info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Lawmakers considering bill to remove transportation spending from tax lid

info2019-03-04T09:04:53-06:00March 4th, 2019|

A joint legislative task force report on transportation has a lot of promising recommendations for the county, the director of Douglas County Public Works says. The report released in January made recommendations to guide development of a new state transportation plan and reflected findings from a series of hearings the Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force conducted last fall and summer. The task force’s top recommendations are that the state stop raiding the Kansas Department of Transportation’s state highway fund for revenue to cover other state needs and that the state finish the 21 projects outlined in the 2011 state transportation [...]

Winfield could test out solar power

info2019-03-04T08:54:35-06:00March 4th, 2019|

Installation of a small solar panel project will be up for approval Monday night by Winfield City Commissioners. The project is a partnership between the city, the Kansas Power Pool and solar farm designer ZeMac, LLC. The KPP will pay $25,000 toward the solar project. The City of Winfield will pay about $30,000 for its share, utilities director Gus Collins said. The project was first presented to commissioners at a November work session. If approved, the next step is to order the solar panels. Those would take around six weeks to arrive, Collins said. The panels will be located in front [...]

Commissioners table discussion on communications tower project

info2019-03-04T08:51:42-06:00March 4th, 2019|

A request to construct a communications tower northwest of Emporia has been tabled for at least 30 days following a meeting of the Lyon County Commission Thursday morning. The decision came after a request was presented to commissioners by AT&T and Network Real Estate LLC to erect a cell phone tower near a residential area located just west of the intersection of Road 190 and Road E. The request was approved by the Lyon County Board of Zoning and Appeals, according to Zoning Director Sam Seeley. “As of right now, the land is zoned as agriculture,” Seeley said. Homeowners in the [...]

Mayor says community facility, continued park development forthcoming for Edgerton

info2019-03-04T08:48:56-06:00March 4th, 2019|

Downtown Edgerton will soon boast a new gathering place for residents if plans outlined by Don Roberts, mayor, during his state of the city address come to fruition. During his address on Feb. 21, Roberts said that downtown Edgerton holds a special place in his heart and that the Greenspace is the right place for the city to build a new gathering place. “Both the Downtown Edgerton Plan and the Parks Master Plan confirm what residents have always known. The Greenspace is the right place for the city to build a new gathering place for our community,” he said. Currently the [...]

Hutch City Council will be asked to reject park pavilion bids for second time

info2019-03-04T08:47:19-06:00March 4th, 2019|

For a second time, the Hutchinson City Council will have to address the proposed pavilion at Rivers Banks Orchard Park during Tuesday’s agenda session. It was back in August of last year when the council rejected bids for the pavilion when they came in more than $700,000 over estimated costs. At that time, Landmark Architects offered to go back to the drawing board on its own nickel and try to create something more financially sound. But after putting the matter up for bid, three contractors came back with numbers more than $500,000 over the estimate. City Manager John Deardoff says the [...]

Parsons City Commission eyes changing tobacco 21

info2019-03-04T08:43:52-06:00March 4th, 2019|

At the request of a couple of local convenience store owners, city commissioners will considering repealing or more likely modifying an ordinance that pushes the legal age to buy tobacco and vaping liquid in Parsons to 21. The tobacco 21 ordinance that was approved on April 2, 2018, includes a grandfather clause that allows anyone 18 and over at the time the law was approved to continue buying tobacco and vaping liquid. That means anyone born on or before April 2, 2000, can continue buying tobacco even if they’re not yet 21. Anyone who was born after that date must wait [...]

Developer to ask Wichita City Council for $12 million to begin developing downtown buildings for possible medical school

info2019-03-04T08:41:07-06:00March 4th, 2019|

Sudha Tokala's idea of a medical school in downtown Wichita appears to be taking its first major step. Tokala, who owns five downtown buildings in close proximity, including the former Finney State Office Building, will ask the City Council on Tuesday for $12 million in special assessments as part of the city's facade improvement and asbestos remediation program. The city's Office of Economic Development is recommending approval of Tokala's requests after a March 19 public hearing. The city's analysis of the proposal says the five buildings would be "part of an overall plan redevelop the area for a medical- and trade-school [...]

Century II advisory plan gains Downtown Wichita approval

info2019-03-04T08:39:03-06:00March 4th, 2019|

The board of nonprofit group Downtown Wichita has voted to support the recommendation for a new performing-arts facility in Wichita. The group said in a press release that the vote puts the organization in agreement with the findings of the Century II citizens advisory group, which after a year-long process made its recommendation to the Wichita City Council that a new, $155 million venue be built downtown. “The Downtown Wichita Board commended the work of the Century II citizens advisory committee in gathering information, input, exploring options, and thoughtful consideration regarding the future of our community and region when it comes [...]

County approves emergency spending of $375K to seal crumbling taxiway at Johnson County Executive Airport

info2019-03-04T08:38:28-06:00March 4th, 2019|

No doubt about it, February has been murder on all types of paved surfaces. And none more so than the runways at Johnson County Executive Airport, where the harsh weather has caused a crumbling “concrete cancer” that has made one taxiway too dangerous to use. County Commissioners approved emergency spending of $375,000 out of the airport’s reserves Thursday to quickly seal up the surface of Taxiway Alpha. Not doing so could result in the entire airport eventually being shut down, said Larry Peet, deputy director of the airport commission. (Read more: Prairie Village Post - Neighborhood news and events for Prairie [...]

First there were podcasts, now ‘Coffee and Chat’; City of Leavenworth reaching out to public in new ways

info2019-03-04T08:37:38-06:00March 4th, 2019|

Local residents will have the opportunity to meet with Leavenworth’s mayor and city manager this weekend. Mayor Jermaine Wilson and City Manager Paul Kramer will be available to answer questions during the city’s first Coffee and Chat program. The event will take place from 9-10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Leavenworth Public Library, 417 Spruce St. Wilson said the event will allow people to meet with city leaders outside of a City Commission meeting. “This is just providing the neutral ground,” he said. He said there will be no agenda for the event. He said the discussion will be guided by people’s [...]

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