Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

El Dorado to hold public vote on final city flag design

The City of El Dorado will soon have their very own flag.

Six weeks ago, the city announced it was looking for design submissions for a city flag. They received 158 design entries.

A committee comprised of city officials, local business owners and local citizens narrowed down the entries down to the final group of 12.

More than 1,300 votes narrowed the 12 designs down to 3. Those three designs were finalized by a team of graphic designers.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Boat builder turns down Chanute’s counter-proposal

Senior management of a pontoon boat company has turned down a counter-proposal from the Chanute city commission and will re-open their search for a manufacturing plant.

Chanute Regional Development Authority Director Matt Godinez reported Tuesday morning that Coach Marine Group has turned down Chanute’s offer and has re-opened its recruitment for a new city in southeast Kansas. The company still plans to move forward with the purchase of the Legacy Trailer building on Ross Lane in the Safari Industrial Park to use as a warehouse space for lease and the company’s own use.

Coach Marine Group is looking to relocate manufacturing of its Xcursion pontoon boat line to southeast Kansas from Iowa. One concern was that Coach Marine did not release financial information the city requested. Godinez told commissioners he asked about different formats for the info, such as having City Manager Jeff Cantrell and City Attorney David Brake as the only ones to view it directly.

“I want more information and I want due diligence,” Mayor Sam Budreau said.

Reno County Commission debates van purchase for Youth Services

The Reno County Commission, on a split vote, authorized replacing a van at Reno County Youth Services that has only about 70,000 miles on it, while a request from Public Works to buy a high-powered jet sprayer to clean out sewer lines received unanimous support.

Youth Service Director Bill Hermes explained his budget includes a 10-year replacement plan on vehicles and so it’s time to replace a van purchased in 2007.

Rather than trade in the van, which has about an $8,000 trade value, they’ll sell the vehicle to Reno County Maintenance as a service vehicle, Hermes said.

Commissioner Dan Deming opposed the purchase, calling it “wasteful and excessive.”

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Hutchinson puts new utility billing system in place

The City of Hutchinson has implemented a new billing system that began operation Tuesday. City Manager John Deardoff commented on the software upgrade. To view statements or pay a bill online, residents must sign up on the city’s website at waterbill.hutchgov.com. If residents sign up before Sept. 1, the city will offer a $5 credit.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Reno County nuisance policy being considered

The Reno County Commission wants to come up with something it does not have: a nuisance policy.

Nineteen people who live east of town on Zolman Road are complaining about a property there.

One of the neighbors in that area has a property that the neighbors feel is bringing down property values.

Commissioner Deming brought the issue up and wants something enacted by the end of the year. As for any policy or resolution, Commission Chair Ron Hirst has concerns over what constitutes a nuisance.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Sedgwick County moves to ban vaping at the courthouse

Sedgwick County commissioners are poised to reverse a policy that allows county employees to use e-cigarettes in the courthouse.

E-cig use — known by the slang term “vaping” — was approved by the commission in 2106 on a 3-2 vote.

But the commission makeup has changed and supporters of the electronic nicotine-delivery devices now to be on the short side of a 3-2 split. “We don’t allow smoking in our facilities,” he said. “I don’t know why we would allow e-cigarettes.”

(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Barton County to get more funds to cover flood damage costs

It was a bit of good news.

Barton County is eligible to receive more federal dollars to cover damage to roads and bridges following the flooding two years ago this spring, County Engineer Barry McManaman told the County Commission Monday morning.

“I think it’s a good deal for the county,” he said. The roughly $8,400 is federal money funneled through the Kansas Department of Transportation.

“We can’t say no to more money,” commission Chairwoman Jennifer Schartz said.

Barton County experienced damage to various roads and bridges after flooding in May and June, 2015, totalling an estimated $133,635.52. Both the county and KDOT approved an agreement for federal funding to cover repair costs, with an initial reimbursement of $90,974.

Shawnee approves public finance incentives district for proposed Bellmont Promenade project

Shawnee has taken a significant step to move the proposed Bellmont Promenade project at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Maurer Road forward, approving the creation of a redevelopment district that could ultimately provide the developer with millions in public finance incentives.

The Shawnee council voted 6-1 at its Monday meeting to approve establishing the Bellmont Promenade Redevelopment District, a 26-acre stretch of land adjacent to the highly-trafficked I-435 corridor. The council had approved the creation of similar districts last year, but the developer ended up revising the plan.

Council member Mike Kemmling voted no. Council member Justin Adrian was absent.

Goal is to keep Antioch library branch and new community center together

The city of Merriam and the Johnson County Library will present results of an agreed upon site plan for a proposed shared site with its Antioch branch and the city’s new community center slated to open in 2020.

The results come after a joint study in which both parties examined options to co-locate. After listening to the board’s feedback, both parties decided against the first plan and said they were “hopeful” they would find a solution that satisfies the city and the library.

The “sticking point” for the plan to work, Casserley says, is that both buildings are adjacent, giving visitors the convenience of parking once and visiting two locations.

“A person should be able to park and go and exercise in the community center and then walk across a short distance and pick up a library book,” Casserley says.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Pretty Prairie saves small town theater for the future

Five years after the roof of Pretty Prairie’s theater blew off in a storm, it’s back in business and operated by local high school students.

For more than 30 years it was known as Pretty Prairie Civic Theatre but has been renamed the Blue Shoes Theatre because the words “Blue Shoes,” were painted on the bricks above the Collingwood General Merchandising store and spotted by Cliff Wray in a historic photograph. It was Wray, from Hutchinson, who restored the building before handing it over to the high school’s entrepreneur, career, and technical management classes. Wray was concerned when he heard talk that it might have to be torn down because the city couldn’t afford the repairs. So he went to the city council to see if he could buy the buildings and prevent an empty gap appearing on Main Street.

“I’m not from Pretty Prairie, but they always talked about the theater,” Wray said. “And tearing it down would be like pulling up roots underneath a tree.”

(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)

Analyst: Wichita must change its thinking to stop decline, start to grow

Wichita has to fundamentally change its approach to growth, or the stagnation that has plagued the city for decades will continue, a Wichita-raised and Harvard-trained economic analyst said Monday.

While other cities across the Midwest have grown significantly over the past decade in a thriving economy, Wichita has actually declined, James Chung said Monday during a presentation that drew gasps at times from an overflow crowd at the new Advanced Learning Library.

“The market is saying very clearly that the Wichita way is not working,” Chung said after his final report on the city’s strengths, problems and potential. The city has to invest more — and find ways to say ‘yes’ much more often — if it wants a brighter future, he said.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

WPD reports record low number of arrests at Wichita Riverfest

The 2018 Wichita Riverfestival was the city’s best yet, at least when it comes to crime statistics from the Wichita Police Department.

At its daily briefing Monday, Wichita police reported taking 14 cases with two arrests made during the festival.

WPD Public Information Officer Charlie Davidson says this is a record low for cases and arrests at the Riverfest.

He says police assisted with the first arresting case that involved a minor in possession of alcohol and obstruction. Police made the second arrest at the tail end of Riverfest.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Lenexa allocates $350,000 for wayside horns to reduce noise in Old Town

The more than 1,200 homes and businesses that sit within a half mile of the busy railroad crossings in Lenexa’s Old Town should be in for some relief in the coming year or so. The city council has approved the expenditure of $350,000 on a new wayside horn system for the crossing that will substantially reduce noise pollution from the train horns that are required by law to blast as the moving trains approach crossings with roads.

Lenexa’s move to the wayside signaling system, which will have the horns sound from posts mounted alongside the tracks instead of from the trains themselves, would dramatically reduce the spread of the horn noise.

City, police officials to update Lawrence school board on status of planned new police headquarters

City and police department officials will update the Lawrence school board Monday on the status of the new police headquarters, to be built just west of Free State High School.

Capt. Anthony Brixius, of the Lawrence Police Department; Melinda Harger, the city’s assistant director of utilities; Amanda Sahin, city transportation engineer; and Mark Hecker, assistant director of Lawrence Parks and Recreation, will provide the update to the school board on various aspects of the planned $17 million police headquarters.

The project is of interest to the school district because the headquarters is set to be built immediately west of the FSHS athletic fields, on a 29-acre site wedged between Wakarusa and Overland drives. The city-owned property at 5100 Overland Drive is north of the Sixth Street Walmart store.

Lawrence City Commission to consider 5 traffic-calming projects, including bike boulevard

The city is recommending that speed bumps and other traffic calming devices be added to five Lawrence streets, one of which would be converted into a bicycle boulevard.

As part of its work session Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider approving the 2018 traffic-calming project list. City staff used a ranking system to decide which projects to recommend for the $200,000 allocated for traffic calming, according to a staff memo to the commission.

The traffic-calming project list is part of the commission’s consent agenda. The projects and their rankings are as follows:

(Read more: LJWorld.com / Lawrence, Kansas)

Bike share program comes to Lakin, Deerfield

A free bicycle rental service has been launched in Lakin and Deerfield by the Kearny County Wellness Coalition, courtesy of a local consulting company and a body shop.

“We are so excited about this opportunity to share bikes with everyone and make it much easier to get outside and add activity into the day,” Krysta Harvey, chairperson of Kearny County Wellness Coalition, stated in a release.

MountainHawk Corporation, a technical consulting company based out of Lakin, was hired by the Coalition to provide access to BikeShareMaps.com and help establish a local Bike Share Committee who will be responsible for maintaining the bikes as well as the rack locations.

BikeShareMaps.com allows residents to locate and rent a bicycle from one of five unique bike rack locations in Lakin and two in Deerfield, all at no charge.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Annual Bike Across Kansas starts Saturday

The 44th annual Biking Across Kansas will start Saturday at the Colorado border and follow a 558-mile southern route across the state. Some 700 bicyclists and support registered for the ride, which will end at the Missouri border on June 16.Participants represent 26 states and 124 cities in 65 Kansas counties, with ages ranging from 10 to 85. This year’s route will pass through Ulysses, Meade, Greensburg, Coldwater, Zenda and Belle Plaine in the western …

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Pratt announces solar farm will become major local power source

Pratt city officials this week announced plans for the construction of a 6-megawatt solar farm in the northeast corner of town intended to provide most of the cities electricity for at least the next 15 years.

The city, which operates a municipal power company, has entered into a long-term contract with Inovateus Solar and Kenyon Energy for the project.

Inovateus, of South Bend, Indiana, will construct the farm and Kenyon Energy, headquartered in Safety Harbor, Florida, with an office in Colorado, will manage it.

At the end of 15 years, the city will have an option to buy the solar farm or enter a new power purchase contract, said Pratt City Manager Roy Eckert.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

Valley Center Community center coming to life

Their bosses called it a team-building exercise, a way to bond while performing a task that was a bit out of the box.

Some Valley Center city employees put aside what they normally do on a Tuesday this week to assemble tables, chairs, desks and racks in the new Community Center & Library.

“It was a great team-building experience,” Neal Owings, director of parks and public buildings, said during a city council meeting June 5. “I was really taken back by how much effort was given by the staff. It was great. It’s looking good over there.”

This week’s work is leading up to the opening of the building, which has been under construction in Lions Park for nearly a year.

(Read more: Valley Center Newswire)

City manager’s recommended budget calls for holding Lawrence tax rate flat, increases in utility rates

As part of his recommended budget for next year, City Manager Tom Markus is proposing the city’s mill levy rate remain flat.

The recommended operating budget totals about $206 million and will be presented to the City Commission for initial input at its work session Tuesday. As proposed, next year’s budget would see $14.6 million of unfunded capital improvement projects, personnel requests and equipment purchases.

A memo to the commission notes that many tough decisions had to be made about priorities, and Markus said that for him, the capital improvement projects are the most difficult.

Great Bend hoping for the best with “Opportunity Zones” designation

It is just the beginning for the Opportunity Zones in Great Bend and what sort of boost they could provide to the economy and the landscape of the town.

As Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer visited Great Bend last Wednesday, business and community leaders learned more about the two census tracts or zones that were designated in Great Bend. Investors will be able to receive capital gains incentives for investing in construction, renovation, or real estate within the zones.

Great Bend business consultant Mark Mingenback felt the Opportunity Zones open the City to new possibilities of receiving private investments from near and far.

(Read more: Great Bend Post)

Butler County discusses community college funding

Rep. Kristey Williams visited the Butler County Board of Commissioners Tuesday and discussed funding options for Butler Community College.

