The City of Topeka is excited to announce a pilot mowing program as part of the first year of its Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance Initiative.

The pilot program will provide backup mowing services for those living in Neighborhood Improvement Association (NIA) areas, by making sure that a fixed and affordable rate model is available.

“The goal of having all yards mowed and trimmed without City involvement has been years in the making. We are thrilled to have the program up and running for our neighbors,” said Councilwoman Karen Hiller. “The City is supporting Omni Circle Group and the Gil Carter Initiative by providing loaned mowing equipment, which demonstrates our commitment to them, and the community at-large to see this program through. The long-term goal is for the program to become self-sustaining, and independent from the City.”

In the program’s first year, three different non-City of Topeka entities will be providing services related to the program, some on a paid, and some on a volunteer basis, to assist residents who do not have regular mowing arrangements.
These three providers have limited availability, and are not entities of the City. If the providers don’t have the capacity to offer services at this time, residents may refer to social media or other resources to locate a provider, but know the City hasn’t vetted other providers for these services.

The City created a tip sheet with information on how to find someone to mow, how to check references, as well as educational materials on mowing, trimming, and cutting back vegetation.

All NIA areas fixed-rate mowing

Tsquared Lawn Care is offering a low fixed rate of $30 per mow for residents living within NIA areas.

Highland Acres NIA

Gil Carter Initiative is offering a standard fixed rate range of $40-70 per mow for residents living within the Highland Acres NIA area. Gil Carter Initiative may offer lower costs depending on criteria they set.

Central Park NIA

Omni Circle Group is volunteering to mow lawns for residents living within the Central Park NIA area, in order to help the area achieve a goal of 100% of lawns mowed.

Finding a NIA

To learn if you live in a NIA area, please visit the database on the City website and search your address.

Volunteer opportunities

An additional component to the Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance Initiative focuses on neighbors helping neighbors through volunteerism.

Sign up to volunteer

Individuals, families, businesses, churches, organizations, and any neighbor wanting to get engaged with helping residents with mowing can sign up to volunteer through the United Way of Greater Topeka’s Topeka Volunteers portal.

Request a volunteer

Individuals who are unable to pay for mowing services, or those who live outside of NIA areas in the City of Topeka limits, are able to request their lawn be mowed. The City, however, cannot guarantee a volunteer match, and is not responsible for vetting volunteers.

Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance assistance line

To find out more about the program, request a provider or volunteer to mow your lawn, or to record your volunteer arrangement, call 785-368-9530.

“I just want to say to all of our community members – the time is finally here! It’s about leaning in to our neighbors, churches and family members to help get mowing done,” said Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala. “We heard in various community meetings how folks wanted to get back to the time when we helped one another. We can do this. Extend a hand.”

Celebration

At the conclusion of the 2022 mowing season, there will be an event to celebrate those who volunteered to mow through the United Way’s portal, as well as others who helped in any way to make the initiative successful. Stay tuned for additional details about the celebration.

 

The Topeka Municipal Court will suspend some scheduled dockets in August due to continued staffing and scheduling issues.

During this time, the following dockets will be cancelled:

• Monday, August 1: 10:00 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Arraignment Dockets
• Monday, August 8: 8:30 a.m. Prose Trial Docket, and 10:00 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Arraignment Dockets
• Wednesday, August 10: 10:00 a.m. Arraignment Docket
• Thursday, August 11: 1:15 p.m. Prose Trial Docket
• Monday, August 15: 10:00 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Arraignment Dockets
• Tuesday, August 16: 9:00 a.m. Court Appointed Attorney Docket
• Thursday, August 18: 3:15 p.m. Time to Pay Docket
• Monday, August 22: 10:00 a.m. Arraignment Docket
• Thursday, August 25: 3:15 p.m. Time to Pay Docket
• Monday, August 29: 10:00 a.m. Arraignment Docket

All impacted cases will be rescheduled, and impacted defendants and defense counsel will be notified by mail.

Non-docket Court business, such as defendants wanting to set court dates, resolve non-appearance required cases, recall warrants, file documents, make payments, and reset payment plans, will continue as normal during business hours.

Defendants are encouraged to check the status of their case on the Court’s online public access portal at https://www.topeka.org/municipalcourt/.

Anyone directed to report to the Probation Division should continue to report as scheduled.

 

The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative today announced the sixth class of 40 mayors from around the world who will participate in the yearlong education and professional development program. The program is designed to equip mayors with the leadership and management tools to tackle complex challenges in their cities and improve the quality of life of their residents. The private sector invests more than $42 billion each year in executive development but there is no equivalent in the public sector. The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative aims to close this gap to help mayors excel.

To kick off the program, the mayors joined Harvard faculty and renowned management experts in New York City this week for a four-day, immersive classroom experience and convening. Two senior leaders from each of the cities will also participate in the program and begin their classroom experience in August.

The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative’s sixth class of mayors represents a diverse range of geographies and experiences:

• More than half of the mayors identify as people of color (21), including 14 Black mayors
• 70 percent (28) are from the United States; 30 percent (12) are from international cities
• 3 mayors are from Africa and 8 are from Europe
• 18 percent of the mayors (7) are from cities with populations over 1 million people
• 43 percent (17) of the mayors are from cities with populations between 200,000 and 1 million people, and 40 percent (16) are from cities with less than 200,000

“This class brings together a diverse and dynamic group of mayors from across the globe, and we’re glad to welcome them to New York City to kick off the sixth year of the program,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, three-term mayor of New York City and founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies. “With all the urgent shared challenges facing cities, the opportunity for mayors to exchange ideas and learn from one another and experts is more important than ever. We’re looking forward to working with them throughout the year, and to seeing the results in their cities.”

The flagship program of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, the Initiative is a collaboration between Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School that aims to provide a world-class learning experience for mayors and their senior leaders to help equip them with the tools and expertise to effectively govern cities. Harvard faculty, staff, and students, alongside experts from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ global network of experts, work with the mayors and senior officials over the course of one year in the classroom, online, and in the field to foster professional growth and advance the necessary capabilities to drive innovation and deliver results for
residents. Since its launch in 2017, the Initiative has built an alumni network of nearly 200 global mayors from 24 countries.

Members of the sixth class of mayors to participate in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative are:

Matt Tuerk (Allentown, Pennsylvania); Brian Kulpa (Amherst, New York); Andre Dickens (Atlanta, Georgia); Rohey Malick Lowe (Banjul, The Gambia); Lacey Beaty (Beaverton, Oregon); Lauren McLean (Boise, Idaho); Michelle Wu (Boston, Massachusetts); Aftab Pureval (Cincinnati, Ohio); Justin Bibb (Cleveland, Ohio); Daniel Rickenmann (Columbia, South Carolina); Emma Sharif (Compton, California); Jeffrey Mims (Dayton, Ohio); Abdullah Hammoud (Dearborn, Michigan); Elaine O’Neal (Durham, North Carolina); Joe Schember (Erie, Pennsylvania); Susan Aitken (Glasgow, Scotland); Juhana Vartiainen (Helsinki, Finland); Tyrone Garner (Kansas City, Kansas); Pudence Rubingisa (Kigali, Rwanda); Chilando Chitangala (Lusaka, Zambia); Cavalier Johnson (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas (Monterrey, Mexico); Jon Mitchell (New Bedford, Massachusetts); Ed Gainey (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania); Malik Evans (Rochester, New York); Darrell Steinberg (Sacramento, California); Todd Gloria (San Diego, California); Benjamina Karić (Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina); Danela Arsovska (Skopje, North Macedonia); Oliver Coppard (South Yorkshire, United Kingdom); Caroline Simmons (Stamford, Connecticut); Kenneth Welch (St. Petersburg, Florida); Larry Klein (Sunnyvale, California); Wade Kapszukiewicz (Toledo, Ohio); Mike Padilla (Topeka, Kansas); Minna Arve (Turku, Finland); Anne McEnerny-Ogle (Vancouver, Washington); Quentin Hart (Waterloo, Iowa); Dan Norris (West of England, United Kingdom); and Tracy Brabin (West Yorkshire, United Kingdom).

In a formal impact assessment, mayors who were members of prior classes of the program reported that the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative has helped them increase leadership and management capacity in their cities. Nearly 90 percent of mayors demonstrate measurable improvement in their leadership capabilities as a result of the program.

“Through its City Leadership Initiative, the Bloomberg Center for Cities draws on the expertise of our faculty to strengthen and expand the capabilities of mayors whose work shapes the lives of millions of people,” said Harvard President Larry Bacow. “We are pleased to welcome the sixth class of mayors to Harvard and this cornerstone program, which is generously supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. We look forward to everything they and their colleagues will accomplish together, both in the classroom and in their cities.”

About The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative

The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative–the flagship program of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University–is a collaboration between Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and Bloomberg Philanthropies to equip mayors and senior city officials to tackle complex challenges in their cities and improve the quality of life of their residents. Launched in 2017, the Initiative has worked with 428 mayors and 1400 senior city officials in 494 cities worldwide. The Initiative has also advanced research and developed new curriculum and teaching tools to help city leaders solve real-world problems. For more information, please visit the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative or visit us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 941 cities and 173 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2021, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $1.66 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Media Contacts:

Courtney Greenwald, Courtney@bloomberg.org
Maria Daniels, maria_daniels@harvard.edu

The City of Topeka is receiving questions in regards to an odor in South Topeka.

The City is aware of the odor, and wants community members to know there are no safety concerns related to this. Kansas Gas Service confirmed the odor is not related to natural gas.

The odor is due to the failing of a private businesses’ water waste pre-treatment system. The City is working with the private business to better understand the timeline for repair of their system.

The City is working on ways to mitigate the issue, by feeding chemicals to help neutralize the odor in the waste stream. Due to the City’s infrastructure, the odor may spread to other areas.

 

The Topeka Police Department on Tuesday released a mid-year report showing crime is down in all categories in the City of Topeka.

The report highlights statistics from January 1, 2022 through June 30, 2022 in the City of Topeka, and compares the information with the same period in 2021.

According to the report, violent crime is down 4.5% in comparison to 2021. In addition, property crime is down 14.8%. Overall crime is down 13.1% in Topeka.

This mid-year report follows the 2021 year-end report which was released in January 2022. That report showed the City of Topeka had a five-year low in homicides, a three-year low in shootings, and overall crime was down 25% in comparison with 2020.

“The Topeka community and the Topeka Police Department’s collaborative efforts in 2021 were absolutely outstanding. In stark contrast to the national norm, Topeka had downward crime statistics in all categories. The 2022 mid-year report, at this stage, is a continuation of that impressive declining crime trend. Particularly encouraging, is the 2022 continued reduction of homicides and shootings. There is still a significant portion of the year that remains, but I am proud of the tremendous police work that has been done thus far,” said Topeka Police Chief Bryan Wheeles. “I am confident this positive progress will continue in the Capital City on all fronts. I am thankful to be the Chief of Police in a city that has such strong community-wide support for its law enforcement professionals. That support is an essential piece to any strong and vibrant municipality.”

To view the 2022 mid-year report in English, visit https://cot-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/police/2022+TPD+Mid+Year+Report.pdf.

To view the report in Spanish, visit https://cot-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/police/2022+TPD+Mid+Year+Report+-+Spanish.pdf.

 

The Topeka Municipal Court will suspend scheduled dockets on Thursday, July 7, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and all scheduled dockets on Friday, July 8, 2022. This closure is due to temporary staffing and scheduling issues.

The DUI/Drug Docket on Thursday, July 7 at 8:30 a.m. will be held as scheduled. The Court will resume normal operations on Monday, July 11, 2022.

All impacted cases will be rescheduled, and impacted defendants and defense counsel will be notified by mail.

Non-docket Court business, such as defendants wanting to set court dates, resolve non-appearance required cases, recall warrants, file documents, make payments, and reset payment plans, will continue as normal during business hours.

Defendants are encouraged to check the status of their case on the Court’s online public access portal at https://www.topeka.org/municipalcourt/.

Anyone directed to report to the Probation Division should continue to report as scheduled.

 

The City of Topeka’s Public Works and Utilities Departments recently received full accreditation by the American Public Works Association (APWA) for the 5^th time.

Through a five step process, the accreditation formally verifies and recognizes that Topeka’s Public Works and Utilities Departments are in full compliance with the recommended management practices set forth in APWA’s Public Works Management Practices Manual.

“The awarding of the APWA Accreditation reflects the dedication from all the staff toward continuous improvement and excellence. We are extremely proud to receive this honor. The staff of Public Works and Utilities are the reason we have received this prestigious APWA award. They demonstrate daily that their mission is to provide services and programs that contribute to making Topeka a great place to live, work and play,” said Utilities Director Braxton Copley.

The accreditation will last four years, with semi-annual updates required to demonstrate continuing compliance. Topeka’s Public Works and Utilities Departments were first awarded APWA accreditation in 2005.

In addition to Topeka, the accredited agencies in Kansas include Fairway, Lenexa, Olathe, Overland Park, and Shawnee, according to the APWA.

For more information about APWA Accreditation, please contact APWA Sr. Accreditation Manager, Jeanette Klamm at jklamm@apwa.net or 816-595-5295. To learn more about the APWA, visit https://www.apwa.net/.

 

El martes, el Departamento de Servicios Administrativos y Financieros de la Ciudad de Topeka publicó el presupuesto operativo propuesto para 2023.

El presupuesto municipal total para el año fiscal 2023 es $340.1 millones, un aumento de 0.33% con respecto al año fiscal 2022. De esto, el presupuesto del Fondo General de la ciudad es $104.1 millones. El Fondo General de la Ciudad es el fondo individual más grande y financia muchos de los servicios municipales de la Ciudad.

En general, el presupuesto del Fondo General aumentó un 6.2% con respecto al presupuesto del año fiscal 2022. Durante los últimos cinco años, el presupuesto del Fondo General no ha aumentado más del 2% con respecto al año anterior. El mayor aumento de este año es el resultado directo de los costos inflacionarios que llegan al 8.6%. La Ciudad reconoce el impacto que esto tiene sobre los contribuyentes y ha aumentado los costos con cuidado y con intención.

“Nos complace presentar el presupuesto operativo de 2023 para la Ciudad de Topeka. Confiamos en que el presupuesto permitirá que la Ciudad ofrezca servicios de alta calidad a un costo adecuado para los contribuyentes. Continuamos trabajando para alinear los recursos de la Ciudad con las necesidades y los valores de nuestra comunidad y este presupuesto nos coloca en un excelente lugar para hacerlo,” dijo Stephen Wade, Director del Departamento de Servicios Administrativos y Financieros.

Prioridades Presupuestarias

El presupuesto para 2023 respalda las siguientes prioridades presupuestarias establecidas por el Concejo Municipal: invertir en infraestructura, continuar con el compromiso con la seguridad pública, continuar con el compromiso de desarrollar vecindarios, inversiones estratégicas seleccionadas hacia calidad de vida y buen gobierno.

Al comienzo de este ciclo presupuestario, la Ciudad llevó a cabo seis talleres comunitarios centrados en las cinco prioridades establecidas por el Concejo Municipal. Durante estos talleres, la Ciudad recibió comentarios sobre cuáles son las metas y objetivos de la comunidad para cada una de las prioridades. Desde los talleres, el personal de la Ciudad ha trabajado para incorporar las ideas de la comunidad en el presupuesto junto con el desarrollo de indicadores clave para medir el progreso hacia cada una de las prioridades presupuestarias del Concejo Municipal.

Gastos Destacados

La porción más grande del Fondo General (77.8%) son costos de personal con $80.9 millones. Los costos de personal, incluyendo (incluido) salarios y beneficios, han experimentado un aumento del 5.7% en comparación con el presupuesto del año fiscal 2022.

Los productos básicos, incluyendo materiales para asfalto, roca, arena, sal, combustible, productos químicos y suministros de oficina, han experimentado el mayor aumento como resultado de la inflación, con aumento del 15.5% con respecto al presupuesto del año fiscal 2022. Los gastos contractuales han aumentado un 6.8%.

Al igual que otras entidades gubernamentales y empresas, la Ciudad enfrenta desafíos en la contratación de empleados. A la fecha de publicación de este presupuesto, la tasa de vacancia en la Ciudad es aproximadamente 12%. Este presupuesto incluye $100,000 que se agregaron al presupuesto de Recursos Humanos con el propósito de reclutar talento para la Ciudad.

Impuestos de Propiedad

Cada año, la Ciudad adopta una tasa de impuestos sobre la propiedad que determina la cantidad de impuestos sobre la propiedad que recibirá la Ciudad. Durante los diez años anteriores, la tasa del impuesto a la propiedad de la Ciudad se ha mantenido estable, sin aumentos ni reducciones. Después de un aumento del valor catastral del 8.5 %, el Consejo Municipal ordenó al personal que redujera la tasa del impuesto sobre la propiedad

Próximos Pasos

El Concejo Municipal y el personal de la Ciudad organizarán un taller de presupuesto el martes 26 de julio a las 6:00 pm en el edificio Holliday. Los miembros de la comunidad pueden asistir al taller en persona o verlo en la página de Facebook de la Ciudad, la transmisión en vivo de la Ciudad o en el canal local 4 de Cox.

