Kansas Municipal News
State’s Rural Broadband Expansion Project Continues with Additional Funds
Rural broadband expansion continues in Kansas. Gov. Kelly’s office announced this week that an additional $23.1 million will be provided to six service providers that will bring high-speed broadband service to nearly 4,200 homes, businesses, schools, health care facilities, and other institutions in unserved and rural areas of the state. This is the second of three rounds of awards from the Kansas Capital Project Funds (CPF) Grant Program. The program is the result of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s approval of Kansas’ Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) broadband infrastructure plan.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Nat’l Park Service Names Wichita American WWII Heritage City
The City of Wichita has been designated an American World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service. The American World War II Heritage Cities Program (AWWIIHC) honors the contributions of towns, cities and counties and commemorates the stories of the men, women and children whose bravery and sacrifices shaped the U.S. home front during World War II, and still impact our country today. As the Air Capitol of the World, Wichita gained great attention and accomplishment during World War II for the development and production of military aircraft. Nearly 26,000 plans of various types were produced, and more than 1,600 B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers. Wichita’s population grow from 114,966 in 1940 to 200,000 in 1943 as men and women came for jobs.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Shake-up at Unified Government limits power of KCK mayor to set agenda
A surprise vote at Thursday night’s meeting has led to a major shake-up in how the Unified Government of Wyandotte County conducts meetings. Mayor Tyrone Garner had already moved to adjourn the meeting and wished the crowd a Merry Christmas when a motion was made to suspend the adjournment and add an item to the agenda and a letter began circulating from Commissioner Angela Markley. After several minutes of quiet huddling and a 10 minute recess, Markley announced a proposal to change the way the body conducts meetings, allowing commissioners to add items to agendas and decide what items go to the full commission. An item could not be removed without the approval of the standing committee chair.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
USDA Grants will help rehab rural Kansas communities
The USDA has approved grants that will help rehabilitate housing and community centers in rural Kansas communities. The Rural Development grants total $255,662 and are part of a nationwide program to help rural communities in 47 states and American Samoa. In Kansas, the grants will be distributed in 5 counties: A $59,200 grant will help rehabilitate the exterior of the Independence Historical Museum. Located in the historic post office building, the museum celebrates the community’s culture through history, arts, and activities.
Source: KSN-TV
Sneak peek: Concept for future of downtown Merriam
A Merriam Drive makeover is on the horizon. The heart of downtown Merriam — Merriam Drive from Johnson Drive to West 55th Street — is looking at nearly $4.7 million’s worth of improvements. New curbs and gutters, sidewalks, pavement and bike lanes are all part of the improvement project. Project Coordinator Todd Veeman said the project should go out to bid in January, with construction potentially starting in April 2023.
Source: Prairie Village Post
‘I will leave:’ Teachers, parents fight KCK district plan to add cameras in classrooms
Parents, students and teachers are urging the Kansas City, Kansas, school board to reject a proposal to spend nearly $6.8 million in federal COVID relief dollars to add cameras to classrooms. District officials are proposing the idea as a stopgap measure during ongoing staff shortages. They say that adding the cameras would make it easier to livestream and record lessons to classrooms that are staffed with long-term substitutes or teachers who are not qualified in the subject area.
Source: KC Star Local News
Unlike most jails in Kansas, Douglas County has found a way to lock up fewer mentally ill inmates
In November 2020, Brandon Scrimsher was sentenced to three months in the Douglas County jail. The prospect of more time in jail was disheartening. Scrimsher, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, said his mindset and mental health sank. “I really kind of got … the attitude of, you know, this really sucks and why try,” Scrimsher said. “Nothing’s ever gonna get better.” Despite his skepticism, Scrimsher found hope at the Douglas County jail. Case managers stationed inside the jail insisted he prepare for life outside — connecting him to mental health workers, classes and even housing when he was released.
Source: KCUR News
Search for new city administrator begins
The wheels are turning to find a replacement for the resigning Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis. First, the City Council Monday night approved contracting with Selected was Strategic Government Resources of Keller, Texas, to handle the search, and it also approved naming current Assistant City Administrator Logan Burns to fill the post as the interim administrator during the hiring process.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
In Kansas’ ‘Little Sweden USA,’ the small-town American dream is still alive
Its nickname is “Little Sweden USA,” and when you pull into Lindsborg, it’s clear why. Pole banners and road signs greet visitors with a friendly “Välkommen.” Many businesses display replicas of Swedish dala horses, the town mascot. The word “SWEDES” is painted in yellow on the blue stands of the Bethany College football field. Wine and spirits are obtained at Swedes Liquor. The street benches downtown possess a distinctly Scandinavian design quality. Umlauts abound. … Lindsborg, located in a central Kansas region called the Smoky Valley, has long punched above its weight. Settled by Swedes in 1869, it is a town that has preserved its heritage to a degree rarely found in the American Midwest. In an era of atomization and polarization, Lindsborg has held tight to its communitarian roots. … It is all paying off. Unlike most small towns in Kansas, Lindsborg is growing. The real estate market is on fire, the schools have a great reputation, downtown is on the upswing, and students from the small liberal arts college continually breathe new life into the town. “It’s a little like Mayberry,” said Mari Loder, a local Realtor who moved to Lindsborg in 1995.
Source: KC Star Local News
Wyandotte County commissioners strip mayor of power to remove meeting agenda items
Wyandotte County Mayor Tyrone Garner will no longer be able to unilaterally stop an issue from landing on the agenda of the Unified Government’s full commission meetings, after a Thursday night vote. The move stripped the mayor of autonomy over the meeting agenda, a power that had been a long-held tradition for the local government. The decision came toward the end of Thursday’s Board of Commissioners meeting, when members voted 9-1 to change the government’s rules and procedures so that the mayor cannot add or remove proposals from the agenda without seeking further approval.
Source: KC Star Local News
Municipal Bond Trends for December 16, 2022
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
New jobs coming to Topeka
Topeka and Shawnee County’s Joint Economic Development Organization voted Wednesday to award cash incentives totaling up to $368,000 in taxpayer dollars for two projects expected to create more than 50 new local jobs. JEDO board members voted to approve performance-based incentives that will provide as much as $268,000 to Topeka-based Torgeson Electric Company for an expansion project and as much as $100,000 to enable One-Source Distributing LLC to expand by establishing an operation in Topeka.
Source: CJonline
Municipal Bond Trends for December 14, 2022
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
City of Emporia announces new skate park to move from Santa Fe to Whittier as project enters ‘input gathering’ phase through January
Plans have shifted somewhat over the past year, however, the City of Emporia is still moving forward with the construction of a new skate park. Original plans were to construct the half-million dollar skate park at Santa Fe Park, however, City Manager Trey Cocking says lease negotiations with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad gave city leaders pause in that endeavor. During discussions with BNSF, it was requested that all lease agreements be adjusted to one-year annual agreements, a departure from the current 99-year agreement in place. Cocking says after a review, the city found Whittier to be the best fit for the new skate park as they feel it is an underutilized property with a high level of potential.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio
Without enough drivers, Olathe schools to cancel certain bus routes on ‘blackout’ days
Without enough bus drivers, the Olathe school district next month will begin eliminating routes on “blackout days,” requiring families to find alternative transportation on those days. The district has previously warned families that its bus driver shortage has reached an “all-time high.” Last week, officials said there is a “substantial waitlist of families unable to receive transportation, as well as several buses that regularly arrive up to 30 minutes late for pick up/drop off, impacting instructional time.” Now with an uptick in driver absences due to illness, district officials said in an email to families on Wednesday that it will begin implementing “rolling transportation blackouts” Jan. 5. Starting that day, the district will eliminate service for certain routes on specific days of the week.
Source: Joco 913 News
Argabright announces retirement from USD 252
Southern Lyon County USD 252 Superintendent Michael Argabright submitted his retirement Wednesday evening during a meeting with the USD 252 Board of Education. Argabright, who has put in more than three decades in education, has led the USD 252 Southern Lyon County District for the last 16 years. He was recently named the Kansas Superintendent of the Year. He will fulfill the rest of his contract, which ends June 30, 2023. “After 35 – 40 years working with kids and education, I just thought it was time, maybe, for some new energy in our district,” Argabright told The Gazette Thursday morning. “I think we’re in a good place and I look forward to doing something different.”
