Press Releases

In December 2023, the City of Topeka Governing Body voted to approve the establishment of two Common Consumption Areas (CCA) in Downtown Topeka and the NOTO Arts District. The adjustment of city rules around drinking in public creates regulated “social drinking zones” where patrons can drink within the designated boundaries of the area outside of a licensed bar, restaurant, or other eligible establishment that is permitted to sell alcoholic beverages by the State of Kansas and the City of Topeka.

The Downtown Common Consumption Area encompasses 4th Street on the north; 10th Avenue on the south; Quincy Street on the east; and Jackson Street on the west. The NOTO Common Consumption Area encompasses Fairchild Street on the north; Norris Street on the South; Quincy Street on the east; and Jackson Street on the west.

Boundaries of the CCA will be clearly marked with the below signage and pavement markings. Designated areas are operational between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., seven days a week.

Individuals are not permitted to bring their own alcoholic beverages into the CCA for consumption and must purchase alcoholic beverages from a licensed, participating establishment within the boundaries of the designated CCA. Alcoholic beverages must be sold in non-glass containers with the logo or identifying imagery of the participating business visible on the container.

Both CCAs will go into effect on April 15. Businesses located within the designated area can elect not to participate in the CCA, but if they wish to do so they will need to submit the proper paperwork to the State of Kansas ABC and the City of Topeka Clerk’s Office.

“Common Consumption is a natural evolution of our continued development efforts to support businesses while providing exciting environments for Topekans,” said Councilman Spencer Duncan. “Topeka isn’t just putting this in place here but also led the effort at the state level that is now bringing it to all Kansans, as other communities implement it. It continues our commitment to listening to our citizens and businesses and working with them to be a premier Capital City.”

To learn more about the Downtown Topeka and NOTO Arts District Common Consumption Areas, please visit https://www.topeka.org/cityclerk/common-consumption-areas/.

Construction is underway at Topeka’s City Hall for the HVAC replacement project.

The project calls for the replacement of the existing and aging HVAC system serving City Hall, located at 215 SE 7^th St., and the adjacent Topeka Performing Arts Center (TPAC). The project was approved by Topeka’s Governing Body at the November 15, 2022 City Council Meeting.

In order to keep City Hall open with minimal disruptions to visitors and city staff, the project is slated to occur in three phases, with the first phase underway. The first phase has closed the third floor and basement of City Hall, resulting in the relocation of multiple city departments and divisions. The first and second floors, as well as the TPAC and Municipal Court side of the building currently remain fully open to visitors.

The following city departments and divisions have recently relocated to the city’s Holliday Building, 620 SE Madison St.

• City Manager’s Office
• Contracts and Procurement (Purchasing)
• Finance
• Legal

City departments and divisions that remain at City Hall include:

• City Clerk
• City Communications
• City Council Office
• Community Engagement
• Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Office
• Human Resources
• Mayor’s Office
• Municipal Court (TPAC side of Building)
• Probation
• Prosecution

The HVAC replacement project is estimated to be completed in 2024.

City leadership appreciates the patience of visitors and staff during the construction period.

 

Case #18-78804

On August 10, 2018 these two individuals passed several counterfeit $50 bills through Lowe’s in Topeka. The suspect wearing the black ball cap entered the store purchasing expensive items all with $50 bills. A short time later, the suspect in the white t-shirt returned the products for cash. The suspect in the black ball cap left in a burnt orange Dodge Charger. The suspect in the white t-shirt left the store on foot.

If you recognize these suspects, please contact Detective Stults at hstults@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.

$400,000 in funding has been added to the COVID-19 Basic Needs Assistance Program for mortgage relief. In 2020 the City of Topeka Housing Services Division created COVID-19 assistance programs to help with basic needs for people who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. These federal dollars have been and continue to be a great resource to the individuals struggling in Topeka. The City of Topeka has helped 612 individuals who reside in 476 households since the program started, of those people 42.8% are minorities.

Applications for the Basic Needs Assistance Program were accepted beginning on December 1^st, 2020. 476 applications have been approved so far with $1,322,847in funds having been paid. 96% of the original funds have been committed and expensed for an average of $2,779 per approved household.

“$400,000 in additional funds for mortgage assistance will greatly help those in our community who are struggling to keep their homes. We are focused on helping those most vulnerable people negatively affected by COVID” said Corrie Wright, Division Director of Housing Services.

The Operation COVID-19 Basic Needs Assistance Program is a foreclosure/eviction mitigation and utility prevention shut-off program created by the City of Topeka and administered by the Community Resources Council. An additional $400,000 in CARES Act funds has been made available to qualified applicants to help cover mortgages. The program is by appointment only and applicants must be city residents, have COVID related outstanding bills after March 2020 and make no more than 100% of area median income. Appointments can be scheduled over the phone from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling (785) 233-1365. If the line is busy, leave your name and phone number and CRC staff will call back to schedule an appointment.

 

More information on the COVID assistance programs can be found on the City of Topeka website. https://www.topeka.org/housing-services/covid-assistance-programs/

 

You can view the full report on the COVID Assistance Programs here: HS Report July.pub (cot-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com)

The City of Topeka is partnering with the Shawnee County Health Department and the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging to help our neighbors who are 65 and over to complete the COVID-19 vaccination interest survey through Pop-Up Survey Clinics. Several people over the age of 65 in our community have a variety of impeding factors that prevent them from completing the survey including a lack of computer accessibility, no internet availability, no cell phone number, no email address or a lack of vaccine educational information. In an effort to ensure equitability for all of our 65 and older neighbors, a plan of action has been implemented for the months of February through April to help complete the survey. The events will take place during the day, one evening a week and one Saturday a month to provide participants with a variety of options to receive help to complete the survey.

“Shawnee County is dedicated to an equitable distribution of vaccine in our communities. We are grateful for partnerships that will help us reach those with limited resources. As our mission states, we are committed to working in partnership with our community to protect the optimal health of all people by bridging gaps,” said Derik Flerlage, Infectious Disease Division Manager at the Shawnee County Health Department.

The first Pop-Up Clinic will be Saturday, February 20^th from 9-11 a.m. at the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging located at 2910 SW Topeka Boulevard. It is estimated that hundreds of people in our community will be able to obtain the vaccination who otherwise could have potentially been omitted due to the barriers of accessing the vaccination interest survey. Additional times and places of the Pop-Up Survey Clinics will be announced in advance once they are scheduled.

The Pop-Up Survey Clinics will consist of the following:

• Pop-Up Survey Clinics at local senior housing facilities
• Pop-Up Mobile Survey Clinics at various locations throughout the community

 

Social distancing mandates will be adhered to and the team will be equipped with PPE gear during the events in an effort to ensure everyone’s safety. Participants will be required to wear a facial mask.

 

For additional information on the Shawnee County Health Department contact Craig Barnes at 785-251-5612.

For additional information and questions pertaining to seniors please contact Susan Harris at the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging at sharris@hawkaaa.org or 785-235-1367.

For additional information and questions on Pop-Up Events please contact Monique Glaudeˊ, Director of Community Engagement & Ombudsman for the City of Topeka at mglaude@topka.org or 785-368-4470.

The City of Topeka has created a COVID-19 website to provide information for businesses and the public. https://data.topeka.org/pages/covid19information provides a list of city phone numbers, locations of US Bank locations where people can pay their water bills and a link for businesses to report hours and closures.

A business survey link is available for local businesses to report hours of operation. The City of Topeka asks for businesses to complete this survey to help identify critical infrastructure services. https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/7e1deddaf0fa4847bf5f6f9bfb7c19c5?

Critical Infrastructure includes:

• Chemical
• Communications and Information Technology
• Critical Manufacturing
• Defense Industrial Base
• Energy
• Financial Services
• Food and Agriculture
• Hazardous Materials
• Healthcare/Public Health
• Law Enforcement, Public Safety, First Responders
• Other Community-Based Government Operations and Essential Functions
• Public Works
• Transportation and Logistics
• Water and Wastewater

The Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center will be accepting used live Christmas trees again this year beginning as early as December 26 but the Zoo is asking that a different tree drop off location be used.
It is as easy as dropping the tree off at our new location just east of the horseshoe court parking lot inside Gage Park. When entering Gage Park from the 10th St. entrance, take your first right on Munn Memorial Drive; heading northwest. Look for the orange snow fence and place your tree in the grass, behind the “Trees Here” sign.
“There is no need to make an appointment,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. “We’ll find them and get them to the animals that can use them.”
In order for the trees to be able to be used by the zoo animals, the trees need to be free of ornaments tinsel, tree stands and not in plastic bags.
“This allows the trees to be used beyond the holiday season,” said Wiley. “Animals that benefit from them include lions, tigers, owls, mountain lions, giraffes, elephants, bears and many others.”
Once the animals have had plenty of fun with the varieties of conifers donated, they will be ground up through a chipper and made into mulch for continued reuse.
The zoo will accept the trees through Jan. 8th 2019.

The Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center would like to invite members of the media to the ribbon cutting ceremony which will mark the unveiling of the Kay McFarland Japanese Garden on Thursday, August 27, at 10:00 AM. Attending and speaking at the ceremony will be Consul General Kenichi Okada from the Japanese Consulate in Chicago and James Kanki Honorary Consul of Japan in Kansas City. The ribbon cutting will occur in traditional Japanese style.
Also speaking at the event will be Mayor Michelle De La Isla, Friends of the Zoo Board President Pat Colley, Japanese Garden Master Koji Morimoto and Trustees Elaine and Howard Schwartz.
Because of Covid-19 restrictions, attendance at the ribbon cutting is by invitation only.
Guests will be greeted at the event by Three Trails Taiko, a Japanese drum group. As guests check in, they will be given an origami crane. At the conclusion of the ceremony after the Sake drum has been broken, a procession will lead to the Garden’s entrance. Along the way, guests will be instructed to hang their origami crane with a wish on one of the plants. Kimonos will be on display in the Event Venue.
Members of the media can arrange for a preview of the Kay McFarland Japanese Garden beginning Monday, August 24. Interviews can be arranged during the preview with the Zoo Director, Garden Master and Trustees if desired. We would ask that any stories developed through the preview experience be embargoed

Local fire and law enforcement personnel are teaming with the American Red Cross for the 3rd annual Battle of the Badges blood drive to see who can recruit the most eligible donors in their community to donate blood.
Individuals can join the Battle of the Badges blood drive by donating May 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Holliday Building, 620 SE Madison. Donors’ blood donations will help decide who wins bragging rights and the traveling trophy.
“The Battle of the Badges blood drive is one of those yearly events where a little competitive spirit takes over between the members the Fire Department and the Police Department to benefit a great cause,” said Topeka Police Chief Bill Cochran. “Best of all, at the end of the day everyone in our community benefits and the comradery between our two departments becomes even stronger. We hope you will come donate blood and make a difference.”
Battle of the Badges is a friendly competition to encourage community members to join their local first responders and perform their own heroic act with a blood donation.
“I know this event is known as the “Battle of the Badges,” blood drive but to me it is really the “Pledge of the Badges,” said Topeka Fire Chief Craig Duke. “Each year both departments look at this special way to serve our community. We pledge to go beyond our daily way of public safety servitude by donating blood. Why? Because that’s who we are.”

Duke continues, “On the lighter side, it is fun to see how Topeka Fire Department and Topeka Police Department make this a whole community event by competing in fun, to see who will have the most donated pints of blood for the Red Cross but in the end, we all win.”
This May, during National Trauma Month, the Red Cross is calling on donors to give blood regularly to be prepared to meet the needs of patients. In emergency situations, having blood available when a patient arrives at a hospital is vital. Regular donations can help ensure sufficient supplies are available for trauma patients when every second matters, as well as others with serious medical conditions.
“Fire and law enforcement units know firsthand how important it is to have blood readily available for emergencies,” said Susan Faler, account manager, Red Cross Central Plains Blood Services Region. “By hosting this blood drive, they are helping ensure that blood is on the shelves before it is needed.”

In thanks, all those who come to donate blood with the Red Cross now through June 10, 2019, will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email. (Restrictions apply; see amazon.com/gc-legal. More information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.)
To make an appointment for the Topeka Battle of the Badges, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and use sponsor code Topeka.
How to donate blood
All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SE Monroe St. will soon be open for traffic as the City of Topeka Utilities Department finishes work on Utilities Relocation Project 6. This is one of six relocation projects the city began in 2024 in preparation for the larger Kansas Department of Transportation
(KDOT) Polk-Quincy Viaduct (PQV) Reconstruction Project.

On Friday, December 20, the one-way SE Monroe St. will reopen to traffic from SE 3rd St. to SE6th Ave. The eastbound I-70 on-ramp at SE 4th St. will also reopen Friday. Project 6 consisted of necessary sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water line relocations. While current traffic control
will be removed on Friday, the outer right lane of Monroe St. between 3rd St. and 6th Ave. will be closed until Friday, January 3.

“We are happy to see roads downtown reopening as these utility relocation projects begin to wrap up,” said Utilities Director Sylvia Davis. “We understand maneuvering through detours has been a frustration for drivers, but we appreciate their patience and look forward to completing
city work so KDOT can begin their efforts to replace the aging Polk-Quincy Viaduct.”

About the COT Utility Relocation Project
The City of Topeka’s utility relocations began in early 2024 in order to relocate sanitary sewer,
storm sewer and water utilities before KDOT begins reconstruction of the viaduct in the spring
of 2025.

The city’s utility relocations include six total projects in the general area of the viaduct, titled
Project 2-7. The viaduct spans I-70 from MacVicar Ave. to 6th Ave. Project 2 and Project 7 were
completed earlier this year. Projects 4 and 5 are planned to be complete in early 2025.