1) Kansas 150 Festival Day

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback announced the State of Kansas will celebrate its sesquicentennial with the "Kansas 150 Festival Day" on October 8th in Wichita, Kansas.

"We have held a number of events recognizing the sesquicentennial of Kansas. But celebrating a birthday for a state as big as Kansas requires an equally big celebration-and that's exactly what will take place during the Kansas 150 Festival in Wichita," Governor Brownback said. "From Atchison to Elkhart, Baxter Springs to Goodland - everyone in Kansas is invited to join in the state's birthday bash. I can guarantee you the Festival will be an once-in-a-lifetime party that Kansans won't want to miss."

The sesquicentennial celebration will showcase the state's proud cultural heritage with a "Kansas Sunflower Parade," a special "Home on the Range" concert, and an encampment featuring representatives from Kansas cities and counties along with historical re-enactors. The parade will wind through downtown Wichita with other festival activities hosted by Old Cowtown Museum.

Towns, cities, high schools, universities, civic organizations, companies, and re-enactors are invited to enter floats and marching units in the Kansas Sunflower Parade to show off their unique part of Kansas' history and heritage. Marching bands from across Kansas-from high schools, colleges, universities and the military-are invited to help make the parade a rousing, rollicking good time. Kansas vendors and re-enactors are encouraged to show off their wares at the fair.

"The festival offers Kansans from across the state to come together and celebrate our state's great history. Beginning with the 'Bleeding Kansas' battle over slavery to the days of the wild-west cattle drives and ultimately becoming the nation's breadbasket and supplier of the world's energy and aviation needs, we are proud of our great heritage," Brownback said.

Participation in the parade is free, but registration is required. Tickets for the "Home on the Range" concert are $5. There is a $25 registration set-up fee for booths at the fair, but that price includes two tickets to the concert. For all inquiries related to the Kansas 150 festival, please visit www.ks150.com.

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2) 2011 City Showcase to Celebrate City Achievements

The National League of Cities (NLC) is currently accepting applications for the 2011 City Showcase, NLC's premier program celebrating city achievements. Successful, creative programs from cities and towns across the country are encouraged to submit an application to participate.

The City Showcase celebrates cities for their achievements and provides city leaders and staff with the resources and networking opportunities they need to learn and grow.

Through the City Showcase, NLC recognizes and showcases city programs that form creative collaborations, implement new processes or make efficient use of resources to improve city functioning and enhance the quality of life for their residents.

The centerpiece of the City Showcase activities will take place during NLC's Congress of Cities and Exposition in Phoenix, November 9-12. Representatives from selected programs will engage in conversations with attendees about their implementation strategies, successes and lessons learned. They will also have the opportunity to display their information in the exhibit hall.

Participating cities will be honored by NLC in a conference-wide event and recognized in conference publications. Selected city programs will also be showcased on NLC's website and highlighted in Nation's Cities Weekly and other venues.

City Showcase programs are selected for their innovative practices and for their contribution to a collection of programs that demonstrates a wide range of geographical locations, city sizes, and topic areas.

Programs that address a variety of topics relevant to cities will be considered, but emphasis will be placed on programs that are aligned with one or more of the conference's 2011 concurrent conference topics:

- Economic Development

- Infrastructure

- Your City's Families

At the Congress of Cities and Exposition, participating programs are highlighted as models and educators. Program representatives will display and discuss their successes with conference attendees, providing them with innovative ideas for planning and problem solving in their own communities.

Both participating programs and conference attendees will benefit from this exchange of innovative ideas.

According to Laura Cisneros, of San Jose, Calif., “it is rewarding to attend a conference where we meet leaders from throughout the United States who we can learn from, network with, and discuss the issues we are all facing today. You leave the conference with new ideas, new insights, and new connections to make us more effective in our role.”

Representatives from participating programs will also have the opportunity to talk with one another about their successes, challenges, and solutions and form ongoing connections with their peers from across the country.

The City Showcase is “a great way to connect with other municipalities around issues we face every day and find new and innovative solutions,” said 2010 participant Sandra Seader of Longmont, Colo.

Programs selected to participate will be provided with two free registrations to NLC’s Congress of Cities and Exposition in Phoenix. Southwest Airlines, the official airline of the City Showcase, will make it possible for some participating cities to fly to Phoenix to share their successes with conference attendees. The cost of the exhibit space is covered by NLC. Additional scholarships may be awarded to participating programs for display and other travel expenses.

Applications are available now. The application deadline is August 15.

Details: For more information about the City Showcase, contact Lara Malakoff at malakoff@nlc.org or Will McGahan at mcgahan@nlc.org.  

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3) 2011 LKM Annual Conference

Registration for the LKM 2011 Conference, October 8-10 in Wichita, will be available very soon! Keep checking www.lkm.org for updates.

This event is designed as the premier training event for city officials in Kansas.  This year’s schedule has been changed to allow for even more educational opportunities for both elected and appointed city officials.  See the 2011 Schedule Changes online for more details.

 

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4) Register for August MLAs

August's MLA, KOMA / KORA, will be in Newton on August 19th, in Lawrence on August 20th, and in Oakley on August 26th. This core MLA class will provides an in-depth legal analysis of both KOMA and KORA. Attendees will receive copies of the Kansas Open Meetings Manual and the Kansas Open Records Manual published by LKM as a guide to both the legal and practical applications of KOMA and KORA. For more information and registration, please click here.

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5) E.A. Mosher Excellence in Local Government Award

The E.A. Mosher Excellence in Local Government Award is presented annually to an elected city official who has not only demonstrated outstanding service to his or her own city, but has also shown an active commitment to strong local government and service to the League of Kansas Municipalities (LKM). Named in honor of E.A. Mosher, League Director from 1960 to 1991, this award is designed to honor excellence and leadership at the highest level.

Nominees for the E.A. Mosher Excellence in Local Government Award must meet the following qualifications:

• Must be an elected official from an LKM member city;
• Must have held elective office for a minimum of four years;
• Must have nomination in at the close of nominations on September 2, 2011;
• Must demonstrate contributions that have had a significant impact on the quality of life of the citizens of his or her city;
• Must demonstrate contributions in promoting positive intergovernmental relationships; and
• Must show involvement with LKM.

Guidelines for the selection of the 2011 award winner are as follows:

• Nominations will not be accepted after 5:00 p.m. on September 2, 2011;
• Nominations may be made by any elected or appointed official of an LKM city;
• The Awards Committee of the LKM Governing Body will select the award recipient;
• The decision of the Awards Committee will be final; and
• The winner's name will be kept confidential until the presentation at the LKM Annual Conference in Wichita.

For a nomination form, please click here, or, contact Kim Winn at (785) 354-9565 or kwinn@lkm.org.

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6) Interested in Serving on the NLC Board of Directors?

The LKM Awards Committee is charged with reviewing applicants who seek the endorsement of LKM with regard to a position on the National League of Cities Board of Directors. If you are interested in being considered for endorsement, please send a cover letter and resume to Kim Winn at kwinn@lkm.org or 300 SW 8th Ave., Topeka, KS 66603, (785) 354-9565 by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 2, 2011. The Awards Committee will review all requests for endorsement and make a recommendation to the LKM Governing Body for final action.

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7) Register for the KWEA & KsAWWA Joint Annual Conference

Make plans to attend the third joint conference of these two long-standing environmental organizations: the Kansas Water Environment Association (KWEA) and the Kansas Section of the American Water Works Association (KsAWWA).

With a greater diversity of technical sessions presenting the latest topics in water and wastewater as well as an expanded exhibition of the newest equipment in the industry, this conference promises to provide you with all that you need to know to stay abreast of the industry.

Professionals who may benefit the most from this conference include: municipal agencies, including operators and managers, consultants, regulators, manufacturers and their representatives, industrial dischargers, contractors, and others seeking to understand the full picture of the latest developments and practical experiences in this field. Professional Development Hours (PDHs) can be earned for attendees who require these for continued professional licensure.

Additionally, attendance at this and future conferences will go toward satisfying training hours for Water & Wastewater Operator Certification by KDHE as well as the ABC Certification program.

For more information, please click here.

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8) ACEC City Public Improvement Awards

Apply today for the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Kansas Public Improvement Awards (PIA). ACEC of Kansas presents Public Improvement Awards every year in several population categories for both Kansas cities and counties. Created in 1962, these Public Improvement Awards DO NOT recognize engineering projects for their engineering excellence. Judges rate the entries based on their benefit to the citizens of the community.

Public Improvement Awards offer both cities and counties an excellent opportunity to gain well-deserved recognition for their public improvement projects. City entries that win PIAs receive engraved plaques at the Kansas Association of City/County Management (KACM) Fall Conference, while winning county entries are awarded plaques at the Kansas Association of Counties Annual Meeting Banquet. In addition winning entries also receive public relations benefits by entering this program.

First place awards will be presented to a city with less than 5,000 population, a city with 5,000 to 19,999 population, a city with 20,000 to 49,999 population, and a city with 50,000 and over population.

Entries must be in the ACEC of Kansas office by the close of business September 9, 2011. Of prime importance to the judges will be how the project benefits the citizens of your community. Pictures are helpful, but not mandatory. The winners will be announced at the Kansas Association of City/County Management Fall Conference November 30 - December 2, 2011 in Topeka.

Please click here for the 2011 City Public Improvement Awards brochure.

Please click here for the 2011 City Public Improvement Application form.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Amy Dubach at the ACEC office at (785) 357-1824.

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9) City Photos Wanted

The League of Kansas Municipalities is seeking new photos to add to the photo database. Photos may be used for our ANNUAL LEAGUE CALENDAR, on the website, or in other publications. Send your best city photos to photos@lkm.org. Please make sure all photos are sized at least 300 ppi for best quality printing.

Questions? Contact Amanda Schuster at aschuster@lkm.org or (785) 354-9565.

For a PDF Version of the League News, Click Here