Commission certifies primary election results with 41.4 percent turnout

Federal court order forces county to count late-arriving ballots

Board approves 97 provisional ballots during election canvass

County attorney urges commission to retain fifth prosecutor position

Commission approves short-term rental permit on Sand Hill Road

City of Newton pitches rural housing incentives for new subdivisions

Developer seeks tax incentives for apartments and Fox Ridge phase two

New jail food service contract approved for $174,762

Commission plans future review of controversial license plate cameras

1. Commission certifies primary election results with 41.4 percent turnout

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The Harvey County Board of Commissioners unanimously certified the final results of the August primary election Tuesday following the official canvass. County Clerk Rick Piepho reported a 41.4 percent voter turnout, with 9,504 ballots cast out of 23,072 registered voters. While turnout was down from the historic 53.4 percent seen in the 2022 primary, Piepho noted a continued shift toward early voting, with 1,893 residents choosing to vote early in person.

2. Federal court order forces county to count late-arriving ballots

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — During the election canvass, County Clerk Rick Piepho reported the county counted 17 mail-in ballots that arrived up to three days after Election Day. Despite a recent state statute eliminating the three-day grace period, a federal court order temporarily reinstated the rule for the primary election. Piepho noted the ballots were legally postmarked on or before Election Day and were included in the daily tallies per the court's mandate.

3. Board approves 97 provisional ballots during election canvass

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — Acting as the Board of Canvassers, the commission reviewed over 140 provisional ballots, ultimately voting unanimously to count 97 of them. The approved ballots included 69 from voters who moved within the county but failed to update their registration, as well as four voters who successfully cured missing signatures on their mail-in ballots before the canvass. The board rejected 47 ballots from individuals who were not registered to vote in Harvey County.

4. County attorney urges commission to retain fifth prosecutor position

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — County Attorney Heather Figger strongly opposed a budget proposal to eliminate a fifth prosecutor position from the 2027 budget. Figger told the commission she successfully filled the long-vacant role in early August. She presented data showing her office operates with the lowest budget and highest per-attorney caseload compared to peer counties like Lyon, Geary and Finney. Eliminating the position, she argued, would unfairly burden the remaining prosecutors by increasing their non-traffic caseloads by 25 percent.

5. Commission approves short-term rental permit on Sand Hill Road

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit for a short-term rental property owned by Burrton Lake House, LLC at 1919 S. Sand Hill Road. The Airbnb-style rental will be limited to a maximum of 16 guests and is prohibited from hosting large special events like weddings. Despite past neighbor concerns regarding property maintenance and all-terrain vehicle use on the property, zoning staff reported those issues have been resolved. The permit was approved with 12 conditions, including annual water testing.

6. City of Newton pitches rural housing incentives for new subdivisions

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The city of Newton presented preliminary requests for Rural Housing Incentive Districts (RHID) to support two new housing developments. K2M Investments proposed building 61 units, including duplexes and single-family homes, south of the Southeast 14th Street connector. Separately, Gilbert Properties pitched a 61-lot executive housing development near Sand Creek Station, featuring homes priced between $400,000 and $600,000. The RHID designations would capture incremental property taxes to pay for infrastructure, sparing future homebuyers from hefty special assessments.

7. Developer seeks tax incentives for apartments and Fox Ridge phase two

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — A developer requested Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) funding to support the second phase of the Fox Ridge subdivision and a new apartment complex in Newton. The developer plans to build high-density, garage-free apartments with target rents under $1,000 to meet local affordability needs. The developer warned that without the RHID capturing property tax increments to cover a $500,000 bridge and other infrastructure costs, neither project would be financially viable. The commission will vote on the agreements following formal public hearings.

8. New jail food service contract approved for $174,762

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The commission unanimously authorized the sheriff's office to negotiate a $174,762 annual food service contract with Consolidated Management Company for the Harvey County Detention Center. The change transitions the jail's kitchen to an inmate-worker-only model, eliminating civilian prep workers in favor of a simpler menu. Although the vendor's bid was not the lowest of the four submitted, jail staff recommended the company due to its existing integration with the jail's management software and a lower administrative burden for staff.

9. Commission plans future review of controversial license plate cameras

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — While approving the county's routine warrant checks, a request was made for a future agenda item to review the Harvey County Sheriff's Office's use of Flock Safety license plate reading cameras. Noting that the automated surveillance system has sparked public controversy and feedback from residents, the commission agreed to schedule a comprehensive discussion of the program before the county's two-year contract with Flock Safety comes up for renewal next year.

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