info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Real estate agents sometimes fail to disclose pending specials, frustrating home buyers

info2021-07-06T08:08:31-05:00July 6th, 2021|

Kansas law requires that sellers disclose impending liabilities like special tax assessments to buyers before a sale. Across the region, most real estate agents use a standardized seller’s disclosure form created by the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors when marketing existing homes. In addition to asking about home repairs and damage, the form includes questions about bonds, assessments and special taxes. In addition to those disclosures, most title companies would find the tax liability upon researching a home for potential buyers, said Max Gordon, an Overland Park real estate attorney. “If a title company missed that, that’s another issue. But [...]

Lifeguard shortage forces these Kansas City area pools and beaches to close this year

info2021-07-06T08:00:57-05:00July 6th, 2021|

Last year, most Kansas City area pools closed because of the pandemic. This year, several pools and beaches can’t open for a different reason: a lifeguard shortage. Jackson County Parks + Rec couldn’t hire enough lifeguards this summer to staff both Blue Springs Beach and Longview Lake Beach. As a result, only Longview is open. Overland Park did not open the Bluejacket and Marty pools for the same reason. “Overall the effect is that pools are closed. Beaches are closed,” said Tina Spallo, Jackson County’s superintendent of recreation. “Therefore the general public doesn’t have as many aquatic centers to choose from.” [...]

Local businesses seek loans from Parsons city program

info2021-07-06T07:57:28-05:00July 6th, 2021|

A new day care and preschool facility may get to borrow additional money from the city, while another local business wants funding from the same pool. The Parsons City Commission will consider the two loan requests during its regular meeting on Tuesday. The commission is meeting on Tuesday instead of Monday because the city offices will be closed Monday for the Fourth of July holiday. The commission already had approved a $60,000 loan for Kandy Rushing, owner of Grow at Eden LLC, 1503 22000 Road, through a revolving loan program. Now she is seeking an additional $30,000 because of underestimated construction [...]

Former Shawnee Mission Superintendent Mike Fulton reflects on leading district through pandemic

info2021-07-06T07:57:43-05:00July 6th, 2021|

Mike Fulton officially stepped down as Shawnee Mission School District superintendent Wednesday, June 30, after leading the district for three years. He came to Shawnee Mission in 2018 from Pattonville Public Schools outside St. Louis, where he had been named Missouri Superintendent of the Year in 2016. He replaced interim superintendent Kenny Southwick. Fulton himself is being succeeded by Michelle Hubbard, who served most recently as SMSD’s Deputy Superintendent before formally taking over the district’s top job July 1. At the start of his tenure, Fulton focused on building relationships with staff and school board members in a district that had [...]

Crawford County officials are hoping to make Arma a safer place by adding a local school zone

info2021-07-06T08:04:13-05:00July 5th, 2021|

Crawford County officials are working to make a popular intersection safer for travelers. During today's county commission meeting, officials agreed to work with "K-Dot" to hopefully create a school zone at the intersection of 69 and West South Street in Arma. The highway is near a local school and separates the city from its fire department and a "Dollar General" store, so people often try to cross the road on foot. Officials with "Arma Economic Development" hope a school zone could help reduce speeds and accidents. Source: KSNF/KODE

If you don’t follow Wichita’s fireworks ordinance, you could get a $250 ticket

info2021-07-06T07:50:03-05:00July 5th, 2021|

Wichita has some of the strictest firework regulations and most expensive tickets for violators in Sedgwick County, but that has not prevented problems, authorities said this week. During the past five full years, there has been nearly $500,000 in property damage and more than 230 injuries from fireworks, according to the Wichita Fire Department. The youngest injury was a 2-month-old. Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Survey will help develop plans for Topeka’s arts and culture sector

info2021-07-05T07:49:39-05:00July 3rd, 2021|

What is iconic about Topeka? What are the city's best-kept secrets? What is special and memorable about Topeka? Those are just a few of the questions ArtsConnect is asking in a recently released arts and culture survey. The survey will help the arts organization develop a plan aimed at offering creative solutions to strategic planning and give artists a seat at the table. ... Sarah Fizell, executive director of ArtsConnect, said the creative plan isn't meant to replace such existing plans as Momentum 2022 or the downtown master plan. Instead, it will complement and offer solutions to ideas within those plans. [...]

Douglas County Commission signals support for rural landowners’ request to divide property into residential lots

info2021-07-02T09:08:27-05:00July 2nd, 2021|

The Douglas County Commission is poised to allow two rural landowners to convert their 25 acres into residential lots. During their meeting on Wednesday, the commissioners directed county staff to prepare a resolution that would allow property owners Patrick Halpin and Erin Callahan-Halpin permission to divide the land into up to five residential lots. ... To allow for the subdivision, the commissioners would need to rezone the land to “cluster preservation,” a zoning designation that allows nonagricultural residential development. Currently the land consists of two parcels; one is zoned as agricultural, or AG-1, and the other is zoned as transitional agricultural, [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for July 1, 2021

info2021-07-02T09:03:30-05:00July 2nd, 2021|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.

Spring Hill decides against new justice center after seeing price tag

info2021-07-02T08:59:50-05:00July 2nd, 2021|

Now that a study has been completed, the Spring Hill mayor says the city cannot afford a new justice center to house the police department and municipal court. City officials had hoped to go to voters for approval. “Unfortunately, the cost came in considerably higher than hoped and makes this project financially impractical at present,” Mayor Steven Ellis said in a letter to residents. The upside, Ellis said, is that the growing city now has an updated report outlining facility needs for law enforcement. When Spring Hill decides it can afford a justice center, he added, it won’t have to start [...]

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