The city said that it has received two petitions: One proposes an ordinance to prohibit data centers, and the other proposes an ordinance to ban battery energy storage systems. Read more: KSN-TV

City leaders discussed a rental registry and inspection program during the Topeka City Council meeting Tuesday. Property Maintenance Director for the City of Topeka John Schardine presented the topic to the council, calling it the Rental Registry Pilot Program. Schardine emphasized supporting responsible landlords and property owners while also improving housing conditions and accountability. Schardine said the program would collect data from landlords and rental properties, then maintain it in a city-administered database updated annually. The database would be open to the public and display a 24-month rolling property tier, inspection history and violation history. Read more: KSNT 27 News

The City of Manhattan is excited to announce Amy Lange has accepted the position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Lange is expected to begin work in early September. Read more: Manhattan - News Flash

South Hutchinson has enacted a one-year moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage systems. City officials will research zoning regulations and best practices from other municipalities during the moratorium. Read more: Hutch News

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.

Data centers are required to pay a 15%-20% premium on electricity, with that extra revenue used to lower rates for other customers. Evergy's potential data center projects could triple its peak electricity consumption, though the utility cannot meet all of that demand. Read more: Hutch News

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.

Soccer fans boosted spending in U.S. World Cup host cities, with Philadelphia and Kansas City among the beneficiaries. The Scots drank every drop of beer in Boston. The Dutch filled Kansas City’s hotels. The French chowed down on Philly cheesesteaks. Read more: Wall Street Journal

Proponents argue data centers are a "generational opportunity" for economic growth, while opponents raise environmental and transparency concerns. Both supporters and protesters agree on the need for clear regulations to manage the impacts of data center development. Read more: CJonline

Kansas state law requires industries, including data centers, to obtain a permit before using water resources. Data centers can secure water by purchasing it from city utilities, applying for a new water right, or buying existing rights from other users. State officials say existing water users are legally protected from new industries impairing their supply. While a data center might use a million gallons of water a day, this is a fraction of the state's total usage, with agricultural irrigation accounting for about 85%. Read more: CJonline