Kansas Municipal News
Municipal Bond Trends for May 3, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. 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.
Inside JCPRD – Provence Village: A short-lived Johnson County city
Pop quiz: How many cities in Johnson County begin with the letter “P”? The answer may surprise you. Of course, we all know Prairie Village, but what about Provence Village? The city, which was an independent third-class city, existed southwest of Olathe for less than a decade. In the postwar era, northeastern Johnson County was rapidly suburbanizing. As master-planned subdivisions grew into communities, many became large enough to incorporate as state-recognized cities. Third-class cities, the smallest in Kansas, had less than 2,000 residents. Between 1948 and 1951, a whopping 11 suburban developments were incorporated as new third-class cities in Johnson County. These included: Leawood (in 1948); Fairway, Mission Hills, Mission Woods, Westwood, and Westwood Hills (in 1949); Merriam (in 1950); and Countryside, Mission, Roeland Park, and Prairie Village (in 1951). The number of incorporated cities in the county more than doubled.
While it was expanding like many of Johnson County’s existing towns, Olathe was not experiencing the boom of the county’s northeast. The 1950 census recorded 5,600 residents in Olathe, a second-class city. Still, WWI Navy veteran George Provence and his wife Aletha thought the area was well-suited for a new suburban development. In 1947, George and Aletha Provence purchased a tract of land southwest of the City of Olathe. It was bounded by the Santa Fe Railroad tracks to the south, Dennis Avenue to the north, and U.S. 50 bisected the land running from the southwest to the northeast.
Source: Johnson County Post
Douglas County Commission approves revised wind energy regulations
Douglas County commissioners voted Wednesday to approve revisions to local wind energy regulations. Alternative energy has drawn a great deal of public interest, particularly from rural residents who would be more directly impacted by large wind farms and solar farms — such as the one for which commissioners recently approved a permit.
After marathon meetings in October and January, the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission voted 6-3 to advance draft wind energy regulations with one key modification: increasing required setbacks from property lines to 2,500 feet from 1,500. The three commissioners who voted against the regulations wanted to require smaller setbacks that would have allowed more flexibility for future wind developments. Commissioners were only considering the regulations on Wednesday — no specific projects were on the agenda.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Kansas to get $28 million for safe drinking water project
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that Kansas will receive $28.6 million under a federal project to identify and replace lead water service lines, preventing exposure to lead in drinking water. Health officials have said that lead can cause a range of serious health impacts, including irreversible harm to brain development in children. The EPA will be working to make sure that 40% of overall benefits from certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Lead exposure disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families. The total funding announced through this program to date is expected to replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes nationwide, securing clean drinking water for countless families. Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek said in a press release, “This investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law gives Kansas the resources it needs to continue replacing water infrastructure that ultimately ensures safe drinking water, which is essential for the health and safety of all Kansans.”
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Pottawatomie County no longer in need of volunteers as cleanup effort enters next phase
Pottawatomie County officials say significant progress has been made on the cleanup effort in Westmoreland following Tuesday’s devastating tornado. “There’s still a lot to do but we kind of considered we’ve made it to the next phase of operations. We were able to send volunteers home this (Thursday) afternoon and we will not need volunteers tomorrow (Friday),” said Riley County Public Information Officer Vivienne Leyva, speaking on behalf of Pottawatomie County Thursday. Because heavy equipment will be hauling debris away, she says it’s not safe for volunteers to be out and about. The county plans to put out a notice when volunteers may be needed again through its newly established web page: pottcounty.org/tornado.
Source: 1350 KMAN
City to open ‘the world’s best outdoor gym’ in north Wichita
A new fitness court will open this month in north Wichita, the city said Friday. Alongside Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Wichita Parks and Recreation and the National Fitness Campaign, the city announced a partnership to bring an outdoor Fitness Court to Pat Garcia Veterans Memorial Park. The Fitness Court, located at 2640 N. Wellington Place, will officially open at 1 p.m. on May 10 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the city said in a news release. The Fitness Court was developed by BCBSKS, Wichita Park & Recreation and NFC to expand free access to high-quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities around the state, according to the release. The city calls the Fitness Court “the world’s best outdoor gym” that allows people to use their own body weight to get a complete workout using seven exercise stations. Users of the court can also download the free Fitness Court App, which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and enhances the outdoor gyun into a digitally supported wellness experience, the release says.
