Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Dancing WPD officer goes viral…community policing at its best

Wichita Police Officer Timothy Baird has served with the department for nearly ten years. He was blocking traffic for a parade last weekend, when he met the First Phaze Dance Team.

What happened next has gone viral.

“I thought, ‘Hey that looks like a blast. I’ve been standing around here, getting warm. Maybe I’ll move around some,’” Baird said.

So he jumped out to join them, and it was received pretty well – though Baird says his skills weren’t quite up to par.

“I was trying to do what they were doing,” Baird said. “Didn’t go really well like they were doing.”

Hundreds of people shared the video, courtesy of Teambsr.

People online called it a great moment for him and the kids, others called it community policing at its best. And it’s not the first Officer Baird has been caught on camera. WPD posted another video three years ago of him showing off some moves to the community.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

Volunteers flock to Eureka to help after EF-3 tornado

Residents of a Kansas town where a tornado injured eight people and damaged dozens of homes are starting to clean up the mess. The state Adjutant General’s Department says in a news release that more volunteers are needed in Eureka after more than 300 people showed up on Thursday to help. The twister that hit the town of about 2,400 residents Tuesday night has been classified as an EF-3 with winds of at least 136 mph. Nearly 80 homes were damaged and at least 10 were destroyed. The high school also was damaged.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

Overland Park looks into suing drug companies to recover costs of responding to opioid-related emergencies

Overland Park has become the first among Johnson County’s largest cities to take steps toward recovering costs associated with the overuse of opioid painkillers.

The city council recently gave the go-ahead to find a lawyer to investigate suing opioid manufacturers. The suit would seek to recoup money the city spends on, for example, police and paramedic calls to handle drug overdoses. The idea is an emerging trend among local and state governments as the abuse of the pain killers increases. Opioid overdoses killed 42,000 nationwide in 2016, with 40 percent of that involving a prescription opioid, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

Attorneys general in 41 states, including Kansas, are investigating marketing practices of pharmaceuticals, and Missouri has filed a lawsuit against three makers of the drugs. But until this month, none of the larger cities in the county had made any moves to pursue the issue on a legal front.

WaterOne and KC Water blame bad weather, old pipes for high water main break numbers

Crews hadn’t even finished repairing her driveway after a water main break two weeks ago, when the same main broke again Thursday.

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“It sounds like a boom,” DeYoung said. “The guy comes to my door and he says ‘I’m sorry. It blew again.’”

Every year, there are hundreds of water main breaks on both sides of the state line.

“Water comes out of the ground,” Jerry Koukol, a spokesperson for WaterOne in Johnson County, said. “It creates a bit of a mess.”

Summer is the peak season when homes and businesses can lose water for hours when they need it most.

“The ground is like a big sponge,” Koukol said. “When it gets wet, it expands. When it gets hot, it contracts.”

“No news is good news in our business,” Aaron Balliet, a utility repair manager for KC Water, said.

The national average is about 15 breaks for 100 miles of pipe for water utilites with more than 1,000 miles of pipe. A wide-ranging study from Utah State said outside of construction issues, the number is around 14 breaks per 100 miles of pipe, although smaller utility companies can have much higher rates.

(Read more: KMBC.com)

Holcomb City Council still at odds with FCEDC funding

The Holcomb City Council on Wednesday received its quarterly report from the Finney County Economic Development Corporation, which transitioned into discussion that gave the council a better understanding what what the FCEDC does for the county and the cities of Holcomb and Garden City.

There also was discussion indicating there needed to be better communication between the two entities.

Lona DuVall, president of the FCEDC, along with chairman Tom Walker were on hand during Wednesday’s meeting to discuss the quarterly report.

During past meetings, Mayor Brian Rupp disputed Holcomb’s $25,000 membership contribution to the FCEDC for its 2017 dues, which was a $10,000 increase from the previous year. Rupp has said on multiple occasions that he believes Holcomb’s contribution should be more per capita-based.

After disputing the payment late last year, FCEDC officials visited with Holcomb officials in February, who ultimately approved the $25,000 payment for 2017 earlier this year.

Rupp raising questions about the $25,000 contribution led other council members — Jerry Quint and Nicole Faulconer — to inquire with DuVall and other FCEDC officials to learn more about what the organization does for not just Holcomb, but the county.

“All of our owners are public entities — the City of Garden City, Finney County, City of Holcomb and Garden City Community College — you guys own the corporation… We are the arm that connects you guys to the private sector, and that’s the role of our agency to connect to the private sector, to advocate for your community and for your businesses in the legislature, but also at the state and federal levels…” DuVall said during Wednesday’s meeting. “I don’t think you guys really understood that before…”

Collectors collaborate on new store in historic building in Peabody

What better location for a new antique store than in a building with a story fit for a big screen?

Steve Blackwell, owner, has been diligently spending his time, energy, and money restoring a building on Peabody’s 1880’s Main Street, along with the help of business partners Christine Flaming and Morgan Marler.

The trio’s new shop, Fannie Sterling 1884, opened Saturday and will have its formal grand opening this Saturday along with Peabody Market. “There were 100 years worth of well-intentioned repairs done and a lot of structural issues,” Marler said. “So now, the building will last another 100 years.”

The building is one of five on the west side of Walnut St. owned by Baker Lofts, LLC.

All needed new roofs several years ago. A grant from Kansas State Historical Society helped pay for new roofing. Terms of the grant forbid Baker Lofts LLC to sell or profit from the buildings until Jan. 1, 2021.

Blackwell is responsible for taxes, insurance, and bringing the building up to code.

(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Recycling’s future in doubt: Marion County will retain costs but lose payoff

Whether the county will continue to recycle is in doubt now that commissioners have learned the county is no longer being paid for goods recycled.

Refuse director Bud Druse told commissioners that Waste Connections, the South Hutchinson company that accepts paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum and steel cans, and plastic items recycled by county residents has notified him it won’t be paying for such items.

“They have stopped reimbursement for everybody,” Druse said. “I have looked into it and talked to the guy, and he said as soon as prices go back up, they’ll start reimbursing again.”

Druse said he would rather continue recycling than pay $40 per ton to dump the items in a landfill at El Dorado.

(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Oread Hotel developer, bookkeeper indicted; allegedly defrauded City of Lawrence

A federal indictment accuses a Lawrence hotel developer and his bookkeeper of a scheme to collect more than $400,000 in fraudulent tax refunds from the city.

The U.S. attorney’s office for Kansas on Wednesday announced the indictments of 52-year-old Thomas Fritzel and 46-year-old Keela Lam. Both face charges of conspiracy to defraud the city and interstate transportation of stolen funds.

Fritzel developed the seven-story Oread Hotel in Lawrence. The city established a Tax Increment Financing district and agreed to reimburse Fritzel for development costs.

The indictment alleges that Fritzel and Lam defrauded the city by seeking reimbursements of hundreds of transactions that were not generated within the redevelopment district.

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

Buhler City Council delays decision on franchise fee

The Buhler City Council tabled any action on the proposal to implement franchise fees during Tuesday’s agenda session.

According to City Clerk Merrill Peterson, Mayor Daniel Friesen was not able to attend the meeting. The matter will be taken up next month. Friesen brought the proposal to the council last month as a way to help fund capital improvement projects.

Under the proposal, a 2.5 percent fee would be placed on the city utility bill, which includes water, sewer and trash.

With the city generating about $500,000 a year on utilities, the fee would mean about $15,000 a year for capital improvement projects.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Great Bend Administrator candidates offer insights

It is a time for the three finalists for the Great Bend city administrator job to meet city officials, leaders and residents. It is also a time for city officials, leaders and residents to meet the candidates. The finalists include: Larry Collins, who served as fire chief and interim city administrator in Ann Arbor Michigan; Kendal Francis, who served as city manager in Coffeyville and city administrator in Lakin; and Scott Hildebrand, who currently serves as the city administrator for Valley Center. All three sat down with local media Wednesday afternoon. Below are the results of these interviews.

Clean-up begins in Eureka after devastating EF-3 tornado

Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuels said eight people were injured and 10 homes were destroyed. A task force assessed about 330 homes by Wednesday afternoon.

“There’s more damage this go around then there was the first time, but we haven’t been around town,” said volunteer Zack Marshall

But around town it wasn’t much different. One business looked more like an alley after its roof was ripped off, nothing but rubble lying on the ground.

Marian Drake’s streetfront store doesn’t have a window anymore. Most of what was inside the storm knocked to the floor.

“It’s minimal damage compared to what others have lost and so we’ll just get it packed up and see what happens next,” Drake said And that “first time” Marshall spoke of was about a tornado that hit Eureka in July of 2016. More on that story here.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

Louisburg seeks resident input on two issues

Two surveys are currently being conducted by the city of Louisburg and are included in the June utility statement.

In the first survey, residents are being asked to provide feedback about stormwater issues either on their property or somewhere in the community they see as a troublesome area. This coincides with the city’s efforts to create a master stormwater plan. In the second survey, city officials are seeking input for any desired improvements to the Louisburg Aquatic Center. This survey is also included with the utility bill and is available on the city’s website.

(Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Roeland Park police say they won’t need city budget support for K-9 program next year

Roeland Park’s new K9 Police Officer Rango has finished his third week of training with the K9 training division of the Lenexa Police Department and is progressing ahead of schedule, according to Police Chief John Morris. The first part of Rango’s training should be complete by the end of July.

Roeland Park police have raised more than $20,600 through fundraising efforts to date, about a quarter of its total goal for the program. However, the department does not expect to need any city support for the K9 program in the 2019 budget, the city council learned during last week’s governing body workshop.

Merriam’s Brown Park gets new pickleball court, updated basketball court

Brown Memorial Park just got a pickleball court.

Jenna Gant, communications and public engagement manager, said pickleball has been gaining popularity in the area.

“The Irene B. French Community Center offers drop-in games on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings, and this now offers an opportunity for our residents to play outside,” Gant said. “It’s the only place in the city for outdoor pickleball games.”

Merriam also replaced the old half basketball court at Brown Memorial Park with fresh asphalt. Gant said the old asphalt was “cracked and in bad shape.”

Gant said total construction costs were $18,000.

Residents caught between law and trash hauler in Harvey County

Some Harvey County residents are left in a pickle. County law requires them to recycle, but a trash hauler recently discontinued service.

Cecil Fanning, a rural Newton resident, found himself searching for other options following the cut off from Waste Connections, his trash hauler.

“Now they just sent us a letter saying they don’t do recycling any more,” he said.

Fanning spoke to county commissioners at their Monday meeting. He presented them with information as well as his trash bills. He noted that his trash bill was $90 before the change by Waste Management and had dropped down to $60 following the company dropping recycling service in Harvey County.

County Administrator Anthony Swartzendruber gave commissioners a brief summary of county resolutions regarding recycling. Currently, county residents are required to remove recyclables from their trash going to the county dump. He said that Waste Connections should be part of that process.

“We’re going to continue to emphasize that they have to provide recycling services in the county,” he said. “But it’s on the residents, the way the resolution was passed. It’s up to the residents to recycle.”

(Read more: Newton Now)

Lake Quivira breaks ground on new community center

Big changes are in store for Lake Quivira.

The city recently broke ground on its new community center, plus it has several more projects on the horizon.

The $8 million improvements also include a golf practice facility to open in the fall, a community barn to be constructed soon, future equestrian changes and a beach pavilion, which opened earlier this year.

“It’s an exciting time for Lake Quivira,” said Steve Sestak, Lake Quivira Country Club board president. “A lot of planning has gone into both making an investment in our future and preserving our heritage. It’s good to see progress without losing what makes us unique.”

(Read more: The Dispatch stories)

Bourbon County plans to set its sights on low water crossings

As the county wraps up its asphalt projects for the year, the Bourbon County Commissioners agreed Tuesday it will soon be time to focus on low water crossings. Public Works Director Jim Harris asked the commissioners to have a discussion in the next few weeks about low water crossings. He said he expects to receive the county’s bridge inspection report, compiled by Schwab Eaton, by the end of this week. Commissioners agreed to wait until they have the report in hand before scheduling a work session to discuss low water crossings.

Harris said there are currently three low water crossings that have been closed and Oharah said there are five crossings that have “some very big problems.”

(Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)

Sedgwick County program aims to keep released inmates from returning to jail

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is trying to keep people from returning to jail.

The sheriff’s office started a new program that helps inmates before they set foot out of jail. Sedgwick County Offender Re-Entry, or S.C.O.R.E., is a first-of-it’s kind program here meant to connect inmates with resources before they leave jail so they don’t come back. “Sixty percent of people come back in two years with new offences, so something has to be done to break that and the sheriff has looked at other jails and other larger cities with smaller jail populations and what they’re doing is programs,” said Captain Jared Schechter with Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.

Many organizations are partnering with the sheriff to help, so there is no direct cost to taxpayers.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Eureka sustains ‘direct hit’ from tornado, buildings damaged, emergency manager says

Five people were injured when a tornado caused damage to buildings and uprooted trees in Eureka on Tuesday night, officials said.

The Greenwood County emergency management director reported to the National Weather Service at 7:21 p.m. that a tornado was on the ground producing structural damage and uprooting trees in Eureka, which is about 65 miles east of Wichita. Eureka officials said Tuesday night that five people were injured, including one with critical injuries. No deaths were reported. There was also extensive tree damage.

(Read more: Local News |)

Shawnee city manager hired for ‘friendly, logical and community-oriented approach’

Nolan Sunderman, assistant city manager in Shawnee since June 2016, has been appointed Shawnee’s new city manager, Mayor Michelle Distler and the city council announced Tuesday.

Sunderman starts his new job early next month. He was chosen from four finalists.

“Nolan stands out for his friendly, logical and community-oriented approach to 21st century city management,” Distler said in a news release. “His references, and the council’s interactions with him, showed him to be hard-working, ethical, even-tempered and a caring leader.” Sunderman will replace Vicki Charlesworth, who has served as interim city manager since Carol Gonzalez left the city manager post in November 2017 to join the Mid-America Regional Council staff. Charlesworth plans to retire late this year.

Goessel council passes dog ordinance

The council spent considerable time discussing Ordinance 277 about dogs. The six-page ordinance provides for ticketing and fines for dogs running at large, prohibits dogs from being a nuisance or disturbing the peace, sets regulations for dangerous and vicious dogs, and stipulates penalties for violations.

The city’s attorney, Josh Boehm, answered questions and provided clarification.

(Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)

City of Hutch asks department heads for more cuts

After asking for major cuts to the budget, the Hutchinson City Council has asked department heads to find another $1 million in cuts, which could amount to about three percent.

The request came during the latest budget meeting held Tuesday. The city recently asked the departments to cut five percent from the budget requests after numbers showed the city with an ending balance of less than $900,000. The cuts further pushed that number to around $3.2 million.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Saline County Commission considers televising all public meetings

Saline County commissioners are considering televising all of their public meetings.

Currently, only the commission’s weekly public forum is recorded by Access TV of Salina, so members of the public may watch the meeting on television or on the computer screen if they can’t attend in person.

Commissioners also meet in study sessions, typically held immediately after the weekly public forum. The study sessions are open to the public, but they are not recorded for Access TV.

Commissioner Bob Vidricksen estimated that it would cost the county an extra $1,500 a year to record the study sessions.

Karen Shade, Salina Area Workers Coalition member, advocated for televising all public meetings.

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Sales tax increase discussed in Salina as way to fund capital projects

The city of Salina has a lot of capital improvement projects lined up for the next five years, commissioners learned at a study session before their regular meeting Monday.

How will they be funded?

“I think there’s an element of the community that would support a small increase in sales taxes,” Mayor Karl Ryan said.

Salina city sales taxes are on the low end, compared with other Kansas cities, City Manager Jason Gage said.

The combined sales tax is 8.75 percent in Salina, Abilene and Hays. On a list compiled by Gage, Junction City has the highest combined sales tax, at 9.75 percent. McPherson has a combined sales tax of 9 percent tax, Concordia 8.5 percent and Derby 8 percent.

The Salina rate does not include Community Improvement Districts, such as downtown, which will charge another 1 percent beginning in July 2019. The new Homewood Suites hotel being built at East Mulberry Street and Santa Fe Avenue is in two Community Improvement Districts and will charge an additional 2 percent beginning in October 2019, on top of the city transient guest tax.

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Partnering agencies discuss ramifications of possible county budget cuts

Representatives from six partnering agencies that could potentially have their funding cut told Douglas County commissioners on Tuesday that county support was important in allowing them to provide needed services to residents.

Commissioners didn’t disagree. “We knew they were important when we funded them,” Commissioner Mike Gaughan said. But he said everything in the 2019 budget was on the table as commissioners looked for money to address overcrowding at the county jail.

But it wasn’t clear what the immediate ramifications would be from a county funding cut, since some nonprofits might have the ability to partner with other organizations to continue offering services, or, in some cases, nonprofits have reserve funds that could be tapped temporarily.

(Read more: LJWorld.com stories)

Reno county register of deeds office to implement electronic filing

The goal of the Reno County Register of Deeds office is start accepting real estate sales records via electronic filing on Aug 2.

Currently, county residents must fill out paper documents, and then either deliver them in person or mail them into the office, Reno County Registrar Michelle Updegrove advised the Reno County Commission on Tuesday.

With the switch to eRecording, people will be able to fill out and send in those same forms online.

Updegrove explained that even though the process is changing, the majority of rules and regulations will still apply.

According to Updegrove, there was a large demand for eRecording. Throughout the last decade, the department has had to work with more and more document submissions from around the nation, whereas they had previously been primarily from local areas.

With eRecording, they will soon be able to work with a much larger customer base, and in a more efficient way, Updegrove said.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Lawrence and Douglas county sue Australian animal health firm that received local incentives

The city and county are suing an Australia-based animal health company that received startup funding from both local governments to begin operating in Lawrence.

The City of Lawrence and Douglas County filed a lawsuit against the company, Integrated Animal Health, in Douglas County District Court on Monday. The lawsuit alleges that the company breached its incentives contract, and the city and county are seeking to recoup one-third of a $100,000 grant provided to the company as part of the agreement. Integrated Animal Health announced it would move its global headquarters to Lawrence in 2015. The city and county subsequently approved incentives for the company, including the $100,000 grant, which was subject to a three-year performance agreement beginning in 2016. The city and county also agreed to pay the company’s rent in the Bioscience and Technology Business Center on the University of Kansas campus for three years, for an amount not to exceed $115,000 total, according to the incentives agreement. The Journal-World reported in April that the Kansas branch of the company appeared to have closed its Lawrence headquarters.

Every Wichita high school has an armed police officer. Should their roles change?

Wichita won’t be pulling its police officers out of Wichita high schools, but plans to retool the program to make it less about security and more about mentoring and counseling, the city manager said Tuesday.

City Manager Robert Layton told the Wichita City Council he’s not going to recommend ending the program, an idea that had been floated in a series of possible cuts to close a $1.7 million budget gap.

The idea of eliminating school resource officers was not popular during a social media town hall last week, particularly amid ongoing concerns over school shootings.

“As a result of that and also some discussions I had with the chief and the superintendent, I think what we’ll be doing is not proposing . . . the elimination of that program, but instead, at a later time this year, rolling out a different model,” Layton said.

(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Douglas County expenses for Proposition 1 referendum expected to be about $177,000

When all the bills are paid, Douglas County will have spent about $177,000 to conduct this spring’s mail-in ballot for Proposition 1 and to provide educational material to voters.

In January, the Douglas County Commission agreed to conduct the mail-in ballot election asking voters to approve a half-cent sales tax to fund an expansion of the county jail and to create a behavioral health campus. Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew said he still had not received a bill for what was by far the biggest expense from the mail-in ballot. The clerk’s office hired the Omaha, Neb., firm of Election Systems and Software to print Proposition 1 ballots, process them for mailing and send them to county voters.

“They specialize in this,” Shew said. “They said they had a lot of special elections in May and are a little behind in billing.”

Shew does have a good estimate of how much the Election Systems and Software bill will be. The clerk’s office entered into a contract with Election Systems and Software not to exceed $150,000, which was the cost of printing and mailing 70,000 ballots. There were, however, about 63,000 voters when registration closed before the referendum, Shew said. He estimated that the cost of printing and mailing that many ballots to be about $130,000.

Wichita tackles another drinking emergency, legalizes champagne breakfast

Want to start your daily drinking at the crack of dawn?

Beginning this weekend, you’ll be able to do that in Wichita bars and restaurants.

On Tuesday, the City Council approved an emergency ordinance to allow eating and drinking establishments to start selling alcohol at 6 a.m., rather than the current 9 a.m. The change in the city code brings Wichita into line with House Bill 2470, passed by the state Legislature, expanding the hours that bars and restaurants can serve alcohol. As an emergency ordinance, the change could be enacted as final action without a second vote at the next council meeting.

It takes effect Saturday, City Attorney Jennifer Magana said.

(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Douglas County to consider water district annexation, plan for transitioning service

The request before the Douglas County Commission from Douglas County Water District No. 5 to annex a small area south of the Wakarusa River has prompted Lawrence City Manager Tom Markus to suggest it is time to start planning how the area eventually will transition to city water service. More than 50 percent of property owners in the area, which is currently unserved by any water utility, have petitioned to be annexed by Water District No. 5. The 77 acres are within a three-mile fringe growth area of Lawrence, which has a water utility. That required that the city be notified of the annexation.

Roeland Park looking to reduce hurdles to incorporating solar panels on homes

Roeland Park residents wanting to incorporate solar panels into their homes may find the process easier in the future. Councilmembers signaled support during a recent workshop for removing a restriction that requires residents to gain approval from city council prior to installing all solar panel systems.

The updated ordinance would only require solar panel projects that fall outside of regular usage parameters to gain council approval. Otherwise residents could gain approval by Roeland Park’s building official John Jacobson.

Mayor Mike Kelly signaled his support for the streamlined approval process.

“If we can keep the bureaucracy out of this and encourage people to gain some energy independence and lessen reliance on fossil fuels then I think it’s a good move for the city,” Kelly said.

McPherson City Commission votes to prohibit parking on selected streets

The commissioners voted to prohibit parking on several streets in McPherson. The change was made at the request from the McPherson Police Department and letters were sent to homeowners on all involved streets.

Jeff Woodward, with the McPherson City public work’s department, said the city has had several complaints that there is not enough room for emergency vehicles to get down the street when cars are parked there.

“That’s what drove the issue,” he said.

He said he hopes the move will provide adequate access for emergency vehicles as well as normal traffic.

Former HR director files response to motion in Leavenworth county

A former Leavenworth County human resources director had permission to work at home, and county authorities did not request that she return employment records in her possession when she was terminated last year.

That is according to a court document from an attorney for former Human Resources Director Tamara Copeland. The document was submitted as a response to a motion filed last week by an attorney for the Leavenworth County Commission. The motion was filed in a lawsuit that is challenging Copeland’s employment contract with the county.

