info, Author at Ranson Financial Group LLC

Overland Park ordinance would levy fines for ‘nuisance’ parties at vacation rentals

info2022-09-16T07:34:49-05:00September 16th, 2022|

Overland Park is closer to finalizing new rules for “nuisance” parties within city limits following a deadly shooting earlier this year that took place at a home being used as a short-term vacation rental. The Overland Park City Council’s Public Safety Committee on Wednesday approved city staff’s recommendation for a nuisance party ordinance. The measure defines a “nuisance” party as a social gathering of five or more people on a residential property that leads to criminal violations disturbing surrounding properties. The ordinance would allow the city to penalize residents who create a “disturbance of the quiet enjoyment of residential property,” according [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for September 15, 2022

info2022-09-16T07:29:57-05:00September 16th, 2022|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.

Wichita Mayor addresses confusion surrounding marijuana and fentanyl strip vote

info2022-09-16T07:28:18-05:00September 16th, 2022|

There are still a lot of questions to iron out when it comes to Wichita's new take on marijuana and fentanyl testing strips. Some are wondering if they can legally smoke marijuana in the streets, while some county leaders are saying not so fast. The City said people cannot walk around smoking marijuana. It is still illegal, as are fentanyl strips. Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple said the City is simply out of the business of small possession of marijuana and fentanyl strip cases. Source: KSN-TV

New jobs coming to Topeka with $125M Goodyear investment

info2022-09-16T07:27:31-05:00September 16th, 2022|

An incentive agreement benefiting the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's Topeka plant has been approved by the Topeka and Shawnee County's Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDO) board. This investment, previously referred to as "Project Boomerang," is expected to result in an estimated economic impact locally of $480 million over the next decade. Goodyear is projected to make a five-year investment of $125 million and create up to 40 new full-time jobs. The performance-based JEDO incentive for this project is up to $585,000, resulting in a 713% return on investment for Topeka and Shawnee County. Source: KSNT 27 News

Kansas lawmakers say new audit shows ‘epic fail’ in COVID-19 aid spending

info2022-09-15T19:35:50-05:00September 15th, 2022|

Hundreds of thousands of dollars of COVID-19 relief funds spent by state and local governments could have violated federal rules or was ill-advised, a report released Wednesday by the Legislature's nonpartisan auditing office showed. The audit, which took into account funds spent under the CARES Act, comes as state officials are still grappling with how to spend millions in federal pandemic relief, with the process to dole out the money coming under fire over transparency concerns. Of the $18 million in expenditures by county governments, nonprofits and businesses reviewed by the Division of Legislative Post Audit, officials flagged $1.1 million in [...]

New Topeka city manager Stephen Wade wants government to be more transparent and customer-friendly

info2022-09-15T19:34:55-05:00September 15th, 2022|

Making Topeka's city government more transparent is key to new city manager Stephen Wade. So are improving customer service, making the city more developer-friendly and facilitating community conversations, he said. Ensuring that "voices that normally don't get heard have a chance to speak" is what Wade sees his role as city manager as being during such talks, he said. Source: CJonline

Local govt officials share how public service has — and has not —changed

info2022-09-15T19:34:10-05:00September 15th, 2022|

A panel of three local government officials shared Thursday with participants in the Wichita Business Journal's Emerging Leaders program how public service has — and has not — changed over their years in the industry. What's remained steadfast, city manager Robert Layton said, is government's core mission of making life better for the people that it serves. The public's perception of government, though, has taken on a new tone the last few decades. "We have to work harder to earn the public’s trust, and when you see things in the media about the times that we stub our toes... People still [...]

School districts are increasingly turning to four-day school weeks as a way to attract and retain staff, despite objections from some parents over child-care demands

info2022-09-16T07:08:18-05:00September 15th, 2022|

Districts facing teacher shortages are increasingly turning to four-day school weeks as a means to attract and retain staff, despite objections from some parents over child-care demands and some evidence of lower test scores. So far, the trend has been particularly pronounced in rural communities in some Midwestern and Southern states. Dozens of districts in Texas, Missouri, Colorado and Oklahoma have adopted four-day weeks in recent years. Source: Wall Street Journal

Municipal Bond Trends for September 14, 2022

info2022-09-15T08:19:03-05:00September 15th, 2022|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. Every issuer's credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.

Audit reveals two-thirds of $48.5 million in broadband aid allocated to southern Kansas

info2022-09-15T01:05:33-05:00September 15th, 2022|

Nearly two-thirds of $48.5 million in COVID-19 funding earmarked for expansion of broadband services to Kansas homes and businesses was invested in upgrading internet connectivity in the southern half of the state, an audit report said Wednesday. The Kansas Legislature’s auditing arm told a joint House and Senate committee the three southern regions of the state absorbed 35 of 66 grants or $30.4 million approved by Gov. Laura Kelly and legislators on the State Finance Council. The four northern regions took on the balance of the projects budgeted at $18.1 million. Overall, auditors said, the state didn’t find a suitable recipient [...]

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