The Leavenworth Times
Beginning Monday, people will no longer be required to wear masks when visiting Leavenworth City Hall or other city buildings.
Leavenworth City Manager Paul Kramer said face coverings will be optional.
He said the city is also removing occupancy limitations that were in place at the Riverfront Community Center.
Kramer said city officials already had made the decision to change the mask requirement before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidance for fully vaccinated people on Thursday.
The CDC stated on its website that people who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 “can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”
The Leavenworth Times
Leavenworth County commissioners have voted to provide $240,538 in funding for design work for a Lansing sewer extension project.
Commissioners approved the funding when they met Wednesday.
Lansing City Administrator Tim Vandall said the project could help spur development of additional properties along the Kansas 7 Highway corridor by extending sewer service farther south to McIntyre Road.
Vandall said city officials anticipate engineering costs for the design work will total about $500,000. He said the project may not be designed until 2023 or 2024.
“But once designed, this project will make the sewer line shovel ready and it would jumpstart the developability of properties in the area,” he said.
Lansing rescinds mask order
The Leavenworth Times
A week earlier, a majority of the Lansing City Council voted to extend the city’s mask order through the month of April. But council members voted Thursday to repeal the mask order.
Council members were expected to take some form of action Thursday related to face coverings because of a new state law that allowed statewide mask orders issued by the governor to expire at the end of March.
Gov. Laura Kelly issued a replacement mask order Thursday. But her new order was revoked by a Legislative Coordinating Council.
Lansing City Council members were presented with an ordinance Thursday that complied with the new state law. The ordinance, if approved, would have once again extended the city’s mask order through April 30.
Masks no longer required at courthouse
The Leavenworth Times
People are no longer required to wear face coverings when visiting the Leavenworth County Courthouse or the Justice Center.
County Administrator Mark Loughry announced Thursday in an email that county officials “will no longer be requiring masks for people coming into the courthouse to conduct business.”
Located at 300 Walnut St., the Leavenworth County Courthouse houses many of the offices for the county government.
Located across the street from the courthouse, the Justice Center houses courtrooms, offices related to the criminal justice system and the county jail.
People entering the building are no longer required to wear masks. But Leavenworth County Undersheriff Jim Sherley said people may still be asked to put on masks in specific areas of the Justice Center.
The Leavenworth Times
Allowing a Lansing mask ordinance to expire at the end of the month is reasonable, according to the city administrator.
Lansing City Administrator Tim Vandall said this assessment comes after speaking with the county health officer.
Vandall commented on the mask ordinance in a written city administrator report prepared in advance of a Lansing City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday evening.
The mask ordinance will not be on the agenda, but Vandall said he will be looking for direction from council members on Thursday.
If there is a consensus among council members to have a new ordinance drafted, they can consider taking action on the ordinance during a special meeting next week, Vandall said.