Municipal News & Jobs

Providers of fiber internet will now have more options for where cable can be placed near homes in Salina after approval by the City Commission. During its meeting Monday, the commission approved a resolution to allow fiber optic cable to be placed in utility easements within the city in addition to the public right of way, which was already allowed. Assistant City Manager Shawn Henessee said a utility easement in Salina is typically located at the rear or side of a residence, whereas the right of way is typically located in front of a home. “The city has voluntarily allowed utilities, in the past, to access…the easement in the rear,” Henessee said.
Source: Salina Journal

Saline County is making progress on workforce initiatives and community outreach efforts as part of an overarching campaign to see a culture shift in local government. County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes provided a brief overview Tuesday of some ongoing efforts in areas the commission has identified as top priorities going forward. Those mentioned were part of a broader vision the County Commission created earlier this year. At a study session style meeting at the end of January, the commission spelled out what it would like to work on and provide to the community during their tenure. They honed in on key focus areas that encompass more specific goals.
Source: Salina Journal

Under these facts, the city of Kensington, as the employer of an independent contractor, is not liable for injuries caused by any negligence of an independent contractor. Expert witness testimony is necessary to show that an independent contractor hired to brush blast and paint a city’s water tower should have used different materials or a protective curtain to protect an adjacent landowner from injury. The standard of care for that work is outside the ordinary experience and common knowledge of a juror.
Source: Kansas Court of Appeals

Although it took time to get to Abilene, the city is not immune from the drug, said Police Chief Anna Hatter. “Larger jurisdictions, larger cities, have been dealing with it a lot longer than what we have,” Hatter said. “I don’t think that we actually started to run into it here in physical form, running into people who were under the influence of it and knowing that that was something that had infiltrated our community, until roughly a year ago.”
Source: abilene-rc.com

Despite some public pushback, permitting issues and a set of county regulations that its attorney says are too strict, a Florida-based company says it hopes to have its 3,000-acre solar project in Douglas and Johnson counties up and running by 2026. That was the message at an informational meeting Tuesday night hosted by Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources, the company behind the proposed West Gardner Solar project. The project, which would take up 1,000 acres of southeastern Douglas County and part of southwestern Johnson County, has been years in the making, but Tuesday was the first time that NextEra officials had hosted a public meeting and shared specifics about their expected timeline.
Source: LJWorld

Classified staff at Salina Public Schools are often paid above local market standards, but the district can do more to support staff like paraeducators and administrative support, a recent study reveals. This year, the district consulted an outside company, Educational Management Solutions (EMS), for a thorough review of Salina Schools’ classified salary schedule and compensation data for each of its classified positions. It found that while most staff are paid at and above market rates, some salaries have remained stagnant. … “(The study) was to give us some feedback and tell us (if) our placement on our salary schedule is comparable for other school districts and within our local market,” said Eryn Wright, executive director of human resources and legal services at USD 305.
Source: Salina Journal

The leader of the Kansas Highway Patrol defended a policy in court Wednesday that, if nixed by the court system, could have a significant impact on how the statewide law enforcement agency will handle traffic stops. Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Herman Jones said the agency has already implemented policy changes as a result of a series of legal challenges led by the ACLU of Kansas against a common tactic used by troopers that critics say violates the civil liberties of motorists.
Source: Salina Journal

A temporary provision that had allowed adults as young as 18 to substitute teach in Kansas classrooms will continue for at least two school years. The Kansas State Board of Education on Wednesday voted unanimously to extend its expanded emergency substitute teacher license through June 2025. Apart from standard background checks and fees, applicants for that type of license only need to have received a high school diploma.
Source: CJonline

Greg Lehr’s education career is coming full circle. Lehr, a 1996 Valley Center High School graduate who was an administrator in the school district for 12 years, was named the district’s next superintendent. “This is home. This is where we want to be,” he said. Lehr was one of two candidates the school board interviewed last week. The board’s appointment was announced after a special meeting May 5. “Greg’s track record here with the kids-first mentality and then throughout his interview, it was very centered on student achievement, getting kids involved, engaged in the school district, and that’s what we want in a leader,” board President Ben Wilson said. Lehr will officially start in July, although he has already been involved in the process of hiring a middle school principal and an assistant superintendent.
Source: Ark Valley News

Maize city administrator Richard LaMunyon is retiring at the end of the year. He was Wichita’s police chief for several years, and on Wednesday he was surprised with a blast from the past. Tom Masters, a retired federal law enforcement officer, began his career in Wichita as the first Asian police officer in the city. He credits his career to LaMunyon for hiring him back in the 1970s. He presented an award to LaMunyon for giving him his start.
Source: KWCH

A petition to disorganize the USD 112 Central Plains school district has been filed. The Wilson High School Future Committee asked the USD 112 Board of Education to delay the closure of Wilson High School for one year. With no action regarding the issue taken at Monday’s board meeting, the petition was filed with Ellsworth County Tuesday morning. Long-time educator Roberta Meier, who helped file the petition, was disappointed the issue was not discussed Monday. “That was very surreal because, with something this serious and historic, it shows their lack of understanding for what a disorganization is and how it will proceed,” she said. “The only discussion was about who would pay for the election and the date.”
Source: Hays Post

Lawrence school board leaders are interested in pursuing a pilot project for rooftop solar, with the potential for the solar array to be in place before the start of next school year. As part of a work session ahead of the school board’s regular meeting on Monday, all seven board members indicated they were interested in the district further pursuing a pilot. Particulars about the potential solar installation, including the purchase of equipment and which school would be used for the pilot, would be brought back at a later date for consideration.
Source: LJWorld

Stories of stopped trains blocking streets are prevalent across the nation, including right here in Kansas. One of those places is Caldwell, where the stoppages are causing more than just normal frustrations. The people in Caldwell are thrilled with the hospital that was built just on the other side of the railroad tracks and a sign that is supposed to point people in its direction. But sometimes the sign means nothing because the tracks are blocked by a train. “We’ve been dealing with train stoppage as long as I can remember,” Caldwell resident Chuck Tyler said. “It was something we lived with. It’s also a little bit harder now that the hospital is on the other side of the tracks.” For years, Tyler said, the train stoppages were just something Caldwell residents just had to live with. Now, that no longer feels like an option.
Source: KWCH

Call it a measured gamble. A group of Kansas natives had an idea in 2016 to move back to their home state, but with all the amenities they had found and enjoyed in faraway urban locales. Now seven years in, their bet is paying off in the small community of Humboldt, population 2,000, located two hours east of Wichita, and two hours southwest of Kansas City. “My wife and I were looking for something different,” said Paul Cloutier, a designer who grew up in Wichita but was working in the technology industry in northern California in 2016. “I remember asking myself, ‘is technology really making the world better.’” Cloutier is a partner and co-founder of A Bolder Humboldt, a dynamic group of people that states its goal as “reimagining and rebuilding our 165-year-old rural Kansas town for a new generation…”
Source: Hays Daily News

The community of Victoria has received good news: a Dollar General Store is soon to be a reality. After months of meetings where citizens discussed the needs and wishes for the town, the arrangement is done. Construction is expected to be well underway by the end of the year. The store will be located on East Highway 40 adjacent to Pfeifer’s Inc. Not only will this afford residents access to affordable household essentials saving them a trip elsewhere, it will also create employment opportunities for several individuals. The City of Victoria will also be the beneficiary of the revenue from sales tax.
Source: Hays Daily News

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, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.

As enrollment dwindles in the Hutchinson School District, the need for buildings decreases. But this year, the largest school district in Reno County is facing a new problem − not enough applicants to fill their 14 open teacher slots. Because of this dilemma, the USD 308 staff met with community members at McCandless, Faris and Lincoln elementary schools on Wednesday and Thursday to try to figure out a solution. They threw out all sorts of possibilities, including closing an elementary school. Hutchinson’s superintendent, Dawn Johnson, Ed.D., wants to keep the community involved in what is happening. She is proposing a special board meeting, where community members can speak, be held next Monday evening to focus on this topic.
Source: Hutch News

Providers of fiber internet will now have more options for where cable can be placed near homes in Salina after approval by the City Commission. During its meeting Monday, the commission approved a resolution to allow fiber optic cable to be placed in utility easements within the city in addition to the public right of way, which was already allowed. Assistant City Manager Shawn Henessee said a utility easement in Salina is typically located at the rear or side of a residence, whereas the right of way is typically located in front of a home. “The city has voluntarily allowed utilities, in the past, to access…the easement in the rear,” Henessee said. As more fiber providers are making their way to Salina, Henessee said the city has been looking at the issue of where fiber cable could be placed.
Source: Salina Journal