HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Planning Commission discussed proposed changes to landscape and paving requirements for new and existing properties.

City Manager John Deardoff talked about the changes and why it is being addressed after current regulations were put in place just a few years ago:

 

While the proposals would make things easier for potential developers, Deardoff says the city still wants some balance when it comes to the aesthetic look of the community:

 

Deardoff says that one major change would allow some leeway for previously developed properties. Those properties could reopen without major improvements to bring the area up to current code. The city hopes to have the proposed changes in place soon because several projects are currently in the planning stages.

HAVEN, Kan. — The Haven USD 312 School Board rejected a request from the Nickerson USD 309 School District to shift the district’s boundaries during Monday’s agenda session.

The request from Nickerson would have allowed them to encompass the area around the small town of Partridge, thus allowing students in that area to attend classes in USD 309.

Patrons around the Partridge area asked Nickerson for the change since Haven announced it will close the Partridge Elementary School at the end of the year because of declining enrollment.

USD 309 also inquired about busing students from Partridge into the USD 309 District, but that was also denied by the Haven Board.

The board approved expanding the One-to-One programs, which offer computer laptops to every student. The board approved expanding that program to 5th through 8th grades at a cost around $48,000.

Finally, the board awarded high school social studies teacher and head softball coach Darin Ashworth as the Impact Award winner for the third quarter.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It seems hard to believe, but Gowans Stadium is now 12-years-old and it’s time for a facelift.

The Hutchinson Community College Board of Trustees will consider bids for cleaning and painting the football and track complex during Thursday’s monthly meeting.

The board is expected to accept a bid from Schmitt Enterprises for a cost of $36,440. Work is expected to start after the school year and be completed in August.

The board will also seek approval for the purchase of an instructional robotic arm that can train students in the use of industrial robotics. The board will be asked to approve the bid from Hartfel Automation for $25,507.

Finally, the board will hear a second reading of the policies for pregnant and parenting students that was presented during last month’s meeting.

Thursday’s meeting of the HutchCC Board of Trustees begins at 7 p.m. at the Shears Technology Center.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — City Human Resources Director Tom Sanders didn’t have many positive things to say about his employer during a 45-minute grilling he gave to the City Council during Tuesday’s regular meeting.

Sanders, who lives outside the city limits but gets paid by city tax dollars, grilled various city departments — along with the planning and zoning department — for what he claimed was a complete lack of proper planning and study regarding a small sliver of land that local developer Jim Strawn has purchased and wants to develop in the Spyglass area north of Prairie Dunes.

Sanders tore into the city for what he says is a needless project owing to the large number of new housing developments that currently sit empty. He cited a lack of any flood or traffic studies and the special assessments that would be placed upon adjacent properties because of the new development.

Strawn took over the Cherry Hills development several years ago and wants the city to annex eight properties so they can be developed. The development could add about 120 housing possibilities for the area. Most residents are concerned, mostly with traffic, because the city will not annex any portion of land along 43rd Avenue — which residents say will drive traffic to the south onto Spyglass Drive.

Phil Nightingale, who lives in the area, asked the council to annex the property all the way to 43rd Avenue so traffic would have northern routes out of the area. The city has been reluctant to annex any land along 43rd since state regulations would force it to maintain that portion of the road.

After nearly an hour of discussion, the council voted 5-0 to approve the annexation.

Eds. Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly paraphrased Mr. Nightingale’s request.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council will go on a six-month trial period where one meeting a month will be held in the evening.

After much discussion, council members decided an evening meeting would allow more people to attend. The evening meetings are scheduled every second meeting of the month at 5:30 p.m. The first meeting of the month will take place at its regular time of 9 a.m.

The first evening meeting is June 19.

The city has been asked on several occasions to hold meetings in the evening because many residents with issues pertaining to city matters are unable to get off work and voice their concerns.

The county has already established special meetings around the area communities to better communicate with constituents.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After seeing a steady decline over the past five years, the number of oil wells in Reno County increased in 2017, according to numbers released by the Kansas Geological Survey.

The number of oil-producing wells in the county totaled 392 compared with 382 in 2016. Production also increased for the year at 701,605 barrels compared with 652,030 in 2016. The number is still far below the 930,818 barrels taken in 2015 at the height of horizontal drilling in Kansas.

Gas production also increased in Kansas although the number of producing wells fell. The number of gas wells in the county fell to 126 in 2017 from 136 the previous year. Total production in 2017 was 1.323 million mcf, compared with 1.271 million mcf in 2016.

The record year for gas production in the county was in 1995 at 2.912 million mcf.