SAVONBURG — After years of waiting and wishing, the community of Savonburg is finally getting an upgrade to its aging electrical infrastructure via a $698,500 grant. The grant package includes funds from the Kansas Corporation Commission and the Build Kansas Fund and will involve the replacement of city poles, transformers, and wiring.
The long-sought upgrade will not only ease daily frustrations, but will also hopefully open the door for future growth in the small town. Mayor David Janssen called the grant a “weight lifted,” describing it as a turning point for the community that has been pushing for the project for more than six years.
“It’s an outdated system that has been outdated for years,” Janssen said. “To actually have this done is just phenomenal.”
That sense of relief set the tone Tuesday evening as residents gathered in the city’s community building with Thrive Allen County staff for a community conversation about Savonburg’s strengths, struggles, and hopes for the future. Thrive’s Community Engagement Director, Marcia Davis, led the meeting.
Those present began by reflecting on what makes Savonburg special. Several cited the town’s quiet atmosphere, strong sense of safety, and friendly neighbors. Jerry Hallbauer — a transplant from Las Vegas, Nevada — said he appreciated the slower pace of life and the ability to connect with neighbors in ways that weren’t possible in a big city. Savonburg’s population is 76. Others praised Savonburg’s location, with easy access to Chanute, Iola, and Fort Scott.
The town’s library also drew recognition as a central hub and safe place for children to gather after school.
AFTER discussing successes, residents turned their attention to areas of improvement. Communication emerged as a recurring theme. “The hardest thing is just letting people know what’s going on,” City Clerk Mike Vile explained. “Older folks sometimes forget, and younger folks are so busy. We need better reminders.”
Suggestions included a phone tree to get the word out or even an automated call system, though the cost of such technology was a concern. Another idea was to install a digital sign at the library to advertise community events.
Janssen noted that it feels like Savonburg is oftentimes overlooked. “We’re like the forgotten child of the county,” he said. “We’re in the very southeast corner — one mile north of Neosho County and three miles from Bourbon County. The commissioners don’t come down here. Not everybody can make it to the county meetings. Getting the commissioners involved in our area would be a big thing.”
ROADS WERE a particular sore spot. Janssen described the difficulty of maintaining chipseal streets with limited equipment and funding, even as heavy farm traffic and railroad dust take their toll. He worries that the county might push gravel as a cheaper alternative. “My residents down here do not want gravel roads,” he said firmly. “They want their chipseal streets. It keeps the dust down. We have a major thoroughfare through here with the railroad and with that railroad, you get dust.”
Housing also surfaced as an issue. “We’ve got abandoned houses that just sit there,” resident Glen Wolfe said. “It makes the whole town look bad.” Thrive President and CEO Lisse Regehr said the organization could help the city explore options for condemning or rehabilitating such properties, and announced plans to conduct a housing assessment in Savonburg. The study, scheduled for later this year or early next, will identify what types of housing — single-family homes, duplexes, or apartments — would best meet local needs and attract new residents.
CELLPHONE service in Savonburg is a consistent frustration for residents. Regehr noted that Thrive is working on a digital infrastructure survey to better document coverage gaps and strengthen grant applications for improvements. “The issue with putting up a cell tower is that it’s so expensive,” explained Regehr. “Companies look at that and say, ‘We’ll never make our money back putting a tower in a community that doesn’t have a larger population.’”
Still, Savonburg has one bright spot in connectivity. Residents praised their local provider, Craw-Kan, for bringing high-speed fiber internet to the community. “We’ve got faster internet than people in some cities,”Janssen said. “That’s something we can be proud of.”
Participants also discussed the importance of marketing the town more effectively. “We need signs on 59 and 39 that say, ‘Welcome to Savonburg,’” Hallbauer suggested. “People don’t realize how nice it is here until they visit. We just need to help them find us.”
By the end of the evening, residents agreed on Savonburg’s top three priorities moving forward. These included:
• Infrastructure — upgrading sewer systems and roads.
