Municipal News & Jobs

The Hutchinson Planning Commission quickly gave its recommendation for approval of a zoning change for an unspecified drive-thru restaurant on 30th Avenue on Tuesday, May 12, before hearing that it will be tasked with establishing specific planning and zoning rules for data centers, likely starting June 9. The board unanimously voted to recommend approval of the zoning change. The planning commission’s recommendation will be presented to the Hutchinson City Council for final approval at a later date. Community Development Director Matt Williams told the planning commission that, following a resolution passed by the city council at its May 5 meeting, they will be asked to introduce temporary requirements for data centers while working on permanent regulations.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

After mulling a data center moratorium during their May 11 meeting, South Hutchinson will once again explore the idea on May 25. This decision resulted from the fact that the moratorium, as drafted, would’ve halted the development of even small-scale, storage container-sized data centers. City Administrator Jeff Schenk made the recommendation to table the issue, and the council agreed. A new moratorium will be presented at the next meeting, specifically for large-scale data centers and battery energy storage systems.
Read more: The Hutchinson Tribune

SOLAR ENERGY is on the horizon for Humboldt. Council members unanimously agreed to have 124 solar panels installed behind the water plant. SEK Solar of Chanute was hired for the job. The installation will produce about 100,000 kilowatt hours per year, an annual energy savings of about $9,500, according to Daniel Zywietz, co-founder of SEK Solar, which also has plans to install solar panels at the new Pete’s convenience store being constructed in town. 
Read more: The Iola Register

Allen County may collect more than cardboard when it opens a recycling collection spot in Iola. Meanwhile, Iola City Council members approved a contract in order for a rebuild of U.S. 54 to begin. Though Allen County has yet to launch its planned recycling venture, it may already have changed in scope. Allen County Public Works Director Mitch Garner told the Register Tuesday the county may have an opportunity to collect more than just cardboard. Rather than a single large storage receptacle for cardboard, Garner said the county is considering a “roll-off” type of storage unit, capable of holding multiple recyclables, such as paper, aluminum and some plastics.
Read more: The Iola Register

Retiring North Newton Municipal Judge Levi Goossen was honored during the town’s city council meeting on Monday night. “Tonight, we are recognizing the career of the longtime Municipal Judge Levi Goossen,” North Newton Mayor Ron Ratzlaff said. “The city warmly congratulates him on his retirement and long-standing service to the City of North Newton.” Then, Ratzlaff presented Goossen with a gavel and shook his hand.
Read more: Harvey County Now

For an hour a day, four days a week, it will be quiet time at the Hesston Aquatics Center. This summer, Hesston Recreation and Community Education will be offering a low-sensory swim hour from 5 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. There will be a focus on fewer people in the pool, with the sound system turned off during this time and emphasis on less splashing with no yelling. Cost for this time of low-sensory or adult lap swim is $2. Regular day passes run $5, with family passes starting at $120 and increasing depending on the size of the family.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Are Flock cameras constitutional? That’s the question that Commissioner Becky Reimer said a couple of her constituents asked her, so she asked Harvey County Sheriff Chad Gay about it during his monthly report to the commissioners. His simple answer: yes. He said the Flock cameras have been ruled constitutional by the courts. The county installed four Flock cameras in the summer of 2025, placing them on the east and west sides of Highway 50 at the county borders and the north and south ends of the county on I-135, also near the borders. The cameras take pictures of license plates as vehicles drive by. The information is stored in the Flock database so it can be used in investigations, not only by the Harvey County Sheriff’s Department but by law enforcement around the country. Gay said the cameras are constitutional because they’re only viewing the back of cars to identify the license plates, color, make and model of the vehicles.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Friday, May 15, marks the return of Burrton’s farmers market for 2026, with special entertainment by Mariachi Jalisco from 6 to 7 p.m. The markets run from 5 to 8 p.m. at the library park and are sponsored by the Burrton Community Foundation (BCF). Also at the market on May 15 will be Tortas Mary food truck and Veronica’s Kitchen with Agua Fresca. A piñata and various vendors with handmade/homemade/homegrown items round out the evening.
Read more: Harvey County Now

USD-440 Board of Education President Zach Mabry formally welcomed Halstead High School Principal Chad Baalman as the district’s next superintendent on Monday evening during the board’s monthly meeting. The board held a special meeting 30 minutes before graduation on Saturday to officially vote on the selection to replace current Superintendent Dr. Ron Barry, who resigned in April. Mabry congratulated Baalman on his new role. Mixing in a full day to interview in the middle of graduation week, Baalman called the last few days an emotional roller coaster. In an interview with Harvey County Now, Baalman said he’s excited with a little bit of normal nervousness about taking over as superintendent.
Read more: Harvey County Now

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the Kansas Department of Commerce awarded over $1.3 million in Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grant funding to support 15 building renovation projects across the state. When matched with nearly $3.9 million in local contributions, this round of HEAL funding brings the total investment to approximately $5.2 million available to revitalize downtown buildings. By providing matching grants through a competitive process, HEAL helps communities transform dilapidated and underutilized spaces into thriving hubs for businesses, housing, childcare, arts, civic activities and entrepreneurship. These awards are specifically designed to revitalize rural downtown districts throughout Kansas. In doing so, HEAL fosters reinvestment, encourages community engagement, and boosts the overall economic health of Kansas communities.
Read more: Kansas Department of Commerce

Data centers are “unfortunately” here to stay, a Pottawatomie County official said this week. Shanna Goodman, Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation executive director, spoke Monday to the Pottawatomie County Commission regarding the ongoing discussions of data centers. She likened the conversation to similar discussions when Jeffrey Energy Center came to the county nearly 50 years ago. Goodman explained that regardless of any decisions the county makes, the digital infrastructure of data centers isn’t going anywhere.
Read more: News Radio KMAN

Jackson Turner is anxious and frustrated.  He and his family are worried that a proposed data center-plus-solar project in the sand hills of southwest Kansas could turn their farmland into an industrial site, displacing them and killing their crops.  Ross Marston, Turner’s stepfather and a longtime Sandsage Prairie farmer, is afraid of what might happen when out-of-town developers realize how difficult it is to construct anything on the extremely fine, powder-dry sand hills. Such skepticism and resistance is widespread. Kansans are flocking to public meetings statewide as numerous data center proposals are on the table in the aftermath of a 2025 law offering a 20-year sales tax exemption to such projects. Resident concerns about environmental and economic impact echo from border to border. Still, many residents, like Turner and his relatives, feel they’re not being fully heard.
Read more: KLC Journal

Reno County is hoping to become a premiere destination for golfing. After taking public comment, the Reno County Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to create a special district to help fund the Salt Lick Golf Resort development. Commissioners approved the boundaries for a Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond Project District. In those districts, bonds taken out for development are repaid with sales taxes generated in the designated area. In this case, the district is limited to land owned by the developer.
Read more: KSN-TV

County commissioners on Monday extended a moratorium on data center development for another year while reopening questions about whether past wind-energy regulations were adopted through proper public process. After hearing a planning commission recommendation to delay action until after the county updates its comprehensive plan, commissions unanimously approved extending a moratorium on applications related to data centers in unincorporated areas through June 1, 2027.
Read more: Marion County RECORD

The Leavenworth County Commission voted 3-2 Wednesday to impose a 90-day moratorium on data center development. The move comes as residents in Tonganoxie debate a proposed a 1,000-acre hyperscale data center north of Interstate 70, dubbed Project Bluestem. In a public comment meeting earlier this year before the commission, many Tonganoxie residents expressed concerns with the project proposal moving forward.
Read more: KSHB News

Edgerton is the latest town in southern Johnson County to consider a new data center, despite continued pushback from residents — and this time, the community might not have a choice. Tuesday night, the Edgerton Planning Commission approved, by a 4-0 vote, a preliminary plat that combines three properties to convert an existing 400,000-square-foot warehouse at Logistics Park into a large-scale data center. The commission, however, also by a 4-0 vote, tabled the final site plan from Dubai-based company DAMAC Digital, putting off a final decision on the project for now. Planning Commission Secretary Jordyn Mueller was absent from the meeting. Logistics Park Kansas City is already zoned to include data centers. With the proper zoning for the DAMAC Digital site already in place and the application meeting Edgerton’s requirements, the planning commission’s hands are essentially tied. While the commission sat looking for answers on Tuesday night, people in the standing-room-only crowd yelled, “Just deny it.” However, according to City Attorney Todd Luckman, denial must be based on established code. If the city denies a project that conforms to code, it opens itself up for litigation.
Read more: Johnson County Post

CrossFit championships, the Pickleball Open, Top Gun fast-pitch softball tournaments — these are all sporting events on the calendar in 2026 that are expected to draw hundreds, if not thousands, of visitors to Overland Park. They’re all examples of sports tourism as well, a multibillion-dollar industry in the United States that’s seen major gains in the last decade or so. Visit OP — the nonprofit that serves as the city’s official visitor and tourism organization — wants to see Overland Park get a bigger cut of that economic impact.
Read more: Johnson County Post

One of the several grass fires burning in southwest Kansas caused an evacuation that has since been lifted for Meade. Meade County Sheriff Douglas Ritter said numerous fire crews from across Kansas and Oklahoma fought the fire south of town early Friday. Crews finally stopped its progress around 3 a.m. There were no injuries.
Read more: KSN-TV

Duplex boom is attracting middle-income earners to the Midwestern city.
Read more: Wall Street Journal

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.