News – Page 2240 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Making history: Pretty Prairie water plant, sales tax vote in the works

info2019-01-18T07:00:30-06:00January 18th, 2019|

Stakes are planted in the ground at the construction site for the long-desired reverse osmosis treatment plant in Pretty Prairie. The city was told about 30 years ago by environmental authorities that high nitrates in the drinking water were a concern. The city also is making history with a special sales tax election scheduled for March 26. Pretty Prairie has no city sales tax. If the ballot passes, a one-percent retailers’ sales tax would start likely July 1 and would be in effect ten years. Revenues would be dedicated for streets and infrastructure under streets. Yet another landmark day looms for [...]

Gardner City Council increases chamber contract by $115,000

info2019-01-18T06:43:30-06:00January 18th, 2019|

The Gardner City Council approved a $150,000 agreement with the Gardner-Edgerton chamber of commerce for business and tourism services during a council meeting Jan. 7. The agreement, which will run through the year, is $115,000 more than the $35,000 the chamber received from the city last year. According Mathew Wolff, finance director, the increased budget allocation will fund tourism services for the community. He said the funding will in part be drawn from transient guest tax revenue the city will get once the Hampton Inn opens later in the year. “The city shall pay the chamber the sum of $115,000 for [...]

Never too cold for Fire District #1

info2019-01-18T06:41:32-06:00January 18th, 2019|

ohnson County #1 spent Jan. 14 training in snow and 30 degree temperatures. The day was spent deploying and advancing pre-connected hoselines. According to the district, the current weather was a perfect scenario for recruits to adapt and overcome obstacles including the cold snowy elements. (Read more: Gardner News)

Mission agrees to repay plaintiffs in settlement of ‘driveway tax’ cases

info2019-01-17T13:40:08-06:00January 17th, 2019|

Details on the settlements, and how much will be repaid, will be worked out over the next 30 days, said city administrator Laura Smith. But the city has unanimously agreed to authorize settlement agreements in two pending lawsuits, ultimately to repay TUF dollars to the Heartland Apartment Association and 10 individual plaintiffs in that case, as well as a class action case brought by Rex Danley. In general, the plaintiffs and the city have agreed to terms in both of the cases. “The city has taken strong positions all along,” said Mission City Administrator Laura Smith. “We feel like we have [...]

Large donation to provide big improvements at Harvey County’s Camp Hawk, West Park

info2019-01-17T13:20:04-06:00January 17th, 2019|

A $90,000 donation will build at least one cabin at Camp Hawk and greatly upgrade playground equipment at West Park. The Harvey County Parks Department recently announced the donation from the R. Michael Rhoades Foundation, which aims to encourage the use of the outdoors by young people as well as the greater public. “We were going to get these projects done regardless, but this will allow us to make them high quality,” Parks Director Kass Miller said. “I think we’re real real fortunate that they’ve decided to help Harvey County and park systems.” For context, it would take around 0.3 mills [...]

Newton to take guess work out of incentives

info2019-01-17T13:18:40-06:00January 17th, 2019|

In a work session, the city of Newton laid out priorities for the upcoming year and one of those included establishing criteria for economic incentives. Hallelujah! Criteria for economic incentives are relatively common when it comes to governments across the state. Sedgwick County has them. Wichita has them. Even Haven, with a population of 2,000 people, has them. But currently, Newton lacks any such criteria. The criteria amounts to city staff telling the commission it’s a good idea to give a business incentives, or pay for public improvements, or provide tax abatements, etc. The commission then decides if that’s a good [...]

North Newton to bid goodbye to ‘Radar Ray’

info2019-01-17T13:14:45-06:00January 17th, 2019|

He was affectionately known as “Radar Ray,” serving as the Chief of Police in North Newton for 30 years. Ray Classen retired from that in 2013. His watch, however, came to a full end January 15 at Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita when he passed away. “He was familiar with a majority of people in the community, and vice-versa,” said Ron Ratzlaff, city council member for North Newton. “He was appreciated and well liked by the community.” Well-liked enough to have a college band named after him. At one time, a group of Bethel college students created a band called [...]

Reno County OK’s contract for second mental health position at jail

info2019-01-17T13:11:40-06:00January 17th, 2019|

The Reno County Commission Tuesday approved a new contract agreement with Horizons Mental Health Center to help to inmates with mental health issues as they’re released from jail – and for a period afterward – to ensure they’re accessing the services they need and not ending back up in jail. The contract with Horizons was tabled on Dec. 31 after Commissioner Bob Bush asked that the proposed agreement have an end date, rather than perpetual automatic renewal so that it could be renegotiated or discontinued. The county will pay the Horizons “reintegration” employee $1,825.26 a month, with Horizons covering a matching [...]

Greensburg: Is the city still green and sustainable?

info2019-01-17T13:10:24-06:00January 17th, 2019|

Looking ahead was the theme of a round table discussion with city council and department heads Monday Jan 14 at the Greensburg City Hall. The casual, open conversational meeting was set up to help determine future goals and for council members to express to city administrator Stacy Barnes what their desires for the city were moving ahead. Barnes opened the discussion with a question about the city’s “Green and Sustainable” identity. Although is something that the city has been known for and received a lot of media attention and visitors about, Barnes said she feels like there is a disconnect between [...]

Manhattan commissioners agree with Aggieville TIF district boundaries, timeline

info2019-01-17T13:08:55-06:00January 17th, 2019|

Manhattan Commissioners were unanimously supportive of a proposed tax increment finance — or TIF — district in Aggieville after a discussion during their Tuesday work session. Establishing a TIF district would allow the city to capture growth in property valuation — and subsequently, property taxes — over a 20 year period within a set boundary for public redevelopment purposes. The city would use the money captured by the district — estimated between $9.6 million and $11.6 million — for public improvements around Aggieville. The total costs of possible improvements around Aggieville are estimated to run between $23.3 million and $30 million, [...]