Kansas Municipal News
City of Wichita holds round table to discuss emergency winter shelter for city’s homeless
Finding temporary emergency shelter space for Wichita’s homeless population is a pressing concern to the city. “If we do nothing, we obviously know that the situation is worsening. We have a crisis on our hands with the emergency winter shelter,” said Sedgwick County Commissioner, Ryan Baty. Over a dozen Wichita city council members, Sedgwick County commissioners and state lawmakers met Friday morning to figure out how to address the immediate winter shelter needs. The meeting was prompted by last week’s announcement that Humankind will not be opening their emergency winter shelter in November. “If we have a winter like we’ve had the last two winters where we’ve had a cold snap, people will die in the streets of Wichita. And that is simply not acceptable from anyone in this community,” said Baty. On Friday, Humankind announced that they will be able to open their winter shelter but only with a limited capacity.
Source: KAKE – News
Boo! at the Zoo in Garden City returns for 28th year on Oct. 21
Celebrate Halloween at Lee Richardson Zoo on Oct. 21 with the return of Boo! at the Zoo. The event will be held from 4-8 p.m. Boo! is a fundraiser put on by the Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo annually with the goal of supporting improvements at the zoo and the zoo’s mission to promote education and conservation activities that “will foster an appreciation and understanding of wildlife and their habitats.” Jessica Norton, executive director of FOLRZ, said the project they are fundraising for now is a new playground by the Primate Forest, which was built in 2020. “I don’t know that we’re actually going to reach that goal yet, we’re still in the process of researching the cost because costs for construction have changed dramatically over the last few years, but a new playground by the Lemur Forest is what we’re currently fundraising for,” she said. Activities at the event include a Trick-or-Treat Trail, so far there are 35 treat stations signed up; Singing Witches, “bewitching” music; and a Ghoulish Graveyard, a graveyard of extinct animals that where attendees can take a journey past.
Source: Garden City Telegram
Kansas’ class of 2023 has record-low ACT test scores
As more Kansas high school students take the ACT, the state continues to fall behind the average national score, which itself has fallen to a three-decade low. Data released last week by the standardized testing company shows that scores from Kansas high schools’ graduating class of 2023 fell to an average of 19.3, or behind the national average of 19.5. That national figure marks a sixth-consecutive year of decline and the lowest in 32 years.
Source: Hutch News
Could state limit tax hikes?
As rising property values bring higher taxes for Kansas homeowners, top Republican lawmakers plan to make a proposed constitutional amendment a top priority. The idea on the table is to limit property valuation increases to a maximum of 4% per year, unless there is a market transaction. But there is no guarantee that limiting assessment growth would result in lower property taxes. That’s because local governments could still raise the mill levy to bring in the same amount of tax. And for those who do benefit, it would likely be because the tax burden is shifted onto others. “It does not in any way limit the growth of local property tax revenues,” said Edward Penner, of the Kansas Legislative Research Department.
Source: CJonline
Are Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, due for a breakup 25 years after unification?
The door is open — albeit slightly — to dissolving the 25-year-old Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. The mayors of Kansas City, Kansas, Edwardsville and Bonner Springs announced Wednesday they will meet with residents in the coming months to hear complaints and solutions to what they say are mounting financial problems. One possible solution? Breaking apart the Unified Government. “The three of us mayors recognize the need to review and evaluate the current state of affairs,” said Bonner Springs Mayor Jeff Harrington. On April 1, 1997, Wyandotte County residents voted to consolidate the the governments of Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County into one. At the time, Kansas City, Kansas, was in a tailspin — property taxes were the highest in the state, people were moving away to neighboring Johnson County and Missouri, and rumors of government corruption were rampant. Wyandotte County on the other hand, was relatively well-run and already covered 94% of all county residents.
Source: KCUR News
Agreement announced on water rights for south central Kansas region
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran have announced a bipartisan agreement to resolve water needs in an area of south central Kansas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Agriculture have agreed to work together on water rights issues for the Rattlesnake Creek Basin, which has provided water for area farms and for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Stafford, Rice and Reno counties. The Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to pause its request to secure its senior water right as agriculture officials and local stakeholders look for a solution to the region’s water issues. Governor Kelly and Senator Moran have urged the Fish and Wildlife Service to work with agricultural producers and all water rights holders. The governor said failure to work out a solution will create unnecessary economic hardships for local businesses and communities.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Governor Kelly Invites Public Input on Volume 2 of Broadband Plan
Governor Laura Kelly announced the release of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume 2. As part of the planning process, the public is invited to submit their comments on the planning document. Together with the BEAD 5-Year Action Plan, Volumes 1 and 2 will help identify areas of need for high-speed internet buildout across the state and outline requirements for applicants to access grant funding. “Our vision for Kansas is one where every resident, regardless of their location, has access to affordable, reliable internet,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Volume 2 planning document sets a clear path to achieving that goal. I encourage all Kansans to be involved in the public comment process.” Volume 2 outlines defined objectives for broadband infrastructure projects, transparent subgrantee selection processes, and the active participation of eligible entities, all aimed at providing affordable broadband service options to residents.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
New Derby city prosecutor balancing full docket
Since joining city staff over the summer, Melissa Ricke has been hard at work on multiple fronts for Derby as the new assistant city attorney and city prosecutor. On the city side, Ricke helps City Attorney Jaci Kelly with business affairs as needed, while she also handles all the municipal prosecution at the court building. Additionally, she noted she helps law enforcement in a number of capacities as needed. “If they need a training, I will assist with that,” Ricke said. “If they need a consultation on maybe charging a case or if it should go to Sedgwick County as a felony, I will meet with them and give them advice and guidance on how to process through cases.”
Source: Derby Informer | News
Despite objections, Johnson County city approves office park to replace city park
In a 5 to 1 vote Thursday night, the Westwood City Council approved turning what currently is its only city park into an office park. The issue had been debated fiercely in recent months not only in Westwood, a town of 1,800 residents in northern Johnson County, but also among some residents in the bordering communities of Westwood Hills and Mission Woods who live close to Joe D Dennis Park, a green space with jungle gym and tennis courts at Rainbow Boulevard and 50th Street. The park effectively is Westwood’s only city park, at least for now. The six-member council’s decision allows for 7.6 acres of land made up of three adjoining parcels to be rezoned so the Karbank Real Estate Co. can build an office and retail development on part of the land.
Source: KC Star Local News
Iola vies for federal infrastructure dollars
With infrastructure funds flowing from Washington, D.C., It’s in Iola’s best interest to apply for every penny it can, Mayor Steve French said. “That money’s gonna go someplace,” French said at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “We might as well bring some of it back home if we can.” City Administrator Matt Rehder gave Council members a preliminary list of potential projects that could utilize Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation funds. The two biggest-ticket items would be to replace all of the bare steel gas mains in the city, expected to cost about $10 million, and relining Iola’s 75 miles of sewer lines, which carries a price tag estimated at $8 million. The BIL is a five-year, $1.2 trillion federal investment in the country’s infrastructure. Rehder and Iola’s other department heads have begun poring through the mountains of information regarding eligible projects — a task unto itself — to find how Iola could benefit, Rehder said.
Source: The Iola Register
Wyandotte County mayors announce task force that could reshape KCK’s unified government
The mayors of Kansas City, Kansas, Edwardsville and Bonner Springs on Wednesday announced plans to form a task force that could reshape Wyandotte County’s consolidated government structure. Edwardsville Mayor Carolyn Caiharr said a “citizen-focused” group will begin neighborhood discussions in November to hear resident concerns about the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, which consolidated in 1997. “What has served you well over the last 25 years, and what improvements need to be made?” Caiharr asked during a press conference outside Memorial Hall in downtown KCK. “We are not only looking for complaints, but solutions.” The group will consider recommendations for governmental change, which will then be sent to the Unified Government’s 11-member Board of Commissioners. That could include de-consolidating the governments of KCK and Wyandotte County.
Source: KC Star Local News
As aquifer levels decline in the Great Plains, states weigh the need to meter irrigation wells
About a quarter of the United States’s irrigated cropland sits on top of the Ogallala Aquifer in the Great Plains. But water levels are dropping, and states are taking different approaches to monitoring how much groundwater irrigators are pumping out. Mike Shannon first learned about the Ogallala Aquifer because he made a costly mistake. In the mid-1980s, Shannon was new to city government when one of his hometown’s wells started to go dry. “I just assumed, maybe I ought to go somewhere else and stick another hole in the ground and we’ll get more water,” Shannon said. “Well, unfortunately, I stuck a hole in the ground and there was no water there.” He’d spent several thousand dollars on a test well that was bone dry, and he had to answer to his constituents for it. Today, Shannon is still thinking about groundwater as the interim city manager for Guymon, the Oklahoma panhandle’s largest city.
Source: KCUR News
Sedgwick County home prices jump in September compared to a year ago
Even with elevated mortgage rates delivering a consistent headwind to demand and sales volume, Sedgwick County saw its fifth straight month of year-over-year home price increases in September, according to a new report. South Central Kansas MLS data, covering last month’s housing market activity, found the median sale price in the county rose 8.6%, compared to September 2022, to $240,000. That’s the largest year-over-year percentage increase since March’s 8.7% jump. Meanwhile, the decline in Sedgwick County sales volume versus 2022 didn’t let up, with September sales dropping 10.5% to 614 closed listings. So what’s maintaining the seller’s market with mortgage rates over 7% and overall sales dialing back? It’s all about inventory, according to Wichita State University’s Center for Real Estate and its recently-released 2024 Kansas Housing Markets Forecast.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
New federal law modifies 2022 Safer Communities Act to allow archery in schools
More than a million students in 49 states will be able to participate in school archery programs using “dangerous weapons” after bipartisan legislation sailed through U.S. Congress and was signed into law by President Joe Biden. The “Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act” passed with unanimous consent in the Senate and a 424-1 vote in the House of Representatives in September. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, was the only vote against the act. When President Biden signed the bill into law last week, it amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow schools to use federal education funds to purchase “dangerous weapons” to train students in archery and other shootings sports, as well as culinary arts.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Kansas becomes the 10th state to require 2-person train crews, despite the industry’s objections
Kansas became the 10th state in the nation Wednesday to require two-person railroad crews despite objections from freight railroads, but the industry may challenge the rule in court as it has in other states like Ohio. The major freight railroads have long pushed to cut crews down to one person, but unions have resisted because they believe it’s safer to have two people working together to operate trains. Gov. Laura Kelly said two-person crews “will protect workers from the effects of fatigue, prevent train derailments and reduce risks in the many Kansas communities along our railroad tracks.” The new administrative rule took effect Wednesday. The railroad industry maintains there isn’t enough evidence to show that two-person crews are safer and many short-line railroads already operate with a single person aboard. “Regulatory efforts to mandate crew staffing such as the latest in Kansas lack a safety justification,” said spokesperson Jessica Kahanek with the Association of American Railroads trade group.
Source: KAKE – News
Fort Hays State working to expand nursing in rural Kansas
Fort Hays State University has announced they are receiving new federal funds to expand the number of nurses serving rural communities in Kansas. The university has received two Health and Human Services Administration federal grants totaling more than $4 million. Fort Hays offers both a bachelor’s and master’s program for nursing. The Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program (ANEW) grant will provide over $2 million over a four-year period. Nursing students who commit to working in western Kansas after graduation will receive a stipend of $20,000 over the final three years of the program. They will also be able to receive continuing education and skills workshops free of charge.
Source: KSN-TV
Maize Fall Festival underway this weekend
The Maize Fall Festival gets underway Friday night and runs through Saturday. The festival is at Clair Donnelly Amphitheater at 311 W. Academy. There will be a concert at the park at 7 p.m. Friday. There will be a beer garden for the adults, food trucks, vendors and a kids korner with yard games. On Saturday, a parade will kick off at 10 a.m. Fireworks will end the night.
Source: KSN-TV
Derby updates code to crack down on disorderly conduct
During the Oct. 10 meeting, the Derby City Council went through its annual review of both Derby’s traffic ordinance and public offense code, approving recommended changes for both. While a number of updates were made in line with legislative changes at the state level over the past year, further review of the public offense code and discussion amongst the city attorney and city prosecutor led them to address issues that have come up recently regarding disorderly conduct. Two proposed changes were suggested – and ultimately approved – to the section of the public offense code on disorderly conduct. The first change added language to address “activity intended to impede traffic or interfere with the safe movement of vehicles on Derby roads.” Examples included road rage incidents, flashing handheld lights at cars, throwing objects at cars, standing in the street, etc.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Pittsburg Mayor upbeat about State of the City
For the first time since 2019, the Mayor of Pittsburg delivered the State of the City in person to a packed house at Memorial Auditorium with a complimentary breakfast provided by the Blue Spoon. Mayor Ron Seglie spoke briefly about the city’s accomplishments and the challenges that lie ahead and what the near future looks like. Seglie highlighted a number of recent civic initiatives such as his Spruce Up Pittsburg campaign. As part of that effort, the city has been divided into specific neighborhoods and a council appointed to oversee clean-up. Over the past few years, nearly 60 dilapidated buildings have been razed. Seglie said if he were around long enough, he would love to clean up and restore the city’s brick sidewalks. “The full effort is to empower citizens to get out there and do something for the city and for themselves,” Seglie said, “to take pride in their neighborhoods.”
Source: Morning Sun
Water contamination invades Augusta community
An old issue continues to spread in a Southwest Augusta community. Water contamination is not something anyone wants to imagine dealing with, yet these residents have been dealing with it for years. High levels of hard water minerals, salt and now oil are plaguing the community’s water system, with no relief. After purchasing her home in 2019, Jenna Krob, her husband and children of three were like any other family, until last month. That’s when the family began to smell an awful odor emitting from their toilet bowl and running water. “When you entered the home, it would burn your nostrils,” said Krob. “That’s how strong it was.” What started as a strong odor soon turned into black water. That black colored water turned out to feel like an oily substance, leading the family to believe the substance to be petroleum-based oil contaminating their privately owned water well. Soon, the toilet was coated in oil and even their sink as they tried to wash dishes or take a shower.
Source: Andover American