Garden Plain hires its first city administrator

GARDEN PLAIN –

The City of Garden Plain announced at its Jan. 5 meeting that Brian Gartland has been selected as the city’s inaugural city administrator. Gartland’s tenure with the city will begin on Feb. 15.

“After an extensive recruitment and vetting process, we are pleased to announce that Mr. Gartland has been selected to serve as Garden Plain’s first city administrator,” said Mayor Kevin Hammond. “The city has been growing, as has the western half of the Wichita metro. We want to be strategic about that growth pattern and capitalize on the city’s great location adjacent to the MSA and the Kellogg/U.S. 400 Corridor. The city has grown to the point that the governing body recognized the need to have a full-time, professional administrator overseeing the community, operations, growth and development. We want to be sure that we grow but do not lose our small-town charm, feel and heritage.”

Gartland comes to Garden Plain from Spirit AeroSystems, and prior to that from the City of El Dorado and City of Derby. Throughout his career, Gartland has held a wide range of leadership and professional positions in both the public and private sectors. He has worked for Wichita State University Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs and as a cavalry scout in the Kansas Army National Guard. His service included a deployment to the Horn of Africa in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) from 2010 to 2011. He received his master of public administration from Wichita State University in 2014, and his bachelor of arts in communication from Newman

University in 2004.

“City staff are looking forward to Mr. Gartland’s leadership, ideas and energy to successfully carry out the city’s mission and vision,” said Hammond. Gartland has a heart for public and servant leadership.

“I am grateful to Mayor Hammond and the City Council for this opportunity to join the City of Garden Plain team and I look forward to working

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collaboratively with council, staff, residents and the business community,” he said. “Together we will continue to serve Garden Plain by increasing economic development and innovative efforts; and by transforming public services for all who live, work and play in our city.”

Brian lives with his wife, Tia. They celebrated their three-year anniversary last November and live together with their dog, Taxie.

Brian Gartland and his wife, Tia Hill. Gartland is the new city administrator for Garden Plain.

Police have suspects in string of burglaries

By Travis Mounts TSnews news@tsnews.com

CHENEY – Police are continuing to investigate a series of December car burglaries and related thefts, and these crimes are possibly connected to another series from late October and early November.

Police Chief Ken Winter said there were nine car burglaries in December, with thefts in at least some of those cases. In a few of the cases, it has been difficult to prove anything was stolen.

“We believe we have cleared all of those,” Winter said.

He said some of the suspects also were involved with a string of incidents in the fall.

Arrests have been made, although charges have not been filed. Winter expects