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Municipal News & Jobs

Municipal News & Jobs2026-08-07T10:07:18-05:00

Kansas Municipal News

Madison City Council considering annexing portion of city lake

Preliminary conversations are underway within the city of Madison for the possibility of annexing a portion of the city’s swimming lake. According to Mayor Paul Dean, the conversations have been ongoing over the past several weeks as part of a strong push to “reinvigorate” the town. Dean says the city is looking at the north end of the lake as the area that could be annexed to allow for a housing development. He says the Madison City Council has received some early input from local residents with the majority being overwhelmingly receptive to the initial idea.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

New Reno County diversion program to help first-time drug offenders

Drug convictions could soon change for people in Reno County. Thanks to recent legislation, smaller counties now have a chance to implement new drug diversion programs. For about 20 years, state funding has been available through Senate Bill 123. This funding helps people get the treatment they need for substance abuse, but this comes after a conviction making it difficult for people to get back on their feet when recovering. “The purpose of us prosecuting possession crimes, in my opinion, is not to obtain convictions, but it is to get that person the help that they need,” said Reno County District Attorney Thomas Stanton.
Source: KSN-TV

Coloring book produced in Pittsburg wins award

Something designed in Pittsburg has earned statewide recognition; a coloring book. It’s called, “Gus the Gorilla Explores Southeast Kansas”, and recently won first place in this year’s “Travel Industry Association of Kansas” marketing awards. The book was produced by “Explore Crawford County” in partnership with Pitt State University’s “Department of Art” and its “Marketing and Communication” office. … Copies of the coloring book are available … from the “Explore Crawford County” website, here.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Treasury yields decline as markets ponder future Fed policy

Treasury yields fell on Tuesday as uncertainty over future Federal Reserve policy weighed on markets and investors assessed earnings reports. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was last down by around five basis points to 4.1837%. It has had a volatile start to the week, falling early during Monday’s trading day before recovering the decline. … Uncertainty about the Federal Reserve’s policy path has been spreading, raising questions about how long the central bank will continue hiking interest rates and by how much they will be increased. After weeks of hawkish comments from Federal Reserve speakers, which indicated that rates would be hiked until inflation declined, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that some central bank officials were starting to feel uneasy about the speed of the hikes.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Salina Area Chamber, county look into incubator space for new businesses

Saline County is in the process of creating an incubator space for retail and specialty food businesses in downtown Salina. Incubator spaces are known as best practice for helping start-ups create an idea or innovative market without the high risk of immediately taking on costly overhead and administrative expenses. With these goals in mind, the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce provided the Saline County Commission a proposal to use American Rescue Plan Act funding to support a project that would allow for an incubator space downtown.
Source: Salina Journal

Housing Coalition recognized

The McPherson Housing Coalition (MHC) has contributed significantly to assisting citizens in McPherson with their housing needs. The group was honored for its dedication during the 2022 To the Stars: Kansas Business Awards ceremony on October 20 at the Top of the Tower in Topeka. For this year’s To the Stars: Kansas Business Awards, an all-time high of 237 businesses, organizations, and individuals were nominated in 10 categories. Various factors, including corporate growth, staff recruiting and retention strategies, training and educational programs, capital investments, and support for local community programs, were evaluated and rated for nominees. At the event, a total of 181 Merit Awards and 56 Regional Awards were presented.
Source: McPherson Weekly News

Johnson County allocates COVID-19 funding for small businesses, housing, food insecurity and community programs

On Thursday, Oct. 20, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners approved the allocation of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds received from the United States Department of the Treasury for several community investment programs. “Many residents and small businesses in our community continue to struggle from the effects of COVID-19,” said Deputy County Manager Maury Thompson. “Using federal COVID funds granted to Johnson County for various community programs will only help to strengthen our community as we continue to recover from the pandemic,” said Thompson.
Source: Johnson County Kansas

Parsons Police Department steps up its nighttime patrols

The Parsons Police Department has recently seen an increase in overnight calls for suspicious activity. Despite being short-staffed — The Parsons PD is being proactive and adding more officers on the night shift. KOAM’s Janna Hautala talked to not only the chief of police in Parsons but an officer who works there as well. The chief of police in Parsons says that this has turned in some real benefits such as a drug arrest of a well-known felon. The police in Parsons hopes that increasing their nighttime patrols it helps make their citizens feel safer in the community.
Source: KOAMKOAM

