Kansas Municipal News
Westwood kicks off planning for new park after legal dispute over other green space nearby
The city of Westwood’s park planning steering committee is meeting for the first time on March 4. The committee is charged with guiding city officials on development of the new 3.8-acre park that is part of the Karbank Real Estate Company’s office-park project headed to West 50th Street and Rainbow Boulevard. Karbank plans to build six office-retail buildings along Rainbow Boulevard on the sites of Joe D. Dennis Park and the former Westwood Christian Church. In exchange for building on Joe D. Dennis Park, Karbank is giving the city of Westwood money to purchase the original Westwood View Elementary building and build a replacement park on that site just to the west.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Homebody: The good and the bad of home associations
A homeowner association (HOA) is typically a nonprofit corporation within a community of housing. Most HOAs exist in planned multi-unit community projects such as condominiums and townhomes or in newer developments filled with new construction. Membership is mandatory and the association is governed by a board of directors made up of elected community residents once control is passed off from the developer. Practically all incorporated HOAs are subjected to state laws in addition to unique governing restrictive covenants and bylaws. These restrictive covenants and bylaws define community standards so as to protect property values. It’s this intention that is the good of HOAs. The bad? That’s mostly in the eye of the beholder. Unfortunately, most homebuyers never read the governing documents of an HOA representing a community. This has a couple potential negative effects. First, the buyers could unknowingly violate the covenants. An example of this would be if a homeowner installed a wood privacy fence only to get served a notice by the HOA that the wood violates the restriction of only allowing aluminum fencing. This would result in the owner being required to either legally fight the restriction or to remove the violation and re-install the approved fence, costing both time and money.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
New Johnson County coffee shop inspired by nature opens in an old fire station
Birds chirping overhead, horses galloping in the distance — and in the middle of the rural scene, a coffee shop. The building’s mural, depicting a field of sunflowers and rolling hills, matches its serene backdrop. Owner Courtney Nelson said Station 3 Coffee has quickly become a hit with bicyclists and walkers on the winding trails nearby. Over the weekend, a group of cyclists were racing down the trails to try their first cup of Station 3 coffee before it closed for the day, Nelson said. Station 3 opened Friday near Shawnee Mission Park at 19115 Midland Drive in Shawnee. It features a full-service coffee bar with pastries. Its indoor and outdoor seating draws neighbors and park-goers. “We’ve been pleased with the turnout,” Nelson said. “The dogs, the kids, everybody enjoying it … coming together and meeting the neighbors.” Customers walk through the front door of a brick building covered in painted sunflowers and into an entry area with long windows and high ceilings. Natural light pours onto a red tiled bar with a marbled countertop. On one half of the coffee shop, a painting of Mill Creek and Little Mill Creek wraps around the room. On the other, a mural of a rocky, mountainous scene. (That’s in honor of Nelson’s son, who’s a climber.) Station 3 tees and mugs are on display in a light-washed wooden hutch, available for sale. Outside, a spacious patio with an outdoor bar, wooden bench and a handful of bright yellow tables.
Source: Joco 913 News
Lawsuit against Dodge City’s voting districts could affect other Kansas communities
More than half of the population in Dodge City, Kansas, is Latino. But in the past 20 years members of the community argue they have never had the power to elect city officials of their choice. A federal judge heard arguments last week in a lawsuit that aims to change this, with critics of Dodge City’s current local government structure arguing it denies representation and voting rights to its Hispanic and Latino residents. The outcome of the case holds major consequences for the Southwest Kansas city. And if Dodge City loses, other Kansas cities may face their own legal challenges or calls for change. The lawsuit, filed in 2022 by the ACLU of Kansas and other voting rights groups on behalf of two Dodge City voters, argues that Dodge City’s at-large voting system violates federal voting rights law because it denies Hispanic and Latino residents who live in the same part of the city the ability to elect representatives of their choosing. Several other Kansas communities also use at-large voting systems – where every city council member must be elected by a vote from the entire city, rather than a specific district.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Municipal Bond Trends for March 5, 2024
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.
Municipal Bond Trends for March 4, 2024
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.
After a 5-day trial, federal judge to decide whether Dodge City’s at-large elections discriminate against the Latino vote
Voting rights lawyers offered a passionate rebuke of Dodge City’s at-large election system, arguing that the city’s current system deprives Latino voters of sufficient representation on the city commission. … Attorneys for the city counter that a lack of Latino representation on the commission is the result of factors beyond local government’s control. In December 2022, ACLU Kansas and other voting rights groups filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming that Latinos would overwhelmingly back other Latinos for seats on the City Commission but are restrained by an at-large system that favors white voters. … The five-day trial went into recess before noon Friday, March 1. Plaintiffs and defendants have until March 22 to file their final briefs to the Court. Then, [Judge] Melgren will review and issue his decision. It could be months before he issues a ruling.
Source: KLC Journal
110 new jobs coming to Wellington
A company is investing $14 million in Wellington and creating 110 new jobs for the area. Elite Harness plans to refurbish an existing facility at 1515 North A Street on the north side of town. The goal is to make it into a 50,000-square-foot state-of-the-art manufacturing plant. “We have a sister company that is located in Tulsa, so we considered building there, but the State of Kansas and Sumner County really stepped up to the plate and made Wellington a wise choice for us,” Elite Harness President Nathan Smith said in a news release.
Source: KSN-TV
How running with pancakes in southwest Kansas boosts community spirit and the economy
This year marks the 75th anniversary of what’s known as the Pancake Day Race in the southwest Kansas town of Liberal. It’s an oddity, but these types of community festivals offer economic and less tangible benefits to smaller towns. Women dressed in aprons, skirts and headscarves line up in the middle of main street. They’re dressed in a traditional English kitchen outfit, but instead of cooking they are about to race. As the women get on their marks they prepare their other race essentials, frying pans and pancakes. This is the annual Pancake Day Race, a tradition in Liberal, Kansas, for 75 years. People gather to watch competitors run the quarter-mile race holding frying pans containing a single pancake. It’s a multi-day event in Liberal with an international connection as locals compete against racers in England. While events like this held in many smaller towns may seem like curiosities, they can offer economic and social benefits that motivate communities to keep them alive. “We’re smack dab in the middle of nowhere, and in a small sense, we’re connected internationally,” said Gary Classen, who has been chairman of Pancake Day for eight years.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe
‘The lifeblood of the community’: States invest to save rural grocery stores
Corliss Hassler rushes in the front door of Post 60 Market and heads straight for the produce case. “I’m back,” she announces. It’s around lunchtime, but it’s already her second trip in today — this time, she’s picking up a few items for the Friday fish fry at the local Catholic church. Hassler is a regular customer and investor in the small grocery store, opened in 2022 as a cooperative. The store provides convenience, sure: It’s the only place in town to buy fresh fruits, vegetables and meats. But it’s also a social hub for the northeast Nebraska town of Emerson, population 891. “The store is the lifeblood of the community,” Hassler said. “We have to keep our store, we have to keep our schools, we have to keep our churches — and it’s all a struggle right now.” The market opened four years after the closure of the town’s only grocery store. Some 110 community members bought shares, which funded the transformation of a shuttered American Legion post into a brightly lit store packed with fresh and packaged foods. Preserving grocery stores has been a perennial challenge for rural communities. Small, often declining populations make it tough to turn a profit in an industry known for its razor-thin margins. Increased competition from online retailers, the onslaught of chains such as Dollar General stores and an aging lineup of independent grocers have only made things tougher. By 2015, USDA research showed a total of 44 counties had no grocery store at all — all but four of the counties were rural.
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas considers $40 million fund to help local governments shelter homeless people
Around 2,600 Kansans are experiencing homelessness on any given day, one survey estimates. Lawmakers tasked with reducing this number will decide whether a $40 million fund is the best way to provide support for struggling local communities. Andy Brown, deputy secretary for programs at the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, gave an overview of potential pathways to reduce homelessness in the state Thursday. “The fact that we have a high percentage of unsheltered folks means that the visibility of homelessness is high,” Brown told lawmakers on the House Committee on Welfare Reform. “As we’re able to reduce the percentage of our homeless that are unsheltered, it will become something where it’s more difficult to see.” The reform committee is tasked with tackling the state’s homelessness problem, but committee action has been slow to come. During last year’s session, committee lawmakers heard a bill criminalizing homeless people, which fizzled after public outcry. This session, committee chairman Rep. Francis Awerkamp, a St. Marys Republican, characterized state homelessness as not “a massive issue,” but “certainly something we need to consider addressing.”
Source: KAKE – News
SoCe, a south-central Wichita neighborhood, sits at a crossroads
As lovers of all things old, Larry and Cathy Mong were thrilled with the home they bought for $50,000 in Wichita 23 years ago: a 1906 Victorian in south central Wichita, less than a mile from the heart of downtown. The neighborhood was a little rough, but the Mongs had seen similar neighborhoods in the Dallas-Fort Worth area go through the gentrification process. “We thought in five to 10 years it would be like downtown Dallas, but it isn’t,” Larry Mong said. In fact, in some respects it seems to have declined. When they moved in, Larry remembers, every home on the block was occupied by owners or renters. Today, six are boarded up. The house two doors down appears headed for demolition, having suffered two major fires. Across the street, the red brick building that once housed Grace Methodist Episcopal Church — added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 — is boarded up and its doors welded shut after being taken over by squatters, who also set fires. Even so, the neighborhood remains attractive for some. Recently, a couple relocating to Wichita from Seattle expressed excitement after touring the house next door to Mong’s, which is listed for sale at $129,000. The couple told Mong it would be worth $600,000 in Seattle. Elsewhere in south central Wichita, new owners have bought and fixed up derelict homes, duplexes and apartments. In a city where affordable housing is in short supply, south central real estate offers bargains. But can enough people look past its challenges to revive one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods?
Source: KLC Journal
Lawrence plastic bag ban officially in full effect
Plastic bags are officially banned in Lawrence, but will that ban stay? The City Commission passed an ordinance last year that took effect on Friday. The ordinance banned single-use plastic bags in an effort to reduce the use of plastics in the city. “We’re very excited about it,“ Lawrence resident Misti Osbern said. “We’ve been trying to use our reusable bags for a long time.” However, the changes could come to a halt, if new legislation is passed. There are ongoing efforts to prohibit plastic bag bans at the state level, after failed attempts in previous years. Currently, House Bill 2446, prohibiting cities and counties from regulating plastic or other containers designed for consumption, transportation and protection of food, merchandise or beverages is still alive at the statehouse. The bill was requested for introduction by the Kansas Chamber. According to Kansas Chamber spokeswoman Sherriene Jones-Sontag, if it passes, the plastic bag ban in Lawrence would be redacted. Eric Stafford, the Kansas Chamber’s Vice President of Government Affairs, sent the following statement to Nexstar’s Kansas Capitol Bureau, regarding Lawrence’s ban on plastic bags. “When one city or county in a state decides to ban something, or require something of businesses not required in other jurisdictions, it places burdens on employers and increases costs on consumers. The logic behind banning single-use plastic bags is so flawed. Supporters argue you can no longer use a single use plastic bag to carry your food wrapped in plastic. Instead you have to buy reusable plastic bags that contain three times as much plastic as a single use bag, all under the false impression you are doing something to protect the environment.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
City of Pittsburg to enhance safety through intersections by removing trees
Custom Tree Care of Topeka, KS, will commence tree removal from certain intersections’ right-of-ways in Pittsburg starting Monday, March 4. The project aims to enhance safety by eliminating vision-obstructing obstructions for drivers. This initiative aligns with the city’s “Spruce Up Pittsburg” campaign and ongoing traffic improvement endeavors. During the operation, which will span several weeks, motorists and pedestrians are advised to consider alternative routes, exercise caution in the work zone, and be mindful of workers. The City of Pittsburg wants the public to know they appreciate the patience of motorists and residents while this work is being performed. Contact Director of Public Works & Utilities Matt Bacon at (620) 240-5126 with questions regarding this project.
Source: KOAM News
It’s ‘going to be really hurtful’: Families to Wichita school board before closure vote
The fate of six schools, 322 employees and 2,213 students will be decided Monday, when the Wichita school board votes on a closure proposal that the district leadership team says would save $16 million. It’s the culmination of a whirlwind process that began in late January, when the district’s chief financial officer first notified the public of a $42 million budget shortfall and presented board members with a choice between closing schools and laying off teachers. Emotions ran high Thursday as the district hosted a public hearing on the recommended closure of four elementary schools — Clark, Park, Payne and Cleaveland — and two middle schools, Hadley and Jardine Magnet. The buildings would be shut down at the end of the semester. “School isn’t just learning. It’s relationships, personality building, character building. So much more than just books and reading,” said Mozart Padilla, a junior at Northwest High who went to Cleaveland and whose sibling is a student there. “Closing these schools would save money for things that you could say are needed. But the money you save isn’t going to save the relationships that you’re breaking.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
City looks at changing policy on using industrial revenue bonds for rental housing
Should the city government issue industrial revenue bonds for things like non-low-income rental housing? That’s the question the Manhattan City Commission will take up at Tuesday’s meeting. The issue follows a January retreat at which commissioners said they wanted to help create more workforce housing. They asked city officials to draft a housing policy to take advantage of available programs and tools. The city government previously has used IRBs for industrial and commercial development. An approved IRB can result in a property tax abatement of the new property taxes created by the rental housing project for a period of up to 10 years, and/or a sales tax exemption for project labor and materials during the project’s construction period, according to city memos. The city has two existing policies that apply. First, IRBs may only apply to low-income housing projects. Second, the Tax Abatement Policy has specific requirements for the property tax abatement that would not continue to apply to these projects.
Source: themercury.com
Fire destroys two Winfield businesses
Fire officials in Winfield said two businesses are a total loss after a Sunday morning fire. Crews saw flames coming from a building in the 100 block of East 5th Street when they arrived just after 9 a.m. The building housed The Winfield Thrift Store and a hair salon, Hair Tamers. Firefighters had to take a defensive posture, staying outside the building because of heavy fire involvement. Crews from Arkansas City, Udall and Burden helped bring the fire under control and crews were able to protect neighboring buildings. No one was in the building at the time and no injuries were reported. The Kansas State Fire Marshal is helping to investigate the cause of the fire.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Municipal Bond Trends for March 1, 2024
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.
Controlled methane flares at Johnson County landfill prompt 911 calls to Shawnee
The city of Shawnee wants people to know that if they’re seeing fire coming from the Johnson County landfill, they shouldn’t be alarmed. The flares are the result of an ongoing plant expansion plan. While the Archaea Energy plant at the landfill in Shawnee, which produces renewable natural gas, has shut down for the expansion, it’s been producing flares in the sky to release built-up natural gas.
Source: Johnson County Post
Newton’s new city manager seeks to bring residents into local government
Daniela Rivas is new to the Newton City Manager position, but she’s far from new to the city. Long before she was managing city finances, or working in government she got her start at Acapulco, working for her uncle, Sal Lujano, Sr. “I’d bus; I’d serve and dish wash,” she said. “We’d get $20 and run to Anderson’s and spend all our money.” Her father originally came from Jalisco, Mexico, and ended up in Newton before moving the family to Wichita. As Newton remained where much of her family was located, she’d spend summers in the city. “Coming to Newton, I loved the small-town feel,” she said. “My uncle greeting everybody by name. Going to the pool, dragging Main Street. As I got older and started having kids, I wanted that for my family.”
Source: Harvey County Now