Gardner’s general fund is projected to have a $1.2 million revenue shortfall, according to Matthew Wolff, Gardner finance director. Councilmember’s discussed the city’s budget at their May 18 meeting. The shortfall is partly due to the impact of COVD 19, community growth and staffing needs, increased operational costs with the new Justice Center and special assessments moved from the bond and interest fund. Revenue sources impacted include city and county sales tax, programming revenues for parks and recreation, municipal court fines and fees. To maintain a general fund balance of 25 percent , the finance staff implemented budget cuts of $1.4 [...]

Grata Development received rezoning approval from the Gardner City Council for a $200 million mixed-use development located at the southeast corner of 175th St. and I-35 in Gardner. According to the press release, the 262-acre development comprises retail (New Trails), multifamily (Prairie Forge) and single-family housing (Prairie Trace). “We are grateful for the partnership we have formed with the city staff and elected officials in Gardner to bring this exciting project to life. The goal of the New Trails Project is to provide amenities for people to enjoy life together as they live, work and play,” said Travis Schram, Grata Development [...]

The Gardner protest organizer has been in communication with the Gardner Police Department. “They are very intent on a peaceful protest. We are going to be there to assist and help facilitate the protest,” said Jay Belcher, police chief. The event is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. at city hall. Members plan to walk eastbound on the sidewalks, not in the street, from city hall to Moonlight Rd. where they will turn around and go back to city hall. Upon arrival at city hall, members will have a quick prayer and then they will have the opportunity to interact with [...]

The 2020 pool season at the Gardner Aquatic Center is cancelled. The decision was based on the current CDC and Reopen Kansas Plan guidelines;it would be very difficult to follow social-distancing and safety recommendations while operating the GAC; and there was insufficient time to rehire and effectively train seasonal staff to help patrons try and follow state guidelines. About 140-150 seasonal employees are used each year, according to Jason Bruce, parks and recreation director. The proposed 2020 pool budget was $451,105. There were also a financial consideration due to the economic impact the pandemic has had on the city’s revenues. “Pools [...]

The structure on a bluff at the southern end of the city lake is the old Edgerton city jail cell, manufactured in 1902. It was actually used to house prisoners in the early 1900’s. The City of Edgerton purchased it from the Pauly Jail Company in June of 1902 for $92.15. The dimensions of the cell is 5 feet x 6.5 feet x 6.5 feet. It has two metal bunk beds on one side, and those can be lowered or raised. At the front of the cage, at the bottom of the cell door, is about an eight inch opening that [...]

Currently the COVID-19 statewide quarantine is scheduled to be lifted May 3, unless Governor Kelly extends it. Due to the March 17 “stay at home” order, only businesses deemed essential have remained open, with others struggling to adapt to a flailing economy. School buildings have been closed, and classroom education has been replaced with virtual meetings and lessons. Locally Johnson County government has furloughed more than 250 employees, and Olathe and Overland Park have announced layoffs. At this point, neither Edgerton or Gardner has furloughed employees, although Edgerton has postponed filling existing vacancies. (Read more: Gardner News)

April 20 the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners authorized the creation of a Recovery Planning Task Force to strategize and implement a phased approach to reopen the economy. “We recognize and appreciate the serious sacrifices that Johnson County residents have made to flatten the curve, and we also understand the significant economic challenges that businesses and individuals have sustained,” said Ed Eilert, chairman. “We are working on phased plans to restore our economy.”The task force will include many sectors in the economy representing a broad section of Johnson County. The makeup of this task force includes: • Johnson County Board [...]

The fear of COVID-19 has caused a nationwide lock down. Many businesses have been shuttered and the unemployment rate soaring. Although exact numbers and overall effect of the “stay at home” order on the economy won’t be known for months or years, Johnson County just furloughed more than 250 employees and Overland Park about 200. At this point, neither Gardner or Edgerton have furloughed any staff. (Read more: Gardner News)

The Johnson County Commissioners decided March 30 to take a pro-active response to COVID-19 by offering testing for a random sample of 3,000 to 5,000 people in the county. “We are not trying to test everybody in the county,” explained Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of the department of health and environment. “That is neither feasible nor necessary. Additional testing is necessary to understand what’s going on in the county to help us make informed decisions, so we can identify positives cases, see who their contacts are, and take action to prevent the spread of the virus.” In a move that demonstrates [...]

The City of Edgerton has reduced staff to only people with business in front of the council, and have asked that presenters make their presentations by telephone for the next City Council meeting, scheduled for Thursday, said Kara Banks, director of communications and marketing. “We are exploring options for a conference line or other online option for the public to view the meeting,” Banks said. “This is a very fluid situation, and we want to abide by CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and state and local health officials’ recommendations, while still adhering to state laws regarding open meetings.” (Read more: Gardner [...]