Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Governor Kelly Announces $28.5M for High-Speed Internet Infrastructure

Governor Laura Kelly announced today that $28.5 million in grants were awarded to 12 entities through the Lasting Infrastructure and Network Connectivity (LINC) program. The LINC program provides strategic funding for crucial aspects of broadband connectivity to reduce the cost of internet service, increase availability, and improve performance. “LINC is another step forward in our promise to connect all Kansans, including in rural areas, to high-speed internet,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “We are empowering communities with high-speed broadband infrastructure, unlocking greater economic growth, increased access to telemedicine, and expanded educational opportunities. ” With matching funds from service providers, the total broadband investment in LINC is expected to surpass $33.9 million. LINC will provide opportunities for increased internet adoption by focusing on funding for Broadband Infrastructure, enabling end-user locations with a minimum of 100/20 Mbps speeds, Internet Exchange Point facilities to improve the overall internet access service quality for all Kansans, and Middle Mile infrastructure to reduce overall costs in delivering broadband to end-users. “As we continue to lead the nation in business development, robust broadband becomes even more critical for attracting new businesses and remote workers to the state,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “We will continue to work with partners across Kansas to ensure all communities have the high-speed broadband they need to compete and succeed.”
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

Mulvane to repay $7 million to casino

Based on valuations set by the Sumner County appraiser and appeals filed by the Kansas Star Casino, an agreement was recently approved by the Sumner County Commission to resolve tax issues dating back a decade, according to The Mulvane News. Each year since its opening in 2011-2012, the Kansas Star Casino has appealed its property taxes set by Sumner County, which were deemed too high each time. Now, with the agreement in place, local taxing authorities – including Sumner County, the city of Mulvane, USD 263 and more – are set to resolve the appeals for 2014, 2016-2017 and 2019-2023. Payments will be refunded over four years, without interest, per the agreement. Mulvane’s total payback figure over four years comes to $7,268,566.58.
Source: Derby Informer | Area

Winfield plans to help workers find jobs after closure of manufacturing facility

Nearly 200 workers in Winfield are expected to be out of work in the coming months. The city says Silgan Dispensing Systems will close its Winfield plastic manufacturing facility. Silgan handed out notifications about the layoffs to employees this week, saying layoffs begin in January. The closure of the Winfield plant is part of a larger trend, according to Wichita State University’s economic development and business research director. “When I look at this sector of plastics, it has been declining over the last five years,” said Jeremy Hill. “It declined about four percent over the last five years.” … Winfield City Manager Taggart Wall said the closure came out of left field. “As recently as 11 months ago, we were working with the company on expansion plans here in Winfield,” Taggart said. Now, the city is trying to prevent big losses. “Priority number one, to replace these lost jobs here in Cowley County,” Taggart said.
Source: KSN-TV

Leawood tightens sports court rules following noise complaints

The city of Leawood has put new rules in place for residents looking to put private sports courts in their backyards. The Leawood City Council last week approved an amendment to the city’s development ordinance requiring new setback and neighbor notification requirements for building new tennis or pickle ball courts. The amendment approved last week requires residents to notify any neighbors by mail within 200 feet that they want to build a sports court. It also requires the court to be screened from neighbors by evergreen landscaping. The midpoint of the court must also now be closer to the owner’s house than to any neighbor’s houses, with a minimum setback of 20 feet from all property lines. City planning staff began looking into pickle ball noise mitigation after residents voiced concerns about noise and bright lights coming from residential pickle ball courts last year. City staff and the Leawood Planning Commission explored a number of options for addressing those concerns, such as cutting back permitted court lighting hours and raising the minimum distance from neighboring property lines.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Mission creating more bike and pedestrian connectivity

The city of Mission will host two public open houses Wednesday that will offer more details about the city’s ongoing bicycle, pedestrian and trail connection study. The focus of the study is to develop a connected network of on- and off-street bicycle and micro-mobility facilities. It also addresses pedestrian-specific concerns such as safety at major street crossings, access to certain destinations and sidewalk and path continuity. The study will result in a plan for a proposed design and appropriate infrastructure in major corridors around the city.
Source: Prairie Village Post

PSU, KBI to build $40 million crime center

Plans are being made for Pittsburg State University and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to partner on a project to build a $40 million regional crime center and laboratory near the PSU campus. The center would serve law enforcement and provide education for future forensic scientists and criminal justice professionals, the university announced Thursday. Plans have yet to be completed, but the center will be located in the Pittsburg Research Park near South Rouse Avenue. The area already houses research and testing laboratories for PSU and is a short drive from the main campus. The initial timeline slates groundbreaking in January 2025 and completion in July 2026.
Source: www.joplinglobe.com

Municipal Bond Trends for November 30, 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.

