Kansas Municipal News
Harvey County employees to receive raise in premium pay
Harvey County employees will be receiving an additional $4 per hour in premium pay for the time they spent in their office during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Board of Harvey County Commissioners on Tuesday approved premium pay on a 2-0 vote, with Commissioner Randy Hague abstaining. The total for all employees could cost up to nearly $1.2 million, all of which will be funded by the America Rescue Plan Act. Hague said he thought employees deserved premium pay, but he noted that the proposal was the first time constituents had heard about it. He questioned whether the matter should be tabled a week to see what kind of feedback commissioners might receive.
Source: Harvey County Now
Newton updates sound ordinance
The City of Newton will change its sound ordinance, which will now be in effect 24 hours a day. The commission approved updating the ordinance at its Monday meeting, following complaints from a resident. The new ordinance establishes a rule to be in effect at all residentially owned properties limiting sound if: “It creates a nuisance or injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of others, or which interferes with the use or enjoyment of property of any person of reasonable sensibilities residing in or occupying the area unless the making and continuing of such noise is necessary for the protection and preservation of property or the health and safety of some individual.” Some sounds are exempt, including publicly approved parades, fireworks, sports events, festivals, or musical productions.
Source: Harvey County Now
Newton’s dream of Amtrak hub moving forward
Newton’s Amtrak hopes now just need a presidential signature. The House of Representatives voted this week to move forward on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill already approved by the Senate. The bill includes $120 million in funds available for rail improvements in Oklahoma and Kansas that would connect the Heartland Flyer, which serves Texas and the southern U.S., with the Southwest Chief in Newton. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re basically greenlit for Amtrak Service,” Newton Community Development Coordinator Zach McHatton said. Amtrak has indicated that the connection is a priority. Newton would become a hub for the two lines and a transfer station for riders. With the lines up and running, an estimated 100,000-200,000 people would be in the Newton downtown switching trains over a yearlong period. The hub status could mean a change in train times as well to the evening instead of the early morning, according to past reporting we’ve done on the issue. Some 340,000 people passed through Newton on the existing Southwest Chief line in 2019.
Source: Harvey County Now
It’s clear-skies for Topgolf’s Wichita location after FAA, City Council approve tall nets near Jabara Airport
It’s no secret that Topgolf is planning to open its first Wichita location on the northeast side of town in just over a year, but it ran into a bit of a unique obstacle, and being the Air Capital of the World, you may not be surprised to hear that’s it’s related to aviation. “It’s a good sign for the community, and just that we’re drawing those kinds of nationally-known entertainment attractions,” said Daniel McCoy. McCoy is a reporter with our news partners at the Wichita Business Journal, and he’s talking about the long-anticipated Topgolf expected to open by March of 2023. But the company hit a bit of a snag. “They were within the hazard zone of Jabara Airport out there in northeast Wichita,” said McCoy.
Source: KAKE – News
New Kansas revenue forecast predicts $2.89B surplus, bolstering push to cut food tax
Kansas lawmakers from both parties welcomed new revenue forecasts Wednesday that project a $2.89 billion surplus to the state general fund as evidence the state can afford to exempt groceries from the state sales tax. Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat seeking re-election, called on lawmakers to “axe” the food tax earlier this week and promised to introduce corresponding legislation in January. By exempting groceries from 6.5% sales tax collections, the state would lose an estimated $450 million in annual revenue. Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who is expected to win the GOP nomination for governor in next year’s election, also asked lawmakers to eliminate or reduce the tax burden on food.
Source: Kansas Reflector
$15M in federal funds for JoCo Transit will pay for new bus routes, expanded services
Public transit in Johnson County is getting a boost with a series of six new pilot programs funded by federal COVID-19 relief money aimed at expanding access to public transportation, which is usually not a first option for county residents. The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners last week approved the pilot programs, which include the addition of a new bus route along the busy 87th Street corridor, expansion of micro-transit services in which users can schedule individual pickups and the addition of Saturday routes for some existing bus lines. The pilot programs are being paid for with $15.2 million in federal COVID-19 funding. The county says it is on track to launch the pilots during the second quarter of 2022.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Mission Hills to install license plate readers at several busy intersections
The city of Mission Hills on Monday agreed to install more than license plate readers at more than a dozen intersections within its boundaries, at a cost of more than $230,000. License plate readers are insalled in other cities throughout Johnson County and are used by law enforcement agencies throughout the Kansas City metro as part of a collective database. This summer, Mission Hills approved the installation of its first license plate reader at 63rd Street and Mission Road. A second reader had already been approved for Tomahawk and Mission roads prior to Monday’s meeting, according to city documents.
Source: Prairie Village Post
KDOT officials warn with workforce shortages, roads may not be cleared as quickly this winter
The Kansas Department of Transportation offices in south-central Kansas is committed to keeping the highways cleared whenever inclement weather occurs. In line with workforce shortages across the nation, KDOT does not have enough equipment operators – the agency’s primary snowplow operators – in a number of areas across Kansas. These shortages create the potential for highways to not be cleared of snow and ice as quickly as in the past. The agency has dealt with reduced staffing in the past, but the shortages are greater this year. Southcentral KDOT offices are about 29% short of snowplow operators needed to be fully staffed, with a 30% shortage of needed equipment operators statewide. “KDOT is facing significant staffing shortages in some areas and will work proactively to clear Kansas highways by shifting crews to affected areas and pretreating highways and bridges whenever possible,” said Secretary Julie Lorenz. “Our snowplow operators work 12-hour shifts and do their best to keep the roads open and the public moving.”
Source: Sumner NewsCow
Lawrence City Commission approves new regulations to increase number of rental inspections
Lawrence city leaders have approved changes aimed at strengthening the inspection program that is meant to oversee the thousands of rental properties in the city. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 5-0 to adopt an ordinance that includes several changes to the city’s regulations for property rentals. Commissioners previously discussed a draft of the regulations and agreed that the ordinance addressed their concerns. “I don’t think that we’ll ever have a perfect system, but I do think this brings us forward in that system and is worth giving a try and seeing what tweaks we need to make in the future as well,” Commissioner Jennifer Ananda said.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Lawrence City Commission votes to develop long-term version of downtown outdoor dining program; fees, design and parking to be considered
With considerations given to issues such as aesthetics and parking, the City of Lawrence will look to develop a long-term version of a program that has allowed downtown businesses to construct patios and outdoor dining areas in parking stalls during the coronavirus pandemic. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 5-0 to authorize the development of a long-term “parklet” program and directed staff to consider elements such as fees, design standards, safety and parking in the new regulations. The city has waived permit fees for the temporary program, and Mayor Brad Finkeldei said while it may not make sense for some businesses, he expected others would continue using the program under new regulations, and that developing those as quickly as possible was important.
Source: LJWorld.com.
The people running Kansas prisons have never seen a staffing crisis this bad
By 8 p.m. on a Friday, David Gorges has already clocked 48 stressful hours counseling and guarding inmates at the state prison in town. His work week isn’t over. He’s working security at The Alley, an arcade and bowling alley in Hutchinson. He takes on extra work so he can be debt-free when he retires, though he said he is close to paying off his farm. “I don’t go out and drive a Corvette,” Gorges said. “My wife doesn’t have a Cadillac Escalade, or anything like that. We live a humble lifestyle. We don’t go on these lavish trips out of state. We just believe in good hard work.” He needs the extra job because his checks from the Kansas Department of Corrections aren’t big enough.
Source: KCUR News
Fort Scott CC announces termination of football program
Fort Scott Community College has terminated its football program, according to a release from the school on Monday night. The release reads: “The termination of the historic and legendary FSCC football program was a difficult and emotional decision. A competitive football program at FSCC is not sustainable due to the cumulative effect of limited resources, changes in Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) football eligibility rules in 2016, and the changing ethos of football in general. We simply do not have the resources to maintain a football team that would be competitive in the Jayhawk Conference.
Source: KOAMKOAM
Baxter Springs converts old substation into new Liberty Park for residents to enjoy
An area community and the utility that provides it’s electricity team up to provide a green space for residents and visitors to enjoy. What used to be called Substation 291 in Baxter Springs, is now known as Liberty Park. The substation, located near the fire department, dates back to the 1940’s. But Liberty built a new, more modern substation just west of the old one. So instead of leaving the spot bare, Shelby Stinnett says the utility decided to make the location into a new green space. “We worked in collaboration with the city to present this nice sitting area to the community so they can stop and have a picnic or take a walk around the trail or enjoy the pollinator plants that we planted, there are 400 in total that will soon bloom and kind of take over the area in green lush,” said Shelby Stinnett, Strategic Projects, Liberty Utilities.
Source: KSNF/KODE
“Imagine Pittsburg” website launched to attract new residents and businesses
An area community is taking to the internet and social media to attract new business, residents and encourage former residents to come back home. Imagine Pittsburg has launched a new website designed to promote the city. The website is dedicated to sharing positive stories about the people who made the community what it is today. Joe Dellasega is on the Imagine Pittsburg committee and says the goal is to create a consistent narrative about the positive things happening in the town. “We needed to be thinking about our story and what our story was, one of the things we said was we can really get better about telling our story, and one of the things is just helping our own citizens learning how to tell the stories, so that was when we started thinking about how do we do that, that’s when we conceived this a new uh this idea of a website that would just help focus on telling our story,” said Joe Dellasega, Imagine Pittsburg Committee.
Source: KSNF/KODE
ARPA funds will be used to fix Osawatomie water line project
The city of Osawatomie will seek to use some of Miami County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to help fix the water distribution system that supports Osawatomie Middle School. The Osawatomie City Council on Thursday, Oct. 28, approved an interlocal agreement with the county to use up $200,000 of the county’s ARPA funds to fix 100-year-old water lines that are failing to provide adequate water pressure to half of the school building’s fire suppression system. The County Commission is expected to take action on the agreement at its meeting Wednesday, Nov. 3. City Manager Mike Scanlon, Mayor Mark Govea, and USD 367 Superintendent Justin Burchett appeared before county commissioners in September to request the ARPA funding.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Topgolf requests exemption from airport regulation to build in Wichita
You can’t hit a golf ball in Wichita without coming across something related to aviation, including if hitting golf balls is your business. Topgolf has a request on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting of the Wichita City Council in which it is asking for an exemption from height regulations of structures in the vicinity of an airport that will allow the company to build its nets to planned specifications. The company has plans to build a golf entertainment complex on 22 acres …
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Of Johnson County’s large districts, only one is left with high school mask mandate
The Blue Valley school district will drop its mask mandate in high schools after Thanksgiving. After the neighboring Olathe district made the same move last week, the Blue Valley school board on Monday voted 6-1 to make masks optional for grades nine and above, including for high school staff and visitors. The change will go into effect on Nov. 29. Shawnee Mission is now the only larger district in Johnson County that has yet to change its mask mandate in high schools. Officials said the decision was made in response to declining spread of COVID-19, including in schools, as well as a higher number of students and adults receiving the vaccine.
Source: Joco 913 News
Infrastructure bill aids broadband expansion in Kansas, boosts potential for Amtrak line in Wichita
3.4 Billion dollars will be coming to Kansas as part of the President’s infrastructure bill. The majority of which will be going to roads, but 100 million will be going to broadband expansion, something Tiya Tonn is incredibly excited about. “Just giving that opportunity. So the rural communities are on a level playing field with the rest of the world.”
Source: KAKE – News
License plate readers continue to be utilized; Derby police next to install
New license plate readers are making waves across the Wichita area. When the new Flock cameras are installed in Derby, the city will be one of over 1,400 to use them. Flock says their safety cameras are shown to reduce crime by up to 70%. “It’s going to help solve crime for Derby residents and that’s our number one goal,” Captain Sarah Oldridge with Derby PD said. “Not only does the Flock camera pick up the license plate, but it can also allow us to search or obtain information by a vehicle description.” The City of Derby won’t be installing them for another six to eight weeks, but they can currently team up with surrounding departments that already have them, like Wichita PD, to fight crime.
Source: KAKE – News
Shawnee City Council airs frustrations over trash collection issues, including pickup delays
Shawnee city officials say they have received mixed feedback from residents since making significant changes to the city’s Tidy Town bulky item pickup program last year. That was the gist of a discussion Monday night between the Shawnee City Council and city staff, who reviewed the Tidy Town program and went over areas of concern that could be improved. Caitlin Gard, assistant city manager, said the city has “gotten overwhelming positive response” since the city made changes to the Tidy Town program last year. Instead of an annual event occurring in the spring, residents now schedule an individual pickup time with their trash hauler. This spreads the annual pickups throughout the year. Still, some residents say they continue to experience some problems with a lack of timely pickup of yard waste and bulky items, as well as a reduction in the frequency of curbside recycling pickup services.
Source: Prairie Village Post