info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

E-scooters to cease operations in Manhattan after company announces U.S. shutdown

E-scooters will no longer be a mode of transportation in Manhattan in the new year. City officials announced this week that effective Sunday, the LINK/Superpedestrian e-scooters will no longer be available throughout the community or on the Kansas State University campus. The company that oversees those e-scooters, Superpedestrian, will cease operations after the new year, due to financial challenges as reported by Tech Crunch earlier this month. E-scooters were introduced in Manhattan in August 2020 after the city contracted with Superpedestrian (formerly LINK) for a pilot program, deploying about 150 scooters into the city, at the request of Kansas State University. That fleet of scooters eventually expanded to 450. Since that time, officials say more than 412,000 trips have been taken throughout the community. City and university officials are planning to discuss other opportunities in 2024 to bring e-scooters back to the community.
Source: 1350 KMAN

info2023-12-29T12:01:42-06:00December 29, 2023|News|

One of the two water tanks complete in Newton

The City of Newton recently announced the completion of its First Street water tank. The city has been working since 2016 to replace a 3.1 million gallon water tank located nearby with two concrete 1.9 million gallon tanks. In 2021, the city purchased property to build the new tanks on from BNSF, due to the closeness of the location to existing infrastructure that serves the old tank. The project began in May of 2022 and then was put on hold for 10 months by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment due to new pollution being discovered on the property. Over that time period, costs of the project increased, and the city estimated it would pay $1.57 million extra to complete the project when it discussed the issue in May. The total estimate of the project was $8.3 million. The city took work back up and in a recent release reported the first tank to be ready for the chlorination process to begin in January. In the coming months, work will begin on demolishing the old water tank as well as installing the second water tank. The exterior of the old water tank has turned a mostly green, black color due to the City choosing not to clean or repaint it since it was slated for demolition.
Source: Harvey County Now

info2023-12-29T11:50:49-06:00December 29, 2023|News|

Hillsboro moves forward with housing plans

Housing was once again the main topic of discussion at Tuesday’s Hillsboro City Council meeting. In a follow-up from the Dec. 6 meeting, the group voted and agreed to transfer six acres of land to Mennonite Housing for a workforce housing project. Mennonite Housing will be applying for tax credits to pay for a 24-unit project that will be located near Dollar General and Carquest. The plan is for the housing to be made up of 12 Duplex buildings and would include a clubhouse maintenance garage. Duplexes would be two and three-bedroom units—each with a garage unit to fit within the requirements of the program. The units will be constructed in an energy-efficient manner and include a range, refrigerator, space saver microwave, dishwasher and washer/dryer. The furnace and tankless water heater will be gas. The air conditioner and appliances will be electric. Residents will be responsible for all utilities except trash. The clubhouse will have a manager’s office, community room, kitchen, restrooms, computer room and a covered rear patio. Free WIFI will be available in the clubhouse. Outdoor amenities include a playground and basketball court. The requirement for applicants to be able to be residents and live in the tax credit property is that their gross household income needs to be below 80% of area medium income (AMI). The annual gross household income amounts would be based on the number of people that are in the household. A limited number of units are available at lower monthly rent amounts for households with annual gross household income below 30% or 50% of AMI. There are also a limited number of units available for households with annual gross household income between 60% and 80% of AMI.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press

info2023-12-29T11:48:27-06:00December 29, 2023|News|

UG approves new funding source for affordable housing, childcare

Wyandotte County leaders will start 2024 with a new plan for funding community programs. Earlier this month, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, approved an ordinance creating a Community Benefits Fund. Beginning in January, half of all administrative and issuance fees paid by developers receiving tax incentives through tools like industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) or tax increment financing (TIF) will be placed into the fund and used for community programs. The fund aims to leverage fees from developments in the western part of the county to support historically underserved or underdeveloped portions of the county. Funds will support the senior home repair program, affordable housing trust fund and licensed childcare programs. The Mayor’s Business and Economic Development Taskforce, which is chaired by former Fourth District Commissioner Harold Johnson, spurred the idea. “The Community Benefits Ordinance makes good on the promise made decades ago that development on the west side of Kansas City, Kansas, would be leveraged in order to improve all areas of KCK, specifically east of I-635,” Johnson said in a news release. In the coming weeks, Mayor Tyrone Garner and UG commissioners will work to appoint 11 people to a the Community Benefits Advisory Board, which will make recommendations to the UG for the use of the funds. The advisory board will be comprised exclusively of county residents and business owners in the county.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

info2023-12-29T11:39:05-06:00December 29, 2023|News|

Overland Park development defaults on bonds meant to help attract commerce to Kansas

The Prairiefire development has defaulted on close to $65 million in outstanding bond debt, further substantiating concerns among Kansas lawmakers that the Overland Park project hasn’t generated enough sales to make payments in a timely manner. Bondholders recently were notified that Prairiefire missed the Dec. 15 maturity date for $14.9 million in sales tax revenue (STAR) bonds, the balance of a $15 million tranche. That tranche was the first of three Overland Park issued in 2012, totaling $65 million, to build the 56-acre retail and entertainment complex south of 135th Street, between Lamar and Nall avenues. STAR bonds are a state program designed to attract more tourism and revenue to Kansas by helping municipalities finance commercial, entertainment and tourism projects. Trustee UMB Bank had not received sufficient funds to make $14.9 million in principal and $1.75 million in interest payments due for Prairiefire’s STAR bonds as of a Dec. 18 event notice. The bank said it had transferred the $3.8 million balance of the bonds’ reserve fund to help cover debt service. “The Trustee is currently evaluating certain provisions of the Indenture which provide conflicting guidance on how to apply funds in this scenario,” UMB Bank wrote in the notice. “The Trustee will provide additional updates to Bondowners as they become available.”
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

info2023-12-29T11:37:56-06:00December 29, 2023|News|

Olathe reworks requirements for developers to get tax incentives

Olathe is changing how developers can get tax incentives. Earlier in December, the Olathe City Council approved amendments to multiple economic incentive policies, updating the requirements for the use of tax abatements, Community Improvement Districts (CID), Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and the issuance of Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRB). The changes bar incentives for delinquent taxpayers and prevent tax breaks for developers threatening legal action against the city. Beginning Monday, incentives typically granted through a CID, TIF or the creation of a benefit district will not be approved if the developer has a financial interest in an existing development with delinquent taxes within the city. Applicants seeking incentives for new development will be required to certify, under oath, that they are not financially tied to a property with delinquent taxes and have no federal or state tax liens in Kansas. The City Council will no longer consider applications for the creation of CID or TIF districts if the developer, company principals or any affiliates are engaged in or have threatened legal action against the city.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

info2023-12-29T11:36:43-06:00December 29, 2023|News|

Call it ‘Swiftonomics’: How Taylor Swift brought a gold rush to Kansas City

2023 was a big year for Kansas City. The Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl in February. Taylor Swift’s two-night Eras Tour performance in July included an additional song in her set and a new music video debut to accompany her release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” The city went all out for her stop, creating a lineup of Swift-themed events. But perhaps the most unexpected high for the city was when Swift showed up at a Chiefs game in September, making her relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce public. Swelce — or Traylor, or Tayvis — brought renewed worldwide attention to Kansas City. Mayor Quinton Lucas says Swift’s given Kansas City a big reputation — one that doesn’t have anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. With this relationship, he says Kansas City is in its superstar era. “I happened to be in Paris this year for the Rugby World Cup. There was a woman from the Foreign Service in New Zealand who said, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re from Kansas City,’” Lucas said. “She’s like ‘Taylor Swift, right? And she’s dating some not-very-famous footballer.’ Like, actually, he’s kind of a big deal for us.” VisitKC says the city made about $200 million just from Swift’s eras tour this summer. After her relationship with Kelce went public, StubHub reported that ticket sales for all Chiefs home games tripled for the rest of the season. Derek Byrne, a spokesperson for VisitKC, says it’s opened a lot of doors for the city to promote itself. “Even if Taylor Swift’s name isn’t in some of the work we’re doing, it is still giving people a reason to think of us a little more seriously,” Byrne said. According to an analysis by Google Trends, searches asking, “Where is Kansas City?” more than doubled in the U.S. over the past three months and search interest in local restaurants skyrockets each time the couple visits one. Even searches for flights based on the pair’s travel patterns out of Kansas City, are rising.
Source: KCUR News

info2023-12-29T11:31:18-06:00December 29, 2023|News|

Researchers are finding high levels of fertilizer in drinking water from rural Kansas wells

Matthew Kirk has an unpleasant task: breaking the news to families about fertilizer chemicals in their drinking water. The Kansas State University geology professor and his collaborators check for nitrogen pollution in the private wells that so many rural households depend on. “Most of the well owners that I’ve talked to,” Kirk said, “this isn’t something that’s really on their radar.” Researchers aim to test about 150 private wells in south-central Kansas in Barton, Stafford, Pawnee, Edwards, Rice, Pratt and Kiowa counties. Students and scientists from K-State and Barton and Dodge City community colleges have teamed up to test about 90 so far. Of those, half contain more nitrate than federal regulators allow in public water systems. “Of those that didn’t,” Kirk said, “a lot of them were pretty darn close.” One well contained more than five times as much nitrate as the federal government tolerates in public water supplies. That household has started treating the water before drinking it. Drinking too much of these nitrogen compounds is dangerous for babies, and scientists are investigating suspected links to serious health conditions in children and adults, such as cancer. Public water sources have to comply with federal standards, so utilities treat water to reduce nitrate levels when necessary. But the same rules don’t apply to private wells, and people often don’t know what their groundwater contains. Meanwhile, decade by decade, chemicals accumulate. In 2016, K-State researchers checked water quality in south-central Kansas wells that had also undergone testing 40 years earlier. “We’re seeing nitrate increases that are massive,” Kirk said, adding that they are “among the biggest” when compared to long-term data from a similar national study.
Source: KCUR News

info2023-12-29T11:28:06-06:00December 29, 2023|News|

Salina Fire Department has a new alerting system

The Salina Fire Department announced on Wednesday that they have implemented a new fire station alerting system. According to the SFD, the Phoenix G2 Fire Station Alerting System by USDD Honeywell offers the latest standards and technologies in emergency response. The new system features “heart-healthy ramping tones, lights, message boards, and color-indicating lights that provide a comprehensive alerting system for the firefighters.” The SFD says that this system will enhance efficiency and safety for both the SFD and Saline County Rural Fire Districts serving Salina and Saline County residents. “The automation of the alerting process allows dispatch to stay on the line with 911 callers, collecting crucial information or providing instructions while crews are dispatched,” said the SFD in a Facebook post. “It’s important for people to understand that while technology, such as the Fire Station Alerting system, plays a role in dispatching emergency services, there are still real people involved in the initial stages of receiving and assessing emergency calls. The combination of human expertise and technology helps ensure a prompt and effective response to emergencies. The change in tones and the automated voice for dispatching units is a noticeable change to those with scanners.” According to SFD, they are the first fire department in the state to be using this system.
Source: KSN-TV

info2023-12-29T11:22:00-06:00December 29, 2023|News|

Marching on: City band director plays in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Jenna Morris, a music teacher at Southern Coffey County and director of the Iola Municipal Band, took part in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a spectacle enjoyed by millions every year, but for Jenna Morris, a local musician and music educator, it became a dream come true as she recently took part in the parade with the Band Directors Marching Band. Morris, a music teacher for the Southern Coffey County school district in Le Roy, had the opportunity of a lifetime to join the group of band directors and music educators from across North America. The band, organized by Saluting America’s Band Directors, paraded through the streets of New York City with an impressive 400 members during the annual parade. Morris shared, “I applied through Saluting America’s Band Directors, submitting a resume and answering questions on my philosophy of musical education and experiences. It’s an incredible opportunity, and I was grateful to be a part of it.” With more than 900 applicants, Morris was one of the talented 400 selected. A graduate of Pittsburg State University in December 2021, Morris has been immersed in the world of music since sixth grade. Her journey led her to the bassoon, an instrument with unique scholarship opportunities. In the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, however, she played the sousaphone. Her favorite part of the Macy’s Parade experience? “The energy and the sheer scale of the event were incredible. Being at the end of a row, seeing people everywhere – the energy was so cool.” Morris shared, “We had four main practicing sessions, mostly marching rehearsals at Weehawken Riverfront Park in New Jersey. The scale of the balloons and the whole experience were something you can’t fully grasp until you’re there.”
Source: The Iola Register

info2023-12-29T11:13:56-06:00December 29, 2023|News|

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E-scooters to cease operations in Manhattan after company announces U.S. shutdown

One of the two water tanks complete in Newton

Hillsboro moves forward with housing plans

UG approves new funding source for affordable housing, childcare

Overland Park development defaults on bonds meant to help attract commerce to Kansas

Olathe reworks requirements for developers to get tax incentives

Call it ‘Swiftonomics’: How Taylor Swift brought a gold rush to Kansas City

Researchers are finding high levels of fertilizer in drinking water from rural Kansas wells

Salina Fire Department has a new alerting system

Marching on: City band director plays in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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