Johnson Counth Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event

The Johnson County Stormwater Management Program will be holding a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Saturday, October 21 from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Hazardous waste from Johnson County residents may be dropped off at the City of Olathe’s Municipal Services Center, 1420 S. Robinson, as well as at the Johnson County Environmental Department’s Household Hazardous Materials Collection Facility at I-35 and Lamar. This brochure (PDF) provides more details.

I-35 on West Side of Downtown Loop to Close

Starting Monday, July 24, 2006 at 12:30 a.m., all northbound lanes of I-35 on the west side of the downtown loop will close -- between I-670 and the I-70 viaduct -- for bridge and roadway rehabilitation. The closure will remain in effect through mid-December, and motorists should expect significant delays. Travel southbound on I-35 or eastbound on I-70 will not be affected.

The Mid-America Regional Council has provided a map of the affected area.

United Way 2-1-1: Get Help, Give Help

Need to find counseling? A nursing home? Job training? A food pantry? Want to volunteer or donate goods? No more wasted time trying to find the right resource. Now, by simply dialing three digits, you can make just one call to find or give help. United Way 2-1-1 is an easy-to-remember central phone number connecting people with available community resources and volunteer opportunities. You’ll reach a trained, caring professional 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. All for free, all confidential.

United Way 2-1-1 spans a 23-county area – 7 counties in Kansas and 16 in Missouri – and has access to literally thousands of resources. And that comprehensive database is constantly being updated so you’ll have accurate information. Plus, United Way 2-1-1 saves 9-1-1 for life and death emergencies.

For more information about United Way's 2-1-1 service, call (816) 474-5112, or visit their website, where you can also access the service online.

Household Hazardous Waste Event

There’s no fooling Johnson County residents when it comes to disposing of unwanted household hazardous chemicals (hazardous waste)! Spring signals the clearing of unwanted paint, chemicals, cleaners and pesticides from garages, basements and storage units, and clever residents drop off their unwanted hazardous chemicals at collection events. Appointments are now being scheduled through Johnson County and the City of Olathe, for the Saturday, April 1st household hazardous waste collection events. The collection events will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at two different locations for citizen convenience: the City of Olathe’s Municipal Services Center at 1420 S. Robinson, and the Johnson County Environmental Department’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility at approximately I-35 and Lamar. For the spring event, both locations are open to all Johnson County residents and appointments are required for dropoffs. To schedule an appointment and get directions please call the City of Olathe at 913-971-9311, or Johnson County Environmental Department at 913-492-0402. Appointments can also be made online for the Johnson County Environmental Department site at http://jced.jocogov.org and click on "hazardous materials." There are a limited number of appointments available and if residents are unable to schedule a drop off on April 1st, they can arrange an appointment for a later date.

Mission Mall Area Redevelopment

The Planning Commission of the City of Mission will hold a meeting tonight, January 20, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 6090 Woodson. At this meeting, the Commission discuss the proposal for redevelopment of the Mission Mall area. Here's a link to the textual report (the Mall project begins on page 40); here are the project plans and elevations.

Soccer Feasibility Study Review Report

A review of the Johnson County Soccer Feasibility Study has been issued by a committee of community leaders. The report, dated December 30, 2005, is an analysis of the feasibility study that is featured in the October 10, 2005 post on this blog. Read the committee's new report here.

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

Each year the Johnson County Park and Recreation District accepts post-holiday contributions of discarded natural Christmas trees. Recycled trees are used for mulching on trails, around trees, or for fish habitats in Shawnee Mission Park Lake.

This year, trees will be collected from Dec. 26 to Jan. 17 at two locations: Shawnee Mission Park Marina, 79th and Renner Road in Shawnee (map), and the Heritage Park Marina, 16050 Pflumm Road in Olathe (map). Trees and only trees (i.e., no yard waste) will be accepted during regular park hours of 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wrappers should be removed from discarded trees, as well as any remaining decorations, particularly "icicles" and decorations made from mylar, shiny plastic, or aluminum.

There is no fee for disposal of Christmas trees. This program is funded in part by the proceeds from a Johnson County Park and Recreation District recycling program. For more information, contact Jan Kenton at 913-888-4713.