info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Shawnee adding more license plate readers at ‘strategic locations’

info2024-09-11T10:16:05-05:00September 11th, 2024|

Shawnee is adding 11 more license plate readers around the city, courtesy of a federal grant. On Monday, the Shawnee City Council voted 5-1 to approve a nearly $70,000 purchase of License Plate Recognition equipment from the Merriam-based Electronic Technologies Inc. Councilmember Tony Gillette was in dissent. Councilmembers Kurt Knappen and Sierra Whitted were absent. The purchase is the result of an $83,000 federal grant under the COPS Technology and Equipment Program Invitational Solicitation for Fiscal Year 2023, which allows police departments to purchase equipment to assist in responding to and preventing crime, according to city documents. About $11,000 of the [...]

Wichita officials looking at options for downtown parking

info2024-09-11T09:43:42-05:00September 11th, 2024|

Wichita City Council members received an update Tuesday on a plan for downtown parking that has generated opposition from citizens and business owners. Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson said the plan was developed because the city has struggled with balancing the costs of operations and maintenance with effective parking management. He said a 6,800-space system would need over $1.3 million in annual maintenance expenses, but the current parking fund balance would not be enough to provide ongoing repair and maintenance. Enhancements such as safety, security, cleanliness and beautification would add to the deficit. The City Council delayed implementation of the parking [...]

After a cryptocurrency mine failed in McLouth, Douglas County considers how to regulate high-tech developments like it

info2024-09-09T13:56:43-05:00September 9th, 2024|

These types of operations — and similar large-scale projects, such as data centers and battery systems used by wind and solar farms — are becoming more and more common in rural parts of the U.S. And unincorporated Douglas County has been seeing some interest from them. The county has already received inquiries from companies interested in possibly locating energy storage facilities here, and county leaders want to figure out how these projects fit into the county’s zoning rules. Source: LJWorld

Lawrence City Commissioner will no longer attend general public comment in person, citing ‘dangerous’ and ‘disruptive’ behaviors

info2024-09-09T13:57:57-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Lawrence City Commissioner Amber Sellers, for at least the last two commission meetings, has not been physically present for general public comment. ... Sellers said that she would listen to public comment from an alternative location. Source: LJWorld

‘Incredible … son, brother and friend’: Fundraiser for Kansas lineman killed in workplace accident

info2024-09-09T09:33:13-05:00September 9th, 2024|

A fundraiser has been set up to help the family of a 20-year-old Wellington lineman who died Wednesday in a workplace accident. Wilson Price started with the city’s electric distribution department as an apprentice linemen in January 2024. He quickly became a valued team member, according to a news release sent out by the city on Friday. “His coworkers admired his incredible attitude and the joy he brought to every job site, a testament to his positive impact on the department,” the release says. City manager Jeff Porter said that Price “came to work every day with enthusiasm, curiosity, and pride; [...]

How could Wichita change unpopular paid parking plan? City staff report offers hints

info2024-09-09T09:31:47-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Wichita city staff is looking at options after a plan to charge for public parking at all 6,800 spots downtown sparked outrage from residents and business owners. The City Council isn’t expected to take any binding action when it meets Tuesday. And formal staff recommendations will be presented in 30 to 60 days. But a staff report for Tuesday’s meeting teases several potential changes aimed at making the plan more palatable to downtown commuters. Installation of meters with one hour of free parking and $.75/hour for remaining time (the original plan states that all meter rates should be between $.75 and [...]

New Council member hopes to change views of community involvement

info2024-09-09T09:29:37-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Benedikt Middleton wants to change how people view community involvement. “I think there is this idea that to be a member of the city council, you have to be of a certain position in the community,” said Middleton. “I know, growing up, that was the way I felt.” As the newly appointed Iola City Council member to Ward 4, Middleton hopes to see a change in this outlook. Being semi-retired, Middleton worked for 32 years with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) as an engineering technician specialist. He now does remote consulting work for an engineering firm based in Arkansas. Middleton [...]

Garden Plain gets federal grant for new aquatics facility

info2024-09-09T09:27:53-05:00September 9th, 2024|

The City of Garden Plain will be getting a federal grant to help build a new municipal pool and aquatics facility. The grant is for over $1.6 million from the National Parks Service, administered through the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The city plans to build an aquatics center that includes a zero-entry pool with a shallow play area, lap swim lanes, a bathhouse and concession building, and features such as a diving board, basketball goal, a slide, shade structures, inflatables and a splash pad area. The total estimated cost of the facility will be $3.27 million, so the grant [...]

Wichita holding steady in water usage with drought restrictions

info2024-09-09T09:26:50-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Wichita mayor Lily Wu reported a slight increase in water usage over the past week, but she said usage has been mostly steady and there has been an overall drop in water usage as the city goes into its second month of outdoor watering restrictions. The city went into Stage Two of its drought response plan on August 5th, and outdoor watering is limited to one day a week. The city is divided into four quadrants and watering is only for a specific day for each quadrant, with no watering on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Mayor said the city has [...]

City to consider altering process of approving change orders

info2024-09-09T09:25:45-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday will discuss how much oversight they want to have of change orders to construction contracts. The city currently doesn’t have standardized procedures regarding who approves change orders and how, though city officials typically have asked the commission to do it if the total project costs exceeds $50,000 or if the commission originally approved the contract. However, officials said in meeting documents that the process of getting a change order in front of the commission is time-consuming, particularly with the high volume of change orders the city receives. Source: 1350 KMAN

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