Municipal News & Jobs

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved a widely anticipated rate cut and signaled that two more are on the way before the end of the year as concerns intensified over the U.S. labor market.
In an 11 to 1 vote that signaled less dissent than Wall Street had anticipated, the Federal Open Market Committee lowered its benchmark overnight lending rate by a quarter percentage point. The decision puts the overnight funds rate in a range between 4%-4.25%.
Read more: Bonds

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced that the agency has awarded $75,000 in Rural Mural funding to support 12 public art projects in rural communities across the state. “Our rural communities are the backbone of what makes our state so great — they’re rich in culture, resilience and unique identity,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Investing in these large-scale public art pieces allows communities to signal not only hometown pride but a commitment to harnessing creativity to drive economic growth across Kansas.”
Read more: Press Releases Archives – Kansas Department of Commerce

Elizabeth Ramsey has been hired as the new Assistant City Administrator for the City of Lyons.  Ramsey, who took her oath of office at the Lyons City Council meeting on Sept. 15, grew up in a small town in eastern Oregon. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Politics from George Fox University and her Masters of Public Policy and Public Administration, with a concentration in local government management, from Colorado State University.
Read more: Ad Astra Radio | Your Hometown Radio Stations & Local News Source

Bourbon County Commissioners have put a cap on the length of commission meetings. On Monday, commissioners discussed putting in place procedures for shortening meetings, many of which have run three to four hours. The commission ultimately voted unanimously to adopt procedures which include starting meetings at 5:30 p.m., following the agenda until 7:30 p.m.; moving those people who have traveled for the meeting to the top of the agenda; setting the agenda for the following week’s meeting prior to adjournment, otherwise adjourning the meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Read more: Fort Scott Tribune

At its recent meeting, the Bentley City Council reluctantly passed water restrictions forced by the City of Wichita, the sole supplier of water to the city. While drought conditions persist throughout the area, Wichita has been increasing pressure on customers of its untreated water supply to implement water conservation plans that limit outdoor water use. The most recent restrictions limit watering lawns to three specific days per week, before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m., at each address. The particular days are based on each residence’s even or odd house number. City Administrator and Police Chief James “Tim” Bryan read out the new outdoor water schedules, variances, exemptions and penalties, including $50 fines for first-time offenders and $75 fines for repeat offenses.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Holton Community Hospital (HCH) officials are asking Jackson County residents for their support during the Nov. 4 general election. Registered voters in Jackson County will be asked on the ballot whether they support a special .25 percent retailers’ sales tax specifically for hospital services. To help the public understand the need for the sales tax, several public town hall meetings will be held throughout the county this month and next, it has been reported.
Read more: The Holton Recorder

Another Johnson County city is cracking down on e-bikes by adding new rules for younger users. In the city of Fairway, e-bike users must now be at least 15 years old, or under the direct supervision of an adult. The city also now requires minors to wear helmets. The new rules went into effect Tuesday, a week after the Fairway City Council voted Sept. 8 to adopt the new e-bike regulations. Recently, e-bikes and e-scooters have grown in popularity among Johnson County children and, as such, have become the subject of new restrictions in Prairie Village as well as outright bans at shopping centers like Corinth Square, Ranch Mart and Nall Valley Shops.
Read more: Johnson County Post

The Overland Park Police Department is about to get a multimillion-dollar technology overhaul, including new body cameras and drones. The new technology from Axon Enterprise will replace many of the police department’s independent programs with an integrated platform that department officials say will be more efficient and easier to use for evidence management, data storage and other functions. In addition to software, the department will also get new body cameras and other digital recording devices, tasers, training, drones and more.
Read more: Johnson County Post

From luxury single-family homes to for-sale villas, western Lenexa is seeing a surge in residential development that caters to a wide range of homebuyers and renters. Here’s a look at five residential projects that, together, aim to add more than 1,700 housing units.
Read more: Kansas City Business Journal

People new to Marysville will have the chance to get connected and find out how things work in their community. Welcome to Marysville: Newcomers & Networkers takes place Thursday, September 25, from 5–7 p.m. at Venue 36, 1195 Pony Express Highway. The event is sponsored by OneMarysville.  The gathering is designed for those who have lived in Marysville five years or fewer. It’s a casual, come-and-go evening where people can meet others, learn about local organizations and discover community traditions—from the Black Squirrel Fall Fest to when Santa will be in his house. 
Read more: KCLY Radio

Picture three-and-a-half football fields with earth piled onto them — piled as tall as the Empire State Building. That’s how much sediment flows into Tuttle Creek Lake each year. After decades of this, mud has eaten up so much space that about half of the lake near Manhattan has disappeared. Put another way, about half of its volume for storing water is gone. That’s why the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Kansas Water Office will start a first-of-its-kind pilot test this week to try to clear out some mud. They’ll use an underwater dredging technique that they hope will loosen some of the sediment and allow it to flow out of the dam gates and continue moving downstream in the Big Blue and Kansas rivers.
Read more: News

In general, Colwich residents are quite satisfied with life there, but there are areas for improvement, they say. That was the main takeaway from a presentation at Monday evening’s City Council meeting by the Wichita firm of PEC, which surveyed local residents as part of its work on Colwich’s comprehensive plan. Lance Onstott, a planner with PEC and who made the presentation, said he was pleased with the survey’s response, in which 203 people took part, a 12.5% rate.As for the city’s upsides, most respondents cited Colwich’s “small-town lifestyle,” and said they live there because it’s where their family and friends are. They also liked the school district and the churches. However, areas of concern that floated to the top were housing, especially housing that is affordable, and downtown, which many cited as needing to be redeveloped.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

The city of Maize wants in on the region’s growth. Historically, the bedroom community has struggled to compete for retailers and commercial development against the neighboring city of Wichita and the NewMarket Square shopping center. “One of the biggest complaints we hear from residents in Maize is the lack of options for food,” said Joe Dessenberger, the deputy city manager for Maize. But the city has grown over the past few years with new housing and is projected to reach more than 10,000 residents by 2030. To support its population and the visitors that come to Maize for school and sporting events, the city is working with a consultant, Oklahoma-based Retail Attractions LLC, to market the municipality to national and local businesses.
Read more: Wichita Business Journal

Way back in 1963, as he tells it, Steve Hirsch’s father traveled farm to farm in the rural areas surrounding Simpson, Kansas, to gather signatures in support of a rural fire district. He got the support of all but one of his neighbors, and the fire service was born. Hirsch was just 1 year old. Today he’s an attorney by trade, but his passion is firefighting. He’s the training officer for Sheridan County Fire District No. 1 – an all-volunteer fire department – as well as treasurer for the Kansas State Firefighters Association and chair of the National Volunteer Fire Council. There are plenty of incidents needing the fire department’s attention in Sheridan County, in northwest Kansas. “No. 1 is gonna be field grass fires, pasture fires, outdoor wildland,” he says. The department gets about 70 calls a year. The bigger job, though, might be ensuring there is a next generation of volunteer firefighters – in Sheridan County, in Kansas and nationally. 
Read more: KLC Journal

The Columbus Police Department launches an investigation after local high schools partake in an “unsettling” TikTok trend. According to the city, a TikTok user posted footage of themselves allegedly urinating on playground equipment at the city park. Columbus officials ask that anyone who has any tips or information regarding the identity of the user to contact the police department.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

Rose Hill residents will soon follow Wichita’s permanent outdoor watering rules as part of the city’s water contract. Starting Sept. 18, homes will be limited to set watering days based on address: odd numbers on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday; even numbers on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. No watering will be allowed on Mondays. Watering is only permitted before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Well users are exempt, and hand watering is allowed any day within the same time limits. Residents planning to reseed or lay sod can request a variance from the city.
Read more: KSN-TV

Many people may not know, but Caldwell is the Ornate Box Turtle Capital of the World. The city is celebrating 40 years of the title by creating 12 unique pieces of art. “I think every aspect of town is kind of leaned in to the turtles,” explained local artist, Brooke Cink. “It’s like instead of necessarily the blue jays or the outlaws, we are now also like turtle town.”
“In April of 1986, the governor actually came to Caldwell and signed the bill, making the ornate box turtle the state reptile,” added Caldwell City Administrator Leah Sommerhoff. To honor this unlikely mascot, Sommerhoff asked several artists, including lifelong resident Brooke Cink, to design 12 ornate turtles to place around town.
Read more: KSN-TV

Garden City leaders have approved nearly $50 million in STAR bonds to move forward with the second phase of the Sports of the World project. The new phase will add four competition softball fields, four baseball fields, and space for future restaurants, hotels, and retail near U.S. Highway 83 and East Mary Street. The bonds, totaling up to $49.7 million, will be paid back using sales tax revenue generated within the project area. City officials note this means the bonds will not raise property taxes.
Read more: KSN-TV

A dog blood bank is not coming to southern Kansas. The Harper County Commission rejected a zoning change that would have placed the bank in the small town of Danville. The potential blood bank has been in the works for a while. The decision to change zoning laws on the property owner’s land was presented to the county commission last week for a vote, but was pushed back. Despite the zoning committee recommending that they pass the change, it was denied on Monday. The blood bank would have housed dozens of dogs, which would have had their blood taken periodically and then sold to a variety of buyers, including veterinary clinics.
Read more: KSN-TV

Starting today, permanent watering restrictions begin in Wichita. Under the rules, water will be allowed every other day but not between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Addresses ending in odd numbers can water on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Even numbers can water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Watering is not allowed on Monday. Those who use wells will not be affected by the changes.
Read more: KSN-TV