Lehi and Sky City Byway reports kiosk, brochure progress and asks counties to reappoint commissioner

Representatives of the Lehi and Sky City Byway told the Cheyenne County Board of Commissioners that kiosk parts are on hand and that brochure distribution and outreach continue, and asked the county to appoint a commissioner to the byway committee.

The byway representatives said they expect the kiosk roof for the Road B kiosk to be installed sometime this year and reported they distribute several thousand brochures annually along I-70 and at regional visitor centers. They said they recently received KDOT permission to add a kiosk in Sherman County at the entrance to Smoky Gardens, but that the project requires survey work, drawings and material decisions that will add time and cost. The presenters said they are working with a college on design and construction tasks to reduce costs.

The byway asked each of the three counties it serves to designate a commissioner to the committee. The group said county donations provide seed money used to match other grants and that ongoing county support allows the byway to leverage additional funding for brochures, kiosks and promotional activities.

Officials described distribution and outreach activities: a reprint of byway brochures to meet demand; placement of brochures at roadside information centers and in regional visitor racks; a byway display at the Kansas State Fair; and participation in the Kansas Tourism Conference. The group said it produces a new brochure and is reprinting a larger Kansas Byways guide once a state coordinator and other pending approvals are in place.

The presenters noted operational delays tied to partner schedules: the college partners sometimes must reassign their staff, slowing kiosk construction, and they highlighted staffing turnover at the state byways office as a factor in printing and distribution timing. They said the kiosk in Sherman County will require a culvert and survey work; Sherman County has agreed to the culvert, but the presenters said the remaining design and materials decisions remain the byway's responsibility.

The group asked the board to name a commissioner appointee to the byway committee for the coming year and offered to provide additional project schedules and cost estimates on request. They said meeting times are typically the third Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. central and that the byway holds quarterly reports and monthly regional council meetings.