Kansas Municipal News
Disappearing Main Street: The struggles of finding the next generation of owners
How long do you think it should take to find a buyer for a thriving business? Longer than you might think if you live in small town, Kansas. Don’s Place is nestled in the middle of downtown Protection, Kansas whose population was 503 as of 2021. There it’s been serving up home cooked goodies for fifty years now, a milestone the entire town celebrated in September. … But now, the Dellingers are looking to sell. “I’m not quitting because of the business. I’m just quitting because I’m too old to do it,” Don said as he flipped burgers on the grill. “Things are starting to wear out.” However, they can only sell out if they can find the next generation of owners.
Source: KAKE – News
Fighting water woes in Kansas
The State of Kansas Governor’s water conference is this week. It’s an effort to save water in the wake of a drought in parts of Kansas, along with aquifers that are drying up. “I always say the sky is not falling. But today is our opportunity to keep it from falling,” said Susan Metzger with Kansas State University. Metzger is announcing a water institute at Kansas State at the university level this week as well that coincided with the state water conference. “The future is critical, and if we don’t protect our water resources here in Kansas, well then our communities, our industries, our livelihood, they have the choice and freedom to move to other places,” said Metzger.
Source: KSN-TV
Pottawatomie County ponders next steps after sales tax proposal fails for second time
For two consecutive years, Pottawatomie County voters have turned down a proposal to raise sales tax by a quarter percent to fund certain county road projects. Commissioners on Monday pointed to a lack of ability to educate the public as to the benefits of these projects. County Counselor John Watt says commissioners can’t actively push ballot issues because of state statute, something Dee McKee says she doesn’t agree with. Commissioner Greg Riat believed the issue could’ve been helped if an outside group threw its support around it. County Administrator Chad Kinsley says a big discussion will be needed ahead of next year’s budget.
Source: 1350 KMAN
City of Newton working to boost tree sales
The City of Newton is giving out coupons to residents for 50 percent off trees through the end of the month or until supplies last. Currently, the city has given out about a third of the available coupons. Coupons can be picked up at the third floor of City Hall, located at 201 E Sixth Street, and will have a list of participating greenhouses. Erin McDaniels, the city’s communication’s director, said the city does this each spring and autumn as part of its tree city program. “Having trees and green space and parks, these are things that improve the quality of life for our community,” McDaniels said.
Source: Harvey County Now
Haysville offers incentives to open certain restaurants in the city
The City’s Economic Development Director Danielle Gabor said the city is looking at ways to keep up with its growing population. One way is with its restaurant incentive program that is designed to help new restaurants get up and going. “Originally was $5,000 and it was just for a steakhouse and a coffee shop and we increased that number recently to $15,000. It also includes a fast food or quick service dining restaurant,” explained Gabor. Gabor says adding more restaurants in the city gives more options for both Haysville residents and people in nearby cities like Wichita to visit and spend their money.
Source: KAKE – News
Municipal Bond Trends for November 14, 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.
City of El Dorado receives Safe Streets and Roads for All grant
Transportation safety is always a priority for the City of El Dorado, whether it’s driving, walking or biking. A Safe Streets and Roads for All grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will help the City continue to improve safety throughout the community. The City received notice from Congressman Ron Estes’ office of the $160,000 grant. This will be used for a road safety audit to develop a new City of El Dorado Transportation Safety Action Plan, which will be part of the previously authorized Transportation Master Plan now underway. “This will help us identify places that have safety issues in the transportation network,” explained City Engineer Scott Rickard. “From there, we will come up with a plan to remediate those issues.” The grant will hopefully open other opportunities for federal or state grant dollars. Typically, federal funds are first used to fund planning documents to justify construction projects. “This will give us a guiding document to apply for additional grant funds for building out the improvements,” Rickard said. “It also will aid in updating the City’s Capital Improvement Plan for future improvements.” El Dorado is one of only seven cities in Kansas who received this grant, which focuses on planning and projects to improve safety and help prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways. In addition to the federal grant of $160,000, the Kansas Department of Transportation is funding the matching 20 percent so there is no cost to the City.
Source: City of El Dorado
Municipal Bond Trends for November 13, 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.
Russell recognizes Purple Heart recipients at ceremony tomorrow
The Purple Heart medal is presented to U.S. military service members wounded or killed by enemy fire. It was originally awarded by George Washington in 1782 to recognize meritorious service in combat. It is the nation’s oldest and one of the most distinguished military awards. The Russell community is home to many veterans and families, including Purple Heart recipients and Gold Star families. The City of Russell has a long history of supporting military personnel and veterans. The Purple Heart Proclamation is an official expression of Russell’s appreciation for the sacrifices and Purple Heart recipients that were made defending our freedoms.
Source: City of Russell
Shawnee voters overwhelmingly renew two key sales taxes
With two landslide approvals by Shawnee voters, the renewal of two existing sales taxes means promising futures for city projects. In last Tuesday’s election, Shawnee voters overwhelmingly voted to renew the “Parks & Pipes and Pavement” sales taxes, which together fund improvement projects throughout the city. Their renewal means the city will be able to move ahead with no gaps in funding. According to unofficial final Election Night results, the “Parks and Pipes” tax issue passed with nearly 75% of voters approving the measure, which renews the 1/8-cent citywide sales tax that is specifically designated for building and improving city parks, trails and stormwater drainage systems. Meanwhile, the “Pavement” tax passed with nearly 76% of voters approving it. That’s a 3/8-cent citywide sales tax meant specifically for maintenance and improvements to city streets, curbs and sidewalks.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Clay Center continues discussion on lifting pit bull ban
Four members of the Clay Center City Council’s Administrative Committee agreed last week they should recommend to the full council to do away with the city’s ban on pit bulls and strengthen the city’s vicious dog ordinance with stricter penalties for dogs running at large. However, they also agreed the council should have more discussion on this before they do it. The council reviewed statistics on dog attacks and looked at other cities that have lifted bans, which included Abilene, Salina, Concordia and Junction City. These cities also handle issues with dogs with a vicious dog ordinance rather than an outright ban.
Source: www.ccenterdispatch.com – RSS Results in news,local/* of type article
Lawrence Public Library bans smoking, verbal harassment and more from its campus under new code of conduct
The Lawrence Public Library has rolled out new rules for its campus and lawn — including banning smoking, vaping and verbal harassment — and prescribed consequences for breaking them. Repeated instances of such behavior could now get a patron suspended for a period of a week to six months, under the library’s new code of conduct. Violent or threatening behavior may result in longer or indefinite suspensions. The library has received numerous complaints from patrons about safety issues in and around the library. Library administrators pledged to improve public safety in the library, but the lawn and parking garage are owned by the City of Lawrence. That has limited staff members’ ability to address issues that may arise: for instance, the library can eject or ban people, but those people could still hang out outside. The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday approved an agreement to lease the library plaza, the yard directly south of the library building, to the library for $1 per year for five years. With the new lease agreement, the library can extend its behavior policies to the whole campus, which includes “the library itself, the Library Plaza, Reader’s Garden, and green spaces surrounding the library on Vermont, Kentucky, and 7th Streets up to the public sidewalk,” according to the library’s website.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Johnson County cuts bus routes to Overland Park, Olathe, Gardner
Riders of three Johnson County bus routes serving Olathe, Gardner and Overland Park will have seven weeks to make other arrangements, as Johnson County commissioners look for ways to cut costs in the transit system. Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to suspend service indefinitely on three unpopular bus routes – the 482 Overland Park Flex, the 519 Olathe Express and the 595 Gardner-OP Express. Service on the three routes will be curtailed at 8 p.m. Dec. 31, following a public notification period. The routes were culled because of low ridership, with all three averaging less than four passengers per hour. Suspending them is expected to save the county $833,000 a year. The Overland Park Flex route offers service on request in an area that serves central Overland Park, including senior living facilities Overland Towers and Santa Fe Towers. The Olathe Express and Gardner-OP Express run between those cities and Kansas City, Missouri. There are some alternative routes, suggested by Josh Powers, director of the county transit division. The new 487 route, which runs between Overland Park and Lenexa along 87th Street, is a possibility, as is Micro Transit or Freedom On-Demand, which are both on-demand services. Freedom/Freedom On-Demand is for persons with disabilities.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Olathe to change school start times to ease bus driver shortage. Some parents are worried
After a year of contentious debate, the Olathe school board is finally poised to vote on changing school start times so that bus drivers can take on more routes amid ongoing labor shortages. But some parents, especially with elementary aged children, worry the proposed later bell times would put them in a bind, concerned they will struggle to find morning childcare and make it to work on time. Since last year, the district has been studying changing school times to address the bus driver shortage. Stakeholder groups have considered 20 possible bell schedules, with several parents raising concerns along the way. But officials say they’ve now come up with new school start times that should be manageable for the majority of families. “When we look at change to the system, obviously change is hard and it affects everyone,” Jim McMullen, deputy superintendent of organizational operations, told the school board last week. He added that adjustments are focused on, “getting all students to and from school, and providing equitable access for all students for all programming. But also all the additional things we do on a daily basis in our K-12 schools to provide great enrichment opportunities for our kids,” such as field trips and activities.
Source: Joco 913 News
Crews respond to partial building collapse in downtown Lyons
Emergency crews responded to the report of a structural collapse in downtown Lyons on Sunday morning. At around 10 a.m. Sunday, crews were dispatched to the 100 block of West Main Street in the downtown business district where a partially collapsed two-story building was located. Responders were able to contact the business owners and determined there were no injuries in the vacant buildings, the City of Lyons said in a press release Sunday evening. Emergency crews remained on scene for the remainder of the day and placed barricades to provide public safety. The City’s response will most likely last for several weeks. Highway 56 (in the 100 block of W Main) has been opened back up to two-way traffic only.
Source: KAKE – News
Lawrence school board to consider tax breaks for affordable housing project
Lawrence school board members will meet Monday for a brief agenda that includes considering the district’s portion of tax breaks to help fund construction of a downtown affordable housing project for people ages 55 and up. The board’s agenda as of Sunday afternoon listed only reports from board members and the superintendent and consent agenda items, or a list of items that are generally considered routine and are approved with one motion unless a board member or the superintendent asks to pull something for further discussion. A report about the crossing guard and Safe Routes to School programs was postponed because of a last-minute scheduling conflict with the presenter, according to district spokesperson Julie Boyle. The developer of the New Hampshire Street Lofts, the 48-unit affordable housing project planned for 1000 New Hampshire St., is seeking a 15-year, 95% Neighborhood Revitalization Area (NRA) property tax rebate as well as Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) financing to make project construction materials sales tax exempt. The school board’s agenda materials state that “Impacts of the project on the local school district are insubstantial due to state school financing formulas.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Topeka City Councilwoman addresses plan for homeless ordinance, election results
Karen Hiller, the Topeka City Councilwoman for District 1, joined the 27 News Morning show to talk about moving forward with a new council, after Tuesday’s general election. “I’m pleased to see our two incumbents coming back,” Hiller said. “And I think our two new council people are going to fit in really well. I think we are going to have a really good council.” She emphasized that every person on the council has a different skill set that will be advantageous in moving the city forward in a better direction. As far as when those new members will be sworn in, Hiller said we still have to wait a little bit. “A few years ago, the state changed our election cycle,” she said. “So, we moved to the November cycle. And when that happens, the election happens in early November, but you don’t actually get sworn in until early January.” Hiller said, in the last two months of the year, the council will focus on smoothly wrapping up any work and preparing for the new members’ transition. “And we will swear them in the first week of January and get things rolling,” she said. In reference to the new homeless ordinance set to go in place Nov. 17, Hiller advised 27 News to “stay tuned”. She said the council felt like a message needed to be sent, and that’s what they did in creating the ordinance.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Open enrollment could create issues for Kansas school districts
Starting next fall, students in kindergarten through 12th grade can go to any school in Kansas, even if they do not live in the district. Wichita School Board Member Stan Reeser believes the change opens doors for students across Kansas. “I think most families today still say what is the best school district, what is the best program, where my child can succeed,” said Reeser. He believes Wichita will be a coveted school district for its programs, including college credit, “IB,” and AP classes. They also offer special education programs not seen in other districts. Reeser says the challenge is making sure they have enough staff. “Not so much the building size or the classroom size, but do we have the staff to expand the program,” said Reeser. Leah Fliter, from the Kansas Association of School Board, says the state per-pupil funding will go to the school where the student attends. “If you have a kid that lives in Northeast Wichita, but they are going to school in Maize or Andover, if they’re in the Maize school building, at the desk, on September 20th, they get counted for Maize funding purposes, so yes it’s an issue that you’re paying taxes in one district but going to another district,” said Fliter.
Source: KSN-TV
USD 410 makes plans to educate patrons about bond
As USD 410 Durham-Hillsboro-Lehigh awaits official approval from the Kansas State School board to hold a special election for a school bond on Jan. 23, the district is making plans to educate patrons about the projects that would be included in the proposal. The district’s efforts to inform patrons about the bond will begin on Nov. 9 following approval for the election from the state school board. Patrons can expect to find information in the local newspaper, on district Facebook and website and on handouts at school events and display boards around the community. A direct mailing to registered voters will be sent around Jan. 3. Community meetings are scheduled for Nov. 14 and Dec. 4 at Hillsboro Middle High School Auditorium. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and are expected to last approximately one hour. There will be information published in the Free Press and on social media if you are unable to attend either meeting. “Until we have full approval for the special election from state officials, we really shouldn’t jump the gun by putting out bond information. However, we want to keep people informed so it seems appropriate at this date to let people know our game plan for communicating about the bond once the election is approved,” said Superintendent Clint Corby. If the petition to hold a special election is approved by the State Board of Education, the bond election will take place on Jan. 23, 2024.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press
Lawrence business owners share frustration with surging downtown homelessness population
Bowersock Mills and Power Company owner Sarah Hill-Nelson manages hydroelectric power plant facilities on both sides of the Kansas River in downtown Lawrence where homeless people struggling with mental illness and addiction tend to congregate. Some that she encountered arrived from other cities — specifically Hiawatha, Melvern, Leavenworth and Topeka, she said — after told Lawrence was a haven for unhoused people. Hill-Nelson said others were apparently given bus tickets to Lawrence by officials in communities eager to rid themselves of troublesome residents. The result has been a public safety crisis in Lawrence that surpassed the city’s ability to deliver housing, treatment and services to the homeless population, she said. “I’ve even heard about people who kinda laugh, ‘The liberal people in Lawrence, it’s kind of funny, let them deal with it,’” she told an House and Senate committee studying homelessness on Thursday. “It’s not that funny, because these people are suffering. Lawrence simply cannot handle all the Kansans suffering from substance use disorder and mental illness.”
Source: Derby Informer | News