Overland Park intends to improve the water quality in its lakes, including Regency Lake in the city’s southern half this year, by dredging sediment from the lake floors. But city staff warn the process is likely to be disruptive — and probably a little stinky — for residents who live near the lake.
Source: Johnson County Post
The rehabilitation of World War II-era housing could lead to more affordable options near Panasonic’s 4,000-job electric-vehicle battery plant in De Soto. Wheatland Investments Group submitted an application to the city to create a Kansas Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) covering the Clearview Village apartment complex at 36000 W 103rd St. Clearview Village, formerly known as Sunflower Village, was built in 1943 to meet the housing needs of military members working at the Sunflower Army Ammunition plant. The housing complex sits across from Panasonic’s $4 billion, 4.7-million-square-foot plant on the opposite side of 103rd Street. The ammunition plant was decommissioned in 1992, but the housing development remained. In 2014, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places to tap historic tax credits. According to the RHID application, roughly 9% of De Soto’s almost 6,500 residents live at Clearview. The developer plans to renovate 242 existing apartments and build 99 new units. The project is estimated to cost $55 million, including about $24 million in infrastructure upgrades. An RHID allows a city to steer property tax gains created by a new development to pay for eligible infrastructure improvements. At Clearview, those improvements would include: Repairing and replacing storm and sanitary sewers, Replacing water lines, Installing fire hydrants, Adding a water connection point on Sunflower, and Road Resurfacing and repairing streets in the project site. The proposed RHID is expected to generate approximately $13.7 million over a 25-year term. In May, the project was awarded a 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit from Kansas Housing Resources Corp. After the renovation, all units in the complex will be converted to affordable housing, with rents earmarked for tenants earning between 30% to 80% of the average median income. A lagoon system is being used for sewer treatment for Clearview residents. In July, the city approved a request from Sunflower Redevelopment Group to create a special benefit district to install a new sewer line to serve the former Sunflower Army Ammunition plant property, now known as Astra Enterprise Park. The $10.6 million line will stretch about 2.8 miles from north of 95th Street southwest toward Astra Parkway and will be paid for using a special assessment levied against property owners in the district. A $60,000 special assessment would be levied against the Clearview property annually to pay for the new sewer line. If the new sewer line is not installed by the time the first new Clearview apartment is complete, the developer wants the city to approve plans for a new wastewater lagoon to be used at the site for three years before tying into the wastewater system. The City Council has not yet set a date to vote on Wheatland’s incentive application. If plans are approved, the developer would begin work in January, with construction expected to wrap up by June 2027. The renovation of Clearview is intended to help ease the demand for additional housing in De Soto. Panasonic plans to begin producing lithium ion batteries at the plant in the first quarter of 2025. At full capacity, the Japanese manufacturer aims to operate on a 24/7 schedule, with employees working in four 12-hour shifts. In March, H&T Recharge announced plans to install four automated battery can production lines within the Panasonic plant, which will create 100 additional jobs.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
With buildings in disrepair and estimated construction costs mounting, Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools officials are putting forward a $180 million bond issue to finance school rebuilds that voters may consider Nov. 5. The seven-member elected school board voted 6-0 Tuesday to advance a proposed investment in aging buildings that district leaders say is long overdue. In dollars and cents, the new proposal is less than half of the more ambitious plan that voters widely rejected during a single-issue special election three months ago. And district leaders say its passage would not increase the tax rate, a major sticking point during the last round. Potential projects under the revised plan include Central and Argentine middle schools. Each could be razed and built new at a combined estimated cost of $132.7 million. Elementary schools Silver City and Noble Prentis could be knocked down and built as one for an estimated $38 million. Also proposed is a $7 million addition for classroom space at Sumner Academy of Arts and Science. In May, Kansas City, Kansans voted 58% to 42% to reject a larger bond issue that would have invested $420 million toward building five new schools along with millions in other expansions and maintenance needs. Roughly 8% of registered voters cast ballots. Proponents highlighted the needs around the district, where some students take daily classes in outdoor trailers, and climate control is a challenge in the older buildings. The proposal faced opposition from residents concerned with the effect the bond issue would have on property taxes. Emily Curiel ecuriel@kcstar.com After a return to the drawing board, district leaders developed two alternative plans and started shopping them in recent weeks. The $180 million option, which officials say should not increase the tax rate, was offered alongside a costlier one with a gentler increase than the initial proposal. During the public meeting Tuesday, Wanda Brownlee Paige, a board member and opponent to the earlier and costlier option, said she believes the smaller capital plan is “reasonable.” “We have to consider that people are struggling, and it doesn’t mean that they don’t care,” said Paige, who last week won a Democratic primary to be an incoming Kansas House representative next year. “I think everybody in this room wants better schools, wants better things. But those of us who live in this city, who pay taxes, they’re killing us, and there’s not a lot of options.” Rachel Russell, a board member since 2022, said the building of newer and better schools is one way the community can attract more residents to live in Kansas City, Kansas and widen the tax base. “Regardless of where you stand, I have no doubt that people in KCK care about our schools, care about our kids,” Russell said, adding: “I understand that we want to take care of folks who are already here, but the biggest investment that we can also make for the people who live here is also creating a community where other people want to be a part of as well.” The push for a bond to pass comes as construction costs are projected to rise and some board members have questioned what level of support the state will provide for capital projects in the future. For example, the rebuilds of Central and Argentine have already increased by roughly 7% in a scenario where the bond issue is approved in November, according to the district’s figures. The state’s responsibility for repaying bonds issued for the project would amount to roughly 31% of cost. The step is not the last before the question ends up on the November ballot. Over the coming weeks, the district faces a series of deadlines for publication of legally required notices, approval from the state’s education department and submission of documents to the county clerk. All questions appearing on the ballot must be submitted to the Wyandotte County Election Office by Sept. 3.
Source: KC Star Local News
The debate over paid parking coming to downtown Wichita is intensifying. Some business owners and members of the public are left with questions. The exact cost is still unknown, but Wichita City Council member Brandon Johnson said he believes it will start at 75 cents an hour. Others said their frustration wasn’t about feeding the meter but how the city announced it on Saturday in a social media post with very few details. Russell Arben Fox, a professor at Friends University, said his frustration came from the lack of critical details. “The fact they rolled this out with a lot of those specifics as yet undetermined was really unfortunate,” said Arben Fox. He added, “If people have to plan for a change in how they run their business, in how they arrange their commutes, all sorts of things like that, they want to have some specifics.” Arben Fox said Wichita’s assistant manager was apologetic in Thursday’s meeting. He believes it is important for people to get on the same page. “Despite all the noise and the fury, there’s actually some really productive conversations going on, and I was happy to be a part of one today,” he said. Ray Uriarte, who owns a barbershop in Delano, said employees will have to deal with paying to park during long shifts but welcomes the change if it improves the city. “This area is definitely growing a lot. I feel like with the city growing and downtown getting more people here, it’s going to end up happening,” he said. Johnson said he welcomes the feedback. “Most of us were expecting some form of questions, some push-back, some engagement question. I’m personally excited to see so many people care about it, and I’m hoping that we see attendance at the coming meetings pretty high,” he said. The next and final meeting is Aug. 26 at 10 a.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building. Wichita City Council will bring the topic back around for discussion on the agenda in early September.
Source: KSN-TV
Kansas will pay $50,000 to settle a federal anti-discrimination lawsuit filed by a former state Highway Patrol employee who claimed to have been fired for coming out as transgender. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and eight leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature unanimously approved the settlement during a brief online video conference Thursday. The state attorney general’s office pursued the settlement in defending the Highway Patrol, but any agreement it reaches also must be approved by the governor and top lawmakers. Kelly and the legislators didn’t publicly discuss the settlement, and the amount wasn’t disclosed until the state released their formal resolution approving the settlement nearly four hours after their meeting. Kelly’s office and the offices of Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins did not respond to emails seeking comment after the meeting. The former employee’s attorney declined to discuss the settlement before state officials met Thursday and did not return a telephone message seeking comment afterward. The lawsuit did not specify the amount sought, but said it was seeking damages for lost wages, suffering, emotional pain and “loss of enjoyment of life.” The ex-employee was a buildings and grounds manager in the patrol’s Topeka headquarters and sued after being fired in June 2022. The patrol said the ex-employee had been accused of sexual harassment and wasn’t cooperative enough with an internal investigation. The lawsuit alleged that reason was a pretext for terminating a transgender worker. The settlement came four months after U.S. District Judge John Broomes rejected the state’s request to dismiss the lawsuit before a trial. Broomes ruled there are “genuine issues of material fact” for a jury to settle.
Source: KSN-TV
Leaders from 15 Sedgwick County communities met in Wichita to tackle property tax relief. Wednesday’s meeting was only an informational meeting for leaders. No decision or action was taken. The idea is to create an eighth, quarter, or half-cent county sales tax to decrease property taxes. Community leaders want relief for property owners without cutting funding for public programs like the zoo and the arts. Sedgwick County Commissioner Ryan Baty believes a county-wide sales tax is the answer. “We could see an $8, $10, $12 million property tax reduction if we use a quarter-cent or half-cent sales tax,” said Baty. Baty is only on board if revenue from the added sales tax goes directly toward cutting property taxes. He believes most leaders at the meeting are on the same page. “The mood in the room, if we can do it together, let’s give it a shot. I think everyone, all the cities, including the country, are experiencing the same challenges. The cost of government is increasing,” said Baty. That looks different for every city in the country. Ashley Velazquez, Kechi’s mayor, said they use their sales tax to fund a city project. She wants community feedback before making a change. “Figure out language and how that would affect residents before we truly decide if substituting a mill levy is really beneficial for our residents,” said Velazquez. Wichita resident Chris Pumpelly is opposed to raising the sales tax but said it could be the right move. “Raising taxes is a bitter pill, but investing in ourselves is a long-term strategy that our kids and grandkids are going to thank us for,” said Pumpelly. Commissioner Baty plans to get public input, but dates and times for that are not yet decided.
Any change would have to go up for a public vote before being implemented.
Source: KSN-TV
A common goal of improving health in rural areas is bringing together leaders from higher education and medical providers. The Community Health Worker Project at Kansas State University focuses on sustaining the health and safety of rural Kansans and people working in agriculture. The project is meant to serve as a gateway to help rural residents manage chronic conditions, prevent injuries and reduce risks of getting sick. “A community health worker who understands the hard work that has to be done if you’re on a ranch or farm, having to look at the equipment maintenance, having to look at some of the -you’ve got to be seasonally ready, especially if you’re doing crop production,” said Elaine Johannes. The goal is to expand the project into 16 counties.
Source: KSN-TV
Another severe overnight storm left a couple in Soldier without a roof. Ron Youngs said he and his partner Pamela Powell were waiting out the weather at a friend’s house. They said it’s a good thing they weren’t at home. “I went around town to see if there was tree limbs down in the intersections,” Youngs said, “or if there was anybody who might need some help. And after I made my rounds and came home, I realized the entire roof of my house was laying in my driveway.” The couple took shelter with Thomas Cott and his wife. Cott said when Youngs called to tell him about the damage he went to help right away. “Me and my wife and another one of our friends come down here,” Cott said. “We was here until midnight or 12:30 moving all of their personal belongings out of the front of the house.” Cott told 27 News he even took off work the next day to help pick up. When asked what made him take the time to help, Cott said Youngs would do the same. “He’s my friend,” Cott said. “If it happened at my house I’m pretty confident he’d be there to help me as well.” Youngs said he appreciates any support the community can provide. The couple said Dennison State Bank set up a relief fund in Powell’s name. The bank can be contacted directly for monetary donations. Youngs also says they’ll provide information on the Holton community Facebook page about other ways people can help.
Source: KSNT 27 News
A Topeka park is the only Kansas park to be listed in a recent HGTV article. HGTV recently came out with a story naming the best public parks, gardens and nature centers in the United States. The HGTV story “50 States of Public Parks, Gardens, Arboretums and Nature Centers” highlights parks with the top green spaces that are free and open to the public and also have activities for families. Gage Park in Topeka is the only park in the Sunflower State to be recognized on this list. The article highlights the variety of sights and activities that Gage Park has to offer. Some key spaces of the park that are mentioned are the Reinisch Rose Garden, dog park, volleyball courts, tennis court and ball field. The Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center, Kansas Children’s Discovery Center, Gage Park mini-train and carousel rides are also mentioned as family-friendly activities that are in or near the park. To read the article and see what other U.S. parks are mentioned, click here.
Source: KSNT 27 News
The Riley County Police Department (RCPD) said the City of Randolph was the victim of a scam after being defrauded out of $40,000. On Tuesday, Aug. 13 RCPD was called to report fraud in the 300 block of Stockdale Drive in Randolph. The city was listed as the victim after a suspect posed as a consulting group and defrauded the city, according to a daily report from the RCPD. If you have information on the thefts you can contact Crime Stoppers. Using Crime Stoppers you can remain anonymous and qualify for a $1,000 cash reward. 27 News reached out to the city for comment but was redirected to the RCPD due to it being an active investigation.
Source: KSNT 27 News
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