North Newton has hired a new city administrator. The City of North Newton announced that Bradley Harris will fill the open position. Harris comes to North Newton after working as the assistant to the city manager in Oak Point Texas, as well as a job working for the City of Lawrence.
Source: Harvey County Now
In less than a month, state sales tax on groceries will be eliminated. However, you’ll still see local taxes on purchases of food items. On Jan. 1, the state sales tax on food and food ingredients will drop from a 2 percent tax on purchases to 0 percent. The change represents the final action in a 2022 law that gradually reduced the sales tax on food, which had been 6.5 percent.
Source: Harvey County Now
Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that applications will open Thursday, Dec. 12, for a second round of the Advancing Digital Opportunities to Promote Technology (ADOPT) program. The program will provide $10.7 million to organizations working to expand access to public wi-fi and connected devices. “Our digital opportunity programs empower Kansans to reach their full potential in work, education, and entrepreneurship,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The ADOPT program provides resources for communities to thrive in a digitally connected economy.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Wichita water and sewer customers can expect to see their bill continue to increase at higher than expected rates as the city’s new water treatment plant comes online. The City Council approved a combined 6.14% rate increase for next year – which amounts to approximately $3.21 more a month on residential customer bills, according to the city. However, other fees associated with water use will rise significantly. Account origination fees, which are added to water customers bills when they first start an account with the city, are currently $34. With the council’s approval, it will now be $53. Fees also increased for meter maintenance, connection and testing services. Those fees are adjusted every two years, according to Public Works Director Gary Janzen.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Olathe has started the process of issuing incentives to two new eateries that are coming to the city’s downtown area next year. Pizza 51 South and Third Street Social have both requested industrial revenue bonds and 10-year full property tax abatements, as well as 2% Community Improvement District special sales taxes. The two businesses are part of a trio of Kansas City-based restaurants that recently announced plans to open new locations in downtown Olathe. The third is Char Bar, which also is expected to eventually add pickleball courts to its new Olathe venue.
Source: Johnson County Post
Leawood may become a little more flexible on its tree replacement policy for developers, if an ordinance recently approved by the city’s planning commission gets final council approval. In a 5-2 vote the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, commissioners put their support behind a new proposal that would allow developers of commercial property a way around rules that require them to replace trees over a certain size that they plan to tear out. Under the proposed changes, the developers could either partner with nearby property owners to plant trees on their land or pay the city for the value of the trees to be destroyed.
Source: Johnson County Post
The City of Wichita Ethics Board met on Tuesday to discuss a complaint against Wichita Mayor Lily Wu. On Oct. 23, the president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 135, Ted Bush, signed a complaint alleging three violations by Wu: Wu “improperly instructed” Wichita Fire Chief Tammy Snow to lay off 42 WFD employees during a private meeting; Wu interfered with or expressed improper interest in the City hiring process; Wu did not act by majority vote and gave instructions as an individual council member to a department head. Both Wu and Bush provided the Ethics Board with their side of the story, including documentation and recordings. Source: KSN-TV
The Wichita Board of Education has an early idea of how the vote on a $450 million bond proposal for Wichita Public Schools could go in a couple of months. A research firm conducted a phone survey in mid-November and presented the results during Monday’s BOE meeting. Of the 301 people surveyed, 77.6% said they were in favor of the bond proposal. At first, 36% were opposed, but some switched to favoring the proposal when they were told the $450 million bond would not change the current tax rate or mill levy. You can expect to hear a lot about the proposal over the next few months. The vote is scheduled for Feb. 25 and will be for registered voters living in the Wichita school district.
Source: KSN-TV
A major employer is set to lay off hundreds of employees in the Emporia area. The city manager there calls it a “setback” for the community. The Kansas Department of Commerce (KDOC) shows on its website that a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) was filed by Tyson Food, Inc. on Dec. 2. It impacts 809 employees at the Tyson Fresh Meats location at 2101 West Sixth Street in Emporia. WARN notices are required by employers under federal law to provide advance warning to workers when a plant closure or mass layoffs are imminent. It is to help workers and their families find enough time to adjust to the situation and find new employment.
Source: KSN-TV
The United States Department of Agriculture has chosen Kansas as one of 25 states and U.S. territories to participate in a new pilot program. The USDA says the pilot program under the Single Family Housing Home Repair Loans and Grants program will help homeowners in rural areas more quickly make needed repairs to their homes in areas placed under a Presidential Disaster Declaration or live in Rural Partner Network communities. Many contractors require a 50% upfront before ordering materials and work begins. Under the pilot program, suppliers will be paid directly or to the contractor after receipt of a paid invoice. The USDA says the new pilot program will help homeowners make needed repairs or improvements to their homes while preventing fraud. Under the Single Family Housing Home Repair Loans and Grants program, low-income homeowners can receive loans of up to $40,000, and those over 62 can receive grants of up to $10,000. The 20-year term loans have a 1% interest rate. For those over 62, the loans can be combined with the grant for a maximum lifetime total of $50,000.
Source: KSN-TV
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