The City of Topeka has been awarded a $750,000 grant from Federal Home Loan Bank for the Property Maintenance Violation Rehabilitation program. The program will work with low-income homeowners with housing violations with the Property Maintenance Division and use the funding from the grant to help them restore their properties. The funds for the Property Maintenance Rehabilitation program will be available approximately January 1st, 2019.
“The Department of Neighborhood Relations is very excited to be helping more low-income families in Topeka. Many of the people we serve are not only low-income but elderly and sometimes disabled. This grant will allow us to help over 50 families with property maintenance rehabilitation on their homes in the upcoming year,” said Corrie Wright, Division Director of Housing Services for the Neighborhood Relations Department.
The Property Maintenance Rehabilitation Program will help enable residents to maintain a safe environment in their home. Qualifying repairs will include; collapsed or badly deteriorated sewer line, roof replacement, guttering, replacement of windows, weatherization, siding and other items as determined on a case by case basis by the Department of Neighborhood Relations. The rehabilitation completed is a grant to the homeowner with a maximum benefit of $20,000 and a minimum of assistance of $2,500. Capitol Federal® is the sponsor for this award and will be assisting the City of Topeka with the program.
“Capitol Federal® is proud to be the member Bank partnering with the FHLBank of Topeka and the City of Topeka in the Property Maintenance Rehabilitation Affordable Housing Program. As a leading Kansas residential real estate lender, CapFed® recognizes many low-income families live in homes which require costly repairs that can be difficult to make given budget constraints. Our goal is for this partnership to provide safe and healthy living spaces for area residents and have a positive impact on Topeka housing,” said Lloyd Rainge, Community Development Director for Capitol Federal.
Eligibility for the Property Maintenance Rehabilitation Program will require residents to:
Have a Property Maintenance code violation
Applicant household income must not exceed 50% of the current median household income as determined by HUD.
The applicant must have resided in the property for more than one year.
All Federal, State and local regulations must be met by the owner of the property to receive assistance.
The program will not assist for home fire repair or rehabilitation nor flood repair or rehabilitation.
The program will not assist homeowners that received Topeka Opportunity to Own (TOTO) assistance.
The program will not assist to clean up properties, cut grass or other items not related to the home itself.
The program will not assist a house with 30% or more replacement cost new.
All repairs, as determined by the department to be necessary for the occupants, must be repaired. If the cost of the repairs exceeds the program limits, the owner shall be responsible for the payment of the additional funds.
After three years of careful and detailed design, Kay’s Garden officially breaks ground this Friday, November 2 at 10:00 AM at the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center. Kay’s Garden will be a world class Japanese garden that will become a destination filled with serenity and breath-taking views. It will offer inspiration, accommodate contemplation and serve as a venue for life changing experiences.
Kay’s Garden is being made possible through a legacy gift from the late Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Kay E. McFarland. Her lead gift accounts for 65% of the $6.44M project budget and also establishes a permanent endowment to maintain the garden into perpetuity. “The remainder of the funding will be achieved through a combination of private donations, earned income and designated ½ Cent Countywide Retailers Sales Tax,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley.
During Friday’s ceremony, the community will have the chance to meet Koji Morimoto. Koji is the Japanese Garden Master hired by local general contractor, KBS Constructors, Inc, to make sure the project design authentically transitions into the living project.
The initial work will begin with storm water management of much of the East half of Gage Park. This will be followed by utility work that result in about half of the parking lot in front of the Zoo and the Helen Hocker Theatre being removed. “If you have been to the park this week, you might have already noticed that a construction trailer is in place and may have seen crews out marking existing utility lines.”
Over the next four to five months, things are going to be a bit of a mess,” said Wiley. During that time, people visiting the Zoo, Helen Hocker Theatre and the Big Gage Shelter House may need to use parking areas more in the center of the park. “We will make sure that signage is in place to direct patrons to the best parking areas. We are also working on a temporary shuttle service to accommodate peak times.”
The project planners expect that by the end of March, the storm drainage along Zoo Parkway will be completed and to have a new parking lot in place just South of the Helen Hocker Theatre. As spring and summer visitors return back to Gage Park, they will be able to see progress being made on Kay’s Garden and the affiliated Gallery and Event Center.
Kay’s Garden is expected to take 15 months to complete and will open to the community in the spring of 2020.
For more information or to learn how to donate to the “Kay’s Garden – Tell us your story” capital campaign, contact Brendan Wiley at 785-506-3797 or bwiley@topeka.org .
