Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Wichita Police Department shows off its two new police horses

The Wichita Police Department’s mounted unit now has two new members – Hero and Keeper.

The Mounted Unit’s eight horses, 14 officers and two sergeants were featured at a news conference Wednesday afternoon in Old Town Farmer’s Market to introduce its newest partners.

Becca Boldra, Wichita Police Foundation executive director, said the “Horse for Heroes” fundraising campaign allowed the department to purchase the Clydesdales and introduced the horses to the community.

(Read more: Local News |)

High speed fiber laid in Greensburg’s northwest sector

Haviland Telephone Company is working to bring Greensburg residents up to speed with a three-layer process to provide residents with high speed fiber optics cable in city limits.

Some Greensburg residents are already experiencing the joy of high speed internet as provided by Haviland Telephone Company’s new fiber cable, but most are patiently waiting for their turn to get linked into the new internet option made possible by city leaders.

(Read more: Kiowa County Signal)

Kansas imposes toughest online tax collections in the nation

Kansas plans to impose what some tax experts said Wednesday would be the nation’s most aggressive policy for collecting state and local taxes on online sales, possibly inviting a legal battle.

The state Department of Revenue issued a notice last week saying any “remote seller” doing business with Kansas residents must register with the department, collect state and local sales taxes and forward the revenues to the state, starting Oct. 1. It cites a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year allowing states to collect sales taxes on Internet sales.

Most states now have policies to collect such taxes, but almost all set minimum annual sales or transaction thresholds to exempt small businesses, according to groups tracking tax laws. Kansas is the first to attempt to collect the taxes without exempting any businesses, they said.

(Read more: Little Apple Post)

Marshall County Commissioners interested in funding local development

Marshall County commissioners plan to decide soon on funding for economic development in the 2020 budget. All three board members have expressed interest in increased funding….

Commissioner Keith Bramhall says he’s in favor of allocating $25,000 in 2020 funding for the Marshall County Partnership for Growth, a countywide economic development organization. The county is currently funding the group at $2,500 per year.

Bramhall also said he wanted to revisit Commissioners Chairman Dave Baier’s proposal for the county to provide $20,000 in grant monies for new businesses.

(Read more: The Marysville Advocate)

Tour of local housing sparks discussion, ideas for Marysville

Republic County economic development director Luke Mahin visited Marysville Monday for a housing development tour with Marshall County Partnership for Growth director Ellen Barber and Partnership president Nic Stoll.

Mahin said he noticed that Marysville has many housing issues that are similar to Belleville’s.

After the tour, Mahin had lunch with Barber, Stoll, Bulldog Apartments manager Mary Kueny and Partnership board member Rob Peschel. Mahin was joined for the tour and lunch by Kansas State University architecture student Harley Schuster, who is interning this summer with Mahin’s group.

Schuster said that during the tour she saw lots of opportunities for housing, especially rentals.

Mahin said he was impressed with Stoll’s and his father’s effort to construct rental homes in Marysville to replace vacant or rundown properties. The Stolls are currently working on their sixth housing project.

(Read more: The Marysville Advocate)

Report: Kansas farm real estate values up 6% from last year

A government report shows farm real estate values went up 6% in Kansas from last year.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Tuesday that the value of all land and buildings on Kansas farms averaged $1,960 per acre for 2019. That is $110 per acre higher than last year.

The report is a bright spot as Kansas farmers struggle with mounting debt, lower crop prices and trade challenges.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

U.S. 77 bridge in Cowley County to be repaired

The deck on a U.S. 77 bridge in Cowley County will be repaired, with a tentative start on Aug. 12.

The bridge is in northern Cowley County, 2.5 miles north of the junction of U.S. 77 and K-15 and just south of the town of Rock.

The Kansas Department of Transportation project involves patching the bridge deck with a quick-drying concrete so traffic can be allowed sooner.

(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Walgreens to shut 200 US stores as part of cost-cutting plan

Pharmacy chain Walgreens plans to close 200 stores in the United States as it seeks to cut costs.

The company said in a regulatory filing Tuesday the closings are part of its previously announced plan to trim costs by $1.5 billion in a few years. In May, the company announced plans to close 200 stores in the United Kingdom.

The Deerfield, Illinois-based company operates over 18,000 stores worldwide. In June it reported a 24% decline in quarterly net income and predicted that annual earnings would be roughly flat with the prior year. Walgreens has been hit by challenges including reimbursement cuts and lower price increases for branded drugs.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Wichita City Council approves 17th Street redesign

The Wichita City Council approved a plans to redesign a portion of McAdams Park on 17th Street and pay homage to baseball legend Jackie Robinson.

McAdams Park is the home of League 42, a community baseball program for inner-city and low-income youth, named in Robinson’s honor.

The city’s redesign will include widening 17th Street from I-135 to Broadway, a new baseball crosswalk, and a sculpture of Robinson that will be unveiled on League 42’s Opening Day in 2020.

(Read more: KWCH News)

Merriam dedicates new public art, playground relocated to Waterfall Park

Merriam residents had a double celebration on a hot and humid Tuesday night at Waterfall Park.

City leaders and staff last night dedicated an area of the 15-acre park to be the new site for playground equipment formerly at Vavra Park. City officials also officially dedicated a new, $95,000 sculpture of a caterpillar and butterfly on the northern side of the park abutting Merriam Drive.

The sculpture, “Hmmm…” is designed by Colorado artist Joshua Weiner, who attended the dedication ceremony. The 9-foot tall caterpillar stands next to a 12-foot cairn, stack of granite river boulders, with a butterfly perched on top.

(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post)

Hillsboro hospital bankruptcy proves costly

The $4,118 legal bill paid by the city of Hillsboro Tuesday is only a spit in a bucket of money the city has paid since a court battle over a hospital bankruptcy began in January.
Bank of Hays in January filed a petition for mortgage foreclosure against Hillsboro Community Hospital and seven co-defendants including the city and its Public Building Commission.
The bank is seeking a court order that the sheriff sell the hospital building and its contents, then distribute the proceeds first to Marion County to cover $322,322 in unpaid property taxes, and next to Bank of Hays toward more than $9.8 million owed on the mortgage, interest, and costs of the lawsuit.

(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)

Haven school district and teachers meet with mediator on Monday

The Haven school district and its teachers will go before a mediator during another negotiation session on Monday. This comes after the board declared an impasse with teachers on a new contract.

The board declared the impasse during a special session to consider what the district’s teachers say was their final offer when it comes to an increase in base pay for next year. The issue is one of the last sticking points in a new contract for the approaching year.

After starting $4,000 apart in their offers the two sides had come to within $1,500 of an agreement but could not come to a compromise.

(Read more: Hutch Post)

Mulvane Old Settlers Days celebrates American Legion post with theme

Mulvane’s oldest and largest annual event, Mulvane Old Settlers Days, will return next weekend with a patriotic theme.

The festival is held the third weekend of each August, this year from Aug. 16 to Aug. 18. The 2019 theme is “Centennial of Honor,” representing 100 years since the American Legion was founded in the United States.

Mulvane’s American Legion post is one of the oldest in the nation. The Paul Stewart Irwin Post 136 was first granted a temporary charter in November 1919, only months after the very first post was chartered in Washington, D.C.

Merriam launches interactive map to view construction projects

The city of Merriam has launched a new, interactive construction map for city projects.

The digital map, which is publicly available to view, allows residents to learn more about what public works projects are going on across the city.

Jenna Gant, communications and public engagement manager, said the interactive map provides a comprehensive look at what construction is currently happening in the city, from public works projects to capital improvements from contract workers.

(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

Nemaha County Commission approves wind farm term sheet, site plan

Following months of meetings and discussion, the term sheet and site plan for the proposed Soldier Creek Wind Farm in southern Nemaha County were unanimously approved by the Nemaha County Commission on Wednesday, July 31, at the Community Building in Seneca.
The documents – and project as a whole – have created some heated debates for many months, all while county residents remained unsure of how the commissioners … would vote in the matter.
More than 100 county residents and NextEra Energy representatives were present during the meeting when commissioners gave their approval of the project, which is to be located in the southern half of Nemaha County. The project is supposed to house up to 132 wind turbines, which includes 120 primary sites and 12 alternate sites.

Housing becomes a focus for Pittsburg

Finding quality, moderate-income housing was a struggle for us. However, it is a challenge that families throughout our community face at all price points. Though efforts to remediate these issues have been made by the City, more work still needs to be done. As Pittsburg positions itself to become the region’s medical hub, ready for increased industry and poised for growth, our housing stock must match pace.

Housing is one of the six core areas of focus in the Imagine Pittsburg 2030 strategic plan, and we need to address housing challenges in all areas of development in order to advance our community forward.

(Read more: City of Pittsburg)

Sales tax collections show signs of rebounding in Lawrence; online tax still soaring

Lawrence is on a winning streak. The city has posted back-to-back months of positive sales tax growth, and that hasn’t happened since January and February. (Yes, as the HR person explained, that is probably a lame excuse to blow a vuvuzela noisemaker in the office, but when you are a Royals fan you don’t waste a winning streak.)

Lawrence City Hall recently received its July sales tax check from the state, which mainly represents sales made in May because of lag times. Sales tax collections were up 2.6% compared to the same period a year ago. That’s the best monthly showing since a 4.9% increase in January, which represented sales made in late 2018.

Haddam to celebrate 150th this weekend

Haddam will celebrate its 150th anniversary this weekend with a tractor show, kids games, bounce house, Haddam trivia, a beef meal, live entertainment including a magician and comedian, and more. Most of the events take place this Saturday in Haddam.
The event officially begins on Friday, Aug. 9, with a Sip and Paint at Haddam City Hall at 7 p.m. There will also be an escape room at the Haddam City Office – the former bank building – at 7 p.m. The annual sand volleyball tournament will also begin on Friday and will continue on Saturday in the park.

Neosho Ridge awards wind farm building contract

The Neosho Ridge Wind project is one step closer to beginning construction.

Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Inc. (IEA), a leading infrastructure construction company with specialized energy and heavy civil expertise, has been awarded the contract to build the wind farm in southwest Neosho County.

IEA is one of the top builders of wind energy projects in the US, said Jade Scheele, senior development manager for Neosho Ridge. She said the company has completed wind projects with 10 of the largest developers and owners in the country, and it has built more than 7,200 wind turbines across North America. Full project construction is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2019, and completion is expected in fourth quarter of 2020.

Overland Park sales tax revenues rebound slightly — but stay well below projections used for 2020 budget

Overland Park sales tax collections — which have been worryingly low so far this year — improved last month, City Manager Bill Ebel said last night. But they are still far below the projected 2 percent growth assumptions on which the next city budget is based.

Mayor Carl Gerlach made note of a better sales tax report just before hearing public comments on the proposed 2020 budget Monday. Council members and staff have been closely watching sales tax figures, which have lagged mysteriously for the first half of this year.