TOPEKA (KSNT) — State and city offices will begin later than normal Thursday due to expected winter weather in northeast Kansas.
The governor’s office announced Wednesday that a severe weather declaration for Shawnee County has been issued by Gov. Laura Kelly. This will cause state office buildings in Shawnee County to open at 10:00 a.m. on February 16.
“Due to potentially dangerous road conditions, we are delaying the opening of state office buildings in Shawnee County Thursday morning,” Kelly said. “Please take extreme care whether you are driving tonight or tomorrow morning, give road crews enough space to do their job safely and stay safe and warm.”
The city of Topeka also announced that its offices will have a delayed start on Thursday. Council offices will not open until 10am. This will impact employees of the Topeka Municipal Court and Probation Offices. The morning register of the Municipal Court is canceled while the afternoon register will continue as normal. All essential city personnel and emergency services will continue as usual.
The statement will go into effect at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, February 15, and run through 9:59 a.m. Thursday, February 16, according to the Governor’s Office. The statement may apply to all non-essential employees in executive branch agencies under the governor’s jurisdiction who work in Shawnee County offices. Essential employees are required to report to work as normal. Non-essential employees eligible for benefits must log severe weather leave during the severe weather period.
The governor’s statement will have no impact on employees of the Board of Regents, Regents Institutions, the judicial branch or the legislative branch. Their designated representative will issue a separate statement for those employees.
