Geary County resident urges stronger county representation on 3‑mile zoning, criticizes KAC

A Geary County resident urged county commissioners during public comment to press for stronger county representation in state deliberations over the ‘‘three‑mile’’ extraterritorial zoning and criticized the Kansas Association of Counties (KAC) and municipal lobbying groups for not advocating for smaller counties.

The comment, delivered by a resident who identified herself as Desiree, came during the public‑comment portion of a Geary County Commission meeting. Desiree said she attended hearings at the State House and was surprised to find county positions underrepresented: “I kinda got the inkling that KAC does not support counties,” she said. “They are very chummy with the Kansas League of Municipalities.”

Desiree told commissioners that, in her view, opponents at the State House — including city managers, the Kansas League of Municipalities and paid lobbyists — dominated testimony and that few county commissioners provided written testimony. “Well, no county commissioners wrote in a testimony. It was all us independent people,” she said. She also said she asked who would sit on an interim committee reviewing the bill and was dissatisfied with the answer she received at the hearing.

Why it matters: changes to three‑mile extraterritorial zoning or interlocal agreements can change how cities and counties exercise land‑use authority near municipal borders. Desiree warned that an interlocal agreement could shift decisionmaking power and reduce county influence without safeguards that protect smaller counties’ interests.

Details and local reactions Desiree described attending the State House hearing and said a variety of lobbyists and organizational representatives were present. She named Jay Hall as someone called to the podium during that hearing and said he pointed to municipal lobby interests. She also said Ken Corbett told hearing attendees that the interim process often becomes driven by lobbying and dollars: “All that’s gonna happen is you’re gonna have a meeting and everybody’s gonna be floating dollars here and here to get what they want,” Corbett said, according to the transcript.

A county official who identified herself as Crystal clarified procedural and outreach matters during the meeting. She noted that KAC board meetings are open to the public and said the next KAC board meeting would be Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. in Topeka and broadcast online. Crystal also clarified a staffing point raised in public comment: “Mike Taylor is for the Kansas County Commissioners Association,” she said, correcting an earlier conflation of Mike Taylor with KAC representation.

Desiree raised several practical concerns: the possibility of a joint planning and zoning commission or an interlocal agreement that would require both city and county approval; out‑of‑date municipal planning documents that still list the county in some roles after the county withdrew from a joint arrangement; and the need for more local commissioners to appear or file testimony at legislative hearings. She said she believed small counties risk being ‘‘run over by the city populations’’ if they do not engage more actively.

What was not decided No formal action or votes on policy were taken during the public‑comment period. Commissioners and staff discussed avenues for follow‑up — staff offered to forward links to KAC meeting broadcasts and to notify commissioners when bills of clear county impact arise.

The meeting record shows the concern came during public comment and that the county did not adopt any formal direction or policy at that session. Desiree urged more commissioners and residents to provide testimony at future hearings to ensure county viewpoints are represented.