Kansas Municipal News
Volunteers in Policing program aims to make Wichita riverfront friendlier
“I wanted to help them make this community safe,” said Pat Brown, one of nearly a dozen volunteers helping police in a new citizens patrol program.
It’s a pilot program the city rolled out Wednesday afternoon. The Volunteers in Policing participants will act as the eyes and ears of the police department.
While they work with police, they are not police officers. They’re limited to calling for help when needed.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Sedgwick County Bans Large-scale Commercial Wind Farms
Large-scale commercial wind farms won’t be built in Sedgwick County.
County commissioners voted Wednesday to update the county’s comprehensive plan and zoning code with specific policies for renewable energy systems. The new regulations prohibit wind facilities and allow solar array systems.
Dave Yearout with the Wichita-Sedgwick County Planning Department says existing rural development and numerous airports and landing strips leave no viable space in the county for a commercial wind facility.
(Read more: RSS Feed)
Third wind farm lawsuit filed
Opponents of the proposed Expedition Wind Farm filed a lawsuit against Marion County commissioners Aug. 14 appealing the commission’s approval of a conditional use permit for the project.
The lawsuit, filed by Peabody farmer Randy Eitzen and 72 other opponents, claims approval of the permit “was unreasonable and therefore void.”
Three plaintiffs own land in the county but reside elsewhere. Five live in the county but outside the vicinity of the proposed wind farm.
(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)
Dodge City Depot Theater Company put on hold
A theater company in Dodge City announced it has run out of funds, putting their employees out of work and the productions on pause.
“They came in and basically told everyone to pack up their stuff and they were officially let go,” said laid off company member Lauren Cossman.
On Monday, the Depot Theater Company’s board announced the changes on Facebook.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
How a 276-person town in Kansas is turning an empty school into a business incubator
The residents of Hanston, Kansas, decided to try something new after school consolidation.
…
Jeff Holste loves his commute.Every day he drives a quiet road to a high school building in Hanston, a small city in western Kansas surrounded by farm fields in all directions. He climbs the stairs to a former English classroom and opens his computer. He never has to wonder about traffic.
Holste works remotely for a national engineering firm, an arrangement that allows him to raise his kids in the rural farming and hunting community where his wife grew up.
“From here, I can be connected to everywhere in the company,” said Holste, whose young family moved from Colorado Springs, Colorado, several years ago.
Read more: USA Today.
Hanover to celebrate 150th
Hanover’s 150th is this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23-24. The event begins at 6 p.m. on Friday with a beer mile run. A backyard grill out will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Main Street, and a hot dog eating contest will be at 7:30 p.m. An ice cream social will begin at 8 p.m., and there will be DJ music from 6 to 11 p.m.
Source: Washington County News.
KDHE deems Nortonville water clear
The boil water advisory for Nortonville has rescinded, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Tuesday morning.
Laboratory testing samples collected from the city of Nortonville indicated there is no evidence of bacterial contamination and all other conditions that placed the system at risk of contamination have been deemed resolved by KDHE officials.
(Read more: Atchison Globe Now)
Franklin County considers $375K in building repairs
Franklin County commissioners heard proposals to repair several buildings during its Monday study session.
Brandon Sands, maintenance director, laid out plans to fix several items in the historic courthouse, the jail roof and the HVAC system in the district court building. Estimated cost for these items would be around $375,000.
“We talked on several occasions about where our reserve balances are at and our capability to take on some of the projects that are past due,” said Derek Brown, county administrator and counselor. “What we have done is come up with a tentative recommendation to the board. We know we can afford it on an appropriate time line.”
(Read more: andoveramerican.com)
1,040 Kansans ignore school bus stop signs in 1 day
Kansas education officials are expressing concern that many motorists are ignoring a state law that requires them to stop when approaching a stopped school bus that is loading or unloading children.
A recent survey found 1,040 motorists illegally passed school buses in Kansas during a one-day test in April, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported. The survey included only three-fourths of the state’s school districts so the number of violations is likely higher.
Education officials are expected to make recommendations during the next legislative session on ways to reduce the number of school bus violations.
(Read more: Area | derbyinformer.com)
Barton County surplus property sale set for Thursday
Looking to find a deal on automobiles, shop equipment, office equipment and more? Then be sure to attend the Barton County surplus sale and public auction this Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at the county shop at 7th and Morphy in Great Bend. The county will be selling surplus equipment, abandoned and seized vehicles and more at the annual sale.
There will be eleven vehicles on the sale block, many that were seized during drug busts over the past year. The vehicles include a 1994 Chevrolet Cheyenne pickup, a 2006 Cadillac CTS, a 2007 Suzuki GSX R600, a 2001 Toyota Camry, a 1999 Buick Park Ave, a 2002 Saturn S Series, a 1999 GMC Jimmy, a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am, a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am, a 2003 Honda Accord, a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado and a Motovox minibike.
(Read more: Great Bend Post)
Hays First Care Clinic, Sheridan County to share in $1M grant to Kansas health centers
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies – today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is awarding $1,259,650 in Quality Improvement Awards to 18 health centers in Kansas. Funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Kansas health centers will use these awards to improve the quality, efficiency and value of the health care they provide.
(Read more: Hays Post)
Reno County Commission discusses county administrator search
The Reno County Commission is still waiting on one search firm to present a proposal to the county for help in finding a replacement for County Administrator Gary Meagher. Meagher announced earlier this summer that he plans to retire later this year.
Meagher told the commission that the deadline is Wednesday. He expects it to come before the commission for consideration next week.
(Read more: Hutch Post)
Hays USD 489’s $52 million budget includes increase in state money
The Hays USD 489 school board approved its 2020 budget Monday night after a brief budget hearing.
The $52 million budget is up from last school year’s budget, which was $43.9 million. The budget includes an increase in state funding and a slight decrease in the mill levy, which Keith Hall, interim director of finance, attributed to an increase in the district’s assessed valuation.
The total mill levy for 2019-20 will be 42.116 mills, which is down from last year’s 42.792 mills. The capital outlay mill levy remains at 8 mills.
(Read more: Hays Post)
KCP&L and Westar Energy will launch a customer education campaign
There will be an effort by KCP&L and Westar Energy to introduce the new brand name for the company, Evergy.
The campaign will highlight the utility’s continued focus on communities it serves, which include Junction City and Manhattan.
Westar Energy and KCP&L merged in June of 2018 to form the parent company, Evergy. Initially the advertising in the campaign will let customers know when the name change is coming, and will also communicate when it becomes effective in October.
(Read more: Junction City Post)
Kansas adds jobs, sees unemployment rate dip to 3.3% in July
Kansas is reporting that it added private-sector jobs in July and saw its unemployment rate drop slightly to 3.3%.
The state Department of Labor says the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate last month declined from 3.4% in June and was the same as the 3.3% recorded in July 2018. The state’s unemployment rate has been below 4% since January 2017.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Kansas schools, including metro districts, get $5 million in grants to upgrade security
Several area school districts will be a little more prepared for an active shooter this year.
The Kansas State Department of Education doled out $5 million in grants for schools to make safety improvements. School districts were eligible for up to $19.24 per student in matching grants for installing security systems or for securing classroom doors, windows or entrances.
Blue Valley Schools already had taken steps to secure its front doors, but teachers told staff they were worried having to step into the hall to lock classroom doors could put them in harms way.
(Read more: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF)
A leaky situation for Great Bend
During the Administrator’s Update at Monday’s Great Bend City Council meeting, City Administrator Kendal Francis addressed water leaks that have been occurring throughout town and were gaining some popularity on social media.
Francis noted he has been aware of the leaks, especially ones just south of 24th Street, since October 2018. At that time, there were approximately 60 reported leaks, a number that has since grown.
“We dedicated a couple of crews to addressing the water leaks, but a couple of those senior employees were terminated,” said Francis. “We lost some of the staff and capabilities to fix leaks in a timely fashion.”
(Read more: Great Bend Post)
USD 309 bond issue tax impact revealed
The owner of a $100,000 home in Nickerson-South Hutchinson USD 309 would pay an additional $232.88 in annual property taxes to support a school bond issue.
The $29.9-million, 25-year bond issue will go to voters in the Nov. 5 general election. The school district includes the cities of Nickerson, South Hutchinson, Willowbrook, and The Highlands, as well as the western edge of Hutchinson and rural areas.
School board members recently received a report on the additional property tax impact from the estimated 20.25 mill levy increase that would be triggered by the passage of the bond issue.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
KDOT reintroduces bridge improvement program
KDOT has reintroduced its Kansas Local Bridge Improvement program.
Through the iniative, if a bridge meets the department’s criteria, it can qualify to be renovated by funds with the grant. Some of qualifications for the grant are that bridge must see 100 vehicles or less a day and the bridge must range between 20 to 50 feet in the length.
Crawford County applied for the grant back in 2014 and received some funding. So, this time around, county leaders plan on doing the same in the hopes to keep area roadways in good condition.
(Read more: KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com)
City officials address concerns regarding proposed new flag
Topeka city officials are responding to concerns raised regarding the proposed new city flag. Officials plan to ask the city’s mayor and council in coming weeks to consider adopting it, city manager Brent Trout said Tuesday.
City officials have been working to explain to “those that are doubters” that the new flag has the same purpose as the old one, Trout said Tuesday at his monthly news conference with Mayor Michelle De La Isla.
When asked if those doubters include city council members, Trout said that while he didn’t know if he would call them “doubters,” some council members have asked questions about the proposed change.
(Read more: Local Government – The Topeka Capital-Journal)