September 2022 Leavenworth County Newsletter
- Board of County Commissioners
- Planning Commission Appointments
- Sheriff Office
- Emergency Management
- Job Openings
- Employee Spotlights
- Building and Grounds
- Health Department
- Council on Aging
- Treasurer's Office
- Planning & Zoning
- Register of Deeds
- Transfer Station
- Community Corrections
- Public Works
- Sign-Up Alerts
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 Leavenworth County Sheriff's Office is seeking hardworking, dedicated, and career-minded professionals for the positions of:
Deputy Sheriff (Patrol Division) - $22.44/Hour, Full-Time, Benefits Eligible, Pay Consideration for Experience / Education
Deputy Sheriff Job Description
Detention Officer - $19.95/Hour, Full-Time, Benefits Eligible
Detention Officer Job Description
Dispatcher - $19.95/Hour, Full-Time, Benefits Eligible
To apply click here!
The Leavenworth County Sheriff's Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH:
Every year, the United States observes National Preparedness Month in September to remind Americans to be ready for any man-made or natural disaster that could affect them, their homes, communities, or businesses. This month aims to reduce the fallout of large-scale emergencies by preparing every citizen, young and old.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH
The origins of the word disaster can be traced back to Ancient Greek and a word that translates to "bad star." This is in reference to the idea that bad things happen because of the position of the planets.
A disaster, a calamity, or an emergency, is an event that causes widespread human, material, economic, and environmental damage. This event can be a short-term or long-term one. For example, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, and even terrorist attacks are all classified as such. Whatever the cause, the result of such a disaster devastates societies, changing life as we know it. In some cases, disasters have also been known to change history as we know it.
Leavenworth County has had its share of many disasters. Examples include the 1966 Tornado that came through the County and the City of Leavenworth; the 1993 flood of the Missouri and Kansas River; the 2005 Flood of Stranger Creek and the Missouri River; The 2011 Missouri River flood; the 2019 South Leavenworth County tornado and many more disasters have happened over the years.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) created National Preparedness Month (NPM) three years after the September 11 attacks to encourage every American to plan for emergencies. This month is managed and sponsored by FEMA's Ready Campaign. They chose September for its historical significance and the fact that the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is in the middle of this month.
FEMA has existed since the 1800s — as a legislative act and was officially launched by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. The September terror attacks spurred the creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and FEMA became an agency under this department.
Some questions we ask
What is the national preparedness goal?
According to the official website, the goal for national preparedness is "A secure and resilient nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the greatest threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk."
HOW TO PREPARE FOR NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH
1. Get ready for any event
With the incidences of natural disasters rising year after year, it makes sense for every citizen to prepare themselves. Visit official websites like Ready.gov, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to learn more about reducing risks to life and property in any major disaster.
2. Run mock safety drills
Test out your safety plan, build a disaster kit with all the essentials, and run your loved ones — especially the kids — through what to do if disaster hits. This can give you a better chance of emerging on the other side with minimal losses.
3. Support community preparedness
Look around, and we are sure you will find multiple ways to get involved. For example, you can volunteer at your local American Red Cross chapter and the local fire department. This will give you a sense of how your talents can be used.
Build a preparedness kit and make it a family activity. Again visit Ready.gov for all of your details. Don't hesitate to contact Leavenworth County Emergency Management Office for local information about how to keep you and your family prepared for the next disaster at 913-684-0455. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for more information.
Stay safe, Leavenworth County!
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 employees. 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.
The first spotlight of the month is to congratulate each employee celebrating a work anniversary milestone! We are proud to have dedicated employees on our team!
Kyle Hardisty, Lead Worker
Noxious Weeds Division of Public Works
In this employee spotlight, we are excited to recognize Kyle Hardisty. Kyle is our Lead Worker in the Noxious Weed Division of Public Works. Kyle Hardisty has been with the Noxious Weed Department for four years and enjoys helping our farmers and residents with various ways to help control noxious weeds in Leavenworth County. Kyle is also a CDL instructor who helps newly hired employees gain the knowledge and experience they need to obtain a commercial driver's license. A typical day for Kyle includes:
- Training employees who need to get a CDL.
- Treating and mowing right-of-ways along county roadways.
- Manning the Noxious Weed office.
- Cutting brush.
- Pushing snow in the winter months.
Thank you for your service to Leavenworth County!
Kyle, tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Phoenix, Arizona but relocated to Iowa when I was very young. I grew up in a small town called Danbury. I lived there for 19 years. My favorite thing about growing up there was being involved in sports and activities with all my friends from elementary school all the way through the end of high school. After high school, I attended Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa, where I played college football and graduated with my Bachelor's degree in Business Management. I also met my wife, Shelby, during my time in college. Shelby is originally from Lansing and attended Briar Cliff University in Sioux City on a soccer scholarship. After graduation in 2017, we moved halfway across the country because Shelby got accepted into the University of Maryland Baltimore County Masters program, where she worked on getting her master's degree for two years. While Shelby went to school, I worked at Enterprise Rent-A-Car for about a year. After that, I worked for a company called ProGrass LLC, where I started learning about pesticides and chemical applications along with turf grass management. After two years living on the east coast, we decided to move back home. That's when I got an offer to work for the county, and have been doing so ever since.
Noxious Weeds might be a department that not everyone is familiar. Can you tell us a little about your department and your role in the department?
To the average person, the noxious weed might just be a department that cuts grass and sells 24-D for thistles. However, there is a lot more to it than just that; we help landowners, businesses, and whoever is willing to make their piece of ground free of any noxious weeds. Sometimes we get asked if dandelions, crabgrass, and poison ivy are noxious weeds, and while these are more than likely not wanted, they are not noxious. Noxious weeds are any plant designated by the state of Kansas as invasive or injurious to local agriculture, wildlife, or property. In Leavenworth County, we have twelve noxious weeds, and our role is to help educate and assist anyone trying to make their property sustainable and free of noxious weeds.
What is one thing you would like Leavenworth County residents to be aware of?
Believe this or not, there are county workers out there every day working alongside roadways or at intersections. Whether it be resurfacing roads, traffic control, cutting brush, mowing in a tractor, sweeping roadways, or just picking up trash in ditches. We all have families we want to go home to every night, so I would please urge people to be aware of workers along roadways. Drive slowly and take your time going through work zones and around pieces of equipment.
What is one of your favorite memories of your time at Leavenworth County?
One of my favorite memories, an ongoing event that happens every year, is going to the annual noxious weed conference. Here we get to meet people from all the different counties in Kansas and learn a lot of different information about noxious weeds and land management. Going to this event each year helps my boss Alan Phillips and I up to date with the ever-changing practices of integrated pest management. This helps us bring new information back to Leavenworth County residents to assist them with herbicide applications and different practices to control invasive plant species.
How do you like to spend your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife Shelby and son Weston. In the summer, we manage quite a large garden so we can have a stocked pantry with vegetables and sauces throughout the year. We love going on camping trips in the spring and summer. In the fall, we are busy chasing deer, ducks, and geese. In the winter, we sell a lot of firewood to people in the county as well, so there is certainly never a dull moment in our free time!
Ashley Stein, Human Resource GeneralistHuman Resource Office
We are excited to highlight Ashley Stein from our Human Resource Department in this week's employee spotlight. Ashley is our Human Resources Generalist and spends her day serving Leavenworth County employees. She currently drives talent acquisition and works hard to source candidates and fill open roles within the County. Many employees have commented how Ashley has welcomed them with a smile and kind spirit. Ashley provides invaluable support for her entire team and is always open to learning and assisting wherever needed.
Ashley, tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Leavenworth and attended Pittsburg State University. After graduation, I worked in Kansas City, Mo, then moved to Melbourne, Florida. I came back to Kansas in 2020 and recently completed my first year with Leavenworth County. It has been a great first year working back in my hometown and being so close to family and friends again.
The Human Resource department is somewhat a behind the scene department unless you are an employee of the County. What does a typical day as an HR Generalist look like?
I may start off a day with new hire orientations, essentially welcoming a new employee to Leavenworth County and explaining options to participate in for our county benefits (i.e., health insurance, life insurance, and amenities) policies and procedures, going into uploading the employees in our HR and Payroll system. I also process all personnel action forms for the County, new hires, classification changes, terminations, etc. I am responsible for posting job vacancies for each county department, organizing, and filtering applications, and facilitating to each department head. HR is ever-changing, which is a characteristic I greatly enjoy, as my day is never monotonous.
What is your favorite part about your job?
I definitely enjoy meeting and interacting with all of our new hires and employees. It's important to me that each employee is welcomed and receives all the information they need to help have a successful career with the County.
What is one of your favorite parts about Leavenworth County as a place to live and work?
Leavenworth County is a great place to live as the location allows me close access to the larger parts of Kansas City without having to give up being close to my family and friends. I love my job and the people I work with, and I understand how fortunate I am to have and be surrounded by an awesome group of ladies who support and mentor each other.
How do you enjoy spending your free time?
I love spending as much time as possible with my niece and nephew, working outside, and traveling every chance I get back to Florida.
Tom Cole, Economic Development Administrator
Economic Development Department
To round out our September Employee Spotlights, we are excited to feature Tom Cole, our Economic Development Administrator. Tom brings the experience of working in both the public and private sectors to Leavenworth County.
Let's take a moment to learn more about Mr. Cole and his role in bringing more economic development to Leavenworth County.
Tom, tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I grew up in Northwest Missouri and moved to the Kansas City area in 1996, this has always been home. Throughout my career as an economic developer, I've had an opportunity to work with thousands of businesses relative to small business concerns as well as very large expansions and relocations. I've also served as a real estate developer, housing developer, general contractor, and city administrator, which is a bit unique for an economic development practitioner. Such roles have allowed me to understand the private side of development as well as the regulatory roles government plays. I truly believe my purview is at the intersection of free enterprise and public policy; mutual understanding is the key to successful projects.
What is the role of the Economic Development Administrator?
The BOCC created the position to work with the Cities within the County and our economic development partners, including the Leavenworth County Development Corporation and the Port Authority. Our goal is to enhance the local economy by attracting, retaining, and fostering growth in businesses throughout the County. My primary focus is to provide support to our community partners while also working with local firms relative to any concerns or assistance they may need to bolster their success.
What do you most enjoy about your role in economic development?
The diversity and variation of project types is very enjoyable as each day offers different challenges and opportunities. Some projects or customers require massive infrastructure improvements and regulatory assistance, while others may simply need some guidance on drafting a business plan for an upcoming small business launch. Regardless of size or scope, I'm here to assist businesses in realizing their goals.
Favorite quote?
"Stress should be reserved for tragedy, everything else is simply a puzzle we get to assemble together." –KJ Hrabe
Leavenworth County Health Department
SAVE THE DATES - November 7th or 8th
The Health Department has again been approved to partner with Health Gauge (formally Stroke Detection Plus) to offer a comprehensive health screening to any county employee and spouses currently covered on County’s health insurance plan this year.
This health screening is much more than a “physical” scheduled with your primary Health Provider. The flier attached below explains what assessments will be performed. This screening is conducted by an independent company, free of charge. Even though the Health Department/County is sponsoring this screening, the County will not receive any personal testing results or information. The entire process is anticipated to last 30-45min or less, with last prior years averaging about 30 min. We plan to offer Flu shots (if available) free of charge in conjunction with the health assessment. As the health assessment or the flu shot may be administered independently, both are highly encouraged and recommended.
Dates: November 7th or 8th
Times: Appointments starting at 6:45 AM
Location: Health Department
The scheduling of appointments will begin in October. For now, save the dates. Choose the date that will work for you, and further information will be provided in October.
Leavenworth County Emergency Medical Services
Malcolm Brown joined Leavenworth County EMS on August 17th. Malcolm retired from a neighboring service this past summer, and he decided to bring his talents and experience to our service. Welcome aboard Malcolm!
Mary McMullen came to our office as an intern and was recently promoted to Assistant County Attorney. Mary is originally from Yelm, Washington, and received her undergraduate degrees in Economics and Finance from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington as a first-generation college student. Mary relocated to Kansas in 2014 and attended law school as a nontraditional student at The University of Kansas School of Law.
During her time at KU Law, Mary received the Mary Ann Chambers Service Award, which is awarded to the student who best demonstrates dedication to professionalism while representing the disadvantaged and devotion to the community through public service. Mary also received the pro bono distinction honor by performing over 100 hours of pro bono legal aid during her time as a law student.
Mary is the mother of three children at the ages 5, 1, and 2 months when she began law school. Mary’s husband actively serves in the U.S. Army and has served in two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Scam Alert:
We are asking if anyone receives a claim that someone they know is arrested, hang up and do their own appropriate investigation. The first person to call is the person they claim has been arrested, and then go from there.
Further: do not give out any financial information or personal information unless it’s a trusted resource.
This month Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson, along with Sheriff Andy Dedeke met with Rep. Jake LaTurner in a round table discussion on ways to combat the opioid and fentanyl crisis. 
Todd Thompson along with Christopher Lyon, Assistant County Attorney, further met with Sharice Davids, Former Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, and others to learn more about starting a Veterans Treatment Court in Leavenworth County. 
Pictured Left to Right: Todd Thompson, Sharice Davids, Jeff Pittman
Vehicle renewals for customers with the last name starting with "P", "Q", and "R" will be due by September 30th.
- Taxpayers may renew their vehicles up to 60 days in advance of their renewal deadline.
- 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.
| Requires a Building Permit: | Does Not Require a Building Permit: |
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Traditional building permit applications can be found in the document center or can obtained in-person from our office. Completed application packets can be submitted in-person, emailed to us at PZ@LeavenworthCounty.gov, or submitted online using this link.
Additional Information:
- Before beginning construction, please contact Kansas811 to determine where underground utilities are located on your property.
- When a parcel requires an entrance and is not being obtained at the same time as a Single Family Residence, an Entrance Permit Application will need to be submitted. More information about entrance permits can be found here.
- In order to submit a building permit packet, the applicant will need to be on the deed of the property. If someone other than the owner of the property is submitting a building permit packet, an Owner Authorization form will need to be submitted with the packet. Owner Authorization forms can be found in the Document Center.
NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OFFICE - September 2022
This issue is dedicated to all the companies and organizations that have partnered with the Register of Deeds office and help spread the word of our free Property Fraud Alert notification. Their community service has helped reach many more people than we could from our office. We appreciate your partnership!
Our Thanks to Young Sign Company
As a public service, Young Sign Company has generously provided space on their sign to help share the opportunity for citizens to subscribe for FREE to our Property Fraud Alert notification system.
Our heartfelt thanks to Ann Hoins and her staff for creating the screen and providing the view time at no expense to the County.
Our Thanks to our newest partners Citizens Federal Savings Bank and Leavenworth/Lansing Chamber of Commerce
Citizens Federal Savings Bank added the Property Fraud Alert notice to their website, and the Chamber of Commerce has included our information in their Community Newsletters. 
Also making our information available at their business or organization are many banks, title companies, realtors, libraries, and service organizations. We appreciate your help!
Our Scanning Project Begins the End of September
After saving our funds since January 2021, we will finally begin to scan our old deed books and digitally enhance our old microfilm. Clearer, legible copies will make research more accurate and easier to access. Before the end of 2022, we will be done with microfilm research!
The process of indexing will be ongoing for years, however, documents back to 1972 will be completely indexed giving 50 years of unencumbered research to title companies, banks, and individual genealogy enthusiasts. Also, digital images back to sovereignty will be available online. To see a four-minute interview of the scanning project go to video.
Sharing the FREE Property Fraud Alert from Register of Deeds
Recent Events: August 23rd – Chamber of Commerce Women’s Division
Upcoming: Lansing VFW
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 me. I would be happy to share a program on Register of Deeds services with your group.
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 conveying your property ownership. We have forms you may print off for free on our website.
For more information or to subscribe to Property Fraud Alert, call the Register of Deeds at 913.684.0424 or email tmashburn@leavenworthcounty.gov.
They have been making mulch at the Leavenworth County Transfer Station. It took several hours for this monstrous machine to get all the limbs chewed up, but there is now a big pile of mulch while it lasts. If you want mulch, you’ll wait in line and come on the scale – let the attendant know what you want. The mulch is free if you want to load it by hand (bring a shovel) and $10 if you would like to have it loaded for you – up to 3 scoops with our backhoe.
20.2 million American adults (about 1 in 10) have a substance use disorder. In addition, 43.6 million (about 1 in 5) have a mental health problem. Nearly 8 million of these individuals suffer from co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Tragically, people with these disorders are more likely to be incarcerated than treated and 65% of all US inmates have a substance use disorder.
Community Corrections is observing National Recovery Month during September. Recovery Month is held every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life.
Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those in recovery, just as we celebrate health improvements made by those who are managing other health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. This observance reinforces the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover.
There are millions of Americans whose lives have been transformed through recovery. Since these successes often go unnoticed by the broader population, Recovery Month provides a vehicle for everyone to celebrate these accomplishments. Each September, tens of thousands of prevention, treatment, and recovery programs and facilities around the country celebrate Recovery Month. They speak about strides made by those in recovery and share their success stories with their neighbors, friends, and colleagues. In doing so, everyone helps to increase awareness and foster a greater understanding of mental and substance use disorders.
This year's theme is "Every Person. Every Family. Every Community." The 2022 Recovery Month observance will work to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices such as drug courts, the emergence of a strong and proud recovery community, and the dedication of service providers and community members across the nation who make recovery in all its forms possible.
Recovery Month will continue to educate others about substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders, the effectiveness of treatment and recovery services, and that recovery is possible. All of us, from celebrities and sports figures to our co-workers, neighbors, friends, and family members, throughout our lives have experienced peaks and valleys, both big and small. But with strength, support, and hope from the people we love, we are resilient.
For more information visit NAADAC and NADCP.PROJECT STATUS UPDATE LIST
The “projects update” list has been updated online. The public may view this information here.
Closing Roads for Maintenance
Public Works will close a road while performing maintenance on or near the roadway. A “road closed” sign will be placed at the nearest major intersections. All roads will remain open only to residential & emergency vehicles. Residents should be able to access their driveways and mailboxes. However, a detour may be required.
The Road and Bridge Department does its best to reopen any closed road before the end of the work day. However, there may be times that that is not possible. We appreciate your patience as we work in your area.
Follow Leavenworth County on Facebook for updates and road closures, or please visit our webpage at www.leavenworthcounty.gov.
Fleet Operations
Leavenworth County has a variety of departments that play different roles in making this organization work. Though most of our departments are public-facing, others like our Fleet Operations Department are internal. Our Fleet Department is responsible for the maintenance and repair of all County vehicles and equipment, including all of our law enforcement vehicles.
We appreciate each of you! 
From left to right are Scott Bannister, Kenneth Hill, Paul Wagner, Kodi Vossmer, Zach Evans, Alan Arevalo, and John “Rico” Williams.
Building and Grounds
With summer months ending soon, we’re gearing up for cooler temps and changes that come along with them. Lawn fertilizing has commenced with spraying of the crabgrass - hence the camouflaged look - along with storing of spring and summer equipment. Our maintenance staff will be prepping the mowers and blowers for leaves, and eventually the dreaded S-N-O-W.
General issues and repairs that have come up are: Courthouse air handler maintenance, generator failure at the Justice Center, along with the cleaning of boilers and filter changes. In the next few years, we’ll need to start replacing the boiler system at the JC. To better accommodate staff in Human Resources, a new office was created using existing space. B&G has had to replace a hot water tank and an A/C fan for an EMS station. Two A/C units were replaced at the Health Dept, along with an A/C fan unit. The current Council on Aging building was sold and the new owner has dropped mowing services, which our department has taken over.
Cushing update: We will begin working with KDOT Transit for additional parking. This involves meeting with civil engineering firms to select a construction company. This will be paid for by a grant obtained by Council on Aging, Public Works and B&G. Security cameras and key card readers have been wired in to completed areas. Exterior signage is being removed. B&G will be working with noxious weeds regarding safely removing trees, as a limb fell onto a neighboring property that damaged a fence.
Please continue to report maintenance concerns to maintenance@leavenworthcounty.gov.
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.
