Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Kansas invests $48.7 million to deal with safety problems of three dozen decrepit local bridges

The Kansas Department of Transportation earmarked $42.3 million in federal funding to support $6.4 million in local government investment over the next two years to improve safety of nearly three dozen city or county bridges outside of the state highway system. KDOT said a total of 15 projects were included in the 2024 map and blended $21.8 million funneled through the state and $4.7 million in local matching dollars. The plan would replace 16 bridges and permanently remove 12 bridges from local road systems. The $7 million in federal aid and $2 million from Dodge City allowed work to proceed on a new bridge on 14th Avenue over the Arkansas River. In northeast Kansas, $750,000 from Congress and $86,000 tied to a 10% local match enabled work on a bridge east of Highland.
Source: themercury.com

New Director: Clay Center Library looking for ways to draw people in

The Clay Center Carnegie Public Library isn’t just a place to check out books – the library has become much more than that, said Brittany Girton the new director of the library, at a recent Lions Club meeting. Girton, who just completed her bachelor’s degree, said she’s familiar with the local library and its programs for children as she grew up being part of those reading programs.
Source: www.ccenterdispatch.com

Paris Bans E-Scooters. Will More Cities Follow?

Last Friday, Paris became the first European capital to outlaw e-scooter rentals. The ban, which doesn’t apply to privately owned scooters, was the result of a referendum this spring. An overwhelming 90% voted for the ban. Five years ago, Paris was one of the first major cities to allow these so-called micromobility devices, which went on to terrorize pedestrians and perplex city officials all over the world.
Source: Bloomberg CityLab

Governor Kelly Announces $1M Available for Tourism Attraction Development Grants

Governor Laura Kelly announced that $1 million in Attraction Development Grants is available from Kansas Tourism, a division of the Kansas Department of Commerce. Attraction Development Grants are designed to assist in the development of sustainable tourism experiences that influence travel decisions and create economic impact, including new jobs, capital investment, revenue, and increased visitation. “Kansas tourism is an economic driver that highlights the many reasons why our state is the best place in the nation to live, work, and raise a family,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “By investing in our tourism industry, we strengthen our economic growth and Kansas’ placement as a destination state for tourists from around the world.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

’I’m horrified’: JoCo residents fight office park plan that would replace real park

Mike Coffman has, for more than 40 years, lived in a well-to-do Johnson County enclave whose city sign, beneath a canopy of mature oaks and maples, declares the town of 400 residents to be “the most beautiful little city in Kansas.” These days, Coffman and dozens of other residents in affluent Westwood Hills and neighboring Westwood (population 1,850) fear that the view outside their windows might soon, instead of being beautiful, become downright ugly. “My children used to play over there,” Coffman said, pointing across the street and across city lines to what is, effectively, Westwood’s only city park, located in a residential neighborhood, but also along a busy strip of Rainbow Boulevard at 50th Street.
Source: KC Star Local News

Effort aims for renewal of downtown Peabody, Kansas

Lindsay Hutchison’s year started with a whirlwind of activity. The 38-year-old mayor of Peabody – both the first woman to hold the office and the youngest in the city’s history – had less than a month to get 29 residents signed on to a grant application to provide money to preserve her community’s historic downtown district. With that financial boost, Hutchison and members of the Peabody Main Street Association could then rely on the biggest strength of any small community – its people. She and the Main Streeters had known for some time that their beloved buildings were in need of overdue repairs, many requiring major work and major cash. Throughout the month of January, she and the group used social media to mobilize residents in support of a large grant to help spur revitalization.
Source: KLC Journal

2,200 Wichita homes with sprinkler systems could have water shut off

More than 2,000 Wichita water customers could have their water service disconnected starting in one week. The City says the customers are not complying with a requirement for lawn irrigation systems. The City of Wichita requires people with lawn irrigation systems hooked up to city water to get an annual test of the system’s backflow device. As of Tuesday morning, the City says about 2,200 households have not done that, even though the City has sent out multiple notices. The deadline was May 30.
Source: KSN-TV

Town hopes birthday celebration will bring in residents

The City of Bentley will celebrate its 135th birthday this November, and it held a meeting over the weekend to plan the party. Bentley is a town of about 570 people in northern Sedgwick County. On Sunday, community members gathered at Bentley City Hall to discuss ideas for the celebration. They want people to know what the town has to offer. “We do have a lot of opportunity for growth,” Shannon Catlin, event coordinator, said. “We have open lots right now that you can build upon. And so if we can showcase our community in a positive light, it might draw more people to come into the community.”
Source: KSN-TV

Here’s what the city plans to name Wichita’s newest park

Wichita’s newest park soon could have an official name. The park, across McLean from the Arkansas River in Delano, had temporarily been dubbed Poem Park. The new name, if approved by the Wichita City Council on Tuesday, will be Millwood Park. It will get its name from the street — Millwood Avenue — that dead-ends in the middle of the park, a thin strip of undeveloped city-owned land along McLean from Vine to Fern. “I’m really excited about it because Delano has been really active in the naming of this new park,” Council member Maggie Ballard said. “I asked them for feedback because I thought it was important to include the people actually living in the area.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Municipal Bond Trends for September 5, 2023

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.

Nearly 1,000 traffic cases dismissed in Douglas County District Court

In hopes of avoiding numerous driver’s license suspensions, Douglas County District Court judges have dismissed about 940 traffic cases. The circumstances of the batch dismissals are also mentioned in a pending disciplinary matter against Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez. The traffic court docket, which generally brings dozens of people into one courtroom on Friday mornings, was placed on hold for the height of the pandemic. The DA’s office also continued cases on the docket during the delta variant wave in winter going into 2022.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Municipal Bond Trends for September 1, 2023

Municipal Bond Trends for August 31, 2023

Fed’s Bostic says U.S. interest rates are high enough

Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President Raphael Bostic laid out a case on Thursday against any further U.S. interest rate hikes, saying monetary policy is already tight enough to bring inflation back down to 2% over a “reasonable” period. “I feel policy is appropriately restrictive,” Bostic said in remarks prepared for delivery to the South African Reserve Bank Biennial Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. “We should be cautious and patient and let the restrictive policy continue to influence the economy, lest we risk tightening too much and inflicting unnecessary economic pain.” However, “that does not mean I am for easing policy any time soon,” he noted. U.S. central bankers are widely expected to leave the Fed’s policy rate in the current range of 5.25%-5.5% when they next meet in a little less than three weeks. But financial markets are pricing in close to even odds that the Fed will ultimately lift that rate another quarter of a percentage point by year’s end, given still too-high inflation, stronger-than-expected economic growth and still-low unemployment, most recently measured at 3.5%.
Source: CNBC

Stevens County Farm Bureau Initiative focuses on food insecurity

With help from Kansas Farm Bureau’s campaign to End Hunger, Stevens County Farm Bureau is working to address food insecurity issues in Hugoton. This project came about in 2022 when County Coordinator Jamie Gooch contacted Nancy Bansemer with Project Hope to see what FB could do in helping feel any needs in our community for meat and nutritious food. Nancy was again quick to respond that they were always low on meat in their freezers and were currently trying to serve several families in our community. This project being so successful last year, plans were set forth to continue this End Hunger project for the second year. 4-H Leader Stacy Dillinger again helped with co- ordinating information with the four 4-H Clubs in the County.
Source: Hugoton Hermes News

Presidential council calls for privatization of water systems

President Joe Biden’s infrastructure advisory council is recommending privatization and long-term leases of water systems to help manage what the council warned is a looming crisis facing the nation’s aging water infrastructure. The recommendations come in a 39-page report released Monday from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, comprised of 30 state, local and private sector leaders who advise the president on risks to the nation’s critical infrastructure. The council voted unanimously Monday to approve the report. Among its recommendations, the NIAC called for the creation of a federal water department or an equivalent cabinet-level agency to oversee a national strategy to shore up the nation’s aging water infrastructure.
Source: The Bond Buyer

Mulvane celebrates 150th Old Settlers

Crowds swarmed the streets of downtown Mulvane through the final weekend of August, “harvesting memories” as the city celebrated the 150th year of the traditional Old Settlers Days festival. Aug. 26 was even officially proclaimed Mulvane Old Settlers Day by the Sedgwick County Commission. Winners were crowned in everything from photography competitions to the rodeo to the annual Little Miss Pioneer contest. In its 150th year, the festival showed no signs of slowing down offering fun for all ages with musical performances, a parade, carnival, car show and much more.
Source: Derby Informer | Area

Valley Center rejects school bond issue, Clearwater approves sales tax

There were split results in special elections for two Sedgwick County communities. In a mail ballot election that was tabulated Tuesday, Valley Center voters rejected a school bond issue. There were 2,159 no votes to 1,983 in favor of the proposal, giving the no ballots 52 percent of the total. The almost 74 million dollar proposal would have constructed a new elementary school and added 20 classrooms to the high school. Superintendent Greg Lehr said in a statement on social media, “While the bond did not pass, the needs remain. Because several USD 262 schools are at or over capacity with students and our district continues to grow, classroom space will have to be addressed.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

The City of Wichita is investigating a fire that caused part of a popular biking trail to collapse

The City of Wichita is investigating a fire that was set in two drains causing a section of the Red Bud Biking trail to collapse. The Red Bud biking trail is a beloved path in Wichita. Chris Majors takes a ride on his green bike on the Red Bud every single morning rain or shine. However, today his daily bike ride didn’t quite go as planned. “I can’t pass through right now,” he says while pointing at the large white sign that reads ‘Sidewalk Closed.'” This is because of a fire that was set inside two culverts underneath the bike trail between Woodlawn and Rock Road. The city says these pipes were about 42 inches in diameter and almost 60 feet long. The fire in them caused a part of the path to collapse which makes the trail unsafe for bikers.
Source: KAKE – News

Panasonic makes De Soto footprint even bigger

Panasonic announced it will lease 509,760 square feet in the Flint Commerce Center, roughly a mile from its $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant that is currently under construction. Flint Commerce Center is expected to open in summer 2024 at the corner of 103rd Street and Edgerton Road. Panasonic’s space is expected to be right on that corner of the 370-acre park. De Soto Mayor Rick Walker says the city was trying to spark economic development on that site even before conversations started with Panasonic about their new home down the road.
Source: KSN-TV

Ulysses votes ‘no’ to USD 214 special bond

Ulysses held a special election on Tuesday where voters were presented with two questions. Find the unofficial results below: Shall USD 214 be authorized to issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $44,750,000 to renovate Hicktok Elementary School, Sullivan Elementary School, Keply Middle School, and Ulysses High School? No: 929; Yes: 241. Shall the City of Ulysses be authorized to impose a 1% special purpose Citywide retailers’ sales tax (the “Educational Sales Tax”) to assist USD 214 in paying for their special bond if it is passed? No: 637; Yes: 290
Source: KSN-TV

Why it’s taking so long to build Wichita’s new transit center

Plans to move Wichita’s transit center from downtown to the area near Riverfront Stadium in Delano have been in the works for years. We asked the City when the facility is being built and what is taking so long. The City is calling the new transit center a multimodal center. It’s supposed to replace the current transit facility downtown. That location will become the home of the Wichita State University and the University of Kansas biomedical campus. Federal funding covering 75% of the cost of the new transit center has been secured since 2019, but construction has yet to begin.
Source: KSN-TV

Voters say no to Decatur County USD 294 special bond

Voters said no to the Decatur County USD 294 special bond Tuesday. There was a 53.714% voter turnout. According to unofficial results, 362 voters voted yes, and 621 voters voted no. Residents in USD 294 Oberlin voted no on a $29.15 million issue to replace a 96-year-old elementary school and update the 84-year-old Decatur County Junior and Senior High School with additions and renovations that would have also housed the grade school. The district said the bond would be financed over 30 years.
Source: KSN-TV

Voters say yes to the Clearwater special sales tax

Voters said yes to the Clearwater special sales tax Tuesday. Of 1,689 registered voters, there were 257 ballots cast, resulting in a 15.22% voter turnout. According to unofficial results, 191 voters voted yes, and 65 voters voted no. One ballot is provisional. The City of Clearwater asked voters to approve a 1% sales tax hike for street improvements. That would mean an extra one cent of sales tax for every dollar spent in the town. The City says the sales tax will bring in $220,000 annually.
Source: KSN-TV

Fort Scott begins water conservation as drought looms over several SEK counties

The City of Fort Scott is implementing some water conservation efforts, in response to the Kansas governor including Bourbon County in the drought emergency declaration earlier this month. The city, itself, is currently not affected by the state “water emergency” since the water supply does not come from a state-owned water source. But City Manager Brad Matkin says the city’s water storage has fallen below 70% and is not expected to recover within a normal time range. Residents are now under a “water warning” as of Wednesday, with a goal of reducing peak demands by 20% and reducing overall weekly consumption by 10%.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Louisburg set for Labor Day weekend festivities

The 51st annual truck and tractor pull sponsored by the American Legion is set to kick off the community’s three-day Labor Day celebration. The truck and tractor pull will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, at Lewis-Young Park, located at 26600 Jingo Road, a short distance northwest of Louisburg. Concessions will be sold by the Sons of the American Legion. Wayne Knop, commander of the John P. Hand American Legion Post No. 250 in Louisburg, said the truck and tractor pull is the Legion’s largest fundraiser of the year.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com

Miami County finalizes sales tax ballot question for courthouse

Miami County commissioners have been adamant about the need to renovate and repair the historic Miami County Courthouse and build additional courtroom space for the cramped Miami County District Court. Whether or not those improvements are paid for by a new quarter-cent sales tax or potential property tax increases via future hikes in the county budget is something voters will decide when they head to the polls during the Nov. 7 general election.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com

Prairie Village to consider establishing public arts fund policy

Prairie Village wants to ramp up its public art inventory. After years of discussion in committee meetings, the Prairie Village City Council will soon consider establishing a public arts fund policy. This policy would establish the way Prairie Village purchases public art, including how to fund it and where the art would be placed.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Shawnee remains undecided on possible ban on AirBnBs

Shawnee city councilmembers expressed mixed feelings about moving forward with regulating short-term rental properties, including potentially banning them from all residential zones of the city. On Monday, the city council committee — which convened immediately after a lengthy regular city council meeting — discussed several options for short-term rentals, like AirBnBs and VRBOs. The idea of a short-term rental ban was previously brought to the city council in April, when several residents from the McAnany Estates subdivision spoke out against short-term rentals in their area, which they said had begun popping up more frequently in recent years.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Pratt denies special liquor sales on Main Street

At their August 21 meeting, the Pratt City Commissioners denied a proposal for looser liquor laws on Main Street. The proposal was presented by John Beverlin on behalf of one of his clients, Lotus Aesthetics and Wellness. Lotus Aesthetics, a medical spa at 310 S. Main in Pratt, will be celebrating its grand opening on September 6 from 5-8 pm. The owners had hoped to be able to bring in a mobile cocktail establishment to serve cocktails at the event. The vendor serves the cocktails out of a heavily modified horse trailer that would have had to have been parked in front of Lotus Aesthetics with the service window toward the store so that it could have served customers on the public sidewalk.
Source: Pratt Tribune

Municipal Bond Trends for August 30, 2023

Saline County feels weight of supply shortage through patrol vehicles

For the past two years, Saline County has had difficulties in purchasing police-grade patrol vehicles due to a lack of availability and manufacturers changing their production due to shortages. In response to this ongoing issue, the Sheriff’s Office requested a new timeline in the process that might leave out a popular brand of police vehicle, but ensure the department new vehicles, at least for 2024.
Source: Salina Journal

Kwikom breaks ground on $12 million fiber network for Franklin County

A ceremonious turn of the shovel Monday morning on the Franklin County Courthouse lawn served as a sign of things to come as work is currently under way to bring an expanded fiber network to Ottawa and much of Franklin County. Local officials joined Kwikom leaders, breaking ground on a $12 million investment to bring what they describe as a stateof- the-art fiber network to more than 7,000 Ottawa homes and businesses as well as those in Wellsville, Pomona, Williamsburg and the surrounding area.
Source: Ottawa Herald

Municipal Bond Trends for August 29, 2023

Barton County Commission honors the retiring Wornkey

Barton County Register of Deeds Pam Wornkey announced her plans to retire Aug. 1. On Tuesday morning, the County Commission recognized her for her years of service. Her last day on the job is Thursday. “The best indicator of the future is a study of the past and holds true for you,” said commission Chairman Shawn Hutchinson, District 3, said, reading from a letter to Wornkey. “You will continue to be a remarkable presence in this community for years to come. “It is apparent from your employment history with the county that you’re centered on the greater good time and time again, you stepped into various positions which for the betterment of our citizens,” he said. “You carried your skills, dedication and commitment to detail into your role as registered of deeds.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

‘Don’t overcrowd the city’: Neighbors object, Johnson County apartment plan stalls again

The Shawnee City Council on Monday sent a proposal for a housing development off of Kansas 7 Highway back to the drawing board, as nearby homeowners protest the plans. Neighbors have submitted a protest petition, and gathered 430 signatures on Change.org, in opposition to plans for 184 apartments and townhomes on 16 acres in the western part of the city, between Old K-7 Highway and K-7 Highway, south of 47th Street and north of 55th Street. The developer, naming the project The Zarah, wants to build four three-story apartment buildings and seven two-story townhome buildings on the rural land, which now has a 1970s-era home and three greenhouses.
Source: KC Star Local News

Rural Kansas attorney shortage putting access in jeopardy

The 73-year-old has been practicing law in the small central Kansas town of Marion for more than four decades. He’s done a little bit of everything – “domestic work, adoptions, estate planning, quiet titles, other land disputes, oh, my goodness, you name it” – but he doesn’t do quite as much as he used to. “If you write a will, they expect you’re going to be around here” to execute it when the client dies, he says. “So I’m getting to tell people now that at 73, I’m likely to not be here by the time this will goes into use. Hopefully not, anyway.” The problem? Marion, with a population of roughly 1,900 residents, has no younger lawyer to take his place.
Source: KLC Journal

Pro Pickleball players make a stop in Pittsburg

The Pickle in Pitt event took place on Monday where folks could get signed autographs from some of the top-ranked pickleball players in the world. Proceeds from the fundraising event will go to help maintain and enhance the Jack Johnson courts and create new pickleball programs at the Four Oaks Sports Complex in Lincoln Park.
Source: KOAM News

Keeping Kansas history alive, one ghost town at a time

Kansas history has never been more alive than it is now in the hands of students and historians devoted to putting the pieces of the past together through hours of painstaking research. A group of students and staff at Kansas State University, along with historians at the Kansas State Historical Society (KSHS), have made it their mission to ensure the history of Kansas towns and communities isn’t lost to time. Their efforts are wide-ranging, comprehensive and aimed at showcasing the history of places in danger of being forgotten or that aren’t well-documented. KSNT 27 News spoke with members of the Chapman Center for Rural Studies at K-State to learn more about what’s being done to catalog and record the history of Kansas’ relatively unknown towns and communities.
Source: KSNF/KODE

“Stepping Up Initiative” passed by Crawford County Commissioners

A new initiative in Girard will bring more resources to those who are incarcerated and dealing with mental illnesses. “It’s important that anybody who has a mental illness receives treatment, gets the services. Part of our goal is really reducing barriers and increasing access,” said Heather Spaur, CCMHC Director. The “Stepping Up Initiative” was unanimously passed, Tuesday morning by Crawford County Commissioners. It’s a nationwide movement designed to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails.
Source: KSNF/KODE

“Leadership Kansas” Visits Pittsburg

You might call it “Pittsburg 101” — Leadership Kansas got up close and personal as part of a statewide tour today (Friday). Forty leaders from throughout the state are embarking on a statewide tour to learn and discuss social, business, and political issues in different cities. They toured Pitt State, the Community Health Center, Kansas Technology Center as well as Millers Professional Imaging. Many among the group say they admire the way different sectors in Pittsburg are working together for the betterment of the city.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Voters say yes to Bluestem special bond question

Voters said yes to the Bluestem special bond question Tuesday. According to unofficial results, 395 voters, or 57% of voters, voted yes, and 298 voters, or 43% of voters, voted no. In Leon, the Bluestem school district has seen growth. The bond will add classrooms to the elementary school and high school, as well as expand programs. “A lot of it is just our location and with the population around us,” Bluestem Superintendent Joel Lovesee said. “Depending on cost of living in Wichita to Andover, people want to move farther out. A lot of the programs we offer, I would say one of the best ag programs in the country when it comes to elementary school.”
Source: KSN-TV

New transit route in Reno County gives access to shopping

Residents in Reno County will soon have a way to get to grocery stores and other shopping. A news release from Reno County says the Reno County Area Transit announced a new Shopping Route that begins Tuesday, Sept. 5. The route is available to designated housing facilities, allowing transportation specifically for grocery and other shopping. The release says the bus used for this route is larger than other vehicles and has more room for bags. Those using the route will also have more time to get their purchases on and off the bus.
Source: KSN-TV

New restrictions on large solar farms in Butler County

The Butler County Commission voted Tuesday to restrict the size of a solar farm to no more than 2,500 acres. It also prohibits such development in the protected Flint Hills Eco-Region. The decision comes after a company submitted a proposal in April for a large solar farm facility that would’ve been almost 4,000 acres in size. Moving forward, any new solar farm must be three miles outside of any city limit as well. The main concern of residents was protecting the native grasslands in the Flint Hills Eco-Region.
Source: KSN-TV

Voters say no to Valley Center school bond issue

The preliminary results are in for the Valley Center school bond, and it appears the $73.9 million bond issue failed. The Sedgwick County Election Office posted the unofficial results shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday. The difference between the yes and no votes is 176 votes. The special election was by mail, and all the ballots had to be turned in by noon Tuesday. The election office reports that of the 11,235 people registered to vote in the school district, only 4,154 voted. Twelve votes are not included in the total. There will be a vote canvass on Sept. 7 for the Board of County Canvass to review any uncounted ballots and finalize the election results.
Source: KSN-TV