Month: April 2016

Sporting KC falls 2-1 to Rapids

Sporting Kansas City fell to the Colorado Rapids 2-1 on Wednesday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.

Dom Dwyer moved to second on the MLS scoring charts with his fourth goal of 2016, but Colorado struck late in each half through Luis Solignac and Shkelzen Gashi to claim the road win.

Wednesday’s match commemorated the 20th anniversary of Sporting Kansas City’s inaugural game, a 3-0 win over the Rapids on April 13, 1996, at Arrowhead Stadium. A 74th consecutive sellout crowd at Children’s Mercy Park saw Colorado (3-2-1) move within two points of Sporting Kansas City (4-2-0) in the Western Conference standings.

Manager Peter Vermes made four changes to the Sporting Kansas City lineup from Saturday’s 2-0 triumph over the New York Red Bulls. Center back Ike Opara earned his first start in more than a year after overcoming an Achilles injury, while 22-year-old Designated Player Diego Rubio spearheaded the attack.

Rubio was on the end of Sporting Kansas City’s best first-half scoring chance in the 40th minute. Graham Zusi spread a diagonal pass to Connor Hallisey, who flashed a low cross into the six-yard area from the left wing. Colorado goalkeeper Zac MacMath failed to corral the ball, and though Rubio was forced to react quickly, he poked the rebound wide of the post.

Sporting Kansas City would rue the miss a minute later. Colorado midfielder Marco Pappa squeezed a through ball into the path of Luis Solignac, who hammered home just inside the near post. Pappa tallied his third assist of the season on the play, entering tie for second in MLS.

The match burst to life after the break as Vermes wielded offensive firepower from off the bench, introducing Dwyer, Benny Feilhaber and Brad Davis over the course of the second stanza. Sporting Kansas City nearly grabbed an equalizer in the 47th minute when Rubio beat Burling along the left endline, prevented the ball from rolling out of play, and smashed a right-footed blast onto the crossbar.

The hosts stayed on the front foot, with Lawrence Olum firing narrowly wide off Zusi’s cross in the 54th minute. Shortly thereafter, Zusi was on the receiving end of Hallisey’s precise pass into the box, but the U.S. international’s one-time shot was blocked by the sliding Marc Burch.

Colorado survived another scare in the 67th minute when Opara latched onto the end of Feilhaber’s corner kick. The center back’s header was bound of the back of the net, but Gashi was positioned to nod the ball off the goal line.

Dwyer provided the long-awaited equalizer in the 77th minute. Hallisey curled a left-footed delivery into the penalty area from the right channel, where Dwyer glanced a header past MacMath to take sole possession of fourth place in club history with 40 career regular season goals. Hallisey and Saad Abdul-Salaam each recorded their second professional assists since joining the club out of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.

Sporting Kansas City appeared to be in the ascendancy – outshooting the Rapids 12-6 with a 78 percent edge in possession in the second half – but it was Colorado who grabbed the late game-winner. Dillon Serna’s swerving attempt from 35 yards rattled the woodwork, but Gashi was on hand to bury the rebound past Melia in the 82nd minute for his first MLS goal.

Davis came agonizingly close to salvaging a point for Sporting Kansas City in the 94th minute. Nuno Andre Coelho sent a long, looping ball into the penalty area that skipped once and eluded MacMath’s grasp before reaching Davis at the far post. The veteran’s thunderous strike pelted the crossbar before bouncing out of play. Referee Robert Sibiga whistled an end to the game a minute later.

A quick turnaround awaits for Sporting Kansas City, who begin a three-game road swing Sunday at FC Dallas (4-1-2, 14 points). The Western Conference clash will kick off at 6 p.m. with national television coverage on FS1 and FOX Deportes.

– Story from Sporting KC

Low-income housing project at 65th and Riverview rises from the dead to go back on agenda Thursday

A low-income housing project at 65th and Riverview that failed in a Unified Government committee by a vote of 2-2 on April 4 has been resurrected and is back on the agenda for approval at the April 14 full UG Commission meeting.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 14, at the Commission Chambers, lobby level, City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan.

The housing project does not appear on the consent agenda; it is on the mayor’s agenda portion of the meeting.

The project, presented by an Oklahoma developer, is for 30 single-family low-income homes on a 12-acre site at 223 N. 65th St., Kansas City, Kan. The homes would have 1,840 to 1,900 square feet, three bedrooms, two baths, and a two-car garage with a storm shelter space under it. There was no mention of a basement in the agenda description. The proposed Legacy Park Estates project would use Section 42 tax credits, according to the agenda.

An explanation on the agenda stated that two members of the Economic Development and Finance Committee were absent from the meeting, and the remaining vote was split. Some commissioners expressed uncertainty about the application of the low-income housing policy and procedure.

Voting against the project at the UG Committee meeting April 4 were Commissioners Hal Walker and Ann Murguia. After the 2-2 vote, some commissioners seemed to be unsure about whether it would advance to the full Commission meeting and expressed some doubt about it– but according to one UG official attending the meeting, it needed a minimum of four votes in favor to advance. To see a previous story about that meeting, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/low-income-housing-project-fails-at-ug-committee-meeting/.

“Under these circumstances and given the total points awarded this project as well as the support of the district commissioner, this item is presented to the full commission for consideration,” the April 14 agenda stated.

Before the 7 p.m. meeting starts, a 5 p.m. meeting is scheduled April 14 on the jail study in the fifth floor conference room.

Also on the Thursday night 7 p.m. agenda:

• A resolution to set a public hearing for May 26 to consider renewing the Downtown Improvement District, a Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District in Kansas City, Kan. The renewal of the SSMID would be considered if this passes. The group taxes itself for services such as security and trash pickup.

• A resolution to set a public hearing for May 26 to present a tax increment financing project plan and development for an 89-bed hotel and improvements at a shopping area at 34th and Rainbow Boulevard. Part of this $15.7 million Rainbow Village Redevelopment District project already has been approved.

• Another resolution to be considered would schedule a public hearing on May 26 to consider the creation of the Rainbow Village Community Improvement District on 4 acres, as part of the hotel project. The CID would levy an additional 1.25 percent sales tax within the CID.

• An ordinance authorizing the issuance of $7 million in industrial revenue bonds for Security Holdings Inc., for the construction of a Nissan Automotive dealership at the Legends Auto Plaza. According to the UG, there is no tax abatement associated with this project.

• A resolution of intent for $83 million in industrial revenue bonds for the U.S. Soccer National Training Center development and youth tournament fields, as well as infrastructure, at 98th and Parallel Parkway. According to UG agenda information, the project may submit for a sales tax project exemption certificate from the state. There will be a public hearing on a payment in lieu of taxes in connection with this project at a future date. According to the resolution, the $83 million in IRBs will finance the costs of acquiring, constructing, improving and equipping commercial facilities for the benefit of OnGoal LLC.

• An agreement with Bonner Springs in financing capital improvements at the Providence Medical Center Amphitheater (formerly Cricket, Verizon and Sandstone amphitheater) in Bonner Springs. A capital improvements fund will be established for the facility. UG officials said work is almost complete on the renovations at the amphitheater, which will cost a total $865,000. Shows are expected to begin in May. Under this agreement, the UG will finance capital improvements with debt of $750,000. Bonner Springs will pay $30,000 one time to the UG to perform capital improvements, and will pay part of the proceeds from the amusement tax generated from ticket sales at the amphitheater. More details are in the agreement.

• An ordinance that would direct the UG attorney to start legal proceedings to acquire property described as necessary for the 82nd and Tauromee storm sewer enhancement project, Phase II. About 26 strips of land, of which many are parts of a lot in the Stony Point South, Stony Point Heights and Hunter’s Glen subdivisions, are being condemned for the project.

• An agreement between the UG and the Carpenters union. An hourly wage of $28.71 for carpenters on Jan. 1 of this year would increase to $30 on Jan. 14, $30.45 on July 1 and $31.06 on Jan. 1, 2017.

• An agreement between the UG, the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 40. A starting deputy would receive $3,147.21 a month on Jan. 1, which would be the same through Jan. 1, 2017. Deputies with more than 20 years would receive $4,749.62 a month.

• A resolution to reappropriate $250,000 in CDBG funds that were previously awarded to Heartland Habitat for Humanity to the UG Public Works for sidewalks and ADA ramps. The funds were declined because of short timelines, according to an earlier UG committee meeting.

• A presentation on changes being made to the 311 Call Center data portal.

• A travel request from Commissioner Jane Philbrook to travel to Manhattan, Kan., to attend the Kansas County Commissioners Association annual conference.

KDADS names interim Larned superintendent

by Megan Hart, KHI News Service

A health care consultant who lists experience with hospital turnarounds is going to take over the top job at Larned State Hospital for the next six months.

Tim Keck, interim secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, announced Wednesday that he had appointed Chris Mattingly to serve as interim superintendent of Larned.

Tom Kinlen, who had been Larned superintendent since 2012, resigned in March, and Bill Rein, who is KDADS commissioner of behavioral health services, served in an interim capacity until Mattingly was appointed this week.

Keck emphasized that KDADS will continue searching for a permanent superintendent and said in a news release that he expected Mattingly’s tenure to last about six months.

“We believe he will be a great asset to Larned State Hospital and assist us in addressing the most pressing concerns there,” Keck said. “Chris will build on the work that Commissioner Rein has done at the hospital and move us forward.”

Angela de Rocha, spokeswoman for KDADS, said the department expects Mattingly’s experience will prove helpful in addressing long-standing staffing challenges at the hospital.

Larned is in a rural area and has a mix of involuntary psychiatric patients, people committed while they are involved with the legal system and sexually violent predators being treated after serving a prison sentence. A recent audit found its sexual predator treatment program near capacity.

KDADS began transferring about 60 inmates from the hospital’s special units to a correctional facility on the same campus this week to address staffing shortages at the hospital.

Mattingly has worked as an independent health care consultant since 2006, mostly taking on interim roles, according to a resume provided by KDADS.

Some of his previous roles included interim CEO at the SandyPines residential mental health facility in Florida, where he listed accomplishments including starting a physician recruitment process; interim director of accounting at Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital in El Dorado, and interim CEO of NeuroPsychiatric Hospital in Indianapolis.

He also listed experience at several hospitals with reducing workforces and in one case bringing more employees in-house to reduce the cost of contracts.

The other state hospital, in Osawatomie, lost its federal certification in December because of staffing and safety concerns.

The state hospitals have been a hot topic during this legislative session, with lawmakers keeping an eye on proposals to privatize the facilities.

The nonprofit KHI News Service is an editorially independent initiative of the Kansas Health Institute and a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor reporting collaboration. All stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to KHI.org when a story is reposted online.

– See more at http://www.khi.org/news/article/kdads-names-interim-larned-superintendent#sthash.RAmy5jRJ.dpuf