info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Century II one of many big items on city’s plate, Emerging Leaders say

info2019-03-08T10:45:21-06:00March 8th, 2019|

A baseball stadium under construction and performing arts and convention venues under consideration make for a year to think big at City Hall. Thursday's Emerging Leaders roundtable participants all want Wichita to think big in terms of those projects, though they had different confidence levels. What helped them think through the process were two colleagues with careers in the construction business. Eddie Fahnestock, who's in business management at Key Construction, and Jeff Mullen, CFO of Dondlinger & Sons Construction, talked about the details and prospects for a performing-arts venue. A performing-arts venue is one of many big-ticket projects facing the city, [...]

Ellis parks to soon feature community book exchange program

info2019-03-08T10:44:26-06:00March 8th, 2019|

Visitors to three parks in Ellis will soon be able to enjoy a community book exchange program. City council members Monday approved the provision of materials and installation of the boxes by the Public Works Dept. Todd Keller of the Washington Grade School PTO presented the idea to the council during their meeting. The PTO helped finance the cost of the materials for the boxes, and a woodshop class constructed the boxes. (Read more: Hays Post)

Shawnee County breaks from past practice, pays moving expenses for new employee

info2019-03-08T10:42:54-06:00March 8th, 2019|

The Shawnee County Commission broke from past practice Thursday by agreeing to pay moving expenses for Jeremy Myers, the county’s incoming parks operations director. Commissioners Bob Archer, Bill Riphahn and Kevin Cook voted 3-0 to pay any moving and travel expenses Myers incurs coming to Topeka from Hudsonville, Mich. The contract involved doesn’t specify a monetary amount. A document in the agenda packet for Thursday’s meeting indicated the county has agreed to pay “the actual reimbursable moving expenses verified by receipts” or “the amount of moving expenses for moving 12,000 pounds of household goods by commercial carrier,” whichever is less. Cook [...]

No slowdown in city of Hays water conservation programs despite abundant rains

info2019-03-08T10:40:28-06:00March 8th, 2019|

Last year was the third wettest year on record for the city of Hays. In 2018, Hays received 37.55 inches of moisture, just a quarter-inch shy of 37.99 inches that fell in 1993 – the second wettest year. Official daily records have been kept by the K-State Agricultural Research Center south of town since 1868. Still, the abundant moisture does not mean an end or even slowdown of the city’s water conservation programs started in 1992. “We’re in really great shape right now. The seasonal drought outlook is good for us showing no drought at least through April,” said Holly Dickman, [...]

Kechi re-forms economic development group

info2019-03-08T10:39:07-06:00March 8th, 2019|

The Kechi City Council on Feb. 28 unanimously voted to re-form an Economic Development Committee. It will consist of nine members. "At our recent retreat, one of the top priorities the council identified was economic development for the city moving forward," said City Administrator Bob Conger. "Given the current state of affairs in the city, I took the liberty of updating the (committee) policies with the city attorney. They haven't changed a great deal." Kechi had an Economic Development Committee but it had been active since 2004. Some changes were made regarding the composition of the committee on Feb. 28. Previously, [...]

Shawnee looking to create regulations for microbreweries

info2019-03-08T10:38:46-06:00March 8th, 2019|

One month after Shawnee’s first microbrewery opened up across the street from city hall, the city is looking into creating regulations for breweries and distilleries. Stephanie Malmborg, deputy community development director told the planning commission on Monday that community development staff is currently researching regulations of those types of businesses by other cities and also looking at best practices from the American Planning Association. “We’ve found that there’s a lot of interest in those types of uses, and it can be a great entertainment type use in some of our neighborhood commercial and commercial zones,” Malmborg said. “I think it’s important [...]

Utility solution far more complex than lowering rates

info2019-03-08T10:36:44-06:00March 8th, 2019|

tility rates are artificially inflated to pay for more than the cost of utility services. That’s the truth that the city has openly acknowledged. And on the surface, the practice isn’t wrong, if the city is up front about it. For 2019, the city projects $14.83 million in utility revenues and plans to transfer $3.55 million of those revenues into its general fund. That means nearly a quarter out of every dollar that comes in on utility revenues goes in the city’s general fund. $1.6 million pays for personnel the city says have parts of their job related to utility service [...]

Lawrence City Commission denies couple an Airbnb permit, citing incompatibility with neighborhood

info2019-03-08T10:36:06-06:00March 8th, 2019|

City leaders have denied an Overland Park couple a permit to use a house in Lawrence as an Airbnb short-term rental property, citing a protest petition from neighbors and other factors. The Lawrence City Commission voted 4-1, with Commissioner Matthew Herbert opposing, to deny the permit as part of its meeting this week. In explaining her vote, Mayor Lisa Larsen cited both the protest petition and the incompatibility of an Airbnb property with the surrounding neighborhood. Read more: LJWorld.com.

911 bill at statehouse could cost county

info2019-03-08T10:35:07-06:00March 8th, 2019|

A handwritten bill proposed last week by a Wichita state representative could end up costing the county $11,000 in its 911 fund. “We’re going to take a hit, a very significant hit,” Communications Director Don Gruver told the Harvey County Board of Commissioners on Monday. State Rep. John Carmichael, a Democrat representing the 92nd District, presented his amendment to House Bill 2084, which would change the proposed fee on phone bills from 60 cents a month to 82 cents. His amendment passed the House on a 64-56 vote. Gruver said most of the increase would go to the Kansas 911 Coordinating [...]

Public meeting scheduled to discuss Garden City’s upcoming U.S. 50/83/400 bypass

info2019-03-08T10:31:14-06:00March 8th, 2019|

The Kansas Department of Transportation will host a public meeting regarding the upcoming U.S. 50/83/400 bypass project in Garden City which is expected to begin on March 18. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 12 from 5 – 8 p.m. at the KDOT District Six office at 121 N. Campus Drive in Garden City. The project is a preservation project which will replace over 3.5 miles of concrete and asphalt on the Garden City bypass beginning at Third Street and continuing to the east and south to the U.S. 50/Fulton Street interchange. (Read more: Western Kansas News)

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