Kansas Municipal News
Hospital debt wiped clean; use-tax issue appears resolved
South Central Kansas Medical Center’s staff can breathe easier now that a $1,313.005 debt to the city has been officially removed from the books.
Arkansas City Commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday canceling all the hospitals debt obligations to the city for funds it borrowed in the past few years to meet bond payments and other costs.
The resolution was put into place after the city acknowledged it had kept compensating use tax revenue instead of giving it to the hospital.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)
City turns down proposal from rural electric cooperative
The Wellington City Council, during its Oct. 15 meeting, voted to deny a rural electric cooperative’s proposal for a franchise agreement with the city in which the coop would supply utilities to territory recently annexed by the city.
The property, annexed in August, is at the southeast corner of U.S. 160 and Seneca Road, lying east of the railroad. This property is platted into two lots – Lot 1, zoned for commercial use and Lot 2, zoned as heavy industrial. Verbio North America Corp. (VNA), a biofuel producer, plans to build on Lot 2, but currently, the entire property is on bare ground with no services.
The property lies entirely within the service territory of the rural utility supplier, Sumner-Cowley Electric Cooperative (SCEC).
(Read more: News – Wellington Daily News – Wellington, KS)
Manhattan to allow women to go topless, with restrictions
Women are now legally allowed to go topless in Manhattan, with some restrictions.
The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday unanimously decided to amend the city code to allow females to go topless. However, property owners and businesses may still require all patrons to wear shirts.
The Manhattan Mercury reports City Attorney Katie Jackson recommended the change to avoid potential lawsuits. She said the code could be changed again later.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Kansas Bicycle Map Photo Contest
Kansas is home to many incredible views and opportunities to see some of the greatest sunsets in the world, but have you ever seen Kansas up close while riding a bike? If you have or if you plan to in the near future, we want to see what you see when you travel Kansas on two wheels! Our first Kansas Bicycle Photo contest is currently underway, and we need to hear from you!Comprehensive Transportation Planning Manager Matthew Messina said that the best thing about biking in Kansas is that the state has plenty to offer, whether you’re a commuter, a recreational rider or even a racer.“Kansas has a wide range of terrain and scenic landscapes that help make biking fun and enjoyable every time you ride,” Messina said.
(Read more: Kansas Transportation)
Pittsburg firefighters attend specialized disaster training session
Several members of the Pittsburg Fire Department have returned from their annual training session as members of a special response team. The first responders are part of Task Force 4, which responds to natural disasters that occur in the southeast corner of Kansas.
“We did a lot of wide area search and it helps us familiarize ourselves with our GPS’s, so we can mark our way points, track victim locations, and then we did a lot of shoring,” explained firefighter Cody Hobbs. “We did some breach and break and then we did some confined space searches.”
The session took place in Salina at a location called “Crisis City.” Task force members house different types of equipment needed to respond to disasters at various fire stations throughout Southeast Kansas.
(Read more: KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com)
Rates & Financial Planning Workshop (Osawatomie) on October 23
The Kansas Department of Health Environment (KDHE) Capacity Development Program, in partnership with Wichita State Environmental Finance Center (EFC), Ranson Financial and Kansas Municipal Utilities (KMU), encourages representatives from your utility to attend an upcoming rate setting and financial planning training.The session provides participants with an understanding on major considerations when setting rates; rate structure options and pricing objectives; financial planning considerations; and strategies for communicating rate information to your board and community. The training will provide classroom instruction as well as interactive participant exercises and discussion.
Lawrence City Commission approves density bonus that allows lots to be divided for affordable housing projects
City leaders have approved a proposal that allows two houses to be built on one lot as long as both homes are affordable.
As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to approve a text amendment to the city’s land development code that codifies the so-called density bonus. In response to concerns that the Brook Creek Neighborhood brought to the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission in August, the amendment states that only lots of a certain size can be divided for such purposes and a permit will be required for the smallest lots.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Gove County District Court Finds GMD 4 LEMA Constitutional
A district court in western Kansas has ruled that the chief engineer of the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Water Resources acted properly in approving a water management tool proposed by the Northwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 4 (GMD 4) to aid in local conservation efforts to extend the life of the Ogallala Aquifer. On October 15, 2019, the Gove County District Court upheld the adoption of a Local Enhanced Management Area (LEMA) in much of the district.
The case, Friesen v. Barfield, was filed under the Kansas Judicial Review Act after two public hearings were held by Chief Engineer David Barfield who then approved adoption of the LEMA. The case was brought by multiple petitioners who are required under the LEMA plan to reduce the amount of groundwater withdrawn over the next five years. Petitioners challenged whether the reductions in water use can be made without those cuts being based on priority (date the water right was approved) and generally challenged the lawfulness of any cuts or use of a LEMA.
(Read more: Rural Messenger)
Sedgwick County gives additional $2.6 million for jail to address uptick in violent offenders
Violent crime in the past couple of years has overloaded the Sedgwick County Jail and put the inmate population at its highest in a decade.
To help remedy the problem, Sedgwick County Commissioners on Wednesday approved a $2.6 million injection into the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office budget to sustain the jail through 2019. Sheriff Jeff Easter said the department has been paying to keep roughly 200 inmates out of county at any given time. He said the renovations at the jail, expected to be completed March 2020, would add 63 beds.
Easter said 70% of inmates have an addiction problem, with methamphetamine being the largest problem.
(Read more: Local News |)
Statistics no way to ‘rate’ city’s police departments
Sexual battery and many other intimidation crimes are not listed in Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s annual crime index — an omission that law enforcement in Marion County say makes it difficult to get an accurate picture of crime in their towns.
“There are certain things I wish were in there that aren’t,” said Hillsboro police chief Dan Kinning. “I wish things like simple battery and that showed up, especially if they’re domestic violence.”
KBI issues a separate report for sexual battery and other crimes not listed in its annual index — but the report only includes statistics for the entire state, not for its communities.
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)
Garden City mayor, manager reflect on past year
Garden City Mayor Dan Fankhauser and City Manager Matt Allen spoke before Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce members Wednesday morning, reflecting on the city’s recent accomplishments and plans for the future. Fankhauser reviewed the past year in and around Garden City, from the fire that damaged the Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Holcomb and city staff’s preparations ahead of the 2020 census. Two longtime city staff members retired from the city this year …
(Read more: News – The Garden City Telegram)
Commissioners consider bike path agreement
The Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners was expected to approve the Hike and Bike path between Mulvane and Derby at its Wednesday meeting, which came after press time Monday.
The agreement requires the county to provide about $57,000 for the pathway, which represents a third of the local funding. The bulk of funding was covered by federal dollars through the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WAMPO).The project has been bid out to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).
(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)
Derby historical landmarks make their debut
An official ribbon cutting on Wednesday in front of the Derby Historical Museum marked the unveiling of seven historical landmark displays in Derby. The landmarks are a part of the 150-year sesquicentennial celebration going on this year.
The landmarks are displayed on or near areas in Derby that have historic meaning to the community and commemorate Derby’s origin as a farming town that valued family and faith.One landmark in Garrett Park tells the story of Alexander and Margaret Garrett, Derby’s first settlers. Most all of the landmarks, including the Garrett marker, use photos, text and locator maps to tell the story of Derby in its early years.
(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)
City of Hays hires new assistant city manager
Collin Bielser has been appointed as the new assistant city manager for the City of Hays, City Manager Toby Dougherty announced in a news release Wednesday.
Bielser was selected for the position out of 100 candidates after a lengthy and extensive national search. He will assume his duties Jan. 6.
Bielser comes to the City of Hays from Fairbury, Neb., where he has served as the city administrator since July 2015. Prior to Fairbury, Bielser worked for the City of Baldwin City and the City of Eudora. He is a native Kansan, growing up in Colby.
Bielser graduated from the University of Kansas with a master’s degree in public administration and a master’s urban planning.
(Read more: Hays Post)
Extreme floods unearth ancient bear skull in south-central Kansas
A mid-August kayak trip down the Arkansas River in south-central Kansas took a fascinating turn for sisters Ashley and Erin Watt when they happened upon a massive skull protruding from a sandbar. It was partially buried nose down, but they immediately knew the shape was unique. When they pulled it from the sand and saw the large teeth of a carnivore, they knew they had something special.
With a little research, Ashley and Erin determined they had likely found a bear skull. They shared their exciting discovery in a Facebook post, which caught the eyes of local Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) game warden Chris Stout. Stout shared the photos with colleagues, and they eventually reached Sternberg Museum of Natural History paleontologists Dr. Reese Barrick and Mike Everhart who provided insight into the significance of the finding.
While Barrick and Everhart quickly verified the sisters’ suspicions that this was a bear skull, the large size – approximately 16 inches long by 8.5 inches wide – and fossilized appearance left them questioning whether this was a modern grizzly or a more primitive species from the past. The skull is believed to have been deposited into the Ark River sands – an excellent substrate for preservation – and maintained there until it was displaced by this year’s historic floods.
(Read more: Hays Post)
Smith-Hanes: Saline County was ‘right opportunity at the right time’
After serving as the Ellis County administrator for more than three years and helping to guide the county through several major projects, Phillip Smith-Hanes has been named the Saline County administrator.
Smith-Hanes, who was hired in December 2015 and began working in Ellis County in March 2016, said Tuesday he is excited for the opportunity.
“It’s a larger community closer to where I grew up, but I’m sad to be leaving Ellis County,” said Smith-Hanes, who grew up in Marion County. “Ellis County’s been very good to me.
“I wasn’t out there looking for a new job,” he added. “This is just something that popped up that was kind of the right opportunity at the right time.”
(Read more: Hays Post)
City of Hugoton receives Centennial Award from KMEA and Gary Rowden is awarded Distinguished Service Award
The City of Hugoton was recognized for 100 years of providing a quality electric service to their community. The City was presented with the Centennial Award from the Kansas Municipal
Energy Agency at their annual awards banquet October 3, 2019 in Wichita.
The Centennial Award is given out each year to honor Community Visionaries who founded the City’s Electric Utility.Kansas Municipal Energy Agency is a member driven joint action agency with the mission of providing municipal utilities reliable and economical energy to serve their communities.
Hugoton was represented by Gary Rowden, Electric System Supervisor who accepted the award.
The City of Hugoton is a member of KMEA. Hugoton, in Stevens County in Southwest Kansas, has a population of approximately 3,900.
(Read more: Hugoton Hermes News)
Commissioners approve $2.6 million to Sheriff’s Office
The Sedgwick County Detention Center has a problem that finally reached a financial breaking point. The Sheriff’s office said the costs to operate the facility reached new highs that couldn’t be sustained under the current budget.
“This is a spike, this is not a normal trend we’ve been seeing,” Sheriff Jeff Easter said. “Crime in general is up because of methamphetamine. That drives those folks to commit those crimes.”
Commissioners approved an additional $2.6 million to help fund the department, because Easter’s deputies are overseeing the welfare of a lot more inmates now.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Wellington chef going for world cooking prize
Self-proclaimed foodie Mike Castaneda is going to represent Kansas and Wellington this week in the Food World Championship in Dallas.
Castaneda is one of three Kansans who qualified for the competition. One of those competitors is his brother-in-law Steve Madrigal, who runs Pop’s Catering in Wichita.
The food category they will have to cook in is seafood — not Castaneda’s primary style of cooking, but he feels confident about it.
If he wins first place in the seafood category, Castaneda will win $10,000 and advance to the “final table” in which he will prepare his own dish. The top prize is $100,000.
(Read more: Leavenworth Times)
Firm to help find Hutch’s next city manager
The search for a search firm to help the Hutchinson City Council search for the next city manager has ended.
The council chose Strategic Government Resources, with offices throughout the country, after inviting six firms to submit a proposal. The service contract cost is not to exceed $26,500.
City Manager John Deardoff announced this summer he plans to retire in spring 2020. The city’s goal is to have the next city manager hired by March 1.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)