Month: March 2016

Mild spring weather ahead

After a few lingering showers and thunderstorms this morning, residents can look forward to mild spring weather, according to the National Weather Service.

A few light rain showers are possible through late morning in the region, the weather service said.

Daytime high temperatures will continue to bounce around, but generally mild weather conditions are expected through early next week, according to the weather service.

Today’s high will be near 62, with mostly cloudy skies, the weather service said. A west northwest wind will be 11 to 18 mph, gusting as high as 26 mph.

Tonight, the low will be around 39, with mostly cloudy skies, changing to mostly clear skies. A west northwest wind of 10 to 14 mph will gust as high as 20 mph.

Friday, expect a high near 54, with mostly sunny skies, according to the weather service. A northwest wind of 11 to 16 mph may gust as high as 24 mph.

Friday night, the low will be around 35, with a north northwest wind of 5 to 11 mph becoming west southwest after midnight, the weather service said.

Saturday, it will be sunny with a high near 61, the weather service said, and a west southwest wind of 8 to 18 mph becoming north northwest in the afternoon. Winds may gust as high as 26 mph. Saturday night, the low will be around 39.

Sunday, it will be sunny with a high near 73, according to the weather service. Sunday night’s low will be around 48.

Many planning and zoning items on Thursday’s UG agenda

Many planning items and some ordinance changes on new dollar retail stores and vending machines are on the 7 p.m. Thursday, March 31, agenda for the Unified Government Commission meeting at City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan.

In addition, there will be a 5 p.m. special session Thursday in the fifth floor conference room at City Hall for a presentation by Wyandot Mental Health, followed by a closed meeting on the ninth floor concerning litigation and labor negotiations.

Some of the items on the 7 p.m. agenda:

• Chance of zone from planned nonretail business district to planned general business distrit for a hotel at 10922 Parallel Parkway, Baywood Hotels.

• Change of zone from general industrial district to commercial district for continuation of a commercial business, downzoning of property, at 1215 Southwest Blvd., BDB Properties.

• Renewal of special use permit application for three horses at 3814 Leavenworth Road.

• Renewal of special use permit for a fill permit at 5737, 5831, 5831R and 4841 State Ave. and 1000 N. 57th St., Dale Brothers.

• Special use permit to remove earthen fill from 5700, 5832 and 5848 State Ave. and 1205 N. 59th St., Dale Brothers.

• Renewal of special use permit for an early childhood education center at 3440 N. 99th St., Beautiful Beginnings Early Childhood Education Center.

• Special use permit for a salvage yard, vehicle recycle-salvage parts, at 810 S. 26th St., Ideal Auto.

• Renewal and expansion of special use permit for a volleyball training facility at 7120 Gibbs Road, Dynasty Holdings.

• Vacation of utility easements at 7600 State Ave., Wyandotte Plaza Station.

• Vacation of right-of-way at the south 22.5’ of 38th Avenue between Eaton and Cambridge, KU Medical Center.

• Vacation of right-of-way, north 20’ of 37th Avenue between Eaton and Cambridge, KU Medical Center.

• Vacation of right-of-way, Eaton Avenue, 36th Street to 38th Street, KU Medical Center.

• Vacation of right-of-way, west 30’ of Cambridge Avenue between 38th Street and 39th Street, KU Medical Center.

• Preliminary and final plan review for a hotel at 10922 Parallel Parkway, Baywood Hotels.

• Dollar retail store ordinance, requiring a special use permit for new dollar stores.

• Exterior sales and vending machine ordinance, regulatin ghte display and placement of vending machines.

• Ordinance to rezone property at 4115 Luke Lane from single family district to agriculture district.

• Special use permit for six chickens at 4022 Silver Ave.

• Update on the K-32 corridor plan, Rosedale master plan and rewrite of sign code.

• Recommendation to allocate $250,000 during the 2017 budget for in-depth studies, staff tim for a new planning position and dollars toward early action required for a $2 million Choice Neighborhoods grant if awarded by HUD.

• A resolution amending the UG’s master equipment lease purchase agreement with Banc of America Public Capital Corp. in connection with paying the costs of acquiring and installing equipment.

