Kansas Municipal News
Atchison to celebrate Earhart
Every year, the Atchison community comes together to celebrate Earhart, the world-famous pilot from their city. Museum founder Karen Seaberg said the weekend-long celebration typically is a mixture of educational opportunities and party activities.
Source: Salina Journal
Municipal Bond Trends for July 11, 2024
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.
Municipal Bond Trends for July 10, 2024
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.
Municipal Bond Trends for July 9, 2024
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.
Fed Chair Powell says holding rates high for too long could jeopardize economic growth
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday expressed concern that holding interest rates too high for too long could jeopardize economic growth. Setting the stage for a two-day appearance on Capitol Hill this week, the central bank leader said the economy remains strong as does the labor market, despite some recent cooling. Powell cited some easing in inflation, which he said policymakers stay resolute in bringing down to their 2% goal…. Markets expect the Fed to begin cutting rates in September and likely following up with another quarter percentage point reduction by the end of the year.
Source: CNBC
Valley Center Hires (North Newton City Administrator) Kyle Fiedler as New Community Development Director
The City of Valley Center is pleased to announce the hiring of Kyle Fiedler as the newest Community Development Director. Kyle was born and raised in Newton, is a 2011 graduate of Newton High School and a 2013 graduate of Wichita State University Frank Barton School of Business.
Currently, Kyle is the City Administrator for the City of North Newton. …Kyle will begin his duties in early August.
Source: City of Valley Center
Election commissioner certifies petition aiming to limit city of Topeka’s taxing authority
Petition drive organizer Earl McIntosh needed 2,941 signatures from registered Topeka voters to require the mayor and city council to respond to his proposal to limit the city’s taxing authority. … The petition calls for the passage of an ordinance that would ban the city from bringing in more property tax revenue than the “revenue neutral” amount it brought in the previous year, unless voters approve such an increase in a ballot question election, McIntosh said.
Source: CJonline
Municipal Bond Trends for July 8, 2024
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.
Hospital seeks protective zoning
St. Luke Hospital’s chief executive asked Marion City Council members Monday to use rezoning to discourage outside medical facilities from establishing competing facilities that might siphon off services the hospital depends on that to subsidize other services. Alex Haines said that when more profitable procedures are done elsewhere, the hospital must survive on income from services that make less profit. “I think it’s very important for both the hospital and the city,” Haines said.
Source: Marion County RECORD
After 2 years of fighting, Johnson County city allows more apartments. But there’s limits
After two years of arduous debate, packed with resident protests and political battles, the Prairie Village City Council this week finally amended zoning laws to allow for more housing — but only in commercial areas and with several limits. While the move still drew opposition, the approved changes are significantly scaled back from earlier ideas that sparked heated protests, a court fight and a contentious election. After a few hours of discussion and public comments, the council on Monday voted 12-1 to amend its zoning laws. And some city officials appear ready now to end and move on from the debate, which stemmed from an effort to enable more affordable housing in the city, but morphed into an intense political feud. “The issue is settled now, and the city will focus on other business,” Councilman Ian Graves wrote in a Facebook post. The most notable change the council approved on Monday is the city will now allow residential projects in commercial districts, but only above or behind retail or office space, with several restrictions. Projects would be limited to two stories, such as adding apartments above a one-story commercial space.
Source: Joco 913 News
Olathe plans to move post office to make way for downtown revitalization
Olathe plans to relocate the downtown Post Office next year as part of the city’s efforts to revitalize the area. The city council announced the preliminary plans on June 25 at the first workshop for next year’s budget. The move is a collaborative effort with the United States Postal Service. Little is known about the project so far, but more information could be made available within the next three to five months once more refined conversations are had. According to City of Olathe Chief Communications and Marketing Officer Cody Kennedy, conversations have been “purely introductory” at this point. “I do know that as we look to activate Downtown Olathe, it was identified as an opportunity for redevelopment,” he said. The prospective site of a relocation is unknown, but development of the new site would start and finish within the year according to the city’s proposed 2025-29 Capital Improvement Plan.
Source: Johnson County Post
Lenexa wants to collect 1,000 pounds of used plastic bags to make into bench
The city of Lenexa is looking to get a new public bench through unconventional means — by recycling more than 1,000 pounds of plastic bags. Taking a cue from neighboring cities like Merriam, the city has launched a year-long project where it ask residents to donate plastic bags at three locations in hopes of reaching the magic number of 1,000 pounds, enough to craft a bench.
“This was just something that was a little different that could benefit the community and the environment,” Heather Howell, Lenexa’s human resources specialist and member of Lenexa’s We Care Committee, said .“People do have a lot of plastic, I will say,” she said. “I know, personally, the Amazon bags that I get every single day that you can’t just toss into the recycling bins, they end up somewhere else. So bring them to Lenexa.” While Lenexa’s We Care Committee hosts a variety of projects for people in need, it wanted to shift its focus to the environment and making something useful out of plastic waste. “Traditionally, we’ve done a coat drive, we’ve done a canned food drive, we’ve done Warmth Trees in December,” Howell said. “The environment is something we’re really passionate about, as well.” The program was inspired by Merriam’s plastic bag drive in 2023, which gathered enough plastic bags to make two benches.
Source: Johnson County Post
Lenexa adopts new long-term plan to guide city through next 20 years
After three years of planning, the Lenexa City Council on Tuesday approved a new comprehensive plan that lays the groundwork for the city through 2040 and beyond.
At its meeting Tuesday night, the council gave the green light to a revised comprehensive plan, a document that serves as an aspirational roadmap for the next 20 years of development and land use in the city. The council passed the plan with a 5-2 vote. One of the big changes the new plan predicts is a shift away from big box retail spaces and offices to more housing and non-office business parks. “In 2016, the office market and big box retailers were very strong, and additional office parks and big box retailers were envisioned in the community,” the newly adopted plan states. “Today, these markets are more volatile, and additional office parks and large retail uses are not expected.” The plan also focuses on amenities that residents want to see more of, including recreational trails and parks, as well as potentially thorny issues like missing middle housing.
Source: Johnson County Post
Prairie Village weighs buying church property. Could it become part of new city hall?
Prairie Village is considering purchasing a church property on Mission Road that could become part of a still-evolving plan to build a new city hall. At a special city council work session on Monday, discussion of the church appeared to inadvertently come up as councilmembers were hearing about a slightly revised site design layout for a new prospective $30 million city hall plan that the city has been discussing for more than a year. Whether purchasing the church property would mean the city uses that building or the land it sits on for a new city hall has yet to be determined, city officials told the Post.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Galesburg Fire Dept. awarded $5,000 grant through Nutella partnership
The Galesburg Fire Department is receiving a grant from Nutella through a partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council. According to the fire department, the $5,000 grant is to help secure necessities the fire department needs including equipment, gear, training, recruitment, retention initiatives, community outreach, education efforts, or other necessities. The Galesburg Fire Department says the grant was awarded by Nutella through its “Stacks for Giving Back” program. The purpose of the program is to shine light on those who spread positivity in the community. The program is awarding a combined total of $25,000 to five fire departments in the U.S.
Source: KOAM News
City of Emporia mourns loss of Mayor Danny Giefer
The City of Emporia is in mourning as it announced the death of longtime City Commissioner and Mayor Danny Giefer, who died at his home on July 6. Giefer and his wife moved to Emporia over 50 years ago in 1970. The city said in a news release it is better because of that decision. “Emporia is a better place, because in 1970 newlyweds Danny and Betty Giefer chose to move here to live and to rear their children. We are grateful they did,” the news release said. Giefer was sworn into the Emporia City Commission in 2013 because, the city said, he wanted to help the people of Emporia. “He used his business acumen to the benefit of Emporia,” the news release said. “When he voted on an issue, whether yay or nay, we knew that he had thoroughly researched the issue, talked with constituents, and based his vote on what he believed would be best for Emporia.”
Source: KSN-TV
Reno County considers expanding zoning, solar farms
Reno County is asking residents to share their opinions about the possible expansion of countywide zoning and solar farms in the unzoned areas of the county.
The county is hosting three town hall meetings this month for County District 1 and District 2. The first meeting is Monday evening. Some of the county officials who will be at the meetings include Reno County Administrator Randy Partington, the county commissioners who represent District 1 and District 2, the director of Public Works, and the county planner. The town hall meetings will be informal. They will start with information about planning and zoning and what it would mean to residents in the rural areas of Reno County.
Then, officials will seek feedback to see if people living in the unzoned areas of Reno County are interested in commercial solar farms, either prohibiting or allowing them.
Source: KSN-TV
Baxter Springs enhances annual Light Up the Sky celebration with new attractions
Baxter Springs is looking to take their annual Light Up the Sky celebration to another level. The city’s public works crew lead the fundraising and organizing efforts, getting 20 sponsors to donate to help put the celebration on. Previously the event took place on 19th St, but this year it’s returning to Kiwanis Park. The celebration will have many new additions this year, including police barrel rides, a disk golf contest, a water dunk tank and the new pickle ball courts. Mayor Kelly Abbott said they want to provide the things the community enjoys doing.
“I think everybody looks forward to this event and comes out every year to it. So you know we want to provide for everybody and and provide those things that people will remember and comeback to,” said Mayor Abbott.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Pittsburg celebrates 4th of July and 71 years of Kiddieland
There were plenty of smiles in Pittsburg Thursday to celebrate the 4th of July. The City of Pittsburg hosted a full day of celebrations in Lincoln Park and at Kiddieland. In fact, this year marks the 71st year of Kiddieland’s existence in Pittsburg. “Not just on the 4th of July, but all the time. We have families and grandpas that will come in and go, I want to bring my grandkids here. I remember coming here when I was a kid. Some of the rides are exactly the same as they remember. And so seeing their kids and grandkids enjoy the same thing is super. It’s really neat,” said Kris Paapanen. “It’s good. It’s really consistent. It’s something that we’re used to that we always know this is going to be here every year and we get to know the small business owners. We get to know the community really well,” said Andrea Ascanio.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Cherryvale’s Claim: The forgotten author of the Pledge of Allegiance
For more than a century, Americans have said the Pledge of Allegiance, from the newest citizens, to presidents, to school children. But for one southeast Kansas community, it’s more than an oath. It’s part of the story of their town. “We claim that Frank Bellamy, who lived back at the turn of the century, as in 1890’s to 1900, we think that he wrote the Pledge of Allegiance,” said Mike Wood, Cherryvale Historical Museum. Frank Bellamy was born in 1876 in Indiana, the anniversary of our nation’s independence. His father, a prominent judge, moved the family first to Girard, and then to Cherryvale. The story of the Pledge of Allegiance begins with an 1890 writing competition in a magazine distributed in classrooms nationwide, called the Youth’s Companion.
“His teachers encouraged him to submit what he’d written as a Pledge of Allegiance to a competition, and he did that. He submitted it, and he didn’t hear anything back,” said Wood.
Source: KSNF/KODE
City of Parsons fire truck that was ordered in 2022 arrives
A fire truck the city of Parsons ordered in 2022 has arrived last week. The city of Parsons ordered a Pierce Enforcer pump truck in 2022 at a purchase price of $684,032.62.
Brad Boss, Parsons fire chief, told city commissioners on Thursday that the department is in the process of switching equipment over to the new truck. He said the department is taking two trucks and putting equipment into one. The process will take a bit longer than normal, he said. But “we do have it,” Boss said the truck that is parked in the Washington Avenue station.
Source: Parsons Sun
STAYCATION | Strong City, Cottonwood Falls provide small town surprises
Located 60 miles south of Manhattan, Strong City and Cottonwood Falls both may be small in size, but they make up for it with history and opportunities for exploration.
The hour-long drive down Kansas Highway 177 takes you into Strong City first, which is also accessible via U.S. Highway 50 west of Emporia. Continue down K-177, and then you’ve hit Cottonwood Falls. Toni Schneider, executive director of the Chase County Chamber of Commerce, said in an email that the unique thing about the twin-city area is “the feeling.”
“The feeling you get when you see the magnificent Flint Hills, not just the first time, but every time,” she said. “The feeling you get when you meet someone from the other side of the world on main street, the feeling you get when you see your neighbor helping a stranger and the feeling you get when someone tells you they are so glad they came to visit or live here.”
