Thursday
May 24, 2018
The
Beginning of the End in Topeka…
The
Missouri and Kansas Utility Commission both approved today the merger betweenWestar Energy and Great Plains Energy.
Part
of this plan includes moving the corporate offices to Missouri. While Westar
has said it will maintain a certain level of employment in Topeka for the next
5 years, there is no guarantee beyond that. The clock on Topeka and the
jobs Westar currently has here, begins now. Tick. Tick. Tick.
It
has been disappointing to see a lack of full-on effort by local and state
officials to get these entities to agree to have the corporate offices located
in Kansas and Topeka. Especially since, under the proposal, Westar will be the
majority stakeholder.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Topeka’s
Population Declines…Again…
The
U.S. Census Bureau reports the population of Topeka decreased for the sixthconsecutive year. The population dropped by 221 people – from 126,587 to 126,808
– since last April.
Since
2010, Topeka’s population has decreased by 1,400 citizens (128,208 to 126,808).
Here
is the more troubling statistic: the population of Kansas rose by 5,834 people
in the past year.
Why
is that troubling? Because it indicates those individuals are not choosing to
live in Topeka, the Capital City.
There
are a variety of reasons people have left or not moved here. That is a worthwhile
conversation for another day.
Efforts
are in place to improve Topeka and retain and recruit people. The primary effort
our City Leaders indicated will be the driving force to retain and recruit citizens:
Momentum 2022
This
effort has been put forward by the Greater Topeka Partnership and supported by
our governing body with numerous resources, financial and otherwise.
I
have read Momentum 2022 and tracked its progress (this is year 1 of the 5-year
effort). Overall, it is a positive initiative that could reap tremendous rewards
for Topeka.
If
you read through the current Momentum 2022 reports, they tell us two important
things:
1) Identifies our true trouble
areas
2) Prioritizes where we
need to focus efforts to improve those areas
It
identifies our problems and tells us what we need to fix. But…after that it is
short on details as to how we get from here to there. The documents made public
don’t exactly lay out the framework for how we are going to solve our problems.
Those
leading Momentum 2022 have indicated they have a plan and methods on how to
create the actions we need to address the issues facing outlined. There are various
groups working diligently to ensure Momentum 2022 is successful. And nearly $7
million has been raised from the community to support the effort.
But
many of these inner-workings remain under-wraps, with little details having
emerged yet.
From
a functional perspective, it is somewhat understandable that Momentum 2022 does
not want to put some information out there. After all, if you put forward a something
specific, then it is not reached exactly as advertised, it will be deemed a
failure, even if it is a success.
For
example, if they say, “We will do this by this date…” but that date passes, and
nothing happens, BUT the action is accomplished later, that is a success.
However, some in our community love to jump on those actions and label them a
failure. That would be unfair, and improperly create a poor perception of
Momentum 2022.
It’s
hard to put yourself out there! Especially when your effort is so public, and every
step being scrutinized.
However,
I encourage the leadership guiding Momentum 2022 to put a little more out there
then they have to this point. Provide some actual details of plans being crafted.
Topekans support the five key areas Momentum 2022 seeks to address:
* Develop Homegrown Talent
* Create Vibrant & Attractive Places
* Promote a Positive Image
* Collaborate for a Strong Community
* Grow A Diverse Economy
We
understand the end goals. We realize these goals can lead to a better Topeka
and stop population decline. Many want to get behind the effort.
But
Topekans need more details to help us fully realize how these goals are going
to be accomplished. Momentum 2022 does not have to tell us everything, but they
should tell us a little more than we have been provided so far.
Topeka's City Leaders are putting a lot of our future eggs in one basket, and Topekans need to be kept well-informed of how those eggs are being cooked.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
CITIZENS NEED INFO & ACTION BEFORE DECIDING ON SALES TAX ...
The
City Council will soon ask the citizens of Topeka to vote for a ¾-sales tax to
pay for roads and infrastructure. This is, in essence, an extension of the
current 10-year ½-cent sales tax that expires in 2019.
Tonight
there will be a town hall meeting hosted by the Mayor and members of the City
Council regarding this issue, from 5:30
to 7:30 p.m. at the Law Enforcement Center (320 S Kansas Avenue). I encourage
you to attend.
Below
is the letter I sent my Council Member, Jeff Coen, requesting specific
information. I also sent the letter to all members of the City Council, Mayor
and City Manager.
May
22, 2018
Dear Council Member Coen –
As a
resident in your district, I am writing you in the hope you can provide, or
encourage the City Council to provide, essential information to help me make a
decision regarding a vote in support or against the proposed ¾-cent sales tax
to be spent on roads and infrastructure.
As our
City Government prepares to ask us to vote on this sales tax extension and
increase for road and infrastructure projects, it seems prudent the City should
make available to citizens two items:
1. An audit of how, where and with whom dollars in the current plan
have been spent
2. A detailed action plan on how the next 10-year proposal will
differ from the current plan.
The
audit should include:
·
The amount of total tax dollars spent
under the current ½-cent sales tax being collected.
·
A list of all projects completed,
started or planned under the current sales-tax plan.
·
An accounting of to whom and to which
companies received, and will receive, these dollars for work (contractors,
engineers, etc.)
A detailed
action plan of the proposed ¾-sales tax plan does not need to list every project
completed, as it is understood those determinations are not made. But it
should include:
·
An explanation of how project timelines
will be determined.
·
A general outline of how the new plan
will differ from the current plan.
·
Assurance some dollars will be spent in
areas previously not served by the current plan.
·
An explanation of how materials used
will be improved, so projects last longer.
·
A plan regarding how the City will work
with contractors to ensure jobs are completed in a timely manner.
·
A plan regarding how the City will improve
coordination with utility companies so projects are not delayed.
·
An assurance that dollars collected under
the ¾-cent sales tax will be used exclusively for roads and infrastructure projects.
As of
today, I am not a Yes vote on the proposed sales-tax extension and increase.
However, I am also not a No vote. I am a citizen with questions and concerns
about how we have managed the current sales-tax dollars collected and how we
plan to spend the next collection.
Some issues
concerning management of our current plan are legitimate, others are not. However,
trust needs regained from our City officials before many citizens will vote for
the proposed extension. The good news is it can be earned if elected officials
provide information such as that which I am requesting.
This
information grants citizens the transparency many need to ensure accountability
and that the promises being made today on this proposed extension will be kept
by our City leaders.
I
understand the importance of this sales tax. Infrastructure is essential to the
growth, development, health and safety of our community. If Topekans do not
pass the extension our City will face tough decisions that could be detrimental.
But we
cannot simply be told that the next 10-year plan will be an improvement over
the current plan if those words do not come with information and real action.
An audit and action plan provide myself, and citizens like me, the information
we need to make the right vote on this proposal.
Thank
you for your time and consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
Spencer Duncan
CC: Sandra Clear, Tony
Emerson, Karen Hiller, Brendan Jensen, Michael Lesser, Aaron Mays, Sylvia
Ortiz, Michael Padilla, Mayor Michelle De La Isla, City Manager Brent Trout.
Friday, May 11, 2018
Green Water anyone? …
This photo of green water in her bathtub accompanied an email Topeka Realtor Helen Crow sent early Friday to Topeka city officials, local media outlets and residents of the Potwin neighborhood where she lives. (photo provided by Helen Crow)
City
of Topeka responds quickly to complaint of foul-smelling green tap water
By
Tim Hrenchir
The
Topeka Capital Journal
Eight minutes later, the local Realtor said, she got a response by email from Jack Mason, water systems general manager for the city’s utilities department.
Mason made plans to come test the water Friday morning at the home of Crow and her husband, Dan Crow, at 400 S.W. Greenwood Ave., and even offered to come out that night, Crow said.
“Bam! THAT’S service!” she wrote in an email sent out at 1:04 a.m. Friday.
A photo of what Crow described as her “shabby bathtub full of water” accompanied the email she sent at 12:40 a.m. to City Councilwoman Karen Hiller, utilities department director Bob Sample, deputy utilities director Braxton Copley, local media outlets and various Potwin residents. Hiller represents the council district where Crow lives.
“We noticed the nasty taste and smell (mildewy) of our tap water in our Potwin Place home yesterday,” Crow wrote. “It continues today, and now bath water shows the green color.”
After Mason contacted Crow soon afterward, she said they brainstormed about the situation for 10 minutes.
Molly Hadfield, the city’s media relations coordinator, said the city would put out a news release regarding the situation Friday afternoon.
-End of Article-
It
will be interesting to see what the City of Topeka determines the problem is.
The
very interesting item to note here is the number of comments on Facebook and CJOnline from individuals saying they have had similar issues with their
water.
Is
there a real situation with Topeka’s water?
Is this a case where a few
people have a problem, and many others claim the same, even though their issue
is different or not as severe?
The answer is probably somewhere in the middle.
In
the meantime, if you experience such an issue with your water, notify the City…and
apparently the media… as soon as you can.
Bob
Sample, Utilities Director
785-368-4233
Customer
Service Center
785-368-3111
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
We Need Our Amtrak Employee. Really! …
Amtrak has announced that next week its lone employee at the Topeka train depot will no longer be employed. Amtrak does
not plan to staff the depot, leaving riders and customers to fend for
themselves when buying tickets and boarding trains.
This will be detrimental to ridership
and Topeka. Councilwoman Sylvia Ortiz has urged Topekans to work to stop this action. I hope Topekans act. Below is contact info for you to express your concern
with this decision.
Every job in our community is essential
and needs retained. While this may be “just” one job, elected officials and
economic development groups, such as the Greater Topeka Partnership, need to
fight to keep this job.
I ride the train in and out of Topeka,
having taken it to Chicago and Garden City through the years. I have boarded trains
at depots not staffed and those with staff. Having an employee there makes a
difference.
Our train depot needs staffed for numerous reasons:
·
Safety: Having a staff
member there while riders wait for the train is a safety issue, from making
sure riders know where they are to wait properly to general safety measures of
being able to assist or call for help if necessary.
·
Customer Service: For
Amtrak to ensure riders are properly served, there needs to be someone to help
purchase tickets, explain routes and simply help those who need it. Customer
service is key to ensuring riders continue to use the service and find it easy
to manage.
·
Building Maintenance: The
Amtrak depot is an older facility. The maintenance it gets is essential to
ensuring the depot continues to stand and not crumble. We don’t need more deteriorating
properties in downtown Topeka. The employee there is important in not just day-to-day
care but also makes sure Amtrak is aware of issues when the arise. Amtrak has
requested volunteers assist with this effort in the future, which is not a
long-term solution.
·
Economic Development: It
is important the train depot continue to operate in Topeka. Riders need to be
encouraged to use the service. Not having an employee working at the depot can
only lead to diminished experiences by riders, which leads to diminished use. It
is important to Topeka’s economic development that the depot is open for the
long-haul. That is better guaranteed with someone working in the depot.
Amtrak receives government money for some
services (in fact, all public transportation receives government subsidies of
some kind, from train travel to buses to even taxi services … another blog for
another day). With that comes responsibility to ensure the travel individuals experience
is safe, well-serviced and maintained properly.
Topeka should continue to ensure all
forms of public transportation in, out and around our city is strong. The action
to lay off the depot employee should not just be accepted easily by our
community. Amtrak and congressional officials need to hear from us that this is
not an OK decision.
Will it save the Job? Maybe, maybe not.
But it’s worth the effort.
Send Amtrak an email here
Amtrak Headquarters in Washington
202-906-4020
Senator Pat Roberts Email
Pat Roberts Topeka office
785-295-2745
Monday May 5, 2018
Topeka Governing Body: A little honesty please…
The
City of Topeka Governing Body is considering an ordinance banning pedestrians
from approaching vehicles to solicit items, including money, on several Topeka
streets.
But
the real reason for this is to target specific areas where individuals panhandle.
Laws directly aimed at banning panhandling have traditionally been ruled not
valid by the courts.
Let’s
put aside the issue of panhandling, for now. Instead, please focus on the fact this
is clearly being considered to ban panhandling but being presented solely as an
issue of public safety.
Can
a case be made this involves public safety? Yes. Is that the reason this is
being considered? No.
Whether
you support the ordinance or think it is awful, the real question is: Is it too
much to ask City officials to be honest with citizens and tell them the real purpose
behind such an ordinance? Doing so will not make it any more legal or illegal
in a courts view. But not being honest with citizens continues to make it hard
to trust city government.
If
this was truly about public safety, the ordinance would ban any pedestrian from
approaching vehicles to solicit items or money on main roadways EVERYWHERE in
the City. That is not what the proposed ordinance does.
This ordinance would
only take effect:
• On all streets, excluding alleys, in two specific “congested areas,” which are the area bounded by S.W. 6th, S.W. 21st, S.W. Topeka Boulevard and S.W. MacVicar Avenue; and the area bounded by S.W. 4th, S.W. 10th, S.W. Topeka Boulevard and Interstate 70.
This focuses on a specific part of the City where we all know panhandling is at a premium (side note…. interestingly, this just pushes these acts to another area of the City which already gets ignored, at times).
The ordinance would also not apply to special events, meaning if it is something the City “likes” to support, safety is not a concern and those raising money for “approved” causes can jump right out in the streets during events.
This ordinance also now means citizens who want to freely help someone can be criminally ticketed for that effort.
Whatever the final decision by the City Council and Mayor, let’s hope they at least have an honest discussion in public about the real reasons this ordinance is being put forward and can be truthful with the citizens of Topeka as to why it may be passed.
