The City Planning Commission is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Monday, May 11, in a remote Zoom meeting.
A preliminary plan review and a master plan amendment for the downtown development at 500 Minnesota Ave. are on the agenda.
The development, at the site of the Reardon Center, is being proposed by Willie Lanier Jr. of Lanier United.
Also on the agenda are a final plat and final plan review for a single family residential development in conjunction with Eagle’s Edge Final Plat. The development of 55 single-family lots is at 10525 Nelson Lane.
Also on the agenda is a final plan review to rebuild the Wendy’s restaurant, after fire damage, at 7807 Parallel Parkway.
Another agenda item is a final plan review for an apartment complex with 115 multi-family units in five buildings at 651 N. 65th St.
Other items on the agenda include:
• 6130 Kansas Ave., renewal of special use permit for a parking facility, Copart of Kansas. • 1600 N. 21st St., renewal of home occupation special use permit for an AirBNB. • 1110 Merriam Lane, renewal of a special use permit for a performance auto service shop. • 4318 Sortor Drive, change of zone from single-family district to agriculture district to keep horses on the property. • 1033 Berger Ave., special use permit for a solid waste transfer station, Justin Nelson – JMJ Crown Inc. • 229 S. 8th St., special use permit for office, food pantry and short-term apartments for previous foster youth and overnight shelter, Thomas Prudden – FosterAdopt Connect. • 2600 N. 44th St., vacation of utility easements, Greg Nelson – MKEC Engineering Inc.
The only certain about politics is that it is uncertain.
Simply stated, that is the situation with local, state and federal tax funding. The main reason this year, as opposed to other years, is the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic has hit government spending at all levels. Congress and President Donald Trump recently approved paying a substantial number of U.S. citizens $1,200 each. Small businesses received funds that would keep personnel employed. State unemployment agencies are paying out billions for those who have lost jobs.
The national unemployment rate is nearly 15 percent, rivaling levels not seen since the Great Depression in the 1930s. A 15 percent hit in Wyandotte County could mean a loss of more than 10,000 jobs, although no official reports have been made. Before the coronavirus pandemic, about 95,000 persons were employed in Wyandotte County. And it is uncertain how many businesses that were shut down will reopen.
Although the job loss has been severe, many of the jobs lost have been in the service industries such as restaurants and entertainment. A more significant statistic would be how many of these jobs were held by heads-of-households.
It is uncertain just how soon the world might return to a normal status. The problem is that there is no approved vaccine to ward off the coronavirus. Although the Unified and state governments are relaxing restrictions on businesses, it is uncertain if it will be safe.
The state of Kansas government could be short as much as $1.3 billion. The hope is that the federal government will help state governments. That issue is being debated in Washington. Liberal Democrats, such as U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, favors a trillion dollar proposal to aid states and cities; U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a conservative Republican who is Senate majority leader, would let states go bankrupt. Those watching legislation closely have speculated that a compromise may be reached that would provide $500 billion in federal money to help state and local governments.
The Kansas Legislature is scheduled to meet for its final day Thursday, May 21; this is traditionally a ceremonial closing of the session.
The Unified Government estimates that its budget could suffer as much as $35 million this year and as much as $22 million in 2021. A reduction in sales tax is one of the main reasons for these losses. The Unified Government’s annual budget is about $400 million.
It is uncertain how long it will take for the economy to rebound to what would be “normal times.” That is certain.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is executive director of Business West.
Wyandotte County reported 1,078 COVID-19 cases on Monday morning, an increase of nine since Sunday. (UG COVID-19 webpage)Kansas reported 7,116 cases in 83 counties on Monday, an increase of 132 cases since Sunday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were 158 deaths, an increase of one since Sunday. (KDHE map)
As Wyandotte County reopened Monday under the “red zone,” doctors at the University of Kansas Health System offered some tips to residents to remain safe.
For Wyandotte County, one of the main changes under the “red zone” is that some offices, manufacturing plants and workplaces can reopen. They should maintain 6 feet of space between persons, and everyone must wear masks.
Restaurants in Wyandotte County still will be carryout only, and hair salons are still closed under Wyandotte County’s “red zone.” The restaurants will not reopen until the “yellow zone,” two weeks or more away, at 25 percent capacity.
Retail stores will be accepting phone and online orders, with pickup of ordered items allowed outside or inside.
Churches in Wyandotte County may reopen with 10 percent of the building’s capacity in the “red zone,” maintaining social distancing, avoiding close contact, wearing masks and other rules. Drive-in services still are allowed.
Residents should still stay at home as much as possible in the “red zone,” and should not congregate with others who are not members of their immediate household, according to the Wyandotte County plan. Outdoor activities with other people may involve up to 10 persons, maintaining social distancing.
Those businesses that were open under the “stay-at-home” orders will be able to remain open. Those persons who are older than 60, have underlying medical conditions or who are sick are still asked to stay home.
Wearing a mask is important when people are out in public and in the workplace, especially in areas where they cannot maintain a 6-foot distance, said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Kansas Health Services.
Amanda Gartner, RN, director of quality and safety at KU Health Services, said the masks provide source control, keeping the wearer’s droplets closer, so they don’t spread out and infect other people.
One office worker didn’t believe she needed to wear a mask, because she was just sitting at her desk, but Gartner advised her to wear a mask because people came over to her desk often and she couldn’t always maintain a 6-foot distance, Gartner said.
Dr. Hawkinson said it was also important to have hand sanitizer at work, avoid touching one’s face and wipe down surfaces.
Gartner said she carries hand sanitizer in her car at all times, and she wears a mask when going to the grocery store. Not everyone is currently wearing a mask at the grocery store, the doctors remarked, from their own personal experience.
The Wyandotte County “red zone” plan states that people should wear masks when they are at stores and in public.
The doctors stated they often wipe down cans, bottles and chip bags when they return home from the grocery store. Washing off vegetables and fruits as they normally do is probably OK, Dr. Hawkinson said.
Dr. Hawkinson said he is not aware of any cases of COVID-19 from bringing items home from a grocery store, while it is more likely to contract the virus while someone is at the store.
Dr. Hawkinson said fingertips and palms need to be washed frequently with soap and water, especially if people have itchy, dry eyes and tend to touch their faces. If possible, use sanitizer, he said.
“This is all about relative risk and not absolute safety,” Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, said. People, in general, can’t live in a bubble and will have to re-enter society at some time.
Each person has to determine his own level of risk and decide who’s in their bubble, he said.
According to Gartner, a group of eight friends sitting at the same table at a restaurant may be more likely to transmit the disease if not socially distancing, and that is fairly risky.
Dr. Hawkinson said it is possible to come into contact with droplets on inanimate objects such as a coffee creamer container or syrup container at restaurants.
As youth sports start to open up in some places, the doctors doubted whether it was good idea to start the youth leagues up yet. It’s hard to tell, but there is often some risk in the close contact of youth while playing sports, and also in carpooling back and forth to practices, according to the doctors.
The Wyandotte County plan’s outdoor activities section advises residents never to congregate with others who are not members of their own immediate household. For children, use of commonly touched items such as balls, sports equipment and toys is discouraged if the children are not in the same household.
The doctors do not believe there is any risk for “over-sanitizing.”
According to Dr. Hawkinson, people will still come into contact with antigens and pathogens every day in the air, and frequent hand-washing and sanitizing will not decrease that. Sanitizing will not hurt the immune system, he said.
Dr. Hawkinson said as other places around the world have started to open up, they have started to see more COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Stites said where people are congregating, the risk is still there and will still be around June 15, even if all the restrictions come off.
“The rules haven’t changed just because the calendar did,” he said. “What you still have to do is think about what is the personally responsible thing to do. It’s not up to the politicians to tell you what to do.”
“Even as life opens up, you still have to go about your life in a way that is personally responsible,” Dr. Stites said.
He said people who are wondering if it is safe to go to work have to evaluate their circumstances and personal risk and determine what they can do to make their environment safer. They should wear a mask, and if possible, a shield. They should continue washing their hands.
Dr. Hawkinson reported the number of positive COVID-19 inpatients increased a little over the weekend at KU Health System, and is at 28 today, with 11 patients in the intensive care unit. The number was 24 patients on Friday, when nine patients were in the ICU unit.
Wyandotte County reported 1,078 positive COVID-19 cases at 11:55 a.m. Monday, an increase of nine since Sunday afternoon. There were 40 patients hospitalized, and 64 deaths, the same number as Sunday.
Kansas reported 7,116 cases in 83 counties on Monday, an increase of 132 cases since Sunday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were 158 deaths, an increase of one since Sunday.
