[{"_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",6656640,"mediaKeyId","5130917-536bace4e4e00e1b433bb3854d3974a7","parentId",5130917,"title","District Court outlines flat budget, opens self‑help center and a court‑reporter apprenticeship","audioSeconds",708,"startMs",4632000,"endMs",5340000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5130917-536bace4e4e00e1b433bb3854d3974a7&start=4632&end=5340","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5130917-536bace4e4e00e1b433bb3854d3974a7/thumbnail_4632000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6656640/Shawnee-County/Kansas/District-Court-outlines-flat-budget-opens-selfhelp-center-and-a-courtreporter-apprenticeship","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656640-dff056009f01fa0a7612384b08353038/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442939&Signature=MPOZjEZeaTcwA5YwnHttTS0-raBFiziLZ9jHHLYi38kWr6ca0tiJLXZuBboUm0ExdbVGvJOLn07G8ve2uRpXsHeicKaqtdm0xEgRIAejenmukbB21gQuXwFUupYdJxU7bKPStHFpa-smcywXwruF1nuXqof5xEK74KXAUEylHvqPctaQA5r1zvYKKIEMJZLeWPkPgyE5-Y4LDjYE8cTtv20RoimIf3LK~ArBYmLs7m1~dERsPMkl99YkVN1Ter6C~mmhKMQ8LAkWVM2N~SKI-OMKmsvqFRSLWndIu4vdOCmqVBfVFpq~Y9eDkUVae0NEAYFDkLmrw0ycHcx6UzVMRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Shawnee County","date","2025-07-03T17:46:41.593Z","article","Lee Welch, court administrator for the Shawnee County District Court, presented a 2026 budget on July 3 that he described as essentially flat compared with 2025. Welch said the published number excludes the standard county personnel 3% adjustment, which will be applied separately.

Welch highlighted two operational projects. First, the court plans to open a self‑help center on July 14 in renovated space on the second floor (rooms 202/204), with Kansas Legal Services providing at least four hours per week of attorney staffing beginning August 1 and additional volunteer retired attorneys providing pro‑bono hours. The court said furnishings were funded by the judicial branch and grants, and the only county budget item for the center to date was carpet.

Second, the court described a local court‑reporter workforce development effort in partnership with Washburn Institute of Technology. Because the court has 18 divisions but only six court reporters, staff created a 12‑month apprenticeship “voice‑writing” program to grow local reporters; the first class of 4–5 students (most current court employees) begins July 14 and participants will commit to two years of work for Shawnee County after certification. The court has used digital recording rules where court reporters are not available.

Welch also gave an update on Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). He said two residents have enrolled so far and the court is in a testing phase before a formal public announcement. The program intends to provide community‑based alternatives to repeated involuntary hospital commitments, with the goal of reducing hospital and jail use.

Judge Evertz told commissioners the court’s promise to present a flat budget was met and thanked the board for courthouse renovations. Commissioners asked about AOT implementation; Welch said early participation is modest, with the hope of growing enrollment and reducing inpatient/state‑hospital recidivism.

Provenance: Transcript blocks beginning at 4632.6147 (topicintro) through 5258.8047 (topicfinish).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Shawnee County Kansas Commission Work Session 2025/07/03","oneSentenceSummary","Shawnee County District Court presented a flat 2026 budget, said a self‑help center will open July 14 staffed by Kansas Legal Services and volunteer attorneys, and described a new voice‑writing court‑reporter apprenticeship with Washburn Institute of Technology to address reporter shortages.","taxTitle","Shawnee County, Kansas","taxId",2886,"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},6656645,"Shawnee County district attorney seeks pay increases, highlights successful convictions and software upgrade",811,3182000,3993000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5130917-536bace4e4e00e1b433bb3854d3974a7&start=3182&end=3993","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5130917-536bace4e4e00e1b433bb3854d3974a7/thumbnail_3182000.jpg","/articles/6656645/Shawnee-County/Kansas/Shawnee-County-district-attorney-seeks-pay-increases-highlights-successful-convictions-and-software-upgrade","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656645-df868b3b19eabdb456e9b6e2cef8e932/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442939&Signature=dv65FBDMRE0LS-6iKS77dRgg0ECN4j59KgvQuqqfwgEA7o3UkDEJS-GF1x04wAE4J7S7w3Yv9eMtarlQGW4biAytfCQEukqzoyN0eFfBF8UNuubijteRBE70JkAgQBQpJldL4HL30OjvaDCihzyPWqMY2ho87UADg82vl-PgPEdvOr7O~5-M4Y2bMXWCeKbfEqdWB4KIrYBy1HglwYEg8CrKw69YrV-7qYFo5AlqEcragQD9Y4L0NCFd9PqeCvtEynRne1PnM7pZEGAMILttX3LBnWtMo-AWhzDVUocPXnFaQyaVlei13WFgjMr4WAqlrUb~e1LDuIijxq3tp2fkyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District Attorney Keggae briefed the Board of Commissioners on July 3 about the Shawnee County DA office’s 2026 budget request, emphasizing staff retention and technology modernization to handle growing digital evidence demands.

Keggae said the office faces a pay gap: junior prosecutors earn roughly 18.2% less than peers in nearby prosecution offices, while senior attorneys lag about 9.3%. Legal assistants, he said, are about 24% below comparative positions. He asked the county to help address those market gaps to retain talent and avoid losing attorneys to other offices or private practice.

Keggae also highlighted ongoing implementation of Axon Justice evidence‑management software. He said the office entered a 10‑year subscription with average annual costs “around” $100,000, and that implementation has been “substantially integrated” but has experienced infrastructure or bandwidth issues that IT is working to resolve. Commissioners noted a subscription line item of $175,000 in the budget packet; Keggae said accountant reclassifications and a one‑time reset of how contractual items are recorded produced apparent shifts in line items compared with previous years.

To illustrate workload pressures, Keggae described caseload management challenges and the need for adequate staffing to file charges and avoid backlogs. He cited prior caseload guidance (no more than 150 cases per prosecutor in 2002) and said today’s increased digital evidence makes that standard harder to meet. He told commissioners the COVID backlog has been largely cleared but vacancies cause local bottlenecks and could prevent timely filings.

Keggae also reviewed recent trial results, naming multiple defendants and noting guilty verdicts in a series of major‑felony trials since he last appeared before the commissioners. (Transcript anonymized some offense details.) He said these trial outcomes reflect strong prosecutorial performance.

Commissioners asked about openings; Keggae said the office currently had two attorney openings and expected additional new‑hire offers for interns taking the bar. He described one senior and one starting position open, and said the office had used an internal accountant to reclassify expenses previously charged to diversion funds into standard budget lines.

On the diversion fund, Keggae said the office had historically used diversion dollars to support community donations (e.g., Life House Child Advocacy Center, YWCA, Boys & Girls Club), break‑room furnishings and limited courtroom renovations. He said the office no longer uses diversion funds for some operating expenses after consultation with the county counselor’s office and now budgets those expenses in the general fund.

Commissioners probed whether the Axon Justice rollout would save personnel hours as promised; Keggae said he had eliminated positions in prior requests anticipating efficiency gains and that the software should ultimately reduce duplicative work once infrastructure issues are resolved.

Provenance: Transcript blocks beginning at 3182.255 (topicintro) through 4616.3403 (topicfinish).","District Attorney Keggae requested budget increases focused on staff retention and infrastructure, citing a wage gap with peer offices and the ongoing implementation of Axon Justice digital evidence software; DA also listed multiple recent guilty verdicts as evidence of office performance.",{"_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},6656650,"Shawnee County corrections seeks dozens of staff and $3.3 million to open behavioral health unit",1207,5366000,6573000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5130917-536bace4e4e00e1b433bb3854d3974a7&start=5366&end=6573","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5130917-536bace4e4e00e1b433bb3854d3974a7/thumbnail_5366000.jpg","/articles/6656650/Shawnee-County/Kansas/Shawnee-County-corrections-seeks-dozens-of-staff-and-33-million-to-open-behavioral-health-unit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6656650-11294ff4a890eff518240f3767102065/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442939&Signature=ZS4fYkhzclrcPEVRuwkTKk2-DjRwM6NbDhOHD7LBcqGf6OcRdLgKhCwsbENO~-xX~~3LVZt-tcQz3dDvIeUclmMuHOq-Ku1gu9XbkZ4tS9R5PShOZiszzH2JIL0xVTIgtiMJV7-nQJk5NAjn2zjYX4B~l1l9f7pxrOCZ7Ueqp6G9-DChUviMKIt9GruRQYdZCy4JTC~Nj-EKFKcYPbALCONLEFol4YLW7Ocsx7RanU8DrAQfNoL3R0vZhPddAxhWP7z4pDqpYIOvdNl6dh1uKESAd6sh54suocon8fMLzZQavPmQYu3Xn3P1nXud6gKde0OVqTeR261xd470vBE60w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Shawnee County Department of Corrections Director Brian Cole told commissioners on July 3 that the department’s 2026 budget centers on opening a new behavioral health unit to house people with serious mental illness and provide targeted programming.

Cole said the department is requesting funding primarily to hire 30 correctional specialists dedicated to the behavioral health unit, plus three additional program/classification/transportation positions and three maintenance positions. The new posts would work 12‑hour shifts and require specialized training in crisis intervention techniques and mental‑health first aid. Cole said the department may scale the number of hires if full staffing proves infeasible and that some existing posts would be reallocated rather than eliminated.

The line‑item increases drive a roughly 14–17% increase for the detention budget, according to materials Cole referenced. County staff later confirmed that the combined 36 new positions (including benefits) for the behavioral health effort total about $3,286,830 per year, a substantial portion of the requested increase. Community corrections requested roughly $216,000 in county match funds (about $229,000 with benefits) to maintain state grant matches and wage adjustments.

Cole said the jail’s behavioral health unit is tentatively scheduled to open in April 2026; he cautioned vendor lead times for cell construction could push that 30 to 60 days. He described the unit as a consolidation of dedicated beds (about 40–60 capacity depending on configuration) for people needing suicide watch, competency restoration, or other intensive mental‑health programming. Staff and commissioners discussed that the unit would not immediately remove other safety posts and that some suicide‑watch beds will still be required elsewhere if totals exceed the new unit’s bed count.

Cole said the county has pursued outside funding to offset staffing and capital costs. He identified ongoing discussions with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disabilities about programming dollars and noted county staff were pursuing a potential $2 million grant expected to be known by October that might cover HVAC or other capital needs. Cole said he and others had also discussed potential state assistance for staffing with Department of Corrections leadership, but no commitments were reported.

Commissioners asked about hiring feasibility for 30 specialized correctional specialists given current statewide shortages; Cole said the department is already recruiting and has candidates in process and intends to phase hiring and training so new staff can attend the county academy before the opening. He also said the department expects to transition some existing staff into the behavioral unit, collapse or consolidate some posts elsewhere, and use academy training and in‑house certification to make the staffing plan realistic.

Other budget items tied to the detention request include a maintenance supervisor and two maintenance staff to support the enlarged facility footprint, an additional transport position, and modest increases for food service and off‑site medical transports. Cole said CIP requests also include a security upgrade ($75,000), an inmate transport vehicle (potentially purchasable this year to avoid a 2026 request), and a $55,000 fire‑detection upgrade in an inmate workshop area.

Cole stressed the project’s scale and fiscal impact and said county staff would work with audit/finance to scale hiring as needed. He said if mid‑process analysis suggests the department cannot responsibly fund 30 new correctional specialists, they would return to commissioners to propose a reduction (for example, cutting 10 positions) rather than proceed with an unsustainable plan.

Provenance: Transcript blocks beginning at 5366.275 (topicintro) through 6573.635 (topicfinish).","County Department of Corrections asked commissioners for staffing and operating funds to open a behavioral health unit in its jail annex, including 30 specialized correctional specialists and new maintenance and transport positions; total personnel costs for new positions estimated at about $3.29 million.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

District Court outlines flat budget, opens self‑help center and a court‑reporter apprenticeship

Shawnee County district attorney seeks pay increases, highlights successful convictions and software upgrade

Shawnee County corrections seeks dozens of staff and $3.3 million to open behavioral health unit