October 2024 

Jump to Events and Training Opportunities

Raymore receives recognition for economic development — Raymore has been honored with a 2024 Excellence in Economic Development Gold Award from the International Economic Development Council for its 2023 Economic Development Annual Report project. Raymore’s Economic Development Director Jordan Lea was honored for her work at the IEDC 2024 Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado. Read more here. 

Johnson County earns historic award — Johnson County, Kansas, is the first in the nation to earn a “Leading the Way” award from the ETC Institute three times. This year marks the third consecutive year Johnson County has ranked in the top 10% of 300 localities with populations over 100,000 in satisfaction with overall quality of services, customer service provided by employees, and the value residents think they receive for taxes and fees. The award was presented at a recent Board of County Commissioners meeting. Learn more about the award here.

Pat Klein named interim road and bridge director — Pat Klein, a retired Kansas City, Missouri, employee of 25 years, has been named interim road and bridge director for Clay County. His previous roles include director of capital projects and director of aviation at the city manager’s office. Learn more here.

Belton announces new director of emergency management — Claire Canaan, who started on Sept. 9, brings 15 years of experience in law enforcement and emergency management. She will oversee emergency preparedness including response, recovery and mitigation efforts. Learn more about Canaan here.

Shawnee staff updates — Doug Whitacre retired at the end of September after nearly nine years with Shawnee. In addition to serving as the public works director, Whitacre served the city as interim city manager twice. Deputy public works director Kevin Manning will step into the role. Colin Duffy has been promoted to deputy city manager after two years as assistant city manager. 

Sean Pederson joins Douglas County — Sean Pederson is now a deputy county administrator in Douglas County, overseeing their public works, zoning, codes and sustainability departments. He has 13 years of experience in local government, including nine years as city manager in Bonner Springs. Read more here. 

Enrollment opens for Heartland Certified Public Manager program — Registration is open for the Heartland Certified Public Manager (CPM) program, offered by the Kansas University Public Management Center. The 300-hour program covers various management topics and requires participants to solve a workplace problem. Cohorts begin Jan. 8, 2025. Learn more and enroll here. 

Missouri and Associated Rivers Coalition (MOARC) hosts legislative summit — The MOARC Legislative Summit will cover current issues in water supply management, water quality, and the value of partnership in resolving these issues, and will involve representatives with federal, state and local agencies. It will be held on Oct. 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more and register here. 

Public sector jobs board puts spotlight on local job fairs — Metro KC Gov Jobs, the place to find public sector jobs in the Kansas City region, now features a list of upcoming job fairs. Job fairs are great opportunities for public sector employers to connect with students and job seekers in our region. View the list and learn more.

MARC plans to continue highlighting public sector

workforce-related content in future newsletters.
If your organization would like to share a recent success or new strategy pertaining to recruitment, retention or other workforce topics, please contact Alex Morgan.

Managers Roundtable set for October — Join us on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 11:30 a.m. for the next Managers Roundtable. This month, Jill McCarthy with the Kansas City Area Development Council will provide updates on regional development. Topics will include recent investments, how cities and counties can aid in economic development recruitment and attraction efforts, and key industries of interest. There will also be time for questions. Register here. 

MARC applies for HUD PRO Housing Grant — MARC plans to submit a regional application to HUD’s PRO Housing funding opportunity based around three projects, with partners Institute for Building Technology and Safety, Kansas City Community Land Trust, and Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City. The projects include:

• Developing a strategy and program to assist communities in reviewing land-use policies, zoning codes and development processes to increase and preserve affordable housing with an aim for implementation and adoption.
• Harmonizing building codes within the region to foster development and preservation of affordable housing.
• Funding development of the Community Land Trust Consortium as described in the Regional Business Plan for Community Land Trusts (CLTs) that will provide technical assistance and development of CLTs in the region.

The application, along with responses to comments, is due on Oct. 11. For questions, contact MARC’s Housing Specialist, Anna Van Brunt. Learn more and comment.

MARC leads the way in updating Hazard Mitigation Plan — Every five years, local jurisdictions are required to prepare and update a hazard mitigation plan in order to be eligible to apply for certain FEMA grants. Hazard mitigation is the process of taking steps to reduce or eliminate the long-term risks posed by natural hazards. By implementing proactive measures, we can significantly protect lives, property and communities from the devastating impacts. This plan will help our region better withstand natural disasters.

MARC is currently seeking community input for the updated plan.  Learn more and participate. 

Biden administration provides additional funding for street safety — More than $1 billion in funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program will be distributed amongst 354 projects. The SS4A program, created in 2021, with the passage of the infrastructure bill, has awarded a total of $2.7 billion over the last three years. Learn about planned projects here. 

New data reveals benefits to planting trees in cities — Initial data from the Green Heart Louisville Project highlights the health benefits of living near trees, including lower risks of inflammation. Strategic tree planting is proposed as a solution to mitigate extreme weather effects and pollution. Additionally, American Forests has announced $25 million to support such initiatives in 36 communities. Read more about the experiment here. 

Do you want something featured in Management Matters?
Management Matters is always seeking submissions that feature your city
or celebrate regional government accomplishments.
If you have something you wish to share with the region, submit it here!

Visit our Grant Opportunity web page for current grant opportunities open to local governments.

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Managers Roundtable — MARC Board Room
  Oct. 9, 11:30am–1 p.m.
• First Suburbs Coalition — Sylvester Powell Community Center, 6200 Martway, Mission, Kansas.
  Oct. 18, 8–10 a.m.

UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

For information and to register see the GTI Calendar of Events.

• Project Management Intermediate
  Oct. 9
• Project Management Fundamentals
  Nov. 7
• Project Management Intermediate
  Nov. 25
• Everything DiSC Productive Conflict 
  Oct. 22
• Grant Management Workshop
  Dec. 4–5