Kansas Municipal News
In Topeka’s Potwin neighborhood, ‘by golly, you will decorate for Christmas’
The Potwin neighborhood Christmas lights are a long-standing tradition, one in which Crow has participated since she and her husband moved to the neighborhood in 1981.
The first year, the Crows got by with a little help from their neighbors.
During the first year in their house, the Crows’ finances were tight and they didn’t plan on having any Christmas decorations, Crow said.
“We went to the neighborhood Christmas party, and in the nicest possible way people came up to us all night long saying, ‘We noticed you don’t have your Christmas lights up. Can we help you get your Christmas lights up?’ So the next day — we got the hint — we took the day off work and went shopping.”
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Mounted officers to patrol shopping areas ahead of Christmas
Don’t be surprised if you see mounted Wichita Police Department officers in the parking lots of popular shopping areas this weekend.
The Wichita Police Mounted Patrol has eight horses that will be patrolling Towne East Square, Towne West Square, New Market Square, and Bradley Fair through Christmas Eve.
The officers will be making sure the lots are safe and patrolling for thieves.
“The horses we can weave between cars,” said Sgt. Ed Brower, Wichita Police Department. “Plus, the elevated position gives us a good eye view if somebody calls something in or if we see somebody looking into cars and we can go investigate.”
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Developer asks Overland Park for extension on tax incentives after difficulty finding tenants for office project
Developers hoping to put up an office building next to the new Staybridge Suites hotel at Interstate 435 and Metcalf Avenue have asked for a two-year extension on their deadlines because of difficulty finding tenants.
The Overland Park City Council’s Finance, Administration and Economic Development committee gave its blessing to an extension twice as long as the developer requested after being told that one year would not likely be enough.
The Metcalf 108 project was green-lighted in 2017 as a replacement for the aging 435 Overland Park Place Hotel, which had been closed the year before. Developers proposed to raze it and put in a new hotel, office building and parking structure.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)
Funds approved to complete ongoing projects around Dodge City
The Dodge City Commission voted unanimously to approve funding for two renovation projects that include ongoing construction at Hennessey Hall and a house on Westlawn Avenue destined for moderate-income rental.
It also unanimously approved a bid to redesign the Dodge City Regional Airport Terminal.
(Read more: News – Dodge City Daily Globe – Dodge City, KS)
Hutch to legislators: Tax lid not so onerous
The city of Hutchinson officially opposes the state’s property tax lid on local units of government.
But city manager John Deardoff does not expect the lid will go away, and Councilmember Jade Piros de Carvalho said there are enough exemptions — for example, law enforcement and fire protection are outside the lid — that it is impotent.
The City Council and state Sen. Ed Berger, R-Hutchinson, and state Reps. Joe Seiwert, R-Pretty Prairie, Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, and Paul Waggoner, R-Hutchinson, discussed potential state legislation for about an hour and a half Thursday morning. Garth Strand, a Democrat running for Waggoner’s 104th District seat in 2020, attended, as did incoming City Councilmember Sara Bagwell. Absent were State Rep. Jack Thimesch, R-Spivey, and incoming City Councilmember Steve Garza.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Shawnee County to upgrade lectern, TV monitors in commission chambers
Shawnee County will upgrade the flat-screen TV monitors and the lectern in its commission chambers.
Those were among improvements County Commissioners Bill Riphahn, Kevin Cook and Aaron Mays voted 3-0 Thursday to finance using $30,000, which had initially been set aside for contingencies in the information technology department’s 2019 budget.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Leavenworth commits money for bridge study
Leavenworth County commissioners have committed $50,000 for a preliminary feasibility study for a proposal for a second bridge connecting Leavenworth County and Platte County, Missouri.
Commissioners committed the $50,000 so they can solicit bids for the study. Commissioners still plan to seek assistance in paying for the study from other stakeholders.
Commissioners have proposed building an additional bridge across the Missouri River that would link Eisenhower Road with Missouri 152 Highway.
(Read more: Leavenworth Times)
Hutch zoning board overrules staff
Two site variances sought for businesses in Hutchinson cleared a hurdle this week although city Planning and Development staff did not recommend approval.
The same board sitting as the Hutchinson Board of Zoning Appeals and Hutchinson Planning Commission heard the cases Tuesday night involving proposed construction of a small building at 930 E. 4th Ave. and a proposed electronic messaging sign at 3010 N. Plum St. In both cases, staff denial was overridden, with the board favoring the requests. The Board of Zoning Appeals’ decisions are final.
FedEx sought a variance for the rear yard setback and for the side street front yard setback to accommodate a 22-foot-by-16-foot building on property used for a warehouse and distribution at 920 E. 4th Ave. City staff supported the variance for the rear yard setback but recommended denial of the request for the other variance because of traffic safety concerns.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
New air service provider approved for Dodge City
Federal officials have approved a new subsidized air carrier for the Dodge City airport.
The U.S. Department of Transportation agreed with a recommendation made by city officials in August to contract with SkyWest Airlines, operating as United Express, to be the next Essential Air Service provider for Dodge City Regional Airport, starting in February 2020.
SkyWest will operate 12 weekly flights from Dodge City to Denver International with a 50-seat capacity jet.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
New Zealander’s photo art to be at Lindsborg gallery
The story of how Emerald McGlashan’s artwork ended up in an art gallery in Lindsborg is also the story of how she found a small college — Bethany — in a small town in the middle of Kansas about 8,000 miles from her home.
“It is a long plane ride,” McGlashan said. “I got here on a soccer scholarship. … I transferred here halfway through my freshman year. I went to a community college in Minnesota first.”
While there she found Bethany, and decided to transfer. The midfielder, who gets to run nonstop, is a junior for the Swedes. She hopes to be a photojournalist when she graduates college.
(Read more: News – Kiowa County Signal – Kiowa County, KS)
Marion’s City council OKs design of high-speed Internet
Marion city council Monday voted unanimously to approve a $7,492 high-speed broadband fiber network design and study to be paid in conjunction with TCT, the broadband division of Tri-County Telephone.
The city and TCT will each pay half the cost.
A plan to install Internet fiber capable of delivering 1 gigabyte speeds for both business and residential customers will be developed and a study will be done to determine how many businesses and residents would use high speed broadband Internet, and what speed would serve their needs.
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)
Hays resident becomes latest victim of Swatting
Swatting is a problem all too familiar to Kansas, this time happening in Hays, with an outcome that could have been much worse.
It all started just three houses away from Kelsey Konz, when the Hays police department received an unexpected call, claiming that a woman was shot, there were hostages, and even explosives.
“This is crazy! Who knew that in Hays America things like this could happen? I mean really, this is the real deal down the road”, said Konz.
Under the impression that there was a dangerous hostage situation unfolding, police rushed to the 1600 block of Elm Street. After arriving and securing the scene, they made contact with the resident and were able to quickly realize the information in call didn’t quite add up, and determined that it was a hoax.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Christmas City of the High Plains still shines
For nearly 70 years, WaKeeney has been called the “Christmas City of the High Plains,” and this year’s tree lighting ceremony lived up to that reputation.
“Ladies and gentlemen, here comes Santa Claus,” roared an announcer to the crowd gathered downtown. “Children of all ages, St. Nicholas has arrived in WaKeeney, Kansas!”
People cheer and music plays, as a flatbed trailer decked out with lights brings Santa to town, as it always does, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Street crews work hard to protect citizens in recent snowstorm
Police and fire officials praised the Gardner Public Works Department for responding quickly and thoroughly to the winter storm this weekend.
“We got lucky here,” said Jake Hayes, Gardner police captain. “Public works was really on top of it. They do good work, and they got out there as soon as it started snowing. I’ve heard that our roads were better than many other areas. They do a good job for us.”
Twenty crew members in public works labored for 24 hours to get the roads clear in Gardner, according to Jody Demaline, public works superintendent.
(Read more: Gardner News)
KS farmers expecting to benefit from renegotiated trade deal
The Democratic-led House has given President Donald Trump an overwhelming bipartisan victory on a renegotiated trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. Passage comes one day after the House impeached the Republican president.
The bill puts in place terms of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. It now heads to the Senate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her colleagues had won key concessions from an administration anxious to pass the deal before next year’s election season makes that task more difficult.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Manhattan City Commission approves improvements to North Campus Corridor
The Manhattan City Commission has paved the way for improvements at College and Kimball Ave. as part of its North Campus Corridor improvement project.
Small manufacturing bonds bill would raise limit to $30 million
The Modernizing Agriculture and Manufacturing Bonds Act, H.R. 5422, sponsored by Reps. Stepanie Murphy, D-Fla., and Darin LaHood, R-Ill., expands the definition of manufacturing facility and eliminates restrictions on “directly related and ancillary facilities.”
The issuance limit on tax-exempt private activity bonds for Industrial Development Bonds would be raised to $30 million from the current $10 million while the limitation for first-time farmers using so-called Aggie Bonds would be raised to $552,500 from $450,000.
(Read more: Fidelity)
Lawrence City Commission indicates support for transition to 100% renewable energy
City leaders have indicated they would like to commit to running on all renewable energy in the coming years.
As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission received a recommendation from the Sustainability Advisory Board to adopt a policy committing to 100% renewable energy for city operations and, ultimately, the entire community. The commission voted unanimously to direct city staff to draft an ordinance to achieve use of 100% renewable energy and subsequently develop a plan of action to achieve the goal.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Residents of Big Springs voice opposition to Douglas County’s proposed zoning regulation changes
Several residents of Big Springs voiced opposition to changes to the Douglas County zoning regulations, arguing the proposed changes may hinder their ability to operate businesses in that community.
The Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission on Monday heard their concerns after it began discussing the county staff’s proposal for new zoning and land use regulations for the unincorporated areas of the county.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Committee presents concept for $3 million Roeland Park Community Center improvement project
The Roeland Park city council last week heard a final report from a group tasked with exploring ideas for the future of the community center that calls for $3 million in interior and exterior improvements.
The city’s Ad Hoc Community Center Design Committee, a temporary committee tasked with developing concepts for the facility, has worked with Kansas City, Mo.-based SFS Architecture on the design project. The goal of the project was to assess the practical needs of the community center, as well as to offer “direction for the capital investment plan and how to maximize use of the community center,” according to city documents.
Located in the former Skyline Elementary building next to the pool complex at 4850 Rosewood Dr., Roeland Park’s community center has had only minor renovations since it was shuttered by the Shawnee Mission School District in 1982 and eventually taken over by the city.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)