SEPTEMBER - 2008

County adopts resolution for public safety sales tax to start in 2009

Use of Johnson County’s renewed quarter-cent sales tax for public safety purposes begins at the start of the new year. During its morning business session on Thursday, September 11, the Board of County Commissioners adopted a resolution to continue the sales tax after Johnson County voters supported renewal of the tax at the August 5, 2008 elections.

In a related action, the county set the wheels in motion to design and construct a new Juvenile Services Complex in Olathe next year by using revenue from the renewal of the sales tax.

During the past six years, the county has imposed the quarter-cent sales tax and has primarily used of the county’s share (approximately two-thirds) of the sales tax revenue to provide economic development grants to public schools in Johnson County. The cities in the county also received a share of the proceeds (approximately one-third) for their discretionary use. The tax is the final quarter-cent increment of the total 1-cent sales tax the county is authorized to levy.

The tax, with an initial three-year sunset, was originally approved in a countywide vote in August 2002 and began in January 2003. The tax was renewed in a September 2005 special election, with a part of the revenue, the amount exceeding $18.1 million a year that provided economic development grants to public schools, being designated for use on public safety and infrastructure in anticipation of an eventual transition to direct the revenue to public safety programs.

The resolution approved Thursday officially sets that transition into motion for renewal and continuation of the existing sales tax, effective on January 1, 2009, and since it is a renewal of the existing quarter-cent sales tax, there will be no noticeable difference for Johnson County merchants or consumers. The renewed sales tax has no sunset date.

As approved by voters, the sales tax revenue will be used for “capital and operating costs related to public safety programs,” which include the Sheriff’s Office and county detention facilities, corrections, Med-Act, and emergency and dispatch communications. Proceeds also could be used in programs for the administration of justice, such as the District Court system, District Attorney’s Office, and other county legal services.

In urging support of renewal of the sales tax in the August primary elections, the county identified three main purposes for its share of the revenue, including:

• Building and operating a new Crime Laboratory for the Sheriff’s Office with an estimated cost of $27.25 million. The new facility, which will be constructed at the county complex at 119th Street and Ridgeview Road in Olathe, will replace the existing overcrowded lab that has operated in Mission since 1974.
• Funding of the current expansion project and future operations at the Adult Detention Center at the Fred Allenbrand Criminal Justice Complex at the New Century AirCenter on the northeast edge of Gardner. The $60.3 million expansion is scheduled for completion in 2009 and will more than double the county’s jail capacity by adding 554 beds to house inmates.
  
• Building and operating a new Juvenile Services Complex building at the county’s juvenile corrections site that occupies the greater portion of three city blocks on West Spruce Street near downtown Olathe. The cost of the project is placed at $17.75 million.

The quarter-cent sales tax is expected to generate approximately $18.9 million in 2009 as the county’s share for public safety purposes and approximately $10.6 million for use by cities.

PBC authorizes contract for Juvenile Services Complex
Following its business session, the Board then convened a special meeting in its role as the Public Building Commission (PBC) and authorized a $1,286,000 contract with Treanor Architects for design services for the Juvenile Services Complex. Design of the new building is expected to take about nine months to complete.

Treanor Architects was chosen through a request for proposal process, which included responses from nine firms. Five finalists were invited to make presentations.

The Juvenile Services Complex building, totaling approximately 58,000 square feet, will consolidate and expand juvenile justice services provided by the Johnson County Department of Corrections. The facility also will replace the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (JIAC) that was built in the early 1960s. The county has wanted to raze the building for years because it became impracticable to renovate and repair, and was finally able to do so in the last month after moving JIAC operations into temporary trailers on the site.

In addition, the Juvenile Services Complex will house the House Arrest program and Case Management Services of the Juvenile Division of the Corrections Department along with providing family-friendly access to comprehensive counseling, substance abuse services, and corrective programs in a centralized location.

The facility also will provide a 33-bed juvenile residential program to help ease overcrowding at the 70-bed Juvenile Detention Center and offer an alternative to hardened incarceration to young offenders. The residential program is aimed at reducing the number of Johnson County juveniles being housed in other Kansas youth detention centers, such as Topeka and Wichita, because of unavailable beds at the county’s Juvenile Detention Center.

Construction of the Juvenile Services Complex building is scheduled to start in mid-2009 with completion of the new construction and minor remodeling to the existing Juvenile Detention Center by early 2011. A construction manager for the project has not been approved by the PBC, but is expected to be selected in the near future.

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New director of Emergency Management Department named

Nick Crossley, interim director of the Johnson County Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security for the past nine months, has been named director of the department where he has worked for nine years.

His promotion was announced Tuesday, September 9, 2008, by Deputy Johnson County Manager Hannes Zacharias.

“His expertise and knowledge in emergency management and homeland security have served both Johnson County and county taxpayers well in helping our community prevent, prepare, respond and recover from all manmade and natural disasters,” Zacharias said.

“Nick is passionate about the mission of Emergency Management and will be a valuable member of the county’s management team. As interim director, he has earned his stripes and has done an outstanding job.”

Crossley has served as interim director of Emergency Management since the November 2007 retirement of Mike Selves, who was the director for 12 years. He joined the department in 1999. Aside from his stint as interim director, he has previously served as the project impact coordinator and assistant director of planning.

Citing the four pillars of emergency management – preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation, Crossley plans to remain at the forefront of ensuring Johnson County is well prepared for emergencies and disasters. He and his professional staff will continue to prepare the county under the vision and direction of the County Manager’s Office and the Board of County Commissioners.

“It’s an honor and privilege to be asked to continue to serve Johnson County,” Crossley said. “It is my goal to continue to improve the preparedness of Johnson County for all types of emergencies and disasters.”

Crossley holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Missouri at Columbia and received his bachelor’s degree in history from University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

He has nine years of experience serving the field of emergency management at the local, regional, state, and federal levels.

Crossley holds many leadership positions, including serving as a vice chairman of the Homeland Security & Emergency Management Subcommittee of the Justice & Public Safety Steering Committee of the National Association of Counties. He is also secretary of the Board of Directors of the Kansas Emergency Management Association and a member of the Regional Homeland Security Coordinating Committee with the Mid America Regional Council.

He is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) and an Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP).

More information about the Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security is available through its website at www.jocoem.org.

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Eleven projects receive 2008 funding from Johnson County Heritage Trust Fund

Funding from the Johnson County Heritage Trust Fund was authorized Thursday, September 18, by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners for 11 historical projects.

Recommendations for $202,461 in 2008 funding were presented to the Board by the Trust Fund’s Grant Review Board, which reviewed requests involving 15 applications, seeking $352,088.

Eight projects received full funding, including a request for $8,120 by Traditions Fire Company and Museum, Inc. to restore a 1963 American la France Fire Engine to replicate a similar fire truck that was used in Merriam. The restored fire engine will be used in a display of historic Johnson County fire apparatus. It also will be displayed in parades and public events.

The Olathe Fire Department received full funding of its $48,500 request to install a fire protection system at the Mahaffie House, 1200 Kansas City Road, to protect both the public and the historical dwelling and its contents. The stone farmhouse was built in 1865 and served as a stagecoach stop along historical trails. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Another request from an Olathe organization was fully funded. It was an application for $20,600 from the Kansas Educational Foundation for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The funding will be used for educational activities at the William J. Marra Museum of Deaf History and Deaf Culture, 455 E. Park Street. Total project cost was placed at $76,200.

The Grant Review Board also recommended full funding of a $1,200 request by the city of Mission for its “Mission Rebirth” project to document monumental changes in the community’s landscape as it undergoes a large-scale redevelopment along Rock Creek. The city plans to create a photographic history of the community over the three-year redevelopment, culminating with a book titled “Mission Rebirth.” Total project cost is set at $21,500.

The Gardner Historical Museum, 204 W. Main Street, was granted its full request for $3,315 to upgrade the security system at the museum. The museum is located in the Herman B. Foster house that was built in the 1893. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Total project cost of the security project was estimated at $3,630.

Three other fully-funded requests included:

• $2,705 of a total project of $3,928 for the Monticello Community Historical Society to catalogue and index the artifacts and documents about the history of Monticello Township. The materials are being housed at the Monticello Historical Station, 23860 W. 83rd Street, Lenexa.
  
• $38,923 for Johnson County Library for its Digital Cemetery Project: Recording and Preserving Cemeteries in Johnson County. The funds will be used to complete and format an inventory of local cemeteries that will be accessible on a website managed by the library. Total project cost was $61,860.
  
• $20,250 for Johnson County AIMS (Automated Information Mapping System) and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. The Heritage Trust Funds will be used to preserve and promote historic aerial photography and documents that will be accessible through the county’s online mapping website. The photographs, which have been digitally scanned, can be used with other layers of mapping information, such as property lines, environmental and stormwater data. The project is estimated to have a total cost of $52,010.
  

Three applications received partial funding, including $17,500 of a $39,300 request by the Friends of the Farmstead for the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, 13800 Switzer Road, Overland Park. The project will furnish the entrance facility with a multi-media, interactive “Doorway to the Past” display that includes historically authentic artifacts for public viewing by visitors.

Johnson County Museum received $16,348 of a $23,728 request for its collection project to increase public access and ongoing preservation for the permanent collections at the museum, 6305 Lackman Road, Shawnee. Total project cost was placed at $32,960.

The Grant Review Board recommended funding of half ($25,000) of a $50,000 application by the Shawnee Indian Mission Development Project, a subsidiary of the Kansas State Historical Society, for a marketing campaign to promote the Shawnee Indian Mission, 3403 W. 53rd Street, Fairway. Total project cost was $60,000.

The Johnson County Heritage Trust Fund was created in 1991 and designed to preserve the heritage and history of the county. Revenue for the fund is derived from a portion the county’s mortgage registration fee that exceeds the $100,000 the county is required to contribute to the Kansas Heritage Trust Fund.
On Thursday, the resolution for the 11 projects for funding by the Heritage Trust Fund was approved by the Board of County Commissioners with no changes to the recommendations from the Grant Review Board. The vote was unanimous.

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County Commissioners seek volunteers to serve on seven advisory boards

Johnson County’s Board of Zoning Appeals and Housing and Community Development Committee have something in common. Both panels have two vacancies and are looking for volunteers.

The four vacancies are among nine pending appointments by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners. The Board is accepting applications from residents who would like to be considered to serve on one or more of seven advisory boards of county government.

The Board of Zoning Appeals has vacant seats involving representatives from the Sixth District to be named by Commissioner John Toplikar and from the Third District to be filled by Commissioner David Lindstrom.
Vacant seats on the Housing and Community Development Committee will be filled with appointments of the

Fourth District representative by Commissioner Ed Eilert and a representative of the homeless community by Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh.

The other vacancies include:

• Sixth District representative to the Library Board with the appointment being made by Commissioner Toplikar;
  
• Third District representatives to the Juvenile Corrections Advisory Board by Commissioner Lindstrom;
  
• Chairman’s representative of a building code official to the Contractors Licensing Review Board and representative of a firefighter/emergency medical technician to the Board of Code Review; and,
  
• Commissioner Toplikar’s Sixth District representative to the Developmental Supports Governing Board.

Johnson County residents interested in being considered for appointment to the advisory boards should submit their cover letter and current resume or curriculum vitae to the Board’s office at the following address:

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Attn: Appointments Clerk
County Administration Building, Suite 3300
111 South Cherry Street
Olathe, Kansas 66061-3486

Applications are available on the Board’s website at http://clerk.jocogov.org. For more information, residents should contact the Office of the Board of County Commissioners at (913) 715-0430.

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eight representatives on national committees of NACo

Four members of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners have been reappointed to steering committees of the National Association of Counties (NACo).

They included Annabeth Surbaugh, chairman of the Board, and Commissioners Ed Peterson, First District; John Segale, Second District; and Doug Wood, Fifth District.

Four other reappointments to NACo’s national committees involved Johnson County employees.

Chairman Surbaugh said Johnson County’s representatives on the national panels mean they will continue to represent the interests of Johnson County, as well as those of the greater metropolitan region and the state of Kansas, in shaping and influencing national policies affecting the services and operations of the more than 3,000 counties in the United States.

“Being involved with NACo and its important committees means we’ll have the opportunity to share some of our community’s successes and challenges with leaders from across the country, and learn more about how their communities are handling similar situations,” she said.

“More importantly, it means that Johnson County is represented not only at the local, regional, and state levels, but it assures us a seat at the table with federal officials in expressing our positions and working to gain a better appreciation for the needs of local communities. It allows the chance to be our community’s voice in Washington D.C.”

Chairman Surbaugh, who recently was renamed to the NACo Board of Directors as one of 10 presidential at-large appointments, will continue to serve as vice chairman of the Environment, Energy & Land Use Steering Committee. She has served on panel since 1994.

She also will retain her seat as a member of the Large Urban County Caucus, which is comprised of elected leaders from counties with populations of more than 500,000. It marks her fifth consecutive term as a member of the caucus.

Commissioner Peterson was reappointed for another term to the Environmental Energy and Land Use Steering Committee. It will be his fifth consecutive term on the national panel.

Commissioner Segale remains a member of the Telecommunications and Technology Steering Committee. He was first appointed to the panel in 2005.

Commissioner Wood will continue to serve on the Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, retaining a seat that he has held since 2005.

Nick Crossley, newly-named director of the county’s Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, also was reappointed to the Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee.

David Wiebe, executive director of the Mental Health Center, was chosen for reappointment to the Health Steering Committee.

Two other Johnson County employees were reappointed to national committees. They were:

• Jack Clegg, director of Information Technology Services, to the Information Technology Committee; and,
• Robert Tucker, public information officer for the Communications Division of the County Manager’s Office, to the Audit, and Programs and Services committees.

NACo’s policies and legislative positions are developed and reviewed by 11 policy steering committees and other panels that annually review and make recommendations on issues and legislation. The policy development process initiated by the committees leads to the publication of the American County Platform, which NACo uses as a guide to deliver the county government message to the federal administration, Congress, and the American public.

Headquartered on Capitol Hill, NACo is a national policy and advocacy organization representing interests and positions of county government. It provides an extensive line of services, including legislative, research, technical, and public affairs assistance to more than 3,000 units of county governments throughout the nation.

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City and county leaders to gather Oct. 3 at Third Annual Leadership Summit

Elected leaders and top management from Johnson County’s city and county governments will gather Friday, October 3, for the Third Annual Johnson County Leadership Summit in the newly-remodeled Conference and Training Center in the lower level the Johnson County Administration Building, 111 South Cherry Street, in downtown Olathe.

The summit is being organized by Annabeth Surbaugh, Chairman of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners, with invitations extended to elected leaders, city administrators, and key managers from each of the county’s 19 cities.

The event begins at 8 a.m. with breakfast and is scheduled to end at approximately 2 p.m. following lunch. The summit is aimed at bringing together city and county officials to focus on expanding networks, identifying shared interests, and gauging prospects for enhanced partnerships to meet community needs.

Ed O’Malley, president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center, will serve as the summit facilitator. He is a former member of the Kansas House of Representatives (2003-2007), former aide of Governor Bill Graves, and former director of government relations for the Overland Chamber of Commerce.

The program will feature two six-member panels consisting of elected officials and local community leaders who will offer their perspectives about challenges facing the Johnson County community as well as opportunities for leadership and community partnership.

John Holt, co-anchor of Fox 4 News, will moderate the panel discussion.

Elected officials on the panel include:

• Chairman Surbaugh;
  
• Jeff Meyers, mayor of Shawnee;
  
• Laura McConwell, mayor of Mission;
  
• Michael Copeland, mayor of Olathe;
  
• Carol Lehman, mayor of Gardner; and,
  
• Ron Shaffer, mayor of Prairie Village.
  

Community leaders on the panel are:

• Clay Blair III, president of Clair Blair Services Corporation;
  
• Bob Regnier, president and CEO of the Bank of Blue Valley;
  
• Blake Schreck, president of the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce;
• Marge Vogt, a member of the Olathe City Council;
  
• Robert Clark, PhD, vice chancellor of the University of Kansas Edwards Campus; and,
  
• Karen Wulfkuhle, director of United Community Services of Johnson County.
  

Following the panel program, participants will meet in small groups to engage facilitated discussion about the top 3-5 issues and partnership opportunities to be pursued by the county and cities. The small groups then will report key findings and recommended action plans.

More information about the 2008 Leadership Summit is available by contacting Sarah Plinsky at the Johnson County Manager’s Office, at (913) 715-0738.

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County approves infrastructure pact for Intermodal, Logistics Park near Gardner

Public infrastructure improvements to accommodate the Intermodal Facility proposed by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railways and Logistics Park being developed by The Allen Group will total an estimated $49.2 million over three stages as the rail-truck hub and industrial warehouse complex is being developed near Gardner.

As part of the first stage of public improvements, Johnson County will improve 191st Street at an estimated cost of $14 million.

The county also was asked to assist the city of Gardner, as part of the second stage infrastructure projects, to find “funding sources” for improving Waverly Road, including the South Waverly Bridge, with a total estimated cost of $12.2 million. One of the primary sources for the Stage 2 improvements is the state of Kansas, which will be asked to approve legislation by the Kansas Legislature to fund part of the costs.

Both road projects were outlined Thursday, September 25, in a Public Infrastructure Financing Plan presented to the Johnson County Board of Commissioners. After discussing the plan for three hours, the Board approved the financing plan by a 5-1 vote with Commissioner John Toplikar voting no. Commissioner Ed Peterson was absent at the time of the vote.

The approval comes on the heels of the Board discussing the possible impact of the project and the county’s infrastructure role, during a public meeting as a Committee of the Whole on August 28.

The Board placed two conditions on its approval:

• An agreement between the Johnson County Park and Recreation District and Burlington Northern Santa Fe must be approved by the park board regarding the intermodal. Negotiators hope to have an agreement for consideration by the park board at its meeting on Nov. 19; and,
  
• Approval of a side agreement between the county and Gardner regarding county-city financing arrangements for the Waverly Road project.

The intermodal project and the Logistics Park-Kansas City are being planned on approximately 1,000 acres purchased by Burlington Northern Santa Fe at 191st Street between Waverly and Four Corners roads.

Construction of the 191st Street improvements and the Intermodal Facility is expected to start in early 2009, weather permitting, with the road project being completed in time for the opening of the rail-truck hub by late 2010.

The Public Infrastructure Financing Plan, presented Thursday to the Board, was approved last week by the Gardner City Council along with project and annexation agreements. By its approval, Gardner indicated it plans to annex the site of the rail-truck terminal and its ancillary development within 45 days of approval of all agreements by all required participants, including the city, Johnson County, the railroad, and the developer.

“The county is not a party to either the Annexation Agreement or the Project Agreement, but each does have some connection with the Financing Plan and does have some impact on the county,” Don Jarrett, Chief Counsel, advised the Board in a briefing sheet.

The financing plan provides:

• Stage 1: The county agrees to fund the improvement of 191st Street from Gardner to Four Corners roads.

Possible funding sources include the County Assistance Road System (CARS) program, cash from the county’s budget reserves, $1.9 million from the county’s portion of economic development revenue generated from a quarter-cent sales tax, and $6.6 million in state matching funds from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).

Another possible option was to debt finance all or part of the 191st Street project by issuing bonds.

The funding of the 191st Street will require a separate action by the Board at a later date.

Full cost of all of the Stage 1 infrastructure improvements is placed at $20.4 million. Those projects include Burlington Northern Santa Fe agreeing to provide $3.9 million to complete the Center Street Bridge and Gardner providing $2.5 million for wastewater improvements. The Allen Group will contribute $1 million in an escrow account for the sewer project.

• Stage 2: This phase includes improving Waverly Road from 191st Street to 56 Highway at an estimated cost of $6.5 million and constructing the South Waverly Bridge, with a projected cost of $5.7 million. The second stage improvements also include extension of 183rd Street ($1 million) and an Interchange Connector to I-35 ($4.2 million) for a total estimated cost of $17.4 million.

The county has agreed to assist Gardner to find funding for the Waverly Road project if the funds available from the development, the city, and the state are not sufficient, but the county is not participating in the costs of the Stage 2 improvements without a side agreement with the city.

The city will be responsible to secure funding for the 183rd Street and Interchange Connector projects. As part of the agreements, Burlington Northern Santa Fe will place $3.1 million in an escrow account to pay off bonds for the South Waverly Bridge project.

Stage 2 will begin after partial development of the logistics park with a commitment to develop at least 1.5 million square feet of warehouse space.

The Public Infrastructure Financing Plan also requests that Gardner and Johnson County use “diligent and concerted efforts” during the upcoming session of the Kansas Legislature to obtain financial assistance from the state of Kansas.

In the 2008 session, the Legislature adopted legislation which would have provided up to $49 million in state bonds to finance infrastructure around the intermodal hub and Logistics Park. Governor Sebelius vetoed the financing package since it was included in a $6 billion economic stimulus bill that would have allowed a $3.6 billion coal-fired plant in western Kansas, which she had vetoed twice before.

• Stage 3: This phase of infrastructure improvements include construction of a North Waverly Road Bridge ($4.4 million) over the rail line serving the Intermodal Facility and a 191st Street Connector, with an estimated cost of $7 million.

Funding for the $11.4 million Stage 3 project will be the responsibility of Gardner.

Stage 3 will commence when the developer has obtained leases or started construction of at least 3 million square feet of warehouse space in the Logistics Park.

Negotiations involving the rail-truck hub, with an estimated investment of $250 million, have been under way for more than a year. Burlington Northern Santa Fe plans to use approximately 440 acres for its Intermodal Facility that’s adjacent to its rail line.

The Allen Group plans to purchase the remaining approximately 560 acres from the railroad for development of the Logistics Park, including warehouses, distribution centers, and storage facilities to serve the Intermodal Facility. The Logistics Park, with up to 7.1 million square feet of warehouses, is expected to require an investment of up to $485 million.

Access to the massive complex also will require construction of an interchange to I-35 to accommodate increased truck traffic. Location of the new interchange has not been determined, pending further study, but it will be built and financed by KDOT.

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