Latest news with #TopekaCityCouncil
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Video game developer makes play for Topeka City Council's District 1
A resident who moved to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic is making a run for local office. Local video game developer Tyler Jaggers, 44, is running for the District 1 seat of the Topeka City Council. "The reason why I want to serve on the City Council of Topeka District 1 is because I feel like I have a lot to offer," Jaggers said. "I have a wide range of experience, of business management — I've dealt with large businesses, had to liquidate locations. I have an engineering background where I've done software engineering work locally, and I have a vested interest in Topeka being successful." Jaggers was one of the thousands of people who moved to Topeka and Shawnee County during the pandemic. As part of the pandemic-related relocation program, he moved from Palo Alto, California, and bought a home to restore. Since living here, he has maintained and developed multiple video games, including Kontrol Flow, a puzzle simulation app and filmed his home farming experience on YouTube. Jaggers said his biggest strengths are his unique business and coding background. He said his weakness is that he's not yet on the council making changes he wants to see in the community. Tyler Jaggers wants to improve roads and public safety When asked what the top three issues Topeka faces, Jaggers said road conditions, public safety — especially for women — and the high cost of food. While Jaggers said there are things he thinks the city is doing well to address roads, such as the SeeClickFix app, he would like to ensure all areas are getting road needs addressed in a timely fashion. Topeka City Council candidate Tyler Jaggers wants to address roads, public safety and food prices if elected. "I just want to do whatever I can in order to keep that happening and then done in a timely manner," Jaggers said. "Also, there's been a little bit where some locations in the city have not been getting addressed as other locations. I'm not sure if it's due to property tax value or things happening under the hood, but I want to make sure that the roads are distributed fairly and everybody gets clean roads. Everybody gets safe roads." Jaggers said road improvements would help Topeka's economic growth. "I want to make sure our alleyways are safe," he said. "And so, that will increase actually our city efficiency, because even though you might look at a house and be like: 'Well, that's in a part of town or that's a different property value. So you don't get the same tax revenue.' "But that house and its people are still doing things in the city that — what I call — are dealing with aggregate business." He said he's heard many complaints that downtown Topeka and other areas aren't properly lit and therefore feel unsafe. "Did you know that some people aren't even utilizing the parking structures because they're afraid to walk at night and getting to the parking structures?" Jaggers asked. "So, what they're doing is they're adding to the congestion indirectly by re-parking their cars during shifts. "Instead of taking their break and relaxing. they're having to re-park their cars to deal with like feeding the meter maid kind of thing. We really need to make it so people feel safe using the structures." He said helping women feel safe in their own city will help the community thrive. "We need to think about women's safety No. 1, because if women feel comfortable shopping and living and owning businesses in Topeka, especially in District 1, we're going to be more successful," Jaggers said. Tyler Jaggers says Topeka could lead organic food industry While exploring home growing, Jaggers said he began to realize the positive implications that home and urban gardening would have on the overall Topeka community. He said most organic produce is brought in from out of state but could easily be grown here through community efforts. "So, when I ask of the people of Topeka is a call to action to grow your own food," Jaggers said. "Utilize your own land. We need to encourage people to actually take the land that they have, doesn't matter how small it is, and start developing it." He said that effort won't be solved by politicians but by community members working together to improve the produce production in Topeka. "We have the best farming territory on the planet," Jaggers said. "Nobody comes close to Kansas. We are the central hub of the United States of America and North America. Nothing gets more central to the United States than Topeka, Kansas. "We have a rail central corridor, roads and freeway central corridor. There's nothing stopping Topeka, Kansas, from being one of the most successful cities in the United States and the world." Who else is running for the District 1 seat on the Topeka City Council? The only other registered candidate for District 1 is Jolie Lippitt. Karen Hiller currently holds the seat and has yet to announce whether she will run for reelection. (This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.) This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka City Council candidate Tyler Jaggers eyes public safety, roads
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Possible DEI changes to Topeka ordinances are on hold
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Potential cuts to the City of Topeka's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office are on hold. At the Topeka City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 6, councilmembers voted unanimously to send these cuts back to the Policy and Finance Committee for review. At this time, it is unclear when the item will be back in front of the city council. Cuts to the city's DEI office were originally proposed in order for the city to continue receiving $45 million in federal funding, following recent executive orders from President Trump. Those funds would go towards homelessness, affordable housing, domestic violence and infrastructure. Burlington residents vote against new elementary school Topeka City Manager Robert Perez said at Tuesday's meeting these proposed ordinance changes will not remove the city's requirements to meet other federal laws such as American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, Equal Opportunity Employment, Title VII, the Immigration Reform Act or the Age Discrimination Act. Below is a copy of the proposed ordinance: Ordinance Compliance With POTUS EO (LB 04.22 0900) by Colter Robinson on Scribd For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Downtown Topeka parking costs may be going up soon
Context: The above video initially aired on April 14, 2025. TOPEKA (KSNT) – City of Topeka leaders are considering raising the cost for people looking to park in the downtown area next year. The City of Topeka reports the current parking rates in the downtown area are not bringing in enough revenue. Added to this are other issues such as current parking zones being 'confusing and inconsistent,' according to documents submitted for the April 15 Topeka City Council meeting. City leadership is also considering the following cost increases: Monthly garage rate from $67.75 to $74. 10-hour meter price from $0.50 to $1 per hour. 10-hour meter monthly permit price from $44 to $74. One downtown business owner said he doesn't want the parking costs to impact people trying to come to his store. 'I think if we are going to charge, and especially if we are going to have a system where visitors have to figure it out, it's got to be really easy and really predictable, and the cost if there is one, needs to be pretty modest,' said Nick Xidis, owner of Hazel Hill. Why legalizing weed in Kansas isn't working The Topeka City Council will discuss the issue during their meeting on Tuesday, April 15. No action is expected on this topic during the meeting. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Controlled burns create smoky Topeka skies
ROSSVILLE (KSNT) — If you noticed some smoke in the air today around Topeka, there's a reason for it. Farmers are burning their lands to prepare for the next harvest season. Each spring, several farmers set controlled burns. The process, however, requires many people monitoring the fires at all times. One local farmer told 27 News he gets his whole family together to contain it. 'We always have it controlled when there's a bunch of buggies,' Rossville landowner Evan Thomas said. 'As you can see, there's a bunch of people driving around in them and everybody has their sprayers and radios and kind of just light it slowly and everybody goes and sprays and knocks it out.' Topeka City Council to consider $168,000 funding request for hotel Once the grass is burned, it can grow back healthier the next season. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Topeka City Council to consider $168,000 funding request for hotel
TOPEKA (KSNT) – City leaders are set to vote on a resolution to send nearly $170,000 to the Hotel Topeka this month. The Topeka City Council is due to meet on Tuesday, April 15 to discuss several topics, including a resolution introduced by City Manager Robert Perez to clear the use of an additional $168,000 for the Hotel Topeka at City Center. This cash would go towards the continued operation and maintenance of the hotel. The Topeka Development Corporation (TDC) received the request for additional cash from the hotel management company. The additional cash for the hotel would come from the city's General Fund. The City of Topeka purchased the hotel in October 2023 at a cost of $7.6 million. The TDC was created by the Topeka City Council as a not-for-profit corporation to hold the title of the hotel and contract with a management company to oversee the day-to-day operations of the building. Appraisal value drops $4.2 million for Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka The Hotel Topeka was described as a 'distressed asset' in 2024, with costs nearing $10 million in October 2024 after the approval of an additional $201,000 for the structure. Topeka leaders were informed late last year the hotel would see a nearly $900,000 net operating loss in 2025. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
