News – Page 779 – Ranson Financial Group LLC

Altamont to try new water meters as part of a pilot study

info2023-04-17T11:43:32-05:00April 17th, 2023|

The Altamont City Council on Thursday heard that the city is going to try to pilot a new water meter program. When the city completed a water line replacement project in 2015, the water meters did not get changed out, Altamont City Administrator LeaAnn Myers said. The water meters in place now have moving parts. “Now they have ultrasonic water meters. They don’t have any moving parts, stuff doesn’t slow down. They are supposed to catch low-flow water usage through there. Along with that they offer an AMI, an automated reading system that we could pull the readings into the city [...]

Wichita asking for help conserving water as drought continues affecting Cheney Lake

info2023-04-17T11:44:17-05:00April 17th, 2023|

"We need rain! Up north needs rain, and it needs to come down the Ninnescah into Cheney. Desperately," said campers Don & Lynn Weilert. The Weilerts have been coming to Cheney Lake for nearly forty years. Their favorite thing to do is take the boat out and spend hours on the water. But this year, there's a problem. "We've already ran over some stuff and tore up our pontoon," said the Weilerts. "I don't think I've ever seen it this bad." Megan Lovely with the City of Wichita says the good news is it's not actually as bad as it looks. [...]

‘Hiding in plain sight’: The endearing, endangered tiny jails scattered across Kansas

info2023-04-17T10:07:24-05:00April 17th, 2023|

About 20 years ago, Gerald Swart spotted his town jail sitting in a neighbor’s iron pile. It was just a big cage, really: a square box with iron lattice and a couple of chains hanging off a side door. A black sign with amateurish lettering said “GOFF CITY JAIL.” “It used to be right north of the bank in Goff when I was growing up,” Swart, 82, said of the jail. “They’d lock up drunks and keep ‘em in there overnight. But that ended sometime around the ‘50s.” Swart bought the jail from the neighbor for $11 and hauled it over [...]

Municipal Bond Trends for April 14, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-04-16T19:26:07-05:00April 16th, 2023|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. 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, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.

Are residents coming or going? U.S. Census, Kansas figures show different trends

info2023-04-17T07:07:55-05:00April 14th, 2023|

Local residents were heartened to hear last February that a Kansas Division of the Budget report said Shawnee County’s population had risen significantly over a one-year period. But the information in that report conflicts with data from the U.S. Census Bureau, which suggests the county’s population is instead dropping. A spokeswoman for the state suggests the Census Bureau figures are more accurate. Source: CJonline

Shawnee county looks to become the model of mental health help in jails

info2023-04-14T09:57:18-05:00April 14th, 2023|

Mental health is a growing concern both in our community and in our jails. Now, Shawnee County is working to become a model for treatment and rehabilitation. With a growing number of people living with mental illness in our community and our jails, it is becoming increasingly difficult to properly house many people. On average 35 percent of inmates in Shawnee County are considered severely mentally ill. Jail officials say it's partially due to an increase in mental health conditions in the community, new and more severe illicit drugs on the market and a higher population in general. Now, the county [...]

Topeka introduces land bank program to repurpose properties for affordable housing

info2023-04-14T09:56:52-05:00April 14th, 2023|

Topeka City leaders are weighing a new proposal to transform many of the city’s vacant and blighted properties into livable housing. District 8 Councilman Spencer Duncan introduced a plan to implement a land bank program to rehabilitate residential properties. A land bank’s sole purpose would be to acquire and repurpose foreclosed, vacant and abandoned properties – and turn them into affordable housing. A recent city housing study found Topeka needs to add more than 400 units in the next five years to meet the current housing demand. Source: KSNT 27 News

Mission weighs adding license plate readers at 10 intersections

info2023-04-14T09:48:51-05:00April 14th, 2023|

Mission is poised to become the latest northeast Johnson County city to install license plate readers at some of its busiest intersections. The push to install readers in the city started last year. The devices have been pitched in other neighboring cities as a way to help police investigate crimes and identify suspect vehicles that may pass through multiple jurisdictions. Mission is one of the few cities in the area that has yet to put any up. Police Chief Dan Madden said it’s about time the city install license plate readers of its own. Source: Prairie Village Post

Emporia hires Alaska administrator as assistant city manager

info2023-04-14T09:48:28-05:00April 14th, 2023|

The City of Emporia announced Thursday the selection of Mark Detter as its next assistant city manager. He fills the position left vacant by Lane Massey, who accepted a position in Spring Hill last year. Detter begins his position on May 30, 2023, where he will support and direct aspects of city operations and lead pivotal strategic plan initiatives for the community. Detter told The Gazette that he grew up in Seattle, Wa., but both of his parents were from Kansas and he spent many summers traveling to the Midwest to visit family. He came back to Kansas for college, earning [...]

Hillsboro votes to allow chickens

info2023-04-14T09:47:38-05:00April 14th, 2023|

In the March 21 Hillsboro City Council meeting, the council heard from S. Lincoln resident Ronald Wilkins who recently moved to Hillsboro. “My wife and I would like to have chickens, but in asking around we found out they were not allowed in town limits. We would like to ask the council to change that.” Wilkins presented a well-planned out and lengthy slideshow including research he had done in the county regarding other towns’ rules for chickens. Based on the information he presented, the council agreed to have an ordinance drawn up for them to vote on in the April 4 [...]