info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Manhattan raises guest tax; additional revenue to help expand conference center

info2019-01-11T11:53:48-06:00January 11th, 2019|

The tax that visitors to Manhattan pay for a hotel room is set to rise by half a percent. The Manhattan City Commission unanimously voted to raise the city’s transient guest tax from 7 to 7 point 5 percent at their meeting Tuesday. The city has been looking into an expansion of the Manhattan Conference Center at the Hilton Garden Inn that is now estimated will cost $3.5 million. The additional revenue from the increase in transient guest tax would be intended to help pay down the debt on that expansion, expected to bring in an extra $130,000 per year. HCW, [...]

New commission will enable Topeka youths to say what they want their community to be

info2019-01-11T11:49:35-06:00January 11th, 2019|

It is critically important that the youths of this community play a role in helping move it forward, Greater Topeka Partnership president and CEO Matt Pivarnik told Shawnee County commissioners Thursday. He told Commissioners Kevin Cook, Shelly Buhler and Bob Archer he consequently felt excited to encourage them to express support for the Greater Topeka Youth Partnership Commission, a new organization consisting of youths and their adult supporters. The youth commission will give young leaders a platform for “telling the adults what they want their community to be going forward,” Pivarnik said. Commissioners subsequently voted 3-0 to express support for the [...]

Marion county fire departments take predicting of wildfire danger in stride

info2019-01-11T11:47:28-06:00January 11th, 2019|

Although some forecasts call for increased wildfires this summer, Marion County fire departments won’t change how they prepare. Neighboring Chase and Butler Counties are among the Kansas counties most prone to wildfires. If it has an effect, will be that more emphasis is placed on tactics and preparation, said. “We might ramp up some of our wildland training, discuss some different things with tactics and strategy,” Lincolnville fire chief Les Kaiser said. “We also re-evaluate our trucks in case we need to make any changes in them.” But a big challenge, Peabody fire chief Mark Penner said, is maintaining enough volunteers. [...]

Augusta to decide on allowing RV parking in mobile home parks

info2019-01-11T12:31:52-06:00January 11th, 2019|

Angie Johnston and Nick Hoefgen with Family First Living were present to ask the Council for consideration for allowing recreational vehicles in manufactured home residential districts. Family First Living has a mobile home community in Towanda and two in Augusta. In addition to the park located at Custer Lane and Campbell Road, they recently purchased the park on Money Ave., on Augusta’s west side. “Our community in Towanda and on Custer are highly occupied and both have spaces that were converted to allow for RVs...If they weren’t already set up, it would be a different conversation for us,” Johnston said. She [...]

Resident wants road closed in Pratt county

info2019-01-11T11:37:08-06:00January 11th, 2019|

A road closure in Pratt County will have to be initiated by the county resident wanting the road closed. Doug Freund, county road and bridge supervisor, informed Pratt County Commissioners that Joe Berry wants to close NW 60th Street between NW 70th and 80th Avenues. County Counselor Bob Schmisseur said anyone interested in closing a road can file a petition to start the road closing process. County commissioners can authorize a road closure themselves without a petition but in this case, the commissioners agreed that Berry will have to start the process. Freund said there were one or two other land [...]

Hays city commission to consider extension of TDD tax in northeast business area

info2019-01-11T11:34:15-06:00January 11th, 2019|

ays city commissioners will decide Thursday whether to approve a resolution for improvement of East 41st Street from Home Depot east to Vineyard Park. A 3/4-cent sales tax was enacted April 1, 2005, for the Home Depot Transportation Development District (TDD), which currently includes Home Depot, IHOP, Hampton Inn, Town Place Suites by Marriott, the former JT Travel Plaza and a yet-to-be developed area for 47,000 square feet of retail space. The TDD tax outperformed projections allowing for the 2004 TDD bonds financing the Phase I improvements to be called early and completed in January 2018. Special Counsel Kevin Wempe with [...]

Horton City Commission denies trash service rate hike

info2019-01-11T11:27:55-06:00January 11th, 2019|

After several discussions over the past few months, John Blessing of Waste Management was present to discuss the proposed 46-cent per home rate increase. Commissioner Wade Edwards stated that after communicating with Horton residents, the company’s sub-standard service is a concern. A motion was made and the commission voted unanimously to deny the request for the rate increase. (Read more: Hiawatha World Online)

Nauheim v. City of Topeka: Relocation benefits when condemning real property

info2019-01-11T09:50:57-06:00January 11th, 2019|

Partial syllabus from today's Kansas Supreme Court opinion: 2. Whenever federal funding is not involved, and real property is acquired by any condemning authority, K.S.A. 2017 Supp. 26-518 identifies two distinct situations requiring the authority to pay relocation benefits to a displaced person: (a) when the acquisition occurs through negotiation in advance of a condemnation action, or (b) when the acquisition occurs through a condemnation action. 3. Not every acquisition of real property by a condemning authority is covered by K.S.A. 2017 Supp. 26-518. 4. The phrase "negotiation in advance of a condemnation action" in K.S.A. 2017 Supp. 26-518 is both [...]

Parsons ponders changes to tax relief program

info2019-01-11T06:58:39-06:00January 11th, 2019|

With a neighborhood revitalization program set to expire this year, the city of Parsons is looking to push for greater tax relief for owners who improve their property. The city now has two neighborhood revitalization programs. One was recently approved for the northern part of the city in the area of the junction of U.S. 400 and U.S. 59 (North 16th Street) and pertains to commercial development only. The other, older program set to expire in October allows both commercial and residential property owners in a specific area to get 90 percent tax rebates on additional property tax brought by an [...]

Some positions filled; Hutchinson police force still down 14 officers

info2019-01-11T06:45:24-06:00January 11th, 2019|

Recruiting efforts continue in Hutchinson to fill vacancies in the police department. City Manager John Deardoff says some of the openings were filled, but the department is still about 14 officers short of a full staff. Deardoff says there are currently four officers in final training. There is still a large hole to fill once those officers hit the streets. Deardoff says the city and police force have been going to area colleges to try and recruit potential officers. He reiterated this is not a problem in Hutchinson alone, but nationwide. Deardoff says the city will continue to reevaluate its recruiting [...]

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