Municipal News & Jobs

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.

Manufactured homes are gaining traction in suburban neighborhoods as policymakers and developers look for more affordable, faster-to-build housing options amid soaring home prices. Although long stigmatized and restricted by zoning rules, new laws and improved construction quality are opening the door for factory-built homes to compete with traditional site-built housing.
Read more: Washington Post

Shawnee County commissioners approved a six-month moratorium on new data center applications citing transparency.
Read more: Topeka Capital-Journal Press Releases

An Ark City man whose nude walks through his neighborhood helped prompt Cowley County to adopt a new public nudity law last year has become the first person arrested under it. Sean Barnard, 46, was arrested around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday after Cowley County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 33000 block of 61st Road for a report of a person walking nude in the area. Barnard was booked into the Cowley County Jail on suspicion of lewd and lascivious behavior and violating the county resolution prohibiting public nudity. Both are misdemeanor offenses. The arrest occurred in the IXL neighborhood south of Ark City – the same area where complaints about Barnard taking naked walks ultimately led county commissioners to enact the public nudity prohibition in May 2025.
Read more: Local Archives – Cowley Post

As classes start this week, Goessel schools have deployed an artificial-intelligence gun-detection system. The new security, purchased through a state grant monitors the district’s 35 security cameras for any visible signs of guns, superintendent Scott Boden said. Software and human analysis are designed to identify visible weapons, not to detect concealed firearms.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

As Newton’s Main Street rail crossing shut down for three days last week, residents began to ask, “Why doesn’t the city build an overpass?” It makes sense. If there were an overpass on Main Street, the work to replace a water main and train tracks would have been a non-issue for motorists. While the Main Street shutdown was unexpected, the crossing question wasn’t. It’s been asked for 126 years in Newton, predating the automobile. The answer remains the same, as well. “Anything is possible to build with enough money,” former City Engineer Suzanne Loomis concluded about the issue in 2023. “But many of the options may not be popular with the masses.”
Read more: Harvey County Now

City Manager Toby Dougherty told Commissioners last week he expects a review of the city’s economic development policy to be on the September 3 City Commission Work Session agenda. A review of the city’s current policy was requested by Commissioner David Vilaysing. Dougherty reported to Commissioners during the August 13, 2026 meeting that Assistant City Manager Jarrod Kuckelman has spearheaded the review. Dougherty noted that he as well as Deputy City Manager Colin Bielser have worked with Kuckelman to red-line the current policy with recommended changes. “Our changes are really non-substantive changes. It’s just clarifying and moving things around, to make sure it flows logically,” Dougherty said.
Read more: Hays Daily News

Topeka city planners discussed a text amendment to the city’s zoning code that could affect where data centers, including large-scale “hyperscale” facilities, can be built. The proposed amendments were discussed Monday night as part of the city’s review of zoning regulations and requirements to include data centers and for other land uses. According to the city planning agenda, the current zoning code includes no land use category for “data center.” This comes after Compass Datacenters submitted a proposal in late July that Shawnee County staff later labeled incomplete. The changes would establish specific zoning and use standards for data centers, including requirements related to where the facilities could be located and how they would operate.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

A southeast Kansas fire department says they’re feeling the impact of a nationwide trend. Staff at the Hackberry Township Volunteer Fire Department say a lack of volunteer personnel make every call they respond to that much more challenging. Foster says it’s not just his department that’s having issues with staffing, and that across the nation, volunteerism is fading.
Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

The Sedgwick County Commission approved the Downtown Wichita Action Plan 2035 on Wednesday. The Wichita City Council also gave the plan the green light this week, so the nonprofit in charge of the plan, Downtown Wichita, can move ahead. The nearly 170-page document lays out — what Downtown Wichita said — is the public’s vision for the city’s core.
Read more: KSN-TV

Valley Center is one of several towns scrambling to figure out fire services after Sedgwick County Fire District 1 (SCFD 1) planned to end mutual aid agreements. Tuesday’s meeting lasted hours, with people willing to stand the entire time. The motion carried out in Valley Center is to bolster its own fire department, decline the invite to join SCFD 1, and leave a sales tax regarding public safety to the November ballot. Over the last stretch of the meeting, confusion and disconnect spread across the room and among the council. The deadline for the fire budget in Valley Center was Tuesday night, which made the last hour significant. “I understand the gravity of these decisions,” Sedgwick County Commissioner Ryan Baty said. “But it’s important we are balancing safety with affordability. I hope that helps.”
Read more: KSN-TV

City leaders in Emporia have voted in favor of seeking district court intervention into a citizen-organized petition against battery energy storage systems within city limits. The Emporia City Commission considered the issue at its regular meeting on Wednesday, which it held virtually. On July 14, the City of Emporia received two citizen petitions, one to prohibit certain data centers and the other to prohibit certain BESS within city limits. On Aug. 5, city officials voted in favor of seeking judicial intervention for the data center petition. During Wednesday’s virtual meeting, the commission took the same approach to the BESS petition.
Read more: KSN-TV

Growing concerns about the use of automated license plate readers, like Flock cameras, have prompted one Johnson County police department to discontinue its use of the controversial devices. On Monday, the Gardner City Council voted to immediately turn off four Flock cameras in use in the city and cancel the city’s roughly $13,000 contract with Flock, after several residents came forward with concerns over privacy and surveillance. Even though the topic was not on the meeting agenda, Gardner resident Eric Arnold used the public comment period to ask the city council to call the Flock contract forward for a vote.
Read more: Johnson County Post

The city of Edgerton has filed a lawsuit in Johnson County District Court to block a citizen-led petition seeking to ban data centers in the small southern Johnson County community. On Aug. 4, the city filed the lawsuit against Kimberly Twente, Carrie Schmidt, the civic watchdog nonprofit group Twente recently incorporated, Public Trust Collective Inc., as well as other unnamed defendants, alleging their petition aimed at stopping data centers from being built in the city is “legally and factually deficient.” The petition proposes an ordinance classifying data centers as “industrial nuisances” that would have “substantial risks to the public health, welfare, and peace” and have a negative effect on local and regional infrastructure, including utilities. The city argues in its lawsuit that the proposed ordinance would, in effect, function as a zoning restriction, making the matter “administrative” and not legislative, meaning it would not fall under the citizen petition process.
Read more: Johnson County Post

No. Revenue from the city’s downtown parking plan has not exceeded initial investment costs or yearly maintenance fees as of August 2026.  As former assistant city manager Troy Anderson noted, the city paid Car Park $1,638,539 in management and capital investment fees between July 31, 2025 to June 30, 2026. Meanwhile, July 2025 revenues to the end of the year totaled $229,049.38. Revenues from January 2026 to the end of June totaled $412,416. This adds to revenues being about 40% short of initial investment so far.
Read more: KLC Journal

Yes. There are maternity health care deserts in nearly every state in the U.S., including Kansas.  Forty-eight of Kansas’ 105 counties are considered maternity care deserts. More than one-third of U.S. counties are maternity care deserts. This number is higher for rural counties, where nearly 58% of counties lack obstetric clinicians. Maternity care deserts are regions with no obstetric clinicians or birthing facilities.  They are associated with poorer maternal and infant health and higher mortality risks. Counties with maternity care deserts are home to 2.4 million women of reproductive age and 149,000 infants born each year. Residents travel three times longer on average to reach labor and delivery services than residents of full-access counties. Recent cuts to Medicaid are projected to increase the number of maternity care deserts. Medicaid covered 41% of U.S. births in 2023 and nearly half in rural areas.
Read more: KLC Journal

Belleville’s grassy lot off the downtown square will soon be revitalized with the help of a $10,000 Networked Community Solutions Grant from Network Kansas. Chris Zach, Republic County Economic Development Director, said he hopes this project brings new life to a once underused lot. “Our vision is to take an underused grassy lot right off the downtown square and turn it into a welcoming gathering space for the community. We wanted to add picnic tables, create a place for food trucks, community events, and eventually add more amenities as funding becomes available,” he said.
Read more: KCLY Radio

Chris Scott has been hit by a car while on his bike three times in his life. Maybe three and a half times, depending on the way you look at it. There have been several other close calls he’s had over the years. He’s also encountered reckless and angry drivers who don’t want to share the road with cyclists like him. Scott, who lives in Overland Park, is an endurance cyclist who has competed in multiple long-haul races. He likes to cycle to work in Olathe when the weather cooperates, too. Transportation experts consider individuals like Scott to be vulnerable road users. That is, anyone traveling on the road on foot, by bike or scooter or even in a wheelchair. They are more at risk of being seriously injured or killed in traffic accidents since they lack the protection of a car’s steel frame, seat belts and airbags. In the past decade, 617 people have been killed or seriously injured in Overland Park in traffic accidents. More than 10% of those individuals who were killed were either walking or biking at the time of the accident, according to data presented to the Overland Park City Council during a Committee of the Whole meeting in June. City leaders in Overland Park are looking to change all of that, and eventually, bring the number of people killed or seriously injured to zero.
Read more: Johnson County Post

During a meeting earlier in August, the Haysville City Council discussed and eventually voted on an item to place the use of Flock cameras on the November general election ballot. According to The Times-Sentinel, the council voted 4-2 against putting the issue to a public vote. Council member Eric Myers, who voted in favor of the ballot item, had placed it on the agenda. Regarding the city’s eight Flock cameras currently in use, Myers noted he is opposed to spending taxpayer dollars on mass surveillance, with several residents speaking out against the cameras during a period of public comment.
Read more: www.derbyinformer.com

Can a Wichita property owner demolish a building even if it is on the national historic registry? Yes. The city’s official website confirms that a property owner can demolish a building, even if it is listed on the local, state, and national historic registries. They do, however, have to go through a significant review process to obtain a permit first.
Read more: KLC Journal

LaHarpe city employees are getting an earlier start to their workdays this month. City Council members, cognizant of the ongoing spell of hot, dry weather, are directing employees to report to work at 6 a.m. each day, instead of the normal 8 o’clock, so they can end their workday by 3 p.m., when temps are at their hottest. Because of the way the city schedules its work crews, only one employee at a time will be subject to the early schedule. Councilman Scott Kroenke noted workers in extreme heat are at their most vulnerable at the end of the workday, due to dehydration. The altered schedule will run through the Council’s Sept. 8 meeting.
Read more: The Iola Register

The Lindsborg City Council has voted to keep the city’s license-plate reader cameras, despite objections from a few residents who raised concerns about government surveillance and privacy. The cameras provide police with photographs of vehicles entering and leaving the city, but police say they do not have facial recognition or mass surveillance capabilities.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio

Officials in the City of Inman are alerting the public to a potential mountain lion sighting near the Motocross and Country Park. While the report remains unconfirmed, local authorities recommend that residents exercise caution when visiting the area. In the event of an encounter with a mountain lion, individuals are advised to remain calm and avoid approaching the animal or attempting to run. Instead, maintain a safe distance and slowly retreat while facing the lion. Please contact local law enforcement to report any sightings once you have reached safety.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio

Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced today that $24.1 million will be awarded to 32 projects to improve intersections and roads across the state through KDOT’s City Connecting Link Improvement Program (CCLIP). “Improving regional connectivity is a vital step in expanding accessibility across the state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Thanks to programs such as the CCLIP, we’re building a strong transportation foundation that will continue to deliver long-lasting benefits in Kansas.” The CCLIP provides funding for cities to make improvements on city connecting links that are on state highways. Selected projects are funded for the state fiscal years 2028 and 2029 selection cycle. 
Read more: Ad Astra Radio | Everything Local

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.

City employees working above ground demonstrated how they use a PS4 video game controller to navigate a rover as it goes through sewers while providing closed-circuit TV images of whatever it encounters.
Read more: CJonline

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.

For developers wanting to stay within Goddard, the primary benefit of planning duplexes and twin homes in this designated growth area is that these projects won’t be subject to a key component of Goddard’s new duplex regulations, the ones that prohibit more than 40% of any future development needing rezoning to be duplexes.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

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.

The utility will seek approval for a new natural gas plant, a solar farm, and a battery storage facility. CEO David Campbell stated that Kansas is a “premier destination” for data centers, driving significant load growth.
Read more: CJonline

Mayor Spencer Duncan said the city’s current flood plan is far more advanced than in 1903 and 1951 because of those learning experiences and a comprehensive approach that integrates levees, creek maintenance, pump stations, neighborhood drainage, wastewater systems and long-term capital planning.
Read more: CJonline

Administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce, SEED grants are available to communities in 78 eligible counties, with populations of 5,000 or fewer. Grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded in the following categories:

Childcare and Senior Programming– Projects that support or enhance services, such as building improvements, educational materials, supplies and equipment

Community Vibrancy– Projects that re-energize and beautify rural communities through public art, signage and placemaking initiatives

Food Retail– Projects that increase access to food through new, expanded or renovated retail spaces

Libraries– Projects that expand access to information and community resources through reading materials, technology upgrades, furnishings and facility improvements

Eligible applicants include local government, economic development organizations, chambers of commerce and other community-based organizations in towns that have not received a SEED grant in the past year. A 10% local match is required, and all funded projects must be completed within 12 months of receiving grant funds. Grants will be distributed in two installments: half at the time of award and the remainder once the project has reached at least 50% completion.
Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

The company announced Thursday that it will reduce its default data retention window from 30 to seven days, cutting the amount of time data will sit in Flock’s systems. Agencies can still change the retention period in coordination with state or local policy.
Read more: KSN-TV

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.

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.

City officials in Topeka are getting involved in an ongoing lawsuit between a local Indian tribe and the state lottery. The Topeka City Council voted in favor of intervening in an ongoing lawsuit between Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and the state of Kansas on Aug. 11. The governing body passed a resolution to step into the lawsuit “to protect the City’s interests” as the nation is allegedly trying to expand the boundaries of its reservation. Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas in early July this year. The nation alleged that the Kansas Lottery is violating its sovereignty by selling lottery tickets and operating lottery machines at around two dozen locations within reservation territory.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

The Topeka City Council voted to amend the language used in a one-year moratorium for data centers to restrict utility connections for these types of projects. The new amended language includes the restriction of utility connections inside and outside of city limits for data centers. City officials said this is necessary to prevent administrative exceptions that would allow staff to extend utility services outside of city limits to serve as a data center.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

Kansas Tourism has announced that applications for the Attraction Development Grants program will open August 17. The program is designed to provide funding support for the development of new tourism attractions or the enhancement of existing attractions that encourage travel to and throughout Kansas. A total of $1 million will be granted during this round. The deadline for applications is October 16, 2026. 
Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

Not many country folks want to become city folks. At least, that’s what Pottawatomie County leaders learned in 2019 when they asked residents of the Green Valley area whether they wanted to incorporate and create an independent town. At that time, 70% of residents said they didn’t want to form a new city, and 70% said they didn’t want Manhattan to annex Green Valley, either. But the area directly east of Manhattan, roughly the southern part of Blue Township, continues to grow. The population of Blue Township has risen from 4,926 in 2020 to an estimated 5,541 in 2026, an increase of nearly 12%. That has brought with it changes in commercial development and traffic.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

The Garden City Commission approved an amendment to the City Codes and the creation of new sections to the city’s Code of Ordinances regarding micro data facilities at its regular meeting on Aug.4. Aleecya Charles, Garden City Assistant Neighborhood and Development Services Director, said both items come after a recent influx of data facilities on both large and small scales. Because of the influx of development of these types of facilities nationwide, the city proposed an amendment to its Zoning Regulations that will set parameters for any new development regarding Micro Data Facilities, Charles said.
Read more: Garden City Telegram

Despite the age-old noise restraints for the Hesston Public Library, an increase in activity led to the refurbishment of a room. The community is invited to the ribbon-cutting for the new computer lab at HPL on Monday, Aug. 17, with a 4:30 p.m. cut time. Staff moved four computers into the area, as there are seven total machines available for public use. “I’d say the biggest reason we started brainstorming the idea of a computer lab was the increase in library use, especially during the summer and after school,” Abigail Skiles, library director, said. “This led to an increase in noise and activity, and we decided providing a dedicated computer lab space would help separate some of the noisy activity from library users wanting to work or study. So far, it is doing a great job.”
Read more: Harvey County Now

The North Newton City Council decided against renewing an ordinance regarding a traffic infraction substitute for certain marijuana offenses. This was during its regular monthly Monday night meeting at the North Newton City Building. Instead, they decided to allow the expired ordinance to remain expired and directed staff to talk about the matter more. “I’ll follow up with whatever we find,” City Administrator Brad Harris said. He said that, in 2024, the city adopted an ordinance that amended that version of the public offense code to create a traffic infraction process for some marijuana offenses relating to small possession.
Read more: Harvey County Now

A 17-unit affordable housing project in downtown Overland Park aimed at people who have intellectual and mental health challenges got a boost Thursday in the form of gap funding approved by the Johnson County Commission. The commission agreed to extend a zero-percent interest line of credit to the Friends of (Johnson County Developmental Supports) so that construction costs can be met while the non-profit continues to raise money and waits on grant money to be released. The $2.5 million loan was requested because of the impacts of inflation on the construction costs and the sometimes slow release of grant money after it has been approved.
Read more: Johnson County Post

For Sara Swanson, the lead behavioral specialist at Lenexa-based dog training company Sit Now Stay, leashing dogs is a must. When she was a child, a dog overpowered its owner and attacked her dog. So her advice for clients regarding off-leash dog walking is simple: Don’t. “It’s one of those things where, even if we put a lot of effort in, just for the safety of our own dogs, ourselves and those around us, it’s best to keep them leashed in a public area,” Swanson said. In Johnson County, by and large, cities require pet owners to keep dogs leashed in public spaces, save for designated off-leash dog parks.
Read more: Johnson County Post

The Clay Center Zoo is celebrating the one-year anniversary of Willie, its Asian water monitor, with a “gotcha day” celebration event Sunday, August 16 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. The zoo will host a Sundae Social Meet and Greet and visitors will have the opportunity to meet Willie, take photos and talk with zoo staff about the animals and the facility. Free ice cream donated by Simply Scoops will be available while supplies last. The zoo expressed appreciation for the community’s continued support and encouraged residents to bring family and friends to the celebration.
Read more: KCLY Radio