Source: Emporia Gazette
Lawrence to consider suspending enforcement of rules on downtown liquor sales
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will vote on a resolution that would allow some small downtown establishments to derive up to 90% of their sales from liquor for the next few years. It stems from a request from John Brown’s Underground designed to skirt a long-standing city rule that requires many downtown establishments with liquor licenses to derive no more than 45% of their sales from liquor — the rest must come from food. The ordinance was originally passed to prevent downtown from becoming a problematic bar district.
Source: The Lawrence Times
‘It’s time to deal with this’: Kansas Water Authority wants to save Ogallala Aquifer
Kansas should scrap its de facto policy of draining the Ogallala Aquifer, a state board decided Wednesday. Instead, the board said, the Kansas government should take steps to stop the decline of the aquifer, which supplies water to one-sixth of the world’s grain supply, and save it for future generations. “It has taken decades for this to be said formally in writing by an official state body,” said Connie Owen, director of the Kansas Water Office. “… This is nothing less than historic.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Governor Kelly Announces Over $23M to Expand Broadband in Rural Kansas
Governor Laura Kelly today announced that $23.1 million will be awarded to six service providers that will bring high-speed broadband service to nearly 4,200 homes, businesses, schools, health care facilities, and other institutions in unserved and rural areas of the state. This is the second of three rounds of awards from the Kansas Capital Project Funds (CPF) Grant Program. The goal of this funding is to solve the “last mile” of broadband need in critical areas. The targeted counties have as few as five locations per square mile, which until now has prevented companies from investing the resources to deliver a quality broadband option. The CPF Grant Program provides the funding needed to implement high-speed broadband in these areas of the state.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Manhattan, KS Is One of America’s Fastest Growing Big Cities
The U.S. population grew by 2.7% over the past five years, from about 327 million in 2016 to almost 332 million people in 2021. But in recent years, urban populations in much of the country have swelled even more rapidly. Nearly two hundred U.S. metro areas reported population growth on pace with the national population change or faster. In any area, population change is the result of migration and natural change. Migration refers to the net change in people moving to and from an area, while natural change is the difference between births and deaths. Due to these factors, the Manhattan metro area in Kansas reported 38.1% population growth in the last five years, the second most among 381 U.S. metro areas with available data. The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey shows that Manhattan’s population grew to 133,932 from 97,004 in 2016.
Source: Derby Informer | News
North Newton City Council moving forward with recycling
The North Newton City Council wants to focus on providing the best recycling service for residents they can while at the same time letting the current recycler work efficiently. That’s partly how Councilman Kurt Friesen summed up the council’s recycling intent during its regular Monday night monthly meeting at city hall. Council members had before them the proposed recycling guidelines as presented by current recycler Steve Meyer. “Our ordinance requires that the city offer trash and recycling services,” City Administrator Kyle Fiedler said. “It does not require that residents recycle.”
Source: Harvey County Now
Federal lawsuit says Dodge City’s election system keeps Latino candidates out of office
A coalition of voting rights groups says Dodge City’s election system is designed to prevent the community’s Latino population from holding office on the city commission. In a complaint filed late Thursday in federal court, the coalition argues the “at-large” election system is unconstitutional and a violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The lawsuit was filed by the UCLA Voting Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, the national ACLU, and New York City-based law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton. The city uses an at-large election system, in which all city residents can vote for each of the five seats on the city commission.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Johnson County allocates additional $450K for community greenspace
Johnson County will now pay more to renovate greenspace outside the county courthouse. Thursday the Johnson County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) voted 4-3 to allocate an additional $450,000 to support the second phase of the Johnson County Square project. In August, the board partnered with the City of Olathe for a $2 million renovation project to upgrade the property between the Johnson County Administration building at the Johnson County District Courthouse. Johnson County Square enhancements include things like a memorial plaza, a multipurpose stage, a playground and various art installations.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
Municipal Bond Trends for December 14, 2022
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
GCCC enters into energy savings agreement
Garden City Community College Board of Trustees entered into an energy savings agreement with C& C Group at its regular meeting Tuesday. … Ryan Ruda, GCCC president, said the agreement is a no-cost study with C& C Group for them to study and evaluate options regarding the GCCC’s HVAC system to be able to “automate and enhance our HVAC system. We’re really looking at cost efficiencies and where there could be energy savings.” … There is no upfront cost to GCCC for this project, but GCCC will pay C& C Group through energy savings a total project fee of $1,109,232 that will be billed quarterly at an amount not to exceed 80% of energy savings realized from the updates.
