Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Consultants unveil 4 detailed concepts for future of Santa Fe Commons off downtown OP

An “iconic” performance space in the shape of a paper airplane was among the suggestions put forward by consultants for Santa Fe Commons Park in downtown Overland Park – a reference to the Strang Airfield of years gone by.

But whether any proposed changes to the park will fly with nearby residents was an open question Thursday night after a spirited meeting with the consultants and around 90 at Matt Ross Community Center. As the meeting opened, some in the crowd scoffed at the proposals, particularly the ones that put the Farmers Market into the park.

By the end of the consultant presentation, Jen Cross of RDG Planning and Design jokingly suggested participants could fold their comment sheets into paper airplane projectiles and sail them toward the dais, an idea that was met with good-natured laughter.

The consulting firm, hired by the city to plan a facelift for the 3.8-acre park, presented its first concepts after collecting ideas at a previous meeting. Four park layouts were put forward, two with a farmers market and two without.

Leavenworth School Board president says he can serve on County Commission

A candidate for the Leavenworth County Commission says he will not have to step down for his position on the Leavenworth Board of Education if he is elected to the commission.

Mike Carney is a Republican candidate for the Leavenworth County Commission’s 1st District. He will face three other Republicans in the Aug. 7 primary.

Carney also serves as the president of the Leavenworth school board.

During a meeting Wednesday, fellow school board member Nancy Klemp suggested Carney would have to resign from the board if he is elected to the County Commission.

Carney said Wednesday’s board meeting was not the time to discuss the matter.

“But you’re wrong,” he said.

Klemp said she had talked to an attorney about the matter.

Carney has said he plans to continue serving on the Leavenworth Board of Education if he is elected to the County Commission.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Ark City PD video goes viral

Ark City cops and locals recently participated in the LipSync Challenge and posted the video on the ACPD Facebook page, which attracted 81,000 views since it was uploaded on July 10.
During the creation of the video, they used 130 popsicles, locally popular mascot costumes such as Tiger the Tank from Cowley College, Daren the D.A.R.E. lion, Detective McGruff the dog and Sally the bulldog from ACHS.

Ark City officers did another popsicle patrol on Wednesday that caught the eye of Wichita news station KSN, which did a feature on the department’s community service.

Valley Center Fate of recycling in the balance

The City of Valley Center could drop curbside recycling service.

The council on July 17 learned that the city’s franchise trash and recycling hauler, Waste Management, wants a monthly fee increase to cover the cost of recycling, even though its contract with the city through 2020 doesn’t call for one.

Ammon Taylor with Waste Management said the recycling industry underwent a seismic shift when the world’s largest purchaser, China, put clamps on the purity level of the recycling it would accept and banned certain products altogether at the beginning of the year, increasing processing costs and decreasing revenue.

For example, Taylor said, the price recyclers got for a ton of mixed paper last year was $75. It dropped to 53 cents this year.

With crashing prices, Waste Management was forced to pay tipping fees for recycling, like it does for regular trash. Before a $90-per-ton fee was put into place in mid-June, Waste Management paid nothing to dump its recycling at a Waste Connections transfer station, because Waste Connections made money from the recycling it received. Not anymore.

To recoup the costs, Waste Management is asking the city to add $1.63 to each residential customer’s bill. Residents in Valley Center pay $15.25 per month for trash and recycling service.

(Read more: Valley Center Newswire)

Roeland Park council unanimously approves proclamation encouraging business to pay living wage

A proclamation encouraging Roeland Park businesses to pay a living wage to their employees was unanimously adopted during Monday’s city council meeting.

“Businesses who pay livable wages inspire worker loyalty and an improved business ethic, which in turn decreases turnover, increases sales and thereby contributes to a solid tax base,” the proclamation reads.

The proclamation was promoted by Roeland Park resident Michael Rebne, who also drafted the recently adopted proclamation supporting diversity and inclusiveness.

“This says these are the values of our community and we want to see people thrive,” Rebne said.

The proclamation is meant to benefit Roeland Park residents and employees of the city’s businesses, Rebne said.

“I think most certainly the folks that tend shop in Roeland Park and the folks that serve our hamburgers and help us with our lumber…whether or not they live here they are certainly part of the community,” he said.

The living wage in Johnson County for one working adult supporting two children is $26.79 per hour, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator. The living wage for a single adult with no children is $11.06 per hour.

Olathe wants your thoughts on city’s future

The city of Olathe has embarked on a strategic planning initiative that envisions what the community should be like in 2040 and helps prepare for changes that are coming to neighborhoods, the workplace, infrastructure and technology.

The city is encouraging the public to weigh in with ideas and concerns as part of the Olathe2040 plan. Residents and workers can visit OlatheKS.org/Olathe2040 for more information and how to get involved.

The site includes a survey with questions such as “What will Olathe be known for in 2040?”

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Pratt County EMS requests new digs

Pratt County EMS may be heading to a new building. Pratt County Counselor Bob Schmisseur informed the Pratt County Commissioners that he filed a conditional use permit with the city zoning board for a one-half block parcel of land for future construction of a new emergency medical center that would house EMS, Fire and Rescue, Emergency Management.

Schmisseur presented the information to the commissioners at their July 16 meeting.

The permit now has to go before the Pratt City Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals on Aug. 16 for their approval. If that approval is given, the permit would go before the Pratt City Commission on Sept. 4 for their final approval.

The current EMS building has no place to expand with Pratt Regional Medical Center parking lot on the west, First Street on the north, PRMC land on the east and the big hill on the south, there is no room to grow. More space is needed to accommodate EMS growth as employees are added, Schmisseur said.

If the lot is approved, it would provide enough space for more vehicles, drive-through bays as opposed to back-in bays only, more office space to include emergency management and more space to accommodate men and women’s needs.

Sedgwick County’s 2019-2020 puts big focus on public safety

Sedwick County is working on a budget that includes a focus on public safety.

Sedgwick County Manager Michael Scholes says the growth of Wichita’s police force will have a ripple effect on the county as well and will require more growth for their already cramped quarters.

“The Wichita Police Department’s growth you saw just yesterday in the city manager budget. They will be having more police on the force, technological needs, body cameras, etc, that comes with requirements and has a ripple effect through the whole judicial system,” said Scholes.

The plan is to build onto the jail and move the rest of the sheriff’s office into the expanded space allowing the district attorney’s office to move into the vacated space within 18 months.

“You know space is extremely important right now, we are at capacity as far as investigations, things are getting more and more hard to investigate, more technical, so we need more equipment,” he said.

The commission still needs to find a new home for its administration. Scholes says he hopes for that decision next year.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Curbside trash at meeting in Ark City

Chairs, couches and other large curbside trash items have become an area of frustration for a local citizen, leading to a discussion among Arkansas City officials about how to handle such problems.

Ken Harader expressed his concerns during the regular Arkansas City Commission meeting Tuesday.

Harader asked commissioners to address the problem of large trash items being left curbside, often for weeks at a time.

He said a location near his residence on North First Street has left items piled up and untouched in front of the residence since March.

“We talk about the beautification of our town and making the community presentable so people will want to come,” he said. “I think the city needs to address this in some way.”

Mayor Dan Jurkovich agreed and said on top of being unsightly the items also create an environment for pests.“That’s also a concern,” he said.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Leavenworth City Commissioners discuss community festival

When they met this week, Leavenworth city commissioners discussed recommendations for a new community festival and ideas for improving the appearance of the city.

Assistant City Manager Taylour Tedder reviewed the latest recommendations from a festival advisory board that was formed last year.

City officials are looking at organizing a new community festival for 2019.

Commissioners first reviewed recommendations from the advisory board during a May 15 meeting. Following that meeting, board members met again to refine their recommendations.

Tedder said Tuesday that board members are recommending a community festival taking place on a Friday and Saturday in mid September of next year. Tedder said the board recommends First City Festival as a possible name for the event, and the festival could have a historical, wild west theme.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Lenexa approves expenditure of $98,000 on new public art piece for recreation center

Another piece of public art in Lenexa is officially underway after the City Council approved the final design and fabrication documents for “Splash” by San Francisco artist Shan Shan Sheng for the atrium near the Lenexa Recreation Center’s south entrance.

“Splash” comprises 31 pieces of cold-cast glass panels suspended 16 feet to 18 feet off the floor, the largest of which is about 6 feet long and weighs about 25 pounds, Parks and Recreation Director Gary Ristow told the council at its Tuesday meeting. The council unanimously granted approval; Ward 3 Councilman Dan Roh was absent.

The city had agreed to pay Sheng, through her business East West Art Studio, $98,800 for the artwork, according to council documents for its March 6 meeting. Parks and Recreation staff will install the art under Sheng’s supervision. Completion of its installation is tentatively scheduled for late September.

Johnson County park board questions proposal to add soccer fields at Lexington Lake near De Soto

A proposal to build soccer fields at Lexington Lake Park is getting a cool reception from Johnson County recreation officials who worry about the project’s cost and potential effects on boaters and other park visitors.

The city of De Soto asked the county’s Park and Recreation District last year for space in one of its parks to relocate the city’s recreational soccer program, which now operates in the city’s Miller Park.

The park district’s Board of Commissioners on Wednesday reviewed the results of a concept study looking at building soccer fields at Lexington Lake Park, 8850 Sunflower Road, just west of De Soto. Jeff Stewart, deputy parks director, said the district has no money budgeted for the project and De Soto has indicated it has about $150,000 to contribute. He said that the two sides haven’t begun formal discussions about the plan, including whether the city would lease the space from the district or if the city could cover more of the cost.

Regardless, board members were largely opposed to the plan.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

Party in a parking garage Saturday for Wichita’s 148th birthday

No one hopes to be in a Wichita parking garage all day long. This Saturday, you’ll want to.

LevelUP is a nine-floor, dual-spiraled, 435-space curated showcase of Wichita— is happening Saturday on the city’s 148th birthday.

The family-friendly event is at the Sutton Place parking garage at 215 S. Market from 2-11 p.m. Guests will walk through the levels of the garage—each with a different theme—and end the night on the rooftop with a live DJ, drinks and a view of downtown Wichita.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Wichita police officer has new role involving animals

Heather Frazier, a 20-year veteran in the Wichita Police Department, used to be afraid of dogs. Now she’s the department’s “Dog Whisperer.”

When she was a young girl, she had a paper route for the Trinidad Chronicle, a small newspaper serving southeast Colorado and northeast New Mexico. This was before the internet, when newspapers had morning and afternoon editions, it was acceptable to keep a dog chained in the front yard, and people trusted each other enough to let their 10-year-old daughter deliver the paper by herself.

But Frazier was never exactly alone on her paper routes. Every day, saddled with a bundle of afternoon editions and rubber bands, she tossed papers onto porches while a big black mutt with a white head was running along behind her, following her as she made her rounds.

Frazier, who now works the west beat for Wichita police, would shy away, afraid the dog would attack her. “She would follow me, and she scared the crap out of me — she was huge,” Frazier said.

“We did that for a little bit — scaring the crap out of me — and then finally my mom was just like, ‘Why don’t you keep her? She likes you.’ “It was the right choice, and $5 later, she had her first dog, which she named Lady.

It’s Frazier’s love for animals, and what animals can do for humans, that drove her to become “expert certified” in investigating animal abuse at the University of Missouri, she told The Wichita Eagle . The Wichita Police Department recently announced she will be the lead on any felony-level cases involving animals.

(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Topeka Police Department’s Citizens Advisory Council hears presentations on partner programs

During a Topeka Police Department Citizens Advisory Council meeting Thursday night, members listened to three presentations about programs that partner with the police department and work with kids in the community.

One of them, the OK Program, works with African-American children ages 12 to 18 and focuses on instilling a sense of empowerment and teaching them how to improve their community. Topeka police officer Tim Bell, who runs the Topeka chapter, said the program focuses on African-American children because statistics show that 75 percent of black households are single-parent households, and usually that is the mother.

The program brings in men who work in the community to talk to the kids, and Bell said they monitor the kids’ grades, make sure they are turning in their homework and that they have good relationships with their teachers.

Bell said there are currently 118 boys in the OK Program, which is also open to girls.

“Your environment doesn’t have to be an excuse for the way you act,” Bell said. “It’s all based off the merit of your character.”

Colyer administration settles on new marketing slogan: ‘Land in Kansas’

Gov. Jeff Colyer embraced formation of a new economic development marketing strategy Thursday shaped to convince investors that Kansas possesses opportunities for business expansion and to persuade outsiders it was appropriate to shed images of Kansas as a flyover state.

Under the umbrella of an initiative tagged “Land in Kansas,” the Colyer administration will begin by emphasizing a marketing pitch to draw potential investors to the state’s strengths in agriculture, aviation and a handful of other industries.

“We want people to come to our state,” said Colyer, who is seeking the Republican Party’s nomination for governor in the Aug. 7 primary election. “If we continue to work together, we will ensure that Kansas is no longer viewed as a flyover state. We want people to land in Kansas.”

New development planned for old Mission Mall lot

ears after the demolition of the Mission Mall, Roe Avenue and Johnson Drive will finally see new tenants. Prep work has started on what will be the new Mission Gateway.

Crews have started to lay the groundwork for a multi-million dollar project that has been more than ten years in the making.

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“If something about retail patterns or living habits change, we have something that can really ebb and flow with changing times,” said Emily Randel with the city of Mission.

The Mission Gateway project will be built in three phases, and will include retail, hotels, apartments, office spaces, and a parking garage.

Celebrity Chef Tom Colicchio is also creating a buzz with a food hall concept he’s developing within the space.

“I think that will draw a lot of people spending their leisure time there,” said Randel.

Plans and activity around the new design are re-energizing the area and its residents.

(Read more: KMBC.com)

Kansas Turnpike toll prices to increase beginning in October

Drivers on the Kansas Turnpike will pay more beginning Oct. 1.
The state announced Wednesday that tolls on the turnpike will increase about 5 percent for passenger vehicles with a K-TAG pass. Commercial vehicles with a K-TAG may see an increase because electronic fares will be rounded to the nearest nickel.

Fees for passenger vehicles paying cash will increase about 12.5 percent, while commercial vehicles paying cash will see a 10 percent increase. All cash fares will be rounded to the nearest quarter.

The turnpike authority says about 40 percent of customers pay cash, while 60 percent use an electronic system such as K-TAG.

State officials said the turnpike system is financially sound but the toll increases are needed to pay for preservation and modernization projects without issuing new debt.

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

Grievance policies vary among cities

Neither the City of Winfield nor the City of Arkansas City has any sort of formal grievance policy for employees wishing to challenge a firing or other issue, although other local government entities have such policies on their books.
The issue has come to the forefront after the City of Winfield denied former police officer Sean Skov’s request last month for an appeal process and the city attorney told Skov he found no basis to allow a hearing before the commission.
Skov was fired May 24 after a video of a traffic stop involving Jeremy “Rudy” Samuel went viral, prompting claims of racism and violation of Samuel’s Fourth Amendment rights. Samuel has sued the city for $1 million, while Skov’s attorneys have argued that the former officer acted lawfully.

The grievance section of the City of Winfield employee handbook was removed because the policy was “antiquated and rarely used,” according to Jamie Chism, City of Winfield human resources director. The changes were not protested, and there is no mandate from the state or federal government to provide a grievance process.

Kansas governor announces 11-mile expansion of Highway 69 project in Crawford County

Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer announced Wednesday that 11 miles of Highway 69 in Crawford County will be expanded into a four-lane expressway in a $57.4 million project scheduled to begin in 2019.

Colyer visited the admissions office of Pittsburg State University, where he announced the project expansion in a room crowded with Highway 69 supporters, state senators, city officials and PSU representatives.

The 11-mile expansion of Highway 69 will take place north of Pittsburg and will connect Kansas Highway 47 with the “Arma connection.” The “Arma connection,” which is an ongoing Highway 69 project, widens a six-mile stretch south of Fort Scott to the Crawford County line into a four-lane expressway.

(Read more: www.joplinglobe.com)

Kolb set to bid farewell to Great Bend

George Kolb was hired last October to become the Interim City Administrator for Great Bend after a tumultuous summer that saw the city lose it’s previous Administrator of 36-years along with the Police Chief. Now he is getting ready to see his time in Great Bend come to an end. Kendal Francis was officially hired Monday to become the next City Administrator and will begin his new duties on July 30th. Kolb says he feels good about his time in Great Bend as he helped calm the waters after a firestorm of controversy that also saw the addition of a new Mayor and newly elected council members. Kolb says his only plans right now are to enjoy being back home in Wichita with his family, spending more time with his grandchildren and playing plenty of golf.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

City gives initial approval of contract for Tonganoxie Public Library land

Tonganoxie is one step closer to having a new library.

The City Council approved Monday a resolution of the first amendment to the contract between Tongie 5, LLC and the city on 2 acres of land where the elementary school campus once was.

The sale and price is expected to be final with a closing next month.

Plans call for the library to be built on the south end of the property. The remaining 2.5 acres is expected to be developed, but there are no specific plans as of yet.

(Read more: TonganoxieMirror.com stories)

McCue: ‘No confidential info’ lost in hack threat at Ellis Co. EMS

No confidential information was obtained during last year’s alleged denial-of-service attack against computers hosting the Ellis County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) administrative voice lines, according to county health administrator Kerry McCue.

“There were no administrative phone calls overheard and no patient information was obtained or lost from our possession,” McCue said Wednesday afternoon. “There were no HIPAA concerns or violations.” McCue wants to assure the public that “no confidential information” was accessed by the alleged computer hacker.

A Larned man, Michael D. Golightley, 34, is charged with seven counts of damaging a protected computer and one count of threatening to damage a protected computer. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in March 2017 in Ellis County.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Fashionable new face brings fresh perspective to city planning in Newton

After growing up in a Silas, Ala. — a small, southern town of close to 400 residents — Ryan Sellers is adjusting to “big city” life in Newton.

“This place is huge for me,” Sellers said. “In my hometown, we had one stop sign and maybe two mom and pop restaurants.

Sellers made his move to Newton last week after being hired as the City Planner, a position that was recently created.

The adjustment hasn’t been hard, he said. He has already found a new favorite restaurant — Back Alley Pizza.

