[{"_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",6468519,"mediaKeyId","5782045-20770e13aed04f54da33d829450a89f3","parentId",5782045,"title","Leavenworth City officials review $1.5 million in outstanding municipal court warrants, consider collections and amnesty","audioSeconds",768,"startMs",1064000,"endMs",1832000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5782045-20770e13aed04f54da33d829450a89f3&start=1064&end=1832","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5782045-20770e13aed04f54da33d829450a89f3/thumbnail_1064000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6468519/Kansas/Leavenworth-City-officials-review-15-million-in-outstanding-municipal-court-warrants-consider-collections-and-amnesty","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468519-92d306dee48f781bc0b6c0e035f0de7f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773650032&Signature=mtSCa6DD9TGx2hYuNfYBqkmChqAW5ik2oMmTE2sVr5nVkvoVbB38y6AYGEejWrvwm0mJb2DlhZpn2tDiX4bdOdvHNyX-35bs9hqAZ0ln8gymMddCWFFEMOyreClJH92Uyu3NaZAi5kgrsmiZto4h7lp5qz~e8yy-KS~4co2po5YxdHiPZLFnwBK0lvs8-~cZ2kDY04syusom04dqybPRNXTR10GktUx2yZ8IdK6WqGbgafSe7awn0IPVX0jHpc~Omnx9k76Z3PH33OBAZM8Hb~kgb7W2lcE0N4GqdOlkdrlQdYEzJjofu8t55JK91rPasnvc0ZDtw0VVrSsMXQx1aQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Leavenworth, KS","date","2025-09-17T11:49:42Z","article","Leavenworth City presented an overview of municipal court fees and unpaid fines at a City Commission meeting, highlighting a long-term revenue decline and seeking direction on possible recovery options.

Penny, the department head overseeing municipal court staff, told the commission that “since 2019, to last year, there was about a $200,000 reduction in fees and fines,” and that unpaid cases in warrant status total about $1,500,000 with another roughly $400,000 estimated in outstanding fines.

The presentation said several factors appear to be driving the decline: fewer traffic citations because the police department has fewer officers available for traffic enforcement, state-mandated fees the city passes through to Kansas, and collection shortfalls that leave municipal-court revenues about $50,000 short of covering court expenses each year.

Why it matters: municipal-court revenue in Leavenworth is deposited to the city’s general fund, which pays for police, fire and public works. Staff framed the issue as both a budget question (recovering lost revenue or reducing subsidies) and an operational one (clearing old cases that remain in the court tracking system).

City staff reviewed how fines and fees are established. Penny said the city commission set administrative fees after a 2011 charter ordinance; current administrative fees cited in the presentation include a $25 administrative fee for many traffic violations and a $50 administrative fee for offenses requiring court. The presenter also explained that certain fees are state-mandated and are collected by the city and passed through to the state.

The municipal judge, Judge Gary Fuller, and court staff described how fines are imposed and collected. Penny explained that the judge sets fines within ranges in the city’s code and the UPOC (Uniform Public Offense Code). Penny described court processes for nonpayment, including notices to appear, additional $50 letters for “must appear” or “failure to appear,” and the potential for bench warrants if defendants repeatedly fail to respond. Speaking for the bench, Penny summarized the judge’s approach: “We do not arrest people for nonpayment ... They are arrested if they don't pay and they don't show up to court to provide some sort of explanation.”

The commission discussed potential remedies. Staff listed options: (1) pursue a collections contract (the presenter noted many jurisdictions hire contractors to pursue old debts and that state law allows a collection fee, which the presentation cited as a statutory maximum of about 33 percent), (2) re-run an amnesty program like one the city offered in 2019 that removed late fees if a defendant paid the base amount owed, (3) revive a community-service program so defendants could perform supervised work as partial satisfaction, and (4) examine whether older cases could be administratively closed in limited circumstances.

Commissioners asked staff for more detailed data before any policy change: a breakdown of outstanding amounts by offense category, how much of the outstanding balances are state pass-through fees, the number of active bench warrants, and the results of the 2019 amnesty program. Several commissioners also asked for options that balance collections against the cost and equity concerns of incarcerating indigent residents; Judge Fuller and staff noted the city already bears costs when people are jailed for failure to appear or for related underlying sentences.

No formal action was taken. The commission requested that staff return with further analysis on three items: (1) a collections contract option and the contractor fee structure, (2) records and outcomes from the 2019 amnesty program, and (3) feasibility and cost of a supervised community-service alternative.

Ending: Staff said they will compile additional data and return to the commission with more detailed options and cost estimates so the commission can weigh budget and equity implications before deciding whether to pursue collections, another amnesty program, or community-service alternatives.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Leavenworth City Commission Meeting Sept. 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Leavenworth City presented an overview of municipal court fees and unpaid fines at a City Commission meeting, highlighting a long-term revenue decline and seeking direction on possible recovery options.","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},6468515,"Leavenworth City reports nearly 800 responses to solid-waste survey; recycling interest high",636,1945000,2581000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5782045-20770e13aed04f54da33d829450a89f3&start=1945&end=2581","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5782045-20770e13aed04f54da33d829450a89f3/thumbnail_1945000.jpg","/articles/6468515/Kansas/Leavenworth-City-reports-nearly-800-responses-to-solid-waste-survey-recycling-interest-high","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6468515-68c96aae4e78f43053f4d92a8bf91444/orig.mp4?Expires=1773650032&Signature=AFvMzOpBhibAdWrkqD~jr5D34vsPTRGBfutQKtfOqd7kt97IIIdK5-cj5Y0Fqr~kBIJecxc~X0VhP~X8BlYsR0S0nxq2sYL6cr1bG53bv5d0LvbgCAmZAZNkBv2YvB1TPjD2lvw9~zhy3tZfFErEWSbjcMSOwsPP1UZ8FOGiOfbjoB3XKJuXaEJRs~ZROsLMSAyqif3ytK3mjTdvDbe0To9RzXjRa2WQaWKYEnP8D59r1JgUVjre70GTz9Nr1f5~fKwpDSyTRj~s7sv9eAAUgTDM-fOuTbz4l1wsctT6RTCxykp0JM2aiJ~fsaL6xijFW0CLvkL5iVPkMrPHgHYYtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Leavenworth City staff presented results from a public survey on solid-waste operations, reporting about 775 responses, mixed satisfaction ratings and apparent public interest in expanded recycling and bulky-item pickup.

Trevor, the staff presenter, told commissioners the survey drew nearly 800 responses with roughly a 75 percent completion rate and 272 open-ended comments. On a 1-to-5 satisfaction scale the presenter summarized an average rating around 3.5 and said 55 percent of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied while about 15 percent reported dissatisfaction.

Trevor said the survey asked respondents to evaluate several service options against estimated monthly rate increases. He described a bubble-graph visualization that plotted favorability versus estimated dollar increases and cautioned the commission that options with fewer respondents carry less statistical confidence. As an example, he said one option showed an estimated $3.40 monthly increase and another clustered near $3.60 to $3.70 depending on service details, and that the larger survey groups gave more confidence in the direction of public preference.

Key findings staff highlighted: clear appetite for recycling services and a willingness among some respondents to pay more for expanded services; frequent comments about the timing and availability of bulky-item pickup; and notable open-ended feedback on recycling and service reliability.

Operational context: staff explained that solid-waste collection is managed in-house and that recent service reliability has benefited from favorable weather and relatively stable staffing. However, staff warned the commission that the department has “very little margin for error” and that maintaining service during staff shortages or equipment failures remains a concern.

Commissioners and staff discussed next steps. Trevor acknowledged the survey had some responses from outside Leavenworth and said the platform used limited address validation; staff recommended cleaning the dataset and returning with refined results and cost estimates if the commission wants to pursue new services such as curbside recycling, transfer-station options or expanded bulky-item pickup.

No formal decisions were made. Commissioners thanked staff and asked for follow-up analysis, including: refined resident-only response counts, cost estimates for specific recycling and bulky-item options, and potential staffing or equipment needs to increase service resilience.

Ending: Staff will refine the survey dataset, provide clearer resident-only metrics and prepare costed options for any service changes the commission wishes to consider.","Public works staff told the City Commission that nearly 800 residents responded to a recent solid-waste survey. Overall satisfaction was moderate, respondents signaled support for some rate increases to add services such as recycling, and staff recommended further analysis of bulky-item pickup and potential service changes.","actionData","errors"]

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Leavenworth City officials review $1.5 million in outstanding municipal court warrants, consider collections and amnesty

Leavenworth City reports nearly 800 responses to solid-waste survey; recycling interest high