1st quarter 2015

8
KIRBY’S BY-LINE By Mayor Gene Kirby As I write this article, there is a dusting of snow and the wind chill hovers around 0 degrees. I have dis- covered the older I get, the less tolerant I am of Old Man Winter. Relatively speaking, this has been a mild winter so far. That’s good news for some of us. Oth- ers I know would like to see more snow. The good news is the mild weather is better for the streets. Less snow usually equals less road repair, but it’s only Feb- ruary so there’s still time for lots of snow. I hope you all had a great Christmas and holiday season spent with those dear to you. I want to take one more opportunity to thank all of you who participated in the annual Mayor’s Christ- mas Tree program. Thanks to all of you who assisted, we had a very successful year.We were able to provide food, clothing and some toys to those less fortunate. We actually purchased 85 coats for children. As is always the case, we have a lot of things coming up in the City. The main topic for now will be implementing our Waste Water plans. Unfortunately, these improvements come with a price tag. However, they are needed to replace old lines and the building of new lines for our con- tinued growth. Speaking of growth, things are looking good at the new high school. It will be a place to be proud of. Freddy’s, our latest restaurant addition, is doing very well.We are looking forward to the opening of the Ichiban restaurant on Eisenhower Rd. We are receiving more inquiries from other businesses looking to possibly locate here. We were happy to see the one cent sales tax renewal passed. Thank you. Last year we received around $800,000 from this revenue source. I believe it shows a trust in us that we are doing a good job with your money. I don’t know what we would have done if we lost that revenue. We also have an election coming up this spring,VOTE.You can make a difference. We do our best to keep you informed of the happenings going on. We have a Facebook page, a web site, as well as a Twitter account.We also put out an E-blast every Friday with some of the latest information about what’s going on and what’s coming up. Contact our Public Infor- mation Officer, Ken Miller and get signed up. If you have any questions regarding any issues in the city, please contact City Hall at 727- 3233. They can get you pointed in the right direction. Spring is just around the corner - keep warm. 2015 CONNECTION CALENDAR PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 28 Leavenworth, KS 66048 FEBRUARY February 16 . . . Presidents Day – City Offices Closed February 19 . . . City Council Meeting February 26 . . . City Council Work Session MARCH March 5 – City Council Meeting March 19 – City Council Meeting March 26 – City Council Work Session March 27 & 28 – Citywide Garage Sale APRIL April 2 – City Council Meeting April 3 & 4 – Annual Clean-Up April 16 - City Council Meeting April 23 – City Council Work Session MAY May 1 & 2 – Lansing DAZE/Brew, Blues, & Bar-B-Q May 7 – Council Meeting May 9 – Fishing Derby – KWB Community Park May 21 – City Council Meeting May 25 – Memorial Day - City Offices Closed May 28 – City Council Work Session Fri., May 1st and Sat., May 2nd, 2015 LANSING DAZE AND BREW, BLUES AND BAR-B-Q We will have music by Blues 88, County Road 5, and Rock, Paper Scissors along with a fantastic fireworks show. The event will provide fun for the whole fam- ily! If you are a crafts vendor, food vendor or BBQ contestant, go to www.lansing.ks.us to register for Lansing’s biggest event of the year. For more information, call 913-727-5488 or email [email protected].

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Page 1: 1st quarter 2015

KIRBY’S BY-LINEBy Mayor Gene Kirby

As I write this article, there is a dusting of snow andthe wind chill hovers around 0 degrees. I have dis-covered the older I get, the less tolerant I am of OldManWinter. Relatively speaking, this has been amildwinter so far. That’s good news for some of us. Oth-ers I know would like to see more snow. The goodnews is themildweather is better for the streets. Lesssnowusually equals less road repair, but it’s only Feb-ruary so there’s still time for lots of snow.I hope you all had a great Christmas and holiday

season spent with those dear to you.I want to take onemore opportunity to thank all of

you who participated in the annual Mayor’s Christ-masTree program.Thanks to all of youwho assisted,

we had a very successful year. We were able to provide food, clothing and some toys to thoseless fortunate.We actually purchased 85 coats for children.As is always the case, we have a lot of things coming up in the City. Themain topic for now

will be implementing ourWasteWater plans. Unfortunately, these improvements come with aprice tag.However, they are needed to replace old lines and the building of new lines for our con-tinued growth.Speaking of growth, things are looking good at the new high school. It will be a place to be

proud of.Freddy’s, our latest restaurant addition, is doing very well. We are looking forward to the

opening of the Ichiban restaurant onEisenhowerRd.We are receivingmore inquiries fromotherbusinesses looking to possibly locate here.Wewere happy to see the one cent sales tax renewal passed.Thank you. Last yearwe received

around $800,000 from this revenue source. I believe it shows a trust in us that we are doing agood job with your money. I don’t know what we would have done if we lost that revenue.We also have an election coming up this spring,VOTE.You can make a difference.We do our best to keep you informed of the happenings going on.We have a Facebook page,

a web site, as well as a Twitter account. We also put out an E-blast every Friday with some ofthe latest information about what’s going on and what’s coming up. Contact our Public Infor-mation Officer, KenMiller and get signed up.If you have any questions regarding any issues in the city, please contact City Hall at 727-

3233. They can get you pointed in the right direction.Spring is just around the corner - keep warm.

2015CONNECTIONCALENDAR

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

USPOSTAGEPAID

PermitNo.28

Leavenworth,KS66048

FEBRUARYFebruary 16 . . . Presidents Day – City Offices ClosedFebruary 19 . . . City Council MeetingFebruary 26 . . . City Council Work Session

MARCHMarch 5 – City Council MeetingMarch 19 – City Council MeetingMarch 26 – City Council Work SessionMarch 27 & 28 – Citywide Garage Sale

APRILApril 2 – City Council MeetingApril 3 & 4 – Annual Clean-UpApril 16 - City Council MeetingApril 23 – City Council Work Session

MAYMay 1 & 2 – Lansing DAZE/Brew, Blues, & Bar-B-QMay 7 – Council MeetingMay 9 – Fishing Derby – KWB Community ParkMay 21 – City Council MeetingMay 25 – Memorial Day - City Offices ClosedMay 28 – City Council Work Session

Fri., May 1st and Sat., May 2nd, 2015

LANSINGDAZEANDBREW,BLUESANDBAR-B-Q

We will have music by Blues 88, County Road 5, and Rock, PaperScissors along with a fantasticfireworks show. The event willprovide fun for the whole fam-ily! If you are a crafts vendor,food vendor or BBQ contestant,go to www.lansing.ks.usto register for Lansing’s biggestevent of the year. For moreinformation, call 913-727-5488or email [email protected].

Page 2: 1st quarter 2015

As summer approaches, Lansing residentswill be busy cleaning up their yards afterseasonal storms and controlling quick-growing grass and shrubbery. The Commu-nity Development Division of the PublicWorks Department asks that citizens in res-idential areas manage and promptly disposeof their accumulated brush and yard wasteduring the growing season.Also, please re-member that it is against city code to harbornoxious weeds or to permit the growth ofvegetation over 12 inches in height.

Property owners should remove all grassclippings, brush, and downed limbs andtrees from their properties in a timely man-ner.Yard waste is not allowed to be placedin the streets, alleys or drainage ways, andshould only be placed temporarily in theright-of-way in preparation for regular trashservice. Remember, yard waste and un-maintained vegetation may harbor verminor become a fire menace.

There are many alternatives for removal ofdebris and yard waste. Recyclable bags andbins labeled “YW” or “YardWaste” can beset at the curb for regular trash service. Itshould be noted that Deffenbaugh, the com-pany that provides trash service to the resi-dents of Lansing, will not accept yard wastein plastic bags. Limbs may be placed in re-cyclable bags or yard waste bins, or they canbe tied in 2 foot by 4 foot bundles. Pleasekeep the weight of each bin or bundle under65 pounds. There are many other rules andregulations concerning disposal of yardwaste and other items. For questions or con-cerns regarding disposal of items, pleasecontact City Hall at 913-727-3233. Deffen-baugh can be reached at 913-631-3300 [email protected] can also be taken to the LeavenworthCounty Transfer Station at 136 E Gilman

Road. The phone number for the transferstation is 913-727-2858.

Dead or diseased trees and limbs, alongwith yard waste, should be removed fromthe property in a timely manner. Theseproblems can be considered nuisancesunder city code and citations may be issued.Most importantly, they can potentially be-come financial burdens and safety concernsfor the property owner and the community.Neighbors and insurance companies arefrequently involved in civil lawsuits re-garding downed limbs and trees. Placingany kind of debris or fill in drainage ease-ments and base flood zones is illegal andcan cause flooding and erosion.

Preventative maintenance involving trees,and learning about the diseases and insectsthat they may harbor, is the responsibilityof property owners. Leavenworth County iscurrently under quarantine because of theEmerald Ash Borer Beetle and transfer offirewood across the county line is prohib-ited. One of the best tools to have as a prop-erty owner, besides the Internet, is theLeavenworth County K-State Research andExtension Office. It is located in Lansing,at 613 Holiday Plaza, and can be reachedat 913-364-5700.A list of arborists licensedwithin the city limits can also obtained fromCity Hall.

For residents who are financially burdened,handicapped, or elderly, there are alterna-tives for help during the growing seasonand throughout the year. Neighbors, churchgroups and the VFW will offer help tomaintain structures and properties. For as-sistance in contacting theVFW, or for ques-tions regarding minimum propertymaintenance codes, please call the PublicWorks Department at 913-727-2400.

Community-based Code Enforcement re-quires that residents, workers, and ownerstake responsibility for what they can. Pleasetake the time to communicate with yourneighbors to alleviate concerns in your partof town. Nearly all concerns can be ad-dressed by the cooperation of affected par-ties. Also, look for an opportunity to helpthose in need; sometimes they are unable orunwilling to ask for help. Use yourchurches and groups to contribute to thebetterment of the community. Most impor-tantly, if you or your group would like tovolunteer to help, or know of a group thatwill be willing to provide maintenance onthe streets and properties of Lansing, pleasecall the Public Works Department.

The city of Lansing already has several or-ganizations involved in the Adopt-a-Streetprogram. This provides a valuable service

and offers a great way to promote those or-ganizations. The PublicWorks Departmentprovides scheduling, safety vests and trashbags. Signs are placed by the Streets Divi-sion at the designated area of roadway thatthe volunteer organization maintains. Thereare many other primary streets throughoutthe city that could use the community’shelp.

Community-based Code Enforcement dur-ing the growing season requires, perhaps,more busywork than any other time of theyear. It asks the property owners, citizens,businesses, organizations and various divi-sions of government to work together forthe benefit of all. When all of the variouscomponents of the city of Lansing work to-gether with respectfulness and diligence, itonly helps to continue to make the commu-nity one of the best in the state of Kansas.

FOR MORE INFORMATION - CHECK OUT WWW.LANSING.KS.US

AGE DIVISIONSAREAS FOLLOWS, (ALLAGESAS OF JUNE 1, 2015):

T-Ball (co-ed) 5 – 6 years

BOYS BASEBALL GIRLS SOFTBALLCoach Pitch 7-8 years 8 and under 7-8 years10 and under 9-10 years 10 and under 9-10 years12 and under 11-12 years 12 and under 11-12 years14 and under 13-14 years 15 and under 13-15 years

Registration fees are $40.00 per youth; Registration fee includes jersey. A scholarshipprogram is available for qualifying individuals; for more information please con-tact our office. The deadline for scholarship applications is Mon., March 16.

Practices will begin mid-April; practice times are dependent upon the coach.Games begin the end of May and run through mid-July.

Late registrations may not be accepted. If late registrations are accepted alate fee of $10.00 per participant will be assessed.

Refunds will NOT be offered after the uniform/equipment order is placed onAPRIL 15, 2015.

Please contact us with questions at: 913-727-2960 or by Email at: [email protected]

Community-BasedCodeEnforcement during theGrowing Season

On Fri., Jan. 30, 2015 thecity of Lansing hosted the11th Annual Salads & So-lutions luncheon at theLansing Community Cen-ter. This event is held everyyear to thank Lansing busi-nesses for their support andservice to the residents ofLansing. The event alsoprovided an opportunity forbusiness leaders to meetwith City staff and electedofficials. Lansing MayorGene Kirby gave a presen-tation regarding area proj-ects that have beencompleted and discussedfuture projects and goals.The event was well at-tended and provided an op-portunity for businessleaders to network withother members of the Lans-ing business community.

Lansing Parks and Recreation will be accepting registrations for the Summer2015Youth T-Ball, Baseball and Softball programs March 2 through March31. Registrations may be completed in person at the Parks and Recreation of-fice, located in the Lansing Activity Center at 108 S. 2nd St. in Lansing. Of-fice hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Registration formsare also available online at: www.lansing.ks.us. Completed registration formsmay be mailed with payment (checks or money orders made payable to theCity of Lansing) to:

Lansing Parks & Recreation108 S. 2nd St., Lansing, KS 66043

Annual Clean UpBy City Clerk Sarah BodensteinerSpring is around the corner and resi-dents will be completing their springcleaning. To assist in this endeavor,the city of Lansing will have theirAnnual Clean Up on Fri., April 3rdfrom 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sat., April4th from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Leav-enworth County Transfer Station onE. Gilman Road. This is a free serv-ice for all Lansing residents. Resi-dents must bring their driver’s licensewith current residency to verify theyare a resident of Lansing. If your dri-ver’s license does not reflect yourresidency, you may bring your cur-rent month’s city of Lansing sewerand trash bill.

The Transfer Station will accept mostitems for disposal except motor oil,concrete waste, or items containinghazardous materials such as refriger-ants. All truck beds and trailersMUST be covered with a tarp. Docu-ment shredding will be available onApril 3rd only, beginning at 8 a.m. Itis first come, first served for the doc-ument shredding until 2 p.m. or ear-lier if the shred truck is full prior to 2p.m. Please visit our website atwww.lansing.ks.us for further detailson this event. If you are disabled orage 65+, you may call Lansing CityHall at 913-727-3233 by Fri., March27 to make an appointment to haveyour items picked up.

and

Page 3: 1st quarter 2015

FOR MORE INFORMATION - CHECK OUT WWW.LANSING.KS.US

Portion ofK-7Renamed“KennethBernardMemorialHighway”By City Administrator Mike SmithI recently had the opportunity to providetestimony to the Kansas Legislature to re-name the portion of K-7 which runsthrough Lansing as Kenneth Bernard Me-morial Highway. Here is a portion of thattestimony:

Kenneth W. Bernard was elected Mayorof Lansing and held office for 29 years,before he retired in January 2013.

Mayor Bernard lived for the city of Lans-ing. He understood the importance of highpublic image. Through his time as Mayor,Lansing continued to grow into a proac-tive community with more than 11,000citizens. Today, Lansing features manyinfrastructure improvements, includingthe K-7/Main Street Enhancement Project,state-of-the-art wastewater treatment fa-cility, citywide trails system, and a 127-acre park which bears his name – KennethW. Bernard Community Park.

He attended all local events, from City lit-tle league games to state legislative break-fasts. He championed issues which resultedin upgrades for citizens – that’s why the

new 127-acre city park was named afterhim. Mayor Bernard started the city side-walk program and citywide trail system –working hard on funding both.

He cared about children – The Mayor’sChristmas Tree Fund, which he started andcontinues to this day, provides toys, cloth-ing, and food to low-income families everyyear in the Lansing area. He also helped co-

ordinate the Lansing Correctional Facility’sBicycle program, which inmates build andrepair bikes for local children.

Mayor Bernard was at City Hall everymorning before any other employee. Heoften spent his own money to attend meet-ings and events where it was important forLansing to be represented. When the Cityneeded something, it was often Mayor

Bernard who led efforts to make surethings got done.

It is for these reasons and more that I sup-port renaming of K-7 Highway throughLansing.

Editor’s Note: If the legislation is suc-cessful, signs renaming the highway inLansing will be posted at both the north-bound and southbound city limits

OneCentCountywide SalesTaxOverwhelminglyRenewedBy City Administrator Mike Smith

In early February, Leavenworth Countyvoters overwhelmingly approved a 20-year extension of the 1-cent countywidesales tax. From all of us here at the Cityof Lansing, I want to thank voters forshowing their faith in the job we do by ex-tending this important revenue source for20 years. Voter approval of the sales taxextension will renew the sale tax whichwas set to expire at the end of 2016. Thesales tax will now be extended through2036.

There were about 9,700 votes in favor ofthe extension and about 4,700 votesagainst it. That means the renewal of thesales tax was approved 67 percent to 32percent. That’s a huge difference.

Revenue from the 1-cent sales tax will bedivided among the county governmentand the cities within the county based ona state formula. The County has approveda charter ordinance mandating that someof the revenue from this renewal go tothree specific road projects – improve-ment of 147th St. from Fairmount Rd. toParallel Rd.; improvement of McIntyreRoad from K-7 to K-5; and improvementof Eisenhower Rd. from 20th St. toCounty Rd. 5. All three of those projectswill benefit Lansing.And the city of Lans-ing will use revenue from this sales tax re-newal to improve roads that connect to theCounty’s designated projects, as well aspay for improvements to our Parks and tohelp with our Economic Developmentplans.

I think it’s interesting to note the voteswere cast using mail-in ballots.Accordingto County Clerk Janet Klasinski, voterparticipation in the election was about 42percent – a much better participation ratethan many of our traditional walk-in vot-ing at your designated precinct.

I am always looking forward to the futureof Lansing and Leavenworth County –and with this dedicated revenue sourcenow guaranteed for 20 additional years,we are set to grow this great communitywell into the future. Again, thanks to thevoters of Lansing and LeavenworthCounty who have once again shown faithin our mission to make a great City andCounty even better.

I want to remind Lansing resi-dents that the last day to regis-ter to vote in the April Electionis March 17.You can request aVoter Registration form to reg-ister to vote at Lansing CityHall via the City Clerk’s Office,or online www.voteks.org.

You can return your completedform to the city of Lansing orthe Leavenworth County Clerk.The election is April 7. Oneseat in each Ward is up forElection. Current Councilmem-ber Kevin Gardner is runningunopposed, CouncilmemberAndi Pawlowski is runningagainst Kevin Jensen and JoelYoung. Councilmember JesseGarvey is running againstRobin Jackson, and Coun-cilmember Gregg Buehler isrunning against Kyle Deere.Councilmember terms are 4years.

If you have any questions,please contact the City Clerk’sOffice at 913-727-3036.

Lansing CityElectionsComing UpBy City Administrator Mike Smith

Lansing Parks & Recreation will be hosting the14thAnnual Fishing Derby at KennethW.Bernard Community Park on Sat., May 9 from 9a.m. to Noon. Fishing will occur from 9 - 11a.m., at which time lunch will be served. Awardspresentation will follow lunch.

Registration for this event is $5 per child. Costincludes bait and a picnic lunch – be sure to bringchairs or a blanket! Youth up to the age of 15years may participate in the Derby. All partici-pants will need to bring a fishing pole andMUST be accompanied by an adult. Only onefishing pole per participant will be allowed. Any-one not participating but attending may purchasea lunch ticket for $3 on the day of the Derby.

Registration forms for this event are available atthe Lansing Parks and Recreation office, located

inside the LansingActivity Center at 108 S. 2ndSt. You may also download the forms at:www.lansing.ks.us and bring them to the Parksand Recreation Office.

ONSITE REGISTRATION ONTHE DAYOFTHE DERBYWILL BE OFFERED FORANINCREASED PARTICIPATION FEE OF $10PER CHILD. PRE-REGISTRATIONMUSTBE RECEIVED BY 4:30 P.M. ONMAY 8.

If you have any questions about this event, pleasecontact the Parks and Recreation Department at727-2960 or by email at: [email protected]

In the event of inclement weather on the day ofthe Derby, please call the information line at 727-5555 for cancellation notice.

Mike Smith

14thAnnual Fishing Derby

in May!

Page 4: 1st quarter 2015

We hope everyone enjoyed theholidays and had a great start to2015.

There is a lot going on in theCity right now. On Friday, Jan-uary 30, the City hosted the an-nual Salads and Solutionsluncheon. The City invited localbusiness owners to lunch andMayor Kirby gave a presentationabout ongoing and future Cityprojects. We believe that pas-sage of the county wide sales taxextension will help fund many ofour high priority projects. TheCity’s infrastructure mainte-nance and improvements remainour top priority. We will be de-veloping a more detailed list ofprojects during our strategicplanning meeting in February,which will provide the commu-nity with more specifics on theplanned use of those sales taxdollars.

At our last council meeting inJanuary, a concerned resident ad-dressed the council about theCity’s breed specific dog ordi-nance. His concern is that theway the ordinance is written, it

keeps people from properly reg-istering their pets due to the re-quirements in the breed specificordinance. He cited multiplecities, nationally and locally, in-cluding Spring Hill and RoelandPark, which have changed theirordinances from breed specificordinances to more general ag-gressive dog ordinances. Thecouncil has agreed to discuss theordinance in a future work ses-sion, and we would like to hearyour opinions either for oragainst changing the current or-dinance.

The recent cold temperatureshave reminded us all the winteris still here, and if you believethe groundhog, it will be here foranother six weeks. While oursnowfall has been very limitedso far this year, please rememberLansing City Code requires side-walks to be cleared 24 hoursafter a snowfall. We have a lotof children walking to and fromschool and bus stops, often in thedark. Walkers tend to take thepath of least resistance, so if thesidewalks are full of snow, theyare likely to walk in the street.

While it doesn’t make the shov-eling any easier, or enjoyable forthat matter, our motivation to geta path through the snow is to en-sure the safety of our children.Also, the drastic temperaturechanges we’ve been experienc-ing result in something we alldislike: potholes. As spring ap-proaches, and temperatures getwarmer, please inform the Cityof any potholes you may en-counter so our PublicWorks De-partment can repair them. Thiswill both help out our PublicWorks Department and saveeveryone unnecessary wear andtear on their vehicles.

Construction continues on theIchiban Japanese Restaurant inEisenhower Crossing. Our eco-nomic development departmentdoes great work getting newbusinesses moving into Lansing.We are looking forward toIchiban opening in the earlyMarch timeframe.

Here are a few upcoming itemsfor your calendars:March 2 - Summer sports regis-tration begins

March 27-28 – Citywide springgarage saleMay 1-2 – Lansing Daze andBrews, Blues and Bar-B-QJuly 3 – Lansing IndependenceDay celebration

It truly is an honor to representyou as members of the city coun-cil. As a reminder, council meet-ings are held on the 1st and 3rd

Thursday of the month. If youhave issues or concerns, pleasedon’t hesitate to contact us.Gregg can be reached at 250-0540 or by email [email protected] andTony can be reached at 727-2524or by email at [email protected].

FOR MORE INFORMATION - CHECK OUT WWW.LANSING.KS.US

147th Street (a.k.a. Desoto Rd)

For many years, the improve-ment of 147th Street has been ahot topic of discussion at theCity level. What has held us upfrom doing anything has obvi-ously been money. Around 2007or 2008 we were able to get afederal earmark grant of $2 mil-lion to help us improve thatstreet. This earmark could onlybe used on this road and the Citywould have to match the funds.However, $30 million would beneeded to improve that roadfrom McIntyre Rd. to Eisen-hower Rd. in its entirety. So, weat the City have been working onways to eat the elephant, one biteat a time. We started about two

years ago to move forward withimprovements.

We decided to concentrate on theportion of 147th St. from Ida St.,north to Eisenhower Rd. (PhaseI). At this time the engineeringand design work is completed.The next two steps for the citywill be to acquire right-of-wayand then have the utilitiesmoved. A note here is that wewill probably take the majorityof right-of-way on the west sideof the road, and that property isnot in the city but in the county.

Total cost of this phase is esti-mated at $10.7 million, and con-struction is hinged on the Citygetting grant money from the

Mid-America Regional CouncilTransportation ImprovementProgram of 2016.

Since the School Bond has beenpassed, we at the City haveworked closely with our SchoolDistrict about improvements to147th Street at the new HighSchool location. The road therehas been widened and a signal isbeing placed there to help withtraffic when the school opens inlate 2015 for students.

The corner of 4H Road and 147thSt. will be made a four way stopuntil such time as we can improvethat intersection and put a signalthere. Moving further north, thebridge located just north of W.

Mary St. will have to be replaced(estimated with the associatedearthwork and paving required forthe project at $7.7 million)

The City’s goal is to improve147th Street all the way fromEisenhower Rd. to McIntyre Rd.We are moving forward, but it isa slow process.

Again, you are invited toYOURCity Council Meetings which areheld the 1st and 3rd Thursdaysof each month. If you have anyquestions please e-mail me at:[email protected] orcall 727-2907.

Don StudnickaCouncilman,Ward 2

WARD 2NEWSCouncilmemberDon Studnicka

WARD 4NEWS

WARD 4NEWS

CouncilmemberTony McNeill

CouncilmemberGregg Buehler

Hopefully this letter finds all ofyou happy, healthy and enjoyingsome sunshine and warm

weather here is Lansing, Kansas.On the day I am writing this, weare waiting for snow. I am hope-ful that some spring weather isjust around the corner!

I have a friend/constituent whohas experienced something noneof us should have to. In tellingher story, I am hoping everyonecan see why I have had this topicin my column several times overthe years.

They hired a contracting com-pany, who came recommended.The signs said "licensed, bondedand insured." After many thou-sands of dollars of work, jewelrycame up missing. That was thestart of a chain of discoveriesending with a startling fact.They were not licensed by thecity, bonded or insured by any-

one. They also had failed to getbuilding permits, so none of thework had been inspected. Sincethen, the homeowner has gonethrough the permit process andhas discovered the structuralwork was not according to codeand in fact was not safe. Therewere also electrical issues.

In addition to the money alreadypaid, they have to hire anothercontractor (who is licensed andinsured!) to fix the floor joiststhat were cut and beams thatcannot handle the load.

The city inspection process ex-ists for the safety of our resi-dents. The cost of the permitcovers the manpower cost of theinspection. Is it a pain? Yes.Does it make you plan a little inadvance?Yes. Could it save you

money in the long run? Ab-solutely.

