North Central Regional Planning Commission, Author at NCRPC

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Rural Voices 2018-2019 Winners Announced

Congratulations to the 2018-2019 Rural Voices winners!

First Place Video Entry: McKenzie Shippy, Herington High School

First Place Written Entry: Kara Eilert, St. John’s Catholic High School

View the winning video and read the winning essay below.

Rural Kansas…My Community
By Kara Eilert

When I hear the word community, a definite image appears in my head. I think of main street. Every town has one, yet they are all different and unique in their own way. Some are large and long, some abandoned, and some thriving, but each hold a vital piece that is essential to the identity of the community.

Rural Kansas is often described as a place “where everything always stays the same.” Some ask me why I like it here. I have to think, then I respond. It is all I have ever known. Living in a small town, my life has a basic routine: Friday night athletic games, church on Sunday, with school, work on the farm, and time spent with friends and family in between. It’s a comfort to know no matter where I go in life or what challenges I might face, I will always have a strong support system from my local community.

The rolling hills, fields stretching for miles in the distance, and vibrant sunsets all echo the same truth; we are not alone. A quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson helps capture the meaning of living in an area surrounded by the constant allure of nature, “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting.” When living in a rural community, all it takes is a five minute drive out of town on the highway to exit our busy lives and find the beauty and simplicity of our world in nature.

Many features set my community, Beloit, apart from other rural communities and make it unique, however, I would like to focus on four areas: education, health care, industry, and recreation. Each of these sectors help Beloit thrive and makes rural Kansas a sought after place to call home.

In Beloit, we enjoy excellent educational opportunities for all ages, from early childhood learning all the way through post-secondary education. Mitchell County Early Learning Center provides developmental opportunities for children starting as young as two weeks old through twelve years of age. When it is time for parents to enroll their children into school, Beloit offers two quality school options, a public school and a private Catholic school. Beloit Elementary and Jr./Sr. High School won the 2018 National School of Character Award and strives to implement innovative teaching programs. St. John’s Catholic Schools, with classes Pre-K through 12^th grade, was awarded the Kansas Newman School of Excellence award in 2015 and provides small classes with a family atmosphere focusing on the development of the entire person: mind, body and soul. For students deciding to further their careers, NCK Technical College, established in 1965, provides multiple options for students pursuing post-secondary educational opportunities. They pride themselves on being nationally ranked in job placement and graduation rates. Education has been shown to increase economic growth and stability, two critical components of a progressive community. Beloit is fortunate to have these educational institutions providing valuable human assets to its community.

An important component of any community is access to quality health care. Beloit is home to Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems, a level four trauma center. The Beloit Medical Center, with eight doctors, is available for routine appointments and health concerns. If additional services are necessary, several doctors come to Beloit for specialty services. Hilltop Lodge Retirement Community provides options for skilled nursing and rehab to assisted living units to on-call assistance independent apartments. With exceptional health care easily accessible, residents of Beloit have strong, consistent relationships with their physicians and seek treatment when necessary to enjoy a happy, healthy, productive life.

To thrive, individuals must have access to strong employment opportunities. Several renowned industry options exist within Beloit. Although the economy revolves around the agriculture industry, which is supported by AGCO, Carrico Implement and Central Valley Ag, other vital industries in the area provide quality employment opportunities including health care and education. Possibilities exist for people with degrees in engineering, education, health care and business, only to name a few.

When the day is done or the weekend is here, residents of Beloit have multiple entertainment options. Chautauqua Park is home to Chautauqua Pool, a family aquatic park, a frisbee golf course, picnic shelters and playground equipment. If fishing or boating is part of your weekend plans, Waconda Lake is a short fifteen minute drive outside of Beloit. With abundant farm ground and pasture land, hunting is a popular hobby for many residents. And for an overall family night out, the Solomon Valley Cinema provides current movies for everyone to enjoy.