The motion filed on behalf of the County Commission accused Copeland of being in possession of files with sensitive information about former and current county employees. The motion argued that these files are county property and should be returned.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Starlite Drive-In owner seeks zoning change for theater land. Theater’s future unclear.

No one is talking, but changes are underway at the Starlite Drive-In.

The theater’s owner, Chuck Bucinski, filed an application last week to change the zoning of his drive-in’s land at 3900 S. Hydraulic Ave.

The reason listed on the application: “To permit a greater number of industrial and commercial uses.” The application for the zoning change itself cost $2,245.

So why the zoning change?

A representative for Baughman Co., a land development company listed as the agent for the zoning application, referred all calls to Bucinski.

Currently, the land can be used only as a drive-in theater. The change would allow the land to be used for a number of other uses, including convenience stores, restaurants, office space and retail.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Chanute accepts design plan for neighborhood fiber

Fiber became a chicken-or-egg issue for Chanute commissioners Monday evening.

Commissioners voted to accept a proposal from an Oklahoma City engineering firm to design expansion of the city’s fiber optic broadband network into two neighborhoods. The quote from ACRS is $35,000-$45,000 to design and set specifications for residents near the 900 block of west 9th and the 400 block of south Westview, two neighborhoods whose residents have requested connection at previous commission meetings.

City Manager Jeff Cantrell said that this is not construction, but is the first phase of the possible project. He said he can’t estimate a model of potential rates without the study to determine cost, sort of a chicken-and-egg situation.

The costs involved will determine if the residents will still be interested.

“If these two neighborhoods can’t support it, I don’t know where else,” Mayor Sam Budreau said.

Three years ago, a study on expansion throughout the entire city would have cost $495,000 to $595,000, and at that time people used a figure of $40 a month as the potential rate for fiber to the home. Officials said Monday that rate is outdated.

Salina City Commissioners discuss use of cellphones during meetings

Salina city commissioners talked for a good while during their regular Monday meeting about the appropriate use of cellphones by commissioners, finally voting 3-2 to have staff develop a proposal for consideration.

Commissioner Mike Hoppock had asked at last week’s meeting that the topic of commissioner use of cellphones and computer tablets during meetings be added to this week’s agenda.

Commissioners Trent Davis and Melissa Rose Hodges voted against the motion that Gage and staff bring back to the commission proposed rules of procedure that would disallow the use of electronic devices at the commission dais.

Hodges asked that enforcement be addressed. She pointed out that it would be difficult to tell what commissioners were doing without looking at their screens.

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Kansas Supreme Court says school funding still inadequate but gives lawmakers another year to fix problems

The Kansas Supreme Court said Monday that the five-year, $522 million increase to school funding that lawmakers approved this year is still inadequate.

But instead of forcing lawmakers into a special session this summer to correct the problems, as it had earlier threatened to do, the court said lawmakers could address problems with the formula during the 2019 regular session that begins in January.

According to the Kansas State Department of Education, the Lawrence school district is expected to receive an additional $3.4 million in funding under the new formula, including just less than $1.3 million in new special education funding.

In a unanimous 39-page opinion, the court said the major problem with the funding plan was its failure to properly account for inflation during the first two years.

Poll indicates most Topeka voters would support raising citywide sales tax

Results of a recent opinion poll indicate 53.8 percent of Topekans would support increasing the citywide half-cent sales tax to three-quarters of a cent and keeping it in place for 10 years.

Those results were made public Thursday by Jim Parrish, of the nonprofit group Future Forward, which runs campaigns to promote sales tax ballot questions.

“There is a huge sentiment that we need to get these streets fixed,” Parrish said.

Future Forward commissioned Topeka-based ASA Strategic Marketing to conduct a scientifically accurate poll of 500 registered Topeka voters, Parrish said. The poll was taken in late May and had a margin of error of 4.38 percent.

