Kansas Municipal News
North Newton pursuing public transportation
Harvey County entities have been meeting to talk about a transportation planning grant. That’s what North Newton City Administrator Kyle Fiedler told North Newton City Council members during their regular Monday night meeting this week at City Hall. Those entities include North Newton, Newton, Harvey County, Bethel College, USD-373, NMC Health, Prairie View, United Way, Chamber of Commerce, housing authorities and several others. “The plan would help identify options for transportation in Newton and North Newton,” Fiedler said. “Options could include a fixed schedule route that a bus runs through both communities or an on-demand service, where a person requests a ride and the vehicle drives to their location to pick them up.” Following some discussion, the council voted 5-0 to move forward to apply for the grant. Fiedler told the council some Bethel College students have difficulty finding transportation options, and Bethel College thought they’d benefit from having a transportation service in the community. “I’ve kind of kept this in the back of my mind, saw this opportunity, reached out to Bethel, Newton, Harvey County and some other partners to potentially submit a grant for planning,” Fiedler said. No one really jumped at the opportunity, saying no one has the time to put in an extra five or 10 hours per week to coordinate the planning. Since Fiedler isn’t full time, he said he could pick up those 10 hours and that the grant would cover those additional hours.
Source: Harvey County Now
Manhattan discusses housing in newest downtown plan
City commissioner Karen McCulloh says downtown development plans need to focus more on creating housing. During a presentation on the city’s updated Beyond Tomorrow downtown plan at Tuesday’s commission meeting, McCulloh said there should be less emphasis on building office space and more on developing residential areas. She pointed to the higher rate of people working from home since the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason for this. “It appears to me that we seriously need to put more housing in every nook and cranny down there,” McCulloh said. Senior planner Ben Chmiel, who presented the most recent version of the Downtown Tomorrow plan, said in every focus group he and the other planners conducted, community members said more housing is a need. “I think that area really can be something very special because we kind of have a blank palette there,” McCulloh said. “If we really go in and develop that area, we could do some interesting housing.” Commissioner John Matta said a previous commission had concerns that creating too much housing could cause congestion in the area and exacerbate parking difficulties. Mayor Wynn Butler agreed with Matta that developing housing is necessary, but he doesn’t want to see it affect traffic or parking in the area. He also said he’d like to get electric trollies that look like the old-fashioned trollies to use as shuttles from downtown to the parking garage or some other large parking space.
Source: themercury.com
Pittsburg Ascension Via Christi transfers ownership to Mercy
Mercy Joplin announced Thursday they will take over Ascension Via Christi in Pittsburg – and planning for that transition is now underway. Mercy Hospital administrators expect it will be official in about four months – and there are already some goals for the future mercy hospital in Pittsburg. They plan to expand primary care options, saying there aren’t currently enough for the market. And Mercy Hospital officials expect to offer more choices for patients in need of specialty medical care. “We want to strengthen the current specialists that they have. They’ve got really good physicians. We’re going to do that with recruitment, some outreach and satellite clinics with our specialists, maybe offer some virtual options as well,” said Jeremy Drinkwitz, Mercy Joplin President. The transition plan doesn’t include any cuts, meaning all current programs and employees in good standing will continue after mercy takes over.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Did your teeth just rattle over that pothole? Here’s how to report it to Wichita, county
Unexpectedly driving over a pothole is not a fun surprise. Not only are potholes nuisances, but in some cases they can also cause significant damage to your vehicle. According to auto club AAA, in 2021, damage caused by potholes cost more than $26 billion in the U.S. The average cost that year for pothole damage was about $600 per repair, according to the same release. While you may not be able to avoid potholes during your morning commute, there are ways to report them to ensure the city of Wichita knows where repairs are needed. Anyone can report a traffic issue, including potholes, online at wichita.gov/1013/Report-an-Issue. You can also use the same website to report an ethics complaint, a nondiscrimination ordinance complaint, nuisance reporting and more. To report potholes, click “new request” on the map underneath “report an issue.” From there, type in the location of the pothole. Once you verify the address, you will get a list of categories, and one of those options is “report a pothole,” which you should select and submit. There’s also an option to download a photo. Alternatively, you can email the complaint to traffic@wichita.gov or call 316-268-4013. The location of the pothole should be included. You can also report potholes through the city’s app. There you can check recent pothole reports and see if the city has responded to the reports.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
County forms new 911 advisory board
A couple of years ago, according to Sedgwick County Emergency Communications Director Elora Forshee, efforts began in earnest to seek out a way to engage the community voice regarding 911 operations. In the wake of those ongoing efforts and feedback heard from a 2022 task force formed in response to the death of Wichita teenager Cedric Lofton, a community advisory board (CAB) was suggested and officially approved by the Sedgwick County Commission at its Feb. 7 meeting. Representing first responders (Wichita-Sedgwick County Emergency Communications Advisory Board) and staff (Employee Advisory Board), county 911 was getting input from two of the three key facets in its response – with only the community voice missing. “We didn’t have a good conduit for the community to have input in their 911 services,” Forshee said. “We think this is a great opportunity for our community to have some voice within the system and provide input.” Opening the county’s new emergency communications center within the past year also led to the prioritization of the CAB, which will be made up of 13 voting members. Makeup of the board will include a representative from each of the five commission districts, the city of Wichita, city of Derby, a city of the second class, a city of the third class, a youth member and three at-large members. The board will be fully ratified by the county commission.
Source: Derby Informer | News
City of Lawrence to launch revamped SeeClickFix mobile app
The City of Lawrence will soon launch a mobile app where community members can report code compliance issues, missed trash pickups and more, according to a city news release. Beginning Tuesday, Feb. 20, the app, powered by SeeClickFix Inc., will be free to download and use on smartphones. The city in June 2022 announced that it was pausing its SeeClickFix app for about nine months so the city could “revamp and improve the system to better serve our community.” Next week’s launch will mark 20 months since that announcement. Community members will be able to submit requests for city assistance in seven service categories, according to Thursday’s news release: General property maintenance pertaining to code compliance; property maintenance pertaining to weeds; nonemergency police assistance pertaining to theft, damage to property or use of financial cards; parks maintenance issues; tree or overhead limbs; missed trash collection; and dead animals. All communication related to the service request will take place live within the app. “The City of Lawrence App makes it easier for community members to request City services – allowing them to submit a ticket and follow along with progress updates through the work’s completion,” according to the release.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Hesston approves property sale tied to grocery store project
The Hesston City Council approved selling property it owns to BHF Grocery Store, LLC, owned by Beneficient Heartland Foundation Inc. At its Feb. 12 meeting, the city council voted 5-0 to sell 0.57 acres of property located at the corner of Old Highway 81 and North Lancaster Street to the company for $50,000. “The 50,000 offer for the property is well above our investment in the property,” City Administrator Gary Emry said, adding that the city had invested $42.000 to $44,000 in the property so far. “I think it’s a good offer.” Emry described the property as serving as a domino piece in Hesston’s downtown grocery store project. The long-discussed project is to be paid through funds from the state’s TEFFI law, which allows the Beneficient company, with an office in Hesston, to offer financial services in the state, requiring two and one-half percent of the value of transactions to be given to the State of Kansas for rural development or used for the benefit of Hesston. Beneficient Heartland Foundation, Inc., oversees the spending of the funds to benefit the City of Hesston. A City of Hesston memo stated that the property will be used for the purpose of building a one-story office deposit institution, the property’s future owner.
Source: Harvey County Now
Water sector issues joint statement to Congress on fully funding SRFs
On Feb. 15, a broad cross-section of water sector organizations representing, utilities, public works departments, executives, manufacturers, research organizations and other industry partners sent a letter to Congress requesting that it fully fund the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) to congressionally authorized levels of $3 billion each for fiscal year 2024. The letter stated in part: “Fully funding the SRFs will expand access to affordable financing for water infrastructure that protects public health. SRF subsidized loans fund infrastructure that provides safe drinking water, recycled water, wastewater services and stormwater management in thousands of communities around the nation every year. Without increased federal funding for this critical public health infrastructure, the risk of exposure to preventable diseases from poor water quality and water scarcity will increase for millions of Americans.” The demand for affordable SRF financing has increased exponentially in recent years. Increased federal funding is needed to meet the growing demand for SRF subsidized loans, which has skyrocketed due to the increased cost of planning, design, construction and financing.
Source: Water Finance & Management
Mulvane seeks to bring back farmers market
At the most recent meeting of the chamber board in Mulvane, according to The Mulvane News, the possibility was discussed of restarting the farmers market in the downtown area. Previously, several years ago, a market was operated by local farmer Tom Phipps in the Carson Bank lower parking lot on Saturdays during the summer. Currently, chamber members are making plans to start the new market the second Sunday in April from 1 to 4 p.m. at the west end of Main Street (by the Historical Depot Museum).
Source: Derby Informer | Area
Rainbow representative gives city info about fiber project
The City Commissioners met on Monday to speak with Rainbow Communications representative Julie Bergman about updates with the Fiber Project. City Administrator Becky Berger was not present during the meeting due to illness with strep throat. Bergman explained the current status of the project and how it aims to provide a fiber broadband network to residents in Hiawatha. “We’re overbuilding all the lines in town to be able to provide fiber Internet to all the residential residents,” Bergman said. “We’ve had fiber to businesses since about 2012-2013 time frame.” Bergman also mentioned about working with construction companies to complete the fiber cable installation and notices would be hung on customers’ doorknobs to let them know about fiber cable work being done. Bergman also gave more info about more Internet technology being upgraded in Kansas and added that the state was qualifying cities as being “broadband ready” and “fiber ready.” “Here in the next 30 or 60 days, we’ll be coming back to kind of talk to you about that as far as becoming a certified broadband ready city in the state of Kansas,” Bergman explained. “So that’s a campaign that the state is starting also to make sure all cities are open to, you know, advanced services and being ready for high speed.”