Altamont hosts 9th Annual Boo Bash

Altamont’s Recreation Commission today hosted its 9th Annual Boo Bash. Free drinks, food, and games were provided to those in attendance. A costume contest and pumpkin contest were also held and the top 3 participants in each category won a prize. Local businesses sponsored the event with toys for the door prizes and officials say every kid took home a bag of goodies. After the Boo Bash, a Trunk or Treat was held.
Source: KOAMKOAM

Ellis County estimates fire burned about 8,500 acres

Ellis County fire crews spent Sunday afternoon and evening battling a wildfire that started in Ness County. Crews were dispatched to the large fire approaching the county around 3:20 p.m. Darin Myers, the fire chief and county administrator for Ellis County, said over 20 fire apparatus and 52 firefighters helped fight the blaze. Estimates show the fire burned about 8,500 acres in the county. Myers said that no homes were lost in the fire and that it was difficult to access because of open range and limited county roads. One firefighter was treated by Ellis County EMS and transported to Hays Medical Center for smoke inhalation.
Source: KSN-TV

Only one Kansas county doesn’t have a Sheriff, here’s why

As Kansas voters decide whether counties can choose to have a sheriff at all, there’s one county in the state that hasn’t had one for years. Riley county is the only county in the state that doesn’t have a sheriff’s office, and has been operating that way for nearly five decades. Captain Josh Kyle, who’s been with the Riley County Police Department since 1991, said it’s perhaps one of the most unique law enforcement structures in the country. “In most consolidation across the country, what you see is partial consolidation…We are completely consolidated from the top-down,” Kyle told Kansas Capitol Bureau in an interview on Friday. “The communications center, the records section, patrol, the jail… all of us are the Riley County Police Department.”
Source: KSN-TV

City looking for suggestions for old Wichita Public Library

The City of Wichita has put out a request for reuse for the former downtown Wichita Public Library. The building is located a 223 S. Main next to Century II. The location operated from 1967 to 2018 before the library was moved to its new location near McLean and 2nd Street. It also served as the county’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic in 2021. “It is a beautiful building. It is one of those buildings that we know is still quite functional and in a great location,” said Mayor Brandon Whipple on Thursday at his weekly media briefing.
Source: KSN-TV

Crawford County program impacting neighborhood safety

A program started by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office is becoming more popular throughout many neighborhoods. The program is called S.T.O.P. (Shared Technology on Patrol) and is a partnership between law enforcement and citizens living in Crawford County. The focus of this partnership is on crime prevention and solving. The S.T.O.P. initiative is aimed at deterring, apprehending and convicting criminals by utilizing key video evidence captured by residential and/or business security cameras during the process of a crime.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Baxter Springs PD issuing free vouchers instead of citations

Instead of giving out citations, the Baxter Springs Police Department wants to help drivers fix their broken headlights, taillights or turn signals. It’s all part of a community-driven program called Lights On! The mission is to heal relationships between communities and law enforcement agencies. Friday, the Baxter Springs Police Department announced that Lights On! is expanding to their city, making them the second agency in Kansas to participate in this program.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Kansas Water Office announces water warning for residents using Burlington water

Ongoing drought conditions have prompted Chase County officials to ask a lot of county residents to conserve water. It’s not the only entity asking residents to cut back on their water use. The Kansas Water Office has issued a water warning for all residents using Burlington water, including those in Gridley, LeRoy and New Strawn and those served by Coffey Rural Water Districts 2 and 3. The city says Coffey County’s ongoing emergency drought declaration, the lack of inflow from the Cottonwood and Neosho Rivers and predicted levels at John Redmond Reservoir if the drought persists, has triggered the warning.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

30-foot tower and sensory tunnel, anyone? Inclusive playground opens up in JoCo

Strang Park officially reopened in mid-October with Overland Park’s first inclusive playground, designed for children to play together regardless of their abilities and challenges. Among other things, the playground features a 30-foot tower and slide, a sensory tunnel, climbing cargo nets and in-ground trampolines. A separate toddler playground includes Farmers’ Market-themed play structures and a nature play area.
Source: Joco 913 News

