Municipal News & Jobs

More than 150 years after its founding, Neodesha has transformed from an oil-dependent town into a thriving community that offers new opportunities for families through economic diversification and educational support.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

Fort Scott Area Home Developers met on Thursday to discuss the city’s needs and plans. The city says a 2025 study proved Fort Scott faces a housing shortage. The city expects several hundred more jobs to come to Fort Scott over the next year, making the need for housing even more acute.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

Voters may get to decide whether to redirect a city sales tax toward public safety after the City Commission discusses the topic at its meeting Monday. The city for 20 years has charged a 0.5% sales tax to pay off debt from building the Community Center and pool. That debt will be paid off this year, but the city is considering asking voters to continue the tax to support public safety equipment and infrastructure. The required citywide vote for the sales tax would be in November. 
Read more: The Eudora Times

The Reno County Commission will hold a public hearing and consider establishing a sales tax and revenue (STAR) bond district for the Salt Lick Golf & Hunting Resort under development east of Hutchinson during its regular meeting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13. Developers of the resort are seeking STAR bonds to finance about $26 million of the project, approximately one-third of the total planned cost, commissioners heard in a special meeting on Thursday, May 7. The bonds would be repaid using sales tax revenue from the district, which would exclusively consist of the resort.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

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 City of Kingman, in partnership with MakeMyMove.com and through a state grant program announced in October, is now offering financial incentives to bring in new residents, remote workers and skilled professionals.
Read more: KSN-TV

Staff recommended data center and crypto currency mining facilities be allowed in industrial-zoned areas and battery storage in districts where other utility-scale uses are allowed, if they also receive a conditional use permit from the County Commission. However, commissioners raised concerns about the demands on local infrastructure and whether it was enough to even sustain a data center or crypto mine.
Read more: LJWorld

Craig Owens has spent his whole career looking for challenges – from blue-collar factory communities to suburbs to a densely packed city in Missouri with nearly 50 high-rises.
Read more: LJWorld

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.

With a mill levy of 121.799, Hays has a significantly lower property tax compared to four peer communities (Dodge City, Garden City, Emporia and Pittsburg.) That’s no coincidence says Grow Hays Executive Director Doug Williams because the City’s “pull factor” is consistently one of the best in the state. “More people spending money within the city limits from outside of Hays benefits everyone because of the City of Hays use of sales tax funding for operations and their general fund.
Read more: Hays Daily News

Arkansas City Senior Genevieve Herrera is receiving first-hand experience on how the court system works. For the past six months, she has served as an intern with District Judge Christopher Smith at the court facilities in Arkansas City and Winfield. The ACHS intern program allows students to work with local employers to experience careers that match their studies or interests. Students have the opportunity to explore a wide range of career paths.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

A raucous crowd of around 150 people gathered Wednesday to get answers from officials looking to build a data center in Pottawatomie County. Ryan Sanders and Charles Kontz, principals of Beltline Energy, spoke at a meeting at Iron Clad in Wamego. Beltline is based in Atlanta. The meeting originally had been set as a private event in Manhattan, but the invitation was widely shared on social media, so it became a public event and moved to Wamego.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

After enacting a six-month moratorium on data center projects last month, the Riley County Commission on Monday began considering the next steps of the conversation. Planning director Amanda Webb spoke to commissioners about possibilities of the information they could seek during the moratorium period. The temporary restriction also includes battery energy storage system projects, but data centers were the focus of Monday’s conversation.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

As economic uncertainty continues to ripple through manufacturing communities across the country, Emporia leaders say they remain focused on attracting new opportunities, even as the Flint Hills Economic Alliance remains in a developmental phase and Michelin announces the layoff of approximately 100 workers. The Flint Hills Economic Alliance, or FHEA, was first unveiled in late February as a proposed restructuring of local economic development efforts. The concept aimed to combine several community organizations under one umbrella in an effort to streamline recruitment, tourism and business development efforts.
Read more: www.emporiagazette.com

Standing room only during a city council meeting in Gardner Monday night. In nearly two hours of public comment, dozens of people stood up to object to a proposed hyperscale data center. The 3.1 billon dollar project would include up to 16 data halls across multiple buildings on the 300-acre site. Beale claims it will be one of Johnson County’s largest tax revenue generators, and employ hundreds of contractors, trade positions and 50 full time on-site positions.
Read more: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

