The City of Gardner has named Amy Nasta as its new deputy city administrator. Nasta joined the city in 2017 as its city clerk and was promoted to senior management analyst in 2019. … In her new role, Nasta will assist the city administrator on high-level special projects and initiatives and oversee human resources, information technology, and building maintenance functions. She will also provide support and guidance to department directors per the direction of the city administrator. “Amy has been a tremendous asset to the organization since she began nearly four years ago,” said Jim Pruetting, city administrator.
Source: Gardner News
Governor Laura Kelly today announced 32 rural Kansas communities will receive a share of $13,864,149 in federal grants to assist with community development projects. Through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program facilitated by the Kansas Department of Commerce, these federal grants are being awarded for a variety of community improvement projects, including sewer and water projects, housing rehabilitation and community facility improvements. …
Counties, applicant cities and award amounts are as follows:
Allen
Iola
$350,000
Barton
Great Bend
$600,000
Brown
Horton
$190,050
Chase
Cottonwood Falls
$499,125
Cloud
Concordia
$48,975
Cowley
Arkansas City
$455,000
Doniphan
Highland
$600,000
Ellsworth
Wilson
$300,000
Greenwood
Fall River
$360,000
Greenwood
Eureka
$600,000
Jackson
Holton
$600,000
Jefferson
Nortonville
$501,300
Jefferson
Valley Falls
$115,950
Jewell
Mankato
$600,000
Kingman
Kingman
$300,000
Kiowa
Mullinville
$380,000
Labette
Chetopa
$600,000
Lincoln
Lincoln County
$35,763
Lyon
Emporia
$700,000
Lyon
Neosho Rapids
$217,062
Marshall
Vermillion
$250,000
Meade
Fowler
$300,000
Miami
Osawatomie
$600,000
Montgomery
Independence
$700,000
Montgomery
Coffeyville
$574,320
Phillips
Phillips County
$192,514
Russell
Russell
$116,228
Sedgwick
Haysville
$342,000
Sumner
Caldwell
$600,000
Wabaunsee
Alma
$600,000
Wilson
Fredonia
$261,425
Woodson
Toronto
$550,000
The CDBG program administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce provides federal funds to local governments for the development of viable communities by addressing their housing, public facilities and economic development needs. To be awarded funds, local government units must meet at least one of three program objectives:
The grant will benefit low- and moderate-income persons
The grant will prevent or eliminate slums and blight
The grant will resolve an urgent need where local resources are not available to do so
The CDBG funds are one of the Department of Commerce’s primary tools in supporting the state’s small, predominantly rural communities.
Nicodemus is a small town located in the prairies of northwest Kansas. It is the oldest and only remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi. It was established in 1877 during the Reconstruction Period following the Civil War when pioneers from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi came to seek out homelands. “These folks were ex-slaves, removed from slavery about 13-14 years, had the opportunity to come out here and be landowners and they took that chance,” said Luecreasea Horne, Nicodemus Park Service educational technician and sixth-generation descendant. “The thought of them risking and taking that chance to come out to northwestern Kansas where they knew nothing about it, it just gives me a sense of pride.”
Source: KSN-TV
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.
As soon as the weather cooperates, Moundridge city employees will begin erecting telephone poles that are part a $5.2 million electrical upgrade. City Administrator Murray McGee said the city would be erecting 35 power poles to tie into an Evergy substation 3.5 miles south of town. The transmission lines will connect the city’s substation on East Hoch Street to the Evergy substation at the junction of South Cole Street and Old Highway 81. The city currently gets its electricity off the McPherson power grid. After the project is complete, it will receive power from the Kansas Municipal Energy Agency, which is renting space from Evergy.
Source: McPherson Weekly News » Feed
The City of McPherson is in need of police officers. The McPherson Police Department currently has four vacancies for police officers, and they are expanding their recruitment efforts. McPherson Police Chief Mikel Golden approached the city commission about changing the residency requirements for the McPherson Police Department Officers and staff to within 35 miles of the city limits of McPherson. Golden advised this change would assist in the recruitment and retention of employees.
Source: McPherson Weekly News » Feed
Governor Laura Kelly today applauded the recent announcement from Eurofins Viracor of its new 110,000-square-foot, all-purpose facility in Lenexa. Eurofins Viracor, Inc. is a provider of clinical specialty laboratory results to medical providers, transplant teams, and biopharmaceutical companies that also recently began providing COVID-19 testing. In addition to warehousing and office space, the site will house a 40,000-square-foot laboratory for running the company’s full testing menu. “Eurofins Viracor is doing important work by providing testing services in the battle against COVID-19, and I’m pleased they’ve chosen Kansas to house this impressive new investment,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Our state is proud to be the home of many innovative medical technology facilities, and this new all-purpose operation will be the latest advancement in this growing Kansas industry. Congratulations to Eurofins Viracor on this exciting announcement.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
When temperatures dip to extreme levels, many suggest letting your faucets drip. The water slowly flowing through the pipes helps them not freeze, and a slightly higher water bill will cost you a lot less than new plumbing. Now, for residents of Kingman, the extra water won’t cost anything. “We always drip when the temperatures get around freezing. We don’t want to risk broken pipes and risk flooding when they do thaw out, just have pipes burst that’d be a mess,” said Kingman resident Jake Malec. Malec has lived in Kingman for two years. He was shocked when he heard what the city is doing to help keep him and his family safe.
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas Lottery retailers, local units of government and addiction counselors expressed concern Thursday about being excluded in a Kansas Senate bill from opportunities to share in revenue from legalizing sports gambling statewide. A Senate bill years in the making would place operational control of onsite and online sports betting in Kansas with the four state-owned, contractor-managed casinos in Pittsburg, Mulvane, Dodge City and Kansas City, Kansas. The Senate’s casino model would differ from the preference of some Kansas House members who want to involve the 1,100 convenience store retailers that sell Kansas Lottery tickets in the new business of gambling on sporting events. … the League of Kansas Municipalities recommended adjustment of the Senate bill to be consistent with existing state gambling law guaranteeing 3% of revenue from sports wagering was shared with local units of government.
Source: Kansas Reflector
The pandemic caused counties across the state to issue varying levels of business shutdown orders meant to slow the spread of a life-threatening virus. Now businesses that lost their ability to make money during the pandemic want a tax refund for the time they were forced to hang “closed” signs. Lawmakers heard competing arguments about property tax rebates this week. Businesses say the closures put them on the brink of shutting down for good. Local governments warn they don’t have the resources to be offering mass tax refunds.
Source: KCUR News
