News – Page 1207 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

McPherson Police Department begins Reserve Program

info2022-02-03T09:12:02-06:00February 3rd, 2022|

The McPherson City Commission placed their seal of approval on the McPherson Police Department Reserve Program on Monday morning. The reserve program will begin immediately with four reserve officers ready to begin. Police Chief Mikel Golden advised there are four Central Christian College students who want to begin the program. While serving as reserves, they can gain real-world experience while also receiving college credit for their participation in the program. The rate is $8.04 per hour for reserve time, but for college credit, it will be volunteer time and ride alongs. Source: McPherson Weekly News

Municipal bond buyers are back; long end sees large gains

info2022-02-03T09:08:37-06:00February 3rd, 2022|

Municipals were better across the curve with the largest bumps out long Wednesday, moving the 30-year down 11 basis points in two days, while U.S. Treasuries were slightly better and equities saw modest gains. ... Buyers appeared to return to the market the past two sessions after the January correction moved yields and ratios higher. Secondary trading was up again on Wednesday and new deals were well-received. Secondary trading showed clear moves to lower yields, particularly out long. Source: The Bond Buyer

Is that a cluck you hear in Johnson County? City Council lightens up on OP bird rules

info2022-02-03T09:07:49-06:00February 3rd, 2022|

Starting March 1, Overland Park residents stand a better chance of receiving permission for backyard chickens. Under a two-year pilot program approved by the City Council on Jan. 24, residents no longer will need a special use permit approved by the Planning Commission and City Council. Instead, people in single- and two-family residences can apply for an administrative permit through City Hall. Source: Joco 913 News

Private activity bonds for broadband: A potential new solution

info2022-02-03T09:07:23-06:00February 3rd, 2022|

The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ... sets aside over $42 billion for states to build local broadband networks in their unserved and underserved communities, many of them in rural areas. It also allocates $14 billion to continue to subsidize provision of broadband service to low-income residents; in this way inner city students can do their homework on their connected laptops at home, and elderly patients in rural areas can visit virtually with their doctors. ... Generally speaking, private activity bonds, or PABs, allow private service providers to borrow funds from bond investors at tax-exempt rates to finance “qualified [...]

With $1.4B in Awards, USDA Seeks to Loosen Grip of ‘Extraction Economy’ on Rural America

info2022-02-03T09:08:57-06:00February 2nd, 2022|

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday announced $1.4 billion in grants and loans to businesses and other entities in rural areas that he said have been hurt by the nation’s “extraction economy.” “Resources are taken from rural lands only to create jobs and economic opportunity in urban and suburban areas,” he said. Vilsack said the department instead wants to support “a circular economy, where value is added closer to home, so the wealth created in rural areas stays in rural areas.” The 751 grants and loans in 49 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, he said, are intended to bolster businesses [...]

Free Cybersecurity Tools Available to State and Local Governments

info2022-02-02T22:12:56-06:00February 2nd, 2022|

Cybersecurity tools are available for free to many local governments—they just need to know to ask for them, a panel of experts said during a webinar hosted by the National Association of Counties. “One of the challenges I have found over the past few years is knowing what resources we should be taking advantage of and being able to differentiate between one organization that provides a resource and another,” NACO CIO Rita Reynolds said during the Jan. 26 event titled “Advanced Security Resources Available for Local Government Through the Center for Internet Security.” One tool that is available free to all [...]

Statewide Survey yields interesting facts about growth of cities in Kansas

info2022-02-02T22:10:56-06:00February 2nd, 2022|

A group of city managers recently got to hear first-hand about the survey taken and the market analysis for specific areas of Kansas. Kansas will face housing challenges and opportunities in the next 10 to 15 years so the timing of this study and the results will help cities to plan for their futures. Atchison County and City participated in this study and some of the pertinent information is listed below. For purposes of this article, Atchison County is the base and Atchison City will also be designated. The large picture shows a need to add or free up more middle-income [...]

Hillsboro community garden approved

info2022-02-03T09:10:22-06:00February 2nd, 2022|

Hillsboro Elementary School’s garden club appeared Tuesday at Hillsboro’s city council meeting to propose creating a community garden near the pioneer Adobe house’s visitor center. In their presentation, members highlighted growing crops for supermarkets and food banks, bringing the community together for gardening, and growing flowers to beautify the town. The school has applied for grants for a watering system, tool shed, and equipment for the garden. Existing fencing should keep wildlife out, and 4-H and FFA members could form a board to manage the garden. Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Franklin Co. Receives $1.8M for 2019 Flood Disaster Reimbursement

info2022-02-02T22:08:20-06:00February 2nd, 2022|

The Franklin County Public Works Department announced Friday that it has received $1.8 million in reimbursement funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to pay for the repair work conducted over a two-year period after severe flooding damaged roadways, bridges and ditches around the county in 2019. In 2019, four separate weather events brought over 5 inches of water within a 12-hour period, causing massive flooding throughout Franklin County. According to the Public Works Department, over 300 road sites needed repair following the floods. During a normal year, the Public Works Department receives about 900 work orders; in 2019 they [...]

‘Price of admission’: Critics say Kansas’s $800M tax incentive package for mystery company has red flags

info2022-02-02T22:06:29-06:00February 2nd, 2022|

The Kansas Legislature has so far advanced the largest tax incentive program in state history as it competes for a mystery company's $4 billion, 3 million square-foot advanced manufacturing facility — also raising questions about how much the state is willing to provide to chase national megaprojects. "There are a whole bunch of red flags," said Nathan Jensen, a professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas-Austin, who researches state and local economic development. The Kansas Department of Commerce is fast-tracking the new program, the Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion (APEX) bill, that would provide super-size subsidies to companies that invest at least [...]