Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday will decide whether they support further development of Kansas State University’s Edge District. The Kansas State University Foundation is asking that the commission consider using publicly accessible financial tools to help facilitate improvements on the north side of campus. These tools include State Sales Tax Revenue bonds, which are an economic development tool used to facilitate major commercial, entertainment or tourism projects by pledging future state and local sales tax revenue generated within a designated district. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
Author: Cole Bertelsen
The city has no plans to retain parallel parking in Aggieville. City commissioners on Tuesday provided further feedback on proposals for Moro Street’s reconstruction, and all designs showed angled parking only. The commission first considered Moro Street designs during its Jan. 13 meeting. Olsson engineering firm provided four options relative to the 60 feet of right-of-way on Moro Street, based on commissioners’ feedback. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
Gov. Laura Kelly said she had no prior alert before Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations were conducted in Manhattan. “You’ve been paying attention to what’s going on in Minnesota? Of course they don’t regularly inform the governor — at least in certain states,” Kelly said after speaking Thursday at a Kansas Statehouse event in Topeka, according to The Topeka Capital-Journal. The Riley County Police Department announced on social media that ICE operations had occurred that morning. “(RCPD) has received multiple calls regarding possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Manhattan area this morning,” the statement said. “We can confirm there…
During this week’s Manhattan City Commission retreat, commissioners considered permitting beer sales at concession stands and adopting the riverfront concept to its parks and recreation master plan. Parks and rec director Aaron Stewart proposed serving cereal malt beverages and hard seltzers at the Anneberg Sports Complex and Steel and Pipe Supply facility concessions. Stewart said he’s reached out to other community sporting facilities in the state that sell alcohol, and was told they tend to see more participation with the sales and no increase in rowdiness. Sale of alcoholic beverages would not be permitted during high school events because of…
Manhattan city officials are discussing ceasing the publication of legal notices in The Mercury and instead posting them on the city government’s own website, driving through a loophole in state law. City manager Danielle Dulin proposed the switch during the city commission’s retreat Tuesday, saying that it would save $17,000 to $20,000 per year and streamline workflow. Under Kansas law, cities are required to designate an official newspaper for publishing legal notices, which also go to the newspapers’ websites and a searchable database of similar notices from around the state and nation. A legal notice is an advertisement to notify…
City commissioners on Tuesday chose not to rezone a 0.36-acre portion of the Acacia fraternity’s 2005 Hunting Ave. location after significant pushback from surrounding neighbors. The fraternity applied for the space’s rezoning from low-density residential to residential with university fringe overlay, with the expressed plan of then expanding on the fraternity’s building to make space for 15 more fraternity members and adding a larger parking lot in the 0.36-acre portion of the tract. The Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board held a public hearing Dec. 15 to consider the rezoning and failed to recommend approval after a split 3–3 vote, resulting…
City commissioners on Tuesday permitted parks and recreation to purchase additional robotic mowers, portable pitching mounds and a mobile digital screen. Steel and Pipe Supply Ballpark will be maintained by Husqvarna robotic mowers whose cutting widths range from 9.45 inches to 26.8 inches. These machines can mow day and night, perpetually keeping ballfield grass at the same height. Robot mowers from a previous purchase maintain Anneberg Sports Complex and the Ott Joint Maintenance Facility. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local Manhattan news.
After the city of Manhattan sent surveys to its registered voters Nov. 3 to gauge support for an indoor aquatics facility, the results are in — and generally not in support of a facility in its proposed form. While the city initially sought a return of 400 surveys, it received 1,361 responses — a return rate of 26%. Of those responses, 55% did not support an indoor aquatics facility at any location, 23% preferred one be located at CiCo Park and 15% supported any location. The proposed indoor facility included plans for both competitive and recreational pools, with a total…
The Manhattan City Commission will consider numerous rezoning requests, construction and purchasing decisions during its Tuesday meeting. One request asks to rezone the site of Acacia’s fraternity house at 2005 Hunting Ave. from low-density residential to residential with university-fringe overlay. The Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board recommended to deny the request after a 3-3 vote. Another rezoning request would amend the Professional Place Planned Unit Development, which the planning board recommended for approval. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local Manhattan news.
The Manhattan City Commission considered the fleet department’s request to switch to a new software and discussed a new home exterior improvement grant during Tuesday’s work session. Mayor Susan Adamchak was not present at the meeting. The fleet department — a division of public works — maintains all city-owned vehicles, equipment and trailers. The department currently uses Verizon software with GPS location capability only. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local Manhattan news.