May 2021
To coincide with National Police Week and Peace Officer's Day, the Board of County Commissioners have declared May 12, 2021, as "Detective Corporal Abramovitz Day" in Leavenworth County. Leavenworth County Sheriff Office's own Detective Corporal Abramovitz died in the line of duty on October 30, 2020. The memory of Detective Corporal Abramovitz's service t the community will live on, although he is not with us; we will continue to strive to answer the call as he did and speak for the victims of crimes in our community. 
Beginning on May 21st, and continuing through May 31st, Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office Deputies will join 180 other law enforcement agencies in aggressively enforcing Kansas occupant restraint and other traffic laws as part of the 2021 Kansas Click It or Ticket campaign. This activity is supported b a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).
The Click It or Ticket campaign is meant to drastically reduce the number of preventable deaths and injuries that occur when unbelted drivers and passengers are involved in traffic crashes. About 345 persons are involved in 170 crashes each day in Kansas. Only 7% of those that are unbelted are likely to escape without injury. Half of all fatalities occur among those who are not wearing a seat belt.
Starting May 21st through May 31st, drivers will be met with extra enforcement of both the Kansas Safety Belt Use Act and the Kansas Child Passenger Safety Act. These statutes require that all vehicle occupants must be appropriately restrained.
Almost two-thirds of Kansas’ fatality crashes occur on rural roadways, while these roads account for only one-third of all crashes.
In addition, Kansas law prohibits persons under the age of 14 from riding in any part of a vehicle not intended for carrying passengers, such as a pickup bed. For answers to child safety restraint questions and the location of the nearest safety seat fitting station, or safety seat technician, contact the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office at 1-800-416-2522, or write ktsro@dccca.org. For information on the car seat distribution program, visit www.safekidskansas.org.
The Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office also has technicians available to complete car seat installs. Please call (913) 682-5724 to set up an appointment for an install.
“Every traffic stop is an opportunity to educate the motoring public in better traffic safety habits. With graduation season and spring activities in full swing, the Sheriff’s Office wants to remind everyone to drive safe, buckle up.”
Interested in running for local office?
The Clerk's Office would like to remind anyone interested in filing for the 2021 City/School Election that now is the time to do so.
The filing deadline is Tuesday, June 1st, 12 PM.
All of the filing forms and information are posted on our website.
Candidates must file in the Leavenworth County Clerk's Office.
Offices to be Elected in 2021:
- City Commission
- City Council
- School Boards
- Leavenworth Waterworks Board
Transfer Station News and Updates
The Transfer Station is located at 24967 136th Street, Lansing KS 66043 • PH: 913.727.2858
Hours of operation: Tuesday – Friday 8:00 AM – 3:45 PM, Saturday 8:00 AM – 1:45 PM
The Recycling Center accepts cardboard, glass, aluminum cans, newspaper, magazines, and plastics. Volumes of recycled material were down in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The employees of these facilities are behind the scenes without much recognition. Could you image our world without services like landfills and other accommodations for disposing of unwanted or used materials? Thank you, Solid Waste, for your services to the Leavenworth County public!
If variety is the spice of life, then we’re all stocked up! With the amount of recent rainfall, keeping up with mowing and weed-eating is a chore in and of itself. Our maintenance team has kept atop of mowing at all county properties, and our grounds look phenomenal! Keep up the great work, team!
The mandatory walk-thru for the JDC Conversion to the future Community Corrections facility took place on May 12th. We had several companies show interest. The bids will open on May 26th, and we anticipate the work starting by the end of June.
Aside from preparing our 2022 budget plans and miscellaneous annual facility inspections and cleaning of chillers, our staff will be busy overseeing the current Cushing remodel and Transfer Station projects, along with our general maintenance of all county properties.
GIS handles a wide variety of mapping functions. We support the cartographic needs of other County and City Offices, as well as Police, Fire, EMS, Utilities, Private Companies, Surveyors, and the Public. GIS is a growing archive of many map 'layers.' Aerial photos (ranging from 1941 to current), property boundaries, land use, roads, hydrology, flood zones, elevation, municipal boundaries, water districts, school districts, tax districts, to name a few. They create and maintain new layers as projects develop.
Our GIS technicians are busy building new map layers and constantly updating the old ones with the latest information to make our Interactive Map as useful as possible. If you need something other than that map viewer can provide, please contact us. We would be happy to help you.
Other map services available from our department include:
- Providing Geo-Referenced map layers like shapefiles and geodatabases.
- Mapping legal descriptions.
- Producing a list of property owners within a given radius of a parcel for Special Use Permits, Rezoning, etc.
- Scanning and/or printing large format documents and maps. (up to 3' wide and 12' long)
- Custom maps built upon request of any combination of map layers we have.
- Custom databases and reports built from your unique criteria.
- Time tracking aerial photos from 1941 to the present day.
- Historical map archive including layers such as old wagon trails, cemeteries, circa 1870 school houses, abandoned railroads, etc.
- Specific wall maps such as landowners, school districts, flood maps, land use, etc.
We can provide an aerial photo of any property that shows right-of-ways, property lines, creeks and ponds, buildings, flood zones, elevation, soil types, land use, etc. Since this office was created, the information is all kept up-to-date. If we don't have the type of map you need, we can direct you to who does.
You may also get electronic maps on CD or e-mailed to you.
If you have any questions, please contact us!
Life Line Screening will hosting annual health screenings at the Council on Aging on July 15th, 2021 in our Leisure & Learning Room by appointment only from 9:00 – 4:00.
Life Line Screening, the nation's leading provider of preventative health screenings, will offer affordable, non-invasive and painless health screening at the Council on Aging on Thursday, July 15th, 2021. A package of five screenings to identify risk for stroke, heart disease and other chronic conditions will be offered:
- Carotid artery ultrasound to identify plaque buildup in the carotid arteries, a major risk for stroke
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound to identify presence of an enlargement in the largest blood vessel in the body
- An EKG to identify the presence of atrial fibrillation, which increases the risk for stroke
- Ultarsound of the lower legs to look for plaque buildup known as peripheral artery disease
- Ultrasound of the shin bone to identify risk for osteoporosis
These 5 vital screening are offered for only $149 and will take 60-90 minutes to complete. If you register today, you will receive a $10 discount.
Register by calling toll free: 1-800-653-6441 or text the word "circle" to 797979.
Renewing Your License Plate
General Information
To get your renewal decal for your license plate for any truck weighing less than 12,000 pounds, any car, or any motorcycle, you need the following:
- Renewal form from the Kansas Department of Revenue
- Proof of insurance
- Payment
Renewal Form
The Kansas Department of Revenue mails out the renewal forms about 45 days before your current license plate expires. When you receive your courtesy renewal form from Topeka, please check the license plate number on the form and make sure it is your current number and that it is for the correct vehicle.
The license plate for your vehicle is renewed at the same time each year, regardless of the month in which you purchased it. The renewal month depends on the first letter of your last name or the first letter of your company's name (if it is a company vehicle). See Tag List for a full schedule of expiration dates. The month in which you must renew appears on your current tag.
If you have lost or not received a renewal form by the fifth day of the month in which your current license plate expires, you can get the amount due by calling our office at 913-684-0430, visiting our office, or by using the Motor Vehicle Property Tax Estimator on our website. Please have last year's registration form or your license plate number with you when you call or visit.
Proof of Insurance
You will need to provide proof of insurance, including the insurance company's name, policy number, vehicle identification number, and expiration date. The insurance company must be a Kansas-approved insurance company.
Kansas law requires that the vehicle owner carry no-fault liability insurance on any vehicle (except a motorized bicycle).
Payment
You will also need to have money to cover the registration fee and the property taxes. Below the vehicle description, you will find the property tax and registration fees due. You will find the Total Amount Due in the highlighted area, which may be paid by cash, check, or credit card. If paying by credit card, there is a convenience fee associated with the transaction.
Building Season is upon us!
If you live in the unincorporated parts of Leavenworth County, a building permit is required for all structures - residential, accessory, or commercial, within the unincorporated areas of Leavenworth County. Structures smaller than 100 square feet are not regulated.
Traditional building permit applications can be found in the document center or obtained in person from our office. Completed application packets can be submitted in-person, emailed to us at PZ@LeavenworthCounty.gov, or submitted through our new building permit portal found on our website.
Requires a Building Permit:
- Homes
- Accessory Structures (pole barns, outbuildings, etc.)
- Building Additions
- Pools & Ponds
- Commercial
- Car Ports
- Ground-mounted Solar Panels
- New Decks
Does Not Require a Building Permit:
- Structures under 100 sq. ft.
- Roofing
- Roof-mounted Solar Panels
- Deck Replacements (same footprint)
- Unenclosed Carports
- Interior Modifications
The month of May is Military Appreciation Month. How do you say “Thank you” for the freedom we enjoy at the sacrifice of so many our history of defending America’s safety? My staff and I are grateful 365 days a year!
One service offered by the Register of Deeds is recording the DD-214 discharge form at no charge. This makes it possible for the veteran to come back in the future and receive up to 5 free certified copies when applying for VA loans, job requirements, etc. In the event of a military burial, the immediate family (parents, siblings, or children only) may obtain a copy with the completion of the attached form and a photo ID presented at our window. Please call our office at 913.684.0424 if we may help you.
God bless our active military and retired veterans.
Identity theft is rampant. Identity theft is the illegal use of someone else’s personal information to obtain money or any other benefit. Criminals commonly obtain personal information by stealing and looking through unsecured laptops, tablets, or cellphones. Don’t buy from an unfamiliar company. Legitimate businesses are happy to comply with requests for more information. Research unknown companies with the Better Business Bureau, state attorney general, or the\ National Fraud Information Center. Only pay for services only after they are delivered. Take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won’t pressure you to make a snap decision. If you are interested in an investment opportunity, collect information and then speak to a financial advisor, trusted friend, or family member. It’s never rude to wait and think about an offer. If you have information about a fraud, report it to law enforcement. Limit the amount of information you provide to people, such as birth dates, social security, credit card numbers, etc.
Please understand these cases are difficult to prosecute. To prosecute, we need to know who is on the other end of the computer, which is not an easy thing. It is best to be suspicious and cautious before giving out personal detail.
Leavenworth County Attorney's office has started a volunteer program. We are looking for individuals who are able to commit four or more hours a week with at least a six-month commitment to assisting our office. We have a wide variety of tasks volunteers can assist with in our office. Volunteers will work with victims and witnesses, help with clerical paperwork, assist with phone calls, data entry, and assist in ongoing cases.
Volunteers must have the ability to work with professionals and the public, a commitment to confidentiality must be 18 years or older, be sensitive to others needs, have a willingness to commit time regularly, have the ability to communicate effectively, pay attention to detail, and there must be no criminal history on either the volunteer or any of their family members
On April 20th, Leavenworth County Public Works was awarded a Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) grant under the High-Risk Rural Roads (HRRR) program for a total of $1,429,000.
The HRRR program is an annual opportunity made available through KDOT for communities to address site-specific issues that have a history of safety concerns. Leavenworth County has been awarded funding through this program several times over the last few years, most recently for improved signage along County Routes 5, 10, 13, and 14. The County will use the most recent award to provide safety improvements to County Route 5 (Tonganoxie Road) between the intersections of 199th Street and 195th Street. Improvements identified by preliminary engineering recommendations are widening of the roadway to include 12ft travel lanes and 6ft shoulders, upgrades to drainage structures, regrading of the shoulders, removal of vegetation that creates roadside obstacles, pavement markings, and edge rumble strips, as well as any additional signage required to meet standards.
County staff is working with KDOT to move this project forward, and they anticipate completing these improvements by the end of the year 2023.
Project status updates and information on either of these two bridges or any other county project can be found on the public works department page of the Leavenworth County website at Project Status Updates.
Leavenworth County would like to communicate with as many residents as possible. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends and neighbors. Click here to subscribe. Leavenworth County is also on Facebook, so residents can follow their local government and stay informed about the latest news and events.
