Municipal News & Jobs

Another mixed-use development is on its way to Andover. Kentucky-based housing developer Winterwood Inc. has proposed a new development featuring a mix of commercial uses to be built out in phases, according to documents submitted to the city of Andover. It’ll be located across a 19-acre parcel called the Thoroughbred at the southwest corner of Kellogg and Allen, just across from the Buffalo Ridge Apartments.
Read more: Wichita Business Journal – Local Wichita News

An officer with the Hays Police Department was killed in the line of duty over the weekend. Just before midnight on Saturday, police received a 911 call from a woman who said she had escaped a domestic violence incident at a home in the 2000 block of E. 21st St. She told officers her significant other had rammed her vehicle with his truck as she tried to flee. She ran to a nearby home for help. Around 1:55 a.m., while officers and a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper were setting up a perimeter near the suspect’s backyard in the 2200 block of Downing St., a single shot was fired from inside the home, striking one of the Hays officers. The officer was flown to a regional hospital, where he died from his injuries just after 4 a.m.
Read more: KSN-TV

Police didn’t provide an age for the threat maker but described the caller who left a voicemail indicating that there was a bomb attached to an airplane at the airport as “a juvenile male.”
Read more: KWCH

Downtown Liberal was once the economic center of the community when the traffic was calm and the parking allowed the district to be pedestrian friendly. Later the avenue was changed to two lanes with the State of Kansas designated the road as Highway 83. But that was changed when the highway was diverted to the east side of Liberal, but the roadway was never returned form four lanes to two lanes.
Read more: Leader & Times

Vehicle owners in Barton County may only face the hassle of paying for new or renewed tags once a year, but for Barton County Treasurer Jim Jordan and his team, the financial strain of providing that underfunded state-mandated service is year-round. “County treasurers across Kansas are mandated to provide vehicle tag and title services,” Jordan said. “But the monies provided by the state to the county for this work do not match the cost of providing that service.”
Read more: Great Bend Post

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.

Many Kansas hospitals, especially in rural parts of the state, are in trouble. Hospitals are sounding the alarm as long-term sustainability approaches crisis levels with challenges stemming from a shortage of nurses and doctors, rising operational costs, and declining payments from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance programs.
Read more: Wichita Business Journal

Attendees at a Savonbrug community conversation were greeted with good news Tuesday — the community will receive a $700,000 grant to upgrade its electric infrastructure.
Read more: The Iola Register

Overland Park officials worry the thousands of saplings planted to replace ash trees along city streets in the past couple of years might not be getting the care they need. That could threaten the long-term health and longevity of the tree canopy, City Forester Bailey Patterson warns.
Read more: Johnson County Post

Many folks who don’t call Maize home don’t know where Wichita ends and the suburb begins. Maybe it’s because of different school district boundaries, or the long expanse of retail making its way north. Or simply the street’s name. As Maize experiences a population boom, the city’s top official reveals strategies for attracting retail development and addressing increasing traffic.
Read more: Wichita Business Journal

Synopsis: A limited liability partnership is not a "limited partnership" that must obtain approval under K.S.A. 17-5908 in order to establish a swine production facility in a county. Cited herein: K.S.A. 17-5903; 17-5904; 17-5908; 56-1a101; 56a-101; 56a-1001.
Read more: Kansas Attorney General Opinions

Patrick Herd, Executive Director of Garden City Downtown Vision, headed up the project, and said the idea behind it was to turn it into a destination for visitors. To interact with the mural, visitors can scan the QR code to the side of the mural where they can choose between Snapchat or a web link to view the AR.
Read more: Garden City Telegram

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.

Stops in Claflin and Hoisington were on the itinerary Tuesday afternoon as the Barton County commissioners continued their Travel 389 initiative. The program, aimed at giving the commission the chance to get out and meet face to face with residents and businesses across the county’s 389 miles of roadways, started last week in Hoisington.
Read more: Great Bend Tribune

The Norton Police Department is showing off its new police K9. K9 Kilo has officially joined the department. He is partnered with his handler, Officer Cody Land. Norton police posted the announcement to its Facebook page Monday, and included two photos of Kilo with Officer Land, posing in front of their police vehicle, and pose he did.
Read more: KSN-TV

Comanche County law enforcement officials Monday asked for the public’s help investigating an incident in which 10 bullets were fired into the unoccupied, parked vehicle of the local school board president. President Kelly Herd, and other members of the school board in southwest Kansas, have been embroiled in controversy that led to the suspension of superintendent Ty Theurer pending an inquiry into allegations he sexually harassed and inappropriately touched a student.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

Wichita City Council members sparred over the enforcement of the city’s homeless encampment ordinance Tuesday. The conversation came after Wichita Mayor Lily Wu questioned whether the ordinance could be more strictly enforced downtown. The ordinance allows for rapid removal of homeless encampments by eliminating the need to post notices to vacate. However, a homeless person can not be charged under the ordinance unless a shelter bed is available. Numerous council members pushed back against stronger enforcement of the ordinance in the city’s core area, citing the limited number of beds at Second Light, formerly known as the Multi Agency Center.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

Popular home improvement network HGTV recently released its picks for the 40 most charming small downtowns in the U.S., and one city in Kansas made the list. “In creating this list of the best small downtowns in America (and it was tough to narrow this list to 40), we looked for vibrant towns that invite you in and encourage you to stay and explore,” the Sept. 17 article reads. Abilene — a Kansas city with a population just over 6,400 and located about an hour and a half from Wichita — gained a spot on HGTV’s list. The city is most known as the hometown of former President Dwight Eisenhower, and also attracts visitors to the historic Seelye Mansion and the Abilene & Smokey Mountain Railroad.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

The city of Wichita is considering a city license for hotels and motels that would also prohibit them from charging by the hour. It’s the city’s latest effort to crack down on what it deems are nuisance properties, especially along South Broadway. “Not only do we have questions or complaints about issues of violence at some of the hotel/motels, or crimes or prostitution, we also have complaints about trash,” Assistant City Attorney Jan Jarman said. Hotel and motel owners would have to pay a $200 fee for the city license.
Read more: Wichita Eagle

After several meetings that included revisions and input, the Girard City Council approved changes to its burn ordinance. Monday’s regular meeting featured a lengthy discussion on which burn ordinance to pursue and what needed to be included. Following several killed motions, the council approved allowing recreational burning from one hour after sunrise to midnight along with allowing open burning from one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset.
Read more: – Morning Sun