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.

Becky Willard asked the county commissioners to expand the current moratorium in effect to include three new items: private energy campuses, hyperscale AI data centers, and a solar project near McCune. A private energy campus is a piece of infrastructure designed to support the high-energy usage of data centers. Kansas House Bill HB 2664 would allow tech companies to build such a complex independent of the existing power grid, sometimes combining wind, solar, natural gas and nuclear power. Supporters of the bill argue that by letting tech companies bypass government bureaucracy, Kansas can more easily attract high-tech industry and massive capital investment. The problem is who pays for the existing power grid. Maintaining the grid does not get cheaper if fewer people are on it. If big tech is allowed to build their own grids, the remaining customers have to pick up the slack in lost revenue used to maintain the grid, while at the same time, the private campuses remain hooked into the public grid for emergencies.
Read more: Morning Sun

A $225,000 grant is bringing high-tech tools like laser engravers and 3D printers to libraries across Southeast Kansas. A grant awarded to the Southeast Kansas Library System (SEKLS) is expanding access to advanced technology across the region, including a laser engraving machine currently available at the Iola Public Library. The funding comes through the Digital Opportunities to Connect Kansans (DOCK) program, a statewide initiative aimed at improving digital literacy and skills training, particularly in economically distressed areas. The program is funded by nearly $5 million in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under the American Rescue Plan Act.
Read more: The Iola Register

Allen County is exploring a Neighborhood Revitalization Program to spur property improvements through tax rebates. Allen County commissioners began shaping the framework of the county’s own potential Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) this week, reviewing draft options and discussing how the program could encourage property improvements across the county. An NRP is a local economic development tool designed to encourage property improvements by offering temporary property tax rebates on the increased value created by those improvements. Under an NRP, property owners who make qualifying upgrades — such as building additions, renovations, or new structures — can receive a partial refund of the additional property taxes they pay as a result of those improvements. The goal is to stimulate investment, improve property conditions, and enhance the overall tax base over time.
Read more: The Iola Register

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, in a wide-ranging talk at Harvard University, said Monday that he sees inflation expectations as grounded despite rising energy prices and no signs yet of a widespread crisis in private credit. As his term leading the central bank nears an end, Powell avoided questions about the longer-term direction of interest rates or inclinations his designated successor has espoused. In the near term, he said the proper move is to look beyond the short-term gyrations of the energy market and focus on the Fed’s goals of stable prices and low unemployment.
Read more: CNBC Bonds

As Riley County officials map out the budget framework for a new county administrator position, questions swirl over how to account for such reorganization in the 2027 budget cycle. Budget and finance officer Brittany Phillips on Monday asked commissioners for direction on who should develop the operational budget as staff prepare early projections for the budget calendar. “If I can at least draft something to a department that’s of a similar size, then that can give us something to kind of work with through the budget process, instead of just throwing … ‘Here’s $200,000 for your three Cs, figure it out,’” she said.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

One year in, the cell phone policy in USD 383 schools is driving improved classroom engagement and behavior, district officials said Wednesday, though a new Kansas law may soon require stricter enforcement and create new challenges. Officials gave a report reflecting on the policy’s first year during the Manhattan-Ogden school board meeting Wednesday at Lincoln Education Center. The policy requires students keep devices in bags, pockets or special pouches, though they can use them during passing periods and at lunch. More than 92% of educators reported improved student engagement under the policy, while about 94% said classroom climate has improved, according to teacher survey data.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

A new notification system is being adopted by Saline County. Salina 911 in conjunction with Saline County Emergency Management, the Salina Fire and Police Departments and Saline County Sheriff’s Office have partnered with Regroup for a new mass emergency notification system to keep the community informed and prepared during critical events. The system provides real time alerts based on your location. Alerts can be sent either by phone, email or text.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio

Sedgwick County Emergency Communications recently launched its Fire Dispatch Priority System (FDPS) to further support the processing of fire-related calls. FDPS is a structured tool that will enhance existing operations by guiding 911 call takers through key questions to efficiently gather critical information. It also supports the delivery of pre-arrival instructions when appropriate, such as how to safely exit a building, and allows fire departments to align response configurations with the most accurate and up-to-date information available.
Read more: www.derbyinformer.com

Legislators want the state of Kansas to pay local law students a stipend if they promise to practice in a rural part of the state upon graduation. They also want to repay the student loans of working rural attorneys. It’s all part of an effort to address a persistent rural attorney shortage. House Bill 2595, or the “attorney training for rural Kansas act,” creates two programs meant to attract and retain practicing attorneys in the state’s rural areas. More than 40% of the population lives in a rural part of the state but only 20% of the state’s attorneys practice there. “By helping new lawyers build sustainable careers in rural communities, this legislation expands access to justice today and lays the groundwork for stronger communities in the years ahead,” said Gregory Schwartz, president of the Kansas Bar Association, in a Wednesday news release.
Read more: Dodge City Daily Globe

City officials have provided an update on the sinkhole that first appeared in Emporia on Monday. Emporia City Manager Trey Cocking said the sinkhole near the intersection of Commercial Street and 10th Avenue was caused by a collapsed 44-inch stormwater line. According to Cocking, the line was more than 100 years old and made of nonreinforced concrete. Over decades, the weight of the soil above the line contributed to its collapse. The sinkhole was first discovered Sunday morning by an Emporia police officer. City crews quickly responded and closed off the section of Commercial Street surrounding the sinkhole indefinitely until it is deemed safe.
Read more: www.emporiagazette.com

