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As Lawrence city leaders ponder creation of open alcohol consumption area, here’s how other cities implemented their programs

2024-07-28T15:20:23-05:00July 28th, 2024|

The plan to create a common consumption area, or CCA, a designated area where people could walk around with drinks they purchased from bars or restaurants that opted in to the program, generated more questions than answers from commissioners. ... As the city works to distill its ideas for a CCA into a stronger proposal, the Journal-World reached out to cities across the state about the reality of having a common consumption area. Though a law was first passed for the creation of them in 2017, a tweak to the language in 2023 made it easier for CCAs to exist. Since [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for July 25, 2024

2024-07-26T10:07:40-05:00July 26th, 2024|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

KS Supreme Court: Local Zoning Powers (American Warrior, Inc. v. Board of Finney County Comm’rs)

2024-07-26T09:34:37-05:00July 26th, 2024|

K.S.A. 12-741(a) grants counties the authority to enact zoning regulations without state interference so long as those local enactments do not conflict with the Planning, Zoning, and Subdivision Regulations in Cities and Counties Act, K.S.A. 12-741 et seq. Exercising that authority, Finney County adopted local rules delegating the issuance of conditional use permits to a separate Finney County Board of Zoning Appeals. A Court of Appeals panel majority held the County could not do that, while a dissenting judge agreed with the district court that it could. See American Warrior, Inc. v. Board of Finney County Comm'rs, 63 Kan. App. 2d [...]

‘We have a housing shortage’: Topeka wages are static as rentals costs rise

2024-07-26T08:23:19-05:00July 26th, 2024|

“We definitely need more housing in Topeka. That’s been an ongoing issue for quite some time,” said Topeka Housing Authority CEO Trey George. “We have a housing shortage across all types of housing. There’s a need for approximately 4,000 additional units for home ownership and rentals.” Renting has become the most viable option for many families due to the rising costs associated with owning a home. Source: CJonline

Hospitals give medical students a taste of rural Kansas hoping they’ll eventually work there

2024-07-25T12:10:18-05:00July 25th, 2024|

Footsteps and excited chatter of medical students from the Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine fill the CommonSpirit hospital in Dodge City. ... The students are part of a program that immerses them in rural areas, specifically in southwest Kansas, to let them shadow health care professionals. Officials from the program hope this will encourage more future physicians to consider practicing in western Kansas, where health care facilities are regularly understaffed. Source: KCUR News

Municipal Bond Trends for July 24, 2024

2024-07-25T10:12:54-05:00July 25th, 2024|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

Mission latest JoCo city to consider stricter short-term rental rules

2024-07-25T09:19:26-05:00July 25th, 2024|

The city of Mission may limit how many short-term rental licenses can be issued to a single owner. ... Other cities like Fairway, Merriam and Shawnee have all adopted ordinances this year regulating short-term rentals in some way. Prairie Village is also looking into requiring all rentals in that city to have a 30-day stay minimum, which would effectively ban short-term rentals in that city. Source: Johnson County Post

Centralized campuses are a common answer to the homeless crisis. Wichita has plenty to learn from

2024-07-25T09:17:46-05:00July 25th, 2024|

The multiagency center, or MAC, will be new to Wichita, but the concept of it — a dual resource center and shelter — has been tried and tested for years in cities across the country, from Eugene, Oregan to Bowling Green, Kentucky. In hopes of answering residents’ questions, The Journal connected with similarly-operating navigation centers in three cities — San Antonio, Phoenix and Reno, Nevada — to learn more about how their resource got started and the impact it has made on its community. Source: KLC Journal

Crawford County residents provide feedback on U.S. 69 Highway study

2024-07-25T09:16:41-05:00July 25th, 2024|

"A generational highway" that was the reaction of one Crawford County resident after attending the U.S. 69 highway study meeting in Pittsburg today. "Yeah, I think this is an interesting process that they're doing, sharing with us information, and then gathering information from us," said Belinda Brumfield, Crawford County resident. Belinda Brumfield is one of many Crawford County residents who attended the second round of the Kansas Department of Transportation's U.S. 69 highway study meeting. Source: KSNF/KODE

Topeka proposes TPD pay increase to address officer shortage

2024-07-25T09:15:44-05:00July 25th, 2024|

The City of Topeka is trying to address a shortage of police officers by offering more competitive pay. The city budget manager said there's a shortage of 40 officers, and that there's a growing pay gap for officers in the Topeka Police Department (TPD) compared to similar cities. Robert Perez, Topeka's city manager, said addressing the officer shortage is a high priority. He says currently the city is forced to rely on cops working overtime. Source: KSNT 27 News

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