Source: City Government | hiawathaworldonline.com
Hutchinson officials share concerns about community’s wildfire risk
Mayor Greg Fast asked Chief Beer if he has any suggestions on how to get people to voluntarily comply. Cutting down trees and hauling them away can be an expensive undertaking, so Beer said fire officials have researched grants to help offset the costs. He suggested a “chipper day” with a third party contracted to run limbs and brush that individuals have put out by the curb through a chipper, but many grants are limited to property bordered by federal lands, and only state lands surround Hutchinson. Councilmember Goss said it makes sense for the city to fund a chipper project if it will save homes in the community. Fast reassured residents that “We are not going to make people take out trees, and they shouldn’t be afraid to get the fire department involved.” City ordinances do not indicate clearance around things like backyard fire pits or chimineas, and problems ensue when fires are burned near wood fences or dry leaves.
Source: Hutch News
Municipal Bond Trends for February 16, 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.
Salina seeks public input as it makes changes to city’s sign codes
As the line between what is art and what is advertising becomes somewhat blurred, Salina is looking to revamp and change city code on signs. As part of this process, the city hosted a listening session Thursday evening to hear from members of the public about signs in Salina and brought in Wendy Moeller … One of the biggest challenges in adopting codes on signage is dealing with case law in the United States. Moeller said in just the past decade new decisions have come from various courts. “There’s been a couple of Supreme Court cases that have made a lot of problems for sign regulations across every community,” Moeller said. … “(The decisions from courts say) communities like Salina really need to step away from regulating signage based on the message,” Moeller said.
Source: Salina Journal
Park City cracks down on chronic calls
Park City is cracking down on so-called “chronic nuisance” properties in the city. The city council on Feb. 13 unanimously voted to create an ordinance that would give city staff an additional way of dealing with properties that generate excessive police calls. Properties where two or more “trigger events” occur within a compliance period can now be dubbed chronic nuisances under the new policy. A property can also become a chronic nuisance if a non-self-defense-related shooting occurs or if a search warrant is executed there. The ordinance says the compliance period is six months for residential properties and 30 days for commercial properties or multi-family units. The ordinance lists 16 broad examples of “trigger events” police might respond to that could lead to properties being dubbed chronic nuisances.
Source: Ark Valley News
2024 Hays Water Conservation Incentive & Rebate Programs
At the City of Hays Feb. 13, 2024 Press Briefing, Water Conservation Specialist Holly Dickman reviewed the City’s ongoing efforts to encourage water conservation through the Showerhead & Aerator Program and five rebate programs for residents who invest in water efficiency both indoors and out. “City of Hays water customers can stop by City Hall, the Finance office, anytime to pick up high efficiency showerheads for free or for cost and we also have faucet aerators available at all times,” Water Conservation Specialist Dickman said. Faucet aerators are free. Six different types of shower heads are offered. Three models are free with exchange of old shower head and the other 3 are just $5.00 with exchange of old shower head.
Source: Hays Daily News
Kansas Court of Appeals: Termination for Insubordination (Frazier v City of LeRoy)
The City of LeRoy, Kansas (the City), passed a resolution and order for a citizen to remove a vicious dog from the city limits as a nuisance abatement. The resolution required service of the abatement order to the dog’s owners by the Chief of Police, Daniel C. Frazier. He refused to serve the order, claiming it was an unlawful order. The City terminated Frazier’s employment for insubordination. Frazier brings this appeal against the City, arguing that the City’s decision to terminate his employment as the Chief of Police was arbitrary or capricious, outside the scope of its authority, and unsupported by substantial competent evidence. After reviewing the arguments and record, we find the district court’s decision that the City’s decision to terminate him was proper. Thus, we affirm.
Source: Frazier v City of LeRoy
Kansas Court of Appeals: Tort Claims
Turner v. City of Topeka: While jogging on the Kansas Avenue Bridge in Topeka, Kansas, Trong Do Turner leapt over a concrete barricade to enter the center of the Bridge where he fell through a large gap and injured himself. The district court granted the City summary judgment, finding it was immune from liability under the Kansas Tort Claims Act. Finding no error in the district court’s well-reasoned opinion, this court affirms.
Grey v. City of Topeka: After growing impatient waiting for a ride from a friend, Julie Kathleen Grey … climbed over the concrete barricades blocking the center of the bridge from the traffic lanes. Unfortunately, Grey did not realize the center concrete barricades blocked access to a large gap in the bridge and she fell to the ground below suffering serious injuries. Grey brought a suit against the City of Topeka and various other parties alleging they were liable for her injuries. The district court granted the City summary judgment, finding it was immune from liability under the Kansas Tort Claims Act. Finding no error in the district court’s well-reasoned opinion, this court affirms.
Municipal Bond Trends for February 15, 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 February 14, 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.
USD-440 approves moving forward with bond election
The USD-440 Board of Education made it official Monday night by unanimously approving a resolution to authorize the calling of a bond election. The district intends to hold a special election to vote on general obligation bonds to pay the estimated $28,500,000 costs to construct, furnish, and equip: (a) additions, improvements, and renovations to Bentley Primary School, including secured entry, site improvements, and renovation and modernization of library, classrooms, cafeteria, restrooms, special education areas and gymnasium. (b) additions, improvements and renovations to Halstead Middle School, including site improvements, renovation and modernization of pre-K classrooms, cafeteria and restrooms, and a new entrance for facility activities. (c) additions, improvements, and renovations to Halstead High School, including a seventh- and eighth-grade addition, weight room and girls’ locker room addition, administration offices and conference room addition, performing arts and rehearsal space classroom addition, renovations and modernization of auditorium, classrooms, and industrial arts spaces; and secured entry addition and improvements. (d) renovation and improvements to all district facilities including a replacement press box at the football facility and new softball and baseball fields. (e) make all other necessary improvements related to the project. Superintendent Ron Barry said they can’t put everything in the notice because it would make it extremely long but that it covers the main pieces. He said the vote would be in-person only but would provide an opportunity for absentee ballots by request.
Source: Harvey County Now
Shawnee Mission school district names longtime administrator as its next superintendent
The Shawnee Mission school district has named its next top leader. The school board on Monday announced that Michael Schumacher will be the district’s new superintendent, as Michelle Hubbard steps down at the end of the school year. Schumacher currently serves as associate superintendent of human resources. He will take over as superintendent in July. “I recognize the importance of the role that you selected me for and the trust you have shown in me, and I do not take it lightly,” Schumacher said in a statement. “I believe deeply that public education is the great equalizer in this country and the Shawnee Mission School District is a shining example of the unlimited possibilities that exist when great people work together to serve the needs of students.” Schumacher has served in the district for the past nine years, including as the assistant director of curriculum and instruction, executive director of secondary human resources, and associate superintendent of human resources. He previously worked as a principal and assistant principal in the Piper, Turner and Blue Valley school districts, and at Bishop Miege High School. He started his career as a high school science teacher. “Dr. Schumacher’s vision for the district is truly inspiring,” school board president Mary Sinclair said in a statement.
Source: Joco 913 News
A little insight into township roads
Recently, there’s been significant discussion at Harvey County Commission meetings about the state of rural roads, following weeks of snow and slush. But not all rural roads are the county’s responsibility. The upkeep of many roads falls to the townships they are located in. The Harvey County Road and Bridge Department is responsible for all the paved roads and bridges within the county (outside of the cities), according to County Clerk Rick Piepho, as well as 74.28 miles of unpaved roads. These roads include dirt roads such as Woodlawn and long stretches of East Lake Road. The rest of the unpaved roads are the responsibility of the individual townships. Harvey County has 15 townships that cover the entire county. Harvey County is on a township road system, according to Piepho, while some other counties, like Marion, are on a county road system. The difference is who is responsible for things like the roads. In Harvey County, each township has roads they are responsible for maintaining and clearing after a snowstorm.
Source: Harvey County Now
Recycling costs concern Council
Cost was the main concern among Iola Council members with a proposed drop-off recycling program presented Monday. The evening’s discussion was the second of its kind since the Council has decided to offer a recycling program in some form to the community. Council members agree the need is there, but they are not willing to raise utility fees if necessary to accommodate a program. The Council initially discussed offering curbside pickup and constructing a recycling facility at the Jan. 22 meeting but balked at the projected investment of $585,000. Tasked to research other alternatives, City Administrator Matt Rehder presented a new drop-off recycling proposal Monday. The proposed program consists of four drop-off recycling containers for plastics, cardboard, glass, and aluminum. The containers would be placed within city limits at a singular “to-be-determined” location. The total cost of such a program would be approximately $141,100 annually, with an initial start-up cost of $273,000. Mayor Steve French took issue with the cost of the truck to transport the recyclables, as well as the need to create a new full-time position. “We need to save where we can,” he said. He suggested the council and city administration consider utilizing a private entity to pick up the items to eliminate the cost of a new truck and driver. “If we can drive the cost down, I can accept it,” he added. The estimated cost of a roll-off container truck is $225,000 and the cost to employ a driver would be $45,000. The roll-off containers, by themselves, cost $48,000. Eliminating the need for the truck and new position would dramatically decrease the proposal’s initial start-up cost, as well as the recurring annual fees.
Source: The Iola Register
USD 246 OKs four-day week
After months of deliberation and extensive input, the Northeast USD 246 Board of Education approved a four-day school schedule at Monday’s meeting, held at the high school. The Northeast School District joins a growing number of Kansas schools switching to a four-day week. According to a report from Natalie Wallington of the Kansas City Star, the Kansas State Department of Education listed 71 public schools with four-day weeks in 2023, increasing from 69 schools in 2022 and just 56 in 2021. The bulk of the districts adopting four-day weeks were in the western and southern regions of the state. The board unanimously accepted the motion, following a lengthy discussion at the meeting. Opening the discussion, high school athletic director and Kansas National Educators Association member Piper Richardson informed the board members of a poll/survey that was sent out to staff members across the district. “We had two teachers vote for five days,” she said. “So there were about 45 (teachers) for the four days. I believe the Monday off was significant … I think it was in the high 30s … With 100 percent voting.” USD 246 Superintendent Dr. Ray Streeter noted the significance and importance of the new schedule adding more professional development days for the staff, otherwise known as PD, which gives them time to become more proficient, work with others, and acquire new skills to use in the classroom.
Source: Morning Sun
Winfield police preparing for body cameras next week
The Winfield Police Department is equipping officers with body cameras starting next week. The department will have 27, which means one for each officer and a few spares. The hardware plus the first year of video storage costs about $30,000. The city will have to continue to pay for yearly secure video storage costs. “Really, when you start adding it, it’s the storage piece that gets expensive. And so we’re trying to plan long term. With the car side of it, the cars actually have three cameras, so the amount of data we’re actually going to start collecting is going to just really quantify,” Winfield Police Chief Robbie DeLong said. The car cameras will activate when their emergency equipment is turned on, and the body cameras will have a pre-recording to get the previous 30 seconds when the officer activates the camera. The video footage cannot be altered in any way. “Nobody can go in and edit. Nobody can go in and change it. I think it’s a secure motive of collection of information. And so our car systems are the same, and they’ve been that way for the last decade,” Chief DeLong said. Five cars should be updated to the new system this year.
Source: KSN-TV
Johnson County weighs options as landfill nears capacity — ‘Alarm bells are ringing’
With visions of higher trash collection fees on the not-too-distant horizon, Johnson County commissioners will look at ways this year to squeeze as much use as possible out of the county landfill in Shawnee before it runs out of space. That could happen as early as 2037 — only 13 years off, according to projections from a January regional landfill study by the Mid-America Regional Council. “It’s a big hole in the ground and it will eventually fill up,” said Trent Thompson, the county’s solid waste program manager. Commissioners heard the sobering presentation on landfill capacity last week. Although the study estimated 19 to 37 years of capacity left in landfills throughout the region, the Johnson County landfill’s worst-case scenario has it possibly closing much earlier.
Source: Johnson County Post
Education legislation to watch
During Monday night’s board of education meeting, USD 250 Superintendent Rich Proffitt brought several current bills in the Kansas legislature to the attention of board members. Proffitt, always wary of legislative developments that affect education, briefed the board on a few potential bills that, if passed, will be felt by USD 250. The first matter of concern is the Kansas Supreme Court’s decision to relinquish oversight of the Gannon decision. In 2017, the court ruled that legislative changes to K-12 school funding, which reduced state-aid payments augmenting funds generated through property taxation in school districts with lower property values, violated the Kansas constitution, which the court has interpreted as requiring equity and adequacy in the provision of financing for education. The court retained jurisdiction to ensure continued legislative compliance with the school funding requirements and the legislature has since scheduled a series of incremental increases to the base aid for student excellence (BASE) culminating in school year 2022-2023. At the request of Attorney General Kris Kobach, given the court’s stated purpose was to retain jurisdiction to ensure implementation of the phased-in amounts, which has occurred, most of the court grants the State’s motion to relinquish oversight. The fear now is the GOP controlled legislature, no longer under the court’s oversight, will “significantly underfund” public schools in the future, according to Rep. John Carmichael (D-Wichita).
Source: Morning Sun
Sedgwick Library offers a STEM program for kids
Last summer, the Harvey County Extension office ran a STEM program at Lillian Tear Library, and according to Librarian Chantel Rindt, everybody loved it. So she went out and got a grant and now runs a monthly STEM program for elementary-aged students. Last week, 13 kids (Rindt said they average 15 to 18 each month) gathered to build using sticks, marshmallows and gummy bears. Then they played a game of rolling dice that required adding to complete rows. Rindt said she doesn’t have a specific curriculum for the program but searches the Internet and uses a couple of books to come up with ideas. “I homeschool my youngest kiddo, and all the kids that will be here today are from our homeschool community,” Rindt said. That was for the 2 to 3 p.m. session. She also runs a 5 to 6 p.m. session and said she tries to schedule the monthly meetings on Fridays that won’t interfere with public school activities so kids can attend. The program has been going on since October. “It’s a lot of fun,” Rindt said. “We have 3-D printing pins that we used. We play games and build things, and it’s a lot of fun.” Next month, the STEM program will take place on Friday, March 15, from 2 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 6 p.m.
Source: Harvey County Now
Municipal Bond Trends for February 13, 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.
Pittsburg Community Schools’ superintendent named in announcement
Pittsburg Community Schools has a new superintendent. This evening, J.B. Elliott was announced for the role at a board of education meeting. He currently serves as the superintendent of Perry-Lecompton public schools, a title he’s had for the last 7 years. Elliott’s been a biology teacher, an athletic director, and a principal. He’s entering his 29th year in education, with the last 21 years spent serving as an administrator. Elliott tells us he is excited and looks forward to bringing a hard work ethic and more to the district. He will take over when the district’s superintendent, Rich Proffitt, retires on June 30th.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Appraiser’s Office launches new portal for property value appeals
The Johnson County Appraiser’s Office has launched a new online portal for property owners in the county to appeal their property value. The Appraiser’s Office determines property values, sending out Notices of Appraised Value to property owners in the spring each year. Property owners can then submit a property value appeal using the portal. To use the portal, you must create an account, then you can select the type of appeal you want to submit. There are two types of property appeals at the county level. The first type of appeal is an informal appeal when Notices of Appraised Value are mailed to property owners in spring. The second type is payment under protest in late spring or fall when you pay your taxes. You may use the new portal to file an appeal electronically (Note: You may only submit one appeal per year). On this webpage, you can view more detailed instructions on how to use the portal system. You can also view this user guide. If you have issues as you use the portal, please contact the Appraiser’s Office Support Services Team at 913-715-9000 or aprwebmaster@jocogov.org. Informal appeal applications are due no later than 30 days after you receive your Notice of Appraised Value. Notices will start hitting mailboxes for commercial real property on Feb. 12 and for residential real property on Feb. 26.
Source: Johnson County Kansas |
Here are the six Wichita schools proposed for permanent closure this year
Four Wichita elementary schools and two middle schools would be closed under a proposal considered by the school board Monday evening. Clark, Park, Payne and Cleaveland Traditional Magnet elementary schools would be shuttered, along with Hadley and Jardine Magnet middle school. Students would be reassigned to different schools as boundaries are redrawn, and employees at affected buildings would be offered other positions across the district. By law, a public hearing must be held before the district can close buildings. USD 259 also plans to hold a series of community listening and informational sessions for parents next week. Officials say the closures would save an estimated $16 million, which could be put toward plugging a looming $42 million budget shortfall that coincides with the exhaustion of the district’s federal pandemic relief funds. All six of the buildings recommended for closure serve a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students (those who qualify for free or reduced lunch) than the district average of 79.2%, data from the Kansas Department of Education shows. Here’s a look at the schools, including their building utilization — enrollment divided by total capacity — and building condition or FCI, a score ranging from 0 (pristine condition) to 1 (extremely poor condition).
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Augusta airport runway renovation will strand tenants for 7 months
“For me, it means I have to commute a lot more around the section doing my engineering contract work,” said Keiter. Keiter has lived just east of the airport for 32 years. The problem is, in order to make room, the city permanently shut down 110th street, meaning Keiter now lives at a dead end instead of having a straight shot to Highway 54. “So four times a day, okay, times an eight-mile round trip extra. So that’s 32 extra miles a day on some days that I have to commute,” Keiter said. While the project will be a major challenge for people like Keiter and McLemore, the worn-out, pothole-ridden runway will become a brand new, bigger runway with modern flight equipment in hopes of ultimately bringing in even more money for the little airport. “Once we get through the project, and it’s unveiled, you know, I think it’ll really be great for our business and for Augusta too,” said McLemore. He’s talking about the massive runway reconstruction project that’s about to leave his business, and every airplane parked at the airport on the day of the closure, stranded for seven months. “It’s actually been in the works for almost 15 years, going back to the original studies. And now we’re finally in the process of building it,” said Augusta City Manager Josh Shaw. Shaw says the FAA is paying for 90% of the more than $11 million new runway, and the city already set aside the rest of the money it needs to pay for it in 2016.
Source: KAKE – News
‘I loved how it was:’ Johnson County neighbors fight apartment plans on tree-covered land
Bootsie Martin moved to Olathe’s Cedar Creek neighborhood for the nature. “I have deer that come in my backyard. In the spring they bring their babies. There are foxes running through my backyard. It’s the wildlife, the trees, the lake. I loved how it was,” said Martin, who has now lived in Cedar Creek, near the confluence of K-10 and K-7 highways, for about five years. But a fight is brewing in her quiet neighborhood over a proposed development, with many homeowners worried that the doorstep to their slice of paradise could forever change. The sprawling neighborhood is home to rolling hills and dense woods. Modern subdivisions — with homes ranging from $500,000 to $2 million — are tucked between winding roads marked by waterfalls and limestone bluffs. “I have to drive a ways for a grocery store, but I don’t care,” Martin said. “I wanted to live out here where it is quiet, remote. It is just something to see when you live out here.” Lenexa-based Oddo Development is proposing a mixed-use project at the southeast corner of Cedar Creek and Valley parkways, including four- and five-story luxury apartment buildings with 300 units and a parking garage below. Plans also include two buildings with 11 “brownstone” townhomes, priced at $500,000 and up, as well as retail and sit-down restaurants. Oddo Development is asking city officials to approve rezoning 14 acres, which is almost entirely covered by trees, to allow the project. The site was previously zoned for a hotel development.
Source: Joco 913 News
Liberal attempts Guinness World Records for pancakes
Liberal is attempting to break two Guinness World Records ahead of the 75th International Pancake Day (IPD) race on Tuesday. The race is a pre-Lenten tradition between Olney, England and Liberal. The race in Olney dates back to 1445. In Liberal, the race will take place at 11:55 a.m. The race will start at 6th and Kansas Avenue. On Monday, the IPD hosted an attempt to break the record for the longest line of pancakes. Each pancake had to touch each other in a continuous line. The IPD used 120 feet of tables to lay out 900 feet of pancakes which amounted to about 2,800 cakes. The pancakes will be repackaged and will go to food banks. On Tuesday, a record will be attempted to break the highest pancake toss. The current record stands at 31 feet, 2 inches and is held by Mike “Mr. Pancake” Cuzzacrea. Frank Hampton, the proclaimed “Pancake Maestro,” will attempt to break the record. For more Pancake Day information, go to www.pancakeday.net.
Source: KSN-TV
Exploring Kansas heritage with the Osage Trail
Members of the Southeast Kansas Museum Alliance are hoping a proposed project will help people learn more about Kansas history. Leaders in the Southeast Kansas Museum Alliance are discussing an official Osage Trail Byway designation through the Southeast Kansas region. So far, the Oak Grove School Historical Society has restored the Oak Grove School House which was built in 1877, it is southeast of Neosho County. “We’re getting ready to open it up to school districts in the Southeast Kansas region to bring fourth-grade school classes out. When they learn about Kansas history for the first time. And they can have a history, lesson, experience and activities there in the schoolhouse,” said Roger Pruitt, Oak Grove School Historical Society Treasurer. The schoolhouse was built along the Osage Trail Byway, a mile west of the Neosho River. “The Osage Trail had two main arteries. One came down from the north and came through Missouri and then down along the western bank of the Neosho River, all the way to Indian territory in Oklahoma. And the other one came across southern Missouri into the southeast corner of Kansas and went west all the way to the Santa Fe Trail,” said Pruitt.
Source: KSNF/KODE
No injuries after train derails in southwest Kansas
Authorities say no one was hurt when a train derails near Hazelton in south-central Kansas early Monday morning. The incident happened at around 5:20 a.m. east of Hazelton in southeastern Barber County. A county emergency management official said there were no reports of injuries, no hazardous materials were involved, and no homes were in danger. Investigators are on scene working to determine the cause. Barber County Emergency Management shared a photo on Facebook showing multiple cars piled up and told KAKE News there were three piles like it. Director Mike Loreg later shared additional photos.
Source: KAKE – News
Prices rose more than expected in January as inflation won’t go away
Inflation rose more than expected in January as stubbornly high shelter prices weighed on consumers, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. The consumer price index, a broad-based measure of the prices shoppers face for goods and services across the economy, increased 0.3% for the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. On a 12-month basis, that came out to 3.1%, down from 3.4% in December. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for a monthly increase of 0.2% and an annual gain of 2.9%. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, the so-called core CPI accelerated 0.4% in January and was up 3.9% from a year ago, unchanged from December. The forecast had been for 0.3% and 3.7%, respectively. Shelter prices, which comprise about one-third of the CPI weighting, accounted for much of the rise. The index for that category climbed 0.6% on the month, contributing more than two-thirds of the headline increase, the BLS said. On a 12-month basis, shelter rose 6%. Food prices moved higher as well, up 0.4% on the month. Energy helped offset some of the increase, down 0.9% due largely to a 3.3% slide in gasoline prices. Stock market futures fell sharply following the release. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were off more than 250 points and Treasury yields surged higher.
Source: Economy
Municipal Bond Trends for February 12, 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.
What’s in Humboldt’s century-old time capsule?
A mystery 100 years in the making was recently solved in Humboldt, Kansas. “We started trying to get into it last year,” said Amber Wheeler, Superintendent, Humboldt Schools. Humboldt superintendent Amber Wheeler says despite having newspaper coverage to go off of, this box, a time capsule from 1922, remained elusive for more than a year. “When they pulled out the little black box it was an excitement for everybody,” said Wheeler. Wheeler says they knew the capsule was somewhere around the cornerstone of the high school… but when they pulled the bricks around it last year, they came up empty. “There wasn’t anybody to ask. One hundred years ago is a long time. There was nobody to ask where they really put it, or how they had put it in there. We had one newspaper article and a whole lot of guesses,” said Wheeler. This year, they pulled the cornerstone out as part of adding on to the school. And inside of the cornerstone — was the capsule. “Who knows what’s in there, and how things have survived in the last 100 years,” said Wheeler. Monday night, they found out. “What we can see right now is that there is obviously something that was a baseball at one point in time,” said Wheeler.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Newton sees resignation of high school, grade school principals
At its February 12 meeting the USD 373 Board of Education approved a personnel report that included the names of two building administrators under the resignation column. Newton High School Principal Blake Smith’s name was listed with his final day with the district being June 30 – the last day of the school’s fiscal year. Smith worked as an assistant principal at the high school starting in 2019, before taking over in August of 2022, replacing then principal Caleb Smith. Sherri Terrell, who’s been principal of South Breeze this school year was also listed as resigning, with her departure date in June. Harvey County Now reached out to both administrators late Monday night after viewing the personnel report and hopes to add more information to this article, once they’ve replied.
Source: Harvey County Now
Topeka petition seeks to demand ‘a public vote before they raise our taxes’
Keeping Topeka’s city government from raising property taxes without a public vote is the aim of a recently initiated petition drive. The petition calls for the passage of a proposed ordinance that would ban the city from collecting more property taxes in any given year than it collected the previous year, said Topekan Earl McIntosh, the petition drive’s leader.
Source: CJonline
Rush County hospital transitioning to a ‘rural emergency hospital’
Rush County Memorial Hospital announced Friday that the hospital will be transitioning to a ‘rural emergency hospital.’ The hospital will continue to provide a 24/7 emergency room, lab and radiology services, outpatient care, physical therapy, the Wellness Center, and the medical clinic. In addition, Locust Grove Village will continue to provide nursing home services. The intermediate swing bed unit (formerly long-term care) will be closed. In addition, the rural emergency hospital model does not support inpatient services such as swing bed and acute care. The hospital cites Covid, reimbursement changes, declining population, and increasing business costs as the reasons behind the change. “The decisions were made with careful consideration to the impact they would have on our community,” a statement from the hospital reads. The hospital will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the changes and answer questions Thursday, February 15, at the La Crosse City Auditorium.
Source: KAKE – News
Sunflower Electric Power Corporation announces third solar project
Sunflower Electric Power Corp. is partnering on a 150-megawatt solar energy project near Fort Dodge Station, the company’s electric generating facility one mile southeast of Dodge City, Kan. Expected commercial operation is during the first half of 2026. Sunflower is a cooperatively operated wholesale generation and transmission utility serving seven member distribution utilities located in western Kansas. The Boot Hill Solar Project will join Sunflower’s 20-megawatt Johnson Corner Solar Project (JCSP), which came online in April 2020, and Sunflower’s 20-megawatt Sunflower Electric Solar @ Russell Project, scheduled for commercial operation in January 2025, in providing solar power to Sunflower’s members and those they serve. Because it produces on-peak energy during the hottest days of the year when the Sunflower system experiences its peak demand for electricity, the Boot Hill Solar Project will complement the company’s other generation resources, which are powered by natural gas, coal, and wind. In addition to providing on-peak renewable energy, the project will also provide the system with incremental capacity. The Victory Electric Cooperative Assn., Inc., located in Dodge City, joins Sunflower’s six other member-owners in supporting the Boot Hill Solar Project, which will surpass the JCSP and the Sunflower Electric Solar @ Russell projects as the largest operating solar facility in the state. Strategically locating the Boot Hill Solar project near existing Sunflower assets will provide cost and schedule benefits to all of the member-owners.
Source: Sunflower Electric Power Corporation
Prairiefire bank seeks court guidance over how defaulted bonds should be paid
Prairiefire is looking for guidance on how to pay down the first tranche of almost $65 million in defaulted debt, since the Overland Park development hasn’t yielded enough sales taxes to fully cover those obligations. UMB Bank, the trustee for Prairiefire’s sales tax revenue (STAR) bonds, seeks guidance through a legal petition filed in Minneapolis, where its Corporate Trust Services department is based. The bank on Jan. 30 asked a Hennepin County District Court judge to confirm how about $4.2 million in available funds should be applied to $14.9 million in bond principal and $1.75 million in interest that came due for Prairiefire in mid-December. Kansas’ STAR bond program is designed to draw new out-of-state visitors by helping municipalities finance commercial, entertainment and tourism projects. The bonds are covered by new sales taxes generated through the projects. However, in Prairiefire’s case, initial sales projections were overestimated. State auditors in 2021 said the project would take anywhere from 14 to 72 years longer than expected to retire the bonds. Prairiefire produced $389,459 in sales taxes to cover $16.6 million in total bond principal and interest owed as of Dec. 15, and UMB Bank transferred the $3.78 million entirety of the bonds’ reserve fund to help cover debt service. However, the bank raised conflicting provisions in its trust indenture with Overland Park on how those funds should be allocated toward principal and interest payments in the event of a shortfall. The provisions applied will affect which bondholders are due payments, and in what amounts.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal