News – Page 2405 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Mayor: Clapp Golf Course, Evergreen and Linwood libraries to remain open

info2018-07-27T11:42:18-05:00July 27th, 2018|

The City of Wichita will not close Clapp Golf Course or two local library branches this year, according to Mayor Jeff Longwell. The mayor made the announcement during his weekly brief Thursday morning. He said an increase of $1 million that was going to be used for street maintenance would be shifted over to keep the programs open. "We want to make very clear that we intend to continue operations at Clapp Golf Course, that it will remain open until we've had the chance to masterplan the property," said the mayor. He also said full funding would be restored to Linwood [...]

Phillipsburg’s ‘man of steel’ built rodeo grandstands, helped with construction of pens

info2018-07-27T11:38:04-05:00July 27th, 2018|

He’s the man of steel, and he’s put up plenty of it at the Phillipsburg rodeo grounds throughout the years. Cliff Van Kooten has been associated with the rodeo, either on the committee, as chairman, or as a volunteer, since 1982. After graduating from high school in 1960, the Long Island, Kan. native spent three years in the military before coming back home to marry his wife, Helen, in 1964. The couple moved to Phillipsburg. He went to welding school and worked for the International Harvester dealer in Phillipsburg while he welded on the side. In 1967, he started his own [...]

Downtown Pittsburg To Get New Parking Lots

info2018-07-27T11:35:47-05:00July 27th, 2018|

Pittsburg's Block 22 Project is nearing completion. It's expected to be done by the middle of next month and at that time around 99 additional people will be living downtown. Those people will need somewhere to park. This week the city commission approved a parking plan. Five parking lots within a block of the buildings have been selected. Residents are expected to move into Block 22 on August 18th. (Read more: KOAM - Local News)

Topeka public works director Jason Peek answers queries from Capital-Journal readers

info2018-07-27T11:34:59-05:00July 27th, 2018|

Topeka public works director Jason Peek says he understands the frustration drivers feel when they sit at a red light for what seems like a long time. He said Wednesday that the city uses technology, including video cameras and “loops” embedded in the street, to detect vehicles arriving at most signalized intersections and adjust the signal’s timing to keep traffic running smoothly. “But these are all pieces of infrastructure that require maintenance,” Peek said. Sometimes loops break, or straight-line winds — such as those the city saw last week — alter a camera’s direction and keep it from working effectively, he [...]

The Downsides of Property Tax Caps

info2018-07-27T11:33:39-05:00July 27th, 2018|

Property tax caps are hampering municipalities' ability to fund basic services and are exacerbating inequality, according to a report released by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) last week. The tax caps, which first became popular during the 1970s tax revolt and have since spread to 44 states plus the District of Columbia, have created fiscal stress for the states that adopted the limits. Because of property tax caps, "states are pushing too many costs down to the lower level," said Ron Deutsch, executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, during a press call about the report. The report [...]

Florence seeks to seize springs

info2018-07-26T09:03:05-05:00July 26th, 2018|

An ongoing water fight between Florence City Council members and owners of a spring that has supplied city water for 98 years has ratcheted up and is likely headed toward a court battle. Council members voted Monday to begin eminent domain proceedings to seize ownership of four acres owned by the DeForest family at Crystal Springs, where the city’s springhouse is situated. Council member Trayce Warner was the lone vote in opposition. The atmosphere of city council meetings frequently has been contentious since council members voted in June to reject a 10-year, $6,000-per-year water contract offered by the DeForest family. (Read [...]

Osawatomie City Hall gets a new look

info2018-07-26T08:56:26-05:00July 26th, 2018|

Osawatomie City Hall has a fresh new look, with renovations and improvements made to address safety and security concerns in the older-style building. The remodeling began earlier this year in March and is mostly completed, with only a few small changes to be finished. City Manager Don Cawby said those finishing touches should be complete by August. Renovations included the conversion of the old police station, which was housed in a portion of City Hall, into the City Clerk and utility billing offices. (Read more: The Miami County Republic)

Commissioner seeks legal opinion about chairman

info2018-07-26T08:56:09-05:00July 26th, 2018|

A member of the County Commission wants an attorney general’s opinion regarding whether the commission’s chairman can be removed from his leadership position. Commissioner Bob Holland is not seeking to oust fellow Commissioner Louis Klemp from the commission. But Holland wants to know if a majority of the commission can vote to remove Klemp from the position of chairman. During a meeting Tuesday, Holland made a motion to direct County Counselor David Van Parys to seek an opinion from the Kansas Attorney General’s Office on the issue. (Read more: Leavenworth Times)

Leavenworth changes solid waste disposal services

info2018-07-26T08:52:31-05:00July 26th, 2018|

When they met Tuesday, Leavenworth city commissioners voted to change how garbage from the city is disposed of in the future. Leavenworth officials plan to continue to operate a city curbside trash collection service. But beginning next year, the garbage collected through the city’s solid waste service will be hauled to a landfill in Johnson County instead of the Leavenworth County Transfer Station, which is located in Lansing. Commissioners voted to accept a bid from Waste Management, Shawnee, for a one-year contract with a solid waste disposal fee of $24 per ton. City Manager Paul Kramer said the city collects about [...]

Leavenworth County Commission discuss proposal for school mental health initiative

info2018-07-26T08:52:11-05:00July 26th, 2018|

County commissioners reached a consensus Tuesday to have staff look into a possible ballot question regarding a tax increase for a mental health program for schools. Kim Knight, an assistant principal for Leavenworth High School, is proposing a program in which the Leavenworth, Lansing, Easton, Basehor-Linwood and Tonganoxie school districts contract with a mental health provider to provide services to students for suicide prevention and other mental health issues. Knight is requesting that a question be placed on the ballot for the Nov. 6 general election to see if voters would approve a 2-mill increase to the county’s tax levy. If [...]