A personal story. We had ourfurnace replaced. I made surethe contractor charged me for apermit and he said the city wouldbe in contact to come over andinspect. About 3 weeks later Icalled Public Works (727-2400)because no one had contactedme. The company had never ap-plied for or paid for the permit.The city called the firm and itwas taken care of. I am not aHVAC specialist, I don't doplumbing and I sure as heckdon't mess with electricity! Thesafety of my family and otherworldly possessions is worth thetime and energy to make sure itis done correctly. Any real estateagent can tell you, if it isn't doneaccording to code, when you sell

your home, an inspector can calloff the whole sale. When youpay the permit fee you are pay-ing to make sure you are pro-tected and to make sure theinstaller or contractor did thework according to code. Thefees are minimal compared tothe cost my friend will have topay. Most residents don't knowwhat they need a permit for.Sometimes I don't either. CallPublic Works. Cindy is verynice and informative. If youhave any problems, feel free tocall or email me or any othercouncil member.

[email protected] 913-683-0662.

Happy Spring to you!Andi

WARD 2NEWSCouncilmemberAndi Pawlowski

Page 5: 1st quarter 2015

WARD NEWS - CHECK OUT WHAT YOUR COUNCILMEMBERS HAVE TO SAY...

Spring is just around the corner.As our cabin fever starts to cometo an end and we transition tooutdoor activities, the newAngelFalls Bridge/Trail project will beunder construction. As a mem-ber of the Negotiating Commit-tee in the planning stages of thisproject, I am extremely excitedto see its completion.

If you have driven by Ida andDesoto Road lately, you mayhave noticed some constructiongoing on. The Angel FallsBridge will be located betweenIda and Mary Street spanningacross 7 Mile Creek. The naturallimestone waterfall will provideone of the most beautiful fea-tures on the trail. With the im-

proved trail connection and itsproximity to the elementaryschool, it will provide an oppor-tunity for an outdoor nature ex-perience for the students.

We are able to complete thisproject because of a grant fromthe Kansas Department of Trans-portation, therefore it is beingcompleted without any local taxfunding. The project should becomplete and in use by summer.

Research regarding city trail sys-tems shows there are many ben-efits to the surroundingcommunity. Studies have shownthat people who have access totrail systems report they have in-creased their amount of walking

and this is helpful in a lot ofways as people try to lead health-ier lifestyles. According to theNational Trails Research, a re-cent study shows that 79% ofhome buyers want walking andbiking paths. A recent study bythe National Association of Re-altors shows that walking andbiking trails are the #1 amenitydesired by homeowners, so thiswill be a great addition to ourcity.

The April 7th election is ap-proaching quickly and you willno doubt start to see politicalsigns around town for cityboards and council positions. Iwould encourage you to get outand VOTE.

If you have never attended acouncil meeting and would liketo know what it’s all about or ifyou have a concern, our regularmeetings are the 1st and 3rdThursdays of every month at7:00 p.m. If you would like tocontact me personally, I can bereached at my city email [email protected] or you canreach me at my home number913-727-1883. You can also fol-low my Facebook page, Coun-cilman James – Jesse Garvey Jr.

Jesse GarveyLansing CityCouncilman-Ward 3

WARD 3NEWSCouncilmemberJesse Garvey

1. Do not walk through flowing water. Six inches of moving water isenough to knock you off your feet.

2. Do not drive through a flooded area. Two feet of water will carryaway most cars. One foot of water can displace 1,500 pounds of weight.A that car weighs less than 1,500 pounds could float in a foot of water.

3. Stay away from downed power lines and also electrical lines in yourown home. Electrical current can travel through water.

4. Watch for animals and snakes. Small animals that have beenflooded out of their homes may seek shelter in your home.

5. Watch your step.After a flood the ground is covered with debris in-cluding broken glass and sharp objects just below the mud. Wet ormuddy steps can be slippery.

6. Use a flashlight to check for gas leaks. Soapy water on gas lines willreveal leaks as soap bubbles form. Don’t use candles or smoke untilyou are certain there are no gas leaks.

7. Have an evacuation plan for yourself and family members. Choosea route and a meeting place.

8. Prepare an emergency kit in a portable container. Make it smallenough to grab quickly and go. Suggested items for such a kit includeportable radio, flashlight, spare batteries, spare car keys, spare pairof glasses, prescription medication, nonperishable food items, bottledwater, first aid kit, blanket, list of important numbers, and copies ofimportant papers.

9. Shut off utilities before hand. Make sure family members knowhow to shut off gas at the meter and power at the breaker box.

10. Consider buying flood insurance now. Normally, there is a 30-daywaiting period before policies go into effect.

FLOODSAFETYTIPS

1. No camine a través de la corriente de agua. Seis pulgadas de aguaen movimiento es suficiente para tumbarlo de sus pies.

2. No maneje a través de un area inundada. Dos pies de agua podríaarrastrar casi cualquier tipo de vehiculo. Un pie de agua podría de-splazar un peso de 1,500 libras. Si un vehiculo pesa menos de 1,500 li-bras, podría ser arrastrado por un pie de agua.

3. Manténganse alejado de postes de energía eléctrica caídos y tam-bien de líneas Eléctricas en su casa. La corriente eléctrica puede viajara través del agua.

4. Cuidado con animales y serpientes. Animales pequeños que hansido desplazados por la inundacìon pueden buscar albergue en suhogar.

5. Cuidado cuando camine. Despuès de una inundacìon el terreno estalleno de escombros incluyendo vidrios quebrados y objetos punzantesdebajo del lodo. Caminar en lo mojado o en le lodo puede ser resbaloso.

6. Utilice una linterna para reviser las fugas de gas. Agua con jabònen las tuberias de gas podria reveler si hay fugas de gas, pues el jabonproduce burbajas.

7. Tenga un plan de evacuaciòn para usted y los miembros de su fa-milia. Escoja una ruta y un lugar donde reunirse.

8. Prepare un botiquìn de emergencia en un recipiente portátil. Há-galo Suficientemente pequeño para agarrarlo rápidamente e irse.Artículos sugeridos para este botiquín on, radio portátil, linterna conbaterías de repuesto, llaves del carro de repuesto, lentes de repuesto,prescripciones medicas, articulos de comer no perecederos, botellas deagua, botiquín de primeros auxilios, cobija, lista de números impor-tantes, y copias de papeles importantes.

9. Apague todos los servicios públicos de ante mano. Asegúrese queotros miembros de la familia sepan cerrar las llaves del gas en el me-didor y la electricidad en la caja de fusibles.

10. Considere comprar pólizas de seguro para inundaciones. Normal-mente hay un periodo de 30 días de espera antes de que la póliza tomeefecto.

CONSEJOSDESEGURIDADENCASODE INUNDACION

Workers have replaced the spillway and armored the lake atLost 80 Park in the eastern part of Lansing. Repairs stoppedwater from leaking under the spillway and will reduce ero-sion. The project was funded by the city of Lansing and theKansas Dept. ofWildlife, Parks and Tourism.

Page 6: 1st quarter 2015

FOR MORE INFORMATION - CHECK OUT WWW.LANSING.KS.US

Dear Lansing Resident:

It is easy to forget about flood risks andthe need to be prepared for flooding.When the ground is dry or frozen is a goodtime to make preparations and take actionsthat may minimize flood risks. Clearingout brush and debris from storm drainageareas is a good example. In wet periods,it is often difficult or impossible to accesssome parts of drainage areas that need at-tention, so now may be the best time ifyou have such an area on your property.Take the time to assess the risk of any typeof flooding that might affect your prop-erty, and take any needed actions for pro-tection or insurance. We don’t know whatthe weather will bring in the next fewmonths, but at some point wet weatherwill return, and flooding will occur insome locations in the community.

Flooding in our community comes fromfour primary sources. 7-Mile Creekleaves its banks in some locations duringand after heavy rainfall events, sometimesoverflowing 155th Street, encroaching onyards in the Clear Creek Mobile HomeCourt, encroaching onto a portion of theCity Park on North 2nd Street, and some-times overflowing K-5 Highway. 9-MileCreek leaves its banks in some locationsduring and after heavy rainfall events,sometimes encroaching on properties inthe Southern Hills, Rock Creek, FawnVal-ley, and Hillbrook neighborhoods, as wellas the Rock Creek Commercial area andthe Wiley Mobile Home Court, and over-flowing K-5 Highway. The MissouriRiver floods from time to time and canbreach the levy system, creating floodingover K-5 Highway and into the lowerreaches of 7-Mile Creek and 9-MileCreek. Brief localized flooding mayoccur in many locations throughout theCity during intense rainfall events. (Note:Flood insurance covers all surface floods,even in locations not associated with amapped floodplain.) Some flooding mayoccur from heavy snow melt, but is gen-erally less significant than that from heavyrainfall events or flooding from the Mis-souri River.

The city of Lansing has implemented anumber of storm water practices and re-quirements, such as storm water detentionrequirements for new development, tominimize localized flooding and to avoidincreases in the 1% chance flood.

City Services: NEW FLOOD MAPS:The city is in the process of adoptingnewly revised flood maps. Check yourflood risk. Flood maps and flood protec-tion references are available at the LansingPublic Library. You may also visit or con-tact the Lansing PublicWorks Departmentat 727-2400, 730 1st Terrace, Suite 3, tosee if your property is within a mappedfloodplain. If so, they can give you moreinformation, such as the depth of flooding,past flood problems in the area, and copiesof Elevation Certificates for most of thestructures constructed in the floodplainsince 2004. They can provide you withguidance on how to find an engineer, ar-chitect, or contractor to assist you with so-

lutions. If your property is in a floodplainor has had flooding, drainage, or sewerbackup problems, check out these sourcesof assistance to help identify the source ofthe problem. City staff may have knowl-edge of locations outside the regulatoryfloodplain that have experienced localizedflooding in the past. Flood informationand links to related resources are also avail-able on the city of Lansing website,www.lansing.ks.us. Flood maps may alsobe viewed on line from the LeavenworthCounty GIS website at https://leaven-worth.integritygis.com/.

WhatYou Can Do: The City depends onyour cooperation and assistance. Here ishow you can help:

• Do not dump or throw anything into oronto the banks of the ditches or streams.Dumping in our ditches and streams is aviolation of Lansing City Code 8-402(A)(1). Even grass clippings andbranches can accumulate and plug chan-nels, and smother desirable vegetation,destabilizing stream banks and accelerat-ing sedimentation. A plugged channelcannot carry the water away rapidly, andresults in flooding. Every piece of trashand every bit of sediment contributes toflooding.• If your property is next to a ditch orstream, please do your part and keep thebanks clear of brush and debris. CityCode 8-402(C)(10) requires propertyowners to do so. In the case of largedowned trees in drainage easements,please call the Lansing Public Works De-partment (727-2400) for inspection andassistance. Aside from managing brushand debris, do not disturb natural drainageways. Preserving these areas in a naturalriparian state helps to alleviate floodingand improve storm water run off quality.Preserving large floodplain areas providesexcellent natural habitat for a significantnumber of species.• If you see dumping of anything, in-cluding yard waste, or debris accumula-tion, or heavy brush in the drainage waysor streams, please contact the LansingPublic Works Department (727-2400).• Always check with the Public WorksDepartment Community Development Di-vision before you build on, alter, re-grade,or fill on your property. A permit may beneeded to ensure that projects do not causeproblems on other properties. The floodordinance that regulates development inthe floodplain was recently updated, andmay be found at http://lansing.ks.us/documentcenter under Lansing CityCode, Chapter 17.• If you see building or filling without aCity permit posted at the site, contact thePublic Works Department CommunityDevelopment Division at 727-2400.• Check out the following informationon floodproofing, flood insurance, andflood safety.

Floodproofing: There are several differ-ent ways to protect a building from flooddamage. One way is to keep the wateraway by regrading your lot or building asmall floodwall or earthen berm. Thesemethods work if your lot is large enough,

if flooding is not too deep, and if yourproperty is not in the floodway. The Pub-licWorks Department can provide this in-formation, and is the local permittingagency if the proposed work requires apermit.

Another approach is to make your wallswaterproof and place watertight closuresover the doorways. This method is notrecommended for houses with basementsor if water will get over two feet deep.

A third approach is to raise the houseabove flood levels. The cost for raising asmall or moderately sized house may befar less expensive than the uncovered lossfrom flooding.

Some houses, even those not in the flood-plain, have sewers that backup into thebasement during heavy rains. A plug,standpipe, or check valve can stop this inmany situations. A licensed plumber canhelp you determine the appropriatemethod of protection and make the instal-lation for you. The Public Works Depart-ment or Wastewater Department may beable to provide helpful information aboutthese kinds of problems.

These methods are called floodproofing orretrofitting. More information is availableat the Lansing Public Library and the Pub-lic Works Department.

If you know a flood is coming, you shouldshut off the gas and electricity and movevaluable contents upstairs. It is unlikelythat you will get much warning, so a de-tailed checklist prepared in advance wouldhelp ensure that you don’t forget anything.

Flood Insurance: If you don’t have floodinsurance, talk to your insurance agent.Homeowner’s insurance policies do notcover damage from floods. However, be-cause Lansing participates in the NationalFlood Insurance Program, you can pur-chase a separate flood insurance policy.This insurance is backed by the Federalgovernment and is available to everyone,even for properties that have previouslybeen flooded.

Some people have purchased flood insur-ance because it was required by the bankwhen they got a mortgage or home im-provement loan. Usually, these policiesjust cover the building’s structure and notthe contents. During the kind of floodingthat happens in Lansing, there is usuallymore damage to the furniture and contentsthan there is to the structure. Coverage forcontents is available.

Don’t wait for the next flood to buy insur-ance protection. There is a 30-day waitingperiod before National Flood InsuranceProgram coverage takes effect. Contactyour insurance agent for more informationon rates and coverage. If you are covered,check out the amount and make sure youhave contents coverage. Remember:Even if the last flood missed you or youhave done some floodproofing, the nextflood could be worse. Flood insurancecovers all surface floods.

If your flooding problem is caused or ag-gravated by sewer backup, check out asewer backup rider to your homeowner’sinsurance policy.

More information on flood risks and floodinsurance may be found at www.floods-mart.gov.

Flood Safety:

Do not walk through flowing water.Drowning is the number one cause offlood deaths, mostly during flash floods.Currents can be deceptive; six inches ofmoving water can knock you off your feet.If you walk in standing water, use a poleor stick to ensure that the ground is stillthere.

Do not drive through a flooded area.More people drown in their cars than any-where else. Don’t drive around road bar-riers; the road or bridge may be washedout.

Stay away from power lines and electricalwires. The number two flood killer afterdrowning is electrocution. Electrical cur-rent can travel through water. Reportdowned power lines to the power com-pany or City emergency management of-fice.

Have your electricity turned off by thepower company. Some appliances, suchas television sets, keep electrical chargeseven after they have been unplugged.Don’t use appliances or motors that havegotten wet unless they have been takenapart, cleaned, and dried.

Look out for animals, especially snakes.Small animals that have been flooded outof their homes may seek shelter in yours.Use a pole or stick to poke and turn thingsover and scare away small animals.

Look before you step. After a flood, theground and floors are covered with debris,including broken bottles and nails. Floorsand stairs that have been covered withmud can be very slippery.

Be alert for gas leaks. Use a flashlight toinspect for damage. Don’t smoke or usecandles, lanterns, or open flames unlessyou know the gas has been turned off andthe area has been ventilated.

If you have any questions, please contactthis office at 727-2400.

JohnW. Young, P.S., C.F.MDirector of PublicWorks/FloodplainAdministrator

CITYOFLANSINGFlood Protection Information

Page 7: 1st quarter 2015

NFIP: This community participatesin the National Flood Insurance Pro-gram (NFIP) which makes federallybacked flood insurance available forall eligible buildings, whether theyare in a floodplain or not. Flood in-surance covers direct losses causedby surface flooding, including a riverflowing over its banks, a lake orocean storm, and local drainage prob-lems.

The NFIP insures buildings, includ-ing mobile homes, with two types ofcoverage: Building and contents.Building coverage is for the walls,floors, insulation, furnace, and otheritems permanently attached to thestructure. Contents coverage may bepurchased separately, if the contentsare in an insurable building.

Mandatory Purchase Requirement:The Flood Disaster ProtectionAct of1973 and the National Flood Insur-ance Reform Act of 1994 made thepurchase of flood insurance manda-tory for Federally backed mortgageson buildings located in special FloodHazard Areas (SFHAs). It also af-fects all forms of Federal or Feder-ally related financial assistance forbuildings located in SFHAs. TheSFHA is the base (100-year) flood-plain mapped on a Flood InsuranceRate Map (FIRM). It is shown as oneor more zones that begin with the let-ter “A” or “V”.

The requirement applies to securedmortgage loans from financial insti-tutions, such as commercial lenders,savings and loan associations, sav-ings banks, and credit unions that areregulated, supervised or insured byFederal agencies such as the FederalDeposit Insurance Corporation andthe Office of Thrift Supervision. Italso applies to all mortgage loanspurchased by Fannie Mae or FreddieMac in the secondary mortgage mar-ket.

Federal financial assistance programsaffected by the laws include loansand grants from agencies such as theDepartment of Veterans Affairs,Farmers Home Administration, Fed-eral Housing Administration, SmallBusinessAdministration, and the De-partment of Homeland Security’sFEMA.

How it Works: Lenders are requiredto complete a Standard Flood HazardDetermination (SFHD) form when-ever they make, increase, extend, orrenew a mortgage, home equity,home improvement, commercial, orfarm credit loan to determine if thebuilding or manufactured (mobile)home is in an SFHA. It is the Fed-eral agency’s or the lender’s respon-sibility to check the current FloodInsurance Rate Map (FIRM) to de-

termine if the building is in an SFHA.Copies of the FIRM are available forreview in most local governmentbuildings or planning departments.Lenders may also have copies or theymay use a flood zone determinationcompany to provide the SFHD form.

If the building is in an SFHA, theFederal agency or lender is requiredby law to require the recipient to pur-chase a flood insurance policy on thebuilding. Federal regulations requirebuilding coverage equal to theamount of the loan (excluding ap-praised value of the land) or the max-imum amount of insurance availablefrom the NFIP, whichever is less.The maximum available for a single-family residence is $250,000. Gov-ernment-sponsored enterprises, suchas Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae,have stricter requirements.

The mandatory purchase requirementdoes not affect loans or financial as-sistance for items that are not coveredby a flood insurance policy, such asvehicles, business expenses, land-scaping, and vacant lots. It does notaffect loans for buildings that are notin an SFHA, even though a portion of

the lot may be. While not mandatedby law, a lender may require a floodinsurance policy, as a condition of aloan, for a property in any zone on aFIRM.

If a person feels that an SFHD formincorrectly places the property in theSFHA, he or she may request a Let-ter of Determination Review fromFEMA. This must be submittedwithin 45 days of the determination.More information can be found athttp://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program/how-request-flood-hazard-determination-review-fema

What the City is Doing: The city ofLansing Public Works Departmenthas an active floodplain managementprogram. Through a combination ofmitigation planning, regulation, pub-lic outreach, capital improvements,and maintenance, the Public WorksDepartment has successfully enrolledLansing in FEMA’s Community Rat-ing System. As a rated city, Lansingresidents currently receive a 10% dis-count on their flood insurance premi-ums.

FOR MORE INFORMATION - CHECK OUT WWW.LANSING.KS.US

TheMandatoryPurchase ofFlood InsuranceRequirement

There are several different ways to protect a building from flood dam-age. One way is to keep the water away by regrading your lot orbuilding a small floodwall or earthen berm. These methods work ifyour lot is large enough, if flooding is not too deep, and if your prop-erty is not in the floodway. The Public Works Department can pro-vide this information, and is the local permitting agency if theproposed work requires a permit.

Another approach is to make your walls waterproof and place wa-tertight closures over the doorways. This method is not recom-mended for houses with basements or if water will get over two feetdeep.

A third approach is to raise the house above flood levels. The cost forraising a small or moderately sized house may be far less expensivethan the uncovered loss from flooding.

Some houses, even those not in the floodplain, have sewers thatbackup into the basement during heavy rains. A plug, standpipe, orcheck valve can stop this in many situations. A licensed plumber canhelp you determine the appropriate method of protection and makethe installation for you. The PublicWorks Department orWastewaterDepartment may be able to provide helpful information about thesekinds of problems.

These methods are called floodproofing or retrofitting. More infor-mation is available at the Lansing Public Library and the PublicWorks Department.

The Lansing Public Works Department and City Engineer are avail-able to examine your storm water or flooding circumstances and pro-vide information on how you may be able to protect your property.The Lansing PublicWorks Department does not make recommenda-tions for contractors or consultants, but can provide helpful informa-tion on how to find and select a contractor or consultant to assist youwith your stormwater or flooding situation.

FloodProtectionAssistance

A state licensed consultant with expertise in floodprotection design, and/or a reputable contractor withexperience in flood protection construction can be agreat benefit in protecting your property. The city ofLansing does not recommend specific contractors orconsultants, but can share the following tips on se-lecting someone to assist with your project:

Pick the right professional for the type of project youhave. If minor surface flooding and other stormwaterrunoff is the issue, many times a full service land-scape professional may be best able to address it. Onthe other hand, if things like structural elements ofyour building or need for significant floodwalls areinvolved, you may need a structural engineer, an ar-chitect, or a civil engineer to assist you. A licensedland surveyor can assist you with elevation certifi-cates, letters of map amendment, and determininghow the topography of your property is involved withflooding.

Ask landscape professionals for references and lookat work they have done. Ask engineers, architects,and surveyors if they have experience or specialize inthe type of work that you need designed. Well-qual-ified local professionals and those from the immedi-ate region may be more familiar with the specifics offlooding in this area.

Always ask contractors about their experience in thetype of work you need done, their local license, andreferences and locations where you can see similarwork they have done. Ask about their warranty pol-icy. Be sure they are properly insured. If you knowof others who have had similar work done, ask themwho they used and how satisfied they are with thework.

It is prudent to get quotes or bids frommore than onecontractor for your work, but always consider qualityof work and other factors along with price. In manycases, communication throughout your project maybe more convenient with local contractors or thosefrom the immediate region.

Key words for yellow page or Internet searches:

Engineer -Architect - Surveyor - Land PlanningLandscape Contractors - Building Contractors

Excavating Contractors - Flood proofingConcrete Contractors

Always check with the Lansing Public Works De-partment (913 727-2400) well in advance of yourproject to determine what permits are needed, whatthe local requirements are for the type of work, andwhat information you need to provide with permit ap-plications.

Selecting aContractoror Consultant for FloodProtectionWork

Page 8: 1st quarter 2015

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/CONVENTIONand VISITORS BUREAU UPDATE

Lansing Historical Museum’sTemporary Hours of Operation

The Lansing Historical Museum has implemented a new, temporaryschedule.The hours of operation are Tues. – Sat., 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Patrons and

other visitors can also call 913-727-5488 during regular business hours toschedule an appointment to tour the Museum. The Lansing Historical Mu-seum is located at 115 E. KansasAve., next to the Leavenworth County FireDistrict #1 facility.For more information, contact Public Information Officer Ken Miller at

913-727-5488 during regular business hours or email [email protected].

Lansing Information...Mobile & on the Go!

GoLansingKS!➢ Our mobile app is available for iPhone, iPad, Android tablet and phone users➢ It is FREE!➢ Register for City Events➢ Find Contact info. for City Offices➢ Connect with Local Businesses

City Website Features➢ More Modules so Residents Can Interact with their City Government➢ Use the Web Calendar to Check on Dates for City Events and Meetings➢ View the Latest City Council Meetings & Newsmaker Interview Shows➢ PayYour City Bills Online➢ Report a Pothole or Other Maintenance Issue➢ Register forYouth Sports Leagues or City Events!

City’s Twitter, Facebook Page Update➢ Lansing’s Facebook Page now has 1,700 Friends.➢ Lansing’s Twitter Feed has more than 300 Followers➢ Links to City Videos➢ Check out Photos from City Staff and the Community➢ City Job Opportunities Announced➢ Updates from Lansing and KDOT Tweeted Instantly!➢ “Like” Our Library, Parks, and Museum Facebook Pages, too

LGTV - Channel 2 Update➢ Time and Temperature Instantly!➢ City Council Meetings Rebroadcast Six Times Per Week➢ Legislative Forums➢ Historical Documentaries about Lansing and Leavenworth County➢ Get your Local Weather Forecast➢ Cool Music to GetYour Day Started➢ Complete Program Guide on www.lansing.ks.us

COMING UP!The City of Lansing will host a

City Wide Garage Sale onFri., March 27 and Sat., March 28, 2015Families, clubs and organizations are invited to participate in theGarage Sale. The City will advertise each garage sale by publishing alist of the garage sale locations in the local newspaper and on theCity's website – www.lansing.ks.us.

A map will be available at City Hall, and on the city’s website. Thisevent is free to participants and will feature garage sales throughoutthe City and draw treasure hunters from surrounding areas. Thisunique community event is fun for collectors, families and bargainhunters. For more information, call 913-727-5488 or [email protected]. Permits are not required. Please note: hangingsigns on any utility pole is illegal and subject to fines.

Find good bargains! Shop the Citywide Garage Sale!

2015 Lansing’s Citywide Spring

By City ClerkSarah BodensteinerLansingMayor Louis E.Kirby hosted the 28th an-nual Mayor’s ChristmasTree Lighting Ceremony onDecember 7, 2014. Thecelebration included cook-ies, coffee, and hot choco-late for everyone to enjoy.Employees donated bakedgoods to raise funds for theprogram. Guests also en-joyed performances byADeere Place Daycare,Katie’s Dance Studio, andmembers of the LansingHigh School Sound Spec-trum.

Overall, the Mayor’s Christ-mas Tree Program raisedmore than $6,900.00 to helpsupport Lansing familiesthis past holiday season.This was an extremely suc-cessful event for 22 fami-lies, including 57 childrenin Lansing. City Hall, the

Lansing Community Li-brary, the Lansing Histori-cal Museum, and IHOP hadAngel Trees from whicharea citizens and organiza-tions selected tags provid-ing information on theneeds of children in Lans-ing. Many generous gifts ofnew toys and clothing werebrought to City Hall for dis-tribution to theAngel Treerecipients. Donations forthe program also includednon-perishable food itemsand monetary contributions.The non-perishable fooddonations were providedthanks to students from theLansing schools and theLansing Boy Scouts.

We would like to send aspecial thank you to theLion’s Club, Kiwanis, andLansing PRIDE for theirassistance with distributingthe donated items to all ofthe families, as well as the

many local businesses thatallowed us to place a dona-tion jar at their locations oradopted a family for theholidays. An extra specialthank you also goes to themany generous citizens inthe area that provided somany wonderful gifts tothese families in need.Without the generosity ofthe citizens, businesses, andorganizations in the area,this event wouldnot bepossible.

2014MAYOR’S CHISTMASTREECELEBRATION