Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Forbes: Wichita ranks high for young professionals

Companies trying to convince workers to move to Wichita have some new ammunition. Forbes Advisor ranks Wichita as the 12th best place for young professionals to live. The researchers behind the Forbes Advisor report compared the 100 most-populous metropolitan areas, 99 of which had available data. They weighed things like pay, job opportunities, housing prices, cost of living, and lifestyle.
Source: KSN-TV

These are the rural Kansas hospitals at risk of closure

Earlier this week, Governor Laura Kelly announced she would be pushing for Medicaid expansion after a study released in July 2023 by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform (CHQPR) found 58% of rural hospitals were at risk of closure. “Already, too many rural hospitals have shut their doors,” Governor Laura Kelly said in response to the report. “When that happens, the communities have been devastated. These Kansans have to drive hours now to receive their basic care. There is an obvious way to stop the bleeding: Expand Medicaid.”
Source: KSN-TV

Lawrence Municipal Court to kick off night court pilot program

Lawrence Municipal Court next week will roll out a pilot night court program, which will add an early evening docket once a month to create more flexibility for defendants. The move is part of a push to reduce failures to appear in court. If defendants miss court, judges can issue arrest warrants, and getting booked into jail can cause serious repercussions for those who have citations or offenses that would not otherwise have involved jail time. Night court will be staffed with Municipal Court Judge Chris Kopecky, a prosecutor, a courtroom clerk, a customer service clerk, a court security officer and a supervisor, according to a Wednesday news release from the city.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Property tax rates vary wildly among states as some consider limits

Property taxes vary significantly across the U.S. with northeastern states imposing effective property tax rates ten times higher than in southern states. That comes from a Washington D.C. group that noted some states are exploring property tax caps. The Committee to Unleash Prosperity, which advocates for free trade and limited government spending, found that the average single-family-home property tax in New Jersey hit $9,500 in 2022. That compares with the average of $928 in West Virginia and $1,022 in Alabama, according to a report from the group.
Source: The Miami County Republic

Manhattan City Commission wants more businesses to keep property tax in check

During Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners discussed the city government’s five-year strategic plan progress. Local officials said there is an “intolerance” toward property tax increases, and that won’t go away any time soon. “With these assessments going up like they did, I thought we did a good job cutting a million dollars of revenue out of property tax,” commissioner Wynn Butler said. “But the folks out there don’t appreciate that because their taxes are still going up even though we lowered the mill levy. They’re still sending us notes saying, ‘You guys gotta do something about fighting this,’ but I also agree that they don’t want to see any services cut.” One way to combat higher property tax rates is bringing in more property revenue from business property, Mayor Mark Hatesohl said. “The solution for lower tax rates is more property being taxed instead of less property being taxed more,” Hatesohl said. “That’s why we’ve got to get a big business, more people and more sales tax.”
Source: themercury.com

Wakefield to honor POWs, MIAs

Because of its efforts in recognizing, remembering and honoring the service and sacrifices of former prisoners of war, missing in action, and their families, the City of Wakefield has been officially proclaimed a POW-MIA City by the Jefferson Barracks POW-MIA Museum project, located in the Historic District of Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis. The official unveiling of the Wakefield’s POW-MIA City proclamation and POW-MIA City sign will take place on Aug. 26 as part of the town’s annual birthday bash.
Source: www.ccenterdispatch.com

National law enforcement association recognizes Franklin County Sheriff as Sheriff of the Year

A national law enforcement organization has honored Franklin County Sheriff Jeffrey Richards for dedication not only to his profession, but to the community he has sworn to serve and protect. Richards was recognized as the recipient of the 2023 Sheriff of the Year Award by the Small and Rural Law Enforcement Executives Association. The organization honored Richards for his dedication to his community and significant contributions to the improvement of small, rural ad tribal law enforcement across the nation. He was presented with the award during the group’s annual conference Aug. 1. With more than 30 years of service in law enforcement, Richards has exemplified commitment to public safety and community welfare, officials said. Richards’ law-enforcement journey began as a reserve/ part-time deputy with the Neosho County Sheriff’s Office. He followed that up by serving as a law-enforcement supervisor in the United States Air Force. He later joined the Overland Park Police Department. Since April 2013, Richards has served as the Franklin County Sheriff, bringing his experience and passion to the role.
Source: Ottawa Herald

Sky is the limit for quality of life projects in Great Bend

The November 2021 General Election results saw 1,067 Great Bend citizens vote in favor of a .15% quality of life sales tax increase. The sales tax question passed with nearly 55% of the vote, and now City of Great Bend officials are going through a master plan of ideas to enhance the community. Assistant City Administrator Logan Burns said there are big dreams of what can be created with the sales tax in the future if enough money is set aside including community centers, indoor walking track and an indoor pool.
Source: Great Bend Post

Homeschool outside the home: Wildfire Education opens in Victoria

Homeschooling remains a popular choice for millions of American parents each year, however, for some, the choice to oversee a child’s education at home is not feasible. One Victoria woman believes she has a solution that gives students the flexibility needed to achieve their goals, provides support and instruction to students looking for the benefits of homeschooling, and takes the educational burden off of parents. Wildfire Education is essentially a homeschooling service, where kids can come and do their online schoolwork instead of going to school, said owner Jacy Klaus.
Source: Hays Post

Municipal Bond Trends for August 8, 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.

Wichita works to strengthen licensing ordinances for bars, nightclubs

The City of Wichita recommended changes to the city’s entertainment establishment, cereal malt beverage (CMB), drinking establishment, and private club and tobacco licensing ordinances on Tuesday. The discussion comes a month after 11 people were injured in a mass shooting at City Nightz nightclub in Old Town. The recommendations to the Wichita City Council focused on the inconsistent processes to suspend or revoke such licenses. The city said current policies are inconsistent on grounds for a suspension, who can issue the suspension and for how long. For example, not all ordinances allow for an immediate suspension of an establishment if there’s a credible threat of violence. The new ordinance would require all bars and clubs in the city to have a safety plan. Currently, the requirement only applies to bars in Old Town.
Source: KWCH

Lawrence City Commission does not reach consensus on proposed changes to public comment

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday could not come to a decision on how to change general public comment procedures and, therefore, opted to make no change. Mayor Lisa Larsen had asked her fellow commissioners on Aug. 1 whether they would like to again discuss making changes to public comment procedures. She proposed the commission move its general public comment to the end of meetings; only hold general public comment on the first Tuesday of the month; and designate a specific area in City Hall where the public can record video during meetings. Commissioners heard from about two dozen people about the proposed changes, most in opposition.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Great Bend uses ordinance to deal with council vacancies

Using for the first time an ordinance created to deal with council vacancies, Great Bend City Council Monday night declared the Ward 4 seat currently held by Brock McPherson vacant due to his continued absences and lack of participation. Now, Mayor Cody Schmidt “with advise and consent of the council” will begin the process of finding a suitable elector for appointment at the next council meeting Monday, Aug. 21. …The reason for the ordinance approved in June by the council was the repeated lack of attendance by McPherson. Each of the city’s four wards has two council representatives, leaving Ward 4 with only one who attends meetings regularly, Natalie Towns.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Lawrence City Commission approves ban on single-use plastic bags

Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday approved a revived ordinance banning single-use plastic bags citywide. The ordinance has been in discussion for years, and the Sustainability Advisory Board has suggested multiple versions of it. It aims to reduce the use of plastics in the city, which in turn could help reduce the city’s dependence on fossil fuels and prevent some pollution from the bags, contamination through microplastics from bags’ degradation, and animal deaths from eating the bags, among other concerns. Commissioners in a 2-2 tie on June 20 voted down the ordinance that would have banned the use of single-use plastic bags in city limits. Mayor Lisa Larsen was absent from that meeting. She asked city staff members last month to bring it back on a future agenda. The approved iteration of the ordinance states that “Unless otherwise exempted under this Article, the use of Single-use Disposable Plastic Bags is hereby prohibited within the City limits.”
Source: The Lawrence Times

New bus route connects Lenexa to Mission

Johnson County has launched a new bus route that serves the 87th Street corridor — a central artery through Lenexa. The zero-fare Route 487 operates between Lenexa City Center (west of I-435) and the Mission Transit Center on Johnson Drive in Mission. This east-west connecting route also travels through downtown Overland Park and the western edge of Prairie Village. The Johnson County Transit RideKC service began Aug. 7, 2023. The bus route runs Monday through Friday from around 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., with buses scheduled an hour apart. There are five bus stops along the route. Route 487 connects to several other routes, including Route 495 at Lenexa City Center, which traverses 95th Street. The new bus route helps locals and visitors access a variety of amenities and opportunities.
Source: What’s New News Summary

City Council approves penalties for illegal gambling machines in Wichita

Wichita City Council members have given unanimous approval to an ordinance with penalties for certain businesses that are found to have possession of illegal gambling machines. The penalties apply to businesses that have city licenses for tobacco, liquor, cereal malt beverages and entertainment, as well as private club licenses. Assistant City Attorney Jan Jarman told the Council during its Tuesday meeting that illegal machines have skyrocketed across the city, and in many cases as police remove machines, new ones are brought in. She said the machines target low-income areas, they have no guaranteed payout and no oversight, and they are operating without any of the rules that a casino has.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Historic building owners, public invited to meeting to learn about state’s preservation program

The Fort Scott City Commissioners will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. Friday at City Hall to discuss the Certified Local Government program. Historic building owners and others in the community are invited to learn more about the program from Katrina Ringler, grants manager/CLG coordinator with the Kansas Historical Society.
Source: Fort Scott Tribune

OP Historical Society lands state grant to launch tourist attraction in downtown

A $100,000 grant from Kansas is helping move the Overland Park Historical Society closer to its vision of transforming 8001 Santa Fe into an interactive museum that also restores the city’s train depot, built in 1906. The state grant aims to drive tourism and economic development. OPHS was the only entity in Johnson County to receive the State Park Revitalization and Investment in Notable Tourism (SPRINT) grant. Locally, Children’s Mercy Park and Azura Amphitheater also received grants totaling $5 million and $1 million, respectively.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

28% of rural Kansas hospitals at risk of closure: report

The Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform (HQPR) Rural Hospitals at Risk of Closing report found 28% of Kansas hospitals at risk of closure. With pandemic aid now ended, closures are likely to increase, according to HQPR. The HQPR report found 600 rural hospitals in the U.S. at risk of closing. HQPR attributed the risk to problems such as health Insurance plans not paying hospitals enough to cover the cost of delivering service to patients and low financial reserves. The losses are expected to be greater in the future due to higher costs attributed to inflation, according to the HQPR report.
Source: KSNT 27 News

City of Great Bend to raise entry-level wages for its employees

The City of Great Bend is raising its entry-level wages for its employees. The entry-level wage increase to $15.50 per hour will begin on Aug. 20. The City of Great Bend says it also provides a great benefit package. Current open positions, both part-time and full-time, with the City of Great Bend, include: City of Great Bend Police Department custodian, Firefighter/EMT – paramedic, Police officer, Seasonal mower/maintenance.
Source: KSN-TV

Municipal Bond Trends for August 7, 2023

Program in Saline County will help teach rural businesses how to grow

Business owners in Saline County will have the opportunity to learn from faculty and staff from Wichita State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship about sales and growth strategies, marketing, branding and more through a certificate program offered locally this fall. The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, NetWork Kansas and WSU’s Center for Entrepreneurship partnered to offer the “Growing Rural Businesses” program in Saline County starting Sept. 7. The program is an eight-week training tailored to meet the needs of existing rural businesses that are ready to grow.
Source: Salina Journal

Investors Bet That High Rates Will Linger

The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note has surged close to its highest level in more than a decade, lifted by new bets that a strong economy could support years of higher interest rates…. The recent climb in longer-term Treasury yields—which play a role in determining the cost of everything from mortgages to stocks—comes even as yields on shorter-term bonds have stalled. That is a sign investors think cooling inflation and resilient economic growth will allow the Federal Reserve to stop raising rates, then leave them unchanged at least until the end of the year.
Source: WSJ.com: Markets

Kansas Attorney General Opinion 2023-5: Designating city website as “official city newspaper”; exceptions

K.S.A. 12-1651(a) requires second and third class cities to designate an official city newspaper for the publishing of official city business, provided the newspaper meets the qualifications set forth in K.S.A. 12-1651(b). However, under the home rule provisions of the Kansas Constitution, Kan. Const. Art. 12, § 5, which allows cities to exempt themselves from nonuniform acts of the legislature, a city may exempt itself by charter ordinance from the requirements set forth in K.S.A. 12-1651 because the statute is not uniformly applicable as it applies only to second- and third-class cities. … As to the question of whether a city of the second class may instead designate its webpage as its “official city newspaper,” we see nothing in state law that prohibits a second class city, once it has exempted itself from K.S.A. 12-1651 by charter ordinance, from publishing official city business on its own website. However, we would note that publication by website would not be sufficient where some other form of publication is specifically mandated.
Source: Kansas Attorney General Opinions

Sedgwick County, Wichita address opioid crisis

The city of Wichita and Sedgwick County are pooling money they’ll receive from opioid settlement funds in order to strategically distribute them throughout the area. In a request for proposal, the local governments are looking for an agency that will create a strategic plan for how to distribute an estimated $15.5 million from the settlements over the next 13 years. “Our goal with this RFP is to be able to inform the commission and the council, the best way to spend that money to have the biggest, greatest impact on the opioid problem,” Deputy County Manager Tim Kaufman said.
Source: Derby Informer | Area

Valley Center schools busting at the seams: bond issue could fix problem

Middle school teachers gear up for the upcoming school year as they engage in team building exercises on Monday at Valley Center Middle School. As they prepare, they also have concerns about overcrowding within Valley Center schools. According to Valley Center School District Superintendent Greg Lehr, passing the $73.9 million bond issue will allow the district to make necessary changes. “Part of that will be a new elementary school so we’ll have four elementary schools in the district. We’ll add twenty classrooms up at the high school and then we have a bunch of little additions to our middle school,” said Lehr. Lehr said an April 2022 study revealed they would have about 3100 students by 2027. They exceeded that with 3200 students at the end of the 2022-23 school year.
Source: KAKE – News

City of Wichita cracking down on illegal slot machines

There is an evidence section for Wichita police that has nearly one thousand illegal slots. More are likely on the way as the WPD continues to confiscate the machines. “For probably close to ten years in Wichita, we have seen an increase in gambling, illegal gambling,” said WPD Captain Travis Rakestraw. City Council Member Jeff Blubaugh said the city will take up tougher penalties and a way to get tough on business license holders on Tuesday. “It’s time to do something,” said Blubaugh. “They’re a real problem throughout the city, specifically in my district. And they really prey on people that maybe are lower income.”
Source: KSN-TV

Winfield storm cleanup still weeks away from completion

The City of Winfield is working to clean up damage from Saturday’s storms. Many neighborhoods still have large amounts of debris. City Manager Taggart Wall says completing the process will likely take many weeks. Lots of residents have joined in on the efforts. “In a town like Winfield, I’m never surprised to see neighbors come together and help neighbors. We’ve got folks from the rural areas that have come into town to help people pull together and try to get back on their feet,” explained Wall. For some, Saturday’s storms left them devastated. The Cowley County Fair had multiple trailers destroyed and chicken cages thrown across the barn.
Source: KSN-TV

110 mph wind causes damage in Kansas town of Almena

The National Weather Service in Goodland said a high-end supercell thunderstorm produced straight-line wind of 110 mph in the town of Almena in northwest Kansas. The storm moved over the town in Norton County around 7:45 p.m. on Saturday. As it moved into town, the storm intensified. The storm also had hail ranging from golf ball to tennis ball-sized hail. The wind caused damage to trees ranging from limbs being blown down to tree trunks being snapped.
Source: KSN-TV

Kansas sees smallest wheat crop in half a century

This summer’s wheat harvest is finally coming to a close in Kansas after weeks of delays, and it’s the smallest crop for the state since 1966. Farmers were up against weather-related challenges this year. Wheat needs a lot of moisture when it’s planted in the fall and actively growing in the spring. However, in the summer, it needs to be dry for harvesting. This year, the weather did the opposite of what was needed. The fall and spring were dry, which made some crops so stunted farmers gave up on them entirely. About 15% of crops were abandoned, compared to the 5% abandoned in a typical year, according to the Kansas Wheat Commission.
Source: KSN-TV

KDHE announces recipients of $333k in waste reduction grants

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is pleased to announce the recipients of the solid waste reduction grants. Grants totaled $333,037.56 and were awarded to 14 different cities, counties and organizations. The solid waste tire reduction grant is used to support projects related to the development and operation of recycling, source reduction, waste minimization and solid waste management public education programs. The grants are funded by revenue collected through the solid waste tonnage fee; a $1.00/per ton of solid waste disposed at any solid waste disposal area in the state. A list of the map of awards is available here.
Source: KDHE

As water dries up, SE Kansas communities enact mandatory water conservation

In parts of southeast Kansas heat and parched conditions are drying up the water supply for several Kansas communities. This week, people living in Chautauqua County and parts of Montogmery and Elk Counties are under mandatory water conservation measures. That means no watering lawns, washing cars or filling pools. Kathi Barlow has seen the impact of the drought drying up the land. “People just say they haven’t seen it at this point ever. It’s hard. Yeah, it’s bad,” said Barlow.
Source: KWCH

Municipal Bond Trends for August 4, 2023

Municipal Bond Trends for August 3, 2023

Olympics in Moscow, Kansas?

Efforts to boycott the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow did not go well. No alternative site was picked. In the midst of all this, here came Moscow, Kansas, with what it hoped was the answer. The 250 people in town started passing out bumper stickers. They wanted to keep the games in Moscow, if not Russia, then Kansas. At Moscow International airport, they expected big crowds, if they could find a plane that seats more than one. “We have a man who works at the post office,” said Doug Bell. “He knows all about air mail. And then there’s the guy who cleans the sewer tanks here. He knows all about rapid transit.”
Source: Bob Dotson on LinkedIn

Council to ponder declaring McPherson’s seat vacant

Should the Great Bend City Council Ward 4 seat currently held by Brock McPherson be declared vacant due to his continued absences? That question will be before the council as it meets Monday night. It will consider using for the first time an ordinance created to deal with these sorts of issues, one crafted because of McPherson’s lack of council participation. Should a vacancy be declared, Mayor Cody Schmidt “with advise and consent of the council” will begin the process of finding a suitable elector for appointment at the next council meeting Monday, Aug. 21, the agenda for Monday night reads.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

‘Right thing to do’: Wichita police award eight citizens for response during stabbing

Isaac Stegman was in west Wichita driving home from work when he saw something he had never seen before: an accident in which one driver was out of his vehicle and stabbing the driver inside the other vehicle. Both people involved were men. The victim had a woman and two children in his vehicle. Stegman, who owns a carpentry business, turned his truck and trailer around, parked in the road and got out to help. By the time he arrived, the victim was on the ground, the suspect held at gunpoint by another bystander. He quickly used his shirt and belt to make tourniquets on the 30-year-old man’s leg and arm. The man had been stabbed elsewhere as well.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Valley Center named Purple Heart City

Following in the footsteps of Derby and Haysville, Valley Center become the third city in Sedgwick County in the span of roughly one year to officially be declared a Purple Heart City. An official proclamation was made at the Sedgwick County Commission meeting on Aug. 2. The official proclamation serves as a statement of support for military personnel, veterans and families of those who have served through the Armed Services in recalling one of the oldest military decorations still given out.
Source: Derby Informer | News

Local 911 call centers address staffing issues

Across the country, 82% of 911 call centers are understaffed. Here in Sedgwick County, the emergency communications department has experienced similar issues. The Sedgwick County 911 Call Center has experienced a time when staffing dipped below 65% capacity. A new $430,000 renovation started in April to address the concern. The project is now complete and its staff will move into the updated facility as soon as next week. The updates include knocking down walls to create more space for additional new hires. Additionally, updates to flooring and other parts of the building were put into place to make the staff feel more comfortable.
Source: KSN-TV

McPherson Fire Department gets enough donations for baby box

The McPherson Fire Department announced Friday it has received enough donations to pay for the installation of a baby box. A news release says several donations were received through the McPherson County Community Foundation: Newborn Safety Device page, Countryside Covenant Church, A local family trust (who wished to remain anonymous), and A McPherson firefighter and their family (who wished to remain anonymous). MFD says they were also contacted by Oliva Fetsch, who lost her sister Vanessa Leite in April this year. She donated the remaining amount needed to install the box in Leite’s honor.
Source: KSN-TV

Proposed ordinance would allow Wichita police chief to suspend business licenses for bars, clubs

A new ordinance the Wichita City Council will consider on Tuesday would allow the Wichita police chief to suspend business licenses for bars and clubs. According to the City of Wichita, the ordinance would create consistent criteria for the suspension of licenses at bars and other businesses that sell alcohol. The filing says the ordinance would address deficiencies by adding provisions that allow the chief of police to immediately suspend a license when violent criminal conduct occurs to the extent there is a credible safety risk to the public if the business remains open.
Source: KSN-TV

What these new Kansas road signs mean

Drivers along four Kansas roads have noticed new yellow signs recently. The sign message is “Safety Corridor — Increased Enforcement,” and the ultimate goal is to reduce crashes. The Kansas Department of Transportation says the Safety Corridor Pilot Program is new and will run through 2028. KDOT chose four corridors for the pilot program based on crash history, availability of additional law enforcement, and input from local traffic safety partners.
Source: KSN-TV

Lawrence releases final site design for pallet shelter village

Lawrence leaders have finalized the site design for a pallet shelter village to address homelessness in the city. The shelter will be located at 256 N. Michigan St., just south of Interstate 70 west of the Kansas River. The city plans to create 50 pallet shelters that are each 64 square feet. Each cabin will have heating and cooling. The village will also have shared restrooms, showers, laundry and office space, plus bike and vehicle parking. The final design also shows a community tent area and a proposed fence line. Supporters have previously said the village is a key piece in community efforts to end homelessness in both Lawrence and Douglas County.
Source: KSN-TV

KU launches plan to address nursing shortage; Hospital nursing vacancies peak

As hospitals struggle to recruit nurses and the demand for nursing heightens, the University of Kansas is starting a new initiative to tackle the mounting healthcare labor issue in Kansas. The university’s School of Nursing is forming a new center that will address shortages of nurses and nursing faculty in Kansas. The university’s announcement comes as Kansas hospitals are coping with their highest vacancy rates for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in more than 20 years.
Source: Sunflower State Journal

Lawrence City Commission’s first meeting with consent agenda change is Tuesday; here’s what the change looks like

Members of the public no longer have the option to pull most items from the Lawrence City Commission’s consent agenda. There’s one item on Tuesday’s agenda that can be pulled. The consent agenda is a long list of items that are generally approved in one motion unless a commissioner or member of the public asks to pull something for discussion. Under a change commissioners approved last week, community members may only pull certain items that are designated as “quasi-judicial.” Deputy City Attorney Randy Larkin said last week that this distinction typically includes items where the commission is asked to apply city ordinance to a request with a specific set of facts — similar to the way judges interpret the law to decide legal arguments.
Source: The Lawrence Times