Kansas Municipal News
Lyon County Commission approves six-month moratorium on medical facility zoning applications
The Lyon County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution establishing a moratorium on certain types of zoning, land use, and building permits related to medical facilities within the unincorporated areas of Lyon County Thursday morning. The resolution, presented by County Counselor Molly Priest, highlighted the lack of specific definitions and guidelines for medical facilities in the county’s existing zoning regulations. Priest said the resolution was crafted County Zoning Director Sam Seeley. “Our zoning regulations do not contemplate the breadth of medical facilities that exist today,” Priest said. “There are at least eight different types of medical facilities defined at state and federal levels, including general hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and rural emergency hospitals, none of which are clearly defined in our current regulations.” The moratorium will last until January 1, 2025, providing six months for the zoning administrator and the planning board to draft and propose new regulations. During this period, no new applications for zoning, conditional use permits, site plans, or building permits related to medical facilities will be accepted.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Admire to celebrate new multiuse court with ribbon cutting, community festivities
The City of Admire is set to host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6 p.m. July 3, to mark the completion of its new multiuse sport court. This event signals the final step in a project that has been eagerly awaited by the community. Following the ceremony, people are invited to join in a potluck dinner, enjoy a game of horseshoes, watch a spectacular fireworks display, and socialize with family, friends, and neighbors. The new multiuse court, designed to accommodate pickleball, basketball, and tennis, was made possible by a $30,000 implementation grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. This grant is part of the Healthier Lyon County’s Pathways to a Healthy Kansas initiative, aimed at promoting active and healthy living in the region. Despite initial delays with fencing contractors, the court has been resurfaced and is now ready for community use.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Tax change creates headaches for county clerks
Homeowners may see a break on their property taxes this year but the change is creating extra work for the County Clerk’s Office. The tax relief package adopted by the Kansas Legislature at the June 18 special session changed the School Finance Levy Residential Exemption. Beginning in tax year 2024, the amount of residential property exempt from that statewide levy will increase from $43,049 to $75,000 of appraised value. County Clerk Bev Schmeidler told the Barton County Commission on Tuesday that her office was notified of this change on Friday afternoon and given until July 1 to update their abstracts, values, and budget sheets. Barton County Counselor Patrick Hoffman noted this affects counties throughout the state. “It is a little bit of a mess. Not just here.”
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Johnson County wants and needs a homeless shelter. But who will pay $500K a year?
Operating the proposed homeless shelter in Lenexa would require annual funding not only from Johnson County but also its cities, under a new plan, totaling almost $500,000 in public money, presented to county commissioners on Thursday. The idea sparked a heated discussion among commissioners, as leaders work to push forward the long-needed shelter, but have yet to secure any financial commitment from cities to help run it. The board voted 4-3 to move the discussion forward about a fund that would require $62,000 a year from the county. The plan also asks for varying amounts from each city, based on population, totaling nearly $420,000 a year. The commission in the coming months will vote on whether to approve the funds, while cities in the meantime decide whether to participate as well. Johnson County has begun the process of purchasing the shuttered La Quinta Inn and Suites off of Interstate 35 in Lenexa to convert into a year-round shelter, a major milestone for the county where advocates have long pushed for such a resource.
Source: Joco 913 News
Leawood officials keen to add veterans memorial on city hall grounds
A proposal to designate part of the grounds of Leawood City Hall as a veterans memorial plaza got a favorable reaction from city councilmembers last week as they met in a special work session.
A temporary committee that had been meeting since November recommended the city hall location near the entrance flagpoles and the bubbling rock fountain because that area would require only minimal upgrades and because it already has space for gatherings. Councilmember Debra Filla said the location seems to be a good fit. “It’s that ‘Eureka’ moment of doing it right here in the courtyard which is a beautiful space that does not get enough traffic in my estimation,” she said. Councilmember Julie Cain also gave it a good review. “The idea of having that out there only enhances our courtyard,” she said. “It’s an elegant solution and costworthy and functional. It pretty much checks all the boxes.”
Source: Johnson County Post
Overland Park sets rules for parking in city EV spots, adds 2 more chargers
Overland Park will require all vehicles parked at public electric vehicle charging stations to be actively plugged into the charger.
Earlier this week, the Overland Park City Council voted 10-0 to approve the new ordinance in the city’s traffic code. Earlier this year, Overland Park started solidifying its electric vehicle plans by adopting its 95-page Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan. That plan fell short of formalizing any policy decisions, but it laid out recommendations aimed at helping the city “implement a thoughtful strategy identifying needs and best practices” for EVs. It also suggested departments in which Overland Park could potentially expand its electric vehicle fleet overtime and identified possible public-facing city facilities that might be a good fit to set up EV chargers. That included mostly spots that attract community members and visitors, such as the Matt Ross Community Center downtown and the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. At the time the city’s EV plan was adopted 11-1 in March, Councilmember Melissa Cheatham called it “essential,” noting that she felt it was “timely, if not overdue.”
Source: Johnson County Post
‘A line in the sand’ — SMSD considers prohibiting cell phones during school
A district-wide ban on smartphones in the Shawnee Mission School District will be considered as part of the district’s five-year strategic plan, administrators said Monday.
The idea is listed under the technology category of the plan, which was presented to the board at its regular meeting. The item concerned creating a development guide to age-appropriate use of technology including “personal devices.” Although it did not specify smartphones, incoming superintendent Michael Schumacher acknowledged a ban on cell phones during school hours would be first on the list of things to consider as the school year begins in August. Schumacher also stressed that more work needs to be done and feedback should be sought from the community. “Our community certainly is asking for it,” Schumacher said. “We need to have that discussion. We need to listen about this.”
Source: Johnson County Post
School board approves sale of Park Elementary to Wichita for $1
The Wichita School Board voted 6-1 on Thursday to approve the sale of Park Elementary to the City of Wichita. The school, located at 1025 N Main, is now set to sell for $1 to the City. The vote comes just weeks after the City announced the former school is set to become a multi-agency resource center for the homeless. In March, the school board voted to close six Wichita schools due to a $42 million budget shortfall.
Source: KAKE – News
Wichita firework tents hope for big year after city legalizes aerial fireworks sales
There are big changes coming to Wichita this year, and firework tent owners are hoping it will mean more sales than ever. It’s one of the busiest days of the year for firework tent owners like Teresa Lybarger. After doing it for over a decade, she says she knows there won’t be much sleep ahead of the first day of sales Thursday.
“You spend all day long, and sometimes into the night to get all your fireworks in the right place, to get all your lights, to get everything in order to be able to open up the next morning,” said Lybarger. Lybarger and her family run the tents in the Walmart parking lots at 53rd and Meridian, and Pawnee and Broadway, and she says there’s a lot more to it than most people realize.
“We are required to have people here 24/7,” said Lybarger. On top of the heavy lifting in the grueling heat, Lybarger says there are strict laws she has to follow, and no matter what time of day or night it is, at least two people are always inside her tents working. But Lybarger says there’s a major change in Wichita that she hopes will make it her best year yet. “It’s kind of exciting for this year because Wichita went full power,” Lybarger explained. “We’re hoping for bigger sales, of course, because now they could spend their money here, instead of going over to Andover to Haysville, or, you know, any of the other places that are full power.”
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas’ effort to lure Chiefs, Royals puts STAR bonds in the spotlight
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed a supercharged tax incentive deal aimed at enticing the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals to move across the state line.
During a special session, Kansas lawmakers expedited plans to allow temporary changes to the sales tax revenue (STAR) bond program. This comes despite data from existing STAR bond developments giving mixed signals about the program’s performance. The economic tool that lets municipalities issue bonds to finance developing big commercial entertainment and tourism projects throughout the state. City or county governments identify potential STAR bond district boundaries and submit the proposed map to the Kansas Commerce Department. If approved, the local city council or commission holds a public hearing and adopts an ordinance to create the district. From there, a feasibility study is completed, and project plans are submitted to local officials for further review. They then hold a second hearing to review and adopt the plan. The Commerce secretary then must approve the plans and the terms of the STAR bonds. Bonds can cover as much as 50% of project costs and are paid off over 20 years using the incremental sales tax revenue the project generates. In metropolitan areas such as Kansas City, Kansas, or Overland Park, STAR bonds can be used only for projects anticipating capital investment of $75 million, with at least $75 million in projected gross annual sales. The state does not set financial investment thresholds for STAR bond projects in rural areas. Since 1999, more than 20 STAR bond projects have been developed in 11 cities in nine counties. The bonds have been used to fund numerous tourist attractions, including the Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson, the Museum at Prairiefire in Overland Park and Kansas Speedway in KCK. According to the state treasurer’s 2023 annual report, Kansas had 18 active STAR bond projects when fiscal year 2023 ended July 1, 2023. Katherine Carttar was economic development director for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, from 2019 to 2022. She now is executive director of the Urban Land Institute Kansas City. “The thing that really supercharges a STAR bond is the inclusion of the state sales tax. That’s just something that most states just do not touch,” Carttar said. “With the inclusion of the state sales tax, that just really makes it so much more powerful in terms of the amount of revenue that can be redirected back into the project.” Annual financial reports show Kansas diverted $40.5 million in sales tax through the STAR bond program in fiscal year 2021, $54.1 million in 2022 and $66.9 million in 2023.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
REQ Q&A: Kansas Commerce official talks STAR bonds’ effectiveness, how they work
In the next two years, Kansas lawmakers will decide whether to renew the sales tax revenue (STAR) bond program or allow it to sunset in July 2026.
Legislators’ approval of tweaks designed specifically to lure the Kansas City Chiefs and/or Kansas City Royals from Missouri has driven much recent attention to the program. But since 1999, STAR bonds have played a big, and sometimes polarizing, part in numerous area projects — from Village West, which paid off bonds years early and now yields more than $40 million in annual state sales taxes, to Prairiefire, where inaccurate revenue estimates led to the program’s first default. The Kansas City Business Journal’s Thomas Friestad spoke with Bob North, chief counsel of the Kansas Department of Commerce, about the state’s approach to STAR bonds. How do you assess the STAR bond program’s performance? First and foremost is financial success: Are the projects generating enough sales tax revenue so the bonds are going to be repaid? That’s a critical component, and around 80% of the projects have either paid off early or, based on current revenue streams, are going to pay off early (before their 20-year bond term). We also look at visitation. One of the purposes behind STAR bonds is to bring new visitors, new sales tax to the state, so we look at a couple things, one of which is how many people are coming from more than 100 miles away and how many folks are coming from out of state. State auditors in 2021 found that of 16 STAR bond projects reviewed, only three met Commerce’s tourism goals. Commerce disputed the audit, saying it should have considered other goals, like general and economic welfare. How does your department weigh goals with relation to each other? The 30% (visitors from at least 100 miles away) and 20% (out-of-state visitors) goals are, to an extent, aspirational. We do need new visitors. We do need new sales tax dollars. But that’s not the sole criteria that we would evaluate. General economic welfare and then quality of life is also an important factor. The state exports a majority of its college graduates, and we’ve got more jobs than we do people, and so … how do we keep those people here, and how do we attract them to come back? We think STAR bonds are a very effective tool, if you like museums or if you like water parks, if you’re into racing or if you’ve got kids that play youth sports.
(Auditors) are in the middle of looking at this quality of life and trying to quantify what that might look like.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Frontenac Fire Captain Jim McClain retires after nearly 50 years
The Frontenac Fire Department bids farewell to Captain Jim McClain, who retires after almost 50 years of service to the community.
Hired in 1974 and promoted to Captain a decade later, McClain’s positive attitude and leadership were hallmarks of his tenure.
Source: KOAM News
Rossville residents receive extra help with storm damage
Residents in Rossville are seeing an abundance of help from community members to tackle storm damage. Early Wednesday morning, strong winds and heavy rain swept through all of northeast Kansas. Rossville was amongst many areas hit hard with fallen tree limbs and uprooted trees seen throughout the town. Though the town was shaken up, community members rallied together. One resident posted to Facebook showcasing how the high school football team stepped up to help clean storm debris throughout neighborhoods. KSNT 27 News spoke with head football coach of the Rossville Dawgs, Derick Hammes, about his players helping out their community, and he said he’s grateful his players are giving back. “I want them to understand that the community supports them, and when it’s their turn to support back, they’re available to do that,” Hammes said. “We realize that helping one another out is all apart of being in a small community.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
Haysville sees vandalism to parks, antique lights
The City of Haysville is seeking information on recent vandalism at numerous park restrooms. The vandalism also left a busy street in the dark.
The City says restrooms have had sinks and plumbing fixtures damaged or stolen. Some of the damage has caused the facilities to be closed until repairs are made. Also, the city says 600 feet of wire was stolen from an underground conduit that powered the antique lights along Meridian. “We always encounter vandalism every summer this year, it seems to be times 10 and happening quite frequently,” said Tony Martinez, the director of public works in Haysville. “We have 15 parks in the town, and i would say probably almost every single park has experienced some type of vandalism over the summer.” Martinez said that it’s going to take some time for the restrooms to get up and running. “Summer’s our busiest time of the year, so our park department doesn’t have time to install these pieces, so we’re now hiring a contractor to install these, which in result means the restrooms are going to be closed a little bit longer to the public and that’s really the downfall,” he said. The City’s goal is to get the restrooms fixed by July 4.
Source: KSN-TV
New terminal opens at Garden City Airport
The second phase of Garden City’s new Airport terminal is complete. Kansas Senator Jerry Moran was in attendance as the ribbon was cut to open the terminal of the new facility. Garden City’s original terminal was constructed in 1959 and no longer met demand. Rachelle Powell, Director of Aviation at the Garden City Regional Airport, said planning to replace the terminal began back in 2017. “With this new terminal project, we’ve doubled our gate capacity from one gate to two, which is huge for southwest Kansas, and also gave amenities to our traveling public such as the passenger boarding bridge and the baggage carousel,” she said. The terminal has updated technology and a new welcome message in multiple languages to serve the diverse population in the region. “We utilize the 26 languages that were spoken in our school district when we were doing the design to welcome folks to our community cause that’s part of our culture in southwest Kansas is making everybody feel welcomed,” said Powell.
Source: KSN-TV
Kansas firefighters receive nearly $19M from relief act
The Kansas Insurance Department announced nearly $19 million will be going to local Firefighter Relief Associations (FRA). Of those, Shawnee County will receive nearly $1 million.
On Thursday, June 27 Kansas Insurance Department (KID) Public Affairs Manager Kyle Strathman announced the money would be distributed to 553 different FRAs across the state. The funds come from a 2% tax that is paid by insurance companies on fire and lightning premiums. “Firefighters work to keep us safe, and the Kansas Firefighters Relief Act acknowledges those efforts by providing additional protections for firefighters and their loved ones,” said Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. “The Act not only gives first responders needed safety nets, but it also allows local communities to provide their citizens with improved firefighting equipment and resources.” Strathman said the funds can be used to pay for health, accident, disability and life insurance premiums of local firefighters. Associations can also use relief funds to purchase new firetrucks, make fire station improvements and purchase firefighter gear.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Topeka receives $25 million sidewalk grant
The City of Topeka will be receiving $25 million dollars from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) for sidewalk projects. Topeka is receiving funds under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program. The project will see 50 miles of sidewalk repair and construction along River Road, Southeast California Avenue and in the Central Highland Park neighborhood. Topeka was one of 148 projects selected by the Biden administration. “This grant in the amount of $25 Million will allow us to do some transformative projects for the City of Topeka.” said Public Works Director Braxton Copley.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Park City recycling plant fire now under control. Crews continue to monitor hot spots
Sedgwick County Fire Marshal Brad Crisp announced Wednesday afternoon that the fire at Park City’s Evergreen Recycle plant is officially under control, although crews will remain on scene for at least another day. Some piles of materials were still smoldering, but there were no more flames as of 3 p.m., county spokesperson Stephanie Birmingham said. Last time the recycling plant caught fire in October 2022, video evidence showed the blaze was a result of mulch and grass spontaneously igniting under wood piles. This time, investigators likely won’t be able to identify a definite cause, Fire Chief Doug Williams told county commissioners Wednesday morning. “It’s going to be one that’s probably going to end up being undetermined. We didn’t have video on this one,” he said. Commissioner David Dennis asked Williams what he expects the bill to be for overtime pay and whether the county should make a claim on the recycling facility’s insurance to cover costs. “One of the problems we get into if we bill for services is, you have to bill everybody,” Williams said. “You can’t just selectively say, ‘Well, this guy really upset us so we’re going to bill him.’ We have to bill everybody. And I think that normally is what causes the failure of these insurances to pay. The first thing they’re going to say is, ‘Well, you didn’t bill the last fire you went to.’”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Park City relaxes firewall code for future development
Building inspector Bob Walker recommended the change because he believes the city’s previous firewall regulations for townhomes were excessive. A firewall is used to delay the spread of a fire with a prescribed fire resistance duration and independent structural stability. This allows a building to be divided into smaller sections. Previously, the city code listed a two-hour firewall fire resistance rating requirement for common walls in townhomes that are not equipped with automatic sprinkler systems.
Source: Ark Valley News
Developers have bold plans for Park City entertainment district
A new commercial district in Park City broke ground on June 14 at the former Echo Hills Golf Course between 53rd and 61st streets on the west side of I-135. Projects being constructed on the property include a baseball complex, butterfly garden and an aquarium. … One of the largest draws of the new Park City district — a project that could be a national attraction — is the aquarium. The project is being handled by a group called OdySea out of Scottsdale, Arizona. OdySea’s aquarium in Scottsdale opened in 2016. It is the largest aquarium in the southwest United States at 200,000 square feet and houses more than 30,000 animals. The campus of the aquarium includes a boardwalk with a Ferris wheel and a butterfly garden — concepts that will also be included in the Park City project. The aquarium in Park City will be 80,000 square feet with more than 1,500 animals.
Source: Ark Valley News