By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Six prominent women politicians in Kansas — three Democrats and three Republicans — have come together in a grassroots coalition to “Reroute The Roadmap.”

They say Gov. Sam Brownback’s four-year “Roadmap For Kansas,” which phases out the state income tax, has put Kansas in financial trouble.

One of the six charter members of “Reroute The Roadmap,” Joan Wagnon is a former Kansas Revenue Secretary and now chairs the Kansas Democratic Party. Wagnon has been traveling across Kansas to “try to wake people up.”

According to Wagnon, “Right now there is a gap of about $300 million in every budget year that doesn’t come in to match what spending is right now.”

Those numbers come from former longtime state budget director, Duane Gosseen, who now writes the blog “The Kansas Budget.”

Closing the gap, Wagnon said, would require a doubling of the state sales tax.

“Faced with losing all the income tax, you have two choices — cut spending or find other revenue sources.

“What happens when the state doesn’t fund something is that it (the funding source) gets pushed down to the local level and that raises the property tax, or if they have the capacity, a local option sales tax (is implemented.) But if we were to replace all the state income tax, we would have to double it. Right now it’s 6.15 percent; we would have to double it to 13 percent.”

Wagnon added “whoever is elected governor Nov. 4 will have to make some difficult decisions.” More information is available on the group’s website www.rerouteroadmap.org.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and challenger Paul Davis will debate Tuesday at the Kansas Association of Broadcasters convention in Wichita. The luncheon event is scheduled to run from noon to 1:15 p.m., with the debate scheduled to begin at 12:40 p.m.

Click below to watch.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission decided not to hire a construction manager to oversee the county’s three major building projects underway.

“It’s not a good use of taxpayer dollars,” Chairwoman Barb Wasinger said during Monday night’s regular commission meeting.

“We already have architects hired for these projects,” agreed commissioner Swede Holmgren, “and the county needs to enforce our relationship with them.”

Wasinger directed county administrator Greg Sund to add the county to the construction meeting minutes distribution list. Sund told commissioners the meetings are “occurring about every three weeks, although early October rains caused delays in construction.”

Ellis County is in the midst of a courthouse/Law Enforcement Center remodel, adapting the former Commerce Bank on Main Street for administrative offices and constructing a new Emergency Services station at 22nd Street and General Hays Road.

Sund also reviewed eight change orders for the Administrative Center remodel as proposed by the contractor, Paul-Wertenberger.

“These are situations encountered by the contractor that could not be anticipated until after demolition was conducted in some areas of the building and additional needs identified following the bid letting process,” Sund explained.

By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

At Monday’s work session, USD 489 Board of Education members prepared for next week’s board meeting when architects and financiers involved in the proposed $100 million in improvements to the district’s buildings will be available to answer questions and provide guidance.

Board member Greg Schwarz talked about the importance of communicating why the district’s Facility Needs Committee recommended the updates following a two-year study of the district’s schools and buildings, pointing to similar bond elections passed in Liberal and Salina.

“You have got to have the data and the literature out there to go present it,” school board member Greg Schwartz said, “And that would also involve this body having town hall-type meetings and educating, answering questions, getting public feedback … before you make a decision that absolutely we need a hundred-million-dollar bond project.”

The board also discussed asking the representatives from HTK Architects and Piper-Jaffray financial services for guidance on phasing the proposed projects and how the ballot, tentatively planned for November 2015, should be  worded.

Superintendent Dean Katt agreed, stating a good starting point would be the development of  a committee of USD 489 patrons to help “get the message” to the public.

Katt also said so far he has received positive comments about the proposed improvements — updates the FNC said needed to improve safety, security and space issues the district is facing now and will continue to face into the future.

Click here to see the report.

The Hays Police Department conducted four traffic stops and received nine animal calls on Monday, Oct. 20, according to the HPD activity log.

Mental Health Call, 1400 block East 29th, 1:25 a.m.
Criminal Damage to Property, Hays, 2:45 a.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident, 100 block West Eighth, 6:45 a.m.
Bicycle/Lost,Found,Stolen, 2600 block Donald, 7:02 a.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident, 13th and Haney, 8:05 a.m.
Drug Offenses, 1200 block Maple, 11:20 a.m.
Found/Lost Property, 2700 block Canal, 9:38 a.m.
Disturbance/Noise, 2000 block Metro, 10:50 a.m.
Animal At Large, 300 block East 22nd, 10:57 a.m.
Mental Health Call, 3900 block East Eighth, 12:38 p.m.
Theft, 2500 block Sherman, 1:19 p.m.
Disturbance/Noise, 1000 block East Eighth, 3:13 p.m.
Civil Dispute, 600 block West 13th, 3:32 p.m.
Contempt of Court/Fail to Pay, 100 block West 12th, 4:20 p.m.
Animal At Large, 1900 block Ash, 4:55 p.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident, 2800 block Hall, 5 p.m.
Motor Vehicle Accident/Personal Injury, 15th and Milner, 5:27 p.m.
Suspicious Person, 1800 block General Custer, 6:14 p.m.
Criminal Damage to Property, 2800 block Grant, 7:20 p.m.
Mental Health Call, 1400 block East 29th, 7:57 p.m.
Abandoned Vehicle, 2700 block Willow, 11:42 p.m.

GOODLAND- Four people were injured in an accident just before 5 p.m. on Monday in Sherman County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1985 Honda Accord driven by Jason C. Mora, 33, Goodland, was northbound U.S. 24 just north of Interstate 70 in the left lane.

A 1999 Ford Taurus driven by Bess I. Clifford, 38, Goodland, was stopped westbound in the left lane making a left turn onto southbound Kansas 27.

The vehicles collided in the intersection.

Mora, Clifford and two children in the Ford were transported to Goodland Regional Medical Center.

The KHP reported all were properly restrained at the time of the accident.

Foggy in some areas of western Kansas this morning with a chance of isolated thunderstorms tomorrow. Then clear and dry through Monday.

Today Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Light south southwest wind becoming south southeast 9 to 14 mph in the morning.
Tonight Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South southeast wind 10 to 14 mph.
Wednesday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely before 2am, then a slight chance of showers between 2am and 4am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 52. South wind 6 to 13 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 74. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 52.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 81.
Friday Night Clear, with a low around 51.

Based on an intensive three-day, on-site survey process conducted by CARF, Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas recently was notified it received a three-year accreditation for its programs that provide services to individuals with developmental disabilities.

The accreditation outcome represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows DSNWK’s substantial conformance to the standards established by CARF. By receiving a Three Year Accreditation and putting itself through a rigorous peer review process, DSNWK continues to demonstrate that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable, and accountable.

“We take great pride in this achievement,” DSNWK President Jerry Michaud said. “Receiving a three year accreditation by CARF was made possible because of the tireless dedication of our staff. It is through their hard work and commitment that DSNWK continues to maintain a high level of quality programs and services for people with developmental disabilities, even amidst these most difficult times.”

CARF sent five surveyors to review DSNWK over a three-day period. The surveyors came from all over the country and looked at DSNWK’s programs and services.

“The organization has distinguished itself as a quality provider through its person centeredness; creativity; and the high degree of satisfaction expressed by persons served, families, referral sources, and community partners,” the CARF Survey Summary reads. “The organization is commended for its highly regarded program and services, strong leadership, and dedicated staff.”

DSNWK provides services and programs to those with developmental disabilities in an 18-county area in Northwest Kansas. Developmental centers and offices are located in Atwood, Hays, Hill City, Hoxie, Norton, Oakley, Russell and Stockton.

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. DSNWK has been accredited with CARF since 1976.