Case # 18-105077 & # 18-105082
On October 18, 2018 just before 5:00 a.m. the suspect pictured above reportedly broke into the Villa West Apartment Clubhouse located at 2744 SW Villa West Dr. He was seen getting into a white 4 door car. This suspect may also be responsible for a burglary on the same morning at 5:43 a.m. at the Southbrook Apartments located at 5201 SW 34th St.
If you have any information on this suspect, please email Sgt. Dan Wilson at dwilson@topeka.org or call him at (785) 368-2583.
You can also call Crime Stoppers at (785) 234-0007 to report anonymously. If your tip leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.
Case # 18-97201
On September 25, 2018 between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., this subject arrived at the Walgreens located at 1001 SW Topeka Blvd and then at the Walmart at 2630 SE California in what appears to be an Silver or Gold Nissan Altima. The subject allegedly committed criminal use of a financial card at both stores. The cards were part of a theft that occurred at the University of Kansas St Francis Hospital, in which a wallet was stolen out of the purse of an employee on the same date (Sep. 25) within the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Note: The subject’s vehicle appears to be missing a hubcap on the passenger side rear wheel.
If you know who this individual is or have any information relating to this crime, please contact Detective Harrison at charrison@topeka.org.
You can also call Crime Stoppers at (785) 234-0007 to report anonymously. If your tip leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.
Attention Pokémon Trainers: Topeka was selected to join seven other cities in hosting a preview opportunity to play the upcoming games for the Nintendo Switch, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! The other cities include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, and New York. Topeka was selected because of our history with the Pokémon franchise. Back in 1998, Nintendo chose Topeka as the site for the national debut for a series of Pokémon games.
The Topeka Zoo will host the Pokémon Let’s Go Road Trip on October 27th, from 9:00-6:00. A pair of Pikachu and Eevee themed demo trucks will be in the Topeka Zoo parking lot. All Gage Park guests will have the opportunity to test out the new games, as well as the new Poké Ball Plus accessory for the Nintendo Switch. This event is completely free and open to the public.
Friends of Topeka Zoo Executive Director Jared Bednar says, “Pokémon has been such an important component of our pop culture. The television shows, video games, and card games are ingrained in many of our childhood memories. We are so excited to be one of the cities selected to participate with this exciting promotion.”
In conjunction with the Pokémon Let’s Go Road Trip, the Topeka Zoo will be bringing back our Pokémon Go Safari Zone for Oct. 27. Avid Pokémon collectors know that new Pokémon were just released on Oct. 16 within the Pokémon Go game for iOS and Android. With the assistance of local trainers, lures will be dropped throughout the day to increase Pokémon spawns.
Oct. 27 is also the second date of our annual Boo at the Zoo event. Dozens of vendors will provide candy and activities within the zoo for a safe, trick-or-treating environment. Standard general admission rates apply; Friends of Topeka Zoo members receive free admission.
For Further Information please contact Jared Bednar, Executive Director, FOTZ (785)368-9162
The City of Topeka and the United States Army Corps of Engineers will host a public meeting on a study conducted by the Corps on possible measures for reducing flood risk in the Shunganunga Creek. The meeting will be held on October, 25th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Holliday Building at 620 Madison Street.
After a flood event in 2007, the City of Topeka asked the Corps to conduct a study on the Shunganunga creek and look at options for flood control. In this 50/50 cost shared study, the Corps completed hydrologic models of past flooding, including the 2007 flood. The Corps also performed real estate assessments, surveys, plan formulation, construction cost estimates, and economic analyses. The Corps has used this data to evaluate multiple alternatives to reduce flood risk in the watershed.
The Corps will be presenting some potential improvements to help reduce flood risk. Some of the alternatives would potentially be eligible for federal cost share. Projects that qualify under the federal program would be eligible for 65-35 split cost between the Corps and the City of Topeka. There is a cap on the Corps contribution of $10 million in improvements, including the cost of the study and design.
The public is invited to this meeting to listen to and provide input on the recommendations from the Army Corps of Engineers.
For more information, contact the Utilities Department at 785-368-3111.
The City of Topeka is partnering with the Shawnee County Landlord’s Association and Housing and Credit Counseling Inc. to hold the first ever Topeka Landlord Expo. The Landlord Expo will take place on Saturday, October 27th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Downtown Ramada Hotel & Convention Center.
The first annual Topeka Landlord Expo will be the most informative Landlord Expo in the Midwest with over 80 exhibitors and several training sessions throughout the day. The expo will provide a platform for property investors to seek advice, guidance and tools necessary to succeed in the development and management of their commercial and residential rental properties.
“The City of Topeka wants to provide landlords with the advice, tools and knowledge that they need to be successful in our community,” said Neighborhood Relations Director Sasha Haehn. “The Expo is perfect for all landlords, whether you are a first time landlord, established landlord, agent, property investor or thinking about entering the private rental market.”
Workshops for residential landlords will include fair housing and best practices. Workshops for commercial landlords will include the neighborhood revitalization program, housing tax credits program, city economic development incentives and Topeka Police Department safety precautionary tips.
“The Shawnee County Landlords Association is very excited to see the City of Topeka taking the initiative to open the communications with the landlords in the community,” said Bette Allen, President of the Shawnee County Landlord Association. “We have found that it is easier to work together when everyone is on the same page. This event will open the door for a better understanding of the issues and concerns about rental properties throughout the city.”
The Landlord Expo will have free entry, free information, free parking and complementary tea or coffee.
For more information visit, http://bit.ly/TopekaLandlordExpo or call (785) 368-4470 or email mglaude@topeka.org
Mayor De La Isla’s Project Puerto Rico initiative with Boys & Girls Club of Topeka yielded four bundles of school supplies, a total of $400 dollars in cash donations to be sent to students in Puerto Rico.
“I am so glad that the community was able to show up for the children in Puerto Rico and provide them with access to supplies that they will need for their education,” said Mayor Michelle De La Isla. “I want to thank Boys & Girls Club of Topeka for collecting the donations and helping with this initiative to help students learn after suffering through the effects of Hurricane Maria.”
Boys & Girls Clubs reach 4 million youth in 4,300 Club sites across the nation. Boys & Girls Clubs in Puerto Rico have 13 Clubs and annually serve 15,000 children between the ages of 6-18 years old every year. 9 out of 10 of those children reside in poverty.
“Boys & Girls Clubs work collectively to impact kids who need us most and when tragedy hits any Club area we respond from boots on the ground, resources and the support necessary to keep those Club sites available for those kids who need us most,” said Dawn McWilliams, Chief Executive Officer for Boys & Girls Club of Topeka. “We were honored to be selected by Mayor De La Isla to assist her in leading a local effort to get needed supplies into the hands of Club kids in Puerto Rico. A priority outcome area for Boys & Girls Clubs is good character & citizenship – guiding our Club kids to be engaged citizens and making a difference in the lives of others.”
Club kids and their families collected $50 and four boxes of miscellaneous school supplies. Mayor De La Isla is in contact with a Puerto Rican state representative to arrange an appropriate destination for the supplies at a Boys & Girls Club in Puerto Rico.
In response to media requests, the City of Topeka has provided a video of an officer’s police interaction with Timothy Harris on January 23, 2018, as well as the attached Officer Use of Force Report/Narrative. Some of the information contained in the Use of Force Report/Narrative is as follows: Officer Janes was investigating a theft complaint against Harris and was also aware that Harris had an outstanding warrant for violating his probation in a Shawnee County District Court case. He was on probation for convictions for paraphernalia and interference with a law enforcement officer. In the course of the officer’s contact with Harris, Harris repeatedly failed to follow verbal directions from the officer. Once Harris was placed in handcuffs, Officer Janes attempted to take Harris to the police vehicle. Harris began resisting by tensing up his body, refusing to move, and reaching back to grab the officer’s duty belt, where his handcuffs, pepper spray and firearm were located. The officer then placed Harris on the ground for better control, until additional officers arrived. While on the ground, Harris again grabbed the officer’s duty belt. In response, the officer used two fist strikes to Harris’s torso and applied pepper spray to his face.
AMR was called to the scene and treated Mr. Harris for facial lacerations and pepper spray exposure. At no time while Harris was in TPD custody did he complain of a broken jaw. Further medical care was refused by Harris at the scene after which he was transported to the Department of Corrections.
Public records also reflect that Harris was charged in Municipal Court case CR-2018-533-MS with Unlawful Parking, Disobeying a Lawful Police Order, Interference with Law Enforcement, and Battery against a Law Enforcement Officer. Harris was represented by an attorney and entered into a plea agreement. Harris was found guilty of Unlawful Parking and Interference with Law Enforcement. The charges of Disobeying a Lawful Police Order and Battery against a Law Enforcement Officer were dismissed, pursuant to the plea agreement.
Case # 18-88789
On September 1, 2018, these two subjects reportedly took a couple hundred dollars worth of merchandise from the Caseys gas station at 45th and SE California.
If you know who these two are or know their whereabouts, please contact Det. Wilson at (785) 368-9551 or email him at cdwilson@topeka.org.
You can also call Crime Stoppers at (785) 234-0007 to report anonymously. If your tip leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.