August 2010 Downtown Update

Downtown Shareholders August Update

August 2010

Join us for drinks and snacks on the deck at City Vision's newest home in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood! Learn about the variety of housing options available Downtown along with a quick update on other initiatives that Downtown Shareholders is currently pursuing.

Tuesday, August 31st
512 Barnett Avenue
4 - 6 pm

Hosted by City Vision Inc.

Unified Government Adopts 2011 Budget

The Unified Government Commission has balanced the difficult 2011 budget without requiring more money from homeowners and businesses. The $253.9-million budget relies largely on spending cuts to make ends meet. "This budget seeks to keep the community moving forward in difficult economic times, without unduly burdening citizens," said Mayor Joe Reardon.

While the budget includes a 4.5% increase in the Unified Government tax rate, the actual amount of property tax dollars residents will pay to the Unified Government is less than they paid in 2009. That's because property values have dropped 14% over the past two years due to the national recession. "We held the line on property taxes, but are still moving forward as a community," said Mayor Reardon.

The Unified Government receives only 45% of the total tax bill paid by a Wyandotte County resident. Public schools and the Kansas City Kansas Community College make up the largest portion of the tax bill-- about 55%.

In addition to paying less Unified Government property tax than 2009, residents will also pay lower utility bills. The 2011 Budget reduces the Board of Public Utilities Payment-in-Lieu-of Tax fee (PILOT) by nearly 1%.

Balancing the budget required a second year of drastic spending cuts. Spending on Unified Government programs and services has been slashed $7.1-million, the workforce has been trimmed 18%, with 384 fewer employees on the payroll. Most employees are living with a 4.6% pay cut due to 15 mandatory furlough days.

All Unified Government departments were cut 10% in 2010 and are cut an additional 20% in 2011. Outside agencies and community organizations which receive tax support also have funding reduced or eliminated.

Key Points of 2011 UG Budget

Funds 70 public safety positions with Public Safety Sales Tax and federal grants
Imposes 20% cuts for UG departments and outside agencies
Ends mandatory furloughs
Avoids employee lay-offs
Freezes pay except for the increase mandated in existing union contracts
Reduces the Board of Public Utilities Payment-in-Lieu of Tax fee
Proposes bold changes in the way the Unified Government operates
Calls for maximizing collection of delinquent taxes and other bad debt
Rewards furloughed employees with 3 additional personal leave days

While the 2011 UG budget adjusts the county tax rate to make up for the sharp drop in property valuations, Wyandotte County still has one of the lowest county property tax rates in Kansas. Wyandotte County ranks 98th out 105 Kansas counties for the amount of taxes collected from county residents. Only 7 counties out of 105 have a lower county property tax.

And Wyandotte County residents pay less per capita in county taxes than residents of the six urban counties in the state. When the number of residents is divided by the amount of taxes paid, a Wyandotte County resident pays $202 in county tax. A Leavenworth County resident pays $246; Sedgwick County $263; Johnson County $299; Douglas County $321 and Shawnee County $349.

Loss of traditional revenue sources-a result of actions by the Kansas Legislature-are having a major impact on the Unified Government budget. Elimination of the Machinery and Equipment property tax, and suspension of the promised reimbursement plan to compensate for the lost revenue, is costing the Unified Government $6-million a year. The projected impact on the Unified Government from 2008-2012 is $23-million in lost revenue.

Also, cancellation of the revenue sharing plan known as the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund in 2003 is costing the Unified Government millions of dollars in what had been steady, reliable funding for decades.

Despite the on-going burden of the recession, Wyandotte County is still benefiting from a decade of progress and success. More than $1-billion dollars in new development, thousands of newly created jobs, the lowest crime rate in a quarter of a century and the lowest Unified Government tax rate in a decade promise a bright future for the community.

Parking Solutions!

The Unified Government is making some changes to our downtown parking lots. On or about September 1st, Parking Lot 4 (located at 4th & State Ave. - just east of the new Children's Campus) will be going back online. In addition to monthly parking options, several "hourly pay parking spaces" will be added with an honor pay box installed at the northwest entrance to accept payments. Hourly rates range from $1 per hour to $8 for all day. Parking will be enforced Monday thru Friday, 8am - 5pm, except on holidays.

Monthly parking permits may be purchased from the Parking Control Department (701 N. 7th, Suite 503) for $25.00 per month. A group discount is given on purchases of 25 or more monthly permits.

If you have any questions or would like to purchase a monthly parking permit, please call Rhonda Green or Nancy George-Green in the Parking Control Dept. at 913-573-5320.

Downtown KCK is growing and we are working diligently to accommodate the demands for parking. Your cooperation and continued patronage is greatly appreciated.

Residential & Commercial Space Available

The old Wheat State Pizza building is now available for lease. 1,380 square feet of Commercial Space includes 2 bathrooms, wood floors, tin ceiling and large windows up front. Priced at only $985 per month!

We also have a new house in Strawberry Hill as well! 512 Barnett is just finishing up (and that's where Downtown Shareholders is having their deck party as well!). Make sure you swing by or call to take a peek another time.

1,230 Square Feet
2 Bedroom (Double Master)
2 Full Baths
Large Garage
Full Basement (Optional 3rd Bedroom)
High Ceilings
Large Deck
Energy Star Standard Construction
Energy Star Appliances Included

Priced at only $115,500!

*Income Restrictions Apply (10 yr. tax abatement)

Contact Evelyn Hudson at City Vision for more information 913-208-5897.

Downtown KCK Lunch Hop

Join us as we discover delicious delicacies in Downtown KCK. As a group, we'll visit over 20 restaurants in the area during the next year. Held on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month, this is a great way to spend your lunch hour with friends!

Coming up...

Friday, August 27th
Lou Lou's Restaurant
1315 Fairfax Trafficway
This is the smallest, cutest place you've ever seen!
A variety of sandwiches are available, but Lou Lou
always has a "homemade special" too (like Lasagna!!).

Desserts

Friday, September 10th
Jay WaLe's Bakery-Bistro
503 N. 6th Street
Enjoy a wide variety of delicious gourmet salads and sandwiches and a melt-in-your-mouth selection of cookies, cakes and pies, while you sit in this lovely, little bistro...It's almost like being in Paris! Bon Apetite!!

Lunch is at 11:30am. If you would like to carpool, just contact Beth Holtwick at 913-371-0705 a few days in advance to reserve your seat!

yum...yum...yum...yum...yum...yum...yum...yum...yum...

"Staying Alive"
Gives CPR New Life

The Bee Gees disco song "Stayin' Alive" might help people stay alive when they get CPR -- if their rescuer knows the 1977 tune. It turns out that "Stayin Alive" has a beat that's in sync with the recommended pace for chest compressions given during CPR. So researchers put the pop tune to the test. In a small study, 15 adults -- mainly doctors, most of whom had performed CPR in recent months -- got a refresher course in CPR. During that class, they listened to "Stayin' Alive" and were asked to time their chest compressions to the beat.

Five weeks later, participants took a CPR test. This time, no music was played. Participants said they felt they were better and more confident at CPR while listening to the music, note the researchers, who included David Matlock, MD, of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, Ill. "Properly performed CPR can triple survival rates for cardiac arrest, but many people hesitate to jump in because they don't feel confident about maintaining the proper rhythm," Matlock says in a news release. "Our research subjects felt that listening to "Stayin' Alive" improved their ability to perform chest compressions at the proper speed, and indeed their performance even five weeks later was excellent," Matlock says. By Miranda Hitti, WebMD Health News

Don't miss your FREE CPR and Disaster Training class this year!

NEXT CLASS - August 31!

As a benefit of working (or living) Downtown, employees (including your families) and residents are encouraged to take these classes. Training sessions will be held once a month at the YWCA, 1017 N. 6th Street, KCK. Lunch is provided for all classes. Please register by the Thursday before each class by contacting the American Red Cross at 913-321-6314. Certification provided upon completion of the CPR training and is valid for one year.

On Your Mark. Get Set. Go!

The Missouri River 340 Race is an endurance race across the state of Missouri. Competitors will kick off the race at Kaw Point Park in Kansas City, KS and finish in St. Charles, MO. Participants are allowed exactly 88 hours to complete the course, of which only 2/3 of the teams were able to do that last year.

The race is scheduled for Tuesday, August 24th, starting at 7am. 340 participants from around the world will be coming to our city to compete in this event So if you see someone driving around with a kayak...welcome them to KCK!

STARTING OR EXPANDING YOUR BUSINESS?

Then the First Step FastTrac Entrepreneurship course could be for you!

Two Orientation Dates Available: (Choose one)

Monday, August 16, 2010
6:00 - 8:30 pm

Monday, August 23, 2010
6:00 - 8:30 pm

Save the Date!

RIDE for the RED
a benefit motorcycle ride for the local American Red Cross
08.21.2010 - Kansas City
Brought to you by American Family Insurance

Participants can pre-register at the 7th St Casino on Sunday, August 15th, 4 - 7 pm.

Make a difference in your community.

Be a part of Revitalizing Downtown.

Join Now!

Membership benefits and information available online at
www.downtownkck.org

Downtown KCK Calendar

Saturday, Aug 21
Ride for the Red

Tuesday, Aug 24
Missouri River 340 Race
Kaw Point Park
7 am

Friday, Aug 27
Downtown Lunch Hop
Lou Lou's Restaurant
1315 Fairfax Trafficway
11:30 am

Saturday, Aug 28
CHWC Night Under the Stars
Los Cabos Restaurant
Legends Shopping Center
6 - 10 pm

Tuesday, Aug 31
FREE CPR & Disaster Preparedness Class
YWCA
1017 N. 6th Street
8:30am - Noon / 1:30 - 4 pm

Tuesday, Aug 31
Downtown Shareholders Deck Party
512 Barnett Ave
4 - 6 pm

Friday, Sept. 10
Downtown Lunch Hop
Jay Wale's Bakery-Bistro
503 N. 6th St.
11:30 am

Architectural Firm Opens Office Downtown!

North Kansas City-based Williams Spurgeon Kuhl & Freshnock Architects is proud to announced the opening of its new office in the heart of downtown Kansas City, Kan.

Their new office is at 756 Minnesota Ave., Suite 662, in the historic Brotherhood Bank building. "It's a new office but we feel right at home in Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County from having completed projects there for more than a decade," says Rick Kuhl, WSKF principal. "We see opening the office as an important step in better serving our clients on the Kansas side of the metropolitan area and more broadly across the state."

WSKF Architects' project portfolio includes work for Kansas City Kansas Community College, Kansas City Kansas Housing Authority, the Children's Mercy Cordell D. Meeks, Jr. Clinic on State Ave. and KU Med's Landon Center on Aging.

Williams Spurgeon Kuhl & Freshnock Architects provides a full-range of architectural, planning, interior design and landscape design services. Their award-winning work adds to the quality of life in communities large and small across the Midwest in our core sectors of health care, education facilities, governmental facilities and housing as well as hospitality, churches and parks and recreation facilities.

To learn more about WSKF, visit www.wskfarch.com or contact them at 913-287-1900 or marketing@wskfarch.com.

Food Critique's Corner!

Our first KCK Lunch Hop was this last Friday and with 10 ravenous attendees, we tried a little bit of everything at
The Big Grill & More
501 N. 6th Street

Based on the Lunch Bunch's professional opinions, our top picks for the day were:

BBQ Sandwich

Chicken Tenders

Fried Catfish

Make sure you swing by and check them out!! And tell them that the we sent ya!

Upcoming Events at Memorial Hall
j

September 11, 7pm
Cagefighting for a Cause

Clean
& Safe

Program

Notice an area that needs cleaning, a person acting suspiciously, or just need an escort to your vehicle? Call an DID Ambassador. We're here to help you!

Cleaning: Call Ed at 913-371-0705

Security: Call James at 913-387-6331

Join Us On
FACEBOOK,
LINKED-IN & TWITTER!
Now you can follow us where ever we go by joining us online on Facebook, Linked-In and Twitter. Just click on the links below to sign up:

FACEBOOK
Linked-In
Twitter Address is DTSKCK

Don't Miss The Exciting Season at the Historic Granada Theater!

5 SHOWS FOR $50
(save $12.50 off regular ticket prices)

September 10-11: Transfiguration Vocal Ensemble / Potter's Clay Dance Company

October 8-9: KCK Has Talent!
November 11-12: A Christmas Carol: An Urban Cautionary Tale

December 10-11: Celebration of the Choirs

January 2011: Film Festival

Feburary 2011: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

March 2011: Transfiguration Vocal Ensemble / Potter's Clay Dance Company
April 2011: Battle of the Bands

Imago Dei Arts Center
1015 Minnesota Ave.
913-233-0266
www.imagodeiarts.org

Keep Cool!!

The Unified Government has located Cooling Centers throughout Wyandotte County during extreme hot and humid days. Below are Downtown and surrounding neighborhood locations.

KCK Library Main Branch
625 Minnesota Avenue
8:30am - 8:30pm, Mon - Thurs
8:30am - 5:00pm, Fri - Sat
1:00 - 5:00pm, Sun
Please use library resources and sleeping is not allowed. It is a great place to stay cool and have plenty to read.

City Hall Lobby
701 North 7th Street
8am - 5pm, Mon - Fri

Willa Gill Center
645 Nebraska
9:00am - 5:00pm, Mon - Fri
9:00am - 2:00pm, Sat- Sun and Holidays (Closed from 1 - 2pm)

Public Housing High Rise, Cafeteria
915 Washington Blvd
9:00am - 4:00pm, Daily

Juniper Gardens Center
1980 North 2 Street
9:00am - 2:00pm, Daily

Walnut Blvd. Baptist Church
334 Parallel Avenue
11:30am - 1:30pm, Wed
After 9:30am, Sun

Mt. Carmel COGIC, South Wing
2025 North 12 Street
10:00am - 5:00pm, Mon - Fri

Get Your
Very Own
KCK Banner

Tote!

Now's your chance to own your very own collectable KCK Banner tote. Made from the actual banners hanging in Downtown, these totes are great to carry notebooks, laptops, and a variety of other items around town. They make a fun and unique gift too!

$25.00 per Tote

Limited Quantities Available!

Call Beth at 913/371-0705 Today!

2010

Downtown Shareholders

Gold Sponsors