Important Notice:
The Sumner County Health Officer, Laura Rettig, has issued a Stay-At-Home
Order for Sumner County effective 12:01AM, Friday, March 27, 2020 through April 25, 2020. The order and a list of frequently asked questions can be found by clicking here. You can call the health department at
620-326-2774 if you have any questions about this document.
Information on the state's Stay-at-Home order can be found by clicking here. Click here for information on unemployment benefits due to job losses from the pandemic.
Local changes taking place
due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Due to the threat of the COVID-19 (Corona Virus) the following are in effect for the City of Belle Plaine:
- The Community Center will not open for public use until further notice. This includes the fitness center. Residents who paid for time in the fitness center will receive a credit for that time, after the crisis has lifted.
- The front door to City Hall is locked. Residents are asked to pay their utility bills through the drop slot on the front door, by phone, or online (www.bpks.org/MyUtilityAccount). The online link offers two options: one for those who have set up an online account and one for those who only need to make a credit card payment.
- By order of the governor, city utilities (water, sewer, trash) cannot be disconnected during the crisis. As consumers, all residents are reminded that this is not that they do not owe the bill. The current order expires May 1 and disconnects will happen later that month, if the order is not extended. Anyone in dire financial hardship due to the pandemic should contact City Hall and make arrangements for paying their bill.
- We have pushed back the start date for the 2020 paving project. There is a lot of prep work to do before the work can begin and City staff needs to focus on core functions. At this time, it is unknown what that future start date is.
- City Council meetings will be open to the public, but watch for announcements as that may be electronic only.
- It has been confirmed that the Middle School is still available for shelter in the event of a tornado warning.
- City Staff has been told, if available, to offer services to the Barner Center with delivering meals if that need arises.
- The Police Department will use a common sense approach in using social distancing on their jobs. If residents’ needs can be met with a phone call, they will be handled in that manner.
- The Police Department will not be offering fingerprinting or VIN services until April 30.
Belle Plaine Officer Will Narron poses in front of one of two new vehicles which were placed in service at the first of 2020. The new Chevrolet Tahoes will replace two 2015 vehicles that were starting to require extra maintenance to keep them on the road for the amount of miles and time required for patrols in Belle Plaine. The new vehicles are also larger and more comfortable for officer use. They sport new graphics and will be highly visible to the public.
The City Maintenance Department fleet received an update this month, with the purchase of a new pickup. The new truck will replaced an older vehicle with over 280,000 miles that was in poor condition. Repair estimates on the other truck came in too high to be justified on the old truck. Another new pickup will arrive in about two months. Both trucks will have the City logo, so they can be easily recognized when on local job sites.
Sign up to receive your utility bill electronically
Your bill will be e-mailed on the last working day of each month and no other terms on the account change. The due date for payment remains the 15th of the month, with unpaid accounts subject to disconnection on the 26th of each month. Those who have signed up for automatic debit on the 15th will continue to have that service.
The Belle Plaine City Council has approved an ordinance to close the Line Street/10th Avenue railroad crossing .
The Council approved a closing agreement contract with Burlington Northern Santa Fe during its July 2, 2019 meeting. That agreement is contingent upon approval of the local ordinance, which was approved July 18 and published on July 25, 2019.
Council representatives, City staff, BNSF representatives, a Federal Railroad Administration representative, a Kansas Department of Transportation engineer, representatives of an engineering firm to design the changes on K-55 for a Quiet Zone crossing, and local Quiet Zone committee members met on June 9 for a diagnostic review of the crossings at K-55, Eighth Street, and Line/10th. Potential improvements along the railroad corridor and changes for the Quiet Zone were discussed on site. Among those changes in discussion are improvements at the Eight Street crossing and access to that crossing.
Shown in the photo at right above, Mayor Robert Narron discusses the Eight Street crossing with officials at the site of the crossing.
Private funds raised by Bartlett Arboretum have been utilized to hire the engineering firm to design the median changes on K-55. Donations are still being accepted to help fund the initiative.
To see a video explaining the need for the Quiet Zone, click here.
For information from the Federal Railroad Administration on Quiet Zones, click here.
Help is available for trash carts
If you are unable to move the large trash carts to the curb, due to physical limitations, contact City Hall at 488-3433. Waste Connections will pick up the cart in those cases from the front of the home.
The carts
must be visible from the street and cannot be in the back yard for this
service.
Eliminate the need to write one check a month
Pay your monthly bill
by bank draft on the 15th
You will receive a copy of your bill each month so you can be prepared for the withdrawal.
They’d be lost without you
Keep pets tagged under City Code
All cats and dogs in Belle Plaine must be licensed and tagged under City Code. Licensing helps ensure public (and animal) health by requiring up-to-date rabies vaccinations. More importantly, if they are found running loose, Belle Plaine police have a better chance of finding the owner quickly.
Licensing is easy – bring the vaccination certificate from your veterinarian to City Hall and pay $10 (only $5 if they are spayed or neutered) for the tag.
Siren provides improved coverage
The new siren was installed at 5th and Washington, in an area which allows better sound coverage for all areas of the community. The new siren is also more efficient in operations and dependability.
Sirens will be tested on the first Monday of each month at 11 a.m.
The new Middle School gym at 8th and Merchant will serve as the community storm shelter during severe weather. Enter at the entrance facing 8th Street.
Belle Plaine Police will no longer be opening the local churches which formerly served as shelters. The gymnasium is designed to withstand an F5 tornado and meets FEMA standards for such buildings.
Pets can be taken to the shelter, but they must be crated or caged.
City offices add holiday in 2020
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Monday, January 20
President's Day - Monday, Feb. 17
Memorial Day – Monday, May 25
Independence Day – Friday, July 3
Labor Day – Monday, September 7
Veteran’s Day – Wednesday, Nov. 11
Thanksgiving Day and Friday after –
November 26 and 27
Christmas Eve & Christmas Day – Thursday, December 24 & Friday, December 25.
All City offices will be closed on these days.
Report street light outages
Contact UsPHONE(620)488-3433FAX
City Building Hours 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday |
