[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6514789,"mediaKeyId","5023859-37481b82150f5bda87c1d41e589d1ff8","parentId",5023859,"title","City staff outline four solid-waste service options; commission signals support for consolidation station with long-range transfer-station planning","audioSeconds",2990,"startMs",2110000,"endMs",5100000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5023859-37481b82150f5bda87c1d41e589d1ff8&start=2110&end=5100","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5023859-37481b82150f5bda87c1d41e589d1ff8/thumbnail_2110000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6514789/Kansas/City-staff-outline-four-solid-waste-service-options-commission-signals-support-for-consolidation-station-with-long-range-transfer-station-planning","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6514789-9258f851fa6145d66db1508c8979fb2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770956525&Signature=RxlOUnN2pXShVlMdyjm0h-doJKi0xVwrTZmIdQNpn3-IQrUWfhp95SNLzNfzHjGeUzwa4SbQltzOhPraSS1Q1wS5vYIocYluHeWjerHnGudqR3iodlp0BNMnGE5-jY7BTxMWSMlIm9Dn1WUIokGKL9uXgf7tH0U4DnGvKAACJ4gQ5MLnTa-NfcazPN6DA5IamIhKUEm4T-rIuamG2eCFVstFWeWJfn32wbeaBnnn6Y5G8b9tlOGON7lc~N65KJ3ItOI0q8AQ8DM5KM1SjIni39AvKJqMQ3AbZpefwmT2suO5~ggHj1rlE8mX3vX2U0VIfsP4MTvffXpweuUPO-apSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Leavenworth, KS","date","2025-06-18T06:04:01.883Z","article","Trevor (staff) told the commission the purpose of the presentation was to provide data and options and to solicit a policy direction: “what we're hoping to get out of it is kind of a consensus on what direction you all see fit to move forward for the future operations of the city's solid waste.”

Staff presented four service models to address persistent operational problems (staffing shortages, vehicle maintenance, long hauls to off-site landfills and overtime): (1) retain and upgrade city-operated collection by adding crews and trucks; (2) build a city consolidation station (city-only staging site where refuse would be aggregated before longer-haul trips); (3) build a city-operated transfer station (public facility that would accept outside tipping fees); and (4) fully contract collection to a private provider. Staff outlined pros, cons, estimated capital and operating costs, and projected monthly rates under each option.

Staff said the city currently serves just under 10,000 households, bills roughly $19.31 per month for collection, staffs 11 collection employees and operates six collection trucks (typically only four trucks are available daily because of maintenance). Refuse is hauled to Waste Management’s Shawnee facility; trips are long (30+ miles one-way in some models) and staff reported multi-hour waits to tip at the landfill. Waste-management capacity and access were cited as a long-term risk: Waste Management has indicated the city could be denied access in future years and a regional study projects Johnson County landfill constraints by 2037.

Estimated cost and service highlights presented by staff included: option 1 (upgrade city collection) would require three additional staff and two more trucks, was described as the easiest to implement but likely to “kick the can down the road,” and was modeled to raise operating costs (staff estimated roughly $2.7 million in operational costs and an incremental increase to the monthly rate of about $3). Option 2 (consolidation station) showed an estimated capital cost of about $1.29 million, operating projections that translated to a monthly rate near $22.74, and the ability to cut daily long-haul trips roughly in half; staff said KDHE guidance indicates a consolidation site may be allowed with fewer permitting requirements than a full transfer station if strict conditions (48-hour storage limit, city-only access, stormwater controls and screening) are met. Option 3 (city transfer station) had an estimated capital cost of about $4.5 million and a modeled residential rate near $25 per month but would require more staff (six additional positions) and full permitting; revenues from outside tipping could offset operating costs but staff said it would be the most complex to operate. Option 4 (full private contract) would remove the city from daily operations but retain contract oversight; staff did not recommend an open-market model and noted contract oversight and resident confusion can persist even when services are outsourced.

Commissioners and staff discussed implementation and timing: staff estimated option 2 would likely not be operational until 2027 because of site preparation and construction; option 3 would add at least another year for permitting. Commissioners asked that staff solicit community input (surveys and possibly public forums) before finalizing a plan; commissioners also suggested a phased approach (option 2 now with planning and site design that allows future expansion to option 3, described in the meeting as “option 2.5”).

Several commissioners voiced support for option 2 or a 2-to-3 phased plan. Commissioner Nancy said, “I think option 2 looks like the best option for us at this time.” Other commissioners indicated they favored option 2 while keeping an eye on longer-term transfer-station feasibility and potential grant funding for recycling services. Staff agreed to prepare community engagement materials (survey and public information) and to return with refined cost estimates and a proposed timeline tied to the city’s budget calendar. No formal vote to adopt any option was taken at the study session.

Commissioners also raised workforce questions (difficulty recruiting and retaining CDL drivers and collection staff) and asked staff to consider where existing employees could be retained if contracting were chosen. Staff noted the city’s Solid Waste Citizen Advisory Board had not recommended privatization.

The commission directed staff to proceed with planning for option 2 (consolidation station) while developing a long-range plan that would allow transition to a full transfer station if the revenue and permitting environment supports it; staff will pursue community engagement and report back during budget deliberations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Leavenworth City Commission Meeting June 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff presented four service models to address solid-waste operations — retaining/upgrading city collection, constructing a consolidation station, building a transfer station, or fully contracting services — and recommended moving forward with planning for a city consolidation station while studying the feasibility of a future transfer station.","taxTitle","Leavenworth City, Leavenworth County, Kansas","taxId",53903,"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},6514794,"Historical society asks Leavenworth City Commission for $125,000 to stage 2026 Buffalo Bill Wild West & Military History Festival",2045,91000,2136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5023859-37481b82150f5bda87c1d41e589d1ff8&start=91&end=2136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5023859-37481b82150f5bda87c1d41e589d1ff8/thumbnail_91000.jpg","/articles/6514794/Kansas/Historical-society-asks-Leavenworth-City-Commission-for-125000-to-stage-2026-Buffalo-Bill-Wild-West-Military-History-Festival","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6514794-e8c99e5fb99fc588e1980110c128f631/orig.mp4?Expires=1770956525&Signature=l5n1DB98bCsfZLaoA8dQuNgS77v~wwjqTKxD24T-HdglXdW1MHWLiWWeGQIeFPJ1YFzbMjmI4DaweMF~i~1JC1m45zVM29J6v6J2C0vJlTYQxKyZoMbW6RU7Df7AtMfkgROV0ZVcUJRIuX8bgFI54juQ8sKuU8TWQkKiauYbFhauZsgN-oyI5ndwWdNVfUjfthKckKljZLO5ts9nLqxcoqCQYkk6ejN7jXXBg5qNoarWMRRVMCExU0AVa9Ns4jDRtFsG3pCKnvcYlV7ge1fGwZXpvzltwVgruic9gHZ5nzHwIC-21Qvx2ZOo3ddHvtXz71gLmu76sBwSSifMWAx6Xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Good evening, madam mayor and commissioners. I am Lisa Weekley, president of the Leavenworth County Historical Society and I am also the museum's representative on the CVB board. We'd like to thank you for allowing us to present our plans for the 20 26 Buffalo Bill Wild West Fest.

The Leavenworth County Historical Society and a coalition of local partners presented plans to the Leavenworth City Commission for a citywide Buffalo Bill Wild West and Military History Festival in 2026 and asked the commission to endorse the event and allocate $125,000 from the CVB/transient-guest tax tourism fund to cover staffing, promotion and other upfront costs.

The request matters because the organizers say the festival would tie into multiple milestone anniversaries in 2026 — including the United States’ 250th anniversary and anniversaries tied to Buffalo Bill Cody, Lewis and Clark and Fort Leavenworth — and could be timed to capture visitor interest generated by FIFA’s World Cup events in the Kansas City region.

Lisa Weekley, president of the Leavenworth County Historical Society, told the commission the festival is intended to “display our community's rich history” and to “bring new visitors to Leavenworth, engage the military members and their families, increase participation in events, support our business community and also enhance our city's reputation.” Denise Souza, who said she works at the historical society and serves as an event planner for the City of Lansing, outlined a draft program that would use multiple public sites and downtown businesses.

Planned components listed by presenters include living-history displays on the river at North Esplanade Park with reenactors (French fur traders, Civil War soldiers, Buffalo Soldiers, Cowboys and period pioneers), a downtown “Wild West Fair” with vendors and food trucks, a “Little Buckaroo” children’s area near Third and Delaware Street (face painting, petting zoo, balloon art), a Kids Corral at Bob Doherty Park, and museum events such as a Buffalo Bill dinner and dance. Allen Collins of the Leavenworth County Artists Association said his group proposes a Native American and Western Art Show at the Heritage Center.

The packet provided to commissioners includes a budget that requests $125,000 from the CVB/transient-guest tax. Organizers told the commission that the budget dedicates about $14,000 for city staff support (public-works, law enforcement, trash/trash cans and similar costs) and roughly $30,000 for out-of-area promotion targeted at the Kansas City market. Denise Souza said the marketing allocation would be used for digital advertising and regional publications (for example, KC Parents and travel magazines) but that a detailed advertising breakdown was not available at the hearing.

Organizers said they have preliminary interest from local and regional partners, including the Pony Express Museum, the Lewis and Clark Trail Foundation, the Eighth Kansas Volunteer Infantry reenactors, military-collector and Grand Army of the Republic groups, and a curator from the Kansas State Historical Society who would portray and discuss life of a Civil War soldier. Jenny Anders of the Leavenworth Lansing Chamber of Commerce highlighted trends in heritage tourism and urged the commission to consider the region-wide tourism opportunity during FIFA 2026.

Commissioners asked several operational and budgetary questions: whether streets would be closed (organizers said no, at least initially), how vendors and food trucks would be contracted (organizers have verbal interest but were tentative until a date is confirmed), whether alcohol would be permitted (organizers said no alcohol in living-history/children’s areas and the event is intended to be family-friendly), and how volunteers would be staffed (organizers estimated roughly 40 volunteers in current planning but said that number would grow as the event expands). Presenters said they would coordinate with Fort Leavenworth staff and the garrison public-affairs office about military participation and displays.

No formal vote or appropriation was recorded at the study session. Organizers asked the commission for endorsement and said they would return with more detailed budgets and vendor contracts if the city commits funds. Commissioners and staff discussed the city’s budget calendar and indicated they would need timely information to consider the request during budget deliberations; presenters said they understood the timeline constraints and would provide more detail if the commission indicated support.

Organizers asked the commission for transparency in any funding decisions and invited city staff and commissioners to participate in subsequent planning meetings. The commission did not take a formal vote at the study session; presenters were thanked and the meeting then moved on to a separate agenda item.","The Leavenworth County Historical Society and community partners asked the City Commission to endorse and fund a citywide 2026 Buffalo Bill Wild West and Military History Festival, requesting $125,000 from CVB/transient guest-tax reserves to support planning, staffing and marketing ahead of FIFA 2026 and multiple local and national anniversaries.","actionData","errors"]

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City staff outline four solid-waste service options; commission signals support for consolidation station with long-range transfer-station planning

Historical society asks Leavenworth City Commission for $125,000 to stage 2026 Buffalo Bill Wild West & Military History Festival