“I read in a magazine that it was one of the best places to eat in the entire state,” Sellers said. “It was delicious.”

In his new position with the city, Sellers will work closely with the Newton Historic Preservation Commission and the Newton-North Newton Planning Commission, as well as the city’s engineering department.

The City Planner position opened up recently when the city cut an engineering inspector position. The roughly $35,000 per year position is funded through the city’s engineering budget — split between the general fund, water fund and sewer fund.

Sellers is the first person to hold the position for the City of Newton. A task, he said, he doesn’t take lightly.

(Read more: Newton Now)

Grant helps city of Ottawa put new tables in Forest, Goppert parks

Eight picnic tables in two Forest Park shelters and two tables at Goppert Teen Park were replaced last week through a grant from the State of Kansas Health and Environment Department and matching funds, city officials said Tuesday.

The grant of $4,425 and matching funds of $2,985 were provided to partially fund the purchase of products made from waste tires. Nearly 3 million tires are generated as waste annually in Kansas, according to a city news release. The program is intended to stimulate the market for recycled rubber products rather than landfiling or other illegal disposal practices.

This is the third time the city has partnered with KDHE to enhance city parks with a goal to have all shelter amenities made of waste tire products as a part of the city’s Park Master Plan, city officials said.

(Read more: News – The Ottawa Herald)

NCAA Tournament’s women’s Elite Eight is coming to Wichita for the first time

Wichita extended its winning streak with the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday.

The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight are coming to Wichita, as the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee selected Intrust Bank Arena as one of four regional sites for the 2022 women’s tournament March 25-28, 2022. The bid was led by WSU, Visit Wichita, and Intrust Bank Arena. “We showed the world that our community is championship-caliber,” said Brian Hargrove, Visit Wichita’s executive director of sports development. “Now we get to do it again and keep this momentum going.”

The event marks the fourth successful NCAA Tournament bid for Intrust Bank Arena, which hosted first- and second-round games of the 2011 women’s tournament as well as this spring’s men’s tournament. The city also has won a bid to host first- and second-round games for the 2021 men’s tournament. Wichita State University will once again serve as host for the 2022 games.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Sedgwick County plans worker pay hike, upgrades to health and emergency services

Sedgwick County’s employees could be in line for a raise, and there may soon be more of them providing mental health and emergency services.

The county’s proposed budget released Wednesday includes a 2.5 percent across-the-board increase in employee pay, plus a 1.5 percent pool to give one-time bonuses to high-performing employees. That means some employees will make up to 4 percent more next year than this year, officials said.

It also includes funding for adding mental health professionals in suburban public schools, along with more emergency dispatchers and health coordinators. The fairly rosy county budget was released Wednesday morning, a day after the city of Wichita put forth an austere 2019 spending plan proposing the closure of two libraries and a golf course.

Overall, the budget submitted by County Manager Michael Scholes covers just short of $440 million in spending, including the general county government and the fire district that serves the unincorporated county.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

City of Derby, rec commission and school district partner on new LED sign at Woodlawn and Madison

The Derby Recreation Commission, City of Derby and USD 260 are proposing a partnership to put a new LED sign on the southwest corner of Woodlawn and Madison.

It would fall on the same intersection as Firestation 81, which is currently under construction. The proposal would split the cost between the three entities, giving each a $16,700 bill.

USD 260 superintendent Heather Bohaty and City of Derby communications director Kristy Bansemer presented the information before the school board at the July 9 meeting. Bohaty shared that discussion began at the intergovernmental meeting on June 25. The sign would be two-sided, facing north and east.

“We could use it for announcements whether it be no school or upcoming conferences,” Bohaty said. “It gives us an opportunity while people are driving to have one more form of communication.”

The two other signs, which are located by the high school on Rock Road and on James Street next to Rock River Rapids, are run by the communication staff of the city. Bansemer said that the city is currently updating their LED sign guidelines to reflect the addition of a new sign next year. It also would be built to the same specifications of the other screens at 4×8.

(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)

Lenexa advances Sonoma Plaza project planned for last major vacant swath of land inside I-435 in JoCo

The Lenexa City Council on Tuesday approved holding a public hearing at its Aug. 21 meeting to consider establishing a community improvement district (CID) for the Sonoma Plaza retail center on one of the last substantial tracts of vacant land inside the Interstate 435 loop in Johnson County.

