Kansas Municipal News
Topeka receives $4 million grant to improve lead safety of local homes
The City of Topeka is celebrating after being awarded a $4 million grant to improve child safety and housing health. City of Topeka spokesman Dan Garrett announced in a press release that a $4 million Lead Hazard Reduction Grant will be distributed to the city’s Housing Services Division over the course of four years. The start date for the distribution will be Nov. 15, 2024 with the end date being Nov. 15, 2024. Garrett said the cash will be used to grow the city’s rehabilitation programs to address and mitigate lead hazards. The end goal is to make an estimated 180 homes lead-safe for families.
Source: KSNT 27 News
City leaders take action to address Topeka’s housing shortage
The council unanimously approved a deal with local developer, Gen III construction, on a new housing subdivision in north Topeka. They established a Reinvestment Housing Incentive District (RHID) as part of a state-sanctioned program. Gen III will cover the costs to develop 15 houses up front. The city will reimburse them up to $385,000 on the back end using the increase in property taxes generated from the project. Prices for the houses in the subdivision will range from $260,000 to $325,000. RHIDs require city and state approval. In short, they help local governments address housing needs. Capital city leaders approved another RHID for low-income apartments back in August.
Source: KSNT 27 News
City to consider protecting renters from income source discrimination
Manhattan residents may soon be protected from discrimination based on their source of income. City commissioners on Tuesday will discuss expanding the city’s non-discrimination ordinance to bar landlords, property owners and real estate brokers from refusing to rent to prospective tenants who want to pay with legal income other than job wages. That means tenants would be able to pay for housing using vouchers, disability payments, rent relief programs and other sources of income. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, source-of-income discrimination disproportionately affects people of color, people with disabilities, elderly people and women. Lawrence and Kansas City, Missouri, recently have added source-of-income protections to their city codes.
Source: themercury.com
Municipal Bond Trends for October 18, 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.
Three Kansas hospitals try rural emergency status
Kansas has more rural hospitals at immediate risk of closure than any other state in the nation, with 31 of Kansas’s 98 rural inpatient hospitals at risk. Since 2010, eight Kansas hospitals have closed, leaving patients with less access to health care in their communities. The added barriers can add more difficulty on a population that already experiences health disparities compared to urban and suburban populations.
Source: CJonline
Municipal Bond Trends for October 17, 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 October 16, 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.
Garden City approves plan for opioid litigation settlement funds
The Garden City Commission approved a strategic plan for the expenditure of the city’s Opioid Settlement funds. Courtney Prewitt, Garden City Police Chief, said the city is set to receive a total of about $290,000 over the next 14 years as part of their participating in the state’s litigation settlements with “major pharmaceutical companies, distributors and related entities as part of the state’s efforts to hold accountable those responsible for the opioid crisis.”
Source: GC Telegram/
Applications are open for Second Round of Funding to Improve Digital Skills for Kansans (Due: November 18)
A total of $1.95 million in funds will be available to enhance the digital skills of Kansans…. The Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD) encourages local governments, community organizations, educational institutions, and other organizations to continue collaborating on enriching Kansas communities through digital advancements. … To learn more about the entities eligible to apply, click here.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Municipal Bond Trends for October 15, 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.
Harvey County considers changes to road impact fees
Harvey County Commissioners looked at making changes to the road impact fees that only some residents are required to pay. Initially set up in 2000, road impact fees are designed to help the townships with road improvement costs. When a resident or business moves to an area where the roads need improvements, they are charged a road improvement fee.
Source: Harvey County Now
Bentley officers undergo drone training
Bentley Police Chief J.T. Bryan, Deputy Chief Scott Harris and Officer Jeff Lappin all attended Drone Assessment and Response Tactics training from Sept. 24 to 26. The trio was also joined by an officer from Mount Hope and one from Colwich … “We have already had drone complaints in Bentley,” Bryan said. “It’s obvious the ownership and use of drones continues to rapidly increase.”
Source: Harvey County Now
Merriam wants to move to single citywide trash hauler
The city of Merriam is moving its single trash hauler process forward. On Monday, the Merriam City Council unanimously voted to approve a resolution of intent to organize a single waste hauler for residential services. The vote was in line with new state statutes governing the process, which Merriam may be the first city to use specifically for waste haulers.
Source: Johnson County Post
Despite leaner times, Wichita stays the course on libraries
Wichita is cutting back to ready for a budget shortfall in the coming years. … But the Wichita Public Library stands apart. It’s a sign that, after a period in which libraries were labeled as obsolete, there’s growing agreement that they play a vital role in the community.
Source: KLC Journal
Rural hospital leaders ask for sales tax support on upcoming ballots
The CEOs of both Logan and Gove County hospitals said the cost of doing business has exploded, while patient hospital bills, owed to the hospitals, still go unpaid, leading to debt. They said education is what they hope will get them a yes vote on this year’s sales tax questions. Gove County Medical Center is asking for a renewal of a one-cent sales tax, which has existed since 2015. … Logan County Health Services CEO Aimee Zimmerman said the company wants to add a half-cent sales tax to the existing half-cent …
Source: KSN-TV
Mildred folks share concerns
The small but mighty community of Mildred remains positive about its prospects, Marcia Davis told Allen County Commissioners at their meeting Tuesday morning. “They like that it is quiet, that everybody helps each other, and they love their store,” was the upshot of an Oct. 1 Community Conversation, said Davis, who serves as Thrive Allen County’s Director of Community Engagement. The downside of being a population of 12, is that they lack funding for community goals, they admitted. And with the exodus of residents comes a lack of adequate housing.
Source: The Iola Register
Cato celebrates its history
The oldest town in Crawford County is gearing up for two events next week. The first is Cato Kids’ Day … to see presentations on life in the 1800s, and Cato history. The presentations will include the one-room school house, covered wagons, blacksmithing, 1800’s weaponry, cowboys, native Americans, drovers, and the Gettysburg Address.
Source: Morning Sun
‘Trade Pull’ shows Pittsburg’s growing strength
One of the ways commonly used to determine the strength of a local economy is to calculate a statistic called the “trade pull factor.” … As the largest city in Southeast Kansas, Pittsburg could expect to have a PF greater than 1; however, prior to the construction of the Town Center development, Pittsburg had a trade pull factor of less than 1, probably due to the proximity of shopping alternatives in Joplin.
Source: Morning Sun
Wichita police buying gunshot detection sensors, adding more license plate cameras
Wichita police officers will soon start getting alerts from gunshot sensors after the City Council approved buying and expanding sensors the department has been testing since February 2022. Police also received approval to expand their license plate reader program that started in November 2020.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Wichita couldn’t hire enough workers for its new water plant, so it’s outsourcing jobs
The city of Wichita won’t have enough employees to run two water plants when a new one is completed, so it’s paying a private company to provide staffing for at least one more year. The city will outsource some operations of the new plant to Operational Technical Services, a Los Angeles-based company hired in July to help start up and commission the plant.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle