Marion County pushes ahead with administrator

15 Thursday, December 15

Marion County pushes ahead with administrator

info2022-12-15T08:06:19-06:00December 15th, 2022|

Despite lengthy discussion of whether the public had had enough opportunity to weigh in on the subject, county commissioners cast a split vote Monday to create a county administrator position. ... The resolution does not specify a salary. Compensation is to be set out in an employment contract. The county has for several years budgeted $125,000 for an administrator and office staff. ... Commissioners don’t yet have a timeline for hiring an administrator. Mueller said the first step would be to decide how to conduct the search. Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal

15 Thursday, December 15

Newton considering changing government

info2022-12-15T08:08:55-06:00December 15th, 2022|

Residents should soon expect a survey asking them how exactly they want to structure their city government. In October, the city held a work session discussing making the mayor position a separately elected office. Tuesday, they circled back to the topic, as staff asked for more direction on the subject.... Currently, the top vote-getter in an election serves first as vice mayor for one year and then mayor for the next year in Newton. This isn’t in law as much as it is observed in practice. Technically, the mayor position is nominated by members of the commission and then voted on [...]

15 Thursday, December 15

Hesston approves $6 million in IRBs for AGCO improvements

info2022-12-15T08:09:10-06:00December 15th, 2022|

Hesston City Council on Monday approved the issuance of $5.8 million in industrial revenue bonds for AGCO Corp. AGCO approached the city in 2021 with a request for support in the planned purchasing and equipping of improvements to its manufacturing facilities over give years. The city held a public hearing in June 2021 on the issuance of $72.8 million in IRBs and a tax abatement. The city issued $22.6 million in IRBs in 2021. The city has issued more than $242 million in IRBs for AGCO since 2001. Source: Harvey County Now

15 Thursday, December 15

Westfall looks back on his 16 years in office as county commissioner

info2022-12-15T00:42:47-06:00December 15th, 2022|

George “Chip” Westfall offered sage advice for anyone who might be considering a run for local office. “Always listen,” he said. “You don’t have to discuss it in detail with them.” Westfall, who decided not to run again after serving four terms as a Harvey County commissioner, said it was hard to discuss an issue in detail with someone who appeared before commissioners. He said he tried to be friendly when he ran into somebody again because there’s no reason to be offensive. “You don’t have to become enemies and a lot of people think that you are,” he said. “Be [...]

15 Thursday, December 15

Without enough drivers, Olathe schools to cancel certain bus routes on ‘blackout’ days

info2022-12-15T00:41:19-06:00December 15th, 2022|

Without enough bus drivers, the Olathe school district next month will begin eliminating routes on “blackout days,” requiring families to find alternative transportation on those days. The district has previously warned families that its bus driver shortage has reached an “all-time high.” Last week, officials said there is a “substantial waitlist of families unable to receive transportation, as well as several buses that regularly arrive up to 30 minutes late for pick up/drop off, impacting instructional time.” Source: KC Star Local News

15 Thursday, December 15

City, county finally finalize tax rebate plan

info2022-12-15T08:24:04-06:00December 15th, 2022|

After weeks of discussion, Allen County commissioners signed on to Iola’s Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. The county will keep its tiered rebate reimbursement plan, while the three other participating entities will change theirs. That was a point of contention week after week, starting when Gregg Hutton, codes enforcement officer for Iola, asked for the change. The city’s hope is to boost housing construction by offering a full, 100% rebate for 10 years. The program works by rebating property taxes for homeowners who make improvements; the rebate applies only to the amount of taxes that were added because of those improvements. All participating [...]

15 Thursday, December 15

New ‘downtown’ Park City expected to get off the ground in 2023

info2022-12-15T08:27:44-06:00December 15th, 2022|

Spurred by recent economic development growth in the area, a years-long effort to build a downtown district in Park City is expected to get off the ground in 2023 ... city officials say [it] will serve as a vibrant city center on 48 acres of city-owned land near the southeast corner of 61st Street and Hydraulic Avenue. Called Park Centre, the project includes initial plans for a central park, a 416-unit apartment complex, an 89-unit townhome complex, and 96,000 square feet of commercial space available for lease. Source: Wichita Business Journal

14 Wednesday, December 14

Law enforcement ‘taking a beating’, Emporia chief says

info2022-12-14T13:36:13-06:00December 14th, 2022|

Emporia’s Police Chief says law enforcement “has been taking a beating” over the last few years, but he’s “proud” to see new officers willing to serve. Ed Owens gave the keynote speech Friday at a commencement ceremony for the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Lawrence. “The resilience of young people like we have today — it’s refreshing to me, my administration and everyone’s across the state and nation,“ Owens told a class of Basic Training graduates at the University of Kansas. Source: Emporia Gazette

14 Wednesday, December 14

Fed raises interest rates half a point to highest level in 15 years

info2022-12-14T13:35:25-06:00December 14th, 2022|

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate to the highest level in 15 years, indicating that the fight against inflation is not over yet despite some promising signs lately. Keeping with expectations, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee voted to boost the overnight borrowing rate half a percentage point, taking it to a targeted range between 4.25% and 4.5%. The increase broke a string of four straight three-quarter point hikes, the most aggressive policy moves since the early 1980s. Along with the increase came an indication that officials expect to keep rates higher through next year, with no [...]

14 Wednesday, December 14

Kansas share of federal broadband cash in jeopardy because of ‘grossly inadequate’ map

info2022-12-14T13:34:15-06:00December 14th, 2022|

Kansas officials worry the state will lose part of its share of a $42.5 billion federal investment in broadband expansion because the Federal Communications Commission commissioned a “grossly inadequate” map of existing services. The map, released in late November, shows broadband is available everywhere in Kansas. The state faces a Jan. 13 deadline to challenge the map by encouraging residents to self-report discrepancies with it. The federal broadband investment is part of the massive infrastructure package Congress passed last year. Grant money will be allocated to states based on the need for broadband services. Staff members from the state broadband office explained [...]