Letter from the Mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas, First City Connection Summer 2024

From the Desk of Mayor Griff Martin

Greetings Leavenworth,

It’s hard to believe we are already midway into Spring! We have certainly had our share of wind, rain and storms this year. But it is another sign that many fun activities, events and projects are ramping up as we get ready for summer.

One of these events was the Leavenworth Citywide Spring Cleanup in April. We were very blessed with the help of 800 volunteers. These volunteers were amazing and picked up trash all over Leavenworth … in one day!

It’s encouraging to see the community spirit manifest itself in a variety of ways all over our city. We saw it at Arbor Day during the planting of a tree in memory of one of our former Parks and Recreation employees, Marcella Williams, who dedicated her career to helping children and families enjoy our parks and recreational activities. This community spirit was also seen during the life celebration of Medal of Honor recipient Col. Roger Donlon, a decorated combat veteran who chose Leavenworth as his hometown upon retirement from the military. With summer on the horizon, there are many more big projects, programs and services coming soon. For the first time in many years, the City’s Pavement Management Program began before Memorial Day. This will bring $1.8 million in needed major repairs to Leavenworth’s streets. A list of those streets is on the next page.

We’ve already seen the beginnings of construction at Buffalo Bill Cody Memorial Park that will bring new pickleball courts and a new basketball court later this year. Our Leavenworth Recreation youth softball and baseball program will open this summer to record-high enrollment. Wollman Aquatic Center opens for the season on Memorial Day, May 27. The Splash Pad at Hawthorn Park is scheduled to open

May 17. Look for more great activities on our Parks and Recreation website, leavenworthks.org/parksrec, or in pages 8-16 of this booklet.

This spring also brought some bittersweet news. Our Leavenworth City Manager, Paul Kramer, announced that he had accepted a new position as City Manager for the City of Shawnee, KS. We truly thank Paul for his leadership and a job well done; and we wish him and his family all the best for this new chapter in their lives.

Of course, this presents a new challenge in finding the right new City Manager. This is a task that we do not take lightly and finding the right candidate will be extremely important. We are currently working with a recruiting firm that is very knowledgeable in this space. Ensuring that we pick the right candidate who will work well with you and your neighbors while also being a true servant leader for our city employees cannot be overly emphasized.

This summer also begins budget planning for the 2025 calendar year. Please stay tuned to the City’s website or social media for information about public hearings and more information as we go into our regular City Commission budget preparation meetings. All meetings are open to the public and we appreciate your input.

This summer, Leavenworth will also celebrate our outstanding international connections with a visit from the delegates in our Sister City of Wagga Wagga, Australia and the City will also host International Military Officers attending the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College to be “Citizens for a day.”

In the First City of Kansas, we’re proud to be the place in which retired military, federal servants and many others call “home.”

May the Lord richly bless you, Griff

Contact information for Leavenworth City Commissioners is also shown on this page. Direct, clickable links can be found on the City's website here - https://www.leavenworthks.org/citycommission