Source: KAKE – News
City of Wichita considering making microchipping your dog and cat mandatory
The city of Wichita is looking at a recommendation made by the Animal Services Advisory Board to make it mandatory for owners to have their dogs and cats microchipped. In 2023 the animal services advisory board made a subcommittee to discuss changes that could help out the animal shelter. One of the recommendations the board made was making it mandatory for all dogs and cats to be microchipped. It says this would help get lost animals back to their owners. Lt. Derek Purcell with the Wichita Police Department agrees. He told KAKE News this is the best thing to keep animals out of the already overflowing shelter. “Right now I have 187 animals in the shelter and I have no cats with microchips and 12 dogs so that’s roughly 6% that are microchipped,” he said. A microchip is a small metal piece that is inserted between an animals shoulder blades. It’s registered to a code that is connected to your address and phone number. If a pet has an up to date chip then an owner can be found when it is scanned. Purcell says this ordinance would help a lot. Not only would every pet have a chip but the chips would also work how they’re supposed to as people would update their information yearly.
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas STAR bond proposal for Chiefs, Royals leaves billion-dollar questions unresolved
A sales tax revenue (STAR) bond proposal introduced to lure the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals across the border would not translate to a surefire score for a new stadium if Kansas lawmakers approve it during a future session. State lawmakers this week drew new attention to the polarizing incentive program with a bill meant to increase its potential value specifically for pro sports stadiums involving at least $1 billion in investment. Their last-minute effort came days after Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt raised the prospect of a new stadium and as developers such as Sporting Kansas City co-owner Robb Heineman have conceptually pitched a venue in Kansas City, Kansas. In the abstract, the STAR bond proposal would allow new multibillion-dollar Chiefs and Royals stadiums to be 100% publicly funded through redirection of new sales taxes. For that to happen, however, team and municipal officials first would need to agree to a STAR bond plan of an unprecedented magnitude, including details on how such a project would yield the billions of dollars in annual sales so taxes could pay down that debt.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Investor learns the risks, rewards of buying a house from city
Armed with flashlights, the public can check out for themselves the boarded-up houses, one-time public housing units, that the City of Wichita is selling. Totaling 352 units in all, it’s been a two-year process to get them to new owners, and out of the city’s hands. The Housing Authority has been holding open houses for interested buyers since the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved the sale of the units. They hope prospective buyers will see a new home or investment opportunity. Logan Bradshaw, the Assistant Director of Housing and Community Service said, while working at an open house in March, that there has been a lot of interest in some of the houses. But while the city’s hoping for potential homeowners to bid on the units, the open houses are mostly attended by investment buyers.
Source: KLC Journal
Body cam footage shows Wabaunsee County deputy rendering aid following tornado
The Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page posted body cam footage on Thursday of the aftermath of Tuesday’s deadly EF3 tornado in Westmoreland.
The body cam footage is from Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chase Stallbaumer. He took part in the search and rescue following the tornado.
Source: KSN-TV
Salina to break ground on multi-family housing
Work on new multi-family housing will begin soon in Salina. The complex will be built near Magnolia and Interstate-135. The City of Salina says the location will offer future residents access to shopping, dining and entertainment. Funding for the apartment, $25,000,000, was awarded through Kansas HB 2510 and Kansas SB 267 by the Department of Commerce to help accommodate housing expansion needed for new employees in the area. “Phase 1 will offer 254 modern apartments, featuring spacious floor plans, Basketball Court, Children’s Playground, Pickleball Court, BBQ grilling area, Clubhouse & in-unit laundry. We are confident that these apartments will appeal to a wide range of residents, from young professionals to families,” said Jeremy Hurt, lead contact for Salina Destination Development. Salina Destination Development was selected through a competitive RFP process and approved by the Salina City Commission.
Source: KSN-TV
New license plate cameras are catching criminals in Pittsburg
New license plate recognition cameras installed across Pittsburg are quickly starting to pay off.
In February, 14 license plate recognition or LPR cameras purchased from Flock Safety out of Atlanta, were installed with the hope of catching criminals coming in and out of Pittsburg.
The cameras send real-time alerts to law enforcement when it recognizes a stolen vehicle — or one associated with a missing persons case from an “Amber” or “Silver” alert. Within two months of implementing the LPR cameras, Pittsburg Police are already seeing positive results.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Artist building largest ‘I Like Ike’ button in Abilene
The cattle town of Abilene is embarking on another “world’s largest” tourism project this year focused on honoring one of its most famous residents.
The Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau announced in a press release Thursday, May 2 it plans to construct the world’s largest “I Like Ike” campaign button in honor of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. A $22,000 Kansas Tourism Attraction Development grant will be used to fund the project along with donations collected from more than 200 sources.
Julie Roller-Weeks with the visitor’s bureau says the inspiration for this project comes on the heels of the success of the new world’s largest belt buckle constructed in Abilene in 2022. This new attraction is being constructed by local artist Jason Lahr of Fluters Creek Metal Works who was responsible for making the massive belt buckle.
Source: KSNT 27 News
An Emporia park is saved, after community rallies together
The controversy over an Emporia park is over. On Wednesday, May 1, Quaker Park in Emporia was removed from the surplus property list. The City was trying to sell the park for a housing development but now says Quaker Park will not be turned into housing. The city gathered to make this decision during the City Commission Agenda Meeting. By starting a petition, people in the community collected more than 800 signatures to save the park, with only 462 signatures needed. The city commission validated the advocate’s efforts today in the meeting.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Heavy flooding leaves parts of Fort Scott underwater
Fort Scott, Kansas is hit the hardest with flooding from the weekend storms. According to city officials, most of the flooding is north of town and along Highway 54 east towards Uniontown. Most of the clean-up around town should take less than a week. Damaged roads will be repaired.
Source: KOAM News
Public hearing for Shawnee Co. solar and wind farms
The Shawnee County Planning Commission will consider a wind energy ban and a one-year solar energy moratorium. “This public hearing process is a very important step to take as Shawnee County considers banning wind farms, and a moratorium on solar farms,” Director of the Shawnee County Planning Department Joni Thadani said. “We look forward to hearing from the community. Even if you are unable to attend in person, you can watch the meeting on the Shawnee County YouTube livestream.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
Municipal Bond Trends for May 2, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. 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 May 1, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. 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 keeps rates steady as it notes ‘lack of further progress’ on inflation
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held its ground on interest rates, again deciding not to cut as it continues a battle with inflation that has grown more difficult lately. In a widely expected move, the U.S. central bank kept its benchmark short-term borrowing rate in a targeted range between 5.25%-5%. The federal funds rate has been at that level since July 2023, when the Fed last hiked and took the range to its highest level in more than two decades. … With its the decision to hold the line on rates, the committee in its post-meeting statement noted a “lack of further progress” in getting inflation back down to the central bank’s 2% target.
Source: CNBC
Crawford County landowners speak out against wind, solar
The Crawford County Commission room was packed on Friday as dozens of local landowners were present to show support for a moratorium on any further development of wind and solar farms in the county. Calling themselves the Crawford County Coalition Against Industrial Wind and Solar, county resident Ray Huff spoke on their behalf. Huff said he is not “anti-green” or a conspiracy theorist, but focused on the potential detrimental effects wind turbines have on local wildlife.
Source: Morning Sun
Historic Johnson County village is falling apart. Will Panasonic plant save or kill it?
Directly across from Clearview, spread along more than a half-mile of West 103rd Street, Panasonic’s $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant is rising on the grounds of the old ordnance works. Scheduled to open in 2025 with some 4,000 workers, nothing since World War II has so impacted De Soto, a mostly rural town of 6,500. That includes fueling rumors on the fate of Clearview and its 500 or so residents.
Source: KC Star Local News
Evinger feels call to serve leading fire/EMT reserves
For nearly 20 years, Mike Evinger has been a dedicated volunteer and mentor to the Arkansas City Fire/EMS Department, a role he never imagined would become such a significant part of his life. When he’s not rushing to aid in emergencies as the reserve captain for the department, Evinger can often be found caring for yards throughout the community. As the reserve captain, Evinger is responsible for coordinating and leading the reserve team, ensuring their readiness for emergency response. It’s hard to imagine that these two worlds could merge as one, but for Evinger, being a volunteer for the department is rooted in personal experience.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Digging deep into the history of Olathe, this documentary filmmaker discovered gems
Gregory Sheffer thought he knew Olathe history. After all, he grew up in the Olathe school system and earned a history degree from MidAmerica Narazene University in Olathe. There was, Sheffer discovered, more to know about Olathe’s history. And through a documentary film project, he’s learned a lot more — and so have the people of Olathe.
Source: Kansas City Breaking News & Sports | The Kansas City Star
Governor Kelly Announces Kansas Moving Forward with $451.7M High-Speed Internet Deployment Plan
Governor Laura Kelly announced federal approval of the state’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume 2, providing an investment of more than $450 million to expand Kansas’ high-speed internet infrastructure. Funding will be granted to areas that have been identified as underserved through a competitive application process that will begin in July. … Eligible homes and businesses within the predetermined funding areas will be made public for 60 days before the application process opens. This transparency ensures that applicants have adequate time to become aware of opportunities and to prepare for the process. Preregistration for BEAD applicants is set to begin Monday, May 13.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Pittsburg area growth continues
The Pittsburg State Kelce College of Business has released its economic summary for the first quarter of 2024. Overall, the Pittsburg Micropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) is still growing, often at rates above the state and national averages. According to the summary, Pittsburg’s economy relies on small businesses, those with fewer than 50 employees, which make up more than 94 percent of all businesses in the area. Supporting these businesses requires a healthy local banking industry to supply capital for growth and expansion. On average, small, local banks approve 82 percent of small business loans, while larger, national banks average a 68 percent approval rate.
Source: Morning Sun
De Soto tackles major infrastructure upgrades amid development boom
Upgrading public infrastructure is the first hurdle De Soto must clear as city leaders navigate a generational boom in economic development. Panasonic’s plans to build an electric-vehicle battery manufacturing facility in De Soto kicked off a tight deadline to make water, sewer, road and electrical infrastructure upgrades before the plant’s production start date, City Administrator Mike Brungardt said.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Fort Scott Fire water rescue stay busy; Near record flooding City Manager says
Due to the heavy rains across SE Kansas the past two days the Marmaton River [pron: Mar-muh-ton] has grown out of its banks, cutting off a portion of Fort Scott to nearby Missouri and north to US-54. But it’s nothing new. It just doesn’t happened all the time. The Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin stated Sunday morning, “the city has had about 10-inches of rain in the past 48 hours and we have a lot of flooding.” He continued by asking citizens to stay home Sunday.
Source: KOAM News
Kansas AG says Johnson County didn’t break open meetings law after commissioner complaint
The Kansas Attorney General’s Office has found the Johnson County Commission did not violate the state open meetings law last year when it discussed salary raises for three top employees behind closed doors. But, the office did call for Johnson County to implement some changes after discovering a few technical issues with how the commission has called closed meetings.
Source: Joco 913 News
Governor Kelly signs train setback bill
The train safety bill originally pushed by State Senator Carolyn McGinn was signed by Governor Laura Kelly. House Bill 2501 requires trains in Kansas to park 250 feet back from the railroad crossing, unless the Department of Transportation requires a different distance at a location. “I am glad that we were able to pass the set backs for trains,” McGinn said in an email. “The 250-foot setback will help drivers have the opportunity to see approaching trains.”
Source: Harvey County Now
Olathe puts finishing touches on ‘significant’ trail project’s latest phase
Olathe recently put the finishing touches on the much-anticipated second phase of its Cedar Creek Trail. Last week, city leaders officially celebrated the completion of this phase of the trail with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This most recent round of work on the Cedar Creek Trail fully connects the nearly 260-acre Lake Olathe Park on the city’s western side to Cedar Lake Park in southern Olathe.
Source: Johnson County Post
Why Wichita’s Century II is salvaged but not quite saved
Even as workers finished replacing the distinctive blue roof of Century II, the flying saucer of a convention center that landed in downtown Wichita in 1969, the fate of the landmark and the area surrounding it remains strangely murky. After a master plan that pushed to replace it, a grassroots campaign to save it, and political and legal fights that amounted to a battle for the future of Wichita – and the past’s place in it – five long years of discussion haven’t brought much clarity. For now, Century II has avoided the fate of its predecessor, the Forum. But its endurance seems less a victory than a stalemate, based on interviews with community members and architecture experts.
Source: KLC Journal
Duplexes a possible way to make home ownership more in reach in Wichita
The Moores are among hundreds of homebuyers turning to duplexes in lieu of pricier, single-family homes. Although statistics don’t distinguish between duplexes built for lease and those for sale, permits for “two-family” housing have tripled for Wichita area in the last six years —from 250 in 2018 to 754 in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Professor Stan Longhofer, director of Wichita State University’s Center for Real Estate, said the reason for this growth is simple: buyers want to save money and developers want to profit from their investments at a time when construction costs have increased 47% since the pandemic. Wess Galyon, president and CEO of the Wichita Area Builders Association, estimated that 10% of the new duplexes get sold to individuals and not, as still happens, to large investment firms that lease them by the hundreds.
Source: KLC Journal
How High Wall Street Thinks the Fed Will Keep Interest Rates
At the start of 2024, investors expected the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates substantially this year as inflation cooled. But price increases have been surprisingly stubborn, and that is forcing a rethink on Wall Street. Investors and economists are questioning when and how much Fed policymakers will manage to cut rates — and some are increasingly dubious that Fed officials will manage to lower them at all this year. Inflation was coming down steadily in 2023, but that progress has stalled out in 2024. The Fed’s preferred inflation index climbed 2.8 percent in March from a year earlier, after stripping out volatile food and fuel costs, data on Friday showed. While that is down substantially from a 2022 peak, it is still well above the central bank’s 2 percent goal.
Source: NYT > Business
City hopes new initiative will help solve affordable housing problem in Wichita
Shanna Ramey has lived in a city-owned rental home for nearly two decades. It’s where she raised her three kids and created a lifetime of memories, so it was devastating when she heard the news that the city of Wichita was selling all of the 300-plus homes it owns, including hers. “It was a lot of ups and downs. It was a lot of tears, because I thought I was gonna have to start all over,” said Ramey. “It was hard. Horrible. Because I didn’t know what to start.” The city is giving all current renters the first right to buy the house they live in, which is something City Property Manager Sarah Gooding says isn’t always easy. “To qualify for public housing, and then to qualify as a homebuyer is a very challenging process. Public housing typically serves households at or below 50% of the area median income,” Gooding explained. However, Ramey desperately wanted to keep the home where she had raised her family, so she worked with the city to make it happen. “With those who have been interested in home ownership, we’re doing everything in our power to get them to a closing date,” said Gooding. With entire city-owned neighborhoods full of abandoned homes, some full of bullet holes, the city faced some scrutiny about the lack of affordable housing when it chose to sell them all off. To help offset this problem, the city recently approved a $5 million Affordable Housing Fund. This offers builders up to $40,000 per unit to renovate or build new affordable single-family homes.
Source: KAKE – News
Newton Open Streets aims to bring community together
Newton Open Streets shut down several roads between East 5th and East 6th, the intersection of Broadway and Oak and more. The City approved the request to close down roads from the Harvey County Health Department in order to hold a new community open streets event. “I think it just shows, like, what kind of community that we are, and I think it’s good for the kids to get out and do something. Like, we’re a small town, so sometimes there’s not a lot to do. So, it’s really cool that we’re doing that this year,” said Jordan Enriquez, a Newton resident. The goal of the event was to bring the community together.
Source: KSN-TV
Emergency response teams conduct water rescues in Fort Scott
Water rescues kept emergency personnel from several agencies busy – earlier today. As of earlier this evening – city officials confirmed to us a total of five people had to be rescued throughout today. Officials say two of those five live in what is known as the “Belltown” neighborhood – which is just south of Highway 54 and north of Humbolt Street – near 215th Street. Fort Scott Fire Chief Dave Bruner says his department had some help from neighboring water rescue groups. “Once we were working on those, we actually called two other departments, Vernon County Water Rescue and the Pittsburg Fire Department to assist us with any other emergencies that could arise while we were doing that. While we did have them there, we did check in areas north of town that has some residential areas – that had some residents in that area – to make sure that they were ok and inform them on what was going on,” said Dave Bruner, Fort Scott Fire Chief. Officials say no injuries have been reported.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Newly renovated fire station in Shawnee will re-open Saturday. What’s changed?
A once-outdated fire station in Shawnee will re-open as a state-of-the-art facility for firefighters in the area. Located at 6805 Hedge Lane Terrace, Fire Station 73 will host a grand opening from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday for people to check out the building’s upgrades. The renovations are part of a roughly $26 million project to upgrade the station, as well as the John B. Glaser Fire Station Headquarters, set to open later this year, at 6501 Quivira Road. “When you look at fire services around the country, these will be considered cutting-edge fire stations,” said Fire Chief Rick Potter. Built in 1987, Fire Station 73 was originally intended for two full-time employees. Now, there are four firefighters per shift and three ambulance employees. The building had problems that long predated Potter, who was sworn in as fire chief in 2020. “It had been minimally meeting the needs (of the department),” he said. “But I think it became more pronounced when we went through the [COVID-19] pandemic in 2020. It’s when it really became almost untenable.” Citing problems like cramming four firefighters into one room to sleep, as well as alarms that would abruptly wake them up, regardless if it was their call; areas where they would be exposed to contaminants in the air and general health concerns, Potter said changes were needed. “Our firefighters live here a third of their lives, so (we’re) trying to do as much as we can to take care of our staff,” he said.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Kansas attorney general concludes Junction City Commission broke open meeting law
An investigation by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach revealed the Junction City Commission violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act by convening a closed-door meeting to discuss an economic development project that included a livestock slaughter facility on the outskirts of the city. Public opposition to the once-confidential project, which could have forced sale of farmland for construction of roads and a traffic exit from Interstate 70, appears to have derailed the meatpacking project that was to have been built by Foote Cattle Co. During debate on the proposal, landowner Michelle Munson filed a two-part complaint in July 2023 with the attorney general containing allegations against the city commission. Munson, part of the Munson Angus Farms family, said the commission didn’t take steps during a public meeting nearly three years ago to approve expenditure of $5,000 used to secure a right of first refusal for the option to buy 150 acres of real estate for the project. That land on the west side of Junction City was bought by Foote Cattle, but the city had their eyes on adjacent land owned by the Munsons. In addition, Munson asserted the commission broke the open meetings law two years ago by failing to precisely describe the subject to be discussed in an executive session. That closed session was also about the meatpacking facility project. Amber Smith, first assistant attorney general in Kobach’s office, issued a letter to Munson’s attorney that said the “preponderance of the evidence” indicated the commission didn’t violate KOMA while considering the $5,000 option. However, the attorney general’s office found the commission failed to follow the law in a later meeting by trying to limit public knowledge about the project.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Kansas Tourism Announces Participating Attractions for the Sunflower Summer Program for Kansas Families
Kansas Tourism is pleased to announce the lineup of attractions participating in the 2024 Sunflower Summer program. Designed as a benefit for Kansas families with school-age children, Sunflower Summer offers a way to explore and fall in love with Kansas by providing complimentary access to tourism attractions across the state. The 2024 Sunflower Summer season will run from May 25 through August 11. More than 220 tourism attractions are participating in the program – a 97 percent increase from 2023. In order to participate in the program, Kansas families with school-age children must download the Sunflower Summer app and claim tickets to participating attraction venues. The digital tickets are redeemed at participating venues upon their arrival. Each user can only use tickets once per venue during the 2024 season. “The Sunflower Summer program plays a pivotal role in making in-state travel affordable for Kansas families,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “It offers amazing opportunities for parents to nurture their children’s love for travel and appreciation for our incredible state and everything it has to offer.” Participating attractions are located in all regions of the state and include museums, discovery centers, historic sites, arboretums, water parks, amusement parks, zoos, guided trolley tours, live theater events and professional sports events.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Governor Kelly Signs Balanced Budget Strengthening Workforce and Economic Development Opportunities; Addressing Water Issues
Governor Laura Kelly today signed the state’s budget, Senate Bill 28, which allocates funding for Fiscal Years 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028. The budget makes expenditures to continue the Kelly administration’s progress to make Kansas the best place to live, work, and raise a family. “Thanks to the work we have done to get our state’s economy where it is, we can use our record surplus to make a positive impact on communities across the state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The investments we make now in our infrastructure, our workforce, and our economic development put Kansas on a path of continued growth.” The budget Makes critical investments in water projects and programs (…), Strengthening economic development opportunities (…), Ensures Kansas has a robust workforce and increases funding for post-secondary education (…), and Invests in state employees. (…) Governor Kelly also line-item vetoed aspects of the budget.
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas
Severe weather rocks Kansas, other Midwestern states
A tornado ripped apart a family barn Saturday just outside of Dexter in Cowley Co. KAKE News spoke with the owner of the barn, Jim Lindley, shortly after the twister passed through. He said he and his mother never expected to lose the barn this way. “We built this house and she’s lived here. 40 some years. I thought she would be okay. We have a good safe place in the basement. But I was not prepared for this,” Lindley said. “This was a century farm and a family over 120 years old and finally the buildings aren’t that old, but we tried to take care of the place and keep it up and it’s just really just depressing and disappointing to see this much damage.” Cowley County emergency management said Saturday night much of the area was without power due to high winds snapping off the power poles. To the east in Elk County, heavy rains led to flooding conditions in some places. At one point forcing the closure of Highway 160 between Elk Falls and Longton. And Kansas wasn’t alone, the storms ripped across several states in the Midwest this weekend, including Nebraska, Iowa and Oklahoma, where the state Governor, Kevin Stitt, said that four people have died.
Source: KAKE – News
City of Hays buys bank to expand police department
The City of Hays has bought a bank to expand its police department. Commissioners signed off on the purchase on Thursday. The police department currently shares a building with the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. The Hays city manager says they outgrown it. “A myriad of reasons. One is Hays grows, and then we require more officers, more administrative staff. Ellis County Sheriff’s Office shares the first floor of the law enforcement center and they’re growing as well,” said Hays City Manager Roby Dougherty. Dougherty says buying the bank is more cost-effective than starting from scratch.
Source: KSN-TV
Storms lead to flooding, water rescue
Water rescue teams arrived in Allen County this morning to help with recovery after severe storms pounded the area overnight. Flooding left limited routes into or out of Iola, with the U.S. 169/54 intersection closed to traffic. Motorists who need to get to Iola from the east can take a detour east on U.S. 54 to Moran, south to K-39 to Chanute and north to 169 to the Minnesota Road exit to State Street, or take the old highway from Humboldt to Iola. Emergency management officials were working to set up a shelter for those displaced by flooding. A water rescue team from Anderson County said it helped with two rescues this morning. The Register’s reporting team saw several vehicles stalled in high water. Overnight storms from Saturday into Sunday caused severe flooding throughout the county. A tornado warning was issued at one point for LaHarpe, Elsmore, Savonburg and Moran, though it does not seem as if there were confirmed reports of a touchdown. The Register will update this article as more information becomes available.
Source: The Iola Register
New Kansas law provides way to remove racist covenants from property records
A new state law allows Kansas homeowners a way to more easily remove racist language from their property records. Signed into law by Gov. Laura Kelly on April 19, an amended section of House Bill 2562 makes racially restrictive covenants — such as those that exclude Black and Jewish people within homes associations deeds — unenforceable under state law. At the federal level, racist covenants in property deeds have technically been unenforceable since the 1948 U.S. Supreme Court case Shelley v. Kraemer. The new Kansas law now offers homeowners ways to remove racist covenants from their property records. This comes after the cities of Roeland Park and Prairie Village struggled for years to find ways to remove racist covenants from local property records. Last year, Roeland Park officials worked with local state legislators to introduce legislation in Topeka. Racially restrictive deeds and exclusionary covenants are still scattered across the Kansas City metro, embedded deep in the bylaws of homes associations and subdivisions’ rules. They’re no longer enforced and homeowners are often unaware they even exist, but some residents and city officials say their lingering presence is a stain on their communities. The new law largely deals with real estate consumer protection such as financial exploitation and housing discrimination. But an amendment to the bill states that any restrictive covenant in property deeds that violates state housing discrimination laws are “void and unenforceable.”
Source: Johnson County Post
Jackson County dropped the ball, so Kansas making last-minute drive to lure Chiefs, Royals
Kansas House and Senate members worked Monday to consider whether to approve an economic development package designed to attract the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals or professional hockey or basketball franchises to Kansas. The legislation would specifically limit the state’s incentives to sports facility projects costing more than $1 billion and the state Department of Commerce would be authorized to negotiate and make offers to no more than two sports teams. The bonds issued for the projects could be used for all costs associated with stadiums and other infrastructure and would be repayable over a 30-year period. The incentive packages would be available until June 2025, but the legislation would allow that deadline to be extended for one year. “Sorry for the short notice,” said Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican and chairman of the House commerce committee, told five other legislators on a negotiating committee. “I think it’s important to have this done before we adjourn the session. It’s just important to send a very positive message to the sports community that we’re here and we’re very serious about this.” A bipartisan team of three negotiators from both the House and Senate were considering the proposal. The package, if it moves forward, would be amended into House Bill 2663. Majorities in the House and Senate would have to vote for the bill before it was sent to Gov. Laura Kelly.
Source: Kansas Reflector