The Olathe Police Department has launched a new program that deploys drones as first responders. “Drones as First Responders” (DFR) is an initiative designed to strengthen community safety through innovative technology, the police department shared. “By providing real-time intelligence and video to officers, DFR will improve operational efficiency and support both citizen and officer safety,” the department said in a news release. DFR drones will be deployed in specific situations to give responding officers a live view of the scene. They may also be used in hazardous environments, where sending people in immediately could increase risk.
Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

Five parks in Garden City have a new installation – playground communication boards which allow children to communicate their needs, ideas, and feelings by pointing to or selecting symbols. Ticia Herd, Garden City Parks and Recreation Director, said the boards were installed between two and three weeks ago, around the middle to end of February at Bob Halloran Park, Deane Wiley Park, Finnup Scout Park, A. Harold Long Park and Finnup Park. Dixie Teeter, a Speech Language Pathologist with the Kansas State Department and member of the group Southwest Kansas Konnect, Include, Support Summit (SWK-KISS), said idea for the communication boards came from SWK-KISS co-founders Caitlin Sotelo, a Special Education teacher, and Jana Brown, a School Social Worker.
Read more: Garden City Telegram

Along with bond construction at the schools, Halstead residents will also be dealing with sidewalk and road construction for the next couple of months. Last week, Halstead city officials met with Lochner, an infrastructure services provider, to discuss pre-construction issues related to the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) improvements project. Construction is set to begin this week, according to Halstead City Manager Ethan Reimer.
Read more: Harvey County Now

To address anticipated growth in the southwestern portion of the county associated with the redevelopment of the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant into the Astra Enterprise Park, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners adopted updates to the Comprehensive Arterial Road Network Plan (CARNP) on Thursday. The plan outlines recommendations for future transportation needs and access management on arterial roads in the southern and western portion of the county. The plan does not make final determinations on any road improvements but identifies policies to manage access and plan for adequate traffic capacity on arterial roads.
Read more: Johnson County Kansas

If you’ve been watching the Prairie Village market closely, you’ve probably noticed something that is a bit harder to quantify at first glance. The move-up market, particularly between $600,000 and $1,000,000, feels tight. Not new, not surprising, but more noticeable right now. The data supports that feeling. Over the past four to five years, the median closed price in Prairie Village has climbed from roughly $400,000 in 2022 to about $519,000 today. That is steady, healthy growth. At the same time, the median price of active listings has moved much more aggressively, now sitting well above $900,000 and even reaching $1.25 million in March. That spread between where homes are selling and where many homes are listed highlights a real pressure point in the market.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Soon, Merriam residents and business owners will get the chance to weigh in on the city’s much-discussed plans to transform its downtown. The Merriam City Council on March 9 took a step forward in its effort to shape the future of the downtown area, unanimously approving a $292,000 contract with Overland Park-based Shockey Consulting to create a downtown master plan. Over the years, Merriam has significantly invested in reshaping its downtown through a decades-long collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to shield the area from the flooding from nearby Turkey Creek. The city has also completed studies, such as its 2040 comprehensive plan and a Merriam Drive connected corridor plan with neighboring cities, that examine the possibilities for the downtown area. Shockey plans to build off those past efforts, according to city documents. Still, some downtown business owners remain concerned about the city’s plans along Merriam Drive, particularly with any flood mitigation steps that could result in razing buildings and displacing businesses. The ongoing purchase of downtown properties and plans to remake Merriam Drive itself have also drawn criticism from business owners in the area.
Read more: Johnson County Post

The Senate and House narrowly passed a bill giving 10% of registered voters in a taxing area the ability to stop some property tax increases, a move one senator called “tyranny of the minority.” Both chambers debated House Bill 2745 Friday. It passed the Senate 22-18 and the House 63-59. It now advances to Gov. Laura Kelly.  Another proposal attempting to change the Kansas Constitution to limit property tax increases was shot down by the House but referred to a conference committee for more discussion. Senate Concurrent Resolution 1603, which needed support from two-thirds of both chambers, failed in the House 59-63. The resolution, which would have been on the August ballot for voters to decide, limits the assessed valuation of residential, commercial, and agricultural  property from jumping more than 9% in any one year. 
Read more: Kansas Reflector

A new documentary from Kansas State University is highlighting food insecurity in southwest Kansas. “Sharing the Harvest,” produced through the Hungry Heartland Project and Engaged Stories Lab, focuses on efforts in Garden City to improve access to food. The film features local organizations working to support families in need, including Emmaus House, La Comunidad church’s mobile food pantry, and the Kansas Food Bank. The project was led by faculty members Tom Hallaq and Valerie Padilla Carroll, with support from student interns funded by the Chapman Center for Rural Studies. “This project represents the power of interdisciplinary storytelling,” Hallaq said in the release. “By combining media expertise with social analysis, our students have captured the resilience of the Garden City community while highlighting the critical need for expanded food access.”
Read more: KCLY Radio

The World Cup comes to Kansas City this summer, and many fans will want to stay up late watching and partying. Kansas is close to approving longer hours for serving alcohol during the event, after Missouri passed its own law, so bars and restaurants don’t lose business across the state line. Kansas law allows bars to serve alcohol from 6 a.m. until 2 a.m. daily, but that could be changing this summer. A bill approved by lawmakers and headed to the governor’s desk would extend alcohol service to 23-hours a day during the World Cup, as a way to compete with Missouri. Zach Boblitt reports for the Kansas News Service from Lawrence.
Read more: KCUR News