Kansas Municipal News
City of Leon plans for $1.1 million splash park
On Monday evening the City of Leon passed two resolutions approving the City to apply for grants to secure funds for a splash park with the price tag of $1,134,410. The potential splash park has been in the works since this summer after BG Consultants, (Manhattan, KS), and Ranson Financial, (Wichita, KS), presented renderings and finances to the City Council in August. The $1.1 million price tag includes the splash park, with dimensions of 70ft x 65ft, or 4,550 sq ft total, an outdoor covered pavilion, with dimensions of 16ft 8in x 21ft 6in with benches and shade, and a building that will include two public restrooms and a pump/filtration room for the water with dimension of 22ft 8in x 16ft 8in. The park will be in the City of Leon’s Park located at 202 South St. The city plans to take out the sand volleyball pits and excavate the splash park in its place due to low usage of the pits. The park will include 18 water features for all ages of children ranging from interactive water sprayers, in ground bubblers, tube sprayers, and more while being ADA accessible. The plans include distinguished sections for young toddlers and older children alike.
Source: Andover American
Municipal Bond Trends for September 17, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Prairie Village goes back on track to ban short-term rentals
The city of Prairie Village has reversed course and is now back to its original idea to ban short-term rentals. The Prairie Village City Council on Monday during its committee meeting unanimously directed city staff to draft an ordinance that limits rentals to operate on a 30-day stay minimum, effectively banning short-term rentals like AirBnbs or Vrbos that are typically booked for weekend or week-long stays.
Source: Johnson County Post
Shawnee celebrates 25 years of firefighter swaps with German city
After 25 years, an annual firefighter exchange program between Shawnee and its sister city in Germany continues to strengthen its connection. For 10 days, firefighters from Erfurt, Germany, and Shawnee exchange places, living with local families, taking in a different culture and trading ideas on how to respond to emergencies. It’s a program that’s been going on since 1998, when the two cities established it as a way to improve connections.
Source: Johnson County Post
Leawood considers how to improve its city-wide tree canopy
If the tree near the street in front of your house gets sick, should it be the city’s responsibility to remove and replace it? If you want to remove a tree from your yard, should you have to get a permit or be required to replace it with another tree? Those were among the questions discussed Monday as the Leawood City Council became the latest Johnson County community to take a fresh look at its tree ordinances during a work session. Councilmembers compared their existing regulations with their counterparts in Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Mission and Fairway — four cities with differing ways of handling tree issues. In particular, councilmembers and staff have been studying whether they should expand their existing ordinance to be similar to Prairie Village’s.
Source: Johnson County Post
Concept aims to make downtown Overland Park a ‘destination.’
A new potential future for downtown Overland Park drawn out by the Urban Land Institute of Kansas City suggests turning the area into “a destination” surrounding its popular farmers’ market. The conceptual vision for downtown — the area primarily between Santa Fe Drive and Metcalf Avenue, and 79th and 80th streets — includes a boutique hotel, new parking garages, infrastructure improvements prioritizing pedestrian and bicycle access, and a plethora of mixed-use redevelopment.
Source: Johnson County Post
Arcadia’s history is preserved in music
Nestled in the far northeast corner of the county, along the Missouri state line and Bourbon County line, Arcadia is a small community of only 250 people that celebrated its founding on Saturday with a parade, face painting, barbeque, and everything else one would expect of such a grand occasion. As the parade of fire trucks, police cars, and ubiquitous political candidates faded and the kids scoured the streets for gum and candy, parade-goers began filing into the Arcadia Community Center to hear about their past in a most inspiring way. In song.
Source: Morning Sun
Municipal Bond Trends for September 16, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Curbside recycling pickup may be coming soon
Within a year, SEK Recycling and the city intend to roll out curbside recycling pickup. At the organization’s banquet Thursday night, SEK Recycling Board President Jeremy Johnson announced what many Pittsburg citizens have been waiting to hear for decades. “We’ll be operating at a scale that we’ve not dreamed of,” Johnson told The Morning Sun. “We’ll bring in as much material in a month as previously we’ve done in an entire year.” The City of Pittsburg plans to partner with SEK Recycling to implement the recycling pickup service in conjunction with the trash service the city started earlier this month. Johnson said that Deputy City Manager Jay Byers wants to begin pickup in six months, but the more realistic goal is within a year. “It is ambitious. It scares me a little bit, but I also know that we are in a better position to prepare for that now than we ever have been in our organization’s history,” he said. Johnson said to prepare for this service, the organization has been working to streamline its operations by bringing people to evaluate its finances and procedures. He said several people have stepped up to volunteer their time and talents to help out. “It’s the help of people like this who are willing do these things that are hard that are going to allow us to do the big stuff,” Johnson said.
In addition to planning for curbside service, Johnson updated the event attendees on other milestones and projects the organization has been working on. Earlier this year, SEK Recycling, a nonprofit organization, received the single largest donation in its history. An anonymous donor gave $250,000 to the organization, which allowed them to purchase a new baler and start mapping out SEK Recycling’s role in the community for the next several years. Johnson said since the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteers for the organization have dwindled, but his goal is to build the volunteer base back up by reaching out to the community more and working with the Students for Sustainability group at Pittsburg State University. “We need to be working harder, to reach out, to engage with folks who believe in the same things that we do and that want the same things that we do,” he said. “But if we don’t reach out to them, those things aren’t going to happen.”
Johnson recognized retiring board members Gene Vogler, Jan Hula and Jim Tripplett and thanked them for their dedication to the cause. Vogler had been on the board for 18 years and Tripplett was the founder of the organization. “Jim has my eternal gratitude,” Johnson said. “I will forever associate him with our center. Without him, we would not be where we are.” So far this year, SEK Recycling has kept 593 tons of materials out of landfills and is on track to end the year with taking in more than 800 tons.
Source: Morning Sun
Why the Wichita school district picked February for special election on $450M bond issue
The Wichita School Board’s decision to call a special election in February — instead of posing its bond issue question during a general or primary election — will cost the school district an additional $113,000. And it could result in lower voter turnout. But Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld said the district can’t afford to wait. The school board didn’t finish its facilities master plan in time to get the $450 million bond issue on the ballot for this November. “We would really like to get construction started next summer,” Bielefeld said. “And so to wait until later in the spring, April or May, makes that not possible. Then to wait, you know, until November of ‘25, the soonest we would then have dirtwork moving would be summer of ‘26. We would lose an entire year. . . . We need this, and we need it soon.” Bielefeld said he would have preferred to pose the question to voters this November, during the presidential election, “but the timing of the master plan, the amount of community feedback we needed — that timeline was just too short.” The Kansas Board of Education has to approve the measure because the price tag exceeds the cap on bonded indebtedness school districts are allowed to have in Kansas. The cap is 14% of assessed value within a school district. The cap for Wichita schools is $589.2 million. The school district already has $157 million in unpaid bonded debt, and the additional $450 million would exceed the debt limit by more than $18 million. The state board is expected to take up the Wichita question at a future meeting.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Proposed solar project strains the bonds that unite a rural Kansas community
In rural places in our divided land we can’t just pick sides and trash each other. But if we do, somebody — a friend, a loved one, or even a sometime enemy — might tug on our sleeves and remind us about the better angels of our nature. At a public meeting last year, Joe Schlessiger’s farmland neighbors were arguing once again. Joe stood himself up, all 6 feet, 6 inches of Kansas farmer. The topic once again: Spanish energy company Acciona’s proposal to build a solar energy array near Barton County’s Cheyenne Bottoms. The Bottoms are enthralling to those who love nature — 41,000 acres of the largest inland wetland in the United States. It’s a migration stopover for roughly two million birds every year — everything from white-faced ibis dancing on long stick legs to endangered whooping cranes that make pit stops there in spring and fall. The birds prance, squawk and swell the cloud storage of wildlife photographers.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Cafe in Burden back in business
Residents in Burden welcomed a nice surprise this week with the return of Ma’s Cafe. Earlier this year, the previous owners of the cafe retired and closed the only sit-down restaurant in town. Bobby Smith and Hui Son had run the cafe since Jan. 11, 2021. However, Sandra and John Picconatto began renting the building and have reopened the cafe Monday through Saturday. Sandra spoke about Ma’s Cafe on Wednesday afternoon. She is from Wilmot, but has lived in Burden for the past 18 years. “A couple of years ago, we did a food truck,” Sandra said. “It did really well, and we enjoyed it. We decided to expand this year by opening the cafe back up. The previous owners allowed us to keep the name.” The process started when they rented the building on Aug 1. It took 40 days to open it from start to finish. “It involved a lot of cleaning. Anytime you open up a new restaurant, you have to get the licenses and permits, etc.” Sandra said they are leasing the building for one year to see how it goes. “We may purchase the building, if things go well,” she added. The restaurant looks pretty much the same inside. The menu is a little different. The previous owner had Korean options no longer available. They are offering daily specials. “There may be some trial and error in some parts. We’d like to have Thursday evening buffets,” she explained. “Rotate with fried chicken, pulled pork, tator tot casserole, and meatloaf. Each week would be something different. We also want to do Taco Tuesday. “My daughter and her husband are helping with the management portion. There will be four employees as of right now.”
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Winfield to get new signs for landmarks
Winfield city commissioners have approved the purchase and installation of new signage that would help visitors find local landmarks, something that was outlined in the city’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan. The project will consist of 18 signs, providing visitors with directions to places including Southwestern College, the Cowley County Historical Society Museum, sporting facilities and other points of interest. The signs have been in the works for several years. “It’s been talked about, but we just haven’t been able to get to it,” Winfield City Manager Taggart Wall said in a request for commission action. The signs will cost $125,694. A total of $25,000 will be covered by Winfield Convention and Tourism Funds gathered from a transient guest tax. The remaining funds will come from the city’s Capital Improvement Plan budget. The chosen vendor is Seventy Five Creative, LLC, of Dothan, Ala., one of four companies providing full or partial bids for the project. A start time for the project was not provided. Documents state that the estimated lead time is 6-10 weeks once artwork is approved and a deposit made.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
New Round of SEED Grants Available for Rural Quality-of-Life Initiatives
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced today that $250,000 will be available through a third round of Strategic Economic Expansion and Development (SEED) grants. The SEED program supports economic development and revitalization efforts in smaller counties across Kansas through investments in quality-of-life initiatives. “SEED grants are a vital part of our commitment to ensuring every community in Kansas has the opportunity to succeed,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “These grants are creating real impact in rural communities, helping them build stronger local economies, and enhancing the quality of life for residents. By investing in these communities, we continue laying the foundation for long-term growth and prosperity.” The grants are administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce to communities in 78 designated counties with a population of 5,000 or less. Grants up to $25,000 will be available in the following categories: Childcare and senior programming – Projects that support or enhance these services, such as building improvements, educational materials, supplies and equipment. Community vibrancy – Projects that refresh, re-energize and unlock the attractiveness of rural communities, such as art installations, murals and signage. Food retail – Projects that support access to food retail establishments, including development, renovation and/or expansion. Libraries – Projects that support providing free and open access to a broad range of materials and services, including reading material, technology, furniture and building improvements. Local governments, economic development organizations, chambers of commerce and other organizations in towns not previously awarded a SEED grant are eligible to apply. Applicants must provide a minimum 10-percent match and complete the project within 12 months of receiving grant funds. Funds will be distributed half at the beginning of the grant cycle and the balance will be given upon successful completion of the project. Funding for the SEED program is provided through the Technology Enabled Fiduciary Financial Institutions (TEFFI) Development and Expansion Fund. The TEFFI Act was enacted in 2021 through bipartisan legislation to promote economic development throughout the state. SEED grant applications will open Monday, September 16, and close at 11:59 p.m. Monday, November 8. Grant awardees will be announced mid-December. A recorded informational webinar about the SEED grant is available here. A list of previously awarded towns, guidelines for the grant application, and a list of eligible counties can be found here. The Office of Rural Prosperity will host virtual Office Hours from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Friday, September 20, for anyone who might have questions regarding the grant and the application process. To register, click here.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Wichita opens bidding process for emergency homeless shelter
The City of Wichita has opened the bidding process for the operation of an emergency winter shelter for the homeless. The shelter will be set up at the former Park Elementary School at 1025 North Main, which was recently purchased by the city from the Wichita school district. Bids will be accepted until 10 a.m. on Friday, October 4th. Prospective bidders will be able to attend a pre-proposal meeting at 1 p.m. on September 23rd through Microsoft Teams. The City has allocated $600,000 for the operation of the 2024-2025 winter shelter. A successful proposal will have to be made by a registered not-for-profit 501(c)(3), (c)(4) corporation or governmental entity. The shelter must be able to be operated on a 24/7 basis during the contract period and allow entry day or night, serving both men and women, those with disabilities and other various guest needs. The City expects the winter shelter to be open from November 28, 2024 through March 31, 2025. The project is expected to go to the City Council sometime in late October or early November for consideration.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
USD 457 Board discusses grade reconfiguration proposal
The USD 457 Board of Education held discussion on a District Reconfiguration Proposal during its regular meeting on Monday. No action was taken on the proposal; it will be taken up as an action item at the Board’s Sept. 26 meeting where the Board will vote on what direction it wants to take with it. The proposal would transition the district to a K-5, 6-8, 9-14 grade configuration, removing the intermediate school levels, by fall 2028. Board member Andy Fahrmeier said there would be a three-year transition period plan that would start at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. It would begin with changing the district to a K-6, 7-8 model while construction is conducted at Kenneth Henderson Middle School to add 16-20 classrooms to accommodate 50% of the district’s sixth to eighth grade students. In the fall of 2028 they would transition to the K-5, 6-8 model.
Source: Garden City Telegram
Johnson County is looking for public input to improve its public transit system
The community’s input is needed to make improvements to public transportation in Johnson County. Public engagement is part of Johnson County Transit’s strategic planning process that will serve as a roadmap for the future. The public will have the opportunity to interact with the project team at a pop-up event during the Overland Park Farmer’s Market on Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon. The public is encouraged to stop by and share their thoughts on public transit. Johnson County’s Transit Strategic Plan is focused on clearly articulating JCT’s vision, strategic direction, and the methods necessary to achieve these goals. The process will include extensive public outreach including input from Johnson County’s Board of County Commissioners, users of the system, the Johnson County Transportation Council and the broader Johnson County community. Engagement will focus on effectively giving the community a voice through collaborative and inclusive discussions. The goals of the strategic plan are to: Determine the level and types of service that will serve the most residents and workers most effectively within the budgetary resources available at present; Position JCT for stable operations, partnerships, and growth in the long term’ Make JCT a recognizable asset for the county’s economic growth and diversification and quality of life; Ensure mobility support for vulnerable populations and the workforce; and Recommend enhancements in organizational structure, internal expertise, and standard operating procedures to ensure JCT’s integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness at meeting ongoing operational challenges, exceeding customer expectations, and carrying out the Board’s direction.
For more information please visit the Strategic Plan webpage.
Source: Johnson County Kansas |
Rebuilt Shawnee Fire HQ focused on firefighters’ health — Here’s how
After almost 40 years since its last major renovation, Shawnee’s Fire Station 71 is ready to show off its new look. The John B. Glaser Fire Station 71, 6501 Quivira Rd., which also serves as the Shawnee Fire Department’s headquarters, will have its grand reopening to the public this Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The celebration will showcase the approximately $13.7 million renovation project, which was centered on creating better workflow arrangements at the station to shorten emergency response times and also features improvements to firefighters’ quality of life while maintaining room on site for future expansion.
Source: Johnson County Post
City of Wichita awards $1.3 million to developers to buy, renovate public housing units
The Wichita City Council voted Tuesday to award $1.3 million in COVID recovery funds to nonprofit and for-profit housing developers to buy and renovate 33 single-family public housing units. Wichita Habitat for Humanity, a local nonprofit, received $640,000 for the rehabilitation and sale of 16 houses on North Piatt. Large Enterprise, a California-based business, received $440,000 for the renovation and rental of 11 properties in northeast and southwest Wichita. Residential Housing Solutions, a local business, received $240,000 for the renovation and sale of six houses on North Minnesota. The homes the developers will buy are public housing units the city is in the midst of selling. Wichita has 352 in total, many of which have already been sold to homeowners or investors without restrictions on future sale price or rent. The city reports that many of the houses require “much needed rehabilitation.” But Wichita set aside roughly 60 homes that it hopes to keep affordable long-term. In May, the city opened a call for proposals from developers to buy, renovate and then sell or rent the properties. Using its COVID recovery funds, Wichita offered $40,000 per unit to help buy and rehabilitate the homes. But developers are required to keep the units affordable long-term by participating in federal rental assistance or homeownership programs, which limit the maximum income of participating tenants or homebuyers.
Source: KLC Journal
Once home to Kansas’ most infamous criminals, historic Lansing prison opening for tours
Most people did their best to avoid this place for nearly 160 years. That’s about to change. When the Kansas Department of Corrections opened a newly constructed Lansing Correctional Facility in Lansing, Kansas, in 2020 it meant the old, stone-walled prison building that housed inmates since the 1860s would be left empty and without purpose. Instead of demolishing it, the Department of Corrections has transferred control of the building to the Lansing Historical Society and Museum, paving the way for the historic prison to be opened for tours. Visitors will have plenty to see in the buildings that have mostly been left in the condition they were in when the prison shut down. Hundreds of tiny cells on multiple floors sit with their barred doors open inviting tour goers to step inside. Paint peels from the walls, some covered in graffiti and the grunge accumulated from the men serving their time there. The access provides a strong visual reminder of the conditions put on people serving time in prison. The prison’s walls also hold the stories of the people who were locked inside and those who walked out after working their shifts. People taking the tours will hear about the day to day routine of prison life lived by the majority of the inmates who served their time and were released from Lansing. They’ll also hear the stories of some of the facility’s more infamous residents. Several whose time there ended at the end of a gallows noose. Members of the community, the Lansing Historical Society and Museum and dignitaries gathered outside the Lansing Correctional Facility, which closed in 2020, for the transfer of keys on Sept. 9 to the Lansing Historical Society and Museum. Tours of the prison to the public began Sept. 13. Tammy Ljungblad Tljungblad@kcstar.com The prison tour is modeled off of a similar tour in Missouri. About a year ago, Kansas Sen. Jeff Pittman, a Leavenworth Democrat, approached the Lansing Historical Society and Museum with the idea of preserving the prison by converting it into a tourist attraction, similar to the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City. TOP VIDEOS After months of discussions, on Aug. 1, 2024, the Kansas Department of Corrections and the Lansing Historical Society and Museum formalized their partnership by signing a memorandum of understanding, allowing the society to offer guided public tours of the historic Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle