Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Pit bull dogs win by a nose in Dighton

The final votes on a pit bull dog ballot in the city of Dighton showed the vote to allow the dogs passed by a nose.

There were 135 votes to abolish the city’s prohibition against possessing a pit bull dog in the city, and 128 votes against ending the ban.

(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)

‘Lifesaving work’: Wichita police talk person off busy highway bridge

Wichita police responded to a call of a person on a bridge near Kellogg and I-135 on Tuesday morning.

Parts of the interchange were affected and one ramp was shut down for a short while.

Officers eventually were able to guide the person off the bridge at around 11 a.m. Soon after Wichita police Chief Gordon Ramsay called their actions “lifesaving work” on Twitter and Facebook.

(Read more: Local News |)

Wichita’s new baseball team will be called Wind Surge

After months of teasing and municipal anticipation, Wichita’s new baseball team has its name, the Wichita Wind Surge.

“It’s a perfect name, I think it’s very fitting,” said Mayor Jeff Longwell, who led the effort to bring the team to Wichita.

The team, who finished their last season in New Orleans as the Baby Cakes earlier this year, will be the anchor tenant of the new $75 million baseball park that the city is building on the site of the former Lawrence-Dumont Stadium at Maple and McLean.

(Read more: Local News |)

City council greenlights Girl Scouts’ dog park plans

Marion city council members gave the official nod to a dog park to be developed by Marion Girl Scouts during Tuesday’s meeting.
The park, which the scouts have been planning to build for months, needed a vote to approve its changed location to Ann’s Park.
Since January, the troop has planned and raised money for the project.

(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Wind farm firm doubles payment offer to county

A draft of the proposed agreement between Marion County and developers of a proposed wind farm shows the company is offering twice the per-megawatt rate the county is paid by Diamond Vista wind farm in the northern portion of the county. The proposed rate is $1,800 per megawatt over the first 10 years the wind farm operates.
The estimated total annual payment is $360,000 for the first year and $330,600 for the following nine years.
The payment in lieu of taxes agreement proposed by Expedition Wind Farm developers will be discussed with county commissioners at 1:30 p.m. Friday.

(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Reception for Smith-Hanes set for next week

There will be a reception in honor of departing Ellis County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes next week.

Smith-Hanes, who has been county administrator since 2016, recently accepted a similar job in Saline County.

The reception is scheduled for 3:30 to 5 p.m. Nov. 18 at Ellis County Commission chambers.

(Read more: Hays Post)

Andover city council will move forward with zoning changes, controversial development

Andover city council members voted Tuesday night to move forward with an apartment complex development that caused controversy among nearby residents.

Dozens of community members showed up to Tuesday’s meeting to voice their opposition to the proposal. The plan calls for developers to build an apartment complex in an empty lot along 21st Street North and Andover Road next to Cornerstone. The plan also calls for rezoning of the land.

The city wants to create multi-family housing to cater to more families in Andover, but residents in Cornerstone, a neighborhood that sits next to the lot, said the development will decrease property value, increase crime, and over crowd schools.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

Topeka mayor, council adopt new city flag

Topeka’s mayor and city council voted 8-1 Tuesday evening to adopt a new city flag featuring a white five-pointed star at Topeka’s site on the state map.

Mayor Michelle De La Isla and Councilmen Brendan Jensen and Mike Padilla spoke positively of the new design, which has been a topic of discussion in the community for several months.

“I was particularly excited to see how everybody embraced this,” Jensen said.

Councilwoman Sylvia Ortiz cast the dissenting vote, saying she likes the new flag but felt like it had been “rammed down my throat.”

Farmers finding news avenues for Kansas wheat overseas

In late October, the CEO of Kansas Wheat traveled to Brazil and Columbia, hoping to ramp up imports of Kansas wheat in South America.

Kansas is the largest exporter of hard red winter wheat, but with trade negotiations continuing and new wheat producers ramping up, the U.S. wheat producers need to negotiate more openings for their wheat in already-established export markets, as well as find new trade partners. South American markets are good examples of increasing trade with already-established markets.

“Brazil is one of the largest importers of hard winter wheat,” said Justin Gilpin, the CEO of Kansas Wheat. “They use seven million tons a year. It’s a really good fit for their bread.”

Policing city ordinances a tough task

Every city has rules for keeping the community clean, but those often come with loopholes that can be taken advantage of by opportune residents.
In Marion, inoperable vehicles are to be screened within a property, but even that has room for people to take advantage, police chief Clinton Jeffrey said.
“The ordinance just says ‘screened off,’ so if you strung up a bunch of tarps it would probably look worse,” he said. “Then there are places that have gone to tin or giant concrete blocks to screen it off.”

(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Infrastructure, jobs on Lawrence City Manager Craig Owens’ mind after 100 days in office

In his first 100 days in office, one of the things City Manager Craig Owens noticed firsthand — while driving the city’s streets, observing the alleyway behind his house or pushing his son’s stroller over the sidewalks — was that the infrastructure was in bad shape.

