News – Page 2161 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

NextEra reponds to 13 hours of public comment

info2019-04-12T11:09:10-05:00April 12th, 2019|

The Reno County Planning Commission has nearly completed its public hearing on the application by NextEra Energy for a permit to build a 220-megawatt wind farm in southeast Reno County. The board heard a 90-minute rebuttal presentation from a half-dozen NextEra employees and a participating landowner, and then the planning commission members asked close to 60 questions of the company over the ensuing hour. Reno County staff, however, deferred presenting its rebuttal and final report until a later date, so the hearing was once more recessed, to resume at 5 p.m., either April 22 or 23 at Memorial Hall or April [...]

Hutchinson Chamber of Commerce absorbs downtown coalition

info2019-04-12T11:07:23-05:00April 12th, 2019|

The Hutchinson Chamber of Commerce held its second downtown coalition meeting on Wednesday. Chamber President Debra Teufel says the meeting was part of the continued process of absorbing the city’s downtown revitalization sector into the Chamber. “We’re kind of working through some of the transition as the downtown Hutchinson revitalization partnership becomes an entity within the Hutch Chamber,” Teufel said. “We had about 30 people in attendance, about the same attendance we had last month, and a lot of people passionate about the downtown.” Teufel says the group has some specific goals for the coalition. “Really the goals of this coalition [...]

Judge orders Australian animal health firm to repay local incentives after abandoning its Lawrence offices

info2019-04-11T09:18:00-05:00April 11th, 2019|

An Australia-based animal health company that received startup funding from both the City of Lawrence and Douglas County has been ordered to repay some of that money now that it has abandoned its local offices. However, city officials say there’s no easy way for the local governments to collect what they’re owed, because the company appears to be defunct and the money is in a foreign country. Last year, the two local governments filed a lawsuit against Integrated Animal Health in Douglas County District Court. The lawsuit alleges that the company breached its incentives contract, and the city and county sought [...]

Manhattan City Commission planning land acquisition for new joint maintenance facility

info2019-04-11T09:17:42-05:00April 11th, 2019|

City officials will attempt to acquire agricultural land near the Wastewater Treatment Plant for a joint maintenance facility. The City Commission gave consensus to pursue the site off of Highway 24 at its Tuesday work session. Commissioner Wynn Butler says they’re not building for buildings’ sake. They’ve run out of room for both Public Works and Parks and Rec maintenance staff and equipment in the facilities, and they need significant renovations as well. The net cost of the new facility is estimated at just under $12 million, divided in-part between benefiting department funds to reduce property and sales tax impact. The [...]

Marysville City Council restores Koester House Museum’s hours

info2019-04-11T09:16:41-05:00April 11th, 2019|

Marysville City Council agreed Monday to restore the regular hours of the Koester House Museum & Gardens after reducing them at their last meeting. At the March 25 meeting, Mayor Carla Grund asked council to cut hours, stating the museum didn’t draw enough paying visitors to justify paying a museum employee. Council members agreed to cut two hours a day, going from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to new hours of noon to 4:30 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays and 1 to 4:30 on Sundays. At Monday’s meeting, Koester House advisory board member Sharon Kessinger and board president Ralph Balaun challenged the [...]

As election on property tax increase nears, advocacy groups spring up on opposing sides of proposed Shawnee community center

info2019-04-11T09:13:55-05:00April 11th, 2019|

Tonight, representatives of the city of Shawnee will give the first of two public presentations regarding the mail-in ballot election to be conducted next month on whether the city will raise property taxes to pay for a proposed $38 million community center. But the city isn’t the only organization trying to educate Shawnee residents about the issue. With just weeks to go before ballots start hitting Shawnee homes, two advocacy groups have sprung up trying to sway voters to their position. (Read more: Prairie Village Post - Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)

Ellis County Commission could look to sales tax for budget relief

info2019-04-11T09:13:06-05:00April 11th, 2019|

As Ellis County officials wrestle with the potential for some difficult budget decisions in the coming years, commissioner support for a county-wide sales tax continues to gain traction. At Monday’s county commission meeting, all three commissioners expressed interest in bringing a county-wide sales tax to the voters. The county’s major source of revenue is property tax based on assessed valuation and a sales tax would serve as an alternative funding source. Any proposed sales tax would need to be approved by the voters. County sales tax can be set in quarter-cent increments up to 1 percent. County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes said [...]

Nearly 4,000 votes cast in selection of next Topeka flag

info2019-04-11T09:11:34-05:00April 11th, 2019|

Almost 4,000 votes were cast over a weeklong period in the selection process for Topeka’s next city flag, said Matt Lara, public relations manager for the Greater Topeka Partnership. The winner will be unveiled April 18 at the annual State of the Community event at the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center, 420 S.E. 6th, he said. The Topeka City Council will then consider adopting the winning design, said Molly Hadfield, media relations director for Topeka’s city government. The city was pleased with the number of votes cast, Hadfield said. She said 4,000 people is more than the city usually hears from [...]

City and Hutch Rec face challenges finding summer workforce

info2019-04-11T09:07:32-05:00April 11th, 2019|

It is becoming more and more of a task for the city parks department to find part-time summer help to deal with the usual maintenance needed during the warmer weather. Justin Combs says the parks department is working to fill the 30 to 45 part-time positions needed each year. It’s getting harder to do. “Every year it seems like we struggle just to find folks willing to work,” Combs said. The jobs pay between $8 and $11 per hour. They include mowing, gardening and forestry, and marking and keeping care of ball diamonds. Likewise, Hutch Rec is also looking for summer [...]

Dispute over wind farm proposal turns hostile: Cattle let out to escape ahead of zoning board meeting

info2019-04-11T09:06:11-05:00April 11th, 2019|

As the county board of zoning appeals prepares to consider a conditional use permit for a proposed wind farm April 25, relations between landowners in the 22,000-acre area the wind farm would span between Florence, Peabody and Aulne are tense. Many landowners near the proposed wind farm have raised objections - so many the county held its March 11 meeting at Marion Community Center. That meeting, attended by more than 100 people, lasted five hours with comments from both supporters and opponents of the wind farm. (Read more: Marion County RECORD)