Kansas Municipal News
For years, wind was the power source of the plains. Now, Kansas is seeing solar step up
The city of Pratt, Kansas, is home to around 6,500 people. But the small town is rife with new developments. Driving around town, vice mayor Doug Meyer and Jamie Huber – Pratt’s director of electric utilities – point them out: a new swimming pool, recently resurfaced tennis courts, a 16-unit housing project. One of their proudest projects, though, is a six megawatt solar farm that came online in 2019. It’s right on the edge of town. “A lot of people don’t see it – I’ve got people who still ask me where it’s at,” Huber said. Over the past decade, renewable power on the Kansas prairie typically meant one thing – wind turbines. But now, solar energy in Kansas is booming, with developers proposing utility-scale solar farms from Sedgwick County to Great Bend to Johnson County. The city of Pratt operates its own electric utility. That means it generates, buys and sells its own power instead of relying entirely on the grid. In 2016, Pratt officials decided it wanted a solar farm to replace an expiring contract with a coal plant. Solar was a reliable energy source during high-demand times of day. And its price stayed steady, unlike electricity from the grid.
Source: KCUR News
Pottawatomie County voters again say no to road and bridge sales tax question
For the second straight year, Pottawatomie County voters have turned down a quarter percent sales tax to fund road and bridge improvements. The measure failed on a 56 to 44 percent margin (2,547 voting no, 2,032 voting yes), a year after it also failed by a 53 to 47 percent margin. County officials previously noted that such a tax would’ve generated approximately $2 million annually for about a dozen infrastructure projects. They had hoped to pay for the needed upgrades through the sales tax rather than utilizing property taxes. Most of the projects earmarked were in the Green Valley area and along and near the US 24 corridor.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Great Bend amends short-term rental rules
Following complaints from local Airbnb owners, the Great Bend City Council Monday night approved an ordinance amending short-term rental regulations, that cover such businesses, that it had OKed in June. At the Oct. 16 council meeting, Terri Bahr, who operates a number of Airbnbs in Great Bend and other communities, and Jarod Chansler, who runs an Airbnb in the downtown area, addressed the council with their concerns. “The existing short-term rental regulations were the culmination of considerable hard work on the part of the Assistant City Administrator Logan Burns, Building Inspector Matt Schafer, their staffs, and the Planning Commission,” said City Attorney Allen Glendenning. “Considerable research was done into the regulations in place in various cities in Kansas and neighboring states and that information was discussed and considered in multiple meetings of the Planning Commission.”
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Commerce Announces $2M in CDBG-COVID Resiliency Competitive Grants
The Kansas Department of Commerce today announced 15 Kansas communities would receive their share of $2 million from the Community Development Block Grant-COVID Resiliency (CDBG-CVR) competitive grant program. This program was funded via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. CDBG-CVR was designed to empower Kansas businesses to enhance their resiliency in the face of future community illnesses and public health emergencies. “These grants will be a game-changer for many Kansas businesses,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “This investment in pandemic resiliency not only will help retain jobs but help our state attract new businesses, further boosting our emerging economy.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Allen County OKs plan to accept plastic recyclables
The county’s first foray into recycling might look a little different than they expected. Allen County commissioners agreed Tuesday to allow a recycle and trash service provider from Erie set up a bin at the landfill to collect some types of No. 2 plastic items such as milk jugs. “It’s not cardboard, but it’s a start,” Mitch Garner, Public Works director, said. The county had identified cardboard as its top recycling need. Kenny Schettler, whose company collects trash for the City of Humboldt, offered to set up a container to collect only No. 2 plastic, a sturdier type of plastic that includes such things as juice and milk containers, bottles for cosmetics and household cleaners, plastic chairs and some types of toys. No. 2 plastics can be recycled up to 10 times.
Source: The Iola Register
Bentley Birthday Bash: a huge success with room for growth
The recently concluded Bentley Birthday Bash has left the local community buzzing with excitement after a resounding success that exceeded all expectations. The grand celebration, held in honor of Bentley’s 135th birthday, not only drew an impressive crowd but also showcased the event’s profound potential for future growth. Families, friends and visitors from neighboring towns flocked to the event, eager to join in the festive spirit and show their love for Bentley. The organizers left no stone unturned in curating a diverse range of attractions, ensuring there was something for everyone.
Source: Harvey County Now
Long-time city clerk in Sedgwick retires
Janise Enterkin has attended 464 city council meetings, 108 special council meetings, and 57 Hillside Cemetery meetings during her 19 years as Sedgwick’s city clerk. She served through four mayors and 18 council members. Now, after 21 years, Enterkin is retiring from the City of Sedgwick, effective Dec. 1. But if you want to see her in the office one last time, this Thursday (Nov. 9) will be your last chance. She’s using vacation time to bridge the gap. Enterkin heard about a position at the city 21 years ago while working for Jerry Alderson at Voice and Data Connection. When things at her job got slow, she started looking around, because her children were in school, and she wanted to work in town.
Source: Harvey County Now
Voters approve change to Reno County liquor law
The people of Reno County have voted to enact changes to the liquor license law so restaurants no longer need to have 30% of their sales be from food to keep their license. The food rule was passed by the State of Kansas in 1986, with it’s three classifications for county alcohol sales. There are wet counties with no restrictions, dry counties with no alcohol sales and semi-dry counties, where in order to have a liquor license you need to have 30% of your sales be food. Because of this law, Sandhills Brewing in Hutchinson was almost forced to close since they were not selling enough food. Sandhill offers snacks and pizza but the product they sell most of is alcohol.
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas abandoned wells project reinvigorated, but thousands left to plug
The state’s efforts to plug abandoned wells are back on track after delays in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to project coordinators. Ryan Hoffman, conservation division director with the Kansas Corporation Commission, updated lawmakers on the well situation during a Tuesday legislative meeting. The Kansas Corporation Commission oversees the well plugging process. “We are moving forward,” Hoffman said. Wells left unplugged can pose a health and safety risk to Kansans if they are near communities. Due to leakage, abandoned wells could leak into the water supply and or release methane into the air.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Municipal Bond Trends for November 6, 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.
Liberal creates new way for public to engage
The City of Liberal has launched the use of Polco, an online engagement platform, in an expanding effort to gain resident feedback to support local government decision-making. City staff will use Polco to post surveys and poll questions for citizens to participate in using Polco’s app or website, where users can answer and comment on a variety of topics. “Our staff and commission agree that creating a better future for Liberal takes all of us, and it’s important for us to hear from our citizens in order to work to meet needs effectively,” Liberal City Manager Rusty Varnado said. “We also understand people lead busy lives. Polco is a convenient way for all members of our community to share feedback about topics they care about.”
Source: Liberal First
KDOT warns of staffing shortages ahead of winter
The Kansas Department of Transportation is committed to keeping the highways clear whenever inclement weather impacts the state. However, KDOT staffing shortages create the potential for highways to not be cleared of snow and ice in a timely manner. The agency is in need of equipment operators – the agency’s primary snowplow operators. The agency has dealt with reduced staffing in the past, but the shortages have been greater in recent years. Across the state, KDOT is about 25% short of its preferred number of snowplow operators needed to be fully staffed.
Source: Little Apple Post
Emergency winter shelter to open in NE Wichita
Wichita Mayor Brandon announced on Thursday that an emergency winter shelter will open in northeast Wichita. The facility will be located at 2220 E 21st St. N., the former Fundamental Learning Center. The mayor said the shelter will serve about 250 people nightly. They’ll also be able to stay during the day. The City of Wichita owns the facility, which HumanKind Ministries will run. “We want to make sure that we have everything in place, first and foremost,” Wichita Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson said. “We don’t want to compromise safety and security, impact on the neighborhood.” The city said there will be on-site security personnel and one entrance.
Source: KWCH News
Why Municipal Bonds are Outshining Treasuries
Thanks to their par values and steady coupon rates, bonds are often seen as the ‘safe’ asset class, particularly when compared to stocks. But lately, federally-backed bonds aren’t seeming too safe. The recent debt ceiling issues, credit downgrades, and rising deficits have many investors on edge. Treasury bonds might not be as safe as they seem. But municipal bonds? It’s steady as she goes. According to asset manager Northern Trust, munis’ credit quality is better than ever before. And that makes them a great buy, potentially over Treasury bonds. For investors, adding a dose of munis continues to be the right play. … It turns out that, while the United States Treasury may be in a weakening state, state and local governments are facing the opposite situation. They are getting better in terms of credit quality and ability to pay their debts. While all the pandemic stimulus may have been a weakening factor to the federal balance sheet, it’s been a big win for states.
Source: Municipalbonds
Franchisees explain reasons behind McDonald’s closures in Wichita, Kingman and Anthony
The franchisee of the McDonald’s at 1050 N. Broadway that closed on Tuesday says the decision was made by McDonald’s corporate as part of an occasional “screening” the company does of all of its restaurants. The same process resulted in the closure of the McDonald’s in Kingman on the same day, he said. And Anthony’s McDonald’s also was scheduled to close on Oct. 31, but a fire earlier this month shut it down early. Michael Lane, who owns 11 McDonald’s restaurants in the area, said that the company didn’t share with him all the reasoning that led to its decision, but ultimately, he said, it was the company’s choice. “They make the ultimate decision, but as a franchisee, I have to say I understand,” he said. “There are three locations around that one that really serve 80 to 90 percent of the customers in that area, so it made sense to look at it that way and make that tough decision.” In addition to the fact that other McDonald’s restaurants are close by, including the one Michael Lane also owns at Broadway and Waterman, the dawn of digital options like ordering via app or for delivery has changed the number of physical restaurants that are needed in one area.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Valley Center Recreation and Aquatics Center will add ‘quality-of-life’ amenity for residents, city official says
A project long-discussed in a suburban Wichita community is progressing toward reality. Work on the over 40,000 square-foot Valley Center Recreation and Aquatics Center began in August and is set to wrap by the close of 2024. Valley Center city administrator Brent Clark called the project “transformational” for the city just north of Wichita. “We have a town of nearly 7,500 people, but we also have over 750 residential lots coming online,” he said. “When we’re attracting residents and new homeowners, they look for quality-of-life amenities.” It was not a quick journey to get to this point. Clark said the community had been talking about the center since the early 2000s, but the city failed multiple times in getting a sales tax increase passed that would help fund the effort. Fast-forward to early in the Covid-19 pandemic, when Valley Center made the decision to temporarily shut down its large outdoor pool. That got some in the community fired up, and Clark said that energy was able to be turned into a case for revisiting the recreation and aquatic center as a long-term benefit for the city’s well-being.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Lawrence school district to seek community input on skills graduates need
The Lawrence school district will hold two public input sessions to get the community’s feedback on how to best prepare graduates for what comes next. During its “Portrait of a Graduate” public input sessions, district leaders hope to learn the experiences and skills that community members think students should possess when they graduate. Patrick Kelly, chief academic officer, said the input will help the district “identify the postsecondary assets our community values and would expect upon graduation.” “In today’s world, the demands for students are tremendous as they move on to college, career, and adult life,” Kelly said via email from district spokesperson Julie Boyle. “It’s no longer enough to just graduate on time with the right academic credentials. The Kansas State Board of Education’s new graduation requirements include postsecondary assets aligned with the student’s individual plan of study (IPS).” Brad Neuenswander, founding director of KU’s Center for Evaluation and Educational Leadership (CEEL), and KU graduate student Sophie Robic will facilitate the input sessions. Afterward, they will provide the district with a report on the input they gathered, and administrators will share that information with the school board, Boyle said.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Saline County celebrates completion of new jail facility after decades of ongoing needs
As construction workers shook hands and exchanged greetings with government officials, Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan stepped out into the cold October morning to welcome more visitors. People pulling into the public parking lot of the new Saline County jail were greeted with his smile and directions on where to park. His breath created a fog as he spoke through the 28-degree breeze. About 100 people gathered Tuesday at 800 Pacific Ave. in Salina to celebrate the opening of Saline County’s state-of-the-art jail facility. Remarks were made by nearly everyone who helped turn an idea into reality, and the ceremony was capped off by a thanks for the public’s $89 million investment and a ribbon cutting complete with giant scissors. “I’m more excited about people getting an actual tour, than I am of the ribbon cutting,” Soldan said. The Saline County community celebrated on Halloween what began two years ago, when on Oct. 21, 2021, the Turner Construction crew broke ground on some old farmland in north Salina. Since that time, the project kept within its voter-approved budget and finished within the original timeline for completion — a feat several public officials spoke about Tuesday.
Source: News – Salina Journal
Overland Park to turn old Marty Pool site into a new park
The site of the former Marty Pool in northern Overland Park is set to get a new life as a neighborhood park in the next couple of years. On Wednesday, the Overland Park City Council Community Development Committee voted 5-0 to recommend approval of a contract with landscape architecture firm Confluence to design the new park. Councilmember Sam Passer, who serves as the committee’s vice chair, was absent from the meeting. Overland Park decommissioned the pool near West 75th and Conser streets in 2022 after decades of offering neighborhood families a place to cool off in the summer. Mary Pool’s closure was part of a long-term plan laid out in the city’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan to decommission some of the city’s pools over the next couple of decades, (Pg. 36). Overland Park previously closed Roe Pool and converted it into a community park.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Affordable housing, size of city council on the line in heated Johnson County election
A chaotic past year in Prairie Village, first sparked by the city discussing affordable housing initiatives, is culminating in one of Johnson County’s most contentious elections this fall. The Nov. 7 election comes as the city considers ways the pricey suburb could allow more affordable housing, a conversation that has sharply divided the community. The debate has transformed into a deeper political battle, leading to two clear factions of candidates running for half of the City Council seats on Tuesday. The city remains tied up in a legal battle with a group of residents who call themselves PV United — first formed to oppose any zoning changes aimed at allowing more affordable housing — that filed petitions this fall pushing to let residents vote on limiting mayoral powers and cutting the council in half. The idea was especially controversial because it would have resulted in ejecting six council members from their seats mid-term.
Source: Joco 913 News