Owens said the story is the same underground, where city water and sewer mains are in need of maintenance. He said that as the city worked out its 2020 budget this summer, there were a lot of unmet needs. But he said what didn’t seem to get its due attention was infrastructure.

“There were a lot of passionate remarks from the public and from stakeholders in the community without a loud voice really addressing the infrastructure issues that I think are so fundamental, and clearly the city’s most basic responsibility,” Owens said. “So these are going to be meaty community conversations over the next several years.”

As many rural communities see healthcare struggles, Colby hospital thrives

As many rural communities struggle to recruit and retain healthcare professionals, Colby sees an increase in services provided for patients.

Citizens Health in Colby recently made renovations to accommodate its increasing numbers.

Located on Interstate 70 between Hays and Denver, Citizen’s Health serves as the healthcare hub for rural communities in northwest Kansas.

“We definitely serve the 12 counties surrounding Colby in northwest Kansas, but we also reach well beyond that,” says Citizens Foundation Executive Director Megan Carmichael. “We do have patients that come to us from Colorado and beyond out 12-county circle.”

(Read more: KWCH News)

Wichitans invited to complete fireworks ordinance survey for 2020

The Wichita Fire Department wants your input on the City’s fireworks ordinance during the Fourth of July holiday season.

In 2018, the ordinance was changed so the Wichita could reduce the number of illegal fireworks and injuries. Wichita Fire Department increased public education and enforcement in an effort to reduce the use of illegal fireworks and related injuries.

Nearly 140 fireworks citations were issued and another 59 were written in 2019. Questions continue to be asked if these enforcement efforts are effective and/or necessary.

(Read more: KSN-TV)

Homeowners in Andover neighborhood strongly oppose plans for apartment complex

Homeowners in Andover rally together in protest of a possible zoning change ahead of a city council meeting.

Neighbors say it’s a decision that has the potential to redraw school-district boundary lines. The controversy in the Andover neighborhood comes after developers propose building a 250-unit apartment complex along 21st Street North and Andover Road.

First, city leaders would have to rezone the area. Those who live near the proposed site for the complex say this vote is bigger than just the Cornerstone Neighborhood. It has the potential to affect the entire city, they say.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Merriam council OKs public art installations, hours of operation for new community center

The Merriam city council on Monday evening approved art pieces and hours of operation for the new Merriam Community Center at Vavra Park. The community center will include three pieces of art, one on the parking garage and two in the courtyard, and the hours of operation will be as follows:

Monday through Thursday: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Friday: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Overland Park planning commission advances plan for QuikTrip on Nall over homeowners’ complaints

Frustration boiled over Monday as a half dozen residents of the Nall Hills neighborhood approached the Overland Park planning commission with complaints about traffic, the flood plain, a portable toilet at Nall Park and the nearby Top Golf driving range.

The addition of a QuikTrip to the mix proved to be the final straw for some, who put in impassioned objections to the convenience store and gas station that has been requested for the northeast corner of 107th Street and Nall Avenue, in the Highlands Village development.

Leawood becomes Purple Heart city, the first in Johnson County

A group of Rotary Club members in Leawood have made a successful push to have the municipality designated as the first Purple Heart city in Johnson County.

The designation serves as a continual recognition of the 1.6 million Americans who have received a Purple Heart medal, which is awarded to members of the armed forces who are wounded or killed in action. More than 900 cities across the country have taken the step to declare themselves Purple Heart cities.

Wellington couple’s estate leaves $1.6 million to K-State College of Business Administration

A $1.6 million gift has been bestowed upon Kansas State University’s College of Business Administration.

The estate of Otis and Wanda Gilliland of Wellington donated the money which establishes the Gilliland K-State Family Scholarship. It will create match opportunities for 50 scholarships in support of students in the university’s College of Business Administration.

New gifts of $30,000 will be matched with $30,000 from the Gilliland’s contribution. In addition, $10,000 will go into an expendable scholarship fund, making $2,000 scholarships immediately available to students for up to five years. The remaining $50,000 will go into the endowment.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Ice rink at City Park officially open

The Manhattan Parks and Recreation officially opened the ice rink at City Park on Monday for the season.

Aquatics Specialist Sydni Baker spoke with KMAN saying they will kick off the season after the Veterans Day Parade.

Baker says some of the special events included an ugly sweater skate in December, skate with Santa, and even a groundhog skating event. The rink will also be offering skating lessons in January and February.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Haysville opens new dog park

Dog owners in Derby won’t have to wait for the opening of Decarsky Park next year to enjoy a nearby dog park.

The Haysville Dog Park at Dorner Park, 400 W. 79th St. S, opened up to the public on Oct. 31, featuring one fenced-in area for small dogs under 45 pounds and another for dogs of all sizes.

The dog park, which is part of the larger Dorner Park project, is open from 5 a.m. to midnight on weekdays. A memorial and dedication will be held for Dorner Park once the rest of the park is ready for the public, but the city wanted to give residents the chance to start using the dog park.

(Read more: Area | derbyinformer.com)