ASA used a “computer-aided interview system capturing random samples of likely voters who plan to vote in November 2018,” with participants being contacted on both cellphones and landlines, Parrish said.

Reno County sees drop in mortgage registration tax

A change can be seen in the numbers after the state passed legislation to gradually eliminate the mortgage registration tax.

In May, the county collected $7,182.47 — less than half of what it collected in May of 2017: $18,194.64.

The recording fee amounted to $36,040. That number is above May of last year.

In May of last year, the county collected a total of $227,895.74. So far this year, it has collected $196,398.00.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

New distribution center, jobs coming to Park City

A new distribution center is expected to bring 20 new jobs to Park City.

Crossland Construction announced on Monday that it is breaking ground on the WinField United Solutions project, a distribution hub for 20 area service centers.

The building will measure 253,000 square feet and be built at Broadway and Brian Rose Lane, just south of 81 Speedway.

WinField United Solutions provides research-based product solutions and expertise to help farmers, retailers and others related to the agriculture industry. “We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with the city, helping to promote local economic growth and prosperity for our Park City friends and neighbors,” Mattie Crossland, director of Crossland Realty Group, said in a prepared statement.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Engineers give Kansas a ‘C’ for infrastructure, but roads barely pass

Kansas received a passing grade for its highways when the state’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers released its latest “infrastructure report card.” However, the engineers also warned that sweeping cuts to Kansas Department of Transportation funding are still causing roadways to suffer.

Kansas earned a C on the report card, which ranks the quality of state infrastructure in nine categories, such as bridges, roads, energy and drinking water. This is up from a C- in 2013, the last time the Kansas ASCE chapter released a report card. And while some areas, such as levees and bridges, increased in quality roads went down.

Over several years, lawmakers have diverted more than $2 billion from KDOT to fill deep holes in the Kansas budget. The cuts dipped into funds for T-WORKS — a 10-year, $8 billion program for projects to preserve and update highway infrastructure across the state.

(Read more: The Salina Post)

Following city lawsuit, Lawrence restaurant removes patio canopy

After being sued by the city over its patio canopy, a local restaurant has taken the structure down.

The wooden canopy was constructed about two years ago on the north side of Dempsey’s building, spanning the width of an open area between Dempsey’s and the adjacent building.

Last month, the Lawrence City Commission directed the city’s legal staff to bring a lawsuit against the owner and occupant of 623 Vermont St., which is the location of Dempsey’s Burger Pub. The city alleges that Dempsey’s constructed a canopy structure for its patio without first getting a permit from the city and that the canopy violated the city’s building and fire codes.

Director of Planning and Development Scott McCullough said in an email to the Journal-World that the city found that the building materials used in the canopy were not compliant with code and presented a fire hazard. McCullough said the lawsuit was needed to address the code violations and potential hazards.

Great Bend announces administrator candidates interviews, schedules

The Great Bend City Council announced Monday morning the city administrator candidates and schedule for their visit to the community this week. The City of Great Bend will be interviewing three candidates on Wednesday and Thursday.

Candidates include: Larry Collins, who served as fire chief and interim city administrator in Ann Arbor Michigan; Kendal Francis, who served as city manager in Coffeyville and city administrator in Lakin; and Scott Hildebrand, who currently serves as the city administrator for Valley Center.

Manhattan Regional Airport Director Earns Professional Accredidation

Jesse R. Romo, A.A.E., Airport Director, Manhattan Regional Airport, Manhattan, KS, has been awarded the distinction of Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) by the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE).

To qualify for his distinction, Jesse had to successfully complete three phases of the accreditation process: (1) pass a 180-item multiple-choice examination, (2) fulfill a writing requirement, and (3) demonstrate, in the final interview by a panel of A.A.E.s, his knowledge of airport management, business administration, and general transportation economics. Jesse’s achievement attests to his ability to meet these stringent
requirements and his experience in managing a public airport.

(Read more: Manhattan – News Flash)