Kansas Municipal News
Busy weekend ends Ark City’s 150th celebration
Arkansas City’s five-day, 150th anniversary celebration concluded Sunday with a weekend full of events. A free concert, featuring both Bad Mechanix and BackRhodes, was presented Friday evening in the Wilson Park Rotunda. The concert was sponsored by Burford Theatre Arts, which also operated a beer garden at the event. The concert was followed by a firework display that was postponed Thursday due to the threat of inclement weather.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Bull riders, ropers and barrel racers from across the country bullseye for the Pretty Prairie Rodeo this week
The PRCA Pretty Prairie Rodeo is ready to roll. According to the group’s organizers, this year will bring top cowboys and cowgirls to Pretty Prairie to compete for prize money. Last year’s rodeo paid off more than $80,000 in prize money. “We’ll have something for everyone,” said Julie Graber, executive secretary of the booster club that puts on the rodeo. The show starts at 8 p.m. this Wednesday through Saturday, July 21-24.
Source: Hutch News.
Access ridership in Hays down by half during pandemic
Access public transportation in Hays has seen its ridership cut in half since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. The service usually provides 65,000 to 70,000 rides per year in Ellis County. It typically serves about 1,000 clients per year. The service closed for about a month in April 2020 as a result of the statewide shutdown. It has been operating since with COVID restrictions, which means riders must wear masks and only two riders can be on the bus at the same time to allow for social distancing.
Source: Hays Post.
Junction City bed tax idea goes to the County Commission
Junction City Mayor Jeff Underhill and City Manager Allen Dinkel Monday to outline an idea that would establish a City transient guest tax and leave the County with a bed tax only for Grandview Plaza and Milford. Under this plan the convention and visitor’s bureau would also come under Chamber of Commerce auspices once again, instead of being a separate organization. “What we talked about was them dissolving their transient guest tax and us being able to implement our own in the city that we would be able to utilize and we would operate the CVB at that point…”
Source: JC Post.
Sedgwick County Zoo’s new superstar, a 400-pound goofball rhino baby, is drawing crowds
The Sedgwick County Zoo has a new superstar — a 400-pound potato who likes to roll in the mud, pretend to charge at visitors, and run around like a clumsy puppy who isn’t quite used to his feet. He’s such a star that he’s lured lots of visitors since the zoo at 5555 W. Zoo Boulevard reopened post-COVID-19, officials there say. And he’s so popular that he even has his own merch display in the zoo’s gift shop. But for as much joy as he’s brought to zoo staff and to Wichita zoo visitors, KJ the baby black rhino — born on March 1 — has a bit of a sad backstory. He was a surprise to his keepers, who didn’t even know his mother, longtime zoo favorite Bibi, was pregnant until 13 months into her 16-month pregnancy.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Sedgwick County EMS Director Dr. John Gallagher placed on paid administrative leave
Sedgwick County EMS Director Dr. John Gallagher was placed on paid administrative leave Monday following a Wichita Eagle investigation into slow response times and a staffing shortage in the department, as employees complain about his leadership style. County Manager Tom Stolz made the decision Monday. Stolz has been under increasing pressure from EMS employees and Commissioner Jim Howell to act quickly after two EMS employees quit last week, blaming unresponsive leadership during an ongoing public health crisis.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Kansas utilities and municipalities have plans to recoup record energy bills
For officials in Eskridge, the eye-popping prices from February’s Winter Storm Uri never cease to amaze, even though it almost six months since the bitter cold spell ripped through the Great Plains. It is one of 50-plus cities with municipal gas agencies, leaving them more at the whims of the wildly fluctuating markets than most. Eskridge’s total bill from the Kansas Municipal Gas Agency was $1.1 million — 10 times more than its entire gas costs for all of 2020. Relief came in the nick of time, however, as Kansas lawmakers approved a loan program for cities staring down those eye-popping bills, allowing them to pay off their sky-high costs without burdening residents with dramatic rate increases — or having to disband their city all together.
Source: CJonline.com
Edgerton seeks residential developers
Elevate Edgerton! gave a presentation on Edgerton’s housing situation at the July 8 council meeting. James Oltman, president, said they had decided to work with RDG Planning and Housing Design for the city’s housing needs. Less than one percent of Edgerton’s houses were built in the last ten years with 79 percent being built between 1979 through 2009, he said. Oltman said Edgerton’s median rent is the third lowest in the county at $746 per month, but there wasn’t a lot of rental variety. “There is not a lot of supply,” he said. Oltman said the greatest shortage of housing is for residents whose income is more than $75,000 and want multi-family homes.
Source: Gardner News
Some counties revisit mask mandates
COVID-19 numbers in Sedgwick County are slowly increasing. According to the health department, we’re sitting at a 12% positivity rate. Other counties and cities across the U.S., such as Kansas City, are revisiting the idea of mask mandates. Right now masks aren’t required in Sedgwick County but individual businesses have the choice to mandate them inside their facilities. Many residents we talked to say if masks would help slow the spread, they’d be open to another mandate. “If we had to go back to them for a little bit, I’m not thrilled about it but I certainly understand with two variants coming out really hitting everybody,” says Jason Brabander, Park City resident. In Johnson County, health officials are looking to recommend masks for the unvaccinated in public areas. But some are raising a privacy concern saying it’s a personal decision to get vaccinated, so many people might not be willing to disclose the information, making enforcement difficult.
Source: KAKE – News
Girard one of 10 chosen for T-Mobile Hometown Techover
Thousands were nominated, but one southeast Kansas community could soon get a huge technology makeover. Girard has been named one of the top 10 finalists in T-Mobile’s Hometown Techover contest. The overall winner will receive a $3 million prize. It includes a city network upgrade, little league field refurbishment, and a $200,000 community grant. “We were all excited and stuff. I mean everyone was excited. We had the shirts made up, and it was something exciting for Girard kind of put them on the map,” said Girard Mayor Mickey Pyle. The city will receive a $50,000 grant for being selected as a finalist. The overall winner is expected to be announced at the end of the month.
Source: KSN-TV
Miami County discusses what experts it will call in Golden matter
The County Commission will call upon experts to provide insight on a variety of topics in the coming weeks regarding the proposed incorporation of the city of Golden in northern Miami County. The four commissioners agreed at their June 30 meeting that deliberations would not begin until August, because of conflicting schedules in July. The commissioners said they would like to be present for all the deliberations. The incorporation of the city of Golden would require a unanimous, 4-0 vote from the commissioners. Commissioner Danny Gallagher is not taking part in the deliberations because of a potential conflict. He left the commission chambers during the Golden discussion, and he did not attend the June 23 public hearing.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Natural gas leak outside of Lyons, KS
Authorities said Friday that a natural gas well outside of Lyons that exploded during maintenance the day before is now safe and repaired. Local residents had complained of an odor and a lingering haze, but a Northern Natural Gas official said there is no danger to the public. The complaints of a noxious smell began after the underground storage well blew open after 3 p.m. Thursday southeast of Lyons, causing water and natural gas to fly up into the air.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
‘Fairly concerning’ — Johnson County COVID-19 numbers spike as part of larger trend driven by Delta variant
Local health officials are expressing growing concern as new COVID-19 cases in Johnson County continue a renewed surge as the more contagious Delta variant spreads throughout the greater Kansas City region. Data kept by the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment show an increase across the board in COVID-19 activity in Johnson County. Over the past two weeks, key metrics like the incidence rate of new cases and percent positivity have shot up to levels last recorded in February in March, when mass vaccinations were just getting underway. “It’s starting to be fairly concerning, yes,” said Dana Hawkinson, MD, during the University of Kansas Health System’s daily COVID-19 briefing Thursday.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Property tax rates vary widely among area counties
When it comes to property taxes, Pottawatomie County is playing in a very different league from either Riley or Geary counties. According to a Manhattan Mercury analysis of government data, Pottawatomie County has three times more taxable property value per person than does Riley County — and nearly four times more than Geary County. That has a major impact on the way local governments go about setting their budgets, an annual exercise that’s happening right now. In essence, it forces tax rates higher in the Manhattan and Junction City areas and helps keep them lower in Pott County to raise the same amount of money to fund government operations.
Source: themercury.com
Lead exposure risk higher in KS water
People in Missouri and Kansas risk lead exposure from drinking water at greater rates than almost any other state, a new report found. The Natural Resources Defense Council released findings Thursday that as many as 12 million Americans may be receiving drinking water through lead pipes without realizing their water is contaminated. “There is no safe level of lead, which causes irreversible harm to people’s health, particularly for children,” a release announcing the report says. Missouri has the 6th most lead service lines, the pipes that carry water from water mains into residents’ homes, of any state in the U.S., putting it above the far more populous Texas. Only Illinois, Ohio, MIchigan, New York and New Jersey have more lead pipes than Missouri.
Source: The Iola Register
Gardner city council increases fines for trucks
The Gardner City Council passed four housekeeping items during their July 6 meeting, including increasing truck route violation fines to $200 per violation. Randy Gregorcyk, council member, said he appreciated the work of Amy Nasta, deputy city administrator, for work on the ordinance. “The best way to get someone’s attention is by getting in their back pocket,” he said. Mark Baldwin, council member, said he wanted to know if they had considered raising fines with first a warning and then escalating exponentially the fines. “For habitual offenders $200 might not be a big deal,” he said.
Source: Gardner News
City of Wichita vs. Trotter
Municipalities have broad police powers to enact ordinances regulating or restricting certain activities to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the public. The City of Wichita’s after-hours establishment licensing ordinance, Wichita Municipal Ordinance 3.06.030.A., is not unconstitutionally overbroad as its application does not create a realistic danger of significantly compromising Wichitans’ expressive rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Read the full opinion: Kansas Court of Appeals.
KCC Approves Eskridge Natural Gas Payment Plan
The Kansas Corporation Commission has approved a plan proposed by the City of Eskridge to recover deferred natural gas costs related to last February’s cold snap. Beginning next month, Eskridge utility customers will see a separate, additional charge on their bill assessing $2.54 per one thousand cubic feet for their gas usage. The funds collected will be used to make payments on the 10-year low interest loan the City received from the State Treasurer to pay its $1.1 million February natural gas bill.
Source: WIBW News Now
Arts commission approves concept for $325,000 art piece for Lawrence police headquarters
A $325,000 public art project for Lawrence’s new police headquarters received an approval from the local arts panel and will now be considered by city leaders. As part of its meeting Wednesday evening, the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission voted 9-0 to recommend the project for approval. The project will now go to the Lawrence City Commission for consideration. Following a national request for qualifications, the city selected Joe O’Connell, of Tucson, Ariz., two years ago from more than 40 artists to create the art at the new police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. O’Connell is expected to complete the $325,000 project this year.
Source: LJWorld.com.
City of Lawrence issues cease and desist order for all AT&T projects, cites ‘continuous reckless, illegal, and discourteous behavior’
The City of Lawrence has issued a cease and desist order to AT&T and its subcontractors for all active projects in the city because of numerous complaints and what the city describes as reckless behavior. In a news release Thursday, the city states that all right-of-way permits applied for by AT&T and its contractors will be denied until further notice. The release states that the city has received numerous complaints from residents and the other utilities operating in city right-of-way areas regarding the behavior of AT&T and its contractors. In the cease and desist order, the city states that the city has received complaints from residents and other public utility companies on “numerous occasions” regarding AT&T’s “continuous reckless, illegal, and discourteous behavior within the City.” The order states the main problem is AT&T and its contractors working in the right of way without having properly performed utility location.
Source: LJWorld.com.