Kansas Panasonic plant construction, hiring set for busy 2024

Roughly a year after Panasonic officially broke ground on its $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto, Kansas, construction crews still have more than a year of work to go before the targeted opening in the first quarter of 2025. But, Panasonic officials say the senior leadership team is in place, 34 engineers have already been hired and are training at the company’s Gigafactory plant near Reno, Nevada, to help set up and open the De Soto facility. The workers who will be on the line on day one are expected to be hired in January and February, and spend much of 2024 training up to be ready to run the Kansas facility. “Anyone wanting to be a part of advanced manufacturing, we’ll have opportunities at all levels,” said Panasonic Vice President of Human Resources Kristen Walters. That’s why she says the company is already working closely with local community colleges and four-year institutions to mold degree and certification programs to teach the skills Panasonic will need. Those programs will allow entry-level workers to advance through the ranks, helping prolong a career in manufacturing either within Panasonic or at one of the region’s other manufacturing businesses. The goal is to spread those programs around the region to help draw workers that already live in the metro, around 50 miles around the plant.
Source: KSN-TV

Municipal Bond Trends for November 29, 2023

Merriam latest Johnson County city to take up short-term rental issue

Merriam is the latest Johnson County city to discuss short-term rentals like AirBnBs or Vrbos and how to potentially regulate them. With city staff over the past year receiving questions and listening to concerns about short-term rentals from councilmembers, planning commissioners and residents alike, the city council decided to discuss the issue for the first time on Monday night. … Bryan Dyer, the city’s community development director, told the city council on Monday that there are currently 13 licensed short-term rentals that the city knows of in Merriam city limits. While it is difficult to track short-term rentals, Dyer said, he knows there are a couple more short-term rentals that are coming on the market soon.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Fed’s Barkin says rate hikes are still on the table if inflation doesn’t continue to ease

Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin said Wednesday that policymakers need to retain the option of raising interest rates if inflation doesn’t show enough progress coming down. Markets largely expect the Fed has stopped raising rates and will start cutting in 2024. But Barkin said he’s not ready to commit to a particular policy path with so much uncertainty in the air. “If inflation comes down naturally and smoothly, awesome, you know, there’s no particular need to do anything with interest rates if inflation steps down,” he told CNBC’s Steve Liesman during an interview at the CNBC CFO Council Summit. “But if inflation is going to flare back up, I think you want to have the option of doing more on rates,” Barkin added. “I guess the bigger point is, there’s no precision that anyone can point to at exactly what the level of rates that exactly handles inflation and exactly the way you want to handle it. So you’re constantly trying to adjust on the fly as you learn more about the economy.”
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Fed’s Waller expresses confidence that policy is in the right place to bring down inflation

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said Tuesday he’s growing more confident that policy is in a place now to bring inflation back under control. There was nothing in Waller’s prepared remarks for a speech in Washington, D.C., that suggests he’s contemplating cutting interest rates, and he noted that inflation currently is still too high. But he pointed out a variety of areas where progress has made, suggesting the Fed at least won’t need to hike rates further from here. “While I am encouraged by the early signs of moderating economic activity in the fourth quarter based on the data in hand, inflation is still too high, and it is too early to say whether the slowing we are seeing will be sustained,” he said. “But I am increasingly confident that policy is currently well positioned to slow the economy and get inflation back to 2 percent.” The commentary comes two weeks before the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee’s Dec. 12-13 policy meeting. Markets largely expect the committee to hold its key lending rate steady, but Fed officials have stressed the importance of remaining vigilant on inflation and keeping their options open.
Source: Economy

Investors See Interest-Rate Cuts Coming Soon

Wall Street is gearing up for rate cuts. Twenty months after the Federal Reserve began a historic campaign against inflation, investors now believe there is a much greater chance that the central bank will cut rates in just four months than raise them again in the foreseeable future. Interest-rate futures indicated Monday a 52% chance the Fed will lower rates by at least a quarter-of-a-percentage point by its May 2024 policy meeting, up from 29% at the end of October, according to CME Group data. The same data pointed to four cuts by the end of the year. Investors, battered by the Fed’s efforts to slow the economy, have reacted by driving the S&P 500 up nearly 9% this month. That is despite the wagers reflecting different possible paths for the economy, not all of them favorable for stocks. One place where rate-cut bets are showing up is in the bond market, where yields on longer-term bonds have retreated further below those on short-term ones. Treasury yields largely reflect expectations for what short-term rates set by the Fed will average over the life of a bond. As a result, such a move is typically viewed as a warning of a looming recession, with investors betting the Fed will need to slash rates to stimulate growth.
Source: WSJ.com: Markets

Your Local Newspaper Might Not Have a Single Reporter

The Gleaner, the local newspaper in Henderson, Ky., has sections focused on features, sports, news and opinion. What it doesn’t have: a single reporter on staff. The publication is one of the “ghost newsrooms” that increasingly dot the American media landscape—newspapers that have little to no on-the-ground presence in the localities whose name they bear. It is a sobering development in an industry that has been brought to its knees by the rise of digital media and large technology companies. The Gleaner newsroom once bustled with a staff of around 20. Now, it doesn’t have an office—it was closed a few years ago—and most of its content comes from other publications owned by its parent company: Gannett, home of USA Today and over 200 local news outlets including the Courier & Press of nearby Evansville, Ind. What coverage there is of Henderson, a northwestern Kentucky city of about 30,000, is left to a few freelancers—including a husband-and-wife team that averages a few stories a month for the Gleaner, which publishes five days a week.
Source: WSJ.com: US Business

Governor Kelly Announces $5M to Expand Access to High-Speed Internet in Rural Kansas Communities

Governor Laura Kelly today announced that $5 million has been awarded to eight internet service providers (ISPs) in the latest round of Broadband Acceleration Grants for 2023. The awards will be paired with an additional $6.6 million in matching funds, resulting in an investment of nearly $12 million for high-speed broadband access projects across 10 rural Kansas counties. “We’re steadfast in our commitment to achieving the ambitious goal of making Kansas a top 10 state for broadband access by 2030,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Access to affordable broadband is critical for our communities to stay vibrant and competitive, and every Kansan deserves a reliable connection to participate in the digital economy – no matter their zip code.” Initiated in 2020, the Broadband Acceleration Grant is a 10-year, $85 million program designed to bring essential internet access to Kansas communities. Administered by the Kansas Office of Broadband Development and funded through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE), this latest round of grants brings the program’s total investment for broadband infrastructure since 2020 to more than $31.5 million. “High-quality broadband is a necessity, and connectivity will enhance lives and open new doors of opportunity for Kansans,” Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Pottawatomie County extends solar farm moratorium for three more years

Pottawatomie County officials voted Monday to extend a moratorium, set to expire at the end of the year on commercial solar farms, for three more years. Uncertainty over the financial benefits of such operations and property rights have been at the center of discussion since the county began writing regulations for solar in early 2021. Solar farms provide solar power greater than one megawatt with the potential of generating several hundred megawatts of electricity and encompassing several thousands of acres of rural Pottawatomie County.
Commissioner Greg Riat initially had hoped for a five year moratorium after this year, but settled on three years. Commission Chair Pat Weixelman seconded Riat’s motion to extend the moratorium, through 2026. Commissioner Dee McKee opposed, stating she doesn’t want to deter potential solar companies from coming to Pottawatomie County outright. The board also tentatively approved regulations for the smaller scale solar gardens, which will be finalized next week. Solar gardens will be limited to 16 acres, and no two solar gardens will be allowed closer than half a mile from each other. Property line set backs would be 750 feet and equipment will be required to be at least 100 feet from the road right-of-way.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Kansas court officials confirm details of international cyberattack

Foreign cybercriminals launched the attack on the Kansas judicial branch’s information system in October and stole records of appellate cases and judicial administration files potentially regarded as confidential under state law, officials said in a Nov. 21 announcement. Justices of the Kansas Supreme Court issued a joint statement confirming perpetrators “stole data and threatened to post it to a dark website if their demands were not met.” The release didn’t say whether the judicial branch complied with demands of the attackers, nor did it disclose whether evidence existed Kansas court information was forwarded to secretive illicit portions of the web. “This assault on the Kansas system of justice is evil and criminal,” the justices said. “We express our deep sorrow that Kansans will suffer at the hands of these cybercriminals.” The release said the judicial branch was the “victim of a sophisticated foreign cyberattack” and ongoing work by experts would identify the scope of personal information stolen. Once the assessment was completed, court officials said, individuals directly touched by the breach would be contacted.
Source: Derby Informer | Area

Governor Kelly Announces Over $12M Awarded to Fall 2023 KDOT Cost Share Projects

Governor Laura Kelly and Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed announced that more than $12 million state dollars will be awarded to 16 transportation construction projects across Kansas through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Cost Share Program for fall 2023. This investment will leverage $7.2 million in community matching dollars for a total investment of over $19 million.

Fall 2023 Cost Share recipients are:

City of Abilene – 14^th Street and North Van Buren Street intersection
City of Baldwin City – U.S. 56– Pedestrian Crossing Safety improvements
City of Deerfield – Main Street reconstruction project
City of Halstead – North Street reconstruction and sidewalk improvements
City of Harper – Ash and Walnut streets restoration
City of Haysville – South Broadway pedestrian pathway project
City of Hillsboro – Adams Street improvements
City of Jennings – Chip seal city streets
City of Parsons – Main Street sidewalk replacement
City of Salina – West Magnolia Road – Phase 1
City of Syracuse – New Syracuse Street signs
Atchison County – Ottawa Road (RS 21) roadway rehabilitation and safety improvements
Brown County – 270^th Street rehabilitation
Clark and Comanche Counties – Clark and Comanche Counties pavement improvement project
Pottawatomie County – Louisville Road bridge over Rock Creek
Russell County – Hell Creek Bridge (FAS 420) – Overlay and repairs

A map of this round of Cost Share projects can be found here.

More information about KDOT’s Cost Share Program is on KDOT’s website at https://www.ksdot.org/CostShare/CostShareProgram.asp.

Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr announces retirement

Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr has announced his retirement after more than two decades in the position. Fehr spent seven weeks in Houston, Texas earlier this fall undergoing treatment for cancer, something that factored into his decision. He says the cancer was caught early and so far the prognosis is good and he hopes to keep it that way. Hired in January 1982 as the Forestry and Parks Supervisor, for the newly formed Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department, Fehr has spent his entire professional career with the City and was appointed City Manager in April 2000, succeeding Gary Greer. Other roles he’s held include Park Superintendent, Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation and Assistant City Manager. He also has served as Acting Zoo Director, Acting Director of Human Resources and twice served as Acting Director of Utilities. Fehr has overseen many developments over the years, including the Flint Hills Discovery Center and nearby Blue Earth Plaza, a project that came about through the use of Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds. In recent years, Fehr has led Aggieville redevelopment, changes within the Edge District (north campus corridor) to support the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility and growth efforts at Kansas State University. The city has also experienced modest growth since 2000, when the population surpassed 50,000, though that growth has been slow in recent years, primarily due to fluctuations at both Fort Riley and K-State.
Source: 1350 KMAN

WPD bus program has helped nearly 1,000 stranded homeless get off streets

“You kind of just have to grit your teeth and push through whatever you have to push through to get yourself out of that situation. Because if you don’t, you increase your chances of just, I’ll put it bluntly, death. It kills out there,” Joey Walters said. Walters says after the foster system failed him in Nebraska, he moved to Wichita to stay with family, but his life quickly fell apart. “Made some mistakes along the way. Done some stuff that I regret a lot. I put me in a situation where they couldn’t really house me anymore. So I ended up homeless,” said Walters. With nowhere else to turn, Joey Walters was on the streets and lived with a group of other young homeless people under a bridge at Murdock and Waco. After about a year of living this way, he met Officer Mariah McCrea with the Wichita Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team. “It’s good seeing you. You look a lot better than how I found you under the bridge,” McCrea said during a video call with Walters. McCrea says for a variety of reasons, people like Walters often come in from other cities and end up stuck on the streets with no one to help and no way to get home. But she says that’s why the city has a grant-funded program through the Beach Foundation called Finding Your Way Home, and Walters was the perfect candidate. “Ms. McCrea brought to my attention that they could get a bus ticket for me if I had anywhere to go that would be safer off the streets,” Walters said.
Source: KAKE – News