Great Bend could consider a permanent 0.75-cent sales tax, potentially raising the total local tax rate to 9.45% if voters approve it in November. The discussion surfaced at a City Council work session after the Monday meeting, though no formal action was taken.
Read more: Great Bend Tribune

Residents of Sylvan Grove and surrounding communities are invited to take part in a once-in-a-generation celebration as the town marks its 150th anniversary on Saturday, May 23. Centered around the theme “Rooted in Our History … Reaching to Our Future,” the event promises a full day of activities honoring the town’s rich past while celebrating the spirit of its future.
Read more: Great Bend Tribune

Isaac Shue’s favorite parts of the mural he’s creating at Mostaza are the bubbles. They’re small, round dots in various colors, and flowers decorate the mural, which they started on Sunday, May 3. The reason they picked flowers for the mural is that mostaza is a plant, and plants start with seeds, Shue said. The bubbles in the mural represent seeds, which can be seen in the store’s logo, he said. Shue and his wife, Karina, are Mostaza co-owners. Mostaza is at 615 N. Main in downtown Newton, and the gallery had a blank wall out back, so Shue wanted to color it up with the mural.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Johnson County’s Stormwater Management Program has launched its new Green infrastructure Grant Program, covering the cost of green infrastructure projects across the county. “Green infrastructure” refers to natural systems like streams, prairies, forests and wetlands. The program seeks to fund projects that advance watershed health, reduce flooding and erosion risks, and improve stormwater quality in alignment with the program’s watershed master plans.
Read more: Johnson County Kansas

After pushback from the public, the Olathe City Council on Tuesday delayed a vote on an ordinance restricting drone takeoffs and landings to give the topic more scrutiny and discussion. The ordinance would place new limits on where drones can take off and land in the city, including up to a mile from large events and within 1,000 feet of certain public facilities. Opponents of the bill said ordinances like this only harm responsible drone operators.
Read more: Johnson County Post

April showers bring May flowers — or, in this case, a 15-foot sunflower sculpture outside De Soto City Hall. City officials, the De Soto Arts Council and USD 232 students and staff celebrated the installation of the kinetic sculpture, titled “Blooming De Soto, Rising Tomorrows,” on Thursday. The piece, which has two layers that rotate with the wind, was made entirely by USD 232 Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) students at the Cedar Trails Exploration Center (CTEC).
Read more: Johnson County Post

A proposed 300-acre data center in Gardner has nearby residents in an uproar. California-based Beale Infrastructure, which also leads the De Soto data center project, recently proposed another data center in eastern Gardner, near the northeast corner of 191st Street and South Clare Road. Many Gardner and nearby residents, including Kyle Eisenbarger, believe that data centers have no place in the community. Eisenbarger lives just across the street from the proposed site, in unincorporated Johnson County. He can see the 300 acres from his driveway. Eisenbarger launched a website condemning the proposal, and the community has followed suit with both a Facebook group and a petition, which had more than 1,000 signatures as of Monday morning.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Charred fence posts, oxidized barbed wire and blackened trees lined the Arkansas River in west-central Kansas in the wake of a 1,500 acre fire that scorched the dry riverbed and surrounding property. Below average rainfall in the region and a bone-dry riverbed filled with dead brush fueled the fire. The Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office deemed the cause “undetermined,” even though the fire sparked one day after a controlled burn was performed on an adjacent ranch owned by the city of Hays. The fire marshal’s office did not draw a connection between the two fires. But others didn’t find it difficult to see a link.
Read more: Kansas Reflector

The Mission Gateway site at the intersection of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Johnson Drive has sat largely vacant for two decades. While it’s unclear how long it might take for the private property get redeveloped, Mission Mayor Sollie Flora says the city’s government is making “making it a focus.”
Read more: KCUR

It’s getting more difficult to find an attorney in rural Kansas as people retire, so the state is offering incentives to attract a new generation of lawyers. Still, filling the civic leadership roles left by veteran lawyers will not be easy. The shortage of attorneys in many rural areas has left people without the legal help they need. But a new Kansas law will give incentives to lawyers who practice or plan to practice in rural areas of the state. As Kansas News Service reporter Zach Boblitt explains, they have big shoes to fill.
Read more: KCUR News