• An ordinance to successfully conclude early the Adams Street-Kansas Avenue Redevelopment District and conclude its tax increment financing.

• A plat of Everett First Plat, 7th and Everett Avenue, being developed by Community Housing of Wyandotte County.

• A plat of Piper Land Third Plat, 115th and Kimball Avenue, being developed by Piper Landing LLC.

Land Bank applications:
• 1412 Freeman, Shauna Adams for yard extension.
• 1410 Freeman, Shauna Adams for property acquisition.
• 407 Cleveland Ave., Trinity AME for development.
• 415 Greeley, Trinity AME for development.
• 419 Greeley Ave., Trinity AME for development.
• 416 Quindaro Blvd., Trinity AME for development.
• 428 Quindaro Blvd., Trinity AME for development.

Transfers to Land Bank:
• 200 N. 10th from UG.
• 645 N. 118th St. from UG.
• 2915 N. 39th St. from UG.
• 2921 N. 39th St. from UG.
• 1758 N. 3rd St. from UG.
• 1600 N. 41st St. from UG.
• 1944 N. 41st Terrace from UG.
• 1700 N. 42nd St. from UG.
• 145 N. 61st Terrace from UG.
• 525 N. 61st St. from UG.
• 525R N. 61st St. from UG.
• 411 N. 61st St. from UG.
• 832 N. 476th Terrace from UG.
• 1215 N. 55th St. from UG.
• 1231 N. 55th St. from UG.
• 1233 N. 55th St. from UG.
• 1303 N. 55th St. from UG.
• 2906 N. 89th Terrace from city of KCK.
• 5544 N. 94th St. from city of KCK.
• 5425 N. 96th St. from city of KCK.
• 2029 N. 102nd St. from city of KCK.
• 434 N. 110th St. from city of KCK.
• 700 S. 55th St. from city of KCK.

Transfers from Land Bank:
• 284 S. Coy St. from US Bank.
• 1045 Webster Ave. from Daniel Williams.

The agenda for the 7 p.m. meeting is online at www.wycokck.org.

Federal task force launched for elder justice

U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom announced today he is launching an Elder Justice Task Force in Kansas.

The task force in Kansas – one of 10 across the country — will bring federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies together with state and local agencies to target nursing homes that provide grossly substandard care to residents.

“We already have one investigation open,” Grissom said. “We’re not wasting time.”

Grissom said the members of the task force at this time include the Department of Justice Civil Fraud Section, Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the Kansas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Later, he said, he expects to invite state agencies that work with long term care, public health and aging to join.

“Our office is excited to join forces with our federal, state, and local partners to identify nursing homes that are providing substandard quality of care to our elderly beneficiaries,” said Steve Hanson, special agent in charge of the Kansas City regional office of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

“Millions of seniors count on nursing homes to provide them with quality care and to treat them with dignity and respect when they are most vulnerable,” said acting associate attorney general Stuart F. Delery, in Washington, D.C. “Yet, all too often we have found nursing home owners or operators who put their own economic gain before the needs of their residents. These task forces will help ensure that we are working closely with all relevant parties to protect the elderly.”

Elder Justice Task Forces also are being launched by U.S. attorneys in the following districts: Northern District of California, Northern District of Georgia, Western District of Kentucky, Northern District of Iowa, District of Maryland, Southern District of Ohio, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Tennessee and the Western District of Washington.

Kansas was chosen, Grissom said, because it has expertise in investigations and prosecutions of nursing homes and made a commitment to working together with state and local agencies.

The Elder Justice Task Forces reflect the Justice Department’s larger strategy and commitment to protecting the nation’s seniors, spearheaded by the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative. The Elder Justice Initiative coordinates and supports the department’s law enforcement efforts and policy activities on elder justice issues. It plays an integral role in the department’s investigative and enforcement efforts against nursing homes and other long-term care entities that deliver grossly substandard care to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The Elder Justice Initiative will be providing litigation support and training to the Elder Justice Task Forces. For more information, see http://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/.