County Manager's Office
Phone: 913-715-0725
111 S. Cherry St., Suite 3300, Olathe, KS 66061
The County Manager's Office is responsible to the Board of County Commissioners and the residents of Johnson County for the effective and efficient delivery of programs and services, using sound management and financial principles while emphasizing high ethical values, innovation, and continuous improvement.
At a special meeting on March 30, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners authorized a program for additional COVID-19 testing in an amount not to exceed $400,000. The funding will come from the county’s general fund reserves to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, if allowable.
Johnson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE) needs data to better estimate case counts, understand the impacts of COVID-19 on subpopulations including children and their role in transmission, the role of pre- and asymptomatic transmission, and the case fatality rate. This will guide mitigation strategies and ensure that the best use of healthcare resources and critical care infrastructure are made in the days ahead.
Due to limited testing up until this point, which has been focused on those individuals who are hospitalized and at high risk, the level of community transmission is unknown. More widespread testing through drive thru clinics in Johnson County will provide a better picture of the extent of coronavirus spread within the community. JCDHE is also planning to gather more information through community wide symptom reporting which may be used to identify additional individuals for testing as resources allow.
While there is a desire to provide testing for everyone, that is not feasible. The sampling process will provide a good way to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 in Johnson County and along with the monitoring of the health care system capacity, to make future decisions. Messages will be sent to a randomized sample pool within the community with a short survey and an invitation to get tested. This process will ensure broad demographic and geographic sampling.
Only one person from a family or household will be tested. JCDHE wants to test people experiencing symptoms as well as people who are asymptomatic in order to get a complete picture of the effect of COVID-19 on the community.
Over the period of the next few weeks, JCDHE will be taking additional samples in order to monitor trends and further refine assumptions about the situation in Johnson County. JCDHE will then be able to evaluate the mitigation efforts and make data-driven decisions on future interventions. This is part of the broader efforts to reduce the spread in the county.
Locations are currently being determined and will be communicated as soon as possible. Logistics continue to be planned. Turnaround time for results is approximately five days.
JCDHE staff will be responsible for collecting the specimen samples and information from the individuals being tested. Johnson County is entering into contracts with laboratories to provide testing materials, receive samples, analyze specimens and report the results.
The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners held a special virtual board meeting on Monday, March 30 to expand testing.
The board approved a program for additional COVID-19 testing in an amount not to exceed $400,000 for between 3,000 and 5,000 test results and authorize the chairman of the Board of County Commissioners and the vice chairman to enter into a contract(s) that are necessary to effectuate this action.
The board also received an update on the Governor’s Executive Order 20-16, establishing a statewide stay-at-home order.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman, M.D., provides the latest on the COVID-19 situation in the state of Kansas.
Watch the news conference on Facebook.
Visit www.getkansasbenefits.gov for federal stimulus benefits updates or to file for Unemployment Insurance Benefits with the Kansas Department of Labor.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Johnson County District Attorney's Office is not open to the general public. Per Administrative Order 20-02, all traffic court dates scheduled between now and May 8 have been rescheduled. Find your new court date here, or contact the Clerk of the District Court at 913-715-3470.
If you would like to handle your traffic ticket between now and your court date, many traffic citations can be diverted. To find out if your case is eligible for diversion, visit the Johnson County District Attorney's Traffic Diversion Unit online or call 913-715-3011.
The standard $20 fee for mail-in traffic diversion will be waived at this time.
On March 28, Governor Laura Kelly issued a stay at home order for all of Kansas. Executive Order No. 20-16 goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on March 30 and supersedes Johnson County’s stay at home order that went into effect March 24. Currently the governor’s order is set to expire on April 19, and if that remains the case, the county’s order, which when established was set to expire at 12:01 a.m. on April 23, would go back into effect.
The state's frequently asked questions provide more clarity about the state order. Questions on the state’s stay at home order can be emailed to KEFF@ks.gov.
If you are seeking enforcement, please contact your municipal police department. DO NOT CALL 911. Use these administrative numbers.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has added two new states to the quarantine list: Louisiana and Colorado. Previously, just certain counties in Colorado were included. This is effective for persons returning today, March 27, and moving forward.
A comprehensive list of those Kansans needing to quarantine for 14 days includes those who have:
Get access to published meetings, resolutions, transcripts, management reports, and general files from the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners board meetings.
111 S Cherry St, Olathe, KS 66061 | 913-715-5000 | TDD: 800-766-3777
© Johnson County, KS, USA 2020
