Kansas Municipal News
Pittsburg sales tax continuance up for April 11 vote
Pittsburg voters will decide whether or not to continue a public safety sales tax tomorrow. The special election is today… The question on the ballot is: “Shall a retailers’ sales tax in the amount of one-half of one percent (0.5%) continue to be levied in the City of Pittsburg, Kansas effective on January 1, 2024, with the proceeds therefrom to be used for the purpose of public safety for a time period not to exceed ten (10) years from the date such additional sales tax is first collected?” … The tax went into effect in March 2014.
Source: KOAM News
Belle Plaine celebrates the silencing of train horns
The people who live and work around Belle Plaine say train horns have been a loud part of their day for years. The City of Belle Plaine says more than 50 train horns sounded each day at 98 decibels. But the town is now an official Quiet Zone. So as of April 5, train horns are silent as trains approach three crossings in and near the Sumner County town. For Belle Plaine, it took nearly 10 years to get the federal Quiet Zone designation.
Source: KSN-TV
De Soto clears path for massive solar farm
The City of De Soto is figuring out how it’ll handle what could be the largest solar farm in the nation, which City leaders expect to eventually pop up near Panasonic’s $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant that is under construction right now. On Thursday, City leaders approved a permitting process to allow a Utility-Scale Solar Facility (USSF) of up to 3,000 acres that could create between 600-800 megawatts. Industry experts say that much energy could power roughly 500,000 homes at the same time.
Source: KSN-TV
Wichita considers raising fees to improve golf courses
As the City of Wichita displayed an improvement to one of the City’s public golf courses Thursday, it said other improvements are needed. The improvement the City pointed to on Thursday involves the MacDonald Golf Course’s driving range not being near the clubhouse like at other golf courses. “It creates a big challenge for not only customers, staff, First Tee with their programming, having to figure out to transport the balls from the clubhouse to here. It’s a big issue,” Jesse Coffman, the City’s golf director, said.
Source: KSN-TV
Paola turns dispatch duties over to county
A staffing shortage has forced the city of Paola to turn its dispatch duties over to the Miami County Sheriff’s Office beginning May 1. Paola City Council members, during their March 14 meeting, agreed to make a reduction in force and transition to the Miami County Sheriff’s Office to provide dispatch services for the city of Paola beginning May 1. Paola City Council member Dave Smail, who is a former Paola police chief, abstained from voting. Miami County commissioners, during their March 29 meeting, voted 5-0 to take over dispatch services for the city of Paola, effective May 1.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Riley County agrees to enter opioid lawsuit settlement
The Riley County Commission on Monday unanimous authorized participating in a nationwide settlement agreement in an opioid lawsuit. Five companies, Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart, agreed late last year to provide settlement funds to the cities and counties who opt into the settlement by the April 18 deadline. While the exact payout for each entities hasn’t been determined, the total settlement is estimated to be several billion dollars, Clancy Holeman, Riley County counselor, said during the meeting. By participating in this settlement, Riley County will have to waive its ability to sue these five companies on their own.
Source: themercury.com
Study analyzes land ownership by location
Experts expect nearly 40% of American agricultural land will transition ownership in the next 15 years. As Kansas farmers retire and land is either sold or inherited by farming or non-farming heirs, the makeup and location of the new owners of that land has been changing over time, reports Kansas State University agricultural economist Robin Reid. Reid worked with the Kansas Property Valuation Division of the Department of Revenue to analyze agricultural land ownership by location. The researchers used data from 2015, the last most complete year of data available. The results, reported in January, show that 84.5% of acres in the study are owned by individuals or entities residing in Kansas. Of those, 54.6% live in the same county as their parcel.
Source: Pratt Tribune
Abilene home to World’s Largest Belt Buckle
Whether on a cross-state road trip or just looking for a unique stop in central Kansas, the small town of Abilene has a new roadside activity to make your list. Last December, Abilene unveiled its latest addition to artwork to honor its cowboy history. Its latest piece is now known as the World’s Largest Belt Buckle. “It’s just something that makes people smile,” said Julie Roller Weeks, director of the Abilene Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “It’s been so fun to see people’s reactions.” The World’s Largest Belt Buckle was designed by an Abilene local artist Jason Lahr with Fuller’s Creek Metal Works. Each artistic facet of the belt buckle works to honor local heritage and traditions in the town of Abilene. The buckle features artistic odes to Dwight Eisenhower, Wild Bill Hickok, Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad, the historic Seelye Mansion, C.W. Parker Carousel Horse, C.L. Brown Telephone, a racing greyhound and a Chisholm Trail Longhorn inlaid with blue quartz.
Source: Hutch News
Kansas could have new state park featuring clear lake, miles of trails
Rural southeast Kansas could soon be home to a new state park if lawmakers approve a gift of former industrial land that has been redeveloped into a lake and trail hub. The proposed Lehigh Portland State Park would be on the site of a former cement plant and quarry near Iola, known locally as Elks Lake. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks currently maintains 28 state parks, and the agency supports Lehigh Portland becoming the 29th. The property’s nearly 360 acres contain a 138-acre lake, 300-foot-long cave, woodlands, native prairie and more than 2.5 miles of wide gravel trails and 12 miles of natural surface trails for mountain biking, trail running and nature hikes trails. Thrive Allen County, a rural health advocacy organization, has been constructing the trails, which connect to the Southwind Rail Trail and Prairie Spirit State Park. House Bill 2331 passed the Kansas House 101-21 earlier this month and has had a Senate committee hearing, but has not advanced to the full chamber.
Source: Hutch News
CCMFOA Clerk of the Year is Jami Downing (Stafford)
Jami Downing, City Clerk, City of Stafford, Kansas, was selected as the recipient of the 2023 Mildred Vance City Clerk/Finance Officer of the Year for the State of Kansas. In October, Downing will again be recognized for this award at the League of Kansas Municipalities (LKM) Annual Conference in Wichita, Kansas.
Past resolution would allow farm animals at Newton schools
According to a city memo to be discussed at the April 10 Newton City Commission meeting, the Newton School District would be able to host an agricultural-based program, similar to the one at Walton Rural Life Center, within the City of Newton. The memo follows Board Member Luke Edwards asking the city if it would be able to change its animal ordinances in the future, in case the district would want to start a program with livestock at one of its schools located in the city.
Source: Harvey County Now
Harvey County planning commission leaning toward an outright ban
The Harvey County Planning Commission began the process of documenting reasons why wind turbines were not a good fit for the county at its meeting Tuesday. After planning commissioners and Planning and Zoning Director Karen Rothe disclosed what research they had done since the Board of Harvey County Commissioners adopted a six-month moratorium on renewable energy projects, Vice Chairwoman Lynne Vigil listed four distinct reasons for banning wind turbines: groundwater; airports and weather radar; setback distances; and search and rescue flights by emergency crews.
Source: Harvey County Now
These small Kansas towns are rising again by tapping a new market: Craft beer
One might also assume that Courtland, with just 294 residents, is the smallest town in Kansas that can boast its own brewery. But Sylvan Grove, about 45 minutes west, is smaller and is home to Plainsmen Brewing Co., which operates inside the popular Fly Boy restaurant. And an hour north, in Washington (population: 1,065), Kansas Territory Brewing Co. is home to a taproom and high-tech production facility that will likely soon be the largest in the state. As it turns out, the thirst for craft beer isn’t confined to city drinkers: Seven breweries in Kansas are open, or are soon to open, in communities of less than 2,500 people. As the brewers behind these operations have discovered, a brewery is rarely just a brewery — particularly out on the remote prairie plains.
Source: Kansas City Star
De Soto plans ahead for 3,000-acre solar farm near Panasonic construction
Nearly a third of the 9,035-acre Astra Enterprise Park could become De Soto’s first utility solar farm. De Soto has worked with Savion LLC, a Kansas City-based solar developer, since late 2021 to evaluate and assess a prospective project. Back then, officials said utility solar wouldn’t be in the cards for at least five years because of regulatory approvals. However, they anticipated that a solar project would generate significant electric franchise fees and local property taxes.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Kansas Senate says yes to state park in Iola
A proposal to create a new state park in Iola took another big step forward Thursday when Kansas senators voted overwhelmingly in favor of what would become Lehigh Portland State Park. The Senate’s passage means the bill goes back to the Kansas House of Representatives — perhaps as early as Thursday evening — for a final vote before the measure would go to Gov. Laura Kelly. The Senate’s bill differed slightly from a similar bill approved previously by the House in that it was combined with another bill granting free permanent hunting and fishing licenses to disabled veterans. Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, was among those who voted with the majority in the 35-5 tally.
Source: The Iola Register
Kansas Legislature packages new flat tax rate with quicker end to food tax
Kansas lawmakers passed a tax cut package in the early Friday morning hours that fuses a flat tax rate for individual income with an accelerated reduction in the state sales tax on food, corporate tax breaks and residential property tax relief. The policies assembled into Senate Bill 169 add up to $1.3 billion in decreased state tax collections over the next three years, with more than half of the cost associated with the flat tax. The bill eliminates the sales tax on food at the start of next year. “To me, it’s always a priority to get it back to taxpayers instead of growing government, and that’s that this bill does, and it does it very nicely,” said Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican who chairs the Senate tax committee. “It considers everybody, from low income tax to everybody.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Progress continues on Justice Center in Great Bend
The City of Great Bend’s new Justice Center slated for completion in August and the long-standing Expo I and II buildings that were just transferred to city ownership by the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce are on the forefront for city officials. As for the Justice Center at 12th and Baker, it is starting to take shape, both inside and out, Interim City Administrator Logan Burns said. The brickwork around the entrance area is underway and window installation will start Monday.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Property taxes climb 3.6% across U.S. to $339.8 billion
Property taxes levied on single-family homes in the United States increased 3.6% to $339.8 billion in 2022, according to a new report from a real estate data firm. That’s up from $328 billion in 2021. The 2022 increase was more than double the 1.6% growth in 2021, but smaller than the 5.4% increase in 2020, according to the report from ATTOM, a property data provider. The report also shows that the average tax on single-family homes in the U.S. increased 3% in 2022, to $3,901, after rising 1.8% in 2021. The latest average tax resulted in an effective tax rate nationwide of 0.83%. That was down slightly from 0.86% in 2021 to the lowest point since at least 2016.
Source: Derby Informer | News
With the Ogallala Aquifer drying up, Kansas considers limits to crop irrigation
The Ogallala Aquifer has a visibility problem. It’s easy to see when drought, farm irrigation and city taps drain the great reservoirs of the Southwest. Bathtub rings paint the red rock walls surrounding Lake Powell as it shrinks, sounding alarm bells loud and clear. What about a body of water that’s locked away in a subterranean labyrinth of gravel and rock reaching more than 300 feet underground? The Ogallala may hold as much water as Lake Huron, but we can’t see it. And, problematically, that means we can’t see it disappear.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Leawood proposes using federal funds to build pickleball courts
Leawood is considering whether to use federal COVID-19 relief funds to pay for more pickleball courts for public use. The Leawood City Council in a Monday work session reviewed multiple city projects — including installation of new pickleball courts — for which the city wants to pay with funds earmarked for its use from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Prairie Village is 2nd JoCo city to adopt antisemitism measure
Prairie Village is now the second Johnson County city to adopt a resolution formally defining antisemitism in response to an ongoing uptick in reported instances of antisemitic hate both nationally and around the Kansas City region. Leawood is the only other Johnson County city currently with such a resolution on the books, which uses the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism as a means for guiding public response to any potential acts of hate.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Meet Doug Gerber, Shawnee’s new city manager
Doug Gerber, a long-time municipal government administrator with Kansas roots, is Shawnee’s new city manager. Gerber, whose hiring was approved in February by an unanimous city council vote, was formally sworn in last week. His path to becoming a city manager wasn’t always a clear one. As a junior at Kansas State University, he was a chemistry major. Each day, he went to labs, and Gerber found he actually hated it. On a whim, he decided to take an introduction to public administration course, discovering a new path.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Prairie Village adds money to property tax rebate program
A few more Prairie Village residents could get some relief on their city property taxes. The Prairie Village City Council last week approved adding $5,000 more to its property tax rebate program fund, bringing the 2023 funding total to just over $30,000. The program, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to ease the burden on the most cash-strapped property owners, reimburses eligible residents for 100% of the Prairie Village portion of their annual property tax bill.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Municipal Bond Trends for April 6, 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, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.
Gant retires after 39 years of service to Seward County Sheriff’s office
The Seward County Sheriff’s office said goodbye to one of its own Friday afternoon. Capt. Rob Gant began working with the sheriff’s office in 1984, and Friday, county staff, local law enforcement, family and friends gathered in the commission chambers in the Administration Building for a reception for the long-time officer. Before Gant was given a few presents for his retirement, Sheriff Gene Ward recalled he and Gant’s early days in law enforcement.
Source: Liberal First
City of Gas residents register few complaints
A community conversational at Gas offered a look at the benefits of living in the small community, with few complaints. It’s a neighborly community, residents said. There’s much to appreciate about living in Gas, a handful of residents agreed Tuesday evening. And in a refreshing look at its citizenry, few had much to complain about, either. Perhaps some residents can be a bit more diligent in keeping junk and trash out of their yard, but for the most part, residents here are polite, friendly, and clean, locals Larry and Shirley Robertson agreed.
Source: Iola Register
Derby weighs tax burden in discussing future sales tax use
What comes next with the Derby Difference sales tax? That is the pressing question the Derby City Council began to tackle at its March 28 meeting, discussing potential next steps toward implementing a new city sales tax with the Derby Difference coming to an end. Following the results received from a community survey, City Manager Kiel Mangus brought forth a few items for the council to chew on at its latest meeting, including election options and rates with the new sales tax to potentially go into effect in 2025. The Derby Difference is scheduled to sunset on Dec. 31, 2024.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Derby adjusts policy for financing public improvements
In an effort to more equitably spread out costs for public improvements such as streets, sewer improvements, etc. – the Derby City Council looked at and approved a new policy resolution at its March 28 meeting. Last updated in 2016, Assistant City Manager for Development Dan Squires presented the adjusted public improvement financing policy on March 28. The policy specifics financial guarantees from developers, the term of special assessment taxes (which help recover part or all of the costs of public improvements) and the cost split between the city-at-large and the developer/benefitting properties. … Squires pointed out the current policy is good at addressing routine subdivision projects (streets, water lines, etc.), but doesn’t really touch on regional infrastructure – such as lift stations and interceptor sewers. … With such hefty price tags (as construction costs continue to increase) and an eye on balancing feasible development with more affordable housing, updates in the policy included a 75/25 split for projects such as regional sewers, lift stations, bridges, etc. The larger portion would fall to city, with 25% left to be assessed to current and future developments.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Barton County OKs more facade grants
Another set of Barton County Facade Improvement Grant applications were approved by the County Commission Wednesday morning as commissioners harked back on a program that has become a popular one. “We were right in the middle of COVID,” said commission Chairman Shawn Hutchinson, District 3. “The federal government decided that they wanted to give us a whole pot of money. We had to figure out how to redistribute that throughout the county.” They conceived a way to utilize some of the funds to “reinvest it into our main street business owners. “What better way to have a lasting impact on our communities than invest in those that are stepping up and trying to make a difference in our community.”
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Hillsboro approves chickens and secure dogs
A proposed new Hillsboro dog ordinance will be considered April 18. The ordinance would change the definition of “securing” a dog in the open bed of a truck. The proposed ordinance also would change who designates a dog to be “dangerous.” Under current ordinance, the designation is made by police, but the proposal changes that to municipal court. … An ordinance to permit chickens to be kept in town was approved. Residents to keep as many as 10 chickens on a lot of less than 15,000 square feet and one additional chicken for each additional 1,000 square feet. They would have to be kept in clean, dry, and sanitary coops.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Marion County firefighters battle more than 2 dozen wildfires
County firefighters were kept unusually busy during this past week fighting blazes in dry conditions and high winds. In all, they battled 24 fires through the week, with no fires reported only one day. Many of the fires had rekindled after controlled burns.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
With the Ogallala Aquifer drying up, Kansas ponders limits to irrigation
The Ogallala Aquifer has a visibility problem. It’s easy to see when drought, farm irrigation and city taps drain the great reservoirs of the Southwest. Bathtub rings paint the red rock walls surrounding Lake Powell as it shrinks, sounding alarm bells loud and clear. What about a body of water that’s locked away in a subterranean labyrinth of gravel and rock reaching more than 300 feet underground? The Ogallala may hold as much water as Lake Huron, but we can’t see it. And, problematically, that means we can’t see it disappear. That hasn’t stopped people like Brownie Wilson from trying to bring the aquifer’s decline into focus. He’s one of the Kansas Geological Survey crew members who fan out across western and central Kansas every year to check hundreds of water wells that tap into the Ogallala.
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas Senate passes constitutional amendment restraining property tax valuations
The resolution asks voters to consider a constitutional prohibition on counties raising property tax valuations by more than 4% in any year. … Lawmakers have considered ways throughout the session to address rising property values and the tax bills associated with them. The proposed constitutional amendment would limit tax-assessed property values from growing by more than 4% per year. There are exceptions for new construction, changes in property class or when property is transferred to another owner.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Fire department evacuated residents in north McPherson due to gas leak
The McPherson Fire Department (MFD) evacuated residents on the north side of McPherson due to a gas leak Wednesday night. “Crews on scene for a gas leak,” the MFD said in a Facebook post. “Several residents have been evacuated.” The MFD says they received a call around 7:20 p.m. for the report of a gas leak in a residential area near the intersection of Oakmont Street and Oak Park Drive. McPherson Fire Department Chief TJ Wyssmann said six homes were evacuated.
Source: KSN-TV
Resource costs lead Wichita public golf courses to consider membership fee increases
The City of Wichita Golf Board of Governors met on Tuesday to discuss an increase in membership prices for city courses. The decision is still pending an official vote. The plan is to raise adult individual membership costs by $12 and couples by $18. Another change would be increasing the annual equipment replacement fee from $37 to $50. “There’s not been money in the golf division to spend on the improvements that need to be made, so it’s really across the board,” said City of Wichita Golf Director Jesse Coffman. “We’re trying to improve all of the golf courses and all the facilities for all of our members.”
Source: KSN-TV
Wheat crop struggling with drought and high winds
This will be the second year in a row that some wheat farmers in Kansas will not have a crop. “You look out there, and it’s just a fog of dust across there,” said Brian Mitchell with Mitfarms. “It’s awful.” Mitfarms is in western Kansas and is not alone in seeing very dry conditions affecting the wheat crop. KSN Agriculture analyst John Jenkinson says the topsoil across the state is not good this year.
Source: KSN-TV
Wyandotte’s online tax auction may be hurting residents without internet
For some Wyandotte County residents, the area’s online auctions of property with delinquent taxes, otherwise known as virtual tax sales, have become an unwelcome tradition. The most recent sale was held online through a third party platform on March 28. Homes at least three years behind on taxes were auctioned off to the highest bidder. Commercial properties delinquent on taxes for at least two years and vacant lots delinquent for at least one year were also tax sale eligible. Critics say that holding the auction virtually instead of in person has hurt access for both elderly constituents and those with poor internet.
Source: KC Star Local News
Municipal Bond Trends for April 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, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.
Fed’s Mester Says Rates Should Rise Above 5%, Stay for Some Time
ederal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Loretta Mester said policymakers should move their benchmark rate above 5% this year and hold it at restrictive levels for some time to quell inflation, with the exact level depending on how quickly price pressures ease. To put inflation on a steady path down to 2%, monetary policy needs to move “somewhat further into restrictive territory this year, with the fed funds rate moving above 5% and the real fed funds rate staying in positive territory for some time,” Mester said at an event Tuesday in New York with the Money Marketeers of New York University.
Source: Bloomberg
A food desert oasis: Grocery store in central Topeka still in very early planning
Planning continues as a local Topeka non-profit works to return a grocery store to central Topeka. Although the Central Topeka Grocery Oasis group last month signed a lease with GraceMed Capitol Health Clinic for one acre north of the clinic at S.W. 12th and Washburn, efforts to launch a grocery store in neighborhood are still in very preliminary stages. CTGO chair, Marge Ahrens said the group was grateful to GraceMed Health and those who have helped in the quest for a grocery store.
Source: CJonline
Buhler school’s $8 million bond falls in defeat
Buhler district voters rejected an $8 million bond that would build a new district office building, which included classrooms for the district’s Ad Astra Academy, a large community/board room and an indoor sports complex. The bond also included $800,000 going toward elementary school playgrounds. With 15.76% of voters weighing in, the unofficial total of all 26 precincts was 578 voting for the bond and 954 voting against it. With 1,532 votes submitted, the yes votes came in at 38% of the total cast, with the no votes totaling 62%.
Source: Hutch News
Downtown Pittsburg mural grants now available
The City of Pittsburg Downtown Advisory Board (DAB) has announced grant funding to bring more art to Pittsburg’s downtown district. The DAB is offering up to 50/50 matching funds, not to exceed $1,000, for murals in the downtown district and has allocated $2,500 for this year’s grant cycle. “The Downtown Advisory Board is excited to continue its commitment to arts in the downtown district,” says DAB Chair Sydney Anselmi. “Public art enriches the experience of both our residents and visitors to our community. Each little area we can brighten with public art easily brightens the areas surrounding it, and the goal is one day we have a colorful, vibrant, downtown corridor filled with art, businesses, and enriching experiences.” Grant applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until August 2023 or until funds run out. Applications will be considered at the regularly-scheduled Downtown Advisory Board meetings, held on the third Monday of each month at City Hall.
Source: City of Pittsburg
Fitch Ratings: Debt for utilities would increase under proposed PFAS rules
According to Fitch Ratings, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recently proposed rule setting limits on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water would increase public water utilities’ debt burden as a result of the added costs of compliance. A recent press release from Fitch says the strong rate flexibility and capacity for additional debt exhibited by water systems is expected to limit the impact on credit quality, but will depend on the final scope of rule. EPA expects to finalize the rule by the end of 2023.
Source: Water Finance & Management
The Water Pipe Market Shifts to Sustainable PVC in Times of Growth & Drought
Cities across the United States are struggling with maintaining existing infrastructure with supply chain disruptions and rising costs of equipment, manpower and supplies. Likewise, developers are faced with many challenges to plan, finance and build basic infrastructure and housing units to allow for cities to continue to grow. If there is existing capacity in source water and treatment facilities, then underground pipe networks for water and sewer services need to be built before the streets, sidewalks and new homes.
Source: Water Finance & Management
People in Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka: You can get a good tree for killing a bad one
It’s the perfect time of year to do birds and butterflies a solid — by killing an invasive, ornamental and all-too-common pear tree. This April and May, if you live in or near Kansas City and Topeka and can destroy an ornamental pear on your property, you can get professional help picking out a free replacement tree guaranteed not to wreak environmental havoc. The annual Deep Roots KC program will give out hundreds of free trees. This year, the program includes a giveaway site in Topeka for the first time. In coming years, the group plans to expand to other Kansas cities.
Source: KCUR News