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Local volunteer groups, food pantry and a land-use question raised during Miami County public comment
Summary
Speakers at the March 26 meeting updated commissioners on the volunteer Silver Haired Legislature and Harvesters/Crosspoint food distribution and asked about rezoning a parcel from agricultural to commercial; the commission approved a $200 donation to the volunteer group and directed the resident to planning staff on the zoning question.
At the public-comment portion of the Miami County Commission's March 26 meeting, James Payne, the county delegate to the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature and director of Harvesters at Crosspoint, updated commissioners on the volunteer advocacy group's legislative priorities and gave an overview of Harvesters food-distribution activity in Miami County. Payne asked the commission to continue the county's past practice of contributing $200 to the Silver Haired Legislature; the commission approved the $200 donation by voice vote.
Payne described several Silver Haired Legislature resolutions and local needs, including a request to establish a medical cannabis advisory board, support for Medicaid expansion, adjustments to the CAPER pension tiering and increased funding for the Kansas Senior Care Act. He also reported Harvesters/Crosspoint distribution numbers for 2024: staff said Harvesters brought 324,207 pounds of food to the Crosspoint distribution (the transcript lists this figure and converts it to an estimated 389,048 meals) and that local volunteers served 3,208 different individuals across distributions, including older Kansans and families.
“I just want to update you a little about what we're doing,” said James Payne, identifying himself as the Miami County delegate to the Silver Haired Legislature and director of Harvesters at Crosspoint.
During the public-comment segment resident Dale Troyer asked about rezoning a parcel he and an accompanying neighbor had examined; Troyer said the lot was agricultural and he wanted to know what it would take to change the zoning to commercial. The commission advised Troyer to meet with county planning staff to begin the formal rezoning application process; on the record the chair said, “So get with Kenny, go through the process, and hopefully it'll work out for you.”
Both public-comment items were followed by formal motions on the consent or action agenda; the $200 donation was approved during the action portion of the meeting.
