Kansas Municipal News
Meeting to discuss possible sales tax hike set
The Jackson County Commissioners will host a special meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30, at the first floor meeting room at the Jackson County Courthouse to discuss the possibility of increasing the county sales tax by one percent, from 1.4 percent to 2.4 percent, it was reported. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to share their feedback. During the county public hearing last month to exceed the revenue neutral rate, some residents in attendance voiced their support for raising the county sales tax in order to help reduce the county mill levy. Jackson County currently has a 1.4 percent sales tax rate, which includes a special .4 percent sales tax for road and bridge improvements and for each of the county’s cities. The special .4 percent sales tax was renewed by voters in November 2019 and will be in place for seven years. According to the Kansas Department of Revenue, Jackson County’s sale tax has generated $1,703,815.10 this year through August. During the same time period in 2023, the tax generated $1,554,779.53.
Source: Holton Recorder
Hospital subsidy pitched here
Although “the sky isn’t falling,” as Holton Community Hospital CEO Carrie Lutz told members of the Holton City Commission and Jackson County Commission at their meetings on Monday, the hospital is facing some financial issues with Medicare reimbursement and pandemic-related problems that have hospital leaders asking city and county officials to consider a subsidy, possibly in the form of a sales tax. “You are elected officials, and our county, state and federal officials need to know that decisions you make can impact us,” Lutz told county commissioners. Lutz met with county commissioners on Monday afternoon and with city commissioners that evening to discuss the hospital’s challenges and successes in the past few years, noting that while the hospital’s recent expansion allows extra services to be offered and annual revenue has doubled from $22 million to $44 million between 2013 and 2013, there’s still a need for financial assistance.
Source: Holton Recorder
COVID-19 wastewater data spiked in JoCo. Here’s why local officials aren’t worried.
Despite a short-lived spike in wastewater data for northeast Johnson County last month, the overall trend of COVID-19 infections in the county and statewide has been on the decline, according to data from the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment. As the next cold and flu season approaches, the county’s website shows that while sewage monitoring systems show Kansas with “very high” levels of COVID virus, the overall trend is likely downward. Activity for flu and respiratory syncytial virus in wastewater also is minimal statewide, according to the site. Source: Johnson County Post
Overland Park to cut down lanes on stretch of Santa Fe Drive, add room for bikes
Overland Park intends to try out a road diet on a chunk of Santa Fe Drive next year. On Wednesday, the Overland Park City Council Public Works Committee unanimously recommended approval of the infrastructure maintenance program plan for 2025. That plan identifies Santa Fe for street preservation work, and when that’s complete, the city will repaint the pavement markers to match the new traffic pattern. Director of Public Works Lorraine Basalo said the road diet would narrow Santa Fe Drive from four lanes to two lanes between Antioch Road and Robinson Street, about where the road already narrows as it moves into downtown Overland Park. The eliminated lanes will then be converted into “buffered bike lanes,” she said, though no new walls or barriers are planned at this time.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Redlining helped spur disinvestment in Wichita’s urban core. How much is an in-fill plan changing that legacy?
Just over half of all demolitions in Wichita and Sedgwick County in the last decade were of single-family homes. Of those, nearly a quarter occurred in ZIP code 67214. The area had the most single-family demolitions of any other ZIP code over the last decade. The population there is majority Black and majority Hispanic. Parts of all six ZIP codes in Wichita’s urban core, including much of 67214, touch areas that were formerly redlined. “Redlining” refers to a practice adopted by the Homeowners Loan Corp., a government-sponsored corporation born out of the Great Depression. Almost a century ago, the practice was used to categorize neighborhoods according to how secure the area was for mortgaging. Those areas graded as the least-desirable were shaded in red on the maps, leading to use of the term “redlined.” “HOLC did not invent redlining, as life insurance companies previously discriminated in this way, nor did HOLC circulate its maps beyond a small group of government officials,” according to On The Line, a book by Trinity College professor Jack Dougherty, who works with students and community partners to analyze the relationship between schooling and housing in the city and suburbs of Hartford, Connecticut. Though the corporation’s maps did not cause redlining, they reflect the racist and elitist perspectives of the federal officials who created them, the book says, and the vestiges of the maps and the perspectives they reflect remain today.
In 1937, 64% of the city of Wichita was redlined by those maps. That made it the third-most redlined city in the country. Redlining contributed to generational wealth gaps that still plague Black Americans. Even today, in areas that were previously redlined, it can be a struggle for residents to secure loans, including for refinance or renovation.
Source: KLC Journal
EPA awards Iola School District $690k for clean buses
The U.S. Environment Protection Agency is set to present a $690,000 ceremonial check to the Iola Unified School District. The check is part of the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program. The program funds electric buses, which produce zero-tailpipe emissions, as well as propane and compressed natural gas buses, which produce lower tailpipe emissions compared to existing school buses. According to the EPA, the school district will use the funds to purchase two electric school buses and install charging infrastructure. The presentation is set for Thursday, September 26 at 11 a.m. at the Iola Elementary School.
Source: KOAM News
Watch: Local firefighters receive training on how to put out natural gas fires
Black Hills Energy partnered with around 50 firefighters on Thursday night to train them how to respond to natural gas fires. The training was held at Colwich Memorial Park. In addition to pipeline safety presentations, Black Hills Energy helped conduct live-fire, hands-on training exercises to allow firefighters to practice containing and extinguishing natural gas fires under controlled circumstances. Black Hills Energy said the Colwich training is one of a series of fire safety seminars the company is offering to fire departments in Kansas. The company also educates firefighters about the various characteristics of natural gas so they can safely and effectively manage natural gas incidents.
Source: KSN-TV
School building consolidations being considered across Kansas this year
School building consolidations are being considered across Kansas this year. The Wichita and Garden City school districts are considering merging and closing some school buildings. One much smaller community, Healy, plans to dissolve its district altogether. The Garden City Public Schools Board of Education met Thursday night to consider whether to approve a plan to close three elementary school buildings. Following our 6 p.m. broadcast, Garden City Public Schools announced that the board rejected the recommendation in a 4-3 vote. They are not the only ones who have thought of building consolidation this year. Across Kansas, Wichita Public School’s Board of Education voted to move forward with its facilities master plan, which would close four elementary schools. Experts at the Kansas State Department of Education say this year is comparable with past years. They say school districts consider closing buildings for many reasons, including population shifts across cities, declining school enrollment due to a lack of children in the area, and aging buildings that are no longer sustainable. Some districts are also shifting to move students from multiple smaller buildings to one big building for staffing efficiency.
Source: KSN-TV
Fluoride in drinking water poses enough risk to merit new EPA action, judge says
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to further regulate fluoride in drinking water because high levels could pose a risk to the intellectual development of children. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that it’s not certain that the amount of fluoride typically added to water is causing lower IQ in kids, but he concluded that mounting research points to an unreasonable risk that it could be. He ordered the EPA to take steps to lower that risk, but didn’t say what those measures should be. It’s the first time a federal judge has made a determination about the neurodevelopmental risks to children of the recommended U.S. water fluoride level, said Ashley Malin, a University of Florida researcher who has studied the effect of higher fluoride levels in pregnant women.
Source: KSN-TV
Kansas seeks public input to improve state water resources
With the help of Kansans’ feedback, Kansas departments are looking for ways to improve water resources across the state. A local water consult meeting was held at Memorial Auditorium in Pittsburg. Its goal is to implement a plan for the 2022 Kansas Water Plan by getting feedback on how much money should be spent, how it should be spent, and what projects should be created. Participants split up into discussion groups to talk about what they value and want to see out of the water system. For some residents, their focus was on the economic and environmental impacts.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Topeka leaders to vote on homeless camp crackdown
Capital city leaders are set to vote on changes to the city’s camping ordinance that would expand restrictions on where camping is permitted. A proposal brought by councilmembers Christina Valdivia-Alcala and Neil Dobler would prohibit camps within 500 feet of any public infrastructure. The current limit is 300 feet. The suggested changes also include expanding the definition of “public infrastructure” to include government buildings and facilities related to public utilities, among other areas.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Are common consumption areas coming to Manhattan?
Manhattan city leaders are considering common consumption in areas of the Little Apple. The Manhattan Commission hosted a work session meeting Tuesday, Sept. 25 where the discussion of common consumption areas (CCA) took place. CCA’s would differ from special events, which are what Manhattan currently allows, where streets get closed off and it’s limited to specific days and times, as well as specific areas, like Aggieville and City Park. In April 2023, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed a bill allowing cities to create their own common consumption areas.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Commissioners get update on solar project
Labette County commissioners on Monday heard an update on a 400-megawatt solar energy project that is proposed for North and Neosho townships in northeast Labette County. Mark Randall of AES Clean Energy discussed the project with commissioners. He’d talked to commissioners earlier this year about the project. The solar energy project has acres leased at this time and will not need more. There are about 10 landowners who are leasing to AES, Randall said. The energy produced by the solar panels will be sent to an AES substation to be built north of U.S. 400 in the area of Victory Road. From there, a transmission line will carry that energy southeast to Evergy’s Neosho Substation. AES has been completing studies and finishing land work. Randall said with zoning regulations in place, AES is working toward seeking a conditional use permit from the county planning commission and zoning administrator to allow the solar collection sites, which also include a battery storage component, the substation and the transmission line to Neosho.
Source: Parsons Sun
Municipal Bond Trends for September 26, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Suits against Topeka fire department advance
Discrimination lawsuits by two retired Topeka Fire Department captains are moving toward trial in the wake of Topeka’s city government’s having been found last week to have discriminated against two female police administrators.
Source: CJonline
Visit Lindsborg wants people chatting up Little Sweden
A city in the middle of Kansas, with a population of less than 4,000 people will soon be known to people across parts of the United States, and even into Canada. This comes after the Lindsborg Convention and Visitors Bureau is taking a risk and spending money to reach new audiences with advertising.
Source: Salina Journal
Municipal Bond Trends for September 25, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Municipal Bond Trends for September 24, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Governor Kelly Announces 14 Grant Recipients for Rural Champions Program
Governor Laura Kelly announced today the 14 grant recipients of the Rural Champions program’s second cohort. The selected Rural Champions will join a growing statewide network of grassroots individuals tackling critical projects in their respective rural communities. “Since day one, my administration has been focused on the needs of our rural communities and the quality of life in every region of the state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Creating the Office of Rural Prosperity was only the beginning of our support for rural Kansans and their needs. By developing the Rural Champions program, we are assisting communities to find local solutions to specific local challenges.” Inspired by a Kansas Sampler Foundation report, the Office of Rural Prosperity, in collaboration with the Patterson Family Foundation, created the Rural Champions program as a way for rural communities to move the needle in areas where a lack of capital or other resources hinders necessary progress. The Rural Champions program provides a one-year wage stipend of $20,800 to each community, along with training and resources. Communities also will receive up to $25,000 at the end of the year to move into the implementation phase of their projects.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Library looks to expand tax area
The Arkansas City Public Library is hoping to generate more income by expanding its taxing boundaries from the city limits to the borders of the entire USD 470 District. Library Director Mendy Pfannenstiel said those outside of the city limits are able to make used of the library but don’t pay taxes to support it. While Ark City residents most recently paid 6 mills, those in rural areas currently pay 1.229 mills to the South-Central Kansas Library System in Hutchinson. The expanded boundaries would bring in an estimated $700,000 compared to the current $450,000 for library operations. That’s if voters approve it. A question on the ballot this Nov. 5 for voters in the USD 470 District will ask whether they agree to expand the library taxing boundaries. Most voters — those living in the city limits — would see a small reduction in their property tax levied by the library. The reduction to 5 mills would equal $57, about $12 less, on a $100,000 property. But those outside the city limits and within the school district boundaries would pay about $40 more on that same $100,000. “In other words, all patrons of USD 470 would pay the same to support the Arkansas City Library,” Pfannenstiel said. The extra $250,000 would be unused to improve services and extend the library’s outreach to disadvantaged and rural areas. They could provide programs such as the bookmobile, along with early childhood literacy and family support to those areas. Rural citizens would also be able to make use of services such as the Libby digital book service, which allows them to check out electronic books at no charge. The additional funds would also put the library in a better position to update the local facility and its outdated furnishings and technology, she added.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler