Merry Christmas!

Here's wishing everyone a very Merry, and very Safe Christmas!

Bids to open on Fair Street Project

City officials will open bids on the Fair Street project late this month and will be presented to the City Council early next year for approval. The project is finally coming together after a long wait for repairs. Thanks to everyone who have worked on this project the past year.

Hillside Street Bridge opens

The Hillside Street Bridge opened at 1:30 today after being closed 171 days. The contract still has some cleanup work to do, but thru-traffic is now allowed. This is good news for those who live in the northwest area of town who commute to the north side.

Tony Clark to run across the State

U.S. Marine Tony Clark, a long distance runner, will be running across the state this weekend. His trek will last an estimated 60 hours as he runs from the Nebraska state line to the Oklahoma state line via U.S. 81. His trip will bring him through Wellington sometime Saturday night after midnight. His run is to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/?gclid=CJuXntnk9qMCFYHu7QodfG5S2A, an organization that provides relief to wounded soldiers. There are several projects around town helping him raise funds in his name. Help if you are able. And show your support by cheering him on in his long, incredible journey.

Skate park equipment installed

Equipment at the long awaited skateboard park has been installed. The new skatepark, initiated after concerns from business owners and citizens about skateboarders downtown, is located behind the old Junior High School where the Girl Scout House once sat. A ribbon cutting for the new park is planned soon.

Candidate forums scheduled

Two candidate forums will be held this month...the first is sponsored by the Sumner County Farm Bureau Association and is a forum for state candidates for Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Commissioner of Insurance, as well as Kansas House Seats and will be held on September 20th at the Raymond Frye Complex.
The second debate is hosted by the Sumner County Young Professionals and is for the Kansas House 80th District race between incumbent Vince Wetta and candidate Ellen Janoski. This debate will be held September 23rd at the Wellington High School.
Flyers for both debates can be found on my webpage in the "Calendar" section at www.johntracy.net.

Neighborhood Meeting cancelled

I am cancelling my September Neighborhood Meeting to allow citizens to attend the Sumner County Farm Bureau Candidate Forum.

Electric shutoffs discussed

The Governing Body discussed electrical shutoff policies at tonights council meeting and whether or not a change is needed. City Manager Gus Collins presented the Council with an existing City Code that does allow for the suspension of shutoffs for extenuating circumstances such as "weather" (See below). Further discussion will be needed to establish the criteria for such suspensions, therefore the issue will be placed on a future work session agenda.
For those residents who are unable to pay their bill by the cutoff date, they are encouraged to contact the City Clerks Office at 326-2821 to make arrangements for a level pay plan or a payment plan on the arrears. The Wellington Ministerial Alliance also can provide assistance for those with extenuating circumstances. Persons interested in more information can contact Pastor Bob Nickel at the Grace Fellowship Baptist Church.

City Code, Sec. 38-446. Same--Special circumstances.
(a) If a residential customer notifies the utility and establishes that discontinuance would be especially dangerous to the health of the customer, resident member of the customer's family or other permanent resident of the premises where service is rendered, and that such customer is unable to pay for such service in accordance with the requirements of the utility's billing, or is able to pay for such service only in installments, the utility shall either allow payment in reasonable installments or postpone discontinuance of service for at least 21 days so that the customer can make arrangements for reasonable installment payments.

(b) In determining whether discontinuance would be especially dangerous to health, consideration shall be given to the weather, and the customer's or other resident's medical condition, age or disability.

(Code 1996, § 15-527; Ord. No. 3288, § 14)

2011 Budget passes 7-1

The 2011 Budgets passed 7-1 at tonights Council Meeting. The budget is approximately $22,000 less than last year which will result in a mill levy decrease of about 1/2 mill.
While there are many worthy projects in next years budget, I could not support it because for the second year in a row, our employees are faced with no Cost of Living Adjustment. And while I would never support a tax increase to fund COLAs during bad economic times such as those we face now, I felt there were some non-essential budgeted items that should have been postponed, directing the money towards employee raises.
Once the final budget is printed, there will be a copy made available in the Public Library, at City Hall, and on-line on the City's website.

"As I See It' - The Laffer Curve

The Laffer Curve, according to Wikipedia, "is a theoretical representation of the relationship between government revenue raised by taxation and all possible rates of taxation. It is used to illustrate the concept of Taxable Income Elasticity (that taxable income will change in response to changes in the rate of taxation). The curve is constructed by thought experiment. First, the amount of tax revenue raised at the extreme tax rates of 0% and 100% is considered. It is clear that a 0% tax rate raises no revenue, but the Laffer curve hypothesis is that a 100% tax rate will also generate no revenue because at such a rate there is no longer any incentive for a rational taxpayer to earn any income, thus the revenue raised will be 100% of nothing."
Now putting economics aside, I wonder if the same theory can be applied to the population of a community. At one end of the curve there is 0 percent taxation. With no revenue, a City cannot provide services needed and desired by the citizens, so the population drops. At the other end of the curve, there is 100 percent taxation, therefore citizens cannot afford to live in the community and again, the population drops. But somewhere on the curve is a "happy medium" in which taxation is enough to provide the services "needed" by the citizens, but at a point in which taxation is not so great that it contributes to a decline in population.
If this "Laffer Curve" can be applied to a theory regarding population, where does our community fall on the curve?

Public Hearing on 2011 Budget

At next Tuesdays Council Meeting is a Public Hearing on the 2011 Proposed Budget. This is the time for citizens to come and voice their opinion about the proposals. The preliminary budget can be viewed on the City's website at http://www.cityofwellington.net/images/content/files/clerk/2011_pre_budget.pdf.

Water rates

An Ordinance to increase water rates was voted down at last nights Council Meeting by a vote of 6-2. City Manager Collins explained that while the Utility Fund as a whole was making a profit, it was only because of revenue from electric sales, and that the City was operating "in the red" on water. Collins stated it was the recommendation of the City Auditor to increase water rates so that all three utilities; electric, water, and sewer were making a profit. Councilmembers Brand and Shimer were the two "yea" votes on the Ordinance while Valentine, Antonich, Weber, Tracy, Nunemaker, and Mortimer were opposed.

Budget talks continue

City Council Members continue deliberating the 2011 Budget. A review of the Capital Improvement Plan and the Capital Outlay purchases has been conducted but not finalized. The line item budget will be delivered later this week and further work sessions conducted in the future. Stay tuned to announcements on budget work session dates and time as they are open to the public.

15th Street construction begins

As you've probably noticed, the resurfacing project for 15th Street from "A" to "G" Street has begun. Traffic will be narrowed to two lanes in many areas during the construction. Pay attention to speed restrictions while workers are resurfacing the highway. The project is part of a KDOT KLINK grant which the City applied for and received. Originally the project was to continue south on "G" Street to 11th, but bids were higher than expected and the project had to be scaled back. For more information on this and other projects, visit the City's website at http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=37.291672,-97.396374&spn=0.111712,0.154324&z=13&msid=103410109000520367028.0004755a1c2bb17740c1f.

Neighborhood Meeting announced

My next Neighborhood Meeting will be on August 16th, 6:30p.m., at the Best of the Orient restaurant, 114 E. Lincoln.

Budget work session

The Council will be having a budget worksession next Monday, January 26th, 6:30p.m. at City Hall. The public is invited to attend.

Easements for Roundabout

The Council, by a vote of 5-3, approved two of the needed easement to progress with the Roundabout project at 15th & A. More easements that are needed are still being worked on. Those voting against the easements were Antonich, Tracy, and Valentine.

Fair Street action

After engineering estimates of the Fair Street project were received, it was determined that the City had enough funds to complete the drainage work and resurface Fair Street below the BNSF Bridge, but funds were lacking to repair the street area north of the bridge. City Manager Gus Collins found a low interest (less than four percent) loan which, if taken, would entitle the City to a $50,000 grant which would be enough funds to finish the street repairs need. The Council unanimously approved, at their meeting tonight, to submit their intent to apply for the loan. The City is still waiting on BNSF's approval of the engineering plans so bid letting can begin.

Charter Ordinance passes

The Council, in a Special Meeting, voted tonight 8-1 in favor of a Charter Ordinance that will reorganize City Government. Key points of the ordinance, which will be phased in over the next three years include: 1) changing the City from 4 Wards to 3Districts, 2) reducing the Governing Body from 8 Council Members + 1 Mayor to 6 Council Members + 1 Mayor, 3) increasing terms from two years to four years, 4) establishing term limits of 2 terms in one office, and 5) eliminating primary elections. The most vital aspect of the Ordinance is that the City will begin the process of redistricting to ensure equal population in each district to ensure equal and fair representation. Current Wards are greatly out of balance in population.
Changes to the Governing Body and elections will result in a savings of taxpayers dollars. As an example, in February 2008 a primary election was held for City Council. The election was because one Ward out of four had too many candidates and the General Election ballot had to be narrowed down to two candidates. It was the only election held in Sumner County and only 78 voters turned out at the polls. The cost of that election was $5200 taxpayer dollars.
This is not an isolated incident. This has repeated itself many times over the years. And because of two year staggered terms, there is a City election held every year. The election this past April was the only election held in Sumner County. Two of the four Wards were unopposed. A little over 300 people turned out at the polls, and again, the election cost over $5000.
By eliminating primaries, and by extending terms to four years, the City will only need to have an election every two years which will coincide with School Board elections and will be paid for out of the County Election Fund and not be the sole burden of Wellington taxpayers.
If future Council Members continue to redistrict every ten years after the census is completed, the citizens of Wellington will be ensured equal and fair representation in the future.

Don't forget Special City Council Meeting

Mark your calendars. The City Council will meet in special session, Tuesday, July 13th at 6:30p.m. to discuss and vote on a Charter Ordinance that will change Wellington's Government. More information about the changes, visit the City's website at http://cityofwellington.net/images/content/files/council/council_restructure.pdf. Come to the Council meeting Tuesday night and voice your opinion!

Neighborhood Meetings postponed

Monthly Neighborhood Meetings will be postponed until another meeting area can be found. Stay tuned for updates.

Special Council Meeting

There will be a special Council Meeting to discuss and vote on the Charter Ordinance which will revamp Wellington's Government. The meeting will be held at City Hall, Tuesday July 13th, 6:30p.m. For more information on the proposed changes, visit the City's website at www.cityofwellington.net.

Water rate ordinance tabled

The City Council tabled the ordinance which would increase water rates for further study.

Council works on CIP

The Council has been reviewing requests for the five year Capital Improvement Plan in preparation for the 2011 budget work sessions. The results of each Council member's input will be tabulated before discussions are held to finalize the CIP.

Council to vote on water rate increases

The City Council will vote on an Ordinance, Tuesday evening, that will raise water rates 15 percent. The increase is needed, according to information provided, to reduce losses in the Water Division of the Utility Fund.

Independence Day flags

Once again, the Theurer Team pulled through and worked hard, putting the American flag all over town for Independence Day. They were out working at 10:00p.m. last night. Hats off to all who worked tirelessly to add beauty to our community this July 4th. I salute you!

SRMC receives 5 stars

For those of you who missed the Wichita Eagle article...

6 Kansas hospitals earn high marks
BY KAREN SHIDELER
The Wichita Eagle
Six small Kansas hospitals, including one in Wichita, were given five-star ratings in the community value index of the State of the Hospital Industry - 2010 edition, released recently by Cleverly & Associates.

The six are in the small, nonteaching category. The community value index compares areas that directly impact financial performance of health care facilities.

The Kansas hospitals that received the ranking are Galichia Heart Hospital in Wichita, South Central Kansas Regional Medical Center in Arkansas City, Sumner Regional Medical Center in Wellington, Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Labette Health in Parsons and Morton County Hospital in Elkart.



Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2010/06/22/1371558/6-kansas-hospitals-earn-high-marks.html#ixzz0rdsBn1mD

U.S. 160 construction begins

The widening of U.S. 160 between the High School and Walmart has officially begun. Extension of storm drains that run beneath the highway will be performed first followed by the widening of the road. In conjunction, land developers will begin construction of Boundary Road to the south of the highway which will lead to the new McDonalds. The speed has been restricted to 45mph through the construction zone.

Community Meeting held

Approximately 60 people turned out for the Community Meeting held last night to discuss two major issues on the City's forefront. First, a presentation by J.P. Buellesfeld regarding reorganization of Wellington's government was heard followed by an open forum by attendees. J.P. is an expert on local politics and a former adjunct professor with Cowley County Community College teaching Local and State Government. Finally, a presentation by KDOT Representative Al Cathcart regarding Railroad Quiet Zones was followed by a lengthy discussion of options. Now that the Council has heard from citizens on these issues, they will continue future discussions on which direction to take.

Community Meeting set

A community forum has officially been scheduled for June 16th, 6:00p.m. at Wellington's Steakhouse. The purpose of the forum is to discuss restructuring of Wellington's City Council and in addition, the possibility of railroad quiet zones along the BNSF Railroad tracks. The public is urged to attend.

Joint Neighborhood Meeting to be held

Since Councilmember Antonich's constituent meeting falls on Memorial Day, she is postponing her monthly meeting and instead, will hold a joint meeting with my Neighborhood Meeting on June 14th. Anyone is welcome to attend. Meeting time is 6:30p.m. at Wellington's Steakhouse.

How does Wellington taxes compare?

With the latest survey conducted by the League of Kansas Municipalities, I've compiled a chart of how Wellington compares with other Cities in property tax rates (2009 Rates). I chose Cities across the state that are comparable to Wellington's population (there aren't many) as well as Cities in the local area. The chart can be found on my website at http://www.johntracy.net/reports.html.

Date for Community Meeting tentatively set

The date for a community meeting has been tentatively set for the evening of June 16th. Two topics of discussion will be the reorganization of Wellington's form of government and Railroad Quiet Zones. Both items have a great impact on the citizens of Wellington, and your input is needed. Please plan on attending.

Summer Concerts

Three summer concerts will be held this year at the Golf Course Pavillion. Check the flyer for information.

Kansas: 150 Years

Kansas will be celebrating it's 150th Birthday next year and the State is preparing to honor the event. The website http://ks150.kansas.gov/Pages/default.aspx details plans for the Sesquicentennial.

City Worksession, May 25th

The City Council will have a work session, May 25th, 6:30p.m. at City Hall.

Projects/Street Closings

As a part of the Hargis Creek Relief Sewer which is an extension of the sewer system from approximately Panhandle Railroad Museum south to Botkin Street, Botkin Street WILL BE CLOSED Monday and Tuesday, the 24th & 25th between "A" Street and Woodlawn.
Hillside Street continues to be closed due to the construction of the Hillside Street Bridge over the Rock Island Slough and will be closed until mid-summer.

Underage drinking program to be provided

The Sumner County Community Drug Action Team is sponsoring a program on April 27, from 7 to 8p.m., at the Memorial Auditorium called "Watch Party". Parents, students, and community leaders are invited. Click on the flyer on the left for more info.

Unofficial election results

While election results are never official until canvassed by the Board of County Commissioners, the initial results are in. First Ward: John Brand - 89, Richard Granger - 52, Second Ward: Chase Weber - 61, Terry Craig - 35, Third Ward: John Tracy (unopposed) - 30, Fourth Ward: Paula Mortimer (unopposed) - 53. Thanks to everyone for your continued support!

Vote!!!

Do not forget to vote next Tuesday, April 6th!!!

City Projects

The City is gearing up to start several projects. The Street Department will begin resurfacing Harvey Street from Woodlawn to the Cemetery. The street was widened last year with new curb and gutter installed. The Street Department will mill the street and then place a 2" overlay of new asphalt to the surface.
The resurfacing of U.S. 160 from the intersection of 15th & A west to Pizza Hut, then south to 11th Street will be bid next month and anticipated to be completed this summer.
The letting of bids on the resurfacing of "B" Street from 15th to Lincoln will be conducted in May and hopes are that construction will begin in June once school breaks for the summer.
The schedule is for bids to be let on the Fair Street project in July, depending upon the review and approval of the plans by BNSF Railroad.

CrimeReports.com

The Wellington Police Department is participating, on a trial-basis, with a website called "Crime Reports". This website allows police departments to post crime information on their website so citizens can be informed on the nature and extent of crime in their community. You can surf the website at www.crimereports.com or you can click on the link on my website at www.johntracy.net to go directly to Wellington statistics.

Candidate forum a success

Many thanks to the Women of Wellington Club for sponsoring this years candidate forum for the City Council race. Close to 50 people turned out for the forum in which candidates provided a short bio of themselves as well as their platform for seeking office, followed by questions posed by the audience. Don't forget to vote on April 6th for your candidate.

Candidate forum

Don't forget, the Women of Wellington are hosting a candidate forum on Tuesday, March 23rd, 7:00p.m. at the Wellington Steakhouse. It was originally scheduled for Thursday, but conflicted with another community event...so those of you who have your calendars marked, make sure you have it down for Tuesday.

Location for fireworks display to be discussed

The City Council is planning future discussion regarding the location of the annual fireworks display. Apparently interest in holding the event at Worden Park has waned, and while a decision to move the display has not yet been made, other locations may be considered. What do you think? Some possibilities: a) Worden Park, b) Wellington Lake, c) High School football field, d) Other. Let me know what you think or what your suggested location is.

Other Council action

The Council, at the March 2nd meeting, also passed an Ordinance allowing the Public Building Commission to issue bonds for a new air conditioning system for SRMC in the amount slightly over $1.1 million. The hospital is responsible for paying the debt on the bonds from their revenue sources, and there will be no cost to the taxpayer unless the hospital would default. The Council also renewed it's agreement with Sumner County Economic Development which is an interlocal board comprised of representatives from many of the cities in Sumner County.

Council approves Fair Street engineering

The Council, tonight, approved an engineering contract for the design of the Fair Street Drainage System with Professional Engineering Consultants for $25,000. The design includes reconfiguring the water drainage path at the intersection of 1st and Cherry where drainage now must make a 90 degree turn to cross 1st Street and in addition, the lowering of the south end of Fair Street to allow water to drain away from below the BNSF underpass. Keeping water from accumulating below the underpass is the first step before street repairs can be made. It is hopeful the project can begin this summer.

Women of Wellington to host candidate forum

The "Women of Wellington" club will be hosting a candidate forum on March 25, 7:00p.m. at the Wellington Steakhouse. I encourage everyone interested in how their City is governed to attend.

The Round-About

Despite a recent news report that the proceedings for acquisition and condemnation of property needed for the round-about at 15th and "A" were "unanimously" approved by the City Council, the decision was actually 4-3 with Granger, Valentine, and myself voting "no". The proceedings however have sparked renewed controversy over the round-about and street maintenance in general. It has prompted me to re-post an editorial I wrote in 2007 regarding street maintenance and the round-about. It can be viewed at http://johntracy.net/asIseeit.html. Also, information on the plans for the round-about are on my website at http://johntracy.net/roundabout.html.

Save the Train!

You can help Save the Train! The old steam engine on display in Sellars Park is badly in need of repairs. Perry Wiley, operator of the Panhandle Railroad Museum is helping to spearhead a fundraiser to get the monies needed for materials. You can help by purchasing a "Friends of the Train T-Shirt" for $15.00. Shirts are available at the Panhandle Railroad Museum and at the Chamber of Commerce office.

Election information posted

I've posted information about the upcoming City Election on my website. Click on the "Vote" icon in the lower left corner of my homepage at www.johntracy.net.

"As I See It" - NEC2008

I've posted a new "As I See It" opinion on my website at www.johntracy.net.

Electric Code passes

The 2008 version of the National Electric Code passed last night at the City Council Meeting. An amendment to the code requires that all homeowners who perform their own "permit-required" electrical work to first pass a test at City Hall. The vote was 5-2 with Antonich and Tracy voting "no". Councilmember Craig was absent from the meeting.
The Council also authorized the Wellington Public Building Commission to issue Revenue Bonds for the purchase of a $1.1 million air conditioning chiller for Sumner Regional Medical Center. The chiller, which is over 40 years old now, has been refurbished, but is still unreliable.

Mortimer files for 4th Ward

Paula Mortimer has filed for the 4th Ward City Council seat. The filing deadline of noon today passed, and with the current filings, there will be no need for a primary.

Craig files for re-election

2nd Ward City Councilmember Terry Craig has filed for re-election. The deadline for filing is noon tomorrow.

December Unemployment Rates

According to information received from Sumner County Economic Development, unemployment continues to slowly decline as indicated by the December 2009 statistics. It is still worrisome however as Sumner County is tied in 8th place for having the highest unemployment of the 105 counties in the state. Kansas unemployment rate is 6.3% while Sumner County comes in at 8%.

Brand files for First Ward

John Brand has filed for 1st Ward Council seat and will be running against incumbent Richard Granger. As far as I'm aware, there is still no candidates for 4th Ward. Filings thus far include John Brand and Richard Granger for 1st Ward, Chase Weber for 2nd Ward, and myself for Third Ward. There is still time to file before the filing deadline at noon, Tuesday the 26th.

Derailment cleanup underway

Cleanup after UP Derailment on Vandenburg is finally underway. The grain cars have been removed from the site as of today. There is still metal debris to be picked up, and UPRR promised they would repair the City's right of way along Vandenburg. The derailment occurred in early November, and after two self-imposed deadlines past without action, Council members voiced their concern about the hazards and the slow cleanup process.

Council filings

So far, Richard Granger has filed for re-election in 1st Ward (north and northeast), Chase Weber has filed for 2nd Ward (east and southeast), and I myself filed for re-election in 3rd Ward (south and southwest). There is still time to file...for more information, visit www.johntracy.net.

Trash rate increases

In addition to increases in landfill rates and monthly pickups, citizens should take note there is now a limit on the number of trash containers you can have. For the monthly sanitation collection charge, the City will pickup two polycarts or four 45-gallon trash cans. If you have more, additional charges of $5.00 per yard will be applied.

Filing deadline nears

The deadline for filing for City Council positions is less than two weeks away. Four seats will be open...one in each of the four Wards. Filing applications must be submitted by January 26th at noon. For information on the open seats as well as downloadable forms, visit the City website at http://www.cityofwellington.net/news/City_of_Wellington/article234.html. Henrik Ibsen once said, "A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm."

WDN has remodeled their website

The Wellington Daily News has a great new website. Check it out at http://www.wellingtondailynews.com/homepage.

Mark Your Calendar

My next Neighborhood Meeting is January 18, 6:30p.m. at the Steakhouse. The next Regular City Council meeting is on Tuesday, January 19, 6:30p.m. at City Hall. Hope to see you there.

Electric Ordinance changes

The City Council, at their January 5 meeting, passed changes to the Electric Ordinance that establishes rates for service. Contrary to recent new articles, electric rates for City customers will not be increasing.
The electric rates for rural customers will be increasing 20%, about $10 per month for the average user. And commercial and industrial definitions have been more clearly defined to correct some differences in how we charge electricity to the commercial users.
Probably the biggest difference you will see is that the City will no longer be averaging the Power Costs over a 12 month period. This was a policy that started a few years ago to try to level out the electric costs for the customer. Instead, the power costs will be averaged over a 3 month period...the result, you will see higher bills in the summer and fall months, but lower bills in the winter and spring months...like it used to be. This was the result of concerns aired by the City Auditor because we we're deferring the cost of electricity beyond fiscal years.
I was assured however that this "averaging" will not affect the Level Pay Plan customer. Out of over 4700 utility customers, only 280 take advantage of the Level Pay Plan.

Skate Park meeting held

I attended the Skate Park meeting held at City Hall last Wednesday. About 20 people showed and gave their thoughts and opinions. Public Works Director Jeremy Jones did a great job facilitating the meeting...input was received from the skaters as to what they would like to see when the park is constructed. The park will be located on Ash Street where the old Girl Scout house once sat behind the old Jr. High. Initially, it will be 60 feet by 90 feet, but additional monies are scheduled in the Capital Improvement Plan for expansion in future years. Thanks also to Park Department Director Roy Kabeurek and Park Board Members Dwyer and Janney for taking time out of their schedules to attend.