Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Some Midwest states take power to ban wind and solar projects away from local communities

The land in Piatt County in central Illinois is flat, and it’s easy to see for miles around Jerry Edwards’ house in a rural area north of Mansfield. In a few months, his view will include a wind farm, with two wind turbines close by. “There will be a tower the size of the Gateway Arch back this way in where the green cover crop is,” Edwards said. “And then in the field, just east of it … there will be a second right out a mile from here.” Edwards, who is the vice chairman of the Piatt County Board, was among those who voted down the project in March 2023. Then, just seven months later, the board reversed course and approved the Prosperity Wind Project in a 4-2 vote. While Edwards voted no both times, he said that on the second vote, his fellow board members felt they had no choice but to approve the Apex Clean Energy project, which will bring up to 50 wind turbines over 20,000 acres of farmland across two townships. That’s because of a new law passed by the Illinois General Assembly last year, setting statewide standards for wind and solar projects. “In a nutshell, the governor, the Speaker of the House, and the head of the Senate basically had a gun held to their head, saying you are going to vote for this,” Edwards said, “or else you subjected the county to lawsuits that would break the county.” Across the Midwest a tug of war is taking place over renewable energy projects, like the one in Piatt County. In Iowa, Woodbury County all but eliminated the possibility of wind projects by increasing setbacks for turbines. The town of New Bloomfield, Missouri, adopted regulations barring solar farms within 1,000 feet of the city limits. In Buffalo County, Nebraska, commissioners unanimously voted for restrictions that require wind turbines be at least 3 miles from any dwelling and 5 miles from a town. But Illinois and Michigan are pushing back, with new laws that make it hard for local governments to say no to green projects.
Source: KCUR News

Topeka officials move to clear homeless camps from area along Kansas River

Topeka officials are preparing to begin the implementation of an ordinance aimed at removing members of the local homeless population from camps along the Kansas River. KSNT 27 News spoke with sources with the City of Topeka and the Topeka Rescue Mission (TRM) about plans to enforce the new camping ordinance passed last year by the Topeka City Council. The ordinance places further restrictions on where people can camp in city limits, including: No camping within 500 feet of the centerline of any trail; no camping within 50 feet of the centerline of any sidewalk inside city limits; and no camping within a levee critical zone. These restrictions can be found in section 9.45.360 and 9.45.350 in Topeka’s municipal codes. Following approval of the new ordinance in late 2023, city leaders decided to implement it in a ‘phased approach’ due to factors like the impending winter season and ongoing homeless initiatives. City of Topeka spokeswoman Taylor Bugg reiterated this information following an inquiry from 27 News. “This is a standard practice of the city’s Property Maintenance Unit when it comes to violations of Topeka Municipal Code (TMC) and includes notifying residents that they are out of compliance, giving them time to correct the issue, often giving them additional time if they have made improvements, and then following up with enforcement, if needed,” Bugg said.
Source: KSNT 27 News

City commission approves $60M Wastewater Treatment Plant, $90M Cargill expansions

The full Dodge City Commission conducted a regular meeting on Feb. 5. Commissioners approved Ordinance # 3808 authorizing the execution of the loan agreement between the city and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for financing of the wastewater treatment expansion at the South Wastewater treatment facility. Due to the construction of the Hilmar Cheese Plant and city growth, additional wastewater will be received at the south facility and more capacity is needed. The estimated cost of expansion is $59,545,000 which is the amount of the loan being requested. The loan interest rate is 2.26% with a thirty year term. The payments will come from a portion of the monthly fees that will be charged to Hilmar, payment from National Beef for the upgrades that benefit their plant, and payments in years 2011-2020 of the Bio-science tenth district, Economic Development Administration and IRA credits. Commissioners approved Resolution #2024-02 approving the issuance of $91 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds by the Ford County Commission for acquisition, construction, renovating and equipping of an addition and other improvements to an existing beef processing facility to be leased to Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation. Cargill will be “expanding its finely textured beef production capacity to meet the growing customer demands,” Dodge City/Ford County Economic Development Director Joanne Knight said. “The project will include replacing an existing line and adding an additional line to drive the efficiency and productivity of GD 95 project.” The project also hopes to reduce 28,000 metric tons of C0-2 emissions through better utilization of available bio-gas.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe

A tribute to black history

The Gordon Parks Museum in Ft. Scott has something on display to further honor many historic African Americans. A tribute panel exhibit consists of more than 100 photos, posters, and information on the some of the most notable and important black innovators and leaders throughout history. It also features inspirational quotes. Each day, the museum will highlight a different “quote of the day” to promote educational activities throughout the month of February. The objective is to keep black history and diversity at the forefront of conversations throughout the year. “I do think it’s really important because I feel a lot of schools and educators decide to teach black history just during Black History Month. And it’s something we teach year-round. So having stuff open makes people come, and then they start coming at different times — and I learned more and more,” said Zaria Byrd. The exhibit is free and will be on display through February 22 in the Danny and Will Ellis Family Fine Arts Center.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Municipal Bond Trends for February 9, 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.

They hoped solar panels would secure the future of their farm. Then their neighbors found out

Some implored the commissioners to vote to allow the so-called West Gardner plan, a utility-size array of solar panels, saying the county needed to commit to clean energy for their children’s future. But others were just as passionately opposed. … To them, the solar plant would “threaten health and well-being” and did not fit “the character of the land.” It would create “a landscape of black glass and towering windmills,” that would put lives at risk and cause “a mass exodus out of the area.” … A USA TODAY analysis of local rules and policies nationwide found that, as of December, 15% of counties in the United States had banned or otherwise blocked new utility-scale wind farms, solar installations or both.
Source: USA Today

The Biggest Finance and Management Issues to Watch in 2024

Artificial intelligence has been around since the 1950s, but its sudden emergence as a consumer product and its potential to disrupt nearly every activity and industry has state lawmakers scrambling to address it. A dozen states have already enacted laws demanding agency research of AI and its use and consequences, while half the states have introduced bills to address its application both in government and the broader economy. AI has incredible potential for handling data, automating repetitive tasks and generally making many functions easier for humans to handle. But lawmakers at this point are rushing to get ahead of possible downside risks. President Joe Biden issued an executive order laying out guidelines for “safe, secure and trustworthy use” of AI in October, while the European Union reached agreement on a sweeping set of policies last month. (. . .) The flood of federal funds that brought double-digit growth and record surpluses to state budgets in recent years is receding, but fiscal 2024 state budgets generally reflected a return to business as usual with modest growth in spending. States have long been aware that federal aid would have an end date, says Kathryn White, director of budget process studies for the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO). They have largely used fiscal recovery funds for one-time investments, or investments that could strengthen their fiscal resiliency. Even so, the combination of reduced federal aid and decreased tax revenue could create challenges.
Source: Governing

Governor Kelly Announces Nearly $28M to Create 458 Child Care Slots, Construct New Community Multi-Purpose Facilities

Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund today announced the creation of 458 new child care slots with the investment of nearly $28 million in Capital Projects Fund Accelerator (CPF Accelerator) awards to seven Kansas communities. These funds will build or renovate multi-purpose community facilities that create new licensed child care slots; provide access to high-speed internet; and house programs that facilitate work, education, and health care monitoring. “There’s no question that more Kansas families need access to child care to support their child’s development, enter the workforce, and contribute to our economy,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “By creating 458 child care slots and providing access to other essential services, these projects will enable families to put down roots in our communities.” These grants are made possible using American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury Capital Projects Fund, which awarded $40 million to Kansas for this program in early September. The first round of grants provided $10.3 million to three community projects in Lawrence, Hays, and Emporia. Through two rounds of funding, the Capitol Projects Fund Accelerator has provided $38 million to create 771 new child care slots at multi-purpose community facilities. Combined with the Child Care Capacity Accelerator program grants previously announced last year, the Kelly administration has provided $94 million to expand access to child care for working families. These two funding opportunities have funded the creation of nearly 6,400 child care slots. “Supporting early literacy and healthy development opens doors to success and opportunities for our children and families,” Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau, Kansas Senate District 29, said. “The creation of the Storytime Village Literacy Center will strengthen early childhood development and provide families much-needed access to quality care and resources in my community and across Wichita.” The Governor’s Budget also includes an additional $30 million to continue grant programs that fund the construction of new child care slots.
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

Sedgwick County to create citizens advisory board for 911

Sedgwick County Commissioners have approved the creation of a citizens advisory board for Emergency Communications. 911 director Elora Forshee said the idea began with discussions in 2021 on how to engage the community on the services provided by emergency communications. There is a 911 advisory board that represents first responders, and a board that represents 911 employees, but there has not been a group that provides connections with the community. A citizens board was recommended by a community task force that was looking at standards for the youth corrections system in the aftermath of the September, 2021 death of 17-year-old Cedric Lofton at the juvenile detention center. Forshee said the citizens board will be a great opportunity for the community to provide input on 911 operations, and it will help with community outreach and recruitment. She said the board will have 13 members. There will be a member from each county commission district, one representing Wichita, one representing Derby, a member chosen by cities of the second class, a member representing a city of the third class, a youth member, and three at-large members. Forshee said the Sedgwick County Association of Cities will be asked for recommendations on board members, and the appointments will be made by county commissioners. County Commission chairman Ryan Baty said the board will be a conduit for community engagement and education, and it will give the community a stronger voice on 911.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

KDOT says groundwater affected Bel Aire street project

The Kansas Department of Transportation said groundwater levels caused pavement failure with a street project by the City of Bel Aire. KDOT released the results of an investigation into structural problems with an improvement project on Woodlawn, between 37th and 45th Streets North. The report pointed to different types of clay soils and a higher water table on the north end of the project. Clays on the north side of the project had “significant swell potential” and core samples at the north end of the project were still holding water after the samples were taken. The KDOT report has four options for Bel Aire to consider in fixing the problem, and the costs range from $500,000 to $8 million. Bel Aire officials will look over the report and decide on future actions.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Boot Hill Solar Project to break ground in Ford County in 2025

Sunflower Electric Power Corporation announced this week the state’s largest commercial solar facility will come to Ford County next year, and with it, extra funds for the Dodge City USD 443 School District. The 150-megawatt Boot Hill Solar Project will consist of 300,000 solar modules mounted on a single-axis solar tracking system on 1,000 acres near Sunflower’s Fort Dodge Station, one mile southeast of Dodge City. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 and will take about one year to complete. In lieu of taxes for 10 years, the project will demonstrate good citizenship by providing funding to Dodge City Unified School District No. 443 and Ford County for the benefit of the local community, according to a Sunflower press release. The facility will generate approximately 400,000 megawatt hours annually, which represents about 9% of the Sunflower system’s energy needs. Strategically locating the Boot Hill Solar Project near existing Sunflower assets will provide cost and schedule benefits to all of the member-owners, the release stated. Sunflower is a cooperatively operated wholesale generation and transmission utility serving seven member distribution utilities located in western Kansas, including Victory Electric. “We are always glad when we can provide more value to our members,” Victory CEO Shane Laws said in the release. “Having what will be the state’s largest operating solar facility located in our community makes this project even more exciting. Thank you to everyone who has helped us get to this phase.” Sunflower partnered with Arizona-based Alluvial Power to design and construct the project, and the two entities have executed a power purchase agreement for the energy generated by the Boot Hill Solar Project.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe

Voters choose yes on USD 409 Bond election

The official voting results from last Friday’s special USD 409 Bond election have yielded results showing approval from the voters. The election was done by way of all mailed-out ballots with the deadline for those ballots to be returned to the Atchison County Courthouse the Thursday before the election was held at noon. Although late ballots were taken on Friday that were postmarked on or before election day. A canvass was conducted as part of the County Commission’s regular Tuesday meeting that made the results official. A total of 1,917 votes were counted showing 1,211 cast in support of the $27.3 million bond issue, while 706 voters said no. According to the school district, the $27.3 million bond would come with no increase to the bond and interest mill levy, meaning zero tax increase from those dollars to be used for a wide range of improvements for USD 409. Some specific improvements are the repair and replacement of school facility HVAC systems, as well as facility roofs. Atchison High School would see renovation for a new entrance, upgrades of the band and choir rooms, new turf, for football and baseball, as well as a resurfaced track, and renovation of the locker room. Atchison Elementary School is also slated to benefit from the bond with renovations for a new entrance, a single office suite, Pre-K renovations in the interior of the school as well as safety and security improvements.
Source: County Government | atchisonglobenow.com

City Manager says Manhattan is in “triage mode” as crews work to quickly patch potholes

Manhattan Public Works crews continue to patch potholes across the city, following January’s frigid and wet conditions. City Engineer Brian Johnson says work is continuing on a stretch of Fort Riley Blvd. near Westwood Road, where traffic backed up for Tuesday morning’s commute. City Manager Ron Fehr joined KMAN’s In Focus Tuesday and says the city is essentially in triage mode trying to fix issues as they arise. City crews patched 529 potholes on Monday alone. Fehr says it’s been especially challenging, given the extreme cold spell that the area experienced in January, followed by an almost immediate warmup. Residents wanting to report street issues can do so via the City of Manhattan Report It app, available for Androids and iPhones, or via the city’s website at cityofmhk.com.
Source: 1350 KMAN

City of Lawrence launching new homeless solutions division; homeless programs coordinator to become director

The City of Lawrence is launching its new homeless solutions division, and Misty Bosch-Hastings, who has served as homeless programs coordinator for the city since summer, will serve as its director. Staff members of the HSD will “work with the Lawrence community on ending chronic homelessness, including service providers, advocates, and other parties actively engaged in the work,” according to a city news release Thursday. Bosch-Hastings will oversee the department. The HSD is not replacing the housing initiatives division — “This is just pulling homeless programs out of that division,” Bosch-Hastings said. The HID will still exist under the city’s Planning and Development Services department, she said, and the HSD will be under the city manager’s office. The city does not yet know how many employees the HSD will have, but it does plan to fill the homeless programs coordinator position, Bosch-Hastings said. Prior to her work with the city, Bosch-Hastings worked at the Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries, and she previously served as the housing and homelessness project coordinator/Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) contact for the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services. “Ending chronic homelessness in any community is a huge, monumental task that takes the combined efforts of many organizations and people to find the right solutions,” Bosch-Hastings said in the release. “Fortunately, Lawrence is a community filled with people who care and who want to find solutions to homelessness. I look forward to working with our City team and partners throughout the County to accomplish our goals.” Assistant City Manager Brandon McGuire said in the release that Bosch-Hastings has been an invaluable leader for the team since her first day with the city.
Source: The Lawrence Times

High cancer rates in Russell and Lincoln counties, K-State will test water, air

Researchers want to know why two counties in north-central Kansas have high cancer rates compared to the rest of the state. According to K-State Research and Extension, Russell County has the fourth highest cancer mortality rate per 100,000 population and colorectal cancer rate. Lincoln County has the highest prostate cancer rate and the third-highest lung and bronchus cancer rate. Researchers say they have checked for the usual culprits, such as high alcohol and tobacco use or limited colon cancer screenings, and those do not appear to be the reason for the high cancer rates. Now, they want to check for other potential causes. “We think that groundwater contamination and high radon levels might be at the center of the problem,” the Johnson Cancer Research Center at K-State said in a news release. The researchers will sample water and air in Russell, Lincoln and Ellsworth counties. Ellsworth County will serve as the control in the study. It is right next to Russell and Lincoln counties but does not have high cancer rates. Radon is a radioactive gas often found in homes. It works its way up from the ground, through cracks in the foundation, and becomes trapped in homes. It is called a silent killer because you can’t see, taste or smell it. One in four Kansas homes has high levels of radon.
Source: KSN-TV

Municipal Bond Trends for February 8, 2024

Municipal Bond Trends for February 7, 2024

Topeka Police Chief announces retirement

The Police Chief for the City of Topeka, Bryan Wheeles, is retiring. According to a press release from the City of Topeka, Wheeles will be ending his three-decade long law enforcement career. He has worked in many roles at the Topeka Police Department (TPD) such as: patrol officer, narcotics investigator, homicide detective, a supervisor and many levels of police command and finishing in the highest position as the Chief of Police of the City of Topeka. “We extend our deepest gratitude to Chief Wheeles for his unwavering dedication and years of service to not only his fellow officers, but the city as a whole,” Interim City Manager Richard Nienstedt said. “Chief Wheeles leads by example. His calm, pragmatic, reliable presence in times of crisis is felt far beyond the police department. He is the first to offer help wherever he is needed and he will be deeply missed.” “Thirty years of dedicated police service, within one community, makes me very proud,” Wheeles said. “There are a lot of amazing people working at TPD and it has been an honor, beyond my ability to truly express, to serve beside them all these years. I loved my job and got to make a difference. When you come to the end of a career and look back, it’s hard to ask for more than that. It has been a great ride, in a great community and I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family and seeing what life brings me out of the uniform.” Wheeles will work as Chief of Police until July, 1, 2024.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Commissioners discuss county’s unpaved roads

The combination of recent weather events that adversely impacted unsurfaced roads in Harvey County didn’t show deficiencies in the roads, it created them, according to Jim Meier, director of the Road and Bridge Department for Harvey County. Meier addressed the Harvey County Commissioners on Tuesday morning at the request of Commissioner Becky Reimer after multiple calls and emails on the rough road conditions in January. In his written report, Meier listed a history of regrade projects and major road improvements dating back to 2012, including last year’s big project on N. East Lake Road from NE 60th north 1.75 miles for $43,790. Meier said that regrade projects are very weather-sensitive and can only be performed during certain times of the year. He said the limitations on projects include temperature, moisture and road closure.
Source: Harvey County Now

Commercial solar ban set to expire in March, requirements could be changing

A six-month ban on commercial solar projects in Sedgwick County expires in March. County Commissioners are looking into what needs to change before projects get the green light. The Advanced Plans Committee of the Sedgwick County Planning Department did not recommend changing much when it came to the process of getting a conditional use permit for commercial solar. However, Sedgwick County Commissioner David Dennis raised some red flags during Tuesday morning’s meeting. “Up to this point, we really haven’t given any guidance on what we think ought to go into it,” said Dennis. Currently, there are no size restrictions on solar projects. Dennis said that has to change. “I disagree that there should be no size. We need to come up with a size that’s manageable, and 640 acres is exactly one square mile, and if you put solar panels on one square mile, that’s a pretty good-sized solar project,” said Dennis. Invenergy plans to file for a conditional use permit to build solar panels that would cover 750 acres of unincorporated land in Sedgwick County between Colwich and Maize.
Source: KSN-TV

Lessons for Kansans in Oklahoma City’s unified push on homelessness

Before its passing in 2012, Johnny’s Lunch Box in downtown Oklahoma City was a legendary gathering spot where the coat-and-tie crowd shared tables and banter with the blue-collar multitude. In the early 2000s, Dan Straughn often grabbed a bite there with fellow business and community leaders. The restaurant also provided a window into a perplexing local concern, given that it was located down the street from the main library, which was serving as a de facto day shelter for the homeless. “You could just sit there and watch a parade of stereotypical homeless-looking people walk back and forth,” recalled Straughan, then vice president of the city’s United Way. “One of the oil and gas guys at the table said to us other guys, and it was all guys at the time: ‘This homeless issue never gets better. Every year we put money into the system with our foundations and charitable giving, and the numbers never get any better. Or maybe they do, but do we even know what the numbers are? We’re all smart business guys, we ought to be able to figure this out.’” That conversation marked the beginning of a grassroots community effort to better coordinate homeless services and eventually create the Homeless Alliance, a one-stop center housing various agencies. Wichita appears to be reaching a similar crossroads.
Source: KLC Journal

Commission discusses moratorium on zoning

Commissioner Carl Wood revisited the zoning issue in the county asking County Counselor Jim Emerson for more details on a moratorium. Emerson said that using a moratorium is a way to delay companies from building solar and wind farms as it gives the county time to update its strategic plan, zoning laws, and land usage. This is not a short process but can take a year or more to complete. Commissioners need to adopt a resolution giving Emerson the authority to draft a moratorium and hire an outside consulting firm to review zoning laws and the county’s strategic plan, which Emerson admits needs updating. Many of the county’s rural residents are opposed to countywide zoning laws, fearing it gives the county government the authority to say what is allowed or not allowed on private property. There are other options than zoning the entire county. Cities and towns are already zoned, so extending the boundaries of those zoned areas is one possible solution. Another is zoning only specific parts of the county to allow or disallow construction of alternate energy facilities. Not an advocate of zoning the county, Commissioner Bruce Blair says that some form of zoning is necessary to stop the construction of solar and wind farms in places they are not wanted. While passing zoning laws is a definite yes or no about what can be built where, a moratorium slows the process down and gives the commission and residents time to decide what is the best course of action.
Source: Morning Sun

Busy Bentley resident excited to serve on school board

Reba Lee, a former city council member for five years, looks forward to representing Bentley on the USD-440 Board of Education. Her first meeting was in January. Lee said that once children move from Bentley Primary School to Halstead Middle School, parents don’t give Bentley much of a thought after that, and she gets it. “I feel like sometimes Bentley does get overlooked a little bit, so maybe I can be the voice for Bentley,” Lee said. She thinks her time on the city council will help her term on the school board. “I learned a lot about different things that a lot of people don’t know about the ins and outs of the town, and I feel like I can bring that to the school board; just kind of give a perspective of the school board from Bentley,” Lee said. Lee and her husband have three children—a fifth grader, a fourth grader, and a 2-year-old—and have lived in Bentley for 10 years. Lee used to run childcare camps but said it wasn’t working out with her husband’s crazy deployment schedule, so in 2015, she decided to stay home with her children. Now, her husband runs a construction business and flips homes on the side. She has a pop-up consignment sale she runs three times a year. She also said she has a “small farm” in her backyard containing two pigs, three goats, some ducks, turkeys, chickens and dogs. Plus, she loves to garden. And if that wasn’t enough, the Lees purchased the old Independent office at 220 Main Street and are renovating it into a venue called Magnolia, which will open soon.
Source: Harvey County Now

Norton County Hospital wants sales tax hike for support

Like many smaller Kansas hospitals, Norton County Hospital is dealing with financial issues, and leaders think a countywide sales tax hike could help. It recently sent a letter to the Norton Area Chamber of Commerce asking the Chamber to support a one-cent tax hike. The letter is from Norton County Hospital CEO Kevin Faughnder, Interim CEO Kellen Jacobs, and CFO ReChelle Horinek. They say the hospital’s average operating margin in 2021, 2022, and 2023 ranged from minus 15 to minus 20%. They say the typical operating margin for many Kansas Critical Access Hospitals is minus 11%. Norton County Hospital is dealing with lower insurance reimbursement rates, higher costs of goods and services, and inflation. They say county tax support for NCH in 2021, 2022, and 2023 was 1.1 to 1.4%, while other Kansas Critical Access Hospitals averaged 6%. “According to the American Hospital Association, hospitals need a small profit margin to keep pace with life-sustaining advances in medicine, help support our workforce, and take care of our patients and community,” the letter said. “Approving our request for a one percent sales tax increase moves us closer to that goal and keeps the doors to our hospital open for business.” The letter to the Chamber points out how NCH helps the community by producing outside jobs. “For every one person we employ, we create 0.33 jobs in Norton County outside of the hospital,” the letter said. “We are also a dollar multiplier, meaning for every dollar that we pay out, more than 50% is spent in Norton County.”
Source: KSN-TV

Kansas liquor law changes could let retailers sell wine

New legislation under discussion by state lawmakers could make wine more readily available in Kansas. On Thursday, Feb. 1, Democrat Rep. Dan Osman introduced a new bill to the Committee on Federal and State Affairs, which could make sweeping changes to Kansas’ liquor laws. The legislation, House Bill 2677, authorizes the sale of wine by cereal malt beverage (CMB) retailer licensees in the Sunflower State. If passed in its current state, the bill would alter or insert language in existing state liquor laws allowing for the sale of wine containing not more than 16% alcohol by volume. Under current state law, a CMB license holder may sell or offer for sale any CMB and beer containing not more than 6% alcohol by volume, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue’s website. CMB licenses are generally handled by city or county clerks depending on where the establishment or business is found. These are issued in one of three formats: on-premise, off-premise and special event licenses. Last year, Gov. Laura Kelly signed off on legislation enacting several changes to the state’s liquor laws. These changes included the establishment of common consumption areas, allowing dogs in microbreweries, and allowing for more bars to open on Sundays.
Source: KSN-TV

Fort Scott’s economic development initiative

An economic development initiative was the center of attention tonight in Fort Scott. All part of a proposal by the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team during tonight’s city commission meeting. Officials say, in the last five years, Fort Scott has lost 5 businesses and more than 640 jobs. Part of the collaborative initiative requests $50,000 to support the Center for Economic Growth – and an additional $80 to $100,000 salary to be budgeted by the city to hire an innovation and strategy director. “I think our proposal was very well received. I think every one of those commissioners wants what’s best for this community, so just to be able to start the conversation was important to us,” said Jody Love, Healthy Bourbon County Action Team founder. The proposal was tabled during tonight’s meeting. Commissioners did approve $40,000 requested by Bourbon County REDI.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Kansas City, Kansas, recorded its least deadly year in a decade. Police watchdogs are taking notice

Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department statistics show a significant reduction in violent crime during Chief Karl Oakman’s first two years as head of the agency, and community watchdogs say the changes are commendable. After decades that reinforced the department’s reputation as a corrupt force that failed to respond to a large violent crime problem — which past FBI reports confirm — the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department appears to be making strides toward better results. That’s even as former KCKPD Detective Roger Golubski faces a federal criminal trial on allegations that he was a dirty cop who protected drug dealers and serially abused Black women. Not including police shootings, KCKPD reported 24 homicides in 2023, the lowest since 2012, when there were 22. (On the other side of the state line, in Kansas City, Missouri, police recorded the city’s deadliest year, with 182 homicides.) LaDora Lattimore, who headed a domestic violence shelter in KCK for more than 40 years and now leads the Law Enforcement Advisory Board, said she’s been “more than impressed” with Oakman’s work. The 75-year-old Lattimore, who said she’s worked with “many, many, many” chiefs over the years, could name only one other that she thought did a good job. “We can’t negate the fact that he is a law enforcement officer and yet he approaches it from a global perspective,” Lattimore said. “He knows the officers can’t just respond (to crime) and not have community support.” Oakman, who took over the embattled department in June 2021, said he believes the community needs to trust police, but he also believes police must trust the community. If they don’t, he said, they will only respond to 911 calls and not invest in people.
Source: KCUR News

KS Supreme Court closes school funding lawsuit

A new move by the Kansas Supreme Court could make it harder for schools to argue they’re fairly funded. The state Supreme Court closed a years-long funding lawsuit Tuesday. It required the state to meet adequacy and equity requirements in financing public education. If the budget didn’t meet that requirement, it could be challenged. Since that ruling, the Kansas Supreme Court held oversight over K-12 education funding, and the state fully funded it for the last five years. Now, the court is ending that oversight, and schools would have to start from scratch to challenge budgets. Schools would have to file a new lawsuit in a lower court and work their way up. “The legislature must not take this ruling as license to cut funding from our public schools and crush an entire generation of Kansas students. Our schools have made so much progress over the past five years because we’ve fully funded K-12 education. Our students can’t afford to turn back the clock – not back to tax experiments funded by school budget cuts, to 4-day school weeks, or to costly lawsuits. I am committed to standing against any and all attempts to strip our schools of the funding they need to prepare our students for success.” Statement from Governor Laura Kelly (D)
Source: KSNT 27 News

Streets dominate Frontenac discussion

The Frontenac City Council spent most of Monday night’s meeting talking about an issue that many city governments are wrestling with this time of year – streets, potholes and repair. One group of citizens turned out with questions and concerns about the condition of North Sugar Creek Road. Others were there to talk about Barbara Lane and Herman Lane in northwest Frontenac and at least one was there with concerns about the future of Free King Highway. City Administrator John Zafuta said the city was aware of the problems on Sugar Creek Road, which have worsened rapidly because of winter weather and heavy truck traffic serving the Sugar Creek Packing Plant and the Diamond Dog Food Plant. “There are about 100 yards, there, where it looks like the top 3 inches have just collapsed,” Zafuta said. “We had hoped to get through to next year, because there are some state funds that could be available.” Zafuta said he is working with Triad Environmental to assess the stretch of road and make suggestions about what might be done to stabilize it and keep it from deteriorating further until a permanent solution can be found. That permanent solution will have to take into account not only the current truck traffic, but anticipated growth in the future. “According to them (officials with Diamond Dog Food and Sugar Creek Packing), we could see another 200 trucks a day in a couple of years,” Zafuta said. He’ll share the information he gets from Triad with the council, Zafuta said, so they can discuss how to move forward.
Source: Morning Sun

County and many cities struggling with available housing

Several cities and parts of rural Harvey County have common ground with a shortage of houses on the market and limited available land to build more housing. After an unprecedented increase in housing appraisal costs that was determined by market value, realtors in the area said the increase was being driven by a lack of houses on the market. Several cities confirmed that was the case but said one of the problems they were facing was limited land for housing. Karen Rothe, Harvey County’s planning, zoning and environmental director, manages housing starts for the rural areas in the county. Rothe said there were 15 housing starts for 2023. Rothe said she has noticed that houses on the market go quickly and new houses aren’t being built. She said new builds have slowed because some people wanting to build have to wait with the increased costs in materials. She added that when people move, fewer houses are being added to the market with the rise in Airbnbs in the county. After being approved to split off a five-acre lot from a 40-acre lot, she said this practice has become quite popular. She said she gets frequent phone calls asking her what the smallest size split is allowed or how many splits are allowed.
Source: Harvey County Now

Property values rise again

Allen County residents can expect to see a potential 10-25 percent increase in property valuations this year, according to Allen County Appraiser Jami Clark. “That doesn’t mean every single property,” Clark clarified to county commissioners Tuesday morning. “We might come across a property that we think can hold its current valuation.” The appraiser’s office will send valuations out April 1. Clark noted that properties sometimes get undervalued or overvalued. “It goes both ways,” she said. “It is not as often to be overvalued.” Giving an example, she noted that one house valued at $263,000 recently sold for $260,000. “So, we were within 10%, but we were $3,000 over,” she said. In contrast, a house was valued at $11,000 that sold for $36,000. Another was valued at $148,800 that sold for $205,000. “These undervalued houses are why the valuations are increasing 10 to 25 percent,” noted Commissioner Bruce Symes. Clark agreed. “We look at what’s happened in the last year and determine what we consider the interest to be on how much difference there is from our valuations to what they actually sold for,” Clark explained. “Most likely, we’ve undervalued rather than overvalued.” From valuation to sale price, the state gives the county a leeway of 10 percent. “People say we’re just ‘assuming’ when we make the valuations,” said Clark. “That’s all we can do. Assume what’s going on with the dwelling. By seeing a new roof and windows, we assume they’ve remodeled the house. So, we say that it’s been remodeled.” Clark added she encourages people who are thinking about signing up for the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) to visit with her to clear up any confusion on how it works. The program offers a tax rebate to property owners who make improvements, such as new structures or remodeling efforts, to their properties. The rebate is equal to the amount their property taxes increase because of the improvements.
Source: The Iola Register

A one-of-a-kind behavioral health facility is coming to Fort Scott

Ft. Scott to soon be home to a one-of-a-kind behavioral health facility. “You know, we all need health care. As you know, in 2019, we lost our hospital and recently lost our E.R.. So we’re always looking to a different kind of health care. And this need is going to bring in doctors, etc,” said James Harris, Bourbon County Chairman Commissioner. The Kansas Renewal Institute will soon take over the former Mercy Hospital Fort Scott facility. Officials say the incoming provider will be designed to treat both children and adults, offering several services, including comprehensive addiction support. “We’ll be accepting patients for the whole continuum of care from detox stabilization through outpatient. So obviously we have a large enough space here. We can do multiple units. We’re serving adolescents and adults for detox, residential, and then as well as outpatient services here too,” said Jonathan Gross, JGHealthcare Solutions CEO. The JGHealthcare Solutions CEO says they want to be more than just a local facility, and instead be, quote, “a beacon of hope for the entire state of Kansas.” “It’s important to be able to offer all those services to meet the needs of the community. So will we see a big need for eating disorders versus substance use disorders and mental health? We want to be duly licensed to be able to provide all those services depending on the need that we see,” said Gross.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Study examines teacher retention in Kansas

As the K-12 teacher shortage increases across the U.S., including in Kansas, school districts are looking for answers on how to recruit and keep teachers. In Kansas, organizations including the Educator Perceptions and Insights Center are educating school districts one by one. EPIC is trying to combat the 31% increase in teachers leaving the profession from 2020 to 2022, which resulted in a projected economic impact of $49 million due to teacher turnover, the organization said. As of 2022, there were 55,000 teacher vacancies nationwide, as reported by Teacher Shortages in the U.S. In Kansas, the number of shortages from 2022 to 2023 was more than 1,600, with a profession dropout rate of 11% after the 2021-22 school year, the Teacher Shortages website reported. As of October 2022, 18% of all public schools had at least one vacancy and more than one quarter had more vacancies, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. EPIC and Emporia State University, in collaboration with the Kansas National Education Association, Kansas Association of School Boards and the United School Administrators-Kansas, surveyed approximately 60% — or 24,000 respondents — of K-12 Kansas educators. The average age of those surveyed was 43, with 44% classified as Generation X and 38% being millennials. The majority of those surveyed have worked in more than one district. What the survey found is teachers are looking for a number of items, including higher pay and support. The support includes help with finding substitute teachers, more mental-health services, more planning time, more development opportunities and better leadership on school boards.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Municipal Bond Trends for February 6, 2024

Leaders to consider new hearing process for some violations of Douglas County’s animal code

Douglas County leaders will soon consider a new process for enforcing the county’s animal code — specifically, for handling cases where people with animals that are dangerous or a nuisance have repeatedly failed to comply with the rules. At their meeting on Wednesday, county commissioners will consider implementing an administrative hearing process for animal code violations to either enforce citations or provide other avenues to resolve complaints. Currently, there are no formal sanctions or fines for violating the animal code, and cases are exclusively resolved through a process facilitated by the Lawrence Humane Society, which the county has contracted with since 2022 to enforce the code in unincorporated areas of the county.
Source: LJWorld

Grow Hays’ “Secret Sauce”

Throughout the state, Grow Hays is recognized as unique and Executive Director credit’s this to a “secret sauce,” the organization’s strong relationships with municipalities, governing agencies, the business community and with individuals and organizations within the Community who do not provide funding, such as USD489.
Source: Hays Daily News

Lawmakers eye school finance policy change: Law would help growing districts, hurt shrinking ones

A controversial proposed change to school finance law would benefit district with growing enrollment while hurting ones with declining enrollment. Legislators are considering House Bill 2485 and Senate Bill 386, which would require school funding to be based on the current school year or the preceding school year. The Senate version could be passed out of a committee this week.
Source: CJonline

Municipal Bond Trends for February 5, 2024

El Dorado launches transportation study

In an effort to understand current transportation issues that affect citizens and businesses, the City of El Dorado has hired JEO Consulting Group of Wichita to gather information for them, costing $194,420. JEO created a survey that covers all areas of the city and asks questions relating to all modes of transportation, safety issues, maintenance, and the future of city roads. At the end of the study, the City will be able to create a transportation master plan that creates a vision for all modes of transportation over the next 25 years, provide framework to implement a sustainable transportation system, and identify projects that improve safety and mobility as well as future projects that can support El Dorado’s development. The public engagement portion of the study kicked off on Tuesday evening, Jan. 30 at the Civic Center. From 4:30-6:30pm employees from JEO and City Engineer Director Scott Rickard were present to answer questions and guide community members through the graphics displayed and explained what the study will do. Community members were given a questionnaire to fill out that allowed them to voice their concerns and took count of the ways people travel in the city. While the questionnaire is available for citizens to take, informational graphics similar to the ones at the kickoff event will be displayed at City Hall, Bradford Memorial Library, and the Senior Center. All of the questionnaires will remain anonymous and can be done digitally through March 31.
Source: Andover American

Museum opens exhibit on GCHS history book

The Finney County Historical Museum has a new short-term exhibit in its Front Door Gallery. The exhibit features more than 30 images from the coffee table book “Life and Times of the Buffaloes” by local author Brett Marshall about the history of Garden City High School, as well as a small collection of artifacts from the museum’s own collection, USD 456/Garden City Public Schools and from Mike Wade of Traditions Soda and Sandwich Shop. The exhibit will be on display through the end of April. Marshall wrote the book in partnership with USD 457 over a two-and-a-half-year period, it was released in September 2023. The graphic design of the book was handled by Josh Harbour and much of the research and the early-day photographs came from the museum’s archives. The book has 12 chapters which outline the development of public education in Garden City, dating back to the 1880s, and concluding with the graduation and highlights of the 2022-23 school year. Steve Quakenbush, executive director of the museum, said museum staff decided to make the book and the history of GCHS its theme for the Front Door Gallery because of how comprehensive the book was and its popularity in the community. “We thought why not give people a chance to see some highlights from it?” he said. “It is history, it’s Garden City history that touches the lives of a lot of people, just about anyone who ever attended Garden City High School. It just seemed like a natural thing to do.”
Source: Garden City Telegram

Earthquake in Oklahoma felt across Kansas

The U.S. Geological Survey says a 5.1 magnitude earthquake Friday was recorded around 11:24 p.m. with the epicenter of the earthquake in Prague, Oklahoma. Residents in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, along with Oklahoma all reporting furniture shaking and cabinet doors opening. Most humans can feel a magnitude 2.5 or higher according to geological experts. If you felt Friday’s earthquake, you can report it to the USGS online.
Source: KSN-TV

Why firefighters are setting fires in Reno County

People in Reno County may have seen or smelled smoke Friday. The Hutchinson Fire Department had some firefighters start fires as part of its mitigation efforts ahead of wildfire season. They were burning a ditch on Buhler/Haven Road on Friday afternoon. “Every year we go around our territory and pick out four to five places we feel are concerns,” Jeremy Unruh, HFD division chief of operations, said. “We’re looking for the fuel type in the fields, how thick it is, and we compare that against recent incidents we’ve had.” He said burning a ditch gives some protection since many fires start along roadways, possibly from discarded cigarettes or chains dragged along the pavement, creating sparks. The goal is that the controlled fires now will help prevent grass fires from starting in the coming months. The fires also help train crews. According to the Kansas Forest Service, recent moisture helps in the short term but also creates more fuel for fires and causes problems for crews. “When we do have fires that start, and our fire departments try to get out into the fields to put them out, with the ground being so wet, the chances of getting fire trucks stuck and those kinds of things go up a lot,” said Rodney Redinger, Kansas Forest Service asst. fire management officer of operations and training. Another thing that can cause grass fires is when four-wheelers get stuck in tall grass. If that happens, Redinger says to shut the vehicle off to prevent hot exhaust from starting a fire.
Source: KSN-TV

Aerospace manufacturer plans to bring 150 jobs to Johnson County with $84M expansion

The Honeywell aerospace manufacturing facility in Olathe is planning an $84 million expansion, expected to create more than 150 new jobs, officials announced on Friday. The Olathe plant is just south of the intersection of Kansas Highways 7 and 10. The 560,000-square-foot facility manufactures parts for avionics, safety and flight control systems, radio frequency systems and weather radar, according to a news release. “Expanding this facility will enable the development of a strong and resilient domestic supply chain for next-generation avionics and printed circuit board assemblies that our commercial and military customers can rely on,” Honeywell Aerospace Technologies President and CEO Jim Currier said in the release. “At Honeywell, we are in constant need of highly skilled employees, particularly in engineering and advanced manufacturing, and our decision to expand one of our U.S.-based facilities is a testament to the confidence we have in the U.S. economy and its talented workforce.” Last month, the Olathe City Council approved an agreement with the Kansas Department of Commerce for a company — which at the time was unnamed and only dubbed “Project Amber” — to receive money from the state’s Job Creation Fund. Honeywell will receive $4 million over several years, including $500,000 from city real estate taxes generated on the site. The company agreed to create 156 jobs in the first five years of the agreement.
Source: Joco 913 News

Municipal Bond Trends for February 2, 2024

Topeka hopes to lure migrants with work authorization to fill some of its thousands of open jobs

While many American cities are struggling with large numbers of newly arrived migrants, Topeka is inviting anyone and everyone with permission to work in the U.S. to come its way. Like a lot of smaller cities, the Kansas capital is grappling with near-stagnant population growth and an unemployment rate well below the national average, according to city and economic-development officials. Finding people to fill its roughly 6,600 open jobs has been a struggle, they say. The Greater Topeka Partnership, an economic-development group, has been trying to sell people on the city with its “Choose Topeka” marketing campaign, which it started in 2019. Last year, it decided to direct those efforts toward immigrants, especially those from Spanish-speaking countries.
Source: Wall Street Journal