The CID, requested by developer Sonoma Plaza Inc., would levy a 1 percent retail sales tax on all property within the roughly 29-acre area at the southeast corner of 87th Street Parkway and I-435 starting July 1, 2020, according to a Tuesday memo to the council from Assistant City Attorney Sean McLaughlin. Sonoma Plaza Inc. is a unit of Lenexa-based Oddo Development. On June 5, the council approved tax-increment financing (TIF) plans for Sonoma Plaza and the multifamily residential development Sonoma Pointe. The 20-year TIF plan would reimburse the developer using up to 40 percent of the TIF increment for up to 12 years for a maximum of $4 million, after which the city would be entitled to receive 100 percent of the increment and any balance for the remainder of the 20-year TIF term.

TIF is public financing tool by which a developer of a blighted property is reimbursed for eligible development and infrastructure costs using the increment of new property or sales tax revenue generated by the development. Consideration is given to whether a development wouldn’t be financially feasible but for TIF.

The council also approved on June 5 the city’s issuance of up to $20 million in industrial revenue bonds for the project.

Commissioners review Basehor law enforcement proposal

When they met Tuesday, Leavenworth County commissioners reviewed a proposal for the Sheriff’s Office to take over law enforcement services for Basehor, an idea that previously was rejected by the Basehor City Council.

The Basehor City Council voted unanimously to reject the idea during a May 7 special meeting. The vote came after a written proposal prepared by Sheriff Andy Dedeke appeared on an agenda for the Leavenworth County Commission.

Despite the earlier rejection, Commission Chairman Louis Klemp said Tuesday that there is a proper procedure to follow. He argued that the Basehor City Council rejected the idea without reviewing it during a meeting.

“I just thought it was an outstanding presentation,” Klemp said of the written proposal.

Dedeke questioned why the matter was being brought up again.

“I think the city of Basehor has made their wishes known,” he said. “I respect that.” Lloyd Martley, former Basehor city administrator and police chief, said the “proposal should be removed from the agenda and trashed as it should have been in the beginning.”

Martley addressed commissioners during a public comment period at the beginning of the meeting.

He argued that public safety is an important factor in a city’s growth. He said if criminals found out that the Basehor Police Department was shut down, there would be a windstorm of additional criminal activity in the city.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Continuing momentum in revitalization of downtown among priorities for new Shawnee city manager

For a city split down the middle — between the city’s original neighborhoods on the east and the booming new subdivisions on the west — development and, in many cases redevelopment, are challenges.

Managing that geographical divide is among the issues that will be a focus for Nolan Sunderman, who was named the city’s new city manager last month after serving as assistant city manager for two years.

“I think people feel a little bit of a physical divide in crossing [Interstate] 435, and we have a lot of development west of [Highway] K7 that some people don’t even realize is there as well,” said Sunderman, citing Shawnee’s geographic size of 42 square miles. “We are obviously an east-west community in terms of how we’ve developed.” Sunderman previously worked as assistant to the city administrator at Prairie Village and, before that, as economic development director at Lansing, Kan. He earned a Bachelor of Science in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from Missouri State University in Springfield.

He’ll have opportunity to use both his economic development and administration experiences in his new role.

Could an area transit service be in Derby’s future?

If Derby were to get a public transportation connection to Wichita, a possibility would be a 14-seat passenger van running on an hourly basis. That was one of the alternatives proposed by experts undertaking a transportation study concerning connections of area cities with Wichita.

They appeared at a transit study town hall meeting July 11 at City Hall as part of the Connecting Communities project.

Along with Derby, they studied Andover, Haysville and Maize to evaluate the demand and support for transit service in a study sponsored by Wichita Transit and funded by the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. Planners say as the participating cities continue to grow and change, requests for transit service have also increased. BreAnna Monk, administrator for the Derby’s on-call transportation bus, the Derby Dash, was pleased with the study’s progress.

“I think it is beneficial. It’s a positive outlook on transportation and we can see what the options are,” she said.

Florence looking for levee certification for FEMA

The Florence City Council continues searching for the best options to fix or buy some costly items in the near future.

One of the most expensive endeavors could be levee certification and accreditation by two federal agencies, and last week Council member Trayce Warner said the city met with three different engineering firms to get the process going.

“Each of these three firms,” she said, “will provide certification that the levee is capable of withstanding a 100-year flood, and once they sign off on the certification, then it is up to FEMA to certify the levee is safe.”

According to information from these engineering companies, Warner said that if the council chooses not to go ahead with the certification, anyone owning property with a government supported mortgage, or purchasing a new property, or a business downtown, all would be required to purchase flood insurance.

“FEMA would map Florence as having no flood protection as if there was no levee present,” she said.

(Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)

Bourbon County looks at alternative to free landfill dump event to prevent dumping in ditches

With the free landfill dump days approaching, Bourbon County Commissioners on Tuesday discussed other options that they hope will prevent individuals from dumping unwanted furniture and trash in county ditches.

