[{"_1":2,"_121":-5,"_122":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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",6137650,"mediaKeyId","5598576-588ac6899fe56a9b69de12589521e0c5","parentId",5598576,"title","Butler County to seek standard Neighborhood Revitalization criteria; debate focuses on 10- vs. 15-year abatements","audioSeconds",2930,"startMs",678000,"endMs",3608000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5598576-588ac6899fe56a9b69de12589521e0c5&start=678&end=3608","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5598576-588ac6899fe56a9b69de12589521e0c5/thumbnail_678000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6137650/Butler-County/Kansas/Butler-County-to-seek-standard-Neighborhood-Revitalization-criteria-debate-focuses-on-10-vs-15-year-abatements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6137650-07557c7cecc8fe9c70469341c9ed85c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770511506&Signature=C~imgEBp5XgRDep6130ybytGkXo99sFQFZKTnizE9Iti3tNZwfIbF3-yH5Yym7moVW1PLP91hOzyjAJTetW5WL-lqvIcJpxD3xoXM-6-AXWc8cv1n14zcHriIB068vIZQe1hqgpTadXuQ09Gn~jsk9r-wEFtaLRNcI9AtF4Xk0szBwEWjrWHWbNqUahlamQ5F3H2~XefOHy5LciIQzSCfiL-rZZ7Oz4k0SUMlI9rcOgmvIiFhOlwGTWl8vJnvs6Cn4vXH7X4Raqs5gVCy~6fLjS9cS6qcescikBPP8Rjl-m7VLmaru8JF5rrs6FnTfOJz8OFWBiOigv5JO-YIiw6wA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Butler County,KS","date","2025-08-12T00:00:00Z","article","County commissioners heard more than an hour of discussion on a proposed countywide standard for Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) criteria and agreed to bring the draft back after collecting additional feedback from cities and staff.
The commission’s informal direction asks staff to return in two weeks with recommended revisions, including an option that would set a 10-year maximum rebate for residential projects and a 15-year maximum for commercial projects, and with suggested increases to dollar thresholds for qualifying improvements.
The county presentation, prepared by the county appraiser’s office and county staff, recommended a set of uniform standards to simplify administration and to limit county participation to projects that meet minimum improvement thresholds. Under the draft standards discussed, residential projects would need a minimum assessed-value increase of $10,000 or 10 percent of the improvement value (whichever is greater); commercial projects would need a minimum of $15,000 or 15 percent. The draft also proposed a 95 percent rebate on the increase in assessed value, and it would require cities to secure approval from the Kansas Attorney General’s office before applications could be processed.
El Dorado City Manager Dave Donner told the commission that El Dorado supports innovation and targeted incentives at the city level to make complex downtown and historic rehabilitation projects financially feasible. He said some projects, including the proposed renovation of a downtown Masonic building, are “a heavy lift” and may remain unfeasible under a 10-year rebate alone: “The return on investment of complex projects like this 1 extends beyond 10 years.” Donner said the city has layered an NRP rebate with other tools — community improvement districts, loans and grants — and still faces financing gaps for large historic projects.
County staff explained the county’s reasons for standardization: multiple, unique local programs have created administrative complexity and sometimes require repeated changes after Attorney General review. Staff emphasized that the county cannot prevent a city from adopting any plan it wants, but the county chooses whether to participate in and administer the rebate for that plan.
Commissioners debated whether to hold residential abatements to 10 years while allowing 15 years for commercial and historic rehabilitation projects. Commissioners and city representatives also discussed raising the minimum dollar thresholds so the county does not rebate small projects (for example, a minor parking-lot repair) over a long period. The county noted it charges a 5 percent administrative fee (historically used to cover software and staff time) to manage NRP applications and rebates.
After discussion, Commissioner Murphy moved to table the item and ask staff to return with specific recommendations and data, which was seconded and approved unanimously. The motion directs staff to bring back a redlined draft and suggested numeric thresholds to make the 10/15-year option more “palatable” to cities and the county.
What happened next: the commission did not adopt a countywide standard today; it voted to get additional city input and to review staff recommendations for revised thresholds and program language at a future meeting.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Butler Board of County Commissioners August 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County commissioners heard more than an hour of discussion on a proposed countywide standard for Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) criteria and agreed to bring the draft back after collecting additional feedback from cities and staff.","taxTitle","Butler County, Kansas","taxId",55199,"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},6137631,"Butler County Health Department launches community health needs assessment; survey open through mid‑September",51,132000,183000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5598576-588ac6899fe56a9b69de12589521e0c5&start=132&end=183","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5598576-588ac6899fe56a9b69de12589521e0c5/thumbnail_132000.jpg","/articles/6137631/Butler-County/Kansas/Butler-County-Health-Department-launches-community-health-needs-assessment-survey-open-through-midSeptember","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6137631-53dff15d74efb80a48f41af6032ea8bb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770511506&Signature=BAtthKewbC3mrgn0dNcQeo7uhHoL6XfXkL2PloiZ51miG-osT29oNfwyYG7sE5IzunQsjBwV7bPoUBdwFyCZtzXQ5c07IRg~dg2RhYpp-QJCbJseeLJq7gTpuzb7rMU6Mo1ag6ZWETiaE7fosxJphAd3Zr2tegzp9ROXP~-XxVkmACcymBLWcNOxsYKNHqHo67DCw-GMN0BDxH2ACUGVQ-CGEd0hrV~7NWOrUGDZQGMAIk~w9DIkWMEOoXYGSFC4lqDD5YNqIGP7h3YHsknDYldvTp5bYD5QRVe2ztDpadPvjBT2cXhjC63e2a70eI9IBcZaIszg3k15Rw1Fs-kD5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Butler County Health Director Jamie Downes told the commission that a community health needs assessment (CHNA) developed jointly by the health department, the local hospital and the mental-health center is now live and that staff are encouraging broad public participation.
Downes said the survey’s QR code was available on materials presented to commissioners and that the survey link is posted on the health department web page and the health department Facebook page. She said the hospital and mental-health center are distributing the survey to their contacts as well. Downes said the survey will be open through mid-September and asked commissioners to complete it and encourage residents to participate so the county can better understand local health needs.
Downes also reported back on recent outreach events: the department’s baby-jubilee outreach was well attended, two safe-sleep classes filled, and health-literacy books distributed at the event.
","Health Director Jamie Downes said the county, hospital and mental-health center launched a countywide community health needs assessment (CHNA) survey and urged residents to complete it; the survey will remain open through mid-September and is available via the health department website and social media.",{"_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},6137636,"Butler County roads: staff shortages slow mowing and shift crews to preserve chip-seal schedule",54,550000,604000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5598576-588ac6899fe56a9b69de12589521e0c5&start=550&end=604","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5598576-588ac6899fe56a9b69de12589521e0c5/thumbnail_550000.jpg","/articles/6137636/Butler-County/Kansas/Butler-County-roads-staff-shortages-slow-mowing-and-shift-crews-to-preserve-chip-seal-schedule","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6137636-2255fe6bebb09ba2a386b68106320c6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770511506&Signature=NkvYiSG5bsHTyXRLlT8cfvRnp7kOsl9IML8rAGWFQFV6VCsVSyyG8pWURwog0tEZaZZV7GuvKegR70UUtadL1sPR6z8C-AiugE0qfYX0jfO2e65UOsvHoQG8T0hUmneifOoKam4WwREr2rRjO3QKmjivxYJBBv61YD1fO6TO~dYOSSail5vi6mCH65In~faCl~KV-psaFzKVTqypVRtXd7q9Was64xCYH7BYOAWuD53oCngf3XlRm37TUzIiEV1~AHZV~xHhZOcQJ2ScHfJC61YJSclenXhUu6KYw8z4HlB87EEUFfPkINizeArnf4SU155bI2Nw1U-c5a1L7ZaO9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Butler County public-works staff told commissioners the road crew is short-staffed and the shortage is affecting mowing, shouldering and some pipe work, but staff said they are shifting crews to keep chip-seal and asphalt delivery projects on schedule.
Staff reported they are down four to five employees countywide and moved one mower to support chip-seal operations. To keep asphalt hot and maintain paving schedules, staff said they must run all available trucks and will temporarily pause the pipe crew and reassign operators. The department said it extended its chip-seal season for about two weeks and expects to complete chip seal, then seal coat and fog seal before starting wider overlay work. Staff said the laydown material was scheduled for delivery “middle of this month,” and the shouldering machine should be picked up in about a week.
The department also described the applicant pool as smaller and of lower quality than in previous years, forcing hiring struggles. Commissioners asked whether mowing will return to normal; staff said they plan to rotate mowers and bring off-days staff to operate additional mowers when possible.
No formal action was required; commissioners accepted the update and directed staff to continue managing resources to maintain the paving schedule.
","Public works told commissioners they are down four to five employees, forcing crew reassignments that reduce mowing capacity while preserving asphalt delivery and chip-seal schedules; laydown delivery and shouldering machine timelines were provided.",{"_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},6137641,"Butler County budget update: commissioners review proposed trims, salary study and mill-levy path",168,4646000,4814000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5598576-588ac6899fe56a9b69de12589521e0c5&start=4646&end=4814","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5598576-588ac6899fe56a9b69de12589521e0c5/thumbnail_4646000.jpg","/articles/6137641/Butler-County/Kansas/Butler-County-budget-update-commissioners-review-proposed-trims-salary-study-and-mill-levy-path","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6137641-f8077a04b5d437288bb666522b5cda9d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770511506&Signature=aE41HvdivXlAEE3OzPVzMUtdph2wTjfwsS9EL2NZMcwYPDsSrpbF3suCTqC3yzJD5a86joxKfABOUmEDbcr02H4Hi95SgE9uB8fEnSl5B5M~yVWgAkRdWq63PWJWLIarUJqoiMTCL6WC~I0YgmEidfdx3Yk5N0P6ZlUA2zMulKi9X6eGsuvjC2pSfpfEK5KiZMEOQ-TtFhD79G-mwH~RH7h4HWbAVAG5wJRzYdFdZAkRRjmVGi10akPRThVHCf9qDqda5bQeOKrd4zsf2~FPSzK8DsCoo4WxU9d-kcXE3WMDbjr2ahVwDFkCqKyt3aaRh4~0kdRcy2A-x3UA5Yhj4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County administration presented a third revision of the fiscal-year budget and told commissioners they can trim roughly one quarter of a mill from the draft while remaining above the revenue-neutral rate.
County staff said updated projections include $100,000 in additional EMS fee revenue and a $66,000 request for an additional training lieutenant in emergency services. Staff proposed targeted reductions, including roughly $9,000 in community development and smaller cuts in information technology, emergency management and communications capital, and a partial trimming of Road and Bridge budget lines. The proposed changes would reduce the draft mill levy to about 29.625 (versus last year’s approximately 29.880) and remain above the county’s revenue-neutral rate of 28.37.
Staff noted the salary study remains a central uncertainty. The consultant is scheduled to present updated recommendations to staff on Monday; commissioners said they need the salary-study output to finalize decisions. Staff reported a salary “pot” for market adjustments equal to roughly 2.5 percent of payroll, estimated at $2.5 million (staff and commission characterized that as the current planning envelope).
The presentation also covered fire-district mill levy scenarios. Towanda Fire District requested county assistance as it considers building a new station; staff proposed setting Towanda’s estimated levy at 6.5 mills in the county’s worksheet to produce approximately $80,000 per year toward building costs, while retaining the county’s role in holding those funds in a county building account until plans are finalized.
Commissioners scheduled a public budget hearing and R & R (valuation/levy) meeting for Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. in the commission chambers, and two additional regular meetings before final adoption. Commissioners directed staff to return with more detail on salary-study scenarios and the budget tables before finalizing the mill levy; no final budget adoption occurred today.
The board also approved county warrants and vouchers at today’s meeting: commissioners approved total warrants of $911,334.60 on a 5–0 vote.
","County staff presented a revised preliminary budget that reduces the proposed mill levy slightly, lists proposed program trims, and flags a pending salary study. Commissioners requested further staff work and scheduled public budget hearings.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":79,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":82,"_51":117,"_53":118,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":119,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":120,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6137646,"Butler County approves Paragard (copper IUD) agreement for family-planning clients",189,321000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5598576-588ac6899fe56a9b69de12589521e0c5&start=132&end=321","/articles/6137646/Butler-County/Kansas/Butler-County-approves-Paragard-copper-IUD-agreement-for-family-planning-clients","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6137646-9e087c332856da2dcd107769c78ef61e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770511506&Signature=BFr7uznwzzGmxnqDVzi6CZFGnpai6ixphgWBtuIwYA9aeYt0yKdhJ7m~-IiT3McEhw48BiaVPwCwHhXLi9MCLXsfHYki-UNJTJZQD~cV0WdrntXhpzdkHiwSupgyIEq1MD1Z73JvxEQrADlwT0cac71jY-YRB-l3VtCDYO21poRLbGYS39E6HGJIhfa0I4bzRIFSWwkOo0H91GK6fEN2Ukt9NxMWuYcJZDxD5P2vAK-vozo9AkmuIxQtg5AA58XJ0lOFSGWiM6FXxIHNo8QNpd1tbWfz3~2FoKRilIcya7~XGwgJ4wKkWA~zmygA6~1tMU7BgpNgC4MYz4NFT8iJHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Butler County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize an agreement allowing the Butler County Health Department to offer Paragard, a non-hormonal intrauterine device (IUD), to family-planning clients.
Health Director Jamie Downes told commissioners the Paragard IUD provides a non-hormonal option that is appropriate for people who cannot use hormones because of certain medical conditions. Downes listed conditions discussed by staff as examples that may preclude hormonal contraception, including ventricular heart disease, cerebrovascular stroke, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, migraine disorders, history of blood clots, breast cancer, liver disease, and for women age 35 or older who are heavy smokers. Downes said Paragard is a copper IUD that is effective for up to 10 years and is approximately 99 percent effective; she contrasted that with the county’s current IUD option, which staff said is approved for five years.
Downes asked the commission for permission to enter a contract with the Paragard manufacturer so the county could provide the device to clients. Commissioners approved the agreement on a motion moved by Commissioner Herzet and seconded by Commissioner Murphy; the vote was 5–0.
Downes also said the department has offered the Mirena IUD in the past for clients with private insurance and that safe-sleep classes and other health-literacy outreach at recent events were well attended.
What happened next: commissioners authorized the chair to sign the agreement and the health department will proceed with procurement and implementation per the contract terms.
","The Butler County Health Department will add the Paragard copper IUD as a non-hormonal contraceptive option for family-planning clients after the commission approved an agreement 5-0.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Butler County to seek standard Neighborhood Revitalization criteria; debate focuses on 10- vs. 15-year abatements

Butler County Health Department launches community health needs assessment; survey open through mid‑September

Butler County roads: staff shortages slow mowing and shift crews to preserve chip-seal schedule

Butler County budget update: commissioners review proposed trims, salary study and mill-levy path

Butler County approves Paragard (copper IUD) agreement for family-planning clients