May 2022
The Board of County Commissioners serves as the Chief Legislative and Executive Branch of the County Government. Composed of five members, with each Commissioner representing a district of the County.
The duties of the Board of County Commissioners include:
- Approving the County budget and expenditures
- Appointing the various department heads of the County
- Exercising powers of local legislation
The Board of County Commissioners presented Tonganoxie High School Sophomore Lyric Yost with recognition for her winning design for the Leavenworth County Challenge Coin. Lyric's design for the coin has a Buffalo Soldier on one side, with the County Courthouse on the other side. The Challenge Coin will be presented to deserving citizens and employees as a gesture of appreciation and gratitude for their service to their community.
Lyric credits her high school art teacher for inspiring and supporting her artistic pursuits. Congratulations, Lyric! Keep pursuing your dreams!!
Elections
Interest in running for office? Now is the time to file! June 1st is the deadline to file for your local office.
Offices up for election:
- County Commission 1st, 4th, and 5th District
- Precinct Committeeman/Woman
- Township Clerk
- Lan-Del Water Board
You can find a list of all the current filings at our Filings section of our website.
Are you looking for a new career?
Leavenworth County is a great place to work!
You can find all of our current job openings on our job opening section of our website.
One of our greatest resources at Leavenworth County is our hard-working county employees. So, weekly we take a moment to post an employee spotlight to recognize a job well done and to help our residents understand a little more about how local government works.
Here are this month's spotlights!
Community Corrections
This week's employee spotlight is Allan Singletary. Allan is the full-time evening Juvenile Intake Officer for Community Corrections. Allan graduated from Washburn University and has 16 years of combined experience working in corrections serving 7 of those years with Leavenworth County. Allan is a former recipient of the Vanguard Award from USD 453.
Allan, thank you for your all you do for Leavenworth County!
Allan, tell us a little more about yourself?
What is something you would like to share about services offered by your department?
What does your day-to-day look like as a Juvenile Intake Officer look like?
Allan, how do you enjoy spending your free time?
Matt Budke, Paramedic Lieutenant
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
We want to congratulate newly promoted Lieutenant Matt Budke in this employee spotlight. Matt has been with Leavenworth County EMS for the past six years. He has excelled and contributed in many ways, even before his promotion to Lieutenant. For example, Matt has served as a preceptor to new paramedic students and contributed to many other service-related projects throughout his tenure. He has contributed to all of this on top of being a quality paramedic for the service.
Matt competed against three other applicants in an extensive, multi-phase selection process for his current position. As he has always done, Matt excelled. We are fortunate to have him in the service and community.
Thank you Matt for your service to Leavenworth County! Now, let's learn a little more about Matt!
Matt, how long have you been a Paramedic, and why did you choose this career field?
I have been a paramedic for three years now and was an EMT three years prior. My younger brother, a full-time firefighter, is why I chose this field. He began volunteering for a local fire department while I was attending KSU as a biology major. When I came home on the weekends, I saw how much he enjoyed running out of the house at the sound of the pager and always being ready for the next call. I've always enjoyed medicine and the human body, so this seemed like a perfect job.
Can you tell us a little about training and if you have a favorite area to brush up on?
We must re-certify our license every two years with a certain number of training hours, based on the level of certification. We are lucky to have the best training opportunities available in our service and our training administrator, allowing us to stay up-to-date on all education and skills. I love studying cardiology. I'm always intrigued by just how much we can know from taking a 12lead EKG.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is the unknown. I never know what my day will involve, from helping a fall victim back into their chair to treating multiple patients involved in a traffic accident.
What is something you would like residents to know if they ever have to use EMS?
Make sure your house or business address is clearly marked and easily seen from the road. Being able to identify the correct address quickly ensures that we respond to the location in need and can begin treatment or assistance sooner. As well as being mindful of emergency vehicles on the road, please slow down and pull over when you see flashing lights. You never know when it could be someone you know that we are responding to help.
How do I like to spend my time away from work?
I enjoy spending time with my family, girlfriend, friends, and dog. I'm grateful to live and work in an area that I grew up in, close to my family and friends that allows me to do that regularly.
I also love to travel and weekend getaways of camping, hiking, fishing, and grilling. And, I rarely say no to spending the day at Kauffman Stadium!
Doug Llamas, Crewman Leader
Road and Bridge Division of Public Works
We are excited to highlight Doug Llamas in this employee spotlight. Doug started his career in 1996 with Leavenworth County Public Works as a Maintenance Operator and now serves in the Road and Bridge Division as a Crewman Leader.
Doug supervises nine Heavy Equipment Operators, providing them with daily tasks to be performed throughout Leavenworth County. In addition, he trains entry-level operators in equipment operation, installing culverts, cleaning ditches, and any other road maintenance tasks.
Thank you, Doug, for your 25+ years of service to Leavenworth County residents. Now let's take a second to learn a little more about Doug.
Describe your role as a Crewman Leader in Road and Bridge.
As a crewman supervisor, I oversee a crew with different operations depending on the season. I do anything from snow removal to culvert installations and many other tasks as they arise.
Leavenworth County maintains over 700 miles of paved and gravel roads. What is one of the biggest challenges Road Crews face?
The snow and ice operations are always challenging, and every winter event is unique. Some public requests can be challenging to resolve, but they are equally rewarding.
Is there something you would like to share with the public about your department and the work you and your crews do?
Whether it is the cold of winter or the heat of summer, make sure you give road crews extra room. They take pride in their work, sometimes in some unforgiving conditions.
What is one of your favorite memories of your time with the County?
Installing culverts and building bridges back in the day. And, being the backhoe G.O.A.T thanks to my mentor Commissioner Smith.
What are some of your hobbies?
I have been providing approximately 54 nesting houses for my Purple Martin Colony for the past twenty years. My colony consists of over 100 birds seasonally. I also enjoy gardening in my spare time.
Monica Swigart, HR Administrator
Human Resources
To wrap up the month of May, we are excited to introduce one of the newest members of our administration team, Monica Swigart. Monica has been hired as our Human Resource Director.
Monica has over 20 years of experience in staffing, career counseling, and employer relations, primarily in e-commerce and distribution.
Monica is originally from Coffeyville, Kansas.
Monica has two kiddos that keep her busy. She says she loves to hike, kayak, paddle-board, and sit around a campfire in her free time.
When asked to share some fun facts about herself, Monica said, thunder makes her soul jump for joy, she loves to read, and she is addicted to laughter!
We are excited to have Monica join the Leavenworth County Team! If you see Monica around the Courthouse be sure to welcome her to the County!
Upcoming Vaccination Clinic Information:
Location: Leavenworth County Health Department, 500 Eisenhower, Leavenworth, KS
- These are walk-in clinics. No appointments are necessary.
- At this clinic we will be offering the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
- The Pfizer (Pediatric Dose) Vaccine is available from 5 years to 11 years old.
- Parents or legal guardians will need to sign and be present for minors receiving the vaccine.
People often ask why a person gets a certain sentence. The chart below is the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines. Our Kansas legislators created these guidelines for judges to use to determine a sentence. Even though these are guidelines, Judges ultimately decide on a sentence a person faces.
Some details to note:
1. The more convictions (criminal history) one has, the more time one could face. (The letters on the top distinguish history)
2. If the convictions are person crimes (crimes that hurt people), the more time they could face.
3. The more serious a crime, the more time a person could have to serve. (The numbers along the side list the severity of crime).
4. The yellow and orange area means a person should receive probation.
5. The purple area means one is in a border-box or presumptive prison unless they can show to the judge they deserve probation.
6. The blue area is mandatory prison.
*This is not legal advice, nor do we provide legal advice. Also, there are far more details that aren't on the chart or explained in this, but hopefully, this gives you an insight into sentences in Kansas.
Older adults play vital, positive roles in our communities as family members, friends, mentors, volunteers, civic leaders, members of the workforce, and more. Just as every person is unique, so too is how they age and how they choose to do it and there is no "right" way. That's why the theme for Older Americans Month (OAM) 2022 is Age My Way.
This year's theme focuses on how older adults can age in their communities, living independently for as long as possible and participating in ways they choose.
While Age My Way will look different for each person, here are common things everyone can consider:
- Planning: Think about what you will need and want in the future, from home and community-based services to community activities that interest you.
- Engagement: Remain involved and contribute to your community through work, volunteer, and/or civic participation opportunities.
- Access: Make home improvements and modifications, use assistive technologies, and customize supports to help you better age in place.
- Connection: Maintain social activities and relationships to combat social isolation and stay connected to your community.
May vehicle renewals for customers with the last name starting with "E", "F", &"G" will be due by May 31st.
- Taxpayers may renew their vehicles up to 60 days in advance of their renewal deadline.
- You can now pay your current Personal Property & Real Estate taxes online from our website by using the Pay Taxes
- Note, 2nd half Real Estate and Personal Property Taxes will be due by May 10th.
- Driver's License renewals are open at the Annex by appointment only, Tuesday through Friday. Please call the Annex at 913-364-5730 to set up an appointment.
For more information about renewing your vehicle, visit this section of our website: Renewing Your License Plate.
Here is a map of May's Planning Commission Cases. The Planning Commission heard these cases at their May 11, 2022 meeting.
The purpose of the Planning Commission is to make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners on land use applications, regulations, and policies presented by the Planning and Zoning Department.
These cases will be heard by the Board of County Commissioners for a final determination. The Commission Agenda is posted on the Leavenworth County website and is available for public viewing.
Here are links to the Planning Commission Schedule and Board of County Commissioner Schedule.
NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OFFICE - May 2022
Recording Trends
2021 saw an increase of over 3,000 documents recorded over the total recordings for 2020. But with the continued rise of interest rates and the downturn of the economy, fewer homes are selling, thus fewer refinancing and new mortgages are being recorded. The Register of Deeds office may end 2022 $250,000.00 under projected revenues.
Overall recording trends for Kansas are well below the national average:
Sharing the FREE Property Fraud Alert from Register of Deeds
May 2nd Easton City Council
May 6th Tonganoxie Business Group
May 9th Kickapoo Township Volunteer Fire Department
In these uncertain times, I encourage you to protect your property by also researching the benefits of the Transfer on Death Deed and talking with your attorney on any questions you may have about how that would affect your property ownership. We have forms you may print off for free on our website.
Sharing the FREE Property Fraud Alert from Register of Deeds
May 14th Keller Williams New Home Owners Seminar - 1 PM at Basehor VFW Hall 155th Street
May 26th Basehor VFW - 6 PM
If you are part of a club or organization looking for a speaker, I am available to share this community service message in person. Call or email requests to our office at either 913-684-0424 or tmashburn@leavenworthcounty.gov. I would be happy to share a program on Register of Deeds services with your group.
Budgeting
It is that wonderful time of year my office produces our Budget for 2023. The big factor is implementing our scanning project of older documents. Currently researchers and staff work with documents so faded out or darkened that they aren't even legible, like this:
The scanning project will use infrared and other light spectrums to pick up details the human eye might not discover. Then, with digital imaging enhancements, the final document will sometimes be even better than the original!
We are very excited to complete the next phase of protecting Leavenworth County land records and offering legible copies of documents all the way back to sovereignty and available online for professional and individual research. You may research your own land records or explore genealogy research for free in our vault from 8 AM until 4:30 PM Monday through Friday.
For more information or to subscribe to Property Fraud Alert, call the Register of Deeds at 913-684-0424 or tmashburn@leavenworthcounty.gov.
Brush Piles - Our brush piles are helpful for the community! It gives a place for you to dispose of your tree branches and trunks (up to 16" in diameter.)
We then make the brush into mulch, for use in your yard and around landscaping. We can load mulch for you for $10 for 3 backhoe scoops or you can load mulch for free. Just come across the scale and notify the attendant what you are wanting.
We must keep our brush piles clean, therefore we cannot accept any form of trash, hay, straw, lumber, railroad ties in our piles. If you have a load of brush that has any kind of trash mixed with it, please let the scale attendant know and you can dump it in a bay, instead of our brush pile.
We have two types of brush piles. Our first brush pile is for branches that can be chipped up for mulch. Our second pile is for large logs, tree stumps, and pampas grass (that can't go in our grass/leaf pile.) We cannot have hay, straw, lumber, or treated wood in either of our brush piles. When you come with any of these listed items mixed into your brush debris, please let the scale attendant know and they will direct you.
Grass and Leaves Pile, our grass/leaf pile is helpful for residents of Leavenworth County. If you are a resident of Leavenworth County, you can bring your cut grass and raked up leaves here and dump them in our leaf/grass pile, at no cost. If you grass/leaves have sticks or anything else mixed in please let the scale attendant know and they will direct you.
We use our grass and leaves to make compost for our customers, and to do this we need to keep it clean and free of debris. We can load compost for you for $10 for three backhoe scoops or you can load compost for free. Just come across the scale and let the attendant know what you are wanting. Again, to not contaminate our compost we need to make sure only leaves and grass our put in this pile. Compost is a great source of nutrients for your plants and soil and we want it to be the best for our compost customers.
Our mulch and compost if only available for limited periods of time. Check our website for current availability, or call 913-727-2858.
Fees
Brush has a $5 minimum fee for up to 360 lbs. then $30/ton.
Grass and leaves are free for Leavenworth County Residents
Community Corrections
OPEN HOUSE!
SAVE THE DATE & CELEBRATE WITH US THIS JUNE
The week of July 17th, 2022, Community Corrections will be celebrating the 23rd annual Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week (#PPPSweek). This celebration was started in 1999 by the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) to recognize the hard work of supervision officers in attempting to improve justice outcomes for individuals under supervision and to increase public safety as a whole. During #PPPSweek, on the dates July 17 - 23, Community Corrections will be hosting a Meet and Greet for local Community Resource Providers to present their services in the Justice Center basement training room. The goal of the Meet and Greet is to improve collaboration between the criminal justice system and local service agencies which is proven to increase outcomes and reduce recidivism. Please let us know if you would like to be included on this year's schedule!
JOIN OUR TEAM
We are now hiring for a dual Adult Intensive Supervision Officer/Juvenile Intake Officer. To view a full description of the job and find out how to apply please visit the Job Opening section of our website.
Leavenworth County has multiple job openings in the Public Works Department.
County Surveyor
County Surveyor Assistant
Project Engineer
Engineering Assistant/Intern
Please visit the job opportunities on the County website to learn more information.
Leavenworth County would like to communicate with as many residents as possible. Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter and a variety of other alerts and news from our County Departments.
Leavenworth County is also on Facebook , so residents can follow their local government and stay informed about the latest news and events.
