News – Page 2294 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Chanute city commissioners at stalemate on selling building

info2018-11-15T09:11:42-06:00November 15th, 2018|

Chanute city commissioners still landed in a stalemate over the sale of an industrial building, despite having two offers at Tuesday evening’s meeting. The commission voted 2-2 on a proposal to sell a building at 615 W. Cherry Street that has been empty since Orizon Aerostructures took over for Spirit AeroSystems and moved operations to Orizon’s facility. Commissioner Tim Fairchild abstained from the vote. Commissioners now have an appraisal on the building that puts its value at $451,000, and they have two offers to purchase. One offer, from Jim Caldwell of Bridgewood Custom Cabinets, was for $500,000 up front, but incentives [...]

Reno County tables decision on NextEra wind farm moratorium following three-hour meeting

info2018-11-15T09:09:26-06:00November 15th, 2018|

More than two dozen Reno County residents asked the County Commission Tuesday to impose a 12-month moratorium on development of commercial wind farms in the county. However, officials with NextEra Energy – which is in the midst of developing a 220-megawatt wind farm in the southeast quadrant of the county – warned that a moratorium would kill the project. The company is willing to work with the county in developing a contract that would set specific restrictions on development, including greater setback distances, a couple of representatives of the company assured the commission. But the project, which has been in the [...]

County starts hashing out details of ambulance agreemen

info2018-11-15T09:07:32-06:00November 15th, 2018|

As Bourbon County Commissioners continue to sort out details for a new ambulance and EMS service, they received a tool on Tuesday to help guide their discussions. Bourbon County Counselor Justin Meeks provided commissioners with a copy of a joint agreement between the city of Iola and Allen County for emergency medical services provided in that county. Meeks said “nothing is set in stone” but county officials can use the agreement as a guideline for structuring the service in Bourbon County. (Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)

Leavenworth County Commissioners discuss options for corridor south of Tonganoxie

info2018-11-15T09:07:16-06:00November 15th, 2018|

When they met Tuesday, Leavenworth County commissioners were presented three options resulting from a study of a County Road 1 corridor south of Tonganoxie. But commissioners were not able to settle on one of the options. Instead, Commission Chairman Louis Klemp recommended his own option for developing the corridor area. “There’s an option four,” he said. County Administrator Mark Loughry suggested it would be good to have a consensus among commissioners regarding what they want to do. He said the fourth option proposed by Klemp would require additional work. Commissioner Doug Smith said commissioners had agreed to complete the study by [...]

Shawnee extends temporary prohibition on vaping, e-cigarette sale and use

info2018-11-15T06:54:40-06:00November 15th, 2018|

Shawnee is continuing the temporary prohibition of new vape shops in the city. The council unanimously decided in its Tuesday meeting to extend the moratorium that regulates the retail operation and conduct of new vape and inhaling shops in Shawnee. The city began the moratorium in March and is now extended until July 1, 2019. During the Tuesday meeting, councilmember Jim Neighbor said he believes the Food and Drug Administration is also in the process of creating regulation on vapes and e-cigarettes. There was no other discussion. Deputy city manager Stephen Powell said the city’s moratorium limits the number of businesses [...]

Price tag could be $50,000 for new commissioners in Marion county

info2018-11-15T06:51:51-06:00November 15th, 2018|

There will be expenses for training and getting new letterheads, but the biggest factor is the salaries for the two new officials. Commissioners currently make $18,000 annually, plus benefits. If pay and benefits packages remain the same for new members, it adds $50,000 to the budget county clerk Tina Spencer said. “One commissioner is saying, ‘We’ll just cut our salary by that much,’” she said. “That would take a lot. We haven’t put the numbers to it, but I don’t know that it’s going to happen.” (Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)

Topeka City Council members caution against ‘extravagant’ City Hall renovations

info2018-11-15T06:50:03-06:00November 15th, 2018|

Most Topeka City Council members voiced opposition Tuesday evening to raising the amount being expended to renovate City Hall to $17 million. Councilman Tony Emerson used the term “extravagant” to describe the proposed increase in scope from previously approved plans. “This should have been stopped a long time ago,” Councilman and Deputy Mayor Brendan Jensen said while holding up a copy of a booklet sharing suggestions for renovation. “This is too nice for us.” Councilman Mike Lesser said the plan would have to be “scaled down drastically to get any type of support from me.” He suggested city manager Brent Trout [...]

Topeka city council to take up spending of $574,000 in unbudgeted revenue

info2018-11-15T06:48:27-06:00November 15th, 2018|

Topeka’s governing body on Dec. 4 will hold a public hearing on whether to make five amendments to the city’s 2018 adopted budget adding a total of $574,000 in revenues the city has brought in that weren’t previously budgeted. The money would finance various purposes, including putting up a fence at the Law Enforcement Center, 320 S. Kansas Ave., according to a document in Tuesday’s meeting’s agenda packet. The proposed amendments would earmark $60,000 to go toward tax increment financing, $300,000 for the information technology fund, $106,000 for the city’s special alcohol fund, $85,000 for the S.E. 29th Community Improvement District [...]

Former county official to pay restitution early

info2018-11-15T06:46:04-06:00November 15th, 2018|

A lawyer for former county economic development director Teresa Huffman said Huffman will deposit $46,870.89 with Marion County District Court to be held until a criminal case against her is resolved. Huffman, scheduled for arraignment at 10 a.m. Dec. 12, is charged with misuse of public funds, based on the allegation that she withdrew that amount of money from bank accounts of inactive programs in March 2016 and deposited it into her personal bank account in May 2018. Huffman waived a preliminary hearing on the charges, but Wichita lawyer John Stang said she would deposit the money with the court as [...]

Recently-hired EMS director declines position

info2018-11-15T06:40:56-06:00November 15th, 2018|

Recently-hired EMS director Dave Owen will not be coming to Marion County after all. “I was very disappointed,” Marion County Commission chairman Dianne Novak said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I announced it about 1½ weeks ago, he accepted. Then he called me to say he would not be taking the position.” Morris County had made him an offer he couldn’t resist, she said. “He received a salary increase and all changes he wanted were given to him,” Novak said. Commissioners will go through applications and interview top candidates again. Owen did not return a call for comment. (Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)