I am fortunate to live and grow in a very progressive community. In the last thirty to forty years, many forward thinking individuals have set the stage for all of us here today. They took chances, I am sure a few ended in failure, but many succeeded. However, we cannot be complacent and expect our community to continue to thrive based on these past successes. New opportunities are waiting to be explored and implemented. It is vital to encourage college graduates and young families to return to small communities, yet this can be challenging. Injecting new ideas and fresh thoughts into existing industries is crucial as well as generating new companies and services to keep us on the leading edge.

I feel one area the community of Beloit needs to continually evaluate is their position in reference to technology. We must have an up-to-date technology infrastructure. In today’s world, we operate within a global community. Everyone is connected via technology. We must have structures in place for individuals to complete their work timely and efficiently from anywhere they might be. Cell phone towers and high speed networks must be readily accessible, reliable and affordable. Beloit may not physically be home to Fortune 500 companies, but with technology advances, individuals can work for these companies while still living in Beloit.

Another area which must continually be evaluated is quality, affordable housing options. If we want people to live and work here, we must provide attractive living alternatives. We need to provide options ranging from apartments and duplexes, to family homes to retirement living. Beloit was established in the late 1800’s, so over the years, many houses have been built. Some of the older homes are small and require needed improvements. Construction of new homes require a large financial investment, which may not be affordable. Beloit must maintain an inventory of homes with various price points to attract residents to establish roots in our community.

All throughout the state people talk about the “Kansas winds.” A recent push by the State of Kansas has been to turn these vibrant Kansas winds into a viable, renewable energy source. Kansas is squarely placed in the center of America’s wind tunnel, a corridor stretching from North Dakota south into the Texas panhandle. With our abundant open prairie fields, Beloit needs to capitalize on this developing technology and industry. Many jobs and sources of income are available to those who embrace this new forward thinking. With available jobs and an increasing economy, our population would benefit with the establishment of wind farms in our community.

Community, from the dictionary, is defined as a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. Does this definition hold true in all communities? Probably not, so ask yourself what you are doing or can do to improve the outlook people have on your town. As the younger generation starts to take ownership of what we want our community to be, we must strive to stay on the path of innovation, prosperity, and resilience. This will then in turn lead our rural communities to continue to thrive for years to come, even after our part in it is complete.

About the Contest: The Rural Voices Youth Contest is sponsored each year by the North Central Regional Planning Commission (NCRPC) to engage high school seniors in North Central Kansas in thoughtful reflection on rural Kansas and to promote a discussion among citizens based on their insights.

The next contest deadline will be December 2, 2019. Check back for more information for the 2019-2020 Rural Voices Youth Contest in late August.

Pilot Program Addresses Nuisances

Helping communities deal with nuisance properties, enforcement and ordinances was the main goal behind NCRPC offering a pilot Nuisance Abatement Program in 2018.

Dilapidated structures are one of the issues the Nuisance Abatement Program seeks to address.

NCRPC Housing Director Carol Torkelson says there have been many positive results from the first year of the program in the City of Belleville.

“The visual impact is huge in the area where the ordinance was enforced and property owner pride is very apparent,” Torkelson said. “Another great success was neighbors helping neighbors — working together to remedy issues that needed taken care of.”

The Nuisance Abatement Program offers third party assessment and oversight from an outside perspective to enforce an ordinance the city adopts. The comprehensive Nuisance Abatement Ordinance applies to all properties including commercial, residential, vacant or occupied. NCRPC developed the program based on similar initiatives with peer organizations in Nebraska.

“We all get used to seeing things as they are and that becomes normal,” Torkelson said. “The program helps nudge residents to be aware of their surroundings.”

The pilot program was designed to be completed by the end of 2018. All properties have cleared except those the City of Belleville is monitoring and will complete with its demolition program. According to Belleville Mayor Kim Lapo, in recent years the city has demolished approximately 10 homes per year that have been deemed uninhabitable. Some of these properties have absentee owners.

“Everyone in our community wins when our properties are taken care of,” Lapo said. “It positively impacts tourism and economic development, which is crucial for small towns like us to stand out.”

While there were challenges to work through like many first-year programs, Torkelson credits the City of Belleville and its staff for staying the course and successfully completing the project.

“City staff was great to work with,” Torkelson said. “They offered suggestions such as an extra clean up day to help residents and use of their time and equipment for the actual abatement.”

According to Lapo, the city encountered pushback at the early stages of the program’s implementation — mostly due to questions about the purpose and cost. “The council and city staff worked diligently to be as transparent as possible and answer the questions that the community had in regards to this program,” Lapo said.

After a year of the program, Lapo reflected that there have been noticeable successes, including the visible difference where the nuisance abatement ordinance was enforced. “Trash has been removed from properties, vegetation has been cut down, repairs have been made to homes and structures, and vehicles have been tagged or removed from properties,” Lapo said. “A sense of community pride has been fostered since this program’s implementation.”

NCRPC is currently developing a modified version of the program that will be available to smaller communities that cannot afford the cost of the full program.

“We see the need in many of the communities we work with but also understand this is hard for communities to take on,” Torkelson said. “It is a lot of work and it impacts people on a personal level.”

For more information about the program, contact the NCRPC Housing Department.

This article appeared in the January 2019 NCRPC Newsletter.

Joint Land Use Study for Proposed UAS Corridor Underway

Viewpoint Column by Doug McKinney, NCRPC Executive Director

Since the Civil War, Fort Riley Army Base has been a key component for national defense training. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Kansas has been at the forefront of aviation exploration. After all Kansans Walter Beech, Clyde Cessna, Lloyd Stearman and Amelia Earhart were some of the greatest aviators and quite innovative in their day. Today, Kansas is taking the lead in unmanned aerial system (UAS) research and development. Fort Riley, Kansas State University Polytechnic and the Smoky Hill Weapons Range are a large part in that.

North Central Regional Planning Commission is working with Flint Hills Regional Council to complete a Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) that will support the UAS home station training. The research project is funded in large part by the U.S. Department of Defense. There are six unmanned systems at Fort Riley. The U.S. Army is looking for and needs to find safe and realistic training areas beyond the tight confines of the base. The Route Phoenix corridor links Fort Riley with the Smoky Hill Range in western Saline County. This is the first such training sector in the nation.

The JLUS research will examine this corridor and potential impacts vertically from the narrow high elevation flight path to the ground below. This effort will help identify potential new regulatory and non-regulatory measures to encourage compatible land uses within the study area. Recommendations will be offered for both military and civilian partners. Options such as noise attenuation standards, air space height standards, land exchanges, land acquisition, development incentive programs, conservation easements, transferable development rights program (TDRs), performance standards, special overlay zones, and special procedures for reviewing developments with potentially substantial impact within the study area may be explored.

The work is necessary to gain Federal Aviation Administration support for Fort Riley aviation training programs. It will greatly enhance maneuverability and increase readiness. North Central Kansas committee members represent each county of the corridor. Stantec Consulting has been engaged to provide JLUS expertise. Public meetings will also take place allowing for additional input from local citizens. The results should prove beneficial to Kansas and the nation by late 2019 and beyond.

This column appeared in the January 2019 NCRPC Newsletter.

Investing in Youth Important for Future

Written by Doug McKinney, NCRPC Executive Director

Investing in youth is happening all across the region. I salute the efforts in Republic County and Saline County and the youth entrepreneurship programs they are unveiling in late November. Lincoln County has provided some youth leadership training. Many other locations have initiatives to intentionally engage and invest in youth. One recent example I had the opportunity to participate in was the Career Day in Clay County on November 14. It was a huge success.

You never know what is on the mind of a young person—what their hopes and dreams are until they are asked in a small group setting. About a dozen of 300 I talked with had their own business. They all make use of social media to market their services.

Energizing others was a theme of the dialogue with Ed O’Malley of the Kansas Leadership Center at the recent NCRPC and NCKCN bi-annual banquet at Life’s Finer Moments Lodge near Clay Center. The youth at the previously mentioned forums are energized by what they experience and have the opportunity to express.

Teaming with a mentorship group can also energize them. The world we live in is full of successful collaborations that blossom from a single idea being flushed out amongst a few others who help it grow. According to Forbes Magazine, young persons need a safe environment in which they can thrive and fail at attempts to learn and experiment with innovations. Having others alongside them is vital in that realm. Moreover, often we as older adults do not convey the opportunities that can be explored right here in this region given the technologies and technical trainings available.

Please ponder how we can better prepare the next generation for what is around the next corner in life so they can return to help our communities survive and thrive.

This column appeared in the November 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Project Spotlight: Lincoln Power Plant

A new generator has improved the reliability of the power supply in the City of Lincoln Center.

A basic need of any community is to have steady, reliable electricity. Residents, businesses and visitors all expect and rely upon having electrical power 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

When the City of Lincoln Center was faced with continued problems on its rebuilt electrical power generating engine, the Enterprise, the city knew replacement was the best long-term solution.

The community applied for and was awarded funds from the Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce to assist with the cost of the electrical generation upgrade project. The project used approximately $346,000 in CDBG funds. The city contributed nearly $442,000 in City cash and the issuance of bonds.

The older failing engine was replaced with a newer, more reliable engine that will continue to serve the community for many decades.

According to City of Lincoln Power Plant Foreman Jeff Ahring, it was necessary for the city to upgrade the generator. “Prior to the project, in the event that one of our other generators should malfunction, we would not have been able to provide the entire community with enough power to the grid, and as a result, we would have to initiate a “rolling blackout” until the issue was repaired,” Ahring said. “With the addition of the generator this project provided, we are able to provide the power required.”

Now if an incoming utility fails to provide power to the community, the power plant can restore power to the community in a matter of minutes. Ahring also noted the newer engine is a Tier 2, meaning fewer emissions while the engine is producing energy.

NCRPC Community Development Representative Nichole McDaniel administered the project in Lincoln. “The City of Lincoln has been great to work with on this as well as past improvement projects,” McDaniel said. “The recent power plant project has been able to provide the city with confidence that they can provide reliable power to their community.”

There are many great things happening in North Central Kansas communities. Periodically we plan to feature projects from around the region to share ways communities have solved challenges. To view more Project Spotlights, visit https://www.ncrpc.org/tag/project-spotlight/.

This article appeared in the November 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

Pilot Home Ownership Program Helps Beloit Home Buyer

Home Ownership Program Logo Buying a home became feasible a little sooner than planned for one new homeowner thanks to a two-county pilot project of the NCK Home Ownership Program.

The program, which offers down payment and closing cost assistance to home buyers in Cloud and Mitchell counties, launched this Spring. NCRPC Business Finance Director Debra Peters manages the program.

Stephanie Simmons utilized the program to purchase a home in Beloit in July. She has lived in the county for nine years but most recently had been renting. Simmons, who serves as Executive Director of the Mitchell County Regional Medical Foundation, says the pilot program was a critical factor in her ability to purchase a home this summer.

The Pilot NCK Home Ownership Program was a factor in Simmons’ ability to purchase a home this summer.

“I am a very budget oriented person and don’t make quick or hasty decisions financially,” Simmons said. “I knew I wanted a home that was a forever home for my daughter and I and it just seemed a little out of reach. This program truly helped to make this more feasible and reasonable on my budget.”

Simmons says the transition to home ownership has been positive. “I feel like I am putting my money to work for me and building equity,” Simmons said. “I also feel like we are more part of a neighborhood that we can be life-long members of—making memories, making our community better, and having our own place.”

Funding requests currently have exceeded the funds available for the pilot project in Cloud and Mitchell Counties. The NCRPC also administers a similar program in Marysville. The Marysville Pilot Home Ownership Program will be accepting applications again beginning January 2. The results of the pilots will be used to develop a regional home ownership program to be launched in the future. For more information, contact Debra Peters at the NCRPC.

This article appeared in the November 2018 NCRPC Newsletter.

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