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.

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced $250,000 is available under the Residential Opportunities on Main Street (ROOMS) grant program to support new upper-floor housing in commercial buildings in Designated Kansas Main Street communities. “Rural downtowns are full of history and character — and many have unused upper-floor spaces that could be utilized for additional housing options,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “These funds give our community leaders the resources to turn these historic assets into vibrant, livable spaces — and increase the number of customers within a short walk of downtown restaurants and shops.”
Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

The entrepreneurial energy of Central Kansas will take center stage this Thursday at 7:00 PM as the third annual Ignite Rural Business Competition lights up the Crest Theatre in downtown Great Bend. Hosted by Great Bend Economic Development (GBED), Ignite Rural celebrates the innovation and resilience of rural entrepreneurs. This year’s competition features five local finalists vying for $95,000 in total prize funding to help launch or expand their businesses.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio | Your Hometown Radio Stations & Local News Source

Buhler residents gathered Monday morning at the Buhler Adult Community Center to discuss the city’s current housing-related needs and goals for the future. The informational session and forum were hosted by Buhler Community Foundation Coordinator Lauren Meadors on behalf of the Hutchinson Community Foundation. In Hutchinson Community Foundation’s recent “Love Where You Live” survey, the top priority given by Buhler residents was attracting new businesses, and the second ranked priority was removal or renovation of housing blight.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

When Sedgwick’s EMS director position came open last summer, Zane Hansen, the city’s fire chief since 2019, stepped up to fill the role. “Great to see somebody with hometown pride take over,” City Administrator Kyle Nordick said about Hansen’s willingness to take the position. “It seemed like he would be the right fit instead of putting the city through the process of trying to go out and find somebody. We already had somebody in-house that the team was familiar with, and so there’s that level of comfortability, as well.” Hansen, who’s lived in Sedgwick his entire life, not only brings familiarity to the EMS employees but to the community as a whole. He said a lot of people have thanked him for taking on the responsibility of EMS director.
Read more: Harvey County Now

This small town is moving forward with plans for major developments even though Panasonic may delay full production at its new electric vehicle battery plant. The newest developments include plans for hundreds of housing options with apartments, homes and a hotel, in addition to the opening of a data center and an expansion to Merck Animal Health’s facility. De Soto is a town of about 6,500 people, so the planned hiring of 4,000 people at Panasonic, in addition to new housing and other businesses coming to town, means at least an additional 60% of people spending time at local businesses and using roads and other town infrastructure. Some residents are coping with the changes to the town’s character and desire for more information about environmental impacts from new development.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

Lawrence elected officials and civic professionals speaking during a panel Monday identified trends they say disrupt the public discourse necessary to make progress. Amber Sellers, Lawrence city commissioner; Kelly Jones, Lawrence school board member as well as candidate running for reelection in November; Patrick Kelly, Douglas County Commission chair; and Rich Lockhart, chief of the Lawrence Police Department shared reflections on their roles as public officials. Kyle Velte, University of Kansas School of Law faculty member, added legal perspectives and knowledge. The League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County hosted the panel event, “Bringing Civility Back to Civic Discourse.” Co-Vice President Sonja Czarnecki moderated the discussion, taking questions from the packed audience in addition to prewritten prompts.
Read more: The Lawrence Times

Kansas farmers are harvesting millions of acres of corn that power the state’s economy — but as the Ogallala Aquifer shrinks, its future looks uncertain. It’s harvest time in Kansas. Across the state, combines have begun shaving down and chopping up over 6 million acres of corn. Isaac Yara is a truck driver, so he sees almost nothing but those corn fields hauling grain across the high plains. This season is a busy one for him. Why are those signature corn fields so ubiquitous in rural America, including western Kansas where the crop relies on the shrinking Ogallala Aquifer to thrive? That’s because in western Kansas, there is a huge demand for it. The major corn industry is connected to most of the jobs, like truck driving, the cattle industry and farming. But the problem is, corn is not as well suited as other crops to this region. All of the economic infrastructure and pressure makes growing corn a simple choice for now, but in the long term it might not be a sustainable option.
Read more: The Iola Register

Iola officials were notified last week that the city must conduct more tests among its residents whose homes may have lead water lines or fixtures. Iola will test its water more frequently for lead over the next year as part of an edict handed down from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Toby Ross, water plant superintendent, and Mitch Phillips, the city’s water distribution superintendent, spoke about a recent KDHE notification, directing the city to ramp up its testing after three homes tested above the EPA threshold of lead in their drinking water over the summer. The threshold, mind you, is 15 parts of lead per billion units of water, a number infinitesimally small, Ross noted.
Read more: The Iola Register

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released the minutes from its Sept. 16-17 meeting where it voted to cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point.
Read more: cnbc.com

McPherson County is commissioning the design of an official county seal that will be displayed at the McPherson County Building at Maple and Marlin when it opens early next year. The County Commission Monday approved a scope of work agreement with BowerComm, carrying a $3,500 budget. The seal is envisioned as an art piece that conveys the county’s identity and values while avoiding the pitfalls of being overly cluttered, cartoonish or confused with a logo. This seal could at some future time become widely adopted across county communications. Concept sketches are expected to be available within three weeks with the final design approval by Nov. 15 to align with building construction.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio | Your Hometown Radio Stations & Local News Source

Activation of warning sirens within the Arkansas City limits is now the responsibility of Cowley County Emergency Management after Ark City commissioners unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding Tuesday transferring that authority to the county. That responsibility had been carried out by the city’s Emergency Management Coordinator, a position cut from the budget next year to save costs. “We’re still responsible for the sirens, the maintenance, all the costs of that,” City Manager Randy Frazer said. “It just the operation of when they are set off is on the county.”
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com – RSS Results

Over the last several years, the Emporia Police Department has adopted the targeted usage of drones in emergency and non-emergency situations. The drones were most recently used during a narcotics investigation on State street, to arrest Christopher Diaz on counts of ​​Distribution of a Controlled Substance and No Drug Tax Stamp.
Read more: www.emporiagazette.com/*

Sunshine from the front bay windows of the Peabody Township Public Library brushes the desks and chairs and books inside with a natural warmth no electric light can match. This scene, or something near to it, has repeated itself every afternoon since the library opened in 1914. The bay windows, set beneath patterned stained glass transoms, are on either side of the front door. The wooden chairs are the same chairs the first patrons used all those years ago, although they have since been refinished. Over the circulation desk is a black-and-white photo of Emma Christ, the librarian in charge at the opening. On behalf of a civic committee, Miss Christ wrote to Andrew Carnegie asking him to fund a new library building in this railroad town in east-central Kansas. And he did.
Read more: Homepage

A landfill is more than a final resting place for garbage; it’s a carefully engineered operation guided by environmental science and strict regulations from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Environmental Protection Agency, she said. The sprawling, 89.2-acre permitted waste footprint serves Barton as well as surrounding counties, demonstrating a vital commitment to public health and the environment. “Landfills are very important,” said Hamby, who has been with the Solid Waste Department for 15 years, three as director. “Without landfills, waste would accumulate in unregulated dump sites, ditches and city streets.”
Read more: gbtribune.com

Corporations that see Kansas as flyover country are quick to see opportunities for energy projects – from oil to wind and solar. Even when these projects are successful, they may not be beneficial to Kansas, depending on your point of view.
Read more: gbtribune.com

Hallbrook North — a $765 million development of high-rise office buildings plus a hotel, child care building and apartments proposed near State Line Road and Interstate 435 — got a unanimous thumbs up from the Leawood City Council on Monday night. The development by VanTrust Real Estate is the largest to date proposed for Leawood, said City Administrator Diane Stoddard. It comes with a $125 million ask for a variety of incentives, which councilmembers also appeared to view favorably. As Monday’s meeting ended, councilmembers also unanimously voted to move forward on the incentives by establishing a redevelopment district. Actions and public hearings on the specific incentives will follow in the next couple of months.
Read more: Johnson County Post

A focus group meeting was held for USD 379 on September 30th at Lincoln School, with about 32 people in attendance. The meeting was ran by HTK Architects, the firm that was hired to run the bond issue. Architects Maria Kutina, principal in charge, and Noah Mediavilla, project manager, started with a presentation about the bond issue process, which includes research, vision, program, collaboration, and resolution/voting.  Kutina also spoke on the current climate of public schools, which have come to require bonds in order to afford asset maintenance. 
Read more: KCLY Radio

The Kansas City Police Department has struggled to recruit new officers for years, especially after protests against misconduct and racism. But Chief Stacey Graves says a record number of new recruits graduated into the department in August, and next year’s class is similarly robust.
Read more: kcur.org

One detail was unspoken during the Wichita City Council’s recent debate over stronger enforcement of an ordinance against homeless encampments: Cleanups are far more frequent than they were prior to the updated ordinance, according to a Journal analysis of public records, and they have been occurring, on average, at least daily since stricter enforcement began in March. After the council voted to crack down on illegal camping in the city last December, formal encampment cleanups are up from an average of 14 a month to 38 a month – a 171% increase compared to last year. Despite the acceleration, some council members are dissatisfied. Mayor Lily Wu unexpectedly expressed her frustrations with visible homelessness at a recent City Council workshop.
Read more: KLC Journal