Johnson County purchasing staff asked the board July 17 to approve Resolution No. 9025 to designate the Johnson County Post as an official county newspaper under KSA 64-101. Robin Lines, purchasing manager, told commissioners the Post (DBA May 2025 Post Publishing Inc.) met statutory requirements by publishing a printed and mailed publication from an office located in Johnson County for the past 12 months.

Lines said adding a vendor provides departments an additional option when legal publications are required, and that the county has previously experienced missed deadlines, billing issues and inconsistent advertisement quality with legal-publication vendors. Commissioner Brewer emphasized the statutory requirement that some public notices still must appear in print and said having two designated publications improves flexibility to meet deadlines. The Johnson County Post's notices would also be advertised online, Lines said.

Commissioners asked legal staff about flexibility in notice length and payment methods for extensive notices; the county attorney said it depends on the statute being satisfied for each required notice. Staff said a communication plan with rate cards and deadlines will be distributed to county departments. The item was placed for formal action on the board's July 24 agenda.