[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-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",[32,76,88],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6223743,"mediaKeyId","3564311-89850609049b808aa78414f3691fedfd","parentId",3564311,"title","Douglas County Joins ICMA Economic Mobility Cohort; Staff to Develop Guaranteed-Income Work Plan","audioSeconds",1097,"startMs",4830000,"endMs",5927000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3564311-89850609049b808aa78414f3691fedfd&start=4830&end=5927","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3564311-89850609049b808aa78414f3691fedfd/thumbnail_4830000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6223743/Kansas/Douglas-County-Joins-ICMA-Economic-Mobility-Cohort-Staff-to-Develop-Guaranteed-Income-Work-Plan","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223743-0d2a879b4217c3921569f5b83d393c93/orig.mp4?Expires=1770963763&Signature=ZROLGli3KxebdZTK1uUh-D48zyBIXlOiiiWzsgrnNBAzn9K0QmREzt0~2cP6ic2gagsdexrbwTkX6hZ7QMFK2nMTnOjhEc9a0cipoaIZbkuLrVNIN22cNDIsdwuxp6yL32MpI9pV019NyHxceTliS1ryhkQdFK-Z3588V7SW38eAgoPeFwqgOmf06cHzt4DaULyqa9Qxh6VcfG~tZbPUiTzfJXSynvKHEOZ6BZseclVXnrE5tVn~8ZnVulBlsqbPMo5537FKjlq5R7yfoBiWHX5vR9oDuzRa0dfcJYj-OoMfiJJj9AKZCPejUMhElTe10718jwxVULqS6I8ZSOt0YQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Douglas County, KS","date","2025-05-29T00:38:54Z","article","The Douglas County Commission on May 28 authorized the deputy county administrator to sign a subgrant agreement with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) to participate in an Economic Mobility Community of Practice, a peer-learning cohort funded through the Gates Foundation.

County staff said the $24,000 award will support participation in the cohort and related planning work; no direct county cash match is required, and the county’s contribution will be staff time for meetings, trainings and development of a work plan. Jill (county staff) said the county applied to the cohort to advance priorities already identified in the county’s community health plan — notably work on a guaranteed-income pilot initiative and a childcare scholarship fund — and that the initial work plan is likely to focus on guaranteed income as a proof-of-concept.

“Right now, that does continue to be the strategy that we’ve identified and we’re going to keep working towards and studying,” Jill said, but she also emphasized the county will not implement a cash pilot with these funds and that any program using taxpayer dollars would require separate approvals under state law.

Commissioner Anderson asked about compliance with recent state legislation, House Bill 2101, which requires review if taxpayer dollars would fund a guaranteed-income program. Jill replied that, as currently planned, the cohort grant is private funding for planning and that only programs that use state or local taxpayer funds would trigger the statute’s notification and approval requirements.

Public comment included cautionary remarks. John Imbs, a Lawrence resident, reminded the commission that HB 2101 restricts the use of taxpayer dollars for guaranteed-income programs and noted that previous national pilot evaluations show most guaranteed-income funds are spent on retail purchases rather than housing or health costs. The commission’s motion to authorize the deputy county administrator to sign the subgrant agreement passed 5-0.

Staff described existing local partners on guaranteed-income planning work as including LiveWell Douglas County, the Family Resource Center, United Way of the Kaw Valley and the Children’s Community Center. Jill said the ICMA cohort will provide exposure to other models, technical assistance and peer experience; staff committed to returning with a developed work plan and to share findings with the commission.

Ending: The grant authorization is for planning and peer learning; the county has not committed operational or taxpayer funds to a guaranteed-income pilot. Staff will return with a work plan and bring any proposal that uses local taxpayer funds to the commission for review as required by state law.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Douglas County, KS, Commissioners Meeting on May 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Douglas County Commission on May 28 authorized county staff to join an ICMA Economic Mobility Community of Practice with a $24,000 Gates Foundation-funded subgrant for planning and peer learning on economic mobility strategies including a prospective guaranteed-income pilot.","taxTitle","County Commission, Douglas County, Kansas","taxId",69828,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6223748,"Commissioners Approve Rezoning for Burning Barrel Farm to Allow Separate Homestead Parcel",2033,3653000,5686000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3564311-89850609049b808aa78414f3691fedfd&start=3653&end=5686","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3564311-89850609049b808aa78414f3691fedfd/thumbnail_3653000.jpg","/articles/6223748/Kansas/Commissioners-Approve-Rezoning-for-Burning-Barrel-Farm-to-Allow-Separate-Homestead-Parcel","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223748-94cacd24ecd43baede83760b6352ce55/orig.mp4?Expires=1770963763&Signature=hAigyYRV9~gtbYrT06HX8ojQworAL4HK~MZzRB0lhM9tAGQn6xaTWSzejatltXiPUY9CrnL159txcqRCnyFYbgcK2UdZjIzpycyfq1ouPR73vx4Es7XuSmC~6CDIZ-Nesrxgqj58~YeZ3NvtNyKwATVcMWNIILmy-CPN2GBXiSG4B81k21H1D1r9rj2tJqVbfXkcXnb1-oeTtihKNNOKYAoE807otFiiiICobQeK4EtZzQtI68usFRVJrdly~wQHyKWUDF00FA88dMFqJXgb2tvEZ4RhU6XUA2WlMHJP9qG9Y4l0k5bfZ8GHcT25RPyQmiPJ2TD9ooI~43UkuaN4fw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Douglas County commissioners voted unanimously on May 28 to rezone about 27.6 acres commonly known as the Burning Barrel Farm at 292 North 2100 Road from AG-1 (agricultural) to AG-2 (transitional agricultural), a change that will allow the property owner to split the land and build a separate residence on a minimum 10-acre parcel.

Mary Miller, a city–county planner, told the commission the property is a registered agritourism use that hosts farm-to-table dinners, small events and tours. Miller said the site is about 30 acres and currently operates as a working farm; under AG-1 zoning a land division to create a separate buildable parcel was not feasible without preserving the remainder of the land as nondevelopable farmland.

“They’re requesting rezoning to the AG-2 district so they can divide off 10 acres,” Miller said, describing the certificate-of-survey requirements in the AG-2 district that limit divisions to two parcels and a minimum parcel size of 10 acres. Miller said staff finds the request compatible with nearby parcel sizes and land use and in conformance with the county comprehensive plan because the property is located in an already fragmented area where smaller parcels exist.

An applicant spokesperson described Burning Barrel as an agritourism farm, restaurant and event venue that grows pastured pork, poultry, vegetables and herbs and hosts dinners, private events and educational programming. The applicant told commissioners that building a residence on-site is necessary for intensive daily business operations and for financing and liability reasons. “Allowing our 30-acre parcel to be rezoned and divided would enable us to build a home for our family to live on the farm rather than to commute there,” the applicant said.

Staff noted environmental protections will be part of the required certificate of survey. The county code requires a building envelope to be shown and allows the county to require preservation of up to 40% of environmentally sensitive lands within a land division. Miller said the proposed residence placement would avoid fragmenting the highest-quality soils on the parcel.

Commissioner Millie moved to approve the rezoning request Z-205-0002 and to adopt Resolution 25-24; the motion was seconded and passed 5-0.

Ending: The rezoning permits the applicant to prepare a certificate of survey and proceed with the recorded division and building-permit process consistent with conditions in Resolution 25-24 and county code; no appeals or additional public hearings were scheduled during the meeting.

","The Board of Douglas County Commissioners voted 5-0 to rezone roughly 27.6 acres at 292 North 2100 Road from AG-1 to AG-2, enabling the registered agritourism operation Burning Barrel Farm to divide the parcel and place a residence on a separate ten-acre homestead parcel.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6223753,"Residents and Staff Urge Oversight After Bert Nash Layoffs; Workers Describe Abrupt Terminations",2872,732000,3604000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3564311-89850609049b808aa78414f3691fedfd&start=732&end=3604","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3564311-89850609049b808aa78414f3691fedfd/thumbnail_732000.jpg","/articles/6223753/Kansas/Residents-and-Staff-Urge-Oversight-After-Bert-Nash-Layoffs-Workers-Describe-Abrupt-Terminations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223753-7410036f8e9a62fdaefd4fd86f27a18a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770963763&Signature=eo~Ks8X2zubrCaQxg19d3XbHF9B2I1wsQu5W7~fpqWy6Tyw89B3aJyMgHz5u4G0fHzdOzr0e6TfuZnVzpXhNfZ7-C6imKeZBrj6DvQHj~2jgGH~eM3j-1Qajdw7oYjQ1nkX6KYOEU0Glx0bfKHnvB~Y8vqLTOaN4vureJCHTya2JXkxbksx7RKbhMRAID~~KAOXs9kGjdYHy7AbQM8W350xL6pHMdTRIP9nzUUatN8efFld7BhDI0cJeom~fmHXg0HYQOmYPwF~2~MOVMYKIY3O8-aiGqJMR0pZ5JduRZBfiJYDvDR09staWpqz6-1KpG~b~LsI3uWKr4eq7C3bG9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of current and former employees, union representatives and clients told the Board of Douglas County Commissioners on May 28 that sudden layoffs at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center have disrupted services and left staff and families scrambling.

Speakers at the public-comment portion of the meeting described an agency-wide announcement that resulted in the layoff of 29 staff members on May 23. Staff and union representatives said the layoffs were abrupt, provided little or no notice or severance, and reduced health-insurance coverage to a seven-business-day continuation for many employees.

“Personal vanity projects of leadership have no place here,” said Mike Harold, a supportive housing case manager at Bert Nash, accusing executive leadership of management decisions that contributed to the center’s financial problems. “Employees report ... the EHR not being able to submit billing properly” and “messy implementation of an expensive AI program,” Harold added, describing internal concerns that he said were not addressed before layoffs occurred.

Mikaela Reed, a current Bert Nash case manager, told the commission that the layoffs “will have a devastating impact,” and said employees estimate at least 488 clients were directly affected, including children who “had read it in the paper” and arrived for appointments upset and confused. “We have lost all confidence that the current leadership is fit to properly navigate that damage,” Reed said.

Former and current therapists gave similar accounts of sudden departures and insufficient transition for clients. “In laying off 29 staff ... Bert Nash’s leadership undid my clients’ hard won progress,” said Rachel Bridal, a licensed master social worker and former Bert Nash therapist, who said she gave 30 days’ notice but was told by the agency that she had already left. Several speakers asked the commission to require transparency and accountability before any county funds or bailouts are considered.

Union and organizing representatives asked the commission to consider the wider community impacts. Peyton Smith, an organizer for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 304, said the union is negotiating with the agency and requested the county review its budget for possible relief to restore capacity to serve clients.

Speakers also raised operational specifics they said contributed to the financial crisis: alleged billing delays that resulted in unbilled or late claims, an incomplete or problematic electronic health-record rollout, and rapid expansion into the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model without sufficient administrative controls. A community member who formerly worked in billing said she had received a nearly nine-month-old bill from the center and worried the center was “losing money” by failing to bill in a timely manner.

Commissioners did not take formal action on the testimony. Several commissioners said they would take the comments under advisement and asked staff to share information about any requests for county financial assistance. No commissioner motion to allocate funds or to initiate administrative takeover was made during the meeting; public comment concluded and the meeting moved to the regular agenda.

Speakers made clear distinctions between operational failures and the staff providing direct care: most comments praised frontline providers while criticizing executive leadership decisions. Multiple speakers urged the commission to proceed cautiously if it is asked to provide county funding, to require strict oversight and to ensure funds are targeted to client care rather than administrative costs.

The public comment included testimonies from current staff who said some employees were escorted out before their last day and that many direct-service roles were eliminated while higher-paid directors remained. Several speakers called on the county and community partners to prioritize continuity of care for children and other clients over any administrative or capital solution.

The commission did not schedule a follow-up item on the agenda during the meeting. Commissioners and staff reiterated that citizens may submit written comments at any time and that the commission would follow up on specific requests submitted outside of the meeting.

Ending: The public comment block ended with no formal county action. Speakers asked the commission to require accountability if public dollars are considered to stabilize the center; commissioners said they had heard the concerns and would consider next steps if a formal request for county assistance or oversight is presented.

","Multiple current and former employees of Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and union representatives told the Douglas County Commission that the center’s recent declaration of financial exigency and layoff of 29 staff on May 23 disrupted care for hundreds of clients and reflected management failures they say require outside review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Douglas County Joins ICMA Economic Mobility Cohort; Staff to Develop Guaranteed-Income Work Plan

Commissioners Approve Rezoning for Burning Barrel Farm to Allow Separate Homestead Parcel

Residents and Staff Urge Oversight After Bert Nash Layoffs; Workers Describe Abrupt Terminations