[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6229502,"mediaKeyId","3461701-f0abf1eb80d5e75cfe0d46c42e583790","parentId",3461701,"title","Planning director trims professional services but keeps funds for comp‑plan work, publishing and floodplain engineering","audioSeconds",416,"startMs",2933000,"endMs",3349000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3461701-f0abf1eb80d5e75cfe0d46c42e583790&start=2933&end=3349","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3461701-f0abf1eb80d5e75cfe0d46c42e583790/thumbnail_2933000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6229502/Miami-County/Kansas/Planning-director-trims-professional-services-but-keeps-funds-for-compplan-work-publishing-and-floodplain-engineering","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229502-a9b56bdb42148340210b7f52efcd8584/orig.mp4?Expires=1775232967&Signature=lLuZ3kPYSInlOc70SwZaSIYs8PIlv2LQrhr2~5jtKWnDxAPs0IfVDjly3p1IdoK0qmapAXUjySX6d1yQjno1FzBd5fsEZ0QpOOxtg7WYEbbyrys3JN6h6vznniZsd~r2YcIc-jg1s8jIFJXsBk7kZYAoWKY1~I31USy8p8x5mBuGQ14mwqOEa-eovBZCCfMZCfyq4i231OqdZtFDP9t-kQzWyRfz-4cB9ClAg59~LBxcutg87cxGTVBgKMrj1QNCauvMPtSbiyEWbYjGRE5ZlZgDi2Y~~E0dCwTlka6rvInO8GcQfRIzVZ7QskFxFLUvj3rUoLJqxn~pKVeETt0WlA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Miami County,KS","date","2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","article","Kenny Cook, Miami County planning director, told commissioners he kept the planning and zoning budget largely flat while reducing one‑time professional services and reassigning software costs to ongoing maintenance.

Cook said the larger change was a reduction in the professional‑services line after comp‑plan work and a shift of most remaining software implementation costs into a one‑time item this year. \"I ended up taking that one down by about, 32,000,\" Cook said, leaving roughly $50,000 in professional‑services funding to cover future regulatory updates, unique code issues and adoption publishing costs.

Cook told the board he retained maintenance money for potential engineering assistance on any substantial floodplain projects, noting those projects can require outside technical advice. He also described an ongoing software project with a projected annual maintenance cost of roughly $10,015 after the implementation phase.

Cook said he adjusted some smaller line items to reflect increased inspection travel and vehicle maintenance for a planning vehicle showing age‑related repairs; that increase included an adjustment for higher deductibles. He also told commissioners he had been conservative on revenue projections (budgeting $20,000) despite actuals running higher in recent years, citing the growth‑dependent nature of planning revenue.

Commissioners asked about staffing and whether revenue assumptions were conservative; Cook said he wanted to avoid overstating revenue in a downturn while noting the office has seen higher fees in the past two years and will continue tracking fee schedules under the recent fee changes.

Ending: The board had no objections to Cook’s approach and thanked him for the presentation; Cook said he will continue work on the comp plan, regulatory updates and software rollout and will bring additional information on any major regulatory or floodplain projects that require outside expertise.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Miami County Budget Workshop PM - May 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Kenny Cook, planning director, presented a generally steady budget with reductions to one‑time software and comp‑plan line items, while retaining funding for publishing adoptions, potential engineering help on floodplain work and anticipated annual maintenance for permitting software.","taxTitle","Miami County, Kansas","taxId",5704,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6229507,"County appraiser seeks tech and vehicle funding and flags state personal‑property exemption changes",1175,3365000,4540000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3461701-f0abf1eb80d5e75cfe0d46c42e583790&start=3365&end=4540","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3461701-f0abf1eb80d5e75cfe0d46c42e583790/thumbnail_3365000.jpg","/articles/6229507/Miami-County/Kansas/County-appraiser-seeks-tech-and-vehicle-funding-and-flags-state-personalproperty-exemption-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229507-2ecce6bc3e31c96ac97e5e68136bcbd0/orig.mp4?Expires=1775232967&Signature=k3c6h88sy03q2MGA1rp2TCGS6lu6kE7r8gkFDhk71usCYw7gl1CAi862A33jnnn1v80Lbh2MOKue34uK7Y7G9DRpG~RGiEbOz4YSH5y6NOIYf96d4nezzZzknmdAoT707UOH9hTBpbY~QPNCVdnNM-EBIRPSZpeyMOPu0k78GxG5UuRm5ge99W8Ci2T-aeKkna3W36FWt4PP3pICZuH0uVX0Lc8m76NVTY41nwZ5ykcsP7iEtCAz1Z7qObh7cxlcj0THdV53Coc71SfsfYLw9aI2oj7TTUI809~1CLK~dwKqtNZL0NxU60IbU7x-jf5w7V1~MhPwhiYlhVjdyklw7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sandra Lucas, Miami County county appraiser, presented the reappraisal and appraisal office budgets and highlighted several operational needs and an impending state statutory change affecting personal property taxation.

Lucas said the office must upgrade aging desktop computers (some machines \"shut off several times a week\") and that she plans to fund replacements from the county tech fund if the general fund cannot cover them. She asked to begin earmarking transfer money into a reserve for future vehicle and capital replacements, noting the appraisal office currently operates five vehicles and is planning to reduce to four through shared use.

On mapping and public access Lucas proposed upgrading the county’s Snyder/Beacon package to a “basic” tier that would add back‑end tools and mapping features the appraiser’s office lacks, and she said the first‑year implementation cost would raise line items modestly but could enable subscription or advertising revenue later. Lucas also defended continued use of EagleView aerial imagery for measurements and said she will explore whether flying every two years would be cost‑effective compared with the current three‑year flight schedule.

Lucas raised concern about recent state legislation that she said exempts certain personal‑property categories (examples discussed in the workshop included UTVs, boats and small trailers) but appears to require a taxpayer application to the state Board of Tax Appeals (BOTA) for the exemption. \"The way the statute reads right now is, the state says that these items … are gonna be tax exempt, but the statute also calls out that they have to come in, fill out an application that we would send to Board of Tax Appeals,\" Lucas said. She told the board the county had not yet received state guidance and warned that the change could reduce county personal‑property revenue while increasing the county’s administrative workload.

Lucas said postage and envelope costs have risen and that she had added modest increases for training and reinspection work because the office has new staff. She also noted that some personal property valuations (aircraft, large commercial trucks) remain handled through state formulas or state responses.

Ending: Commissioners asked Lucas to provide detailed vehicle replacement and tech‑fund plans; they asked staff to monitor state guidance on the personal‑property exemption and consider legislative outreach if the statutory language creates undue administrative burden on the county.","Miami County Appraiser Sandra Lucas outlined requests for computer upgrades, vehicle replacement planning and an EagleView subscription enhancement; she raised concerns about a new state personal‑property exemption that may increase Board of Tax Appeals workload while reducing local revenue.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6229512,"Miami County attorney outlines budget, diversion fee changes and higher expert witness and IT costs",701,295000,996000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3461701-f0abf1eb80d5e75cfe0d46c42e583790&start=295&end=996","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3461701-f0abf1eb80d5e75cfe0d46c42e583790/thumbnail_295000.jpg","/articles/6229512/Miami-County/Kansas/Miami-County-attorney-outlines-budget-diversion-fee-changes-and-higher-expert-witness-and-IT-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229512-eb691e4785ced0331d222d2f03d81c3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775232967&Signature=QEO9hYX1BRA~xPgCXZvzJ3ZDp7OPPbfa3Z5j2Naz~4GRf-YVzWYykv5JNBJvhV84JTnbkXzAdFl70Oc9xAniSFHP5GHprbK2dN7hGJdzm50sopHIs2hHibo91AHDeesFHFD0bFQKxHZO9Uu78SwkN0BBoy0IsdG7duJpFTEto~PiWwL9y7YG~vI0aewlQhdoYyFczMXDuxLHI9-d31QPEfhph1OyEVF~6t22Nc3uEiGrt9tgbXgfFnEQiYrnbtfxS5NlL6bnLgh-FnKoEuHtZKChqS-DSf3cVXTsKGchRy0aJDkpS5vu3nWRBgDIp8OsOj5mwbdvPNN5RDmJYjwGqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kent Harding, Miami County attorney, presented his first departmental budget to the Board of County Commissioners and highlighted several revenue and expense items that could affect county finances.

Harding said he altered few line items but flagged three issues he expects will affect costs going forward: diversion program revenue, increased expert witness needs, and IT costs tied to a new managed‑service provider and potential cloud migration.

On diversion fees Harding told commissioners he initially budgeted $20,000 but now expects collections to be higher, citing about $9,000 collected by May and projecting \"27 to 30,000 in diversion fees\" for the year and suggesting a longer‑term ceiling of “30 to 40,000.” Harding described an operational change intended to reduce loss: \"Since I've taken over, I've changed that policy to where we get paid in full upfront on all diversions before a diversion is offered. So we should have 0 slippage in terms of what I bring and what I don't.\" He noted, however, that diversion revenue depends on the caseload mix and that higher fees typically come from lower‑level felonies and higher‑level misdemeanors rather than traffic citations.

Harding also requested an increase in the office’s expert witness fund from $2,000 to $5,000 (and said even $5,000 may be insufficient for some witnesses). He noted recent experience in which an opposing expert charged a $3,500 retainer plus hourly fees, and he told the board he has already considered needing experts in three or four cases.

On prosecution costs Harding described several active and recently inherited cases, including an animal‑related prosecution and a boarding‑related case where he expects the county’s exposure to be resolved within weeks. He also said his office has handled homicide‑level matters and a juvenile prosecution that could reach a June 9 determination. Harding said he will request assistance from the Kansas attorney general’s office only if he is conflicted or if a case exceeds the office’s capacity.

Harding reported an IT vendor change from a lower‑cost firm (referred to as “Purple Guys”) to a more expensive managed‑service vendor, NetStandard, which he said provides better service. He also warned the board that a future decision about moving from server‑based storage to cloud storage could create additional costs in 2027: \"we may very well be removing the server that's currently storing all of our stuff, and so that may that may be its own cost in 2027.\" He asked for a modest increase in his food budget to fund working lunches with law enforcement to improve coordination.

Commissioners asked questions about staffing and personnel costs; Harding said his office is fully staffed now and that prior years’ lower personnel actuals reflected vacancies. Commissioners did not adopt any changes at the meeting; Harding answered questions and asked to return if additional details were requested.

Ending: The board heard Harding’s budget presentation and instructed staff to continue reviewing anticipated diversion revenue, expert witness needs, and potential future IT/cloud costs so those items can be considered in the county’s overall budget process.","County Attorney Kent Harding presented his first budget, described expectations for diversion fee revenue after policy changes, requested higher expert witness funds, and flagged potential IT/cloud costs and special prosecution expenses.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6229517,"Miami County commissioners discuss finances, upgrades and potential transfer of three small sewer systems",1635,1295000,2930000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3461701-f0abf1eb80d5e75cfe0d46c42e583790&start=1295&end=2930","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3461701-f0abf1eb80d5e75cfe0d46c42e583790/thumbnail_1295000.jpg","/articles/6229517/Miami-County/Kansas/Miami-County-commissioners-discuss-finances-upgrades-and-potential-transfer-of-three-small-sewer-systems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229517-a203e184ee356451ab421d83da6bb796/orig.mp4?Expires=1775232967&Signature=hO9gutm6KU2OTmN9dY0yFRQKvVhORF~L1YqWKDFjWnNCaX04URzIxvdIHzR-8B~2HrYpRN5mlgVB8hDFrpdFfk1cSrEocDj~FlyDkNX40JLR6eOr3qZsDgzuEQAgTidQg~QrKV84KOwofO6qAzQdBJSHslynE27VVjxqm0IinzfZOQJuz1HwR~ka3lu6JW-TjARrzOh7qeF6ipIcrTjARwRaK9EPl3DW5sYwChsXq-EOrUAkd-Wv1Z-6JJYLB5X8U471LAJ~cwIAWs-GrGJASpoY6VsE4SmwduOaHBjsGVYPURhYU3~AhP45mcL-edTroSf2pNdIfGetUo5F6rpQ8A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Miami County commissioners spent the largest portion of a budget workshop reviewing three small county-managed sewer systems and options to avoid long-term subsidy.

The discussion focused on Club Estates, Bucyrus and Walnut Creek sewer plants, their operating costs, customer bases and possible paths including fee increases, developer connections and a potential sale or transfer to the City of Spring Hill.

County Code Services Director Jason Ledbetter summarized plant operations and maintenance needs, saying the county \"take[s] care of the weekly, daily operations of those plants\" and that plants are aging and “start taking a little more tender loving care to keep them running properly.” Ledbetter said Club Estates serves roughly 37 households and that he estimates the system’s annual expenses at about $18,000, which equates to roughly $45–$47 per household per month under current assessments. For Walnut Creek, staff estimated fees in the same general range and said the system had become more efficient after recent process reconfigurations.

Commissioners pressed staff for options to reduce county subsidy, including gradual fee increases. Commissioner Lucas asked staff to prepare scenarios for 10%, 15% and 20% increases and how those would affect individual assessments. Commissioner comments repeatedly pushed for incremental rate adjustments rather than a single large jump: \"I would look at it in 5 or 10% increments myself,\" one commissioner said.

Staff and commissioners also discussed development as a possible long‑term solution for Club Estates. Ledbetter said the “best thing” for the Club Estates system would be redevelopment of the adjacent former golf course and a tie-in to a nearby lift station; that, he said, would allow the county plant to be retired. Commissioners said that development would require both sewer connection work and road/culvert improvements and suggested potential negotiations with developers or the city that could trade infrastructure work for transfer of the plant.

The board and staff also discussed Spring Hill’s potential role. County staff reported conversations with Spring Hill officials and their city attorney about a prospective transfer and noted USDA reviewers are evaluating the county’s bid package for a related project; the USDA review could clear the project to be put out to bid. Commissioners asked staff to re‑contact Spring Hill staff (identified in the workshop as “Lane” and “Joe” in discussion) and to update the board on the city attorney’s response and any timeline, with the understanding that a sale or formal agreement would be a governing‑body decision for Spring Hill.

Commissioners flagged long lead‑time and cost risks for Bucyrus, which previously required larger investments and where the county has pursued a piping-to‑Spring Hill alternative. For Walnut Creek commissioners noted the plant had shown improved effluent results after recent operational changes and recommended staff continue adjustments while preparing fee scenarios that would close operating gaps: \"It's worth the conversation to say we're $6 to the bad on it, and maybe add $5 to the fee, or $3 to the fee, whatever it is that gets us whole,\" one commissioner said.

Board members asked staff to return with specific numbers, including historical fee changes, the current fee schedule, the likely resident impact of percentage increases and the systems’ reserve balances and debt schedules. Staff identified one existing note associated with a system that they expect to retire around 2030 and said the county currently makes annual payments on it.

The board did not take any formal vote; commissioners directed staff to prepare financial scenarios and to continue discussions with Spring Hill and USDA so the county can decide whether to bid work or pursue a transfer.

If commissioners decide to raise assessments, staff said they would propose gradual increases and public outreach, noting past public resistance to large, abrupt assessments for small systems. Commissioners indicated a preference to avoid using general‑fund subsidies for ongoing sewer operations.

Ending: The board asked staff to bring back fee scenarios and financing details at a future meeting and to report any response from Spring Hill’s attorney on a possible sale or transfer of affected infrastructure.","Commissioners and county staff reviewed the budgets and operational risks for three county-managed sewer systems — Club Estates, Bucyrus and Walnut Creek — discussed potential fee increases, possible transfer or sale to the city of Spring Hill and USDA bidding for a related project.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning director trims professional services but keeps funds for comp‑plan work, publishing and floodplain engineering

County appraiser seeks tech and vehicle funding and flags state personal‑property exemption changes

Miami County attorney outlines budget, diversion fee changes and higher expert witness and IT costs

Miami County commissioners discuss finances, upgrades and potential transfer of three small sewer systems