Municipal News & Jobs

An issue that began in September 2023 and has been the most divisive in Halstead in recent years will be decided, at least in part, at the ballot box on Nov. 4. The City of Halstead entered a lease agreement with Concurrent out of Texas for land in its industrial park on Sept 28, 2023, so both sides could explore the potential of the land housing a battery energy storage system (BESS). Since then, the Halstead Planning Commission held 16 meetings or work sessions (all open to the public) that also included three official public hearings. At over half of these meetings, work sessions, or public hearings, the planning commission took public comment or accepted handouts and submissions from attendees.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Shawnee has passed new rules for children and younger teens who ride motorized devices like scooters and unicycles. On Tuesday, the Shawnee City Council unanimously approved amendments to the municipal code by adding rules for motorized scooters and unicycles to its already-existing regulations for motorized skateboards. The rules cover people operating the devices who are younger than 18, requiring them to wear a helmet, as well as ride only on sidewalks and determining where they can cross the road.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Olathe will soon begin a long-awaited study of nine railroad crossings on the city’s west side. The study will be the first step in improving traffic delays and safety concerns. In August, the Olathe City Council approved the study as well as grant funding for the project. Originally set to begin last year, the study was delayed in order to seek a grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, which it received. Olathe will contribute $500,000 to the study — which was laid out in its capital improvement plan — while the FRA grant will cover $1,750,000 of it. The remaining $100,000 will come from BNSF Railway, bringing the total to $2,350,000.
Read more: Johnson County Post

On Tuesday, November 4th, Concordia voters will decide whether to approve a 1% special purpose retailers’ sales tax to help fund a $13.8 million, 35,000-square-foot community activity center at Rasure Field. The tax would generate $10 million over up to 10 years, with the remainder covered by grants and donations. No property taxes would be used. The proposed facility includes indoor courts, a walking track, a “tot lot,” multipurpose spaces, offices, restrooms, and parking. Operating costs are estimated at $178,000 annually. A KSHSAA-compliant upgrade could add $3.9 million.
Read more: KCLY Radio

If you aspire to become an officer for the Wichita Police Department, you might want to give some advance thought to where you put any tattoos you get. Not to mention what you decide to include in the design. But a little bit of ink won’t necessarily stop you from being able to don a uniform. Concerned residents raised attention on Wichita Police’s tattoo policy to the Citizens Review Board during their September meeting, saying that the current language was preventing some people from applying to the police academy. The board works with police on community outreach and advises the department.
Read more: KLC Journal

The Mulberry City Council recently voted in favor of a land annexation to set up a half billion dollar solar project, a move seen as a major step for the community’s economic development.
Read more: www.koamnewsnow.com

A social media trend of kicking down the doors of people’s homes is as destructive as it sounds. The sheriff of one western Kansas county warns that it could also be deadly. In a social post on Tuesday, the Meade County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating a series of incidents related to the “door kick challenge,” a viral social media trend, that occurred over the weekend. Meade County deputies “took multiple reports of trespassing, criminal damage and disorderly conduct at residences where individuals were kicking doors of residences while filming themselves,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “Many of these incidents resulted in damage to the homeowner’s screen doors and front entry doors, some of which are possible felonies due to the extent of damage.”
Read more: KSN-TV

Garden City has announced a new partnership with Western State Bank to expand opportunities for affordable housing. Garden City has been experiencing a housing crunch for several years. The city said rapid economic growth and a steady population increase have created a demand for more affordable housing in the area. While the city has been working to address the shortage, more affordable housing is needed to meet the goal of 4,000 new housing units by 2030. To help reach that goal, Garden City has partnered with Western State Bank to create the new Local Roots Loan Program.
Read more: KSN-TV

Community and law-enforcement are coming together to make a safer southeast Kansas. Over the past several weeks, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office has made several appearances at local community watch group meetings. Officers speak to residents, answer their questions, and give safety tips on what to do before police arrive at a scene or during 911 calls, to mitigate dangers.
Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

The city and Kaw Valley State Bank — now Farmers State Bank — confidentially settled a lawsuit filed this past summer over several counterfeit checks drawn from a city account. The settlement, filed with the court days after the Eudora Times reported on the lawsuit, contains no information on the terms of the settlement. City Manager Zack Daniel confirmed the settlement but said the city was unable to comment. Farmers State Bank CEO Matt Engel did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
Read more: The Eudora Times

The Hilton Garden Inn & Conference Center at 1715 N. Waldron St. opened for business Tuesday, Visit Hutch announced. The hotel has 112 guest rooms, an indoor pool, and a fitness center, and it will have an Old Chicago restaurant on site. As of Tuesday, Old Chicago’s website said the restaurant was “coming soon.” It also has 14,500 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, with a grand ballroom and five breakout rooms, designed to host events ranging from corporate conferences to weddings and community celebrations, Visit Hutch said in the announcement.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

Wichita water and sewer customers can expect to see larger rate increases the next two years than originally anticipated. The increase is mostly caused by a continued climb in operations and maintenance costs, as well as the expected loss of two wholesale water customers. The city had been set to increase water rates by 6.17% next year. City Council members heard two new rate increase options at a workshop Tuesday.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

A petition to repeal Salina’s ban on pit bulls was presented to the city manager on Monday. If it gets enough signatures, the city commission would be required to either pass an ordinance repealing the ban or call for a special election for citizens to vote on the ordinance. Tyler Sartain and Debrah Corrales with Salinans Against Breed Specific Legislation, say the decades-long ban is ineffective and causing overflow in local animal shelters.
Read more: KSN-TV

A controversy that’s consuming several southeast Kansas communities is coming to a head in Crawford County. That controversy… solar farms and all that comes with them, both the good and the bad. Crawford County currently has a moratorium on solar energy projects that was put in place last year. The town of Mulberry presented an annexation resolution to Commissioners last week for residents who want to have their property incorporated into the town, escaping the county’s moratorium on solar energy. Some of those residents, as well as others opposed to the annexation, spoke to commissioners today.
Read more: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

Community leaders recognize that wages for many jobs in Hutchinson and Reno County lag those in regional and peer communities, some as much as 12% to 18%, said Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce CEO Debra Teufel. “It’s one of the hard realities we share with employers,” said Teufel, noting they’ve relied on data from Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research to make the point.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

One plan comes from a company that proposes putting small reactors 1 mile underground to directly power facilities such as data centers. The other comes from a company envisioning a utility-scale plant with a battery design that makes it capable of storing power.
Read more: CJonline

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.

According to the resolution, individuals from local faith-based organizations, referred to as “clerics,” will be scheduled by a county staff person on a voluntary basis. Clerics can be of any faith background.
Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com

The Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates by a quarter point at its meeting this week and could cut at the next two meetings as well, according to the October CNBC Fed Survey.
But there were concerns among the 38 survey respondents about the lack of data from the shutdown, an artificial intelligence bubble, still-high inflation and whether politics is playing a role in the Fed’s decisions.
Read more: CNBC

The Kansas Attorney General’s Office said Monday that Bucklin City Council members will pay $100 in civil penalties and undergo additional training on the Open Meetings Act as part of a consent agreement.
Read more: KSN-TV