info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

With plans moving forward for a hotel-convention center in northwest Emporia, downtown may see hotel-only concept

info2022-11-18T09:12:26-06:00November 18th, 2022|

Can Emporia have two convention centers in town? According to Emporia Main Street Director Casey Woods, the answer is yes — if they are placed in the right areas. Next question: will Emporia have two convention centers? That answer hinges on a potential hotel-convention center in northwest Emporia and longstanding plans for the so-called Breckenridge Hotel and Convention Center downtown, which may well be halted if the property sells and new ownership moves in a different direction. Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

Incentive-averse Shawnee approves unusual TIF district

info2022-11-18T09:13:08-06:00November 18th, 2022|

After two hours of discussion, a public hearing and much angst over perceived threat of eminent domain, the Shawnee City Council this week approved a special taxing district in a largely undeveloped area on the western side of the city. In so doing, the council’s 6-2 vote gave a blessing to a novel use for tax increment financing, a tool most often used to the benefit of developers. The new Hickok-Zarah district, which encompasses 2.58 square miles between Monticello Road and Woodland Drive, is set up in a similar way to more traditional, developer-oriented TIFs. Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Douglas County invites community to discuss process to move to 5 commission districts

info2022-11-18T00:46:12-06:00November 18th, 2022|

Douglas County leaders will hold a community meeting to discuss the process of moving to five commissioner districts. Voters in the Nov. 8 election voted roughly 61% to 39% to add two additional commissioner districts to the current three. During the meeting, “County Clerk Jamie Shew will provide an overview of the process for moving to five districts. There will be an opportunity for the public to weigh in on the districts during roundtable discussions at the meeting,” according to information from the county. “The Board of County Commissioners will adopt a resolution outlining the new districts before or on Jan. [...]

UG charter ordinance subcommittee review underway

info2022-11-18T00:44:04-06:00November 18th, 2022|

The Unified Government’s Charter Ordinance Subcommittee on Tuesday went over the ordinance line by line to determine what areas committee members wanted to work on. Topics that came up during the review included who had the actual authority over employees and the administrator – the mayor, administrator or the commission, or all? Whether the administrator or interim administrator should be required to live in Wyandotte County? Also, how many commissioners are needed to make the decision to appoint or dismiss the administrator, what is the meaning of majority in this phrasing? These issues may be addressed at future meetings, according to [...]

Advisory board will be created for Sedgwick County Fire District 1

info2022-11-18T00:41:34-06:00November 18th, 2022|

Sedgwick County Commissioners have voted to create a nine-member Steering Council for Fire District 1. The Council will function as an advisory board and it will have five members appointed by the district’s largest cities: Bel Aire, Goddard, Maize, Haysville and Park City. The Sedgwick County Association of Cities will appoint a member, two members will come from the unincorporated area, and one member will represent an aviation company with 5,000 or more employees that pays taxes in the fire district. Commissioner Jim Howell wants to establish the board to give smaller communities and unincorporated areas a voice in decisions affecting [...]

Dad sues Shawnee Mission district over ‘troubling pattern’ of closed-door meetings

info2022-11-18T00:39:33-06:00November 18th, 2022|

A father is suing the Shawnee Mission school district, alleging that it violated Kansas open meetings law by excluding the public from work group sessions studying boundary changes for his child’s school. On Monday, the school board unanimously approved new attendance boundaries for Briarwood Elementary School, near 86th Street and Nall Avenue in Prairie Village, which officials say is over capacity. Source: Joco 913 News

Kansas cities dealing with higher water and sewer plant costs

info2022-11-18T00:37:51-06:00November 18th, 2022|

The price you pay for water and sewer could be going up as many cities across Kansas say it is getting more expensive for them to operate the plants. "If you'd asked me just about any city, I would tell you they're being pinched the same as we are," said Nick Gregory, McPherson City Administrator. Some cities like Wichita and Derby have already taken steps to raise water rates at the beginning of the new year. In Wichita, the recommended rate adjustments are 6.25% for water and 3% for sewer. The average impact is $3.54. Source: KSN-TV

Results flip in Louisburg council race following canvass

info2022-11-18T00:35:36-06:00November 18th, 2022|

When Tiffany Ellison walked into the Miami County Clerk’s Office on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 17, for the canvass of votes to certify the results of the Nov. 8 election, she was still trailing challenger Kevin Roche by two votes in the Louisburg City Council Ward 2 race. Just a few hours later, once 88 provisional ballots from throughout the county were approved and added to the official final election results, Ellison learned she had now won the council race by two votes. Only a few of the approved provisional ballots impacted the Louisburg council race, but it was enough [...]

Labette County views study to expand internet

info2022-11-17T12:36:44-06:00November 17th, 2022|

A 256-page study could serve as a roadmap for internet service providers to expand broadband coverage in Labette County. Labette County commissioners, who paid Finley Engineering of Lamar, Missouri, $69,350 to complete the study, accepted the work on Monday and reviewed highlights with Jim Zaleski, the city of Parsons economic development director. The county paid for the study with its American Rescue Plan Act funding from the federal government. The study featured in-depth interviews with residents, businesses and internet providers in the county. The study also listed varied broadband speeds in the county, most of which are poor. Much of southern [...]

Court rules against officers in Kansas wrongful conviction

info2022-11-17T12:35:33-06:00November 17th, 2022|

A federal appeals court has rejected an appeal by several Kansas law enforcement officers who were seeking qualified immunity for their roles in the arrest and prosecution of a man who was wrongfully convicted of killing a young girl. Floyd Bledsoe spent 16 years in prison after being convicted of killing 14-year-old Camille Arfmann in November 1999 in rural Jefferson County, Kansas. Floyd Bledsoe's brother, Tom, was originally charged with murder after he confessed and led authorities to the body. But those charges were dropped and Floyd Bledsoe was arrested. He was convicted in 2000 of murder, kidnapping and indecent liberties [...]

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