Williams said she would like to see the college’s mil levy reduced by five mils. She also said that 60 percent of Butler Community College employees live outside of Butler County, enrollment is dropping and expenses are going up.

In the state of Kansas there are 19 counties that have community colleges. Of those 19 counties, 55 of the 125 members of the House of Representative have those counties as part of their district. That is a challenge when trying to get more state funding for the college from the state, Williams told the commissioners.

Board Chair Dan Woydziak is contacting commissioners from the 19 other counties that have community colleges to go to talk to state legislators in Topeka.

Williams said a united front from the counties would give the current minority more push when it comes to community college funding at the state level.

(Read more: El Dorado Times)

Junction City Trying to Recruit New Company

The Junction City Commission will hold a public hearing on June 19th on whether to issue up to $40 million in industrial revenue bonds to help renovate and equip a facility for a possible new company in the I-70 Industrial Park.

Chamber of Commerce CEO Mickey Fornaro-Dean said they are “working with an industry to locate in Junction City. We’re very excited about our opportunities. We’re very excited about our opportunities, and we’re honored to have them seriously considering us. And We’re looking forward to discussions on the 19th of June.”

(Read more: Junction City Post)

Chanute negotiating with pontoon boat builder

A development agreement with a pontoon boat manufacturer could bring 50 to 55 jobs to Chanute if it receives approval at Monday’s city commission meeting.

In exchange for the jobs, the city could provide a vacant building for as little as $9,000 and three residential lots.

Denali Marine Group, doing business as Coach Marine Group, is the parent company of two pontoon boat companies, Coach and Xcursion. Both companies’ products are manufactured in Fort Dodge, Iowa, by a third-party builder, the Misty Harbor company.

By moving to Chanute, Xcursion will take over its own manufacturing, Chanute Regional Development Authority Director Matt Godinez said. Plans are for Coach to move later to Chanute also, and Misty Harbor will continue to produce other boats in Iowa for other companies.

(Read more: The Chanute Tribune)

From dilapidated hotels to mixed use: OP council gives Metcalf Crossing the OK

The Overland Park City Council on Monday voted to approve almost $6 million in incentives for a mixed-use project designed to replace two dilapidated hotels at a key intersection on Shawnee Mission Parkway.

Council members voted unanimously to adopt a redevelopment plan for Metcalf Crossing, proposed on 5 acres at the northwest corner of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Metcalf Avenue.

The plan includes almost $3 million in development reimbursement through tax increment financing, or TIF, and $3 million in funds raised through a 1 percent community improvement district sales tax levied on the site. The TIF would last 20 years while the CID would last 22 years.

JoCo takes control of fire district

In an unprecedented move, the Johnson County Commission will take control of an embattled rural fire district to try to ensure stable fire protection for an affluent, growing part of the county.

The commission voted 7-0 on Thursday to immediately assume governance of Johnson County Fire District No. 2, which provides fire and ambulance services to about 21,000 people in south Overland Park, Spring Hill, and part of unincorporated Johnson County and north central Miami County.

The county commission had become concerned about the long-term financial viability of the district, which was governed by a five-member volunteer board that critics said was dysfunctional and not adequately preparing for the future.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Haysville: Study calls for sizable increase in utility rates

A utility rate study prepared by the city of Haysville and released last week recommends a substantial increase in water and stormwater rates.

The study recommends increasing the monthly water fee to $3.50 per 1,000 gallons – up 24 percent over the current $2.82 rate, which was set in 2009.

It also recommends adding a $7 flat monthly fee to fund capital projects, and recommends increasing the monthly stormwater utility fee from $1.75 to $2.50.

The study proposes leaving wastewater rates unchanged.

For more information on utility rate reviews, please contact Beth Warren with Ranson Citycode Financial at ewarren@ransonfinancial.com or call her at 316-264-3400.

(Read more: Times-Sentinel Newspapers » Feed)

Closing CityArts boutique and gallery is possible cost-saving option for Wichita

Among the many ways the city is looking to recoup a $3 million deficit in operating revenue is the possible closure of the boutique and gallery within CityArts.

“I’d say it’s too early to get too concerned with it at this point,” says John D’Angelo, the city’s manager of arts & cultural services.

“They’re just looking at alternatives,” he says. “What kind of changes could be made to the CityArts operation . . . that would achieve some savings?”

D’Angelo says CityArts costs the city $800,000 annually and recoups only about $300,000 from class fees. The gallery and boutique make $50,000, but artists and the Arts Council share that profit.

Hays discusses two intersections for roundabouts

The Hays City Commission for a second time on Thursday put the brakes on a proposal to construct a roundabout at the intersection of 27th Street and Canterbury, but indicated a roundabout at 27th and Indian Trail might be a better investment. The issue was brought forth for discussion by Commissioner Sandy Jacobs, who requested the commission revisit the Canterbury intersection after Mayor James Meier initially suggested a temporary roundabout there in early March. The idea was rejected at that time, and Jacobs said she heard from many residents afterward who favored the proposal.

“When we discussed it the first time, interestingly after that I had a significant number of people say, ‘Why didn’t you do that? That was a great idea.’ So that was in the back of my mind,” she said. “The second thing was when we were working on Canterbury striping, whether we were going to do three lanes or four lanes, I spent a lot of time out there as I said last week. … When it’s not the busy times of day, you’re right, it’s not an issue. But the busy times of day, especially when the students are coming and going, they use it almost like a roundabout anyway.”

(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

Leavenworth County meeting notice was technical violation

An investigation by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office found that county commissioners committed a technical violation of an open meetings law by failing to include the location of a special meeting in a notice of the meeting.

That is according to two letters sent from Assistant Attorney General Lisa Mendoza to county officials. Mendoza is the director of the Open Government Enforcement Unit of the Attorney General’s Office.

The investigation was initiated by the Attorney General’s Office after County Treasurer Janice Van Parys filed a complaint last year about possible violations of the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

Van Parys’ complaint focused on several actions taken by county commissioners in 2016.

Based on the findings of the Attorney General’s Office, no formal enforcement action is being taken.

(Read more: Leavenworth Times)

KDHE waste grants benefit NW Kansas schools, townships

he Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Bureau of Waste Management has announced the recipients of waste tire recycling grants. These annual solid waste grants are awarded to municipalities and school districts across the state. The grants total almost $468,000 for 2018.

The waste tire recycling grants go toward funding safe surfacing at playgrounds, running tracks, picnic tables and benches made from waste tires. This year’s 51 individual waste tire recycling grants range from $209 to $61,213. The grants are funded through a 25-cent tax paid on the purchase of new tires.

The list of grantees can be found at http://www.kdheks.gov/waste/grants/SFY18WTGSpreadsheetFinal.pdf.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Analyst: Wichita at ‘a really interesting moment’ in its history

It will be up to the people who live in Wichita — not government or corporate leaders — whether the city is to shake off decades of stagnation and achieve meaningful growth and prosperity, a Wichita-raised and Harvard-trained economic analyst says.

Wichita has been “stuck in neutral for about three decades, with basically no growth, amidst the landscape of a growing U.S. economy,” said James Chung, who graduated from Wichita Collegiate and now runs Reach Advisors, a New York-based strategy and research firm.

Chung’s firm was hired three years ago to analyze Wichita’s strengths, problems and potential. His initial report was sobering, saying Wichita had lost its mojo. It identified four key challenges where the community can make changes and influence its future: its business cycle, human capital, entrepreneurship and perception.

He is returning to Wichita to offer an update on how the city is responding to those challenges. His presentation, which is open to the public, will be at 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Advanced Learning Library, 711 W. Second St. N.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle)

Biking Across Kansas kicks off Saturday

Biking Across Kansas — a 558-mile ride across the state — begins Saturday, with the eight-day tour originating at the Kansas-Colorado line west of Johnson City.Overnight stops will be at Montezuma, Ashland, Pratt, Clearwater, Burden, Fredonia and then at Arma, the final night together on June 15. The following morning, the group will cycle to the Missouri border in Arcadia and cycle into Fort Scott, where they will celebrate the end of the ride with a picnic at the Fort […]

City attorneys gather in Lenexa for continuing education seminar

Ranson Citycode Financial is in attendance at the City Attorneys Association of Kansas’ (CAAK) semi-annual CLE (continuing legal education) seminar in Lenexa, Kansas. These semi-annual conferences are a great way for local government attorneys to stay on to of the latest developments in Kansas municipal law. We look forward to seeing many of our clients here.

States Could Reap a Bonanza From Sports Betting — If They Play Their Cards Right

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow sports betting in all 50 states met with excitement in the affected industries. The closest parallel to this infant industry occurred in the 1990s and early 2000s, when states permitted widespread casino gambling. Despite creating, through legislation, protected casino monopolies for commercial interests, the states didn’t receive an equitable portion of the value. Most settled for less than 50 percent of net gambling revenue, and few states auctioned off casino licenses to the highest bidders. Why did this happen? The negotiating table was uneven. Financially unsophisticated legislators and state executives went up against giant corporations, connected insiders and huge lobbying efforts. To avoid a repeat underachievement with sports betting, we think the states should lock arms and present a united front to commercial gambling concerns. A precedent for state-to-state gambling cooperation already exists: the Multi-State Lottery Association, which operates Powerball, the multi-billion-dollar, multi-jurisdictional lottery game.

(Read more: GOVERNING)

Is Your City Helping You Be Healthy? The Rankings Are In.

“Your mayor, city council and city manager has just as much of an impact on your health as your doctor,” say the authors of a new report. “Most people spend a few hours a year in the doctor’s office. The other 364 days out of the year, people are in the care of their city.” On Friday, during the opening night of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual meeting in Boston, 24 cities will be awarded for their work in population health. The gold medalists are Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Jose, Calif. Nine cities earned a silver medal, and 11 earned a bronze.

The cities were each judged on nine policy areas: affordable housing, alcohol regulations, walkability, paid sick leave, food safety, healthy food options, universal pre-K, smoke-free places and the smoking age.

(Read more: GOVERNING)

Clay Center OKs new Dollar General building

A permit to construct a building on the current site of the bowling alley on West Crawford was granted to an Overland Park-based developer Tuesday night during the regular Clay Center city council meeting.

The building permit indicates a new 10,640 square foot building will be occupied by Dollar General.

Work on the $800,000 metal panel building will begin this summer with an anticipated completion date of this winter, according to the permit application.

City hopes to make Olathe’s trash system even more efficient

Olathe residents continue to lead the region in terms of recycling their garbage and expressing satisfaction in their city’s trash pickup services.

But consultants see potential problems on the horizon and are advocating a number of steps as part of the city’s first solid waste master plan to make Olathe’s trash system more efficient and better able to deal with the city’s growing population.

“We want to optimize the performance of the existing systems because you guys have a great program right now, and we want to continue that program,” Anastasia Welch, a project manager for SCS Engineers, told the City Council on Monday.

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

New dystopian TV show is called ‘Kansas City’ — but it will be filmed in Atlanta

Kansas City will soon become the center of a dystopian society, divided by a Berlin Wall-esque line that separates liberal and conservative states.

Or, at least it will on Hulu.

The streaming site has ordered a pilot run for “Kansas City,” which will begin filming this month in Atlanta, a haven for film tax breaks. Producers from Amblin Television — the studio behind “The Americans” and “ER” — came to Kansas City around a month ago to get a feel for the area, said Stephane Scupham, the city’s film commissioner. Unlike Georgia, neither Missouri nor Kansas offers incentive programs, such as a rebate, grant or tax credit.

So, for example, the 2014 Reese Witherspoon film “The Good Lie,” about Sudanese refugees settling in Kansas City, was filmed in the Atlanta area, though some background scenes showed the KC skyline.

Augusta City Council approves flags, banners for downtown

Following the usual approval of meeting minutes and an appropriation ordinance, Augusta City Council considered a request from the Augusta Lions Club to purchase and install American flags and mounting brackets on downtown light poles.
The Council had previously granted permission to Downtown Augusta, Inc. to display banners on light poles in the downtown area, and the organization has funds to install banners and brackets on the four corner posts at four downtown intersections. The plan includes additional banners and brackets to be added as funding becomes available.
Wendell Corneil with the Lions Club told Council members that the local organization looks at the flag and bracket request as a community service project and that the local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts would help with putting up and taking down the flags.
Corneil also advised that the flags would be displayed properly at a 45 degree angle and when taken down, the flags would be stored properly. The Lions Club promises that any faded or worn flags would be replaced.

(Read more: andoveramerican.com)

McPherson selected to host Kansas Barn Sale

The City of McPherson has been selected to host the 2018 Kansas Barn Sale later this year. It will be held Oct. 6 in Lakeside Park.

The event attracts vendors and shoppers from across the Midwest to sell and buy antiques, vintage, re-purposed, handmade and artisan goods. Hours will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is expected to draw 5,000 to 7,000 shoppers and at least 130 vendors. Owner Beki Hastings created the event to provide Kansans more access to antiques and original artwork. The need for additional space resulted in her decision to move the event to McPherson.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

News safety signs in place at intersection in Barton County

The new signs have been installed at the intersection of 30 Road and Washington Avenue, the site of a fatal crash that killed 18-year-old Shealee A. Stover on April 17, County Works Director Darren Williams reported to the Barton County Commission Monday morning.

These include larger, 48-inch stop signs, larger “Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” signs and larger “Stop Ahead” signs, all with ultra-high grade reflectivity.

In earlier action, on May 21, the commission changed the speed limit at the junction, extending the 45 mph zone a half mile north of the corner. Prior to the change, the speed limit on Washington jumped from 45 miles per hour south of 30 Road to 55 north of it.

The same new speed also applies to 30 Road a half mile west of the corner and from the corner east to U.S. 281.

Reason for sales tax vote explained in Ark City

Voters in Arkansas City will receive mailed ballots in early August asking whether they want to jettison two sales tax initiatives for South Central Medical Center in favor of one.

Instead of paying 1.5 percent on purchases in town to keep the hospital afloat, as they are now, residents and others would be paying just 1 percent, if the tax is approved. The deadline to return the ballots will by Sept. 6.

As city officials explained it, the key difference is that the new, 1-percent tax would not have an ending date, as the others do. That would help reassure those holding the hospital’s construction bonds that a constant stream of money exists to repay the debt, which now stands at nearly $40 million including principal and interest, and is scheduled to be paid off in 2038 under the current financing plan.

As of right now, a half-cent tax is scheduled to expire early next year, and a 1 cent tax ends in 2026.

So even thought the overall sales tax revenue for the facility will drop, the consistent revenue year after year through the life of the bonds will help the city to renegotiate a better interest rate and lower its annual payments, which today stand at $1,885,505 for 2018.

Bids approved for sidewalk, bike trail construction in El Dorado

The 5-foot wide Sixth Avenue sidewalk will stretch from Orchard to Star Streets along the south side Sixth Street. The bid awarded to SPS was $97,912.50. Pearson Construction also submitted a bid of $226,955. The engineer’s estimate of the project was $149,655. The sidewalk is being paid for with excess sales tax dollars.

The 8-foot wide bike trail from North Main Street to Country Club Drive on McCollum Road will cost a total of $66,365 to complete through SPS. The engineer’s estimate was $106,225. Pearson Construction bid the job for $115,225. USD 490 and the City of El Dorado are co funding the project.

Of the estimated cost of $142,934, the city was responsible for 72,934 and El Dorado Schools was to repay $70,000 over a four year period. The city funds are from the Federal Fund Exchange. The project costs will be bonded over 20 years for the improvement district to pay it off.

(Read more: El Dorado Times)

People of color may be the majority in Kansas by 2066. Here’s what that means

If current trends continue, the majority of Kansans will be black or Latino by 2066.

Experts call this a source of opportunity for the state, but also say Kansas will face increasing challenges unless racial and ethnic disparities are addressed in education, health and other areas.

“Change is gonna happen no matter what,” said Steve Coen, president and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation. “This change is coming, so either we view it as an opportunity or we don’t, and I think we need to view it as an opportunity.” From 2000-2016, all the population growth in Kansas was among racial and ethnic minorities. In that same time period, non-Hispanic white Kansans decreased by 0.3 percent while minority populations (any group other than non-Hispanic white) increased by 52.5 percent — a rate higher than the 44.8 percent average in the United States.

(Read more: Local News |)