info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

City of Topeka, Shawnee County to work to use tax foreclosure to help revitalize neighborhoods

info2018-11-30T09:42:53-06:00November 30th, 2018|

Shawnee County and Topeka's city government are partnering to use the county's tax foreclosure process to help revitalize neighborhoods in decline, County Commissioners Shelly Buhler and Bob Archer learned Thursday. Megan Barrett, office manager for county counselor Jim Crowl, spoke about the effort at that morning's meeting, where Commission Chairman Kevin Cook was absent. Barrett said the county and city are teaming up in conjunction with the Momentum 2022 economic development ... (Read more: Topeka Capital-Journal)

Douglas County considers whether to charge nonprofits to use fairgrounds

info2018-11-30T09:25:10-06:00November 30th, 2018|

The Douglas County Commission agreed Wednesday to put off a decision on whether to start charging some nonprofits to use the county fairgrounds, citing confusion about what types of organizations the new language would affect. Under the current fee structure, youth organizations and nonprofits with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status are allowed to use the fairgrounds for free. The proposed changes to the fee structure would still allow county nonprofit youth groups free use of the fairgrounds, said Jill Jolicoeur, assistant to the county administrator. However, nonprofits with state 501(c)(3) certification would be asked to rent the grounds or facilities at a discounted [...]

Emporia once again discussing biodiesel plant

info2018-11-30T07:47:00-06:00November 30th, 2018|

City officials expressed interest in allowing a little more time for the completion of a biodiesel plant in Emporia. Renewable Energy Group Executive Director of Corporate Affairs Scott Hedderich accompanied Regional Development Association President Kent Heermann to a study session of the Emporia City Commission Wednesday morning to discuss potentially renewing an old agreement between the RDA and Renewable Energy Group. The agreement concerns a biodiesel plant, something that had been discussed publicly by the RDA as far back as 2007, when the plant was first broached as a possibility. If the commission were to sign off on it, it would [...]

STAR bond project for American Royal being modified

info2018-11-30T07:44:40-06:00November 30th, 2018|

The Unified Government is modifying the STAR bond project for the American Royal because the state will not approve it as it was originally written, according to UG officials. Unified Government Administrator Doug Bach told the UG Commission Thursday night that the acting secretary of commerce would not approve the local share being held back for the sales tax revenue (STAR) bond project for the American Royal, outside of the Plaza at the Speedway area contained in the district. “We were going through the final stages of putting the plan together when we received some comments from the acting secretary of [...]

Parsons commissioner disapproves of closed session to discuss incentives

info2018-11-30T07:43:58-06:00November 30th, 2018|

Parsons city commissioners met in an executive session during a Thursday work session, but the decision to meet in private wasn’t made unanimously. Commissioner Peter Cook objected to the closed session because the motion didn’t include enough information for the public. The session was called to discuss possible incentives based on sales and confidential financial information related to the financial affairs of a corporation. “I think to have an executive session on this, it ought to be a little more revealing because we’re not telling anyone anything except we’re going to meet in secret to talk about something,” Cook said. As [...]

Sale of city-owned building in Chanute : Job retention vs. recruitment

info2018-11-30T07:42:30-06:00November 30th, 2018|

Chanute commissioners received two offers, raised a counter proposal, and are now waiting to see if the other players will call or fold. The stakes are economic development and privatizing a manufacturing plant at 615 W. Cherry. The players are a long-time Chanute manufacturer and a new business looking to come to town. For now, the winner remains undetermined. Chanute Regional Development Authority Director Matt Godinez said both offers look good, and he thinks both companies are sound and will do what they promise. He said that the issue seems to be between job retention versus recruitment. “It’s almost personal taste [...]

Supreme Court case could have major impact on law in Missouri, Kansas

info2018-11-30T07:40:00-06:00November 30th, 2018|

A law that brings in millions of dollars for law enforcement in Kansas and Missouri could soon change. Under a law called civil asset forfeiture, a traffic stop could end with someone losing their car or life savings. Wednesday, the Supreme Court of the United States heard a case from Indiana that looks at the law. It centers around a man named Tyson Timbs who sold undercover police in Indiana $400 worth of heroin. He was arrested, and they took his $40,000 Land Rover through asset forfeiture. On Wednesday, during oral arguments, his attorney told the Supreme Court that the seizure [...]

Kansas task force eager to finish stalled T-Works projects, invest in road preservation

info2018-11-30T07:37:43-06:00November 30th, 2018|

The Kansas Legislature’s task force Thursday recommended completion of more than 20 highway projects suspended when the cash-strapped state government drained away highway funding to balance the budget and to place a high priority on investments preventing deterioration of existing infrastructure. The panel of state and local government officials and industry representatives struggled to identify precise sources of funding to cover $535 million needed to finish 21 projects remaining from the T-Works program started in 2010. It was the same with pinpointing financing as much as $500 million annually for road preservation projects managed by the Kansas Department of Transportation. In [...]

Commissioner concerned lawsuit against drug makers could hurt local jobs

info2018-11-30T07:07:49-06:00November 30th, 2018|

Cowley County commissioners have decided to drop out of a opioid lawsuit several months after they joined it. The commission approved a resolution Tuesday night removing itself from the suit initiated by Sedgwick County and joined by Cowley County in April 2018. The purpose of the suit, as described by the lawyers for Sedgwick County and explained at length in the suit itself, was to go after the “Big Pharma” companies that have been encouraging physicians to prescribe opioids while denying they are addictive. That, according to the claim, promotes the current opioid crisis. “The opioid crisis is everywhere. Why wouldn’t [...]

City selects ballpark design-build group; competing bidder questions qualifications

info2018-11-30T07:05:40-06:00November 30th, 2018|

The Wichita City Council hasn’t officially approved a design-build team for the city’s new $75 million Minor League ballpark, but there’s already been a protest over the recommended group. On Tuesday, the Council will vote on a selection committee’s recommendation of Kansas City, Mo.-based JE Dunn Construction, which is teaming with Overland Park-based DLR Group and three Wichita companies: Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey Architecture, Professional Engineering Consultants and Eby Construction. At issue in a protest by a competing team is whether the JE Dunn team meets a key requirement to be selected, which is that it has built at least three [...]

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