info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Citizens in Winfield voice opinion on sales tax to fund safety center and street improvements

info2019-04-29T06:48:09-05:00April 29th, 2019|

Winfield citizens gave their opinion on a proposed 1-percent sales tax to fund a safety center and street improvements during a presentation Thursday at the Winfield Fire Station. Ballots for the mail-in election will be delivered beginning May 14. They will be due to the county clerk’s office by June 4. If approved, the new sales tax would replace an existing .4 percent sales tax for street and public library improvements. That tax was approved in 2014 and set to expire in 2021. The city’s total sales tax would increase from the current 7.9 percent to 8.5 percent if the new [...]

Potential changes to Airbnb regulations to be discussed by Lawrence city leaders

info2019-04-25T12:01:41-05:00April 25th, 2019|

Planning commissioners have some of the same concerns as city leaders regarding certain Airbnb rental properties, queuing up a discussion of potential changes to the city’s recently established short-term-rental regulations. Last month, Lawrence city commissioners hit pause on the consideration of permits for some Airbnb rental properties to ask major questions about how the properties should be regulated. Specifically, the commission voted to defer considering permits for three whole-home short-term rentals, where the property owner resides elsewhere, so it could get responses to questions posed by Commissioner Stuart Boley regarding affordable housing, taxing rates and potential time limits on the permits, [...]

Florence city councilman on new public comment policy: “Along with this, council members have to pick up their packets ahead of time and do their homework.”

info2019-04-25T09:36:55-05:00April 25th, 2019|

Florence city council announced Monday that people who want to comment at future public meetings must first fill out a form detailing their request. “I’m not having any more council meetings that are out of control,” mayor Bob Gayle said. “There is no provision in Kansas state law for city councils to hear anything from the public. The public’s right is to come and see, and hear what’s happening, and witness what’s happening.” The decision is legal under Kansas open meeting laws as long as there is no discrimination accorded by topic, said Max Kautsch via phone, an attorney with Kansas [...]

Marion County recycling slated to be taken to Fort Riley

info2019-04-25T09:30:32-05:00April 25th, 2019|

The possibility of once again being paid a rebate for recyclable materials has led county commissioners to send the county’s recyclables to Fort Riley. A recycle center in South Hutchinson, which the county has been using for years, stopped paying for materials, based on the prices they get for materials. “We’ve been cut off for the last year,” county recycling director Bud Druse said. “Prices are down.” Chris Otto, director of recycling at the military base, told county commissioners Monday that Fort Riley's recycling operation will accept recyclable materials from the county on a trial basis. After a couple of months, [...]

Decision time as Hutch Rec digests GreenPlay’s report

info2019-04-25T09:26:31-05:00April 25th, 2019|

Now that the city and Hutch Rec have the full study from GreenPlay, it’s time for a lot of decisions to be made about what the report means for the city’s parks and recreation facilities. “The 130-plus page plan will be made available online at the Hutch Rec website,” Tony Finlay, director of Hutch Rec, said. The study will then go before the Hutch Rec Board for approval before it moves on to the Hutchinson City Council for action. That is expected in May. Finlay says any such study ultimately comes down to the dollars that can be invested. “It comes [...]

Reno County Commission could keep plans for proposed wind farm alive

info2019-04-25T09:22:26-05:00April 25th, 2019|

Multiple heated meetings over the past several weeks culminated Tuesday night with the Reno County Planning Commission recommending not to grant a conditional use permit to Next Era Energy to build a wind farm in the southeast part of the county near Cheney Lake. The recommendation is intended to help the Reno County Commission with its final decision on whether or not to give the proposed wind farm the green light. However, the county has the final say and commissioners don't have to follow the planning commission's recommendation. Tuesday night's decision by the planning commission was a win for some against [...]

Great Bend Fire and Police awaiting the arrival of new drones

info2019-04-25T09:20:42-05:00April 25th, 2019|

The Great Bend Police and Fire Departments are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new drones that will be implemented in both departments in the near future. According to Great Bend Fire Chief Luke McCormick, the new drones will be arriving any day now and will be an important tool for both Police and Fire. Last year, the Great Bend City Council authorized funds to purchase drones for both departments. In early January, McCormick and firefighter Mike Smith along with Great Bend Police Chief David Bailey and Detective Heather Smith attended and passed the certification test that was taken after an [...]

Miami County jail to house some Wyandotte County prisoners

info2019-04-25T09:14:28-05:00April 25th, 2019|

Miami County Detention Center will soon be taking in inmates from Wyandotte County. Miami County Sheriff Frank Kelly told county commissioners during their April 17 study session that Wyandotte County was interested in sending 20 prisoners initially, as soon as the agreement is approved by Miami County commissioners. Commissioners approved the agreement that afternoon at their regular meeting. Wyandotte County’s sheriff and administrator have already signed the agreement. Kelly said the jail has had more than 60 inmates in the past. The detention center’s capacity is 96 inmates, but Kelly said the rule of thumb is not to let the jail’s [...]

City of Leavenworth discusses stormwater fees

info2019-04-25T09:13:28-05:00April 25th, 2019|

When they met last week, Leavenworth city commissioners reached a consensus to revisit the fee structure for a stormwater system maintenance program. But when they met again Tuesday, Commissioner Nancy Bauder proposed forgoing any additional study of the issue and reducing one of the fees charged for the program. “We’ve studied it,” Bauder said. “How much more do we need to study it?” In the end, commissioners reached consensuses to review a fee charged to property owners for each unit in apartment buildings and take a separate look at the rest of the fee structure. Commissioners approved annual fees for the [...]

Town hall meeting highlights different opinions on new Saline County jail

info2019-04-25T09:11:45-05:00April 25th, 2019|

Local residents expressed wildly different visions for their criminal justice system during a town hall meeting Tuesday evening. Some people supported additional resources for inmates to address substance abuse and mental health problems. Others wanted jail to be a harsher punishment to deter inmates from committing additional crimes. Several people opposed building a new jail. Saline County officials held the town hall to receive feedback on whether the Saline County Commission should build additional jail capacity for inmates in Saline County. The commission is considering four options, one of which is building a new jail. About 30 people attended the meeting. [...]

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