Edgerton will soon partner with Johnson County Fire District No.1 to develop a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan to be used in case of a major disaster. Trig Morley, FD No.1 battalion chief, said the formalization of an emergency preparedness plan will put the community in a better position to deal with major emergencies and serves as an important tool in the recovery process. Morley said at the March 14 council meeting that the comprehensive plan is geared towards dealing with all kinds of emergencies including floods, tornadoes and even disease outbreaks and epidemics. “It’s an all-hazards approach,” he said. (Read more: [...]

Steve Shute, Gardner mayor, shelved plans to name his preferred choice for city administrator during the March 18 meeting and instead said the meeting would adjourn to an executive session where contract negotiations would be discussed. Shute said that on advice of counsel he had decided it would be unfair to the candidates to name one of them ahead of contract negotiations. Information will be forthcoming. During a March 11 ‘meet and greet’ reception with the three finalists for the city’s top job, Shute had indicated he would make his choice of candidate in open session during the March 18 meeting [...]

Gardner Disposal Service will continue providing trash service to residents of Edgerton after the Edgerton City Council renewed a $128,000 contract with the company. The company’s $15 per dwelling per month bid was the lowest. City regulations call for the city to pay 50 percent of the cost per dwelling reducing the cost to $7.50 for residents. Two other companies- Republic and Waste Management- also bid for the business. Scott Peterson, assistant city administrator, told the council that the city has been satisfied with the service offered by Gardner Disposal. “We already work with them, and we have a great relationship,” [...]

Gardner is considering applying for a state grant to fund repairs and maintenance of Highway 56 between Sycamore street and Moonlight Road. Michael Kramer, public works director, told the city council during a meeting March 4 that the road qualifies for Kansas Department of Transportation funding up to $1 million a year with a 10 percent matching contribution by the city. Kramer said the road is maintained by the state including snow removal but added there could be additional funding from the state through the proposed funding mechanism. He said that funds for any such matching grant have not been budgeted [...]

The start of 2019 appears to be as fast-paced as 2018. The Water District continues to move forward with projects in 2019, that were identified in previous years, that hopefully will provide water service to areas without service. The District serves urban and residential areas in southwest Johnson County, northwest Miami County, and areas along the Johnson/Douglas County line. The District continues to experience commercial growth in its service area primarily within the Logistics Park Kansas City (LPKC) in Edgerton, KS; however, it also experienced the addition of an apartment complex (Blackhawk Apartments) in Spring Hill, KS. The residential growth was [...]

Downtown Edgerton will soon boast a new gathering place for residents if plans outlined by Don Roberts, mayor, during his state of the city address come to fruition. During his address on Feb. 21, Roberts said that downtown Edgerton holds a special place in his heart and that the Greenspace is the right place for the city to build a new gathering place. “Both the Downtown Edgerton Plan and the Parks Master Plan confirm what residents have always known. The Greenspace is the right place for the city to build a new gathering place for our community,” he said. Currently the [...]

This past year was a momentous time for the City of Gardner. We celebrated the start and completion of a number of significant projects that enhanced the quality of life for our residents and addressed the diverse needs of our community. Our robust economic development strategy allowed us to strengthen Gardner’s economy, securing $105 million of private investments in 2018 alone. This is due to the addition of 13 new businesses that have opened or are in the development process. Some of the new establishments we welcomed include the Hampton Inn, Excelligence Learning Corporation, Scooters, First Point Urgent Care, Enterprise Leasing, [...]

Gardner City Council adopted a resolution creating a benefit district for an 82 acre multi- phase residential development during its regular meeting January 18. The establishment of the benefit district will enable the city to install a sanitary sewer lift station and other site related improvements on the proposed Tuscan Farms residential development. Tuscan farms will contain 208 single family lots and 56 additional rental units. According to Matthew Wolff, finance director, the home values in the project will start at approximately $250,000. The rental units will be maintenance free. Chad Burkdoll, developer, has provided the city with a $339,000 letter [...]

A new shopping plaza is coming to town after Gardner City Council passed a raft of ordinances and resolutions to help fund the construction of the Main Street Market Place project during a meeting Jan. 18. The proposed project, Main Street Market Place, includes a new 60,000 sq ft Price Chopper grocery store and the redevelopment of the current store into restaurant and retail space. Super Market Developers, Inc, a subsidiary of Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), is behind the project. The council, after holding a public hearing in which no member of the public came forward, passed a resolution declaring the [...]

Johnson County government is partnering with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) to launch a first in the nation Uber-like public transportation plan. The plan is aimed at increasing the use of public transit in the county. Under the plan, whose pilot phase was launched Feb. 1, KCATA will provide up to three 12 passenger vans which can be summoned by commuters using a phone App. The county has set aside $250,000 for the pilot program. Jody Hanson, county director of information, said that the plan will initially cover the densely populated areas of Overland Park, Lenexa, Shawnee and Mission. [...]