Municipal News & Jobs

Residents would be able to make reservations for the county’s three parks – Lake Afton Park, Sedgwick County Park, and Northeast Sedgwick County Park – or sign up for recreational programs through the city’s current reservation system, according to a proposal city and county officials heard Tuesday.
Source: Wichita Eagle

With one of the goals of the City of Halstead being code enforcement and building maintenance, the city is considering experimenting with a new code enforcement plan.
Source: Harvey County Now

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

Harvey County put out a release stating that Kevin Frymire will begin working as its next county administrator on May 27. The commission made the hiring decision following a Wednesday special meeting. Frymire lives in Newton and has served as the executive director of Dove Estates, a nursing facility in Goddard, since 2018. Before Dove Estates, he was the CEO of Villa Maria, another long-term care facility and rehab center in Mulvane.
Source: Harvey County Now

Sedgwick County residents in the Bentley and Mount Hope area have until Thursday, May 22, to submit comments/objections to the suggested changes to floodplain mapping, according to Joanna Rohlf, floodplain mapping coordinator for the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) – Division of Water Resources. The KDA held a flood risk and insurance open house Tuesday afternoon at the Bentley City Hall to discuss updating the floodplain maps around the Bentley and Mount Hope areas in Sedgwick County.
Source: Harvey County Now

Pierre Lisk arrived in Iola a few months back in order to renovate and rent out apartments in town. He may have found a place to call home in the process. A mechanical engineer by trade, Lisk through the years had  begun looking at real estate investments — apartment complexes, in particular. Pierre Lisk has renovated the old Head Start building at the intersection of Sycamore and Broadway streets into a six-unit apartment complex. On top of the Head Start building, which is already at 100% occupancy (including one Airbnb rental), he acquired the Jones Jewelry building on the courthouse square, and the Bolling’s Meat Market building at the intersection of Madison and State streets.
Source: The Iola Register

Developers of a proposed battery energy storage system in rural Allen County may delay its plans to 2026. The project is pegged at about $300 million. While Allen County’s Planning and Zoning Board is closing in on finalizing regulations for a proposed battery energy storage system (BESS), the potential project itself is on hold. The company behind the proposal, Mission Clean Energy, initially intended to submit an application in mid-March but has since delayed its plans, possibly until 2026.
Source: The Iola Register

In a collaborative effort to meet the growing need for quality, affordable housing, the City of Pittsburg, in cooperation with Crawford County and USD 250 Board of Education, is proud to announce the launch of the City Housing Incentive Program (CHIP). CHIP is a strategic initiative designed to stimulate residential development by offering grant funding to licensed contractors who build and sell single-family homes to qualified buyers within the city limits of Pittsburg. The program aims to support local builders, foster homeownership, and strengthen the community by expanding access to affordable housing options.
Source: City of Pittsburg

The City of Coffeyville has awarded $88,801.29 in grant funding to nine local property and business owners through the Historic Downtown Revitalization Grant Program. These funds will help improve building exteriors and preserve the unique character of downtown, while supporting continued investment in the area. In addition to the city’s investment, recipients are contributing $27,933.76 in private funds—bringing the total reinvestment into the downtown district to $116,735.05.
Source: Coffeyville, KS – News Flash

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the Kansas Department of Commerce has awarded more than $1.5 million in Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) funding to support 19 projects revitalizing downtown buildings across the state. When matched with more than $6.4 million in local contributions, this round of HEAL funding brings the total investment to approximately $7.9 million. By providing matching grants through a competitive process, HEAL helps communities transform vacant spaces into thriving hubs for businesses, housing, childcare, arts, civic activities and entrepreneurship. These awards are designed to breathe new life into rural downtown districts. In doing so, HEAL fosters reinvestment, encourages community engagement and boosts the overall economic health of Kansas communities. 
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the Kansas Department of Commerce has awarded $758,250 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to three Kansas communities: Burlingame, Lyon County and Overbrook. This year, the program allocated a total of $2.5 million in funding to support the revitalization of commercial properties throughout the state.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

It hasn’t been all blue skies for Hillsboro’s and Marion’s proposed solar farms since the cities agreed to lease the land to Kansas Power Pool in late 2023. The solar farms have faced lengthy bureaucratic roadblocks, and the opening date for the farms is now June 2026, a year and a half later than planned. But the sun has been shining brighter recently.
Source: Marion County RECORD

On Wednesday, April 23, the Holcomb Police Department conducted a proactive traffic safety initiative, titled Operation “Yellow Bus”, aimed at promoting school bus safety and protecting our community’s children. As part of the operation, Holcomb Police officers rode along on several school bus routes to monitor for motorists violating Kansas school bus stop sign laws and other related traffic safety regulations. The HPD reported that no violations were observed during the course of the operation.
Source: Garden City Telegram

Johnson County’s two biggest water suppliers are holding the course on water fluoridation, with no plans to stop as anti-fluoridation views gain traction nationally. Both WaterOne, which provides water service for 17 Johnson County cities, as well as the city of Olathe, which operates its own water department, have taken note of an uptick of residents with concerns about fluoridation.
Source: Johnson County Post

Prairie Village residents who want to will soon be able to drop off compost waste at two sites as part of a new pilot program. The Prairie Village City Council on Monday voted 8-4 to approve a roughly $6,000 contract with KC Can Compost for a six-month pilot that will offer free drop-off composting to residents. Councilmembers Terry O’Toole, Inga Selders, Lori Sharp and Nick Reddell cast the dissenting votes.
Source: Johnson County Post

Prairie Village will donate nearly $23,000 $22,900 to its Ukrainian sister city for “medicine and other humanitarian goods.” On Monday, the Prairie Village City Council in an 8-4 vote approved the donation totaling $22,900 to its longtime sister city Dolyna, Ukraine — which is in the western part of the country in the Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, or district. Councilmembers Terry O’Toole, Lori Sharp, Tyler Agniel and Nick Reddell voted against sending the financial assistance to Dolyna.
Source: Johnson County Post

When Greg Thompson’s home was being built, he stopped by the construction site so much that some began calling him “the superintendent.” Often, Thompson peppered the construction crew with questions. His palpable excitement stemmed from years spent doing construction work – and the fact that, in his 60s, this would be Thompson’s first time buying a home. The nonprofit HOPE Community Development Corporation built and sold the home to Thompson for $105,000, about $75,000 less than it cost to build.
Source: KLC Journal

A new housing development in southwest Kansas is bringing more affordable housing to the area. The workforce is growing in Dodge City, and local leaders hope this new development will significantly reduce the need to house those workers. The Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) says rural Kansas needs more homes. To keep up with demand, 3,800 to 4,800 new housing units are needed each year.
Source: KSN-TV

Wichita city leaders are saying that something has got to give to address the city’s expected budget deficit. It’s in the millions of dollars. Council members are debating whether a property tax or a sales tax could address the shortfall. At Tuesday’s City Council workshop, council members debated the budget shortfall and possible solutions, including adding a 1% sales tax and/or raising the mill levy for property taxes.
Source: KSN-TV