Hello!

April is in full swing, and we are excited to bring you this month's UG Monthly Employee Newsletter.

This month's newsletter is jammed packed with lots of employee accomplishments, spotlights, volunteer opportunities, resources and so much more...

We want to hear from you and celebrate the great things that are happening here at the UG. If you and your department have any major accomplishments, team photos, or upcoming events, please keep us posted by emailing:  communications@wycokck.org. 

As we continue through this month, make sure you take some time to step away from your desk and enjoy this beautiful weather and smell the flowers. This photo was captured outside of the Municipal Building. (Photo credit: Janelle Smith, UG Clerks Office)

Remember, your work matters! 
Keep up the Fantastic Job!

WyCo Court Security Supervisor Matthew Zweifel Receives National Award

The National Sheriff's Association awarded Wyandotte County Court Security Supervisor Matthew Zweifel the Court Security Professional of the Year Award!

The National Sheriff's Association selects only one person in the entire United States to receive this award. Continue Reading.

Congratulations Matthew Zweifel! 

Adriana Olivas Honored by the Kansas Attorney General's Office!

Congratulations to Victim Advocate Adriana Olivas from the District Attorney's Office! She was presented the 2025 Outstanding System-Based Advocate Crime Victim Service Award by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office!

It is wonderful to see her hard work and dedication on behalf of the citizens of Wyandotte County recognized. Take a bow, Adriana!

This week (April 13–19, 2025) is all about turning up the gratitude and giving a big THANK YOU to the incredible dispatchers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep everything running like clockwork!

We’re proud to spotlight two outstanding members of our team: Ms. Syglenda Collins – A true pillar of our Transit Department with an impressive 27 years of dedicated service! Ms. Sonya Lund – A rising star who’s brought fresh energy and excellence in just one year on the job!

These two, along with all dispatchers, are the driving force behind smooth operations, delivering outstanding customer service with unmatched patience, teamwork, and professionalism. Let’s take this week to recognize, celebrate, and thank every dispatcher who helps make it all happen!”

Kudos to the Public Works Team and Firefighter Alissa Harris for joining hosting a career table last week at Sumner Academy! 

Looking to help beautify our community?

If so, please join us for the first of many UG Staff Community Clean-ups days.

We will go out as a group to designated areas throughout the community to clean the streets and neighborhoods. 

The first community clean-up will kick-off on Earth Day, April 22nd from 11AM - 1PM in downtown KCK.

If you are interested in joining us on Earth Day, please email communications@wycokck.org 

More Info: WyCo/KCK: Community Clean-Up Events – Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS

Public Works has maintained an Adopt-a-Spot location for several years in honor of team member, Tim Saint, and his family. From spring through fall, this group cleans this location bi-monthly. The site is at 57th and I-70, and the Fleet team takes the lead in coordinating the dates and times.

A few weeks ago, this amazing team had a fantastic turnout, with 14 Public Works employees and their families/friends volunteering their time. This effort is completely voluntary and is not associated with their employment at the UG.

Special kudos goes to Samanta Merritt, Russ Owens and Randy Hand for your continued dedication in helping to keep our community clean! 

Please be advised: That the online building, development review, and planning permits software Accela will be unavailable to the public for system updates beginning Thursday, April 17, at 12:00 PM.

In addition to these system upgrades, the customer lobby of the Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC) (4953 State Ave., KCK, KS 66102) will be closing early on Thursday at 11:30 AM in preparation for the Accela updates.

These services will resume on Monday, April 21^st, beginning at 8:00 AM.

Read More: New Upgrades Coming to Online Application & Plan Review Service Accela – Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS

Badge Access & 9^th Floor Access

Badge Access for Outside Guests
The UG Security Team needs your help. It has been brought to the security team’s attention that a few UG employees have allowed the public to enter the building before the 8AM building opening time. For everyone’s safety, it is extremely important that all outside guests go through the outlined security checkpoints between the hours of 8AM to 5PM.

9^th Floor Access
We were also notified that employees are allowing the public to access the 9^th floor of the Municipal Building via UG employee key card access. Building guests who are not accompanied by a UG employee who has access to the 9^th floor are not permitted to access the 9^th floor without a confirmed meeting.

Anyone from the public with a 9^th floor meeting or wanting access to the 9^th floor should be politely advised that they must first check in with the security office on the ground level and provide a government issued photo ID and a name of person they are coming to see.

Once security verifies their identity, security will confirm with the 9^th floor that the person is permitted to come to the 9^th floor.

Remember, safety for everyone in our buildings is our number one priority. We appreciate your help and support! Your UG Security Team - UG Security Manager Steve Owens

Password Managers

Our lives are full of more account login credentials than any one person could possibly remember. Since trying to remember a different password for each account can be difficult, many people resort to bad password habits, such as reusing the same password for multiple accounts. If you want to practice good password habits but are afraid of forgetting all your passwords, a password manager can help.

What is a Password Manager?

A password manager is a program that stores and encrypts your passwords. Trustworthy password managers can increase your personal security. They also make it easier for you by having only one master password that you need to remember. Password managers can be used with all of your devices through mobile apps and browser extensions.

Are Password Managers Safe?

A password manager adds two layers of security to your passwords: a master password that only you know and data encryption that keeps your data secure. Since your data is encrypted, if a bad actor tries to hack your device and steal its data, your passwords remain safe.

Advanced Password Creation and Security

Many password managers have automatic password generation built-in, which generates complex passwords that are difficult to guess or hack. Each random password is unique to the account you generated it for. If one account gets hacked, the other accounts will be safe since each password is unique. You never have to worry if one of the passwords is too difficult for you to remember since the password manager will remember it for you.