News – Page 283 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

After a cryptocurrency mine failed in McLouth, Douglas County considers how to regulate high-tech developments like it

info2024-09-09T13:56:43-05:00September 9th, 2024|

These types of operations — and similar large-scale projects, such as data centers and battery systems used by wind and solar farms — are becoming more and more common in rural parts of the U.S. And unincorporated Douglas County has been seeing some interest from them. The county has already received inquiries from companies interested in possibly locating energy storage facilities here, and county leaders want to figure out how these projects fit into the county’s zoning rules. Source: LJWorld

Lawrence City Commissioner will no longer attend general public comment in person, citing ‘dangerous’ and ‘disruptive’ behaviors

info2024-09-09T13:57:57-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Lawrence City Commissioner Amber Sellers, for at least the last two commission meetings, has not been physically present for general public comment. ... Sellers said that she would listen to public comment from an alternative location. Source: LJWorld

‘Incredible … son, brother and friend’: Fundraiser for Kansas lineman killed in workplace accident

info2024-09-09T09:33:13-05:00September 9th, 2024|

A fundraiser has been set up to help the family of a 20-year-old Wellington lineman who died Wednesday in a workplace accident. Wilson Price started with the city’s electric distribution department as an apprentice linemen in January 2024. He quickly became a valued team member, according to a news release sent out by the city on Friday. “His coworkers admired his incredible attitude and the joy he brought to every job site, a testament to his positive impact on the department,” the release says. City manager Jeff Porter said that Price “came to work every day with enthusiasm, curiosity, and pride; [...]

How could Wichita change unpopular paid parking plan? City staff report offers hints

info2024-09-09T09:31:47-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Wichita city staff is looking at options after a plan to charge for public parking at all 6,800 spots downtown sparked outrage from residents and business owners. The City Council isn’t expected to take any binding action when it meets Tuesday. And formal staff recommendations will be presented in 30 to 60 days. But a staff report for Tuesday’s meeting teases several potential changes aimed at making the plan more palatable to downtown commuters. Installation of meters with one hour of free parking and $.75/hour for remaining time (the original plan states that all meter rates should be between $.75 and [...]

New Council member hopes to change views of community involvement

info2024-09-09T09:29:37-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Benedikt Middleton wants to change how people view community involvement. “I think there is this idea that to be a member of the city council, you have to be of a certain position in the community,” said Middleton. “I know, growing up, that was the way I felt.” As the newly appointed Iola City Council member to Ward 4, Middleton hopes to see a change in this outlook. Being semi-retired, Middleton worked for 32 years with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) as an engineering technician specialist. He now does remote consulting work for an engineering firm based in Arkansas. Middleton [...]

Garden Plain gets federal grant for new aquatics facility

info2024-09-09T09:27:53-05:00September 9th, 2024|

The City of Garden Plain will be getting a federal grant to help build a new municipal pool and aquatics facility. The grant is for over $1.6 million from the National Parks Service, administered through the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The city plans to build an aquatics center that includes a zero-entry pool with a shallow play area, lap swim lanes, a bathhouse and concession building, and features such as a diving board, basketball goal, a slide, shade structures, inflatables and a splash pad area. The total estimated cost of the facility will be $3.27 million, so the grant [...]

Wichita holding steady in water usage with drought restrictions

info2024-09-09T09:26:50-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Wichita mayor Lily Wu reported a slight increase in water usage over the past week, but she said usage has been mostly steady and there has been an overall drop in water usage as the city goes into its second month of outdoor watering restrictions. The city went into Stage Two of its drought response plan on August 5th, and outdoor watering is limited to one day a week. The city is divided into four quadrants and watering is only for a specific day for each quadrant, with no watering on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Mayor said the city has [...]

City to consider altering process of approving change orders

info2024-09-09T09:25:45-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday will discuss how much oversight they want to have of change orders to construction contracts. The city currently doesn’t have standardized procedures regarding who approves change orders and how, though city officials typically have asked the commission to do it if the total project costs exceeds $50,000 or if the commission originally approved the contract. However, officials said in meeting documents that the process of getting a change order in front of the commission is time-consuming, particularly with the high volume of change orders the city receives. Source: 1350 KMAN

County hoping to solidify nuisance regulations

info2024-09-09T09:22:34-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Karen Rothe, the director of the Harvey County Planning, Zoning and Environment department, currently deals with nuisance properties in the rural county areas. Rothe said right now, the rules around nuisance violations aren’t clear and she would like more weight behind the notices she does send. “I’d like something that would give me a little more leverage and would be more definitive on what a nuisance is,” Rothe said. “It’s not as clear as I would like it to be.” Right now Rothe said the main things the county considers a nuisance are broken down vehicles, things in a floodplain that [...]

KCK mayor says BPU costs residents too much. Are bills more than elsewhere in the metro?

info2024-09-09T09:19:45-05:00September 9th, 2024|

Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Tyrone Garner has pointed to concern over monthly bills as a reason to take a critical look at the Board of Public Utilities, saying some in the community perceive that the publicly owned asset is more of a “burden” than a “benefit.” Unlike most in the Kansas City metropolitan area, Kansas City, Kansans, get both electricity and water services through a century-old publicly owned utility founded in 1909. The BPU, a nonprofit governed by a six-member elected board, has shrunk its workforce, by far its largest operating cost, over the past several years. Elected BPU board members [...]