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ENews Source    
Tuesday, November 23, 2010

 
This Week In Kansas City, Kansas
UG Offices Closed
Commission Approves Revisions in CHIP Program
A Guide for Better Bus Service
Holiday Lighting Festival Continues to be Popular Attraction for Residents
Animal Control Enforcement Initiative
Neighborhood Tree Decoration Contest Winners
Road Construction
KDOT Announces Improved Traveler information
UG is Now on Twitter
Upcoming Meetings
Your Kansas City
3-1-1 Call Center

UG Office Closed

UG Offices will be closed on the following days in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday:

 

         Thursday, November 25th

         Friday, November 26th.

 

The District Attorney's Office will also be closed on these days as well.

Commission Approves Revisions in CHIP Program

Last week, the Unified Government Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a change to the UG CHIP Homebuyer Down Payment Program to make the full benefits of the program available to even more interested homebuyers. 

 

This one year pilot program will allow potential homebuyers earning 80% of median income or less to qualify for up to a 20% down payment assistance grant if they purchase a home in the urban core.  The new program guidelines were the result of the Mayor's Urban Development Task Force working to improve development and homeownership opportunities in the urban core.

 

"The Taskforce is coming up with innovative and practical ways to improve economic opportunities in the urban core of KCK," Mayor Joe Reardon said.  "I applaud the hard work of Commissioners Mendez, Barnes, Mitchell and Miller who have been meeting with our UG staff to revamp and recharge economic development in the urban core to focus on quality neighborhoods and small business support.  This policy change is an initial step of many to come in our ongoing effort."

The result of the changes the commission made last Thursday night means that the full benefits of the Community Housing Investment Partnership or CHIP Program are now available to more potential homebuyers that want to live and invest in our urban neighborhoods.  These changes include raising the subsidy that provides assistance with the down payment and closing costs in the CHIP Program.  If you are interested in the program please contact Constance Bones in the UG Community Development Department at (913) 573-5127.

 

"Going forward, the Task Force will continue to present policy initiatives that improve the economy in our urban core, make our neighborhoods more vibrant, and support businesses that create jobs," Mayor Reardon said.  "We are working not only with our UG staff but in partnership with the Wyandotte Economic Development Council, our CDCs and others to ensure that our initiatives lead to real results for our citizens."

A Guide for Better Bus Service

Unified Government Studies Public Transit Improvements


The Unified Government is looking at a number of ways to make public transit in Kansas City, Kansas more efficient and customer friendly. The proposals are the result of a comprehensive transit study commissioned byUG Transit the UG Transit system. The detailed examination of bus operations was conducted by Olsson Associates.

 

"The goal is to identify and implement a series of operational improvements to make our public transit system more efficient and better serve our riders without increasing costs," said UG Transit Director Emerick Cross.

 

The service analysis was performed with the rapid growth of new businesses and tourist attractions in  Village West in mind. The study also anticipates major street and transit improvements along State Avenue. Analysts found transit routes serving Wyandotte County have remained largely unchanged, while transit needs have shifted. The study concludes the UG Transit system and its fixed-route system performs less effectively than similar systems in other communities.

 

The service analysis lists a number of short term changes and longer range goals to improve performance and efficiency, including:

  • Retire older buses
  • Design a fleet management plan to limit vehicle wear and tear and extend bus life
  • Separate operation of fixed-route and dial-a-ride services from transit services for seniors
  • Invest in new technologies such as electronic fare boxes and security cameras
  • Install new bus stop shelters and upgrade some existing bus stops 

The comprehensive service analysis also examined possible changes to the management structure of transit operations. As a result of the study, UG Transit operations will not be privatized and no Unified Government transit jobs will be eliminated.

 

"We're enthusiastic about the recommendations in this study and anxious to begin implementing them," Cross says. "This study will be a guidebook to create a better transit service down the road."

 

Select transit study for more information about the service analysis. 

Holiday Lighting Festival Continues to be Popular Attraction for Residents

Holiday Lighting EventThe Downtown Holiday Lighting Festival attracted thousands to City Hall last Friday evening. The line to meet Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus stretched out the east entrance of City Hall around the building to Ann Street, according to reports from some UG staff.

 

Large crowds converge on One McDowell Plaza every year for the holiday entertainment and Mayor's tree lighting event. This year was no exception. The weather was great and it is estimated that more than 3,000 people attended this year's event.

 

Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony

Animal Control Enforcement Initiative

More than 1500 citations have been issued over the past eight weeks in an enhanced animal control enforcement effort. 
Generic Photo of Animal Enforcement

 

The effort was initiated because of a large number of citizen and neighborhood group complaints about animal control violations. The initiative has been made more successful through a joint community outreach project involving the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City. 

 

The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City has grant funding available that allows them to provide spaying and neutering procedures for only $20. The affordable spaying/neutering option gives more residents the ability to comply with animal control ordinances, and the low-cost coupons are being redeemed at a rate of 180 per month. 

Neighborhood Tree Decorating Contest Winners

Tree Decorating Contest Turner Neighborhoods
Grand prize - Turner Neighborhoods

 

1st Place - Cathedral Neighborhood

 

2nd Place - Oak Grove Neighborhood

 

3rd Place - Pomeroy Neighborhood 

 

Congratulations to all of the groups who participated for their hard work and creativity. All of the trees are beautiful and can be viewed at City Hall Monday through Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm until December 30th.

 

Find  out more information about all of the trees at www.wycokck.org under Liveable Neighborhoods.

KDOT Logo

Road Construction

Road ConstructionBased on information provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation, the UG is able to provide motorist living in Wyandotte County with a list of roads and highways that are scheduled for construction.

This information can be useful to prepare individuals, commuting to and from work, with early warnings on minor delays. This also encourages drivers to use alternate routes due to lane and ramp closures.

Visit the KDOT website for up to date information on lane and ramp closures:
www.ksdot.org/kcmetro/laneclose.asp.

KDOT Announces Improved Traveler Information

Kansas Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller announced today improvements to KDOT's traveler information services in advance of the winter/holiday travel season.  The announcement was made at an event held in cooperation with the National Weather Service "Kansas Winter Weather Awareness Day."

  • An enhanced 511 Mobile application is now available at http://511mm.ksdot.org. The free 511 Mobile site now provides map, camera and electronic message sign views, road conditions, work zone and event information and links to weather.  All content is provided by six regions across the state and three metropolitan areas (Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita).

     
    The site is accessible from multiple devices, including iPhones, Droids and Windows mobile devices, Version 6.0 and higher.  Any devices not compatible with the new application will be able to access text information only for road conditions and work zones.
     
  • The voice recognition technology has been upgraded on the 511 Phone system to improve user accuracy.   From any phone anytime, travelers may call 511 from anywhere in Kansas or 1-866-511-KDOT (5368) from anywhere in the U.S. to get route-specific road conditions, work zone information, including detours and closed roads, and travel-related weather information to plan their trips or for updates as they travel.
     
  • Enhanced camera views were added to KanDrive, www.kandrive.org, the KDOT's traveler information gateway for Kansas and surrounding states. Camera snapshots of the roadway are updated every few minutes from closed-circuit cameras installed along I-70 and other highways in other parts of the state. 

In addition to the camera tour, KanDrive provides: an interactive map of Kansas roads, work zones and other events impacting traffic and surface-related road conditions; roadside message sign views; and links to related helpful transportation resources, such as KC Scout, neighboring states' travel information, Kansas Turnpike information, Scenic Byways and more.

  • KDOT has also partnered with Trafficland to make live video from our cameras available to the media.
     

    "Safety for travelers is KDOT's top priority and providing traveler information services is certainly one very important way to keep travelers informed so they can make good travel decisions, especially during harsh winter driving conditions," Miller stated.  "While KDOT strives to make travel information available through a variety of services, I want to stress that travelers should not text or talk on cell phones while driving."
     

For more information, visit www.kandrive.org/info.asp.

Unified Government of Wyandotte County, KC, KS

Agendas and Minutes
To view standing committee and full commission agendas and minutes, go to the Unified Government Website at www.wycokck.org.

Ordinances, meeting Agendas and Minutes are available and readily accessible on the Internet. So it's easy to find items and actions the Unified Government Commission and its Standing Committees are taking.
The UG is Now on  Twitter
Stay in touch and keep informed on what's going on with your local government on Twitter. Follow The Dotte on Twitter
 
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Quick Links
 
 
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The UG is now on Twitter
 
Upcoming Events
 Board of Commissioners meeting in Commission Chambers
Full Commission Meeting
on Thursday, 
 December 16, at
 7:00 pm in the
Commission Chambers

 Planning and Zoning Meeting 
 on Thursday, 
December 2, at 7 pm in the Commission Chambers
Don't Miss
Reardon on Your Kansas City Public Affairs Show
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with Mayor Joe Reardon

 on the last Sunday of each month for a special edition of
"Your Kansas City" 
on My KSMO channel 62 and Time Warner Cable Channel 10

My KSMO
Also
 
Mayor Joe Reardon 
 will appear on KCTV5's 
Mayoral
Monday segment 6:20 am during KCTV 5's News This Morning broadcast. Catch the Mayor on the first Monday of every month on 

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Stay tuned and stay informed!
3-1-1 Call Center
Do you have questions pertaining to the Unified Government? 
 
Just dial 3-1-1
 
 The call center provides a simple and easy three-digit access to a live Customer Service Representative that can answer your questions.