Source: GC Telegram
Local bitcoin mine hits zoning speedbump
The Harvey County Planning Commission denied Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s rezoning request Dec. 6 by an 8-0 vote. The utility was seeking to rezone its property at 84th Street and East Lake Road from agriculture to utility use for Print Crypto Inc., which is a bitcoin mining operation. Planning and Zoning Director Karen Rothe said nearby residents complained about the noise, which affected their quality of life because it was no longer fun to sit outside. … Tim Wuthrich lives 635 feet directly west of the substation. He said the noise generated was not ear-piercing to the point where he has to wear headphones, but it’s constant. … “When I’m out in the yard with the family and grandkids […], this is a constant noise.” Wuthrich compared the sound to an 18-wheeler idling.
Source: Harvey County Now
Renovation planned for downtown Pittsburg
The Pittsburg City Commission … heard from “DVLP Redevelopment Projects,” who presented them with a $4.8 million plan to renovate three downtown buildings. … Plans call for the construction of 35-to-40 apartment projects, ranging from studio size to two bedroom. The residential units will be located in the upper floors of the buildings, while commercial space is planned for the ground levels. After hearing the presentation, the Commission voted to approve funding 10% of the project, or $480 thousand. … “We need housing. We need all kinds of housing, so to have some housing downtown is really complementary to the downtown business district, as well as the housing needs are getting met, which is nice,” said Pittsburg City Manager, Daron Hall.
Source: KSNF/KODE
The Fed projects raising rates as high as 5.1% before ending inflation battle
The Federal Reserve will hike interest rates as high as 5.1% in 2023 before the central bank ends its fight against runaway inflation, according to its median forecast released on Wednesday. The Fed announced a 50-basis-point rate hike Wednesday, taking the borrowing rate to a targeted range between 4.25% and 4.5%, the highest level in 15 years. The so-called dot-plot, which the Fed uses to signal its outlook for the path of interest rates, showed 17 of the 19 “dots” would take rates above 5% in 2023. Seven of the 19 committee members saw rates rising above 5.25% next year.
Source: CNBC
Marion County pushes ahead with administrator
Despite lengthy discussion of whether the public had had enough opportunity to weigh in on the subject, county commissioners cast a split vote Monday to create a county administrator position. … The resolution does not specify a salary. Compensation is to be set out in an employment contract. The county has for several years budgeted $125,000 for an administrator and office staff. … Commissioners don’t yet have a timeline for hiring an administrator. Mueller said the first step would be to decide how to conduct the search.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Newton considering changing government
Residents should soon expect a survey asking them how exactly they want to structure their city government. In October, the city held a work session discussing making the mayor position a separately elected office. Tuesday, they circled back to the topic, as staff asked for more direction on the subject…. Currently, the top vote-getter in an election serves first as vice mayor for one year and then mayor for the next year in Newton. This isn’t in law as much as it is observed in practice. Technically, the mayor position is nominated by members of the commission and then voted on along with the vice mayor position. A change to that could result in people running for the specific office of mayor. Depending on the style of governance the city would choose, the mayor could be a voting position or non-voting position.
Source: Harvey County Now
Hesston approves $6 million in IRBs for AGCO improvements
Hesston City Council on Monday approved the issuance of $5.8 million in industrial revenue bonds for AGCO Corp. AGCO approached the city in 2021 with a request for support in the planned purchasing and equipping of improvements to its manufacturing facilities over give years. The city held a public hearing in June 2021 on the issuance of $72.8 million in IRBs and a tax abatement. The city issued $22.6 million in IRBs in 2021. The city has issued more than $242 million in IRBs for AGCO since 2001.
Source: Harvey County Now
Westfall looks back on his 16 years in office as county commissioner
George “Chip” Westfall offered sage advice for anyone who might be considering a run for local office. “Always listen,” he said. “You don’t have to discuss it in detail with them.” Westfall, who decided not to run again after serving four terms as a Harvey County commissioner, said it was hard to discuss an issue in detail with someone who appeared before commissioners. He said he tried to be friendly when he ran into somebody again because there’s no reason to be offensive. “You don’t have to become enemies and a lot of people think that you are,” he said. “Be well versed on both sides and balance it out and do what’s best for Harvey County. Many people are surprised at how friendly you are with them.
Source: Harvey County Now
Without enough drivers, Olathe schools to cancel certain bus routes on ‘blackout’ days
Without enough bus drivers, the Olathe school district next month will begin eliminating routes on “blackout days,” requiring families to find alternative transportation on those days. The district has previously warned families that its bus driver shortage has reached an “all-time high.” Last week, officials said there is a “substantial waitlist of families unable to receive transportation, as well as several buses that regularly arrive up to 30 minutes late for pick up/drop off, impacting instructional time.”
Source: KC Star Local News
City, county finally finalize tax rebate plan
After weeks of discussion, Allen County commissioners signed on to Iola’s Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. The county will keep its tiered rebate reimbursement plan, while the three other participating entities will change theirs. That was a point of contention week after week, starting when Gregg Hutton, codes enforcement officer for Iola, asked for the change. The city’s hope is to boost housing construction by offering a full, 100% rebate for 10 years. The program works by rebating property taxes for homeowners who make improvements; the rebate applies only to the amount of taxes that were added because of those improvements. All participating entities — the city, the county, the school district and Allen Community College — offer the rebate.
Source: The Iola Register
New ‘downtown’ Park City expected to get off the ground in 2023
Spurred by recent economic development growth in the area, a years-long effort to build a downtown district in Park City is expected to get off the ground in 2023 … city officials say [it] will serve as a vibrant city center on 48 acres of city-owned land near the southeast corner of 61st Street and Hydraulic Avenue. Called Park Centre, the project includes initial plans for a central park, a 416-unit apartment complex, an 89-unit townhome complex, and 96,000 square feet of commercial space available for lease.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Law enforcement ‘taking a beating’, Emporia chief says
Emporia’s Police Chief says law enforcement “has been taking a beating” over the last few years, but he’s “proud” to see new officers willing to serve. Ed Owens gave the keynote speech Friday at a commencement ceremony for the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Lawrence. “The resilience of young people like we have today — it’s refreshing to me, my administration and everyone’s across the state and nation,“ Owens told a class of Basic Training graduates at the University of Kansas.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Fed raises interest rates half a point to highest level in 15 years
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate to the highest level in 15 years, indicating that the fight against inflation is not over yet despite some promising signs lately. Keeping with expectations, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee voted to boost the overnight borrowing rate half a percentage point, taking it to a targeted range between 4.25% and 4.5%. The increase broke a string of four straight three-quarter point hikes, the most aggressive policy moves since the early 1980s. Along with the increase came an indication that officials expect to keep rates higher through next year, with no reductions until 2024. The expected “terminal rate,” or point where officials expect to end the rate hikes, was put at 5.1%, according to the FOMC’s “dot plot” of individual members’ expectations.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Kansas share of federal broadband cash in jeopardy because of ‘grossly inadequate’ map
Kansas officials worry the state will lose part of its share of a $42.5 billion federal investment in broadband expansion because the Federal Communications Commission commissioned a “grossly inadequate” map of existing services. The map, released in late November, shows broadband is available everywhere in Kansas. The state faces a Jan. 13 deadline to challenge the map by encouraging residents to self-report discrepancies with it. The federal broadband investment is part of the massive infrastructure package Congress passed last year. Grant money will be allocated to states based on the need for broadband services. Staff members from the state broadband office explained the challenge during a forum Monday at the Kansas Health Institute about broadband access and telehealth. Kimberlyn Jones, digital equity program manager for the state, said the FCC map is “somewhat grossly inadequate, and based on the information on that mapping, that determines how much the state can get.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Shawnee Mission ACT scores are declining
Shawnee Mission’s ACT scores have been steadily declining over the last five years with the district’s average composite score down more than two points in that time. The district’s average ACT score of 21.3 remains above state and federal averages but essentially sits right at the cutoff of 21 used for admissions for Kansas Board of Regents schools, including KU and K-State. … The class of 2022’s average composite ACT score in Shawnee Mission was 21.3, down from 23.8 for the Class of 2018, according to board documents. Why this could be happening: District administrators told the board there are several factors contributing to the steady decline, including most notably, the two-year disruption caused by COVID-19.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Wichita City Council considering new rules for renting following shooting
After a shooting that killed one person and injured three others, the Wichita City Council is considering new rules for short-term rental properties. The goal of these changes is to hold the property owners accountable while making the neighborhoods safer. “Well, I definitely think they should, because there doesn’t seem to be any teeth behind anything,” said a concerned Crown Heights resident. This man who didn’t want to be identified lives near a short-term rental property on Battin Street. It’s where a shooting in April of last year killed one man and injured three others.
Source: KAKE – News
Fitch: Inflation to mount for U.S. water, sewer utilities in 2023
Fitch Ratings says 2023 will bring a series of challenges that U.S. water and sewer utilities have not experienced in over a decade, according to Fitch Ratings’ 2023 outlook for the sector. Fitch Ratings’ 2023 sector outlook for U.S. water and sewer utilities is ‘Deteriorating’ and largely driven by rising inflation and a slowing U.S. economy, with Fitch economists calling for a mild recession around mid-2023. Next year will likely mark a second straight year of cost and capital pressures for water and sewer utilities, according to Senior Director and U.S. Water and Sewer Sector Head Audra Dickinson. “General inflationary pressures, notably higher chemical, labor and power costs, and weaker economic growth are likely to weaken financial performance for water and sewer utilities,” said Dickinson. “Though next year’s operating budgets are already reflecting higher costs, financial performance could further erode if utilities are unable to generate revenue to counter rising costs.”
Source: Water Finance & Management
Municipal Bond Trends for December 13, 2022
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
Saline County Livestock and Expo Center to raise rental prices due to inflation
After a year of inflation on goods and overall rising costs, the Saline County Livestock and Expo Center will raise its prices next year. The Expo Center, which oversees several buildings available for event reservations, is led by director David Flaherty II. At the weekly county commission meeting Dec. 13, he explained the rise in rental fees is due to higher costs for things like maintenance and utilities. “At this time, in 2022, it’s due to rising utility costs and after some improvements have been made and comparing costs with other facilities,” Flaherty said.
Source: Salina Journal
Lawrence City Commission will delay final approval of source of income protections to hear from landlords
The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday voted in favor of an ordinance change to create a protected class based on source of income, but will delay final approval in order to seek feedback from landlords. The ordinance will likely come back in front of the commission in mid-January. Lawrence’s Human Relations Commission recently advanced proposed ordinance changes that would prevent landlords from denying someone housing just because a prospective tenant’s rent money comes from housing assistance such as vouchers, settlements, benefits, subsidies, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers and more. The advisory board had been working for about two years and researching similar ordinances in other cities.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Four fire departments receiving safety grants
Several area volunteer fire departments are receiving state grants to improve the protection of personnel. The Office of the State Fire Marshal awarded 2023 grant money to Chase County Fire District No. 1, Eureka Volunteer Fire Department, Lyon County Fire District No. 5 and Olpe Fire District No. 1. They will share in $1.3 million in funds, provided largely through the American Rescue Plan Act. A statement from the Fire Marshal’s office does not specify how much each department will receive. The equipment includes “bunker or wildland gear (coat, pants, helmet, gloves, hood and boots) and new masks for Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) units for department members,” the statement said.
Source: Emporia Gazette