Source: themercury.com
Chanute’s Santa Fe Park playground ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for Friday
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for the grand opening of the new Santa Fe Park playground at noon Friday, July 5. “We are very happy that we will get to cut the ribbon for the children of Chanute so they will have a safe place to play,” said Debbie Shields, chairperson of the Chanute Parks Advisory Board. The new playground equipment is inclusive and has something for every youth, Shields noted. The Chanute Community Foundation received $70,000 in match grant funding from the Patterson Family Foundation for the new playground equipment at Santa Fe Park in December. In November, the Sunderland Foundation awarded $100,000 to the Chanute Community Foundation for the new park playground equipment.
Source: www.chanute.com – RSS Results in news,news/* of type article
As Kansas home values rise, major property tax relief will wait until at least next year
Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and top Republican lawmakers hailed the tax cuts package signed into law in June as significant relief for residents. But on property taxes, no one views the new law as a smashing success. The compromise reached by Kelly and GOP leaders contained only a modest property tax cut, even as lawmakers almost universally say high property tax bills are the biggest complaint of constituents. Instead, action in the statehouse focused largely on income tax reductions. Demonstrating the anger over property tax bills, the Wyandotte County-Kansas City, Kansas, Unified Government’s commissioners voted last week to not collect additional property tax revenue in the next budget year. The decision came after a contentious hours-long public hearing where residents voiced frustration with the size of their bills. Kansas lawmakers insist they will advance substantial property tax relief next year.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Municipal Bond Trends for July 5, 2024
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.
Municipal Bond Trends for July 3, 2024
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.
Municipal Bond Trends for July 2, 2024
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.
Lawsuit over rejected Shawnee apartment plan could go to Kansas Supreme Court
A lawsuit between the city of Shawnee and a Johnson County-based development company may find its way to the Kansas Supreme Court. Attorneys for Austin Homes, a development company owned by Greg Prieb, are now appealing an April decision by the Kansas Court of Appeals that ruled in favor of the city after it denied developers’ application five years ago to build a multi-family project near Johnson Drive and K-7 Highway.
Source: Johnson County Post
DOJ, Wichita schools reach settlement in race, disability discrimination investigation
Wichita Public Schools and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached a settlement after an investigation into Kansas’ largest school district uncovered race and disability discrimination in how discipline is dealt out. “The department’s investigation revealed, among other things, that the district’s Black students were disciplined more frequently and more severely than white students who engaged in similar conduct and had similar backgrounds and disciplinary histories,” a Tuesday DOJ release states.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Riley County jail close to reaching capacity with more incarcerations
The Riley County Jail has been close to reaching capacity in recent month. Jail captain Mark French on Monday told county commissioners the 147-bed correctional facility has an average daily population of about 114 inmates, and sometimes, that number gets up to 120. “We’re pretty maxed out when it comes to the classification system,” French said.
Source: themercury.com
Kansas Launches National Campaign to Attract and Retain Talent
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland, alongside leaders from across the state, today unveiled Love, Kansas, a dynamic talent attraction campaign aimed at boosting Kansas’ population by inviting past residents to choose the Sunflower State as their future home. This national marketing initiative will highlight Kansas as an exceptional place to live, work and raise a family, with a special emphasis on “boomerangs” – individuals with previous ties to the state. The campaign was launched at the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan, where Lieutenant Governor Toland shared his personal journey back to Kansas that was inspired by a heartfelt phone call from a family friend about a job opportunity in his hometown of Iola. “It’s simple: We need more humans in Kansas to keep up with the phenomenal economic growth our state is experiencing,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “The best way to do that is to first approach Kansans who left the state for economic opportunities elsewhere and invite them to build a life in a place they know and have connections to, whether in their hometown or elsewhere in the state. And with the Love, Kansas campaign, we aren’t just extending an invitation to those who once called Kansas home to come back – we’re also inviting families from around the country to build their lives in the Sunflower State.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Municipal Bond Trends for July 1, 2024
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.
Cuts looming for city staff as Manhattan looks to increase its cash balance
Manhattan city commissioners are talking about laying off as many as 70 city employees as they consider cost-cutting measures to avert what they say is a potential budget crisis. City officials during Tuesday’s meeting weighed options to increase the general fund. The fund’s cash balance is expected to drop from $11 million to $6 million by the end of 2024. Officials have said they like to keep the cash reserve above $10 million. Commissioners have initially targeted a combination of staff reductions and tax increases. Personnel currently makes up around 70% of the general funds’ expenses. Commissioners are looking at cutting 35-70 staff, with limits of 36-32 hours a week for remaining staff. This is predicted to save between $1 million-$4 million a year. City staff also suggested that putting a 1% sales tax increase on the November ballot to fund a proposed indoor aquatics project would free up money in the general fund. Another option is dipping into $4 million in city ARPA funds. The city also plans to halt replacing vehicles and equipment through the end of 2025. It may also halt capital improvements, filling vacancies and pay increases.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Fort Scott City Commission talks tax incentives for downtown buildings
Fort Scott City Commissioners on June 18 discussed Reinvestment Housing Incentive Districts. Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Director Robert Harrington said a RHID for the downtown area would fund “any upper-story living,” while the lower level must be commercial. The RHID would not pay for such items as appliances and furniture. A RHID is a program designed to aid developers in building housing within communities by assisting in the financing of public infrastructure improvements. RHID captures the incremental increase in property taxes created by a housing development project for up to 25 years. The revenue can be used for reimbursement for incurred costs or to pay debt service on bonds, according to www.kansascommerce.gov.
Source: Fort Scott Tribune
Political signs not allowed on right of way
It’s a sign of the season – political campaigning and the posting of campaign signs. The Kansas Department of Transportation reminds the public that all political campaign signs or billboards are prohibited from being placed on state highway right of way.
By law, all right of way on state highways is exclusively for public highway purposes. Only regulatory, guide signs and warning signs placed by KDOT are allowed on the 9,500-mile state highway system. KDOT has jurisdiction over all interstate, Kansas and U.S. routes.
When KDOT maintenance crews find political signs on state highway right of way, the signs will be removed immediately and without notice. All such signs will then be taken to the closest KDOT Subarea office. Political campaign signs not retrieved from the Subarea offices will be disposed of after the election.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Cities need citizen help in complying with KDHE regulations; How cities in Harvey County are meeting the requirements
All community and non-transient, non-community water systems must develop an inventory to identify the materials of service lines connected to the public water distribution system by Oct. 16, 2024, according to Jill Bronaugh, communications director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). She said that the inventory must include all service lines connected to the public water supply distribution system, regardless of ownership status to the exterior structure wall and must be made available for public review.
“The customer should voluntarily assist the water system in identifying line materials,” Bronaugh said. She said the state will compile the data and review it for completeness, then report the data to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Until the state receives Primacy from EPA, all enforcement of the rule will be conducted by the EPA. Local communities are asking residents to fill out voluntary surveys. The Harvey County Now asked cities what they were doing to meet the KDHE requirements. The City of Bentley contracted with WaterWise Enterprises, LLC, out of Oxford, Kansas, in January 2024 to manage surveys and compile information, according to City Administrator James T. Bryan. City Manager Ethan Reimer said that Halstead’s survey is based on an example survey that KDHE provided and includes questions both about the direct service line (the line running from the meter to the house) as well as the internal plumbing within the house/building. The City of Newton began its lead and copper rule process in February 2023 with a letter and plumbing materials survey mailed to its utility customers, according to Erin McDaniel, the City of Newton’s director of communications. She said they also made the survey available online. The City of North Newton issued a paper survey and included it in the monthly utility bill in November of 2023, according to City Administrator Kyle Fiedler. He said they then sent a second notice and a final notice to those accounts that did not return a survey. The deadline for the final notice is Monday, July 15. City Administrator Kyle Nordick said the City of Sedgwick is trying to collect the customer-side inventory information of the water distribution system through a survey they have mailed to residents twice. The survey is also available on the city’s website, cityofsedgwick.org, and at City Hall.
Source: Harvey County Now
Restrictive covenants can be released from county deeds
As of today, property owners in Johnson County can review their legal ownership documents to identify and release historic covenants that discriminated against race, religion and national origin. In April, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed House Bill 2562 into law, effective July 1. The law authorizes the release of discriminatory covenants from land records. Existing state and federal law already prohibited these restrictions as unlawful and unenforceable, yet the discriminatory wording remained as part of the official documents.
The new law provides an avenue for property owners to determine whether their land records contain discriminatory language. If the documents do, owners can record a Certificate of Release of Prohibited Covenants to formally acknowledge the unlawfulness of the covenants and release the property from those historic restrictions. It also requires homeowner associations to remove discriminatory restrictive covenants from their governing documents within 60 days after July 1, 2024.
Source: Johnson County Kansas |
New Shawnee traffic sculpture result of collaboration between rival high schools
A two-year art project brought two rival schools together for a common goal — to create and build a sculpture. The result of the collaboration between students at Mill Valley and De Soto High Schools, through USD 232’s Cedar Trails Exploration Center’s CAPS program, which provides career and technical education for students in the district, is the sculpture “Flight of Fluorescence.” The project has been a top-to-bottom student-driven work, from its inception now to its installation at a Shawnee traffic circle. “The kids got this cool, collaborative opportunity and (they’re) building friendships from what typically would have been rival high schools,” Tim Mispagel, the district’s CAPS administrator, said.
Source: Johnson County Post
Prairie Village poised to move forward with plan to get city to net zero emissions by 2050
The city of Prairie Village plans to develop a community-wide climate action plan aimed at zeroing out the city’s net carbon emissions by 2050. After embarking last year on a climate action plan focused on municipal operations with Indianapolis-based consultants Keramida, Prairie Village is now poised to expand the effort to businesses and residents. This comes three years after the city committed to the “Cities Race to Zero,” an international campaign with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At that time, Prairie Village pledged to reach the commitment’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Source: Johnson County Post
Company wants OK for 62-mile transmission line route in western Kansas
A company that wants to transmit solar and wind energy from Kansas to other places in the Midwest is asking Kansas regulators for permission regarding the route of 62 miles of transmission lines in western Kansas. Grain Belt LLC wants to site two 345-kilovolt transmission lines. One line will run from Meade to Dodge City, and the other will run from Bucklin to Dodge City. The counties affected are Ford, Meade, and Gray. The Kansas Corporation Commission already approved the Alternating Current (AC) Collector System in 2011 as part of the Grain Belt Express project. In 2013, the route of the Grain Belt Express line was approved.
Source: KSN-TV
Fire departments across Kansas challenged to attract young volunteers
Fire departments across Kansas are feeling the heat. They are dealing with the challenges of attracting volunteers to fill their staff. Jason Mundell has been a volunteer with the Mulvane Fire Department for roughly 30 years. He said volunteerism has changed over his time giving back to the community. He said they’re struggling to recruit younger people to lend a hand. Mundell has been with the Wichita Fire Department for more than 25 years but gives time to volunteer in his hometown, Mulvane, on his off days. He said it’s difficult for the small community to recruit young volunteers. “Seventy percent of our members are over 40 years old, so trying to get those younger kids, younger adults to show an interest in volunteering their time, is going to be the biggest challenge,” said Mundell. He said most young professionals who live in Mulvane do not work there, and as a bedroom community to Wichita, people are often unavailable to volunteer there. “Most jobs are out of town, so they are gone during the daytime, so it’s hard to get that daytime response from people because they’re out of town working,” said Mundell. Steve Hirsch, treasurer of the Kansas State Firefighters Association, said the KSFFA was awarded $1.3 million in grant funds last year to help recruit and retain volunteer firefighters. “We’re just kind of getting started now. That’s going to include some leadership training, it’s going to include training on recruitment and retention, it’s going to include some gear for people, physicals,” said Hirsch. It will be rolled out over four years. Hirsch hopes it will improve stations across Kansas.
Source: KSN-TV
New city manager highlights focal points in Topeka
Robert Perez is officially one week into his new job as Topeka city manager. Monday, 27 News sat down with Perez about what he looks forward to tackling in his first year on the job. Entering his second week on the job, Topeka City Manager Robert Perez is hitting the ground running in his new role. From finding a new police chief, to working on the homeless issue in the Capital city to the upcoming budget, Perez is getting input from the city on how they want things done. “Making sure that we have a sustainable budget for the coming years is going to be of great importance to me,” Perez said. “We are holding budget listening sessions that start next week, that go for the next several weeks, so we can hear from the community before we put the budget together.” When it comes to finding a new police chief for the Capital city, whether they be internal or external, Perez is casting a wider net with a national search to get the best of the best. “As part of that process, before we do anything,” Perez said, “I want to seek official feedback from the community and input from the community on the attributes that are desirable for the next police chief to have.” And homelessness. It’s been an ongoing problem in Topeka. Perez said the city can’t do it by itself. It needs the help from people right here in our community.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Barber County first responders do simulation training
First responders in Barber County held a training exercise on Friday with a school bus and truck carrying hazardous materials. The victims? Actors. The smoke? Non-toxic. “Our goal was to see how our protocols, whether we were EMS, fire, law enforcement, work and handle a mass casualty like this,” Anna Schurter, the director of Barber County EMS, said. Mike Loreg, the Barber County Emergency manager, said it was important to get on-the-job training rather than just working in a classroom. “In a classroom or training facility, you study books,” Loreg said. “It’s easy to write policy on a piece of paper, but when we come out here and test them, we find the gaps.” Most of the emergency services in rural Barber County are largely volunteer, so the simulation training offers an opportunity to work calls they don’t normally get. “We have the same problems, the same hazardous materials the big cities do,” Loreg said. “If we don’t practice these, there’s a lot of people that can get injured because we don’t have the resources everybody else does.”
Source: KSN-TV
How is Topeka addressing homelessness after SCOTUS ruling?
Homeless people across the country can now be penalized for sleeping outside, but the Supreme Court says it should be up to each local government. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) voted 6-3 Friday morning that it is constitutional to ban people from sleeping outside. 27 News spoke with Topeka’s City Attorney Amanda Stanley about what this means for Topeka. “The ability to have every tool in our toolbox is what the Supreme Court gave us,” Stanley said. “I think that’s really helpful when you look at such a hard problem. No one solution is going to fix it.” Earlier this year, Topeka began its homeless abatement process. Current city ordinances claim it’s unlawful to camp near public infrastructure. So far, crews cleared more than 200 tons of trash along the Kansas River and other public areas. “You have to think about the community as a whole,” Stanley said. “Which is why you need to try to get people in housing, but also in neighborhoods, kids need to be able to walk down the street and not deal with feces or other issues.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
City of Lawrence files case against landlord for refusal of housing vouchers
The City of Lawrence has filed what appears to be its first Douglas County District Court lawsuit against a local landlord for allegedly refusing a prospective tenant based solely on their use of housing vouchers. Sue Herynk and her husband Joe Herynk, of River City Homes Inc., are named as defendants in the case. Sue’s responses indicate that they are eager for another chance to contest the city’s ordinance banning source of income discrimination, which they call unconstitutional. The Lawrence City Commission in February 2023 approved an ordinance change that creates a protected class based on renters’ source of income, as well as their status as a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking or stalking. It also disallows discrimination based on prospective tenants’ immigration status. The ordinance went into effect June 1, 2023. A Douglas County judge in May ruled against the group Landlords of Lawrence, which had sued the city over the ordinance. A complainant wrote in September 2023 that she had seen an ad for a unit in the 4700 block of Moundridge Court, according to documentation in the city’s lawsuit. The townhome was for rent at $1,400 per month, according to a Zillow listing. The complainant wrote that she called Sue Herynk, the property owner, who said the unit was available and just needed its carpets cleaned before new tenants could move in. “Up to this point the conversation had been positive. I then asked about payment of the rent, and explained that my payment would be in the form of a housing voucher (Section 8),” the complainant wrote. “Ms. Herynk stated that she would not accept my housing voucher, no matter the circumstances. She stated that a housing voucher would leave the landlord with uncovered liability in the case that the tenant were to abandon or damage the property. She rejected my request to be considered on the same basis as any other would be renter.”
Source: The Lawrence Times