Ranson Financial, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

How is Topeka addressing homelessness after SCOTUS ruling?

Homeless people across the country can now be penalized for sleeping outside, but the Supreme Court says it should be up to each local government. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) voted 6-3 Friday morning that it is constitutional to ban people from sleeping outside. 27 News spoke with Topeka’s City Attorney Amanda Stanley about what this means for Topeka. “The ability to have every tool in our toolbox is what the Supreme Court gave us,” Stanley said. “I think that’s really helpful when you look at such a hard problem. No one solution is going to fix it.” Earlier this year, Topeka began its homeless abatement process. Current city ordinances claim it’s unlawful to camp near public infrastructure. So far, crews cleared more than 200 tons of trash along the Kansas River and other public areas. “You have to think about the community as a whole,” Stanley said. “Which is why you need to try to get people in housing, but also in neighborhoods, kids need to be able to walk down the street and not deal with feces or other issues.”
Source: KSNT 27 News

Ranson Financial2024-07-02T09:10:07-05:00July 2, 2024|News|

City of Lawrence files case against landlord for refusal of housing vouchers

The City of Lawrence has filed what appears to be its first Douglas County District Court lawsuit against a local landlord for allegedly refusing a prospective tenant based solely on their use of housing vouchers. Sue Herynk and her husband Joe Herynk, of River City Homes Inc., are named as defendants in the case. Sue’s responses indicate that they are eager for another chance to contest the city’s ordinance banning source of income discrimination, which they call unconstitutional. The Lawrence City Commission in February 2023 approved an ordinance change that creates a protected class based on renters’ source of income, as well as their status as a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking or stalking. It also disallows discrimination based on prospective tenants’ immigration status. The ordinance went into effect June 1, 2023. A Douglas County judge in May ruled against the group Landlords of Lawrence, which had sued the city over the ordinance. A complainant wrote in September 2023 that she had seen an ad for a unit in the 4700 block of Moundridge Court, according to documentation in the city’s lawsuit. The townhome was for rent at $1,400 per month, according to a Zillow listing. The complainant wrote that she called Sue Herynk, the property owner, who said the unit was available and just needed its carpets cleaned before new tenants could move in. “Up to this point the conversation had been positive. I then asked about payment of the rent, and explained that my payment would be in the form of a housing voucher (Section 8),” the complainant wrote. “Ms. Herynk stated that she would not accept my housing voucher, no matter the circumstances. She stated that a housing voucher would leave the landlord with uncovered liability in the case that the tenant were to abandon or damage the property. She rejected my request to be considered on the same basis as any other would be renter.”
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2024-07-02T09:05:39-05:00July 2, 2024|News|

Russell Awarded a Grant for Street Lighting Upgrades

The City of Russell is excited to announce that it has been awarded $122,783 in grant funds through the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant to upgrade 311 streetlights to more energy-efficient technologies. The KCC received a $1.9 million Block Grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Under this program, the KCC supports projects that replace traffic signals and street lighting with energy-efficient technology, with a particular focus on rural communities in Kansas.
Source: City of Russell

Ranson Financial2024-07-01T08:20:23-05:00July 1, 2024|News|

Supreme Court Expands Cities’ Power to Remove Homeless Camps

The Supreme Court loosened the restraints on city officials confronting homeless encampments, overturning a lower court that found it unconstitutional to penalize people for sleeping in public when they have nowhere else to stay. Writing for the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch said the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishments, which a lower court invoked to strike down the city’s ordinance, had no role to play in limiting government responses to homelessness.
Source: WSJ.com: World News and U.S. Supreme Court

Ranson Financial2024-06-28T12:14:19-05:00June 28, 2024|News|

Construction begins on expansion of Wichita homeless facility

A groundbreaking ceremony was held to begin construction of a major expansion for the Union Rescue Mission in north Wichita.
Construction will get started on July 8th to create several enhancements to the facility at 2800 North Hillside. The Union Rescue Mission raised over $2 million through its Dreams Rebuilt capital campaign that began in December, 2020. Kurt Yowell, chairman of the URM board of directors, said in a press release, “These renovations will not only freshen a well-worn facility, they will also provide a Chapel, additional classrooms, an updated emergency overnight shelter facility, improved security and safety features, and a degree of privacy and dignity for the men in programs.” The project is expected to be completed in March, 2025. The Mission also plans to raise an additional $110,000 to upgrade security in the parking lot behind the facility.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Ranson Financial2024-06-28T12:11:02-05:00June 28, 2024|News|

New city administrator hired in Hiawatha

Brad Scott–who has served the City of Hiawatha as Public Works Director and as Interim City Administrator–was officially hired as the new City Administrator at the end of Monday’s City Commission meeting. All city commissioner members voted in favor of Scott taking the position.
Source: City Government | hiawathaworldonline.com

Ranson Financial2024-06-28T12:09:19-05:00June 28, 2024|News|

Lyon County Commission approves six-month moratorium on medical facility zoning applications

The Lyon County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution establishing a moratorium on certain types of zoning, land use, and building permits related to medical facilities within the unincorporated areas of Lyon County Thursday morning. The resolution, presented by County Counselor Molly Priest, highlighted the lack of specific definitions and guidelines for medical facilities in the county’s existing zoning regulations. Priest said the resolution was crafted County Zoning Director Sam Seeley. “Our zoning regulations do not contemplate the breadth of medical facilities that exist today,” Priest said. “There are at least eight different types of medical facilities defined at state and federal levels, including general hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and rural emergency hospitals, none of which are clearly defined in our current regulations.” The moratorium will last until January 1, 2025, providing six months for the zoning administrator and the planning board to draft and propose new regulations. During this period, no new applications for zoning, conditional use permits, site plans, or building permits related to medical facilities will be accepted.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Ranson Financial2024-06-28T12:06:43-05:00June 28, 2024|News|

Admire to celebrate new multiuse court with ribbon cutting, community festivities

The City of Admire is set to host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6 p.m. July 3, to mark the completion of its new multiuse sport court. This event signals the final step in a project that has been eagerly awaited by the community. Following the ceremony, people are invited to join in a potluck dinner, enjoy a game of horseshoes, watch a spectacular fireworks display, and socialize with family, friends, and neighbors. The new multiuse court, designed to accommodate pickleball, basketball, and tennis, was made possible by a $30,000 implementation grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas. This grant is part of the Healthier Lyon County’s Pathways to a Healthy Kansas initiative, aimed at promoting active and healthy living in the region. Despite initial delays with fencing contractors, the court has been resurfaced and is now ready for community use.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Ranson Financial2024-06-28T12:04:47-05:00June 28, 2024|News|

Tax change creates headaches for county clerks

Homeowners may see a break on their property taxes this year but the change is creating extra work for the County Clerk’s Office. The tax relief package adopted by the Kansas Legislature at the June 18 special session changed the School Finance Levy Residential Exemption. Beginning in tax year 2024, the amount of residential property exempt from that statewide levy will increase from $43,049 to $75,000 of appraised value. County Clerk Bev Schmeidler told the Barton County Commission on Tuesday that her office was notified of this change on Friday afternoon and given until July 1 to update their abstracts, values, and budget sheets. Barton County Counselor Patrick Hoffman noted this affects counties throughout the state. “It is a little bit of a mess. Not just here.”
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Ranson Financial2024-06-28T12:03:04-05:00June 28, 2024|News|

Johnson County wants and needs a homeless shelter. But who will pay $500K a year?

Operating the proposed homeless shelter in Lenexa would require annual funding not only from Johnson County but also its cities, under a new plan, totaling almost $500,000 in public money, presented to county commissioners on Thursday. The idea sparked a heated discussion among commissioners, as leaders work to push forward the long-needed shelter, but have yet to secure any financial commitment from cities to help run it. The board voted 4-3 to move the discussion forward about a fund that would require $62,000 a year from the county. The plan also asks for varying amounts from each city, based on population, totaling nearly $420,000 a year. The commission in the coming months will vote on whether to approve the funds, while cities in the meantime decide whether to participate as well. Johnson County has begun the process of purchasing the shuttered La Quinta Inn and Suites off of Interstate 35 in Lenexa to convert into a year-round shelter, a major milestone for the county where advocates have long pushed for such a resource.
Source: Joco 913 News

Ranson Financial2024-06-28T12:01:09-05:00June 28, 2024|News|

About Ranson Financial

How is Topeka addressing homelessness after SCOTUS ruling?

City of Lawrence files case against landlord for refusal of housing vouchers

Russell Awarded a Grant for Street Lighting Upgrades

Supreme Court Expands Cities’ Power to Remove Homeless Camps

Construction begins on expansion of Wichita homeless facility

New city administrator hired in Hiawatha

Lyon County Commission approves six-month moratorium on medical facility zoning applications

Admire to celebrate new multiuse court with ribbon cutting, community festivities

Tax change creates headaches for county clerks

Johnson County wants and needs a homeless shelter. But who will pay $500K a year?

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