×
×
homepage logo

Moratorium continues for certain land south of Tonganoxie

By Shawn Linenberger - | May 3, 2016

Leavenworth County’s moratorium on development south of Tonganoxie continues.

Tonganoxie City Manager Nathan McCommon said the county commissioners opted to continue the status at a recent commission meeting McCommon attended.

The city manager said it was in the city’s best interest for the moratorium continue on a portion of land that stretches from the Honey Creek Road vicinity down to Kansas Highway 32 that’s included in the moratorium.

The plan is for the county and city to figure out a long-term plan for how that might be developed.

McCommon said there was a developer wanting to put a residential area near Honey Creek, but that it could potentially hinder efforts to attract businesses to the industrial park land Tonganoxie owns in that area.

He said companies looking at industrial parks want to be clear from residential areas because of concerns of noise being bothersome for the neighborhoods.

McCommon noted that the Leavenworth County Commission also created a proclamation celebrating Tonganoxie’s sesquicentennial and the subsequent celebration June 10 and 11 in downtown Tonganoxie.

Council approves appointments

The council approved Mayor Jason Ward’s appointment recommendations.

Appointments were the same as previous positions: William Pray as municipal judge, Mike Kelly as city attorney, McCommon as city clerk and JoAnn Ferguson as city treasurer. The Mirror also again was named the city’s primary official newspaper, with the Leavenworth Times being the secondary newspaper.

City OKs electric work

The council approved $2,721 in electrical work that will help in added power options for downtown festivals and other events.

The council approved the bid form Lobb Electric.

The first event that will benefit from the added power options is the sesquicentennial celebration in June. Westar Energy is providing complimentary electrical drops to each location as sponsorship.

Members prefer nonpartisan elections

The council approved an ordinance preferring nonpartisan city elections.

The Kansas League of Municipalities is encouraging cities to draft such an ordinance if they are in agreement to it because there are efforts in the Kansas Legislature to require candidates declare a party affiliation for city and school board elections. Currently they are nonpartisan elections.