Municipals sell off hard, 30-year muni nears 4%

Municipals sold off Friday with losses of up to 18 basis points, with the damage felt across the curve, and the 30-year triple-A yield closed just shy of 4%. U.S. Treasuries ended mixed after the 10-year rose to levels not seen since 2007 earlier in the session, and the reversal led to an equity rally to close out a tumultuous day and week. Triple-A yields rose 10 to 18 basis points, moving the entire curve above 3%. Short UST made gains while the long bond saw losses of up to 11 basis points.
Source: The Bond Buyer

Andover Breaks Ground on New Fire Department

The Andover Fire Department along with mayor Ronnie Price, Crossland Construction and the Andover Area Chamber of Commerce held a ground breaking ceremony to commemorate the construction of a new fire department and remodel of the current house on October 11. The new building will be located south of US 54 at the corner of Andover road and Minneha road. ‘They have made the best out of this fire department for many many years,’ said Mayor Price. ‘We realized just how much we need a prompt response, and that’s what this is about, getting our citizens in the south a response time that will save lives.’
Source: Andover American

Betting on downtown buildings

Two vacant buildings in the heart of downtown Arkansas City will soon be back in business. Andrew Iverson and his partner, John Schamahorn of I.S. Investments LLC, have purchased 206 S. Summit St., the former home of Flawed Perfection, and 208 S. Summit St., which housed the Cowley Antique Mall and Used Book Cafe. Iverson said the 208 S. Summit St., location is undergoing an aggressive renovation. The main floor will become a public venue.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

Emporia Fire Department going red this week

The Emporia Fire Department is going red to honor the U.S. Armed Forces. According to city communications manager Christine Johnson, EFD personnel will participate in R.E.D. Fridays beginning this week. “R.E.D. stands for ‘Remember Everyone Deployed,’ created to remind communities of our heroes overseas and to show support for those deployed and their families,” Johnson said in a written release. Firefighters will wear red shirts on Fridays as part of the campaign. Many Emporia firefighters have served or have family members who served in the military. “As an agency representing the founding city of Veteran’s Day, this campaign became even more important to show support for those community members that are deployed,” Johnson said.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Lawrence library’s Civic Engagement 101 series to wrap with talk on city and county governments

The Civic Engagement 101 lecture series at the Lawrence Public Library with wrap with a talk on the roles of city and county governments in Kansas and how they’re financed. Hannes Zacharias, professor of practice in public administration at the University of Kansas, will lead the discussion — “a timely topic, as ballot measures this November may reshape the governmental structures of both the City of Lawrence and Douglas County,” according to the library. “This presentation will explore how Kansas counties are different from cities, what each does, and how they are financed,” according to the event page. “Attendees will learn about the history of these local governments and reflect on their own city and county. This presentation will cover issues like budgets, taxation, planning, zoning, economic development, and public health. Come hear about the often-unknown inner workings of the most impactful government in daily life … local city and county governments.”
Source: The Lawrence Times

The undead invade downtown for 15th annual Lawrence Zombie Walk

Hundreds of goblins and ghouls gathered Thursday at the South Park gazebo in anticipation of the 15th annual Lawrence Zombie Walk. The horde of zombies started their walk down Massachusetts Street at sunset. Spectators gathered on the sidewalk in folding lawn chairs and on restaurant patios, cheering and taking photos all the way to Seventh Street. Residents showed off their creative costume skills, with characters ranging from undead Girl Scouts to zombie killers.
Source: The Lawrence Times

If Chiefs decide to relocate to Kansas, here’s the most likely stadium site and the top incentives for moving

Speculation about a Kansas City Chiefs relocation took off in late March after President Mark Donovan said developers had pitched him on stadium options in Kansas. Among hypothetical Kansas sites, the top several contenders almost certainly sit on parcels in the Village West area, said Jon Stephens, CEO of the Port Authority of Kansas City and a former economic development director for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

Ottawa city manager to retire in March

After 15 years serving the City of Ottawa, City Manager Richard Nienstedt will retire March 31. Nienstedt made the announcement during a special Ottawa City Commission meeting Wednesday morning. Fifteen years ago, the city commission then honored me and humbled me by asking me (wife) Rita and I to be a part of this community, he said. And this is a great community. It has had the best leadership on the elected level and on the appointed level that I ever had in my almost 43 years of doing this. The next five months, Nienstedt told commissioners, will be a busy time for them and city staff, especially as the city begins making the transition to a new city manager.
Source: The Ottawa Herald

Fed Set to Raise Rates by 0.75 Point and Debate Size of Future Hikes

Federal Reserve officials are barreling toward another interest-rate rise of 0.75 percentage point at their meeting Nov. 1-2 and are likely to debate then whether and how to signal plans to approve a smaller increase in December. “We will have a very thoughtful discussion about the pace of tightening at our next meeting,” Fed governor Christopher Waller said in a speech earlier this month. Some officials have begun signaling their desire both to slow down the pace of increases soon and to stop raising rates early next year to see how their moves this year are slowing the economy. They want to reduce the risk of causing an unnecessarily sharp slowdown. Others have said it is too soon for those discussions because high inflation is proving to be more persistent and broad.
Source: Wall Street Journal

Wichita City Council approves ordinance to fight catalytic converter thefts

A new city ordinance aims to crack down on the soaring rate of catalytic converter thefts by allowing Wichita police to seize parts they believe to be stolen. According to police, 1,360 catalytic converters were reported stolen from Wichita vehicles in 2021. This year, there have been nearly 950 thefts so far. The new ordinance makes it illegal to possess, receive, reuse or collect the parts without proof of ownership or other documentation, including a service order requiring the removal of the part or a letter from the Wichita Police Department allowing possession of the catalytic converter.
Source: Wichita Eagle

10-year Treasury yield climbs to fresh 14-year high

Yield on the 10-year Treasury hit a fresh 14-year high on Friday, while the 2-year note traded in territory last seen in 2007 as signs of a recession worried markets. The 10-year Treasury yield was last at 4.2843%, after rising by close to six basis points. This marked the highest level the benchmark note has traded at since 2008. The yield on the 2-year Treasury climbed to a new 15-year high of 4.639% on Friday. It was last almost flat at 4.609%. … Market concerns about a recession have been growing stronger in recent weeks, as data is reflecting signs of economic contraction, while the Federal Reserve continues to strike a hawkish tone. Speaking at a panel discussion of business leaders on Thursday, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook said inflation was “too high” and that the central bank would continue to take measures to throttle it “until the job is done.” A 75 basis point rate hike is widely expected to be implemented at the Fed’s November meeting. Central bank speakers have said rate hikes will likely continue in 2023.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Lawrence leaders seeking public input about potential changes to sidewalk repair program

City leaders are asking Lawrence residents to weigh in on whether changes should be made to the city’s sidewalk repair program. The program requires certain property owners to pay part of the costs to make repairs, and has been controversial with some residents, who say the city should treat sidewalks like other infrastructure and take full financial responsibility. The format of the current program has so far resulted in the city paying about 70% of repair costs, with the remainder being paid by property owners.
Source: LJWorld

Fed’s Harker sees ‘lack of progress’ on inflation, expects aggressive rate hikes ahead

Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Patrick Harker on Thursday said higher interest rates have done little to keep inflation in check, so more increases will be needed. “We are going to keep raising rates for a while,” the central bank official said in remarks for a speech in New Jersey. “Given our frankly disappointing lack of progress on curtailing inflation, I expect we will be well above 4% by the end of the year.” The latter comment was in reference to the fed funds rate, which currently is targeted in a range between 3%-3.75%.
Source: CNBC

Garden City approves sales tax exemption extension for Sports of the World

An extension for the Sports of the World sales tax exemption was approved by the Garden City Commission on Tuesday at its regular meeting. Danielle Burke, Assistant City Manager, said several actions have already been made on the project, dating back to 2017. One of which was the 2019 approval of a development agreement with GC Investments, Inc. A component of the agreement was an industrial revenue bond providing an exemption from applicable retail sales tax on construction materials, equipment and furnishings that are allowed by state statute, Burke said. An expiration date was included in the resolution when it was adopted three years ago, so it needs to be extended.
Source: Garden City Telegram

Kansas Water Office Releases 2022 Kansas Water Plan

The Kansas Water Office (KWