Trash collection to go on heat schedule next week

Trash collection in Kansas City, Kansas, will go on a heat schedule during the week of July 2, according to an announcement today.

Waste Management of Kansas Inc. stated that residential routes for trash collection in the Kansas City area will begin at 6 a.m. the week of July 2 because of extreme heat.

The collection will be on the heat schedule from July 2 to 7.

Residential customers of Waste Management in Wyandotte County and surrounding counties will be affected.

“The safety of our employees is one of our top priorities,” a company spokesman stated. “The current 10-day forecast for Kansas City reflects temperatures in the high 90 degrees with potential triple-digit heat index. We ask that residents place their trash and recycling carts at the curb by 6 a.m.”

In addition, Waste Management will not have trash collection or recycling services for residential customers on the Fourth of July holiday.

Those whose regular collection day is Wednesday, will move to Thursday collection that week, with a one-day service delay for the rest of the week. The regular schedule will resume Monday, July 9.

Waste Management also reminded residents of fire danger that some materials pose to their collection efforts.

• Propane tanks of any size should not be set out for collection in the trash or recycle stream, the company stated.

• Coals and ashes from grills and other outdoor activities must be fully extinguished, soaked with water and cool to the touch prior to being placed out for collection.

• Spent or unused fireworks should be soaked with water prior to placing in the container for collection.

Cost overrun reported for juvenile justice building

A $2.7 million cost overrun was reported Thursday evening for the Wyandotte County juvenile justice building project.

“We’re going to need a little bit more money than we anticipated to complete the project,” Unified Government Administrator Doug Bach told the UG Commission at the 5 p.m. meeting Thursday.

Lynn Newkirk from Newkirk Novak, construction firm, said the plan originally budgeted $24.8 million in the 2017-2018 budget. Now the cost of the project is $27.5 million, he said. At the end of May, the cost of the project was projected at $28.9 million, and then soft cost corrections were proposed to get back to the $27.5 million figure, he said. Some materials changes are being proposed, such as using brick instead of masonry in some areas, or changing the type of flooring.

He said reasons for the cost increase include a change from the original 57,000 square feet to 62,000 square feet, cost escalation of 4 to 6 percent, soil conditions that required an enhanced foundation system, security systems that are more involved than originally planned, and steel tariffs and market uncertainty.

He said the Kansas City, Missouri, airport project, Johnson County courthouse, and a downtown hotel project are driving labor and material costs. Structural steel is seeing a spike in prices since the beginning of talk about tariffs, according to Newkirk. This juvenile justice building is mostly load-bearing masonry and structural steel, he said.

The Wyandotte County Juvenile Center has a $397 per square foot cost as compared to other new projects, the Johnson County Courthouse, at $443 per square foot, the North Kansas City Patrol building at $400 per square foot, and the Jasper County, Missouri, Juvenile Center at $393 per square foot, according to Dan Rowe, with Treanor architects.

In March, Wyandotte County issued Public Building Commission bonds at $25.6 million, according to Debbie Jonscher, UG deputy finance director. The annual debt service is $1.7 million per year beginning in 2019, for 20 years. If Wyandotte County were to issue an additional $2.7 million, the additional debt service would be about $204,000 annually, she said.

Bach said he was not pleased to see the project come in over budget, but they are still maintaining a very good project. He said it is the direction they want to move forward. About $200,000, based on current projects, in the debt service, should cover this, he said.

He recommended to move forward with the project, and plan for it in the budget for 2020, and he asked the commission’s opinion.

Commissioner Brian McKiernan said he was disappointed that they came in so far over the original projections. The whole thought was the cost savings from stopping the farming out program would cover not only the revisions to the jail to bring prisoners back, but also cover the cost to get the juveniles out of the adult jail, he said.

“We’ve been operating on that premise from day one, and so it’s very disturbing, disconcerting, troubling for me to see we are $4.-something million over our initial cost estimate, because that initial cost estimate was based on our cost savings, what money we would have available to pay that bond money back over the next 20 years,” he said. The $4.1 million figure is the difference between the May projected figure of $28.9 million and the original estimate of $24.8 million.

“My recommendation would be to find a way to make it fit our budget, or show me how we can pay for it,” McKiernan said.

Commissioner Harold Johnson asked for information about how the revenue pledge plays against debt service coverage, and was told that they will bring the information back to the commission later.

No action was taken on the issue on Thursday night, but it may be considered again during the July budget meetings.

Construction on the new juvenile justice building will begin in August, according to Jeff Fisher, UG director of public works. It is to the west of the court services building, which is currently a parking lot. The project also includes a new parking lot behind Memorial Hall, where houses have been demolished and trees will be taken down today, June 29, according to Fisher.

Rowe said the project was begun in 2015 with a jail study, followed by other studies. The juvenile project had a facility concept plan, which originally called for about 57,000 square feet, he said. The design of the center has an interior courtyard for exercise space. The main entrance would be on Ann Avenue, with a sally port off Allis Court.

New stores opening at Legends Outlets

The Legends Outlets will add Rack Room Shoes this summer, according to a spokesman for the center.

The new 5,700-square-foot store will be the first Rack Room Shoes in the Kansas City area, according to the spokesman. It is part of a national chain.

The store will carry footwear for men, women and children, with national bands and exclusive private labels, according to the spokesman. The shoes will range from casual, dress, comfort and athletic styles.

While there is not an exact date yet for the store opening, special sales and giveaways are planned for the opening weekend, the spokesman said.

The new Rack Room Shoes will be in Suite T-107, on the east end of the shopping center, near Eddie Bauer Outlet and Old Navy Outlet.

Michael Kors Outlet also opened recently, according to the spokesman. The only area Kate Spade Outlet and HomeGoods opened at Legends Outlets earlier this year.

The Michael Kors Outlet opened Thursday, June 28, with a designer, upscale luxury handbag and accessory line, the spokesman said.

Most of the Michael Kors Outlet items are women’s accessories and handbags, according to the spokesman. The new store is on the west end of the center, in one of the newly constructed spaces near the Kate Spade and Coach stores.

There are a lot of new sights to see at the Legends Outlets, including a new video board that is up and running near the west side of the shopping center, the spokesman said.