The county is sponsoring free landfill dump days from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Public Works Director Jim Harris was given permission to start the process of implementing a landfill voucher program. Each resident would be issued one voucher good for dumping at the landfill at no charge.

The idea was discussed after Commission Chairman Lynne Oharah said he heard from one resident who suggested in lieu of having established free dump days, each Bourbon County taxpayer be allowed one free dump day each year. The reasoning is people have projects or plans to replace furniture at other times of the year, and it might eliminate people dumping old furniture in county ditches. Oharah said.

(Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)

Hutchinson City Council recognizes neighborhood as major milestone approaches

A proclamation was also handed out to recognize a neighborhood that is preparing to celebrate its centennial anniversary.

The Farmington Park area has been a staple of the city for many years. The Hutchinson Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative began working with the neighborhood in 2017. Shortly after choosing to highlight the neighborhood, the initiative found out the 100th birthday was coming Aug. 8. The Hutchinson Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative is a collaborative approach to improve the marketability of neighborhoods in Hutchinson and make them attractive, better places to live.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Dog park named, approved by Spring Hill parks

The dog park at the new Veterans Park has received a name: Melvin Murry Dog Park.
At their May meeting, the Spring Hill Parks Advisory Board approved the design of the new dog park and its name. The dog park is planned to feature fire-themed items to honor the former, longtime Spring Hill fire chief, who died in 2014. The Murry family was present at the meeting in support of renaming the park.
Currently, in a different city park is named after Murry — Melvin Murry is located in the Woodland Ridge subdivision. The Parks Advisory Board agreed to move the name to the new dog park because of its more prominent and well-traveled location. The board plans to discuss renaming the ponds in the Woodland Ridge subdivision, formerly known as Melvin Murry Park.

(Read more: Gardner News)

City makes proposal to Hutchinson Arts Center for Sculpture Walk program

The future of the Hutchinson City Sculpture Walk program is sitting inunknown territory.

The city-financed program, which provided an avenue for artists to show their goods and provide decoration for downtown, is no longer funded by the city. Outgoing Assistant City Manager Meryl Dye, who has spearheaded the arts program since it started in 2012, is hoping the Hutchinson Arts Center will take over. Dye says the city is drawing up a contract for the center to consider. Dye says she will also volunteer her time and efforts to keep the program going. Patrick Calvillo of the Hutchinson Arts Center wants to make sure the center can take on the project. Before making any decision on the city’s proposal, Calvillo wants to ensure the other activities the center helps with are going strong.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Hutch and Reno County asked to do road maintenance on fairgrounds

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County and the City of Hutchinson have been asked by the Kansas State Fair if they would consider doing road maintenance for the streets on the fairgrounds.

Commissioner Dan Deming had concerns over the potential cost. County Administrator Gary Meagher and Commission Chair Ron Hirst attended a couple of meetings where this request was brought up.

Meagher told the commissioners about the numbers thrown out by Hutchinson City Manager John Deardoff based on cost the city spends for street work. For any chip seal on roads, it’s estimated the cost would be around $7,300 for every quarter mile. For any overlay, the cost would increase to $22,600.

No decisions have been made by either the city or the county. The idea is only in the discussion stage.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Farewell Reception for Salina City Manager Jason Gage

The City of Salina will host a farewell reception for Jason Gage honoring his 13 years as Salina City Manager.

The City of Salina would like to invite the public to attend his farewell reception on Friday, July 27, 2018 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Tony’s Pizza Event Center, Heritage Hall, 800 The Midway, Salina, Kansas.

(Read more: Salina KS News)

Land rezoned for multi-million dollar nursing home in Great Bend

On a night where the City of Great Bend announced the appointment of Kendal Francis as next City Administrator, the majority of the packed crowd Monday at City Hall was there to discuss a rezoning request.

Scott Reddig requested rezoning the real estate located southwest of the City from R-M (multi-family residential) to LM-SC (light manufacturing – service commercial). The Great Bend City Council approved the rezoning recommendation from the Planning Commission for the purpose of building a nursing home. Now rezoned, Reddig plans to sell 10 acres of land to Sunporch, a not for profit organization that aims to improve the quality of life for elders in rural communities. The continuing care retirement community program would consist of a nursing home, assisted-living apartment complex, and an independent senior living apartment complex. The $12 million project would employee 50 to 70 people. The facility would be located on Patton Road, near the USD 428 District Education Center. Along with the acreage for the nursing home, there are about 30 extra acres of Reddig’s land that will be rezoned to LM-SC.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

Art Park owner is ‘nauseous’ over new Sedgwick County Art Park name

The sign is for an outdoor art installation in the works at the west-side park and is not related to the east-side Art Park, which is a collection of mostly art-related businesses geared toward children on 29th Street between Woodlawn and Rock Road.

“I’m nauseous, honestly,” says Charles Baughman, who owns the 12-year-old business with his wife, Kate Pepper. Baughman says they’ve “tried to handle this quietly for six months.”

Pepper says she’s been talking with John D’Angelo, the city’s manager of the division of arts and cultural services.

D’Angelo referred questions to the county, which referred questions to artist Terry Corbett, who is facilitating the art installation.

“It started out first with a county proposal,” Corbett says. “It was called the Art Garden. . . . They wanted family-friendly environmental art.” County spokeswoman Kate Flavin says county representatives don’t know when that was.

“Clearly nobody remembers . . . how the Art Park got its name.”

Regardless, she says, “We don’t feel that there’s any confusion.”

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Saline County, City of Salina discuss radio needs

Assistant County Administrator Andrew Manley said city and county officials are continuing to discuss radio needs in Saline County. Last month, a study of Salina and Saline County’s emergency communications equipment, used by firefighters, law enforcement and emergency medical services, revealed problems with coverage and reliability.

Manley said he has been in discussions with Emergency Management Director Hannah Stambaugh; Communications Supervisor Wayne Pruitt, who manages the 911 Communications Center; and County Administrator Rita Deister to discuss upgrading Saline County’s radio infrastructure. Manley said they discussed cost estimates, bonding options and how to divide costs between Salina and Saline County.

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Close two libraries, cut economic development, add police, says Wichita budget plan

City Hall’s new proposed budget would shutter two libraries and slice economic development by a third, while adding police officers and increasing spending for street maintenance.

Public libraries in two of Wichita’s lower-income neighborhoods — Evergreen and Linwood — would close over the next two years under the proposal from City Manager Robert Layton.

The plan would cut economic development funding by a third, with all of the remaining money going to the Greater Wichita Partnership, a public-private consortium.

The budget also would add 32 positions to the police department next year. And it would increase the street maintenance budget to $10 million, $2 million more than this year. Layton also has proposed changes at CityArts, Old Cowtown Museum and the animal shelter, in which private or nonprofit groups would operate those facilities while city staff would provide maintenance and oversight.

Layton made the recommendations Tuesday as the Wichita City Council got its first public briefing on the annual budget.

Among the key proposals:

(Read more: Local News |)

Hutch and Reno County absorb surprise hit from state on internet sales tax distribution for June, July

Hutchinson and Reno County officials learned last week that the state was cutting their sales tax distributions for June and July due to apparent overpayments made to local government entities more than five years ago.

The state did not notify officials of the decision, but after the county’s allocation for its Compensating Use Tax – which is the tax collected by retailers on Internet and catalog sales – showed up as 0 in the June allocation report, County Administrator Gary Meagher called the Kansas Department of Revenue to find out what was going on.

“I talked to several people before I finally got to the people I needed to,” Meagher said. “They said an audit was done, which indicated there were three quarters in 2012 and 2013… in which the wrong amount of sales tax was distributed.”

“So my next question was, is that going to carry over into the July distribution,” Meagher said. “The answer was, ‘yes, some.’”

State officials wouldn’t detail the amount withheld for June, but said the total would be $61,386.77 withheld, Meagher said.

“This would have impacted all the entities that receive sales tax distributions in Reno County, not just us,” Meagher said. “The city of Hutchinson received a reduction and so did all the small cities that receive a distribution.”

Officials did not explain to him how it made an over distribution, Meagher said, or why it took five years to discover it.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Wichita to close golf course, libraries, add officers

Changes are coming to the City of Wichita and it all has to do with money.

As a part of the 2019-2020 budget, the city will close Clapp Golf Course, Linwood Library and possibly Evergreen Library. The city will also change the way it handles animal services.

City Manager Bob Layton says Wichita is collecting less sales tax because of internet shopping and gathering less cable and landline phone franchise tax because people aren’t using them as much.

He says the budget is moving Wichita into the 21st century. A group came to Tuesday’s city council meeting concerned about cuts to CityArts.

“It was disbelief that they were going to cut that much, and in particular, they were going to cut out the galleries and the boutique. The school, I understand, was to be largely left intact,” said Denise Irwin, an artist and former art educator.

Layton says the city will provide classes at CityArts but volunteers should tend to the gallery.

“I think it is a good model especially as we struggle with balancing the budget and making sure we put money into police, fire and streets. We’re going to look for more creative ways to partner with other organizations,” said Layton.

The city will look at more public private partnerships including with the Greater Wichita Partnership and having a private operator run the animal shelter.

(Read more: KWCH News)