[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6531539,"mediaKeyId","3526818-8bebae4a6798473cb2145add0d20e5a1","parentId",3526818,"title","Resident questions progress, city accountability for delayed Silverback Landing development","audioSeconds",1203,"startMs",1449000,"endMs",2652000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3526818-8bebae4a6798473cb2145add0d20e5a1&start=1449&end=2652","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3526818-8bebae4a6798473cb2145add0d20e5a1/thumbnail_1449000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6531539/Pittsburg/Crawford-County/Kansas/Resident-questions-progress-city-accountability-for-delayed-Silverback-Landing-development","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531539-70ce4e0cd93c4cd84d3ffefd2a109d10/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161181&Signature=cnKPMFrDqt6m2ow2r1KF9HpnRA8YUuEfbkxvd5fEMcV7KaG-TEPY~AntaUbjyYBGmyDfcacsuqbAdIQ6KkhOUUk5TEw8rCs8aAaLHtOpFpW52D3DZEk04XMdzpAGp4D8SrVMAZtO1jaLh8mJ9zQsFtCl56p5pLgMmGENn65Mk6bKXkh-iqcraGadoFFtkHVtI9D2NSGo0dNoTbSnbNr-MU8QPkGu44T8NfPOU6q3QKmM6bht~lX4Qubcv8-WNYYK0UrAbZnAqW977IdGm2TETxAO3XU03tw25V9AiFdLP15wsf4H2sLichuRLzLA0ZGt5e45bxOTF5Z4ykf5bet0XA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Pittsburg, KS","date","2025-05-27T19:21:51Z","article","During public comment at the Pittsburg City Commission meeting on May 27, resident Christie Bittner urged commissioners to explain why the Silverback Landing housing development has not progressed as promised since its 2018 approval.

Bittner told the commission the developer had promised 50 to 60 homes within three to five years after approval; as of May 2025, she said only 23 homes had been built. She asked for the total taxpayer dollars invested in the project and noted a $2 million capital-outlay line item in the city's plan for a redesign of Hampton Road. \"What is the total taxpayer dollars on this project? ... Where is the accountability to the citizens of Pittsburg?\" she asked.

City staff responded that the city built Silverback Way, the road serving the existing 23 homes, and that the developer repaid a loan to the city a couple of years ago. Staff said the developer has sold another lot and is building houses at a slow, largely custom pace — \"one or two at a time\" — and that reimbursements the city offered are disbursed from property-tax revenue when the developer completes the phase-1 work; because phase 1 is unfinished, the payment has not been dispensed. Staff described phase 1 as the 50-to-60-home segment Bittner referenced, but also noted the development plat submitted earlier had 40 lots, creating some inconsistency in how the numbers have been described.

Officials acknowledged residents' frustrations and said the city has open code-enforcement cases and is working with the developer on outstanding issues. Staff told commissioners they were being lenient on some maintenance enforcement due to weather but are pursuing outstanding cases. One commissioner noted the city has no outstanding loan balance from the developer.

The exchange included several clarifications from staff about the reimbursement mechanism and the city's role: the city said it had no money currently tied up in the project (the developer repaid the loan), that the city's leverage to require completion is limited to the terms of the incentive agreement (reimbursement tied to completed work), and that code-enforcement cases remain open and are being addressed.

No formal action related to Silverback Landing was taken at the meeting; the item was raised during public comment and followed by staff responses and commissioner questions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Commission Meeting - 5-27-2025","oneSentenceSummary","A resident told the commission that the Silverback Landing development, approved in 2018, has fallen far behind the developer's timeline; city staff said the developer repaid the city's loan, 23 homes are occupied, reimbursements are tied to completed phase work and open code-enforcement cases remain.","taxTitle","Pittsburg, Crawford County, Kansas","taxId",55171,"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},6531543,"Pittsburg highlights Pathways to Hope program; 68 court referrals since September 2023",238,1175000,1413000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3526818-8bebae4a6798473cb2145add0d20e5a1&start=1175&end=1413","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3526818-8bebae4a6798473cb2145add0d20e5a1/thumbnail_1175000.jpg","/articles/6531543/Pittsburg/Crawford-County/Kansas/Pittsburg-highlights-Pathways-to-Hope-program-68-court-referrals-since-September-2023","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531543-b24e236eeaca79ae11384eb9ad4d9705/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161181&Signature=dt6zZ8HhzotOIuThsz2HWqmDSuaxj9-bTo0SdKAfnN-L-0~fbh5dUL7daR-PrQ5HbSbQRtAFCzY91p-LtgfelzR4Q1zYGTZmCDRs0kvQUeTUHQP6wO~eVblcloCSLoba2kQCxzOcHxXlwnQ5swVUPu92Yl2En-tjiQRaJLzB0x7QTxqboy7rK27jgNPEX3eIfApv~7davBqd9QBCznqC8gO0Min0-Jmpx3MvMEWaSf77dE8BvK4T~QFYlzvFC4eHJxbPz4CxeB~W5kRoC8-qvKF6cg-ry8dvnAGPoUcdfS3FOW-dck~TPi~3WvwUjqZuXGhWm1US1o9iWZ4GxFgAPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Pittsburg City Commission meeting on May 27, city and partner staff described a municipal-court-linked program called Pittsburg Pathways to Hope that connects people who are unsheltered to medical and mental-health care, identification documents, employment help and housing referrals.

The program, launched in September 2023, was presented to the commission as a collaboration among the municipal court, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas and Crawford County Mental Health. According to remarks in the meeting record, 68 clients had been referred to the program through May 2025; 43 of the 68 (63 percent) had remained engaged with the agencies they were referred to, and 42 percent of the 68 had successfully completed the program and had their cases dismissed.

A presenter told the commission the program focuses first on addressing immediate needs — medical and mental-health care and obtaining identification documents such as birth certificates, which staff said are necessary to obtain an ID and pursue employment — and then works toward employment and housing. \"We help these people get to their medical needs, mental health needs, get an ID...and then after we get those few things done, we work on trying to find them employment. And the last element is housing,\" the presenter said.

The meeting record notes individual success stories: one person connected to services is now employed in Joplin at a program that assists similar clients, and others have been housed or employed with help from Catholic Charities and other partners. Commissioners were told that, when referred defendants successfully complete the program, the prosecutor has authority to dismiss the case.

Speakers identified in the meeting included John Mazurek (who introduced the program), representatives from Crawford County Mental Health and the Community Health Center, and commissioners who thanked the partners and noted the work had been a collaborative effort.","City officials and health partners described 'Pittsburg Pathways to Hope,' a program launched in September 2023 to connect people experiencing homelessness and behavioral-health issues to IDs, medical and mental-health care, employment and housing; 68 people have been referred and 42% completed the program and had their cases dismissed.",{"_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},6531547,"Pittsburg approves FAA grant package, awards $2.06 million airport construction contract",42,2201000,2243000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3526818-8bebae4a6798473cb2145add0d20e5a1&start=2201&end=2243","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3526818-8bebae4a6798473cb2145add0d20e5a1/thumbnail_2201000.jpg","/articles/6531547/Pittsburg/Crawford-County/Kansas/Pittsburg-approves-FAA-grant-package-awards-206-million-airport-construction-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6531547-3f0b0423dc6e41fed129d423605b9e73/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161181&Signature=d~scGQGGp4hILElOHAR37RneQkSvVuumlUk3~nHN6V6ta~6yvYx~EeaiePBS50YbJOOo0xRcZkmkBh7Sr-mIDaPoRtjaohJFrZcgR6ia3rkgOi~5BIOG0egYPoJs6p0bwIiwhCbzeU5jgZ43HBBehqrUNMqrIYR-i4c-v14XYsBebl08FywucBgI03tse37TFO66tShF739UC8rWxCC95QzVfV1O5ta9XoN9wbV7BWRPl0wcmziMaEE6-RXOOpeXhq6h5sEWmaQGNGaKMtxZ6c~4rSvajOmCqEdBmHN2YZ3R8thma5GJK-3F-gBbq0dgsvddrkUQbeF7Cb9mA7HkIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pittsburg commissioners on May 27 approved applying for an FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant and took several linked votes to move forward with taxiway and connector improvements at Atkinson Municipal Airport, including awarding a $2,056,701.12 construction contract to Emory SAP & Sons Inc.

The package before the commission covers a project with a total cost of about $2,331,000. Commissioners were told the FAA will fund $2,215,000 (roughly 95 percent) and the city's share will be about $116,579. The commission voted to accept the forthcoming FAA grant offer, award the base bid plus alternate 1 and alternate 2 to Emory SAP & Sons Inc (pending FAA concurrence), approve an amendment with Olson, Inc. for construction-phase and closeout services for $217,400, and approve utility-relocation agreements with Cox Communications Kansas LLC and Evergy Kansas Central, Inc. All votes carried as moved on the May 27 consent/discussion agenda.

City staff and the airport's design consultant, Brian Coombs of Olson, described the work as reconstruction and connection of a partial parallel taxiway to Runway 4-22, renovation of pavement serving the city hangar (an alternate intended to allow future hangar expansion) and a preservation sealcoat on a separate taxiway. Coombs said a third alternate — replacement of a concrete area not open for public use — was ineligible for federal funds and is not recommended for award because it would be 100 percent a local cost.

Coombs explained the city had previously received a design-phase grant and that the current actions continue that project. He told commissioners the bids had initially exceeded available federal funds but that the FAA agreed to allocate additional state apportionment — transfers from other airports' unused funds — amounting to roughly $800,000, which allowed the FAA to cover the entire 95 percent share for this fiscal year. \"They are bringing to bear all of that $2,215,000 in this fiscal year,\" Coombs said, describing the FAA letter the city received after the recommendation of award was written.

Commissioners asked about the fully local third alternate and whether the city could defer it. Olson's representative said postponing that work would require additional patching and preservation in the near term but that local asphalt maintenance could keep the pavement serviceable until a later reconstruction.

Motions were recorded as follows in the meeting transcript: the motion to apply for the grant was moved by Chuck (seconded by Cheryl); the construction contract award was moved by Ron (seconded by Cheryl); the Olson amendment was moved by Cheryl (seconded by Chuck); the Cox and Evergy utility-relocation agreements were moved and seconded during the same segment. All motions carried on voice votes.

The actions approved at the meeting authorize staff and the city attorney to accept and sign the FAA grant offer once issued, proceed with the awarded construction contract pending FAA concurrence, and implement the consulting and utility-relocation agreements needed to complete construction once grant funding is in place.","Pittsburg commissioners authorized application for an FAA Airport Improvement Program grant, awarded a $2,056,701.12 construction contract and approved related consulting and utility agreements for improvements at Atkinson Municipal Airport; federal funds will cover about 95% of the $2.33 million project.","actionData","errors"]

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Resident questions progress, city accountability for delayed Silverback Landing development

Pittsburg highlights Pathways to Hope program; 68 court referrals since September 2023

Pittsburg approves FAA grant package, awards $2.06 million airport construction contract