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Tuesday, February 25, 2014
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Mayor/CEO Mark Holland unveils plan for downtown
Healthy Campus during annual State of the Government Address
Tuesday afternoon at the Reardon Center
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 ENews SourceUnified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas
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Holland Announces New Healthy Campus
A new Healthy Campus could be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to revitalizing downtown KCK and improving the county's health ranking.
Mayor Mark Holland announced his plan for the new development project during his first State of the Government Address at noon today at the Reardon Civic Center. He says the new campus would serve two purposes. It would not only help meet the basic nutritional and exercise needs of our downtown residents, but it would also bring an additional investment of more than $30 million to the downtown area.
The focal point of the project would be located around Big Eleven Lake and would comprise of a new grocery store, community center with an Olympic-tournament size pool, walking trails, possible housing development for seniors, a medical facility, and additional green space for farm markets.
"The Commission took a bold leadership step to pledge $6 million dollars from casino revenues to go towards the downtown community center that will be run by the YMCA. That $6 million is a major commitment and people downtown deserve to have something they can see, touch and feel from the development out west," says Holland. "This community center is going to be a great asset and will provide opportunities for seniors and our youth."
The Healthy Communities Wyandotte initiative began as a response to the 2009 Kansas County Health Rankings report, which listed Wyandotte County as having the worst health in the state. The county has made some improvement since the release of the report. HCW has implemented a community health improvement plan to address the health related concerns that negatively impact this ranking and the community.
One of the concerns Holland highlighted during his address was the lack of health coverage options for low-income families in the county.
"If the state would expand Medicaid, it would impact the poorest of poor in our community and provide an opportunity for our residents to improve their overall health," says Holland. "These are the health care dollars that benefit our health care infrastructure and they benefit our people. It's time, it's nation-wide and I refuse for the people of Wyandotte County to be left behind."
The Mayor also says these kinds of policy decisions impact local hospitals too. He went on to say that KU Medical Center could possibly lose $26 million without the expansion of Medicaid.
"These dollars are no different from other Federal dollars that Kansas readily accepts on an annual basis for transportation, agriculture, and education. Refusing this money hurts the poor and it hurts the health care infrastructure in our state," says Holland.
The Mayor says he's looking forward to partnering with local organizations like LISC, KCKPS, KU Medical Center, the Kansas State School for the Blind, and the KCK Housing Authority to help move this initiative forward and into an implementation phase. Through a collaborative community effort Holland says we can address the health related concerns that were identified by the HCW Action Team in the areas of nutrition, infrastructure, education, health services and communication.
Mayor Holland also highlighted recent economic success in Wyandotte County, including new luxury apartment development, growth at General Motors and the opening of Cerner's Continuous Campus at Village West.
"Wyandotte County continues to be a place where private sector investment continues to grow," Mayor Holland said. "In 2013 we saw nearly a billion dollars of capital investment in our community and thousands of new jobs created. Moving forward our goal will be to make sure our residents have the skills and training they need to access those high-quality positions. The Unified Government should set the standard for recruitment and hiring of our citizens."
He also addressed his other two administrative priorities, which include economic development and civic innovation.
The Mayor took a moment during the opening of his address to pay tribute to County Administrator Dennis Hays for his 38-years of public service. He was honored with a brief video of his accomplishments and successful economic development projects during his tenure.
Dennis Hays, Carol Marinovich, Mayor Mark Holland, Joe Reardon
"Our community has witnessed incredible progress in the last 17 years under Dennis' management," said Mayor Holland. "During his tenure we consolidated our government and experienced significant expansion to our economic development base, despite a recession. We are incredibly grateful for Dennis' service and we wish him and his family all the best!"
Holland was joined at the podium by former Mayors Carol Marinovich and Joe Reardon for the tribute in which they shared a few remarks about Hays' career during their term as Mayor. Hays will retire next month. He's the first County Administrator of the UG and the only administrator to serve under three forms of government.
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Motor Vehicle Early Title Cut Off
As of Tuesday, February 18, 2014, the motor vehicle division, both at the downtown and annex locations have stopped title check in at noon. Normal cut off time for these days was at 3:30 pm. The change in time allows for all customers that have checked in to be processed by the end of day or soon thereafter.
This has been necessitated for several reasons:
- An influx of customers walking in the door with new title work, two days this past week we have given out over 100 numbers by noon each day.
- A shortage of staff.
- Implementation of new Commercial Vehicle rules effective Jan. 1, 2014,
The division has responded by putting 2 supervisors on the front line to process walk-in's downtown and having the Treasury Director handle renewals for the February 28th deadlines. The division anticipates that this early cutoff will last at least through the end of February.
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Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan Approved
Pending adoption by the cities, FEMA approved the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan for our region which consists of Wyandotte, Leavenworth, and Johnson Counties.
The plan considered potential threats, hazards, and the resources of the counties. Mitigation actions have been developed and prioritized for the identified hazards.
The plan will be presented to the Administration and Human Services Standing Committee in April for adoption at a May meeting of the Full Commission.
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Severe Weather Awareness Week
Severe weather season is coming and we can be sure of one thing - somewhere, sometime in the coming months, Kansas is going to be hit with a severe storm, tornado, flooding and flash floods. Based on past years, we'll be hit with severe weather more than once.
Now is the time to prepare.
To urge Kansans to start planning for springtime weather-related emergencies, Gov. Sam Brownback will sign a proclamation Thursday, Feb. 27, designating March 3-7 as "Severe Weather Awareness Week in Kansas." The proclamation coincides with the national Severe Weather Awareness Week.
"It just makes sense to plan ahead and heed storm warnings," said Brownback. "This winter, when snowstorms were forecast, Kansans by and large did the wise thing and stayed off the roads as much as possible and made sure their emergency kits were stocked. Even though warmer weather is coming, we need to continue to be prepared and alert to the possibility of severe weather."
According to the National Weather Service, Kansas had 56 tornadoes in 2013, including 15 in one day; 45 of those tornadoes hit in May. However, Angee Morgan, deputy director of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, said that does not mean May is the most dangerous month for severe weather.
"Our first tornado hit April 7 in Russell County," said Morgan. "The last one was August 13 in Lane County. That's 128 days from the first to the last. And although 2013 was the quietest season since 1994, that doesn't mean this season will be the same. Our advice is to always be prepared."
Morgan said a home emergency kit should include everything needed for each family member to survive for a minimum of three days without power. Kits should include one gallon of water per person per day; nonperishable, high energy foods; a battery powered NOAA weather radio; flashlights; extra batteries; a safe, alternate heat source; blankets; medications and other essentials. Additional information about preparing an emergency kit may be found online at www.ksready.gov.
Morgan also advised everyone to have emergency plan for their home or place of business and ensure that everyone knows the plan.
"If you don't have a storm shelter, make sure you know where the nearest shelter is," said Morgan. "Designate a place to meet in case you become separated or how you will communicate if land lines and cell phone towers are knocked out. Review safety rules regarding downed power lines and broken gas lines. Once you have your plan in place, practice it so everyone knows what to do."
To help get more people involved in emergency preparedness, KDEM has instituted an online "Kansas Preparedness Challenge." Completing each monthly challenge makes participants eligible for a prize drawing. Go to www.ksready.gov and click on the "Kansas Preparedness Challenge" link to get started.
For more information on emergency preparedness, go to www.ksready.gov, www.redcross.org, or www.fema.gov.
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Meet and Greet
The Community Oriented Policing & Problem Solving (COPPS) Unit is hosting several opportunities for people in our communities to get to know the Patrol Division Officers assigned to their neighborhoods. Below are the meetings listed in date order:
East Patrol Division (State Line to 29th Street, north of I-70)
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014 at 6:00 pm
[Donnelly College, 608 N 18th]
South Patrol Division (State Line to I-435, south of the Kansas River)
Thursday, April 3rd, 2014 at 6:00 pm
[Argentine Community Center, 2810 Metropolitan]
Midtown Patrol Division (29th to 65th Streets, Kansas to Missouri Rivers)
Wednesday, April 9th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
[Trinity Community Church, 5010 Parallel]
West Patrol Division (65th Street west to County Line, Kansas to Missouri Rivers)
Thursday, April 10th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
[FOP Hall, 7844 Leavenworth Road]
The division has responded by putting 2 supervisors on the front line to process walk-in's downtown and having the Treasury Director handle renewals for the February 28th deadlines. The division anticipates that this early cutoff will last at least through the end of February.
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Walk Kansas 2014!
On your mark, get set, go! Lace up those walking shoes and get ready to be active! Walk Kansas officially starts on Sunday, March 16th and concludes on Saturday, May 10th, 2014. Walk Kansas is a team-based program that will help you and others lead a healthier life by being more active and making better nutrition choices. It is an opportunity to involve your entire family and community- those that live close to you and even those at a distance.
How does Walk Kansas work?
Co-workers, family members, friends and neighbors form teams of 6 people who will track minutes of physical activity and food choices during the 8-week challenge, March 16 - May 10, 2014.
Walking isn't the only activity that counts for Walk Kansas. Participants receive an Activity Guide that provides more information.
How will Walk Kansas motivate me?
Participants receive a weekly newsletter with physical activity and health tips, healthy eating information, and a tasty recipe. And, thanks to a grant provided by the General Mills Foundation everyone registered will receive educational materials and motivational incentives along their journey.
How do I get involved?
Start a Team! Gather 6 people (including yourself) who will motivate and encourage each other, and decide who will serve as captain. Even if you don't have enough members to make up a team, you can still participate.
Register for Walk Kansas! Registration and participant materials will soon be available to download from the following link... http://www.wyandotte.ksu.edu or you can pick up a packet at the K-State Extension Office, 1216 North 79th Street, 913-299-9300. A $12.00 registration fee per participant is required which includes a t-shirt, kick-off and wrap-up celebration. Registrations are due by Friday, February 28, 2014.
Want to learn more about Walk Kansas? Visit the Walk Kansas home page.
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Road Closures
Based on information provided by both the UG's Public Works Department and the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), we are able to provide motorist living in Wyandotte County an update on road and highway projects.
This information can be useful to prepare individuals, commuting to and from work, with early warnings on minor delays. This also encourages motorists to use alternate routes due to land and ramp closures.
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Rainbow Boulevard
Rainbow Extension between Rainbow Blvd and SW Blvd will be closed Thursday, February 28th at 9:00 a.m.
It is anticipated the Extension will reopen Thursday, May 15th at 5:00 p.m. The closure is for a storm line and water main installation. This work is part of the US Army Corp of Engineers Turkey Creek rehabilitation project.
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No KDOT Closures to Report
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Daily Lane Closure 
Remember, you can always go to the KDOT website for up to the minute road closures and traffic information. |
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