El 12 de julio, el Concejo Municipal votará si excede o no la tasa neutral de ingresos del año presupuestario anterior.

El presupuesto se presentará en las reuniones del Concejo Municipal del 19 de Julio, 9 de agosto y 16, en las que los ciudadanos podrán hacer comentarios públicos. El 6 de septiembre se llevará a cabo una audiencia pública sobre el presupuesto donde los ciudadanos tendrán otra oportunidad de ofrecer sus comentarios sobre el presupuesto.

El presupuesto se puede ver en línea en: https://www.topeka.org/finance/budget/.

2023 Citizen’s Guide to City Budget – Spanish

 

On Tuesday, the City of Topeka’s Administrative and Financial Services Department released the proposed 2023 operating budget.

The total City budget for FY23 is $340.1 million, a small 0.33% increase from FY22. Of this, the City’s General Fund budget is $104.1 million. The City’s General Fund is the largest single fund and funds many of the City’s municipal services.

Overall, the general Fund budget increased by 6.2% from the FY22 budget. Over the last five years, the General Fund budget has not increased more than 2% from the previous year. The larger increase this year is a direct result of inflationary costs which are as high as 8.6%. The City recognizes the impact this has on taxpayers and has raised costs carefully and with intention.

“We are excited to present the 2023 operating budget for the City of Topeka. We are confident that the budget will allow the City to offer high-quality services at an appropriate cost to taxpayers. We continue to work to align City resources with the needs and values of our community, and this budget puts us in a great place to do that,” said Stephen Wade, Director of the Administrative and Financial Services Department.

Budget priorities

The proposed 2023 budget supports the following budget priorities established by the Governing Body; investing in infrastructure, continuing a commitment to public safety, continuing a commitment to developing neighborhoods, selected strategic investments toward quality of life, and good governance.

At the beginning of this budget cycle, the City held six community workshops centered on the five budget priorities established by the Governing Body. During these workshops, the City received feedback on what the community’s goals and objectives are for each of the priorities. Since the workshops, City staff has worked to incorporate the ideas from the community into the budget, along with developing key indicators to measure progress towards each of the Governing Body’s budget priorities.

Expenditure highlights

The largest portion of the General Fund budget (77.8%) is personnel costs at $80.9 million. Personnel costs, including wages and benefits, have seen a 5.7% increase compared to the FY22 budget.

Commodities, which includes materials for asphalt, rock, sand, salt, fuel, chemicals, and office supplies, have seen the largest increase as a result of inflation, increasing 15.5% from the FY22 budget. Contractual expenses have increased 6.8%.

Like other government entities and businesses, the City faces challenges in recruiting employees. As of the publication of this budget, the vacancy rate in the City is approximately 12%. This budget includes $100,000 that has been added to the Human Resources budget for the purpose of recruiting talent to the City.

Mill levy

Each year the City adopts a mill levy rate that determines the amount of property tax the City will receive. 1 mill is roughly $1.3 million. For the previous ten years, the City’s mill levy has remained flat with no increases or decreases. After an assessed value increase of 8.5%, the Governing Body directed staff to decrease the mill levy by 1 mill.

Next steps

The Governing Body and City staff will host a Budget Workshop on Tuesday, July 26 at 6:00 p.m. at the Holliday Building. Community members can attend the workshop in person, or watch on the City’s Facebook page, the City’s Livestream, or on Cox Local Channel 4.

On July 12, the Governing Body will vote on whether or not to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate from the previous budget year.

The budget will be presented at the July 19, August 9, and August 16 City Council Meetings. Community members can make public comment at these meetings. A public budget hearing will be held on September 6 where citizens will be given another opportunity to offer feedback on the budget. The proposed budget can be viewed online at https://www.topeka.org/finance/budget/.

2023 Citizen’s Guide to City Budget

 

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) requested the closure of several City streets in downtown Topeka due to safety concerns specific to the railing of the Polk-Quincy Viaduct. KDOT reports the I-70 bridge roadway maintains its structural integrity, and is safe to drive on.

The closure of 2nd St. from just west of SW Van Buren St. to just east of S Kansas Ave. was made out of an abundance of caution for the safety of drivers and pedestrians near and under the viaduct.

This closure is effective immediately. Detours are posted. Drivers and pedestrians are asked to avoid the area.