Steve Hirsch serves as county attorney in four counties and as city attorney in 20 communities in western Kansas … and he has even more jobs. The 64-year-old also files income tax returns, helps handle affairs after someone dies and has been a member of nearly every civic organization that will have him. Walk down the street with him, and it feels like everybody knows Hirsch and he knows the communities he serves. He knows the community like the back of his hand, but the question Kansas lawmakers and attorneys across the state have to answer is: What happens when legal pillars like Hirsch retire?
Read more: KPR

As public pools prepare to open for the summer, a familiar problem is forcing them to make changes. Augusta announced Thursday that due to a shortage of lifeguards, the pool will have reduced hours. The city said it is short 12 lifeguards. It is going to continue recruitment efforts in hopes that more people will join the team before the pool opens on May 23, because it could return to the full schedule if there are more lifeguards. Another city scrambling to get more people is Oakley. The city put out a call earlier this week saying that if it doesn’t hire more lifeguards, the pool will not open at all this summer.
Read more: KSN-TV

Jump Start cut the ribbon Thursday on a new blending facility in Butler County. The biofuel facility in Potwin converts soybean oil into biodiesel and biogas. The group behind the facility said it will serve as the region’s fuel distribution terminal, filling anywhere from 25 to 100 loads daily. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said it will create yet another market for Kansas farmers.
Read more: KSN-TV

Plans for a downtown pavilion are a step closer to reality for the community of Russell. Russell Development Inc. announced Thursday that it is moving forward with plans for the Russell Market Square. It will serve as a covered, open-air pavilion in the heart of Russell’s downtown at West Seventh and North Maple Streets. The pavilion will be used to host farmers markets, food truck nights, live music, festivals, holiday events, private rentals and other events throughout the year.
Read more: KSN-TV

Starting Friday, you will want to make sure you leave the toilet seat down, and no, it’s not because your wife asked you to. The City of Hays said a contractor will begin sewer line cleaning and inspections in the northeast area of the city. The project will begin at the north, with crews working their way south over the next two months. Door hangers providing information will be placed on homes and businesses prior to cleaning. During cleaning, you may hear a rumbling sound, and water may bubble up from sinks, bathtub drains and toilets.
Read more: KSN-TV

Parts of the state are expecting cold temperatures Wednesday night, with western Kansas dipping into a freeze warning. It could be the final nail in the coffin for some already struggling wheat crops. With wheat crops nearly two weeks ahead of schedule, Ron Suppes with the Kansas Wheat Commission said a freeze now, after months of drought, could be devastating.
Read more: KSN-TV

Sedgwick County commissioners are pushing for a law school to be established in Wichita. During their meeting on Wednesday, commissioners said having a law school in Wichita would address the lack of attorneys in central and western Kansas. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett has been advocating for a law school, commissioners said. There are only two law schools in the state: one at the University of Kansas in Lawrence and the other at Washburn University in Topeka. Baty said he has had discussions with both institutions. Leadership has expressed interest in opening a law school in Wichita, but nothing has been nailed down.
Read more: KSN-TV

For over a century and half, it has been serving up mouth-watering fried chicken and biscuits to travelers from across Kansas and the globe. But on Wednesday, the restaurant once known as the Brookville Hotel announced that it is closing its doors. A specific reason was not provided.
Read more: KSN-TV

Sedgwick County commissioners unanimously decided on Wednesday to extend the county’s pause on data center development until Sept. 11. The moratorium was set to expire on June 11, and this is the second time the commission has voted to extend it. The purpose is to continue to allow county staff to come up with zoning regulations for data centers.
Read more: KSN-TV

Since 1997, Chingawassa Days has been a yearly highlight for the city of Marion. Arguably, the biggest attraction is the more than 70 concrete rhino statues around the town that serve as mascots for this annual festival. So, what made this small town adopt dozens of these rhino statues?
Read more: KSN-TV

A home that has been owned by a family in Dighton for five generations is on to new beginnings. The McMillen family is working with the Lane County Community Foundation to fix up the home and sell it at a fair price. Proceeds from the sale will go into the foundation’s “Dighton Builds the Future Fund,” which supports housing initiatives that attract and retain residents. “We’re kind of hoping that maybe this starts a chain reaction,” said Matt McMillen, co-owner of the home. “Hopefully, other people will be inspired to give in the way that makes sense for them as well.”
Read more: KSN-TV

The Kansas State Department of Education says there is a real lack of early childhood options across the state, rural and urban. But a new facility opening in Hutchinson aims to fix that and could play into a larger trend. After more than a year in development, Hutchinson’s Lil’ Hawks Child Care Center’s is enrolling students. The result of multiple groups cooperating and raising funds, the facility comes as a relief to some parents, as it nearly doubles the school district’s early childhood capacity.
Read more: KSN-TV

The Wichita City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to install a Safe Haven Baby Box at Fire Station 9 near Kellogg and Edgemoor. The box will be like the one added in Garden City last year. It would allow a parent or parents to give up a baby legally, anonymously and safely. The boxes are strategically placed in places like fire stations.
Read more: KSN-TV

Monday marked 19 years since the first recorded EF5 tornado hit Greensburg, destroying 95% of the town. The “EF” stands for Enhanced Fujita, which replaced the original Fujita scale in 2007. The last F5 tornado to hit the U.S. was the 1999 Oklahoma City tornado. The Greensburg tornado struck on May 4, 2007, killing 12 people and injuring 63 more. The storm destroyed 961 homes and businesses, left 216 with major damage, and caused minor damage to another 307 structures. In months and years following the tornado, the city devoted itself to building back as a green community. Just one year later, the town became 100% powered by renewable energy.
Read more: KSN-TV

The El Dorado City Commission is giving voters the chance to decide the fate of a 1% sales tax. The commission voted 5-0 on Monday to put the question on the August ballot. If approved, the tax would help support the Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital. City officials hope it can sustain access to quality healthcare and support the town’s growth. David Dillner, El Dorado’s city manager, said the private hospital may not be top of mind for most residents, but to some, its services could mean the difference between life and death.
Read more: KSN-TV

Kansas politicians are grappling with how to lower property taxes. Pratt thinks it has a solution, trading one tax for another. The city commission is considering putting a sales tax question in front of voters in an August special election. The commission is considering two options to raise Pratt’s current 9% sales tax, according to Mayor Kyle Farmer. The first would increase the sales tax by 0.5% with a city property tax reduction of 13.285 mills. The second is a 1% sales tax increase with a city property tax reduction of 26.570 mills. The city calculates that a half-cent sales tax would save $153 in property taxes on a home valued at $100,000, while the full percent would save $306.
Read more: KSN-TV

Students and staff of schools across the U.S. are reeling after learning that a well-known hacking group breached private information in the database of Instructure, which powers education technology systems like Canvas. The breach poses security risk to dozens of colleges and universities, as ShinyHunters, the gang taking credit for the incident, has reportedly sent extortionary messages to Canvas users. Canvas is used by schools nationwide for assignments and grade tracking. TechCrunch reported on the news on Tuesday, after a member of the group shared a sample of the data they’d allegedly accessed.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

A proposed data center in Pottawatomie County drew a large crowd of residents during an open house hosted by Georgia-based Beltline Energy in Wamego on Wednesday, May 6. The company is exploring plans for a data center project in the county, an idea that has surfaced in multiple Pottawatomie County Planning Commission meetings in recent months. During the open house, representatives from Beltline Energy outlined potential economic benefits of the proposal, including increased tax revenue and high-paying construction and operations jobs. However, many residents attending the meeting voiced strong opposition to the project, citing concerns about water use, environmental impacts, noise and light pollution.
Read more: KSNT 27 News

The Hutchinson City Council approved temporary test amendments for data center and battery energy storage system (BESS) zoning. Additionally, they would begin the process of introducing permanent text amendments for data centers and BESS. The vote was unanimous. Under these rules, large-scale data centers and BESS would not be permitted in any residential areas. These amendments will be taken before the planning commission, and a public hearing will be held before they are brought back before the council for approval.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

The Haven City Council voted four to one in favor of holding a sales tax election on Aug. 4. Council Member Nicole Sander was the only dissenting vote. The ballot measure would be a 1% sales tax, without a sundown date. The council heard a presentation on the topic from financial advisor Joey McLiney. The city is hoping that a sales tax might help pay for electric infrastructure improvements.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune