Mission Statement Surveys & Opinions

You May Contact theTopeka City Council, Mayor and City Manager

These may be the members of the most historic team in the history of Topeka if they accomplish putting a street railway system for electric trolleys in Topeka according to the PHASE ONE proposal. This electric and modern trolley system would be installed for the exclusive purpose of tourism, entertainment and economic development--not yet for purposes of practical transportation for the entirety of Topeka. This would put Topeka "on the map" for the first time in it's long history as a major tourist attraction--regionally and nationally. This accomplishment could employ more people long-term and breed more small business and larger commercial enterprise than any single factor ever in the history of this town. It will set a model for other cities nationwide in economic development as well as going green. This plan should show dramatic results in economic development as soon as the plan is officialized as a city plan

click photos to enlarge, twice for maximum enlargement.

City Hall

785-368-3725 Tel
785-368-3909 FAX

Municipal Building--City Hall 215 SE 7th
Topeka, KS 66603-3914

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jim Colson, City Manager,

Personal Web Page

785-368-3711

 

 

John Campos, II, Councilperson 710 NE Wabash Ave.
Topeka , KS 66616
785-260-7793
Committee/Boards Membership: Public Health & Safety Committee, Budget Committee, Committee of the Whole, Long-Range Planning Committee , JED O (Joint Economic Develop. Org.) Board, MIPO (Metropolitan Tran. Planning Org.) Policy Board
Council District #1
Karen Hiller , Councilperson
1018 SW Lane St
Topeka, KS 66604

785-232-2917
Board Membership/
Committee Assignments
Public Health & Safety
BudgetCommittee of the
WholeLong-Range
Planning Committee
MTPO Policy Board
JEDO Member

 

 

 

 

Council District #3
Sylvia Ortiz, Councilperson
837 SE Gilmore
Topeka, KS 66607

785-357-0717
Board Membership/
Committee Assignments
Public Health & Safety,
Chair
Budget
Committee of the
Whole Long-Range
Planning Committee
JEDO Board
Voting Member

Council District #4
Denise Everhart, Councilperson
1706 SE 44th Terrace,
Topeka, KS 66609

785-267-4098
Board Membership/ Committee Assignments:
Economic/ Community Development
Transient Guest Tax
Budget
Committee of the Whole Long-Range Planning
JEDO Board Voting Member
GO Topeka Board, Mayor's Designee

Council District #5 Michelle De La Isla, Councilperson, 215 E. 7th Street, Room 255, Topeka, KS 66603 785-368-3710

Economic and Community Develop- ment Committee, Budget Committee, Committee of the
Whole, Long-Range Planning Committee, JED O (Joint Economic Dev. Org.) Board, Voting Member, SCMS Health Access Manage- ment Oversight Committee (Mayor's Designee)

Council District #6
Chad Manspeaker, Councilperson
1304 SW College Ave.,
Topeka, KS 66604

785-220-9493
Board Membership/
Committee Assignments
Policy and Finance
Budget
Committee of the Whole
Long-Range Planning
JEDO Board Member
MTPO (Metropolitan
Transportation Planning
Organization) Policy Board

 

 

 

Council District #7 Elaine Schwartz, Councilperson

4720 SW Lincolnshire Rd. Topeka, KS 66610 785-273-0688 Policy and Finance Committee, Trancient Guest Tax Committee, Budget Committee, Committee of the Whole, Longrange Planning Committee, City Employee' Health Care Advisory Committee, JED O (Joint Economic Dev. Org.) Board.

Council District #8
 Nathan Schmidt, Councilperson, 6201 SW 22nd Park, Topeka, KS 66614 Cell: (816) 309-9181 Economic and Comm- unity Dev. Committee, Transient Guest Tax Committee, Budget Committee, Committee of the Whole, Long-Range Planning Committee, JED O (Joint Economic Dev. Org.) Board, MTPO (Metropolitan Trans. Planning Org.) Policy Board, Mayor's Designee.

Council District #9
Richard Harmon,
Councilperson
935 SW Grand Ct.
Topeka, KS 66606

785-271-6962
Board Membership/
Committee Assignments
Public Health & Safety
Budget
Committee of the Whole
Long-Range Planning
Committee, JEDO Member
MTPO,
Mayor's Designee

 

 


Topeka leaders have in the past consulted other “experts” on how to promote and improve Topeka. We are discovering that we have the most unique formula of how to package Topeka and bring in major tourism revenue. Part of the formula is the uniqueness of the layout of our best tourism assets. These assets happen to be close to the Kaw River. These historical assets alone have never drawn major tourism to Topeka of and by themselves. We could never compete with Branson, Kansas City, Worlds of Fun, and Omaha – nor the Rocky Mountains--only a short drive away. The magic is the novelty of electric streetcars and the fact that nothing within 500 to 1000 miles would have this unique transportation and entertainment to offer in the form of a continous 37-mile loop requiring no transfers and a 2.5 hour ride.

Other cities have many transportation problems to solve along with pollution control, traffic congestion and time-distance problems. The bigger the city, the bigger the problems and the more money it will take to solve these problems and over proportionally large span of time. Topeka is free of these burdens--and free to install a loop where "the ride" is the entertainment along with the people places that will evolve along the alignment of the tracks. A relaxing, social thing to do will be to ride the Topeka streetcars, where no transfers are required to stay on the River Front Zephyr and just ride for about two and a half hours. This will especially have a profitable effect within a 50 mile radius of famlies coming to our city with their children to have a lot of fun and not spend much money on fares or the gas to get here. One-day bus tours will reach further out--say about 150-200 miles. Out further than that will take promoting a theme with nostalgic trolley excursions.

Topeka experts should then be the consultants of other suppressed municipalities once the tracks are laid.

 

Larry Wolgast Topeka Mayor
215 SE 7th, Room 352
Topeka, KS 66603-3914
785-368-3895 – Tel
785-368-3850 – Fax