assessment Town Hall was sponsored by the city-Cowley County Health Department, William Newton Hospital and the Community Health Center in Cowley County. The purpose was to help identify and prioritize the health needs of Cowley County residents. Feedback from the meeting will also be used to fulfill federal mandates. The information provided is also helpful for grant applications, business plans and other uses. The town hall was facilitated by Vince Vandehaar, with VVV Consultants, LLC, of Olathe. Vandehaar reviewed current health statistics with attendees. Attendees included representatives from the health care sector, law enforcement, local government, economic development, social services and the public.

The statistics presented by Vandehaar came from a variety of sources, including county health rankings and an online community health needs survey administered in Cowley County.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Marshall County commissioner proposes offer of $4,000 incentive for start-ups

Providing $4,000 in start-up money to each of five new businesses in Marshall County per year. That is county commissioner Dave Baier’s plan to spur economic development.

He outlined his plan Monday during the board’s meeting.

“This lets them get their feet wet and get going to help pay utilities, rent and promote their new business,” Baier, board chairman, said. “This may help those ones that are worried about the startup costs.

“They know they can make it, but it’s just the startup costs and getting everything going.” Baier said businesses would be eligible for the funds only one time, and the funds could possibly be incorporated into the county’s Neighborhood Revitalization program, which gives taxpayers three years of property tax breaks on new construction projects valued at $5,000 or more.

“It doesn’t matter if they are a business moving in from Washington County as long as they are new in Marshall County,” Baier said.

He asked county counselor Jason Brinegar to look into the idea and draft a resolution to amend the county’s Neighborhood Revitalization program.

(Read more: The Marysville Advocate)

City of Hays to get progress update on $28.4m wastewater treatment plant

Work is 62 days ahead of schedule on the city of Hays’ $28.4 million renovation of its wastewater treatment plant at 1498 E. U.S. Highway 40 Bypass, “which is excellent,” said Jeff Crispin, director of water resources.

“We have roughly 388 days to go,” Crispin said Wednesday. Contractors got the go-ahead to start on May 31, 2017, and completion is set for July 15, 2019.

Most of the concrete work and installation of pipe in the ground was completed before Hays was hit with heavy rains in April and May, which was fortunate, Crispin said. As a result, the joint partnership of CAS Constructors and Burns & McDonnell will be able to work through the winter primarily inside.

“This November-December there will be some substantial changes,” he said.

At that time, the city’s wastewater from an existing influent pump station into a headworks facility will instead flow into two new replacement structures. Residents who want to watch the construction progress can see it in four-hour segments from a live stream video camera at http://www.haysusa.com/html/wastewaterremodel.html.

(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

Clay Center City Council approves street sales tax for another five years

In a meeting that lasted less than 10 minutes, the Clay Center City Council approved a couple of major items, including renewing the sales tax for streets another five years.

The ordinance the council approved for the street sales taxes continues it from April 1, 2019, when it was set to terminated, to run through March 31, 2024, which is the new date for termination.

In making the motion to approve the ordinance for the sales tax, Councilman Jim Brown gave “a special thank you” to the citizens of Clay Center “for extending money to pay for streets.

🎥 Water leaks keep city workers busy in Hays

Hays city employees were called out for another water leak early Thursday morning, this time just south of the 22nd and Vine Streets intersection.

Water Resources Director Jeff Crispin attributes the recent spate of water line leaks to a rainy summer and the remediation project of the water tower near Sternberg Museum, 3000 Sternberg Drive.

“The ground shifts quite a bit with the rain that we’ve had. It also happens when there’s been no rain,” Crispin explained to city commissioners Thursday night.

The other factor is the empty water tower south of Interstate 70. “Not only is that a source of water for us but it also helps regulate pressure within the system so you do have situations where there are sometimes leaks. That’s just part of our infrastructure that we deal with. Without that tower some of the pressures are difficult,” said Crispin.

Lead remediation and repainting of the one-million gallon tower began July 15 and was expected to be completed within six weeks.

Crispin told commissioners he hopes the large water tower will be back in service next week.

(Read more: Hays Post)

A long list of restaurants Wichita can expect in the coming months

Back in January, we published a list of all the restaurants that had announced plans to open in 2018.

Things change in eight months.

Now, it’s the end of August. Nearly all the restaurants on the original list – from 6S Steakhouse to Nortons Brewing Company– are up and running, and a whole new, lengthy list has developed.

Here’s an update on the restaurants Wichitans can look forward to trying the rest of this year and in to next year.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

From officer on the street to city administrator, Wes Jordan celebrates 30 years with Prairie Village

On August 22, 1988, Wes Jordan donned the uniform of a Prairie Village police officer for the first time.

The position was a good fit. And the longer he worked for the department, the more invested in the community he got. He was promoted through the police department’s ranks, starting as corporal and moving on to become a sergeant, lieutenant and captain before being named chief of police in 2007.

Eight years later, he retired from the police department to accept a job as assistant city administrator. And in 2017, after two years in the assistant role, he took over in the city’s top administrative position following the departure of Quinn Bennion.

Today — his 30th anniversary as an employee of the city — Jordan said he’s been grateful for the opportunities Prairie Village has provided him and feels privileged to work alongside community-oriented residents and staff.

“[S]omewhere along the way 30 years kind of snuck up on me,” Jordan said. “I guess what really drives me is that I feel forever indebted to this community and the people who have supported me, the people who have believed in me, and really being a part of peoples’ everyday lives – both in the community and who I work with.”

Roeland Park passes policy setting guidelines for handling media requests

An official media policy was adopted this week by Roeland Park with a vote of 5-4, after Mayor Mike Kelly cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of the guidelines.

The policy routes media requests for an official city statement to the city administrator and the mayor, while still allowing councilmembers to speak to the media about their personal opinion on an issue. The policy states that “City employees and councilmembers (other than the Mayor) shall not make statements on behalf of the City, provide information for distribution, or provide background information unless specifically asked to do so by the City Administrator and/or approved designees.”

According to a staff report the guidelines are meant to encourage engagement and protect the accuracy of information “without hindering elected officials ability to communicate with the media to share their perspectives/opinions.”

The guidelines were modeled after policies used by Overland Park and Merriam.

WPD effort to support local schools grows

The Wichita Police Department steps up to support its community’s schools by raising almost $3,000 for school supplies.

The “Community and Cops School Supply Drive” started small with a few officers wanting to help the community they serve.

The effort soon grew and as word spread, businesses started to chip in donations of their own.

“(I) can’t tell you enough how proud we are of these officers and the dedication they have for their community,” WPD Public Information Officer Paul Cruz says on behalf of the department.

The officers divided the supplies between four elementary schools in the Wichita school district: Colvin, Adams, Clark and Jefferson.

The Colvin Elementary School principal says the supplies were needed and are going directly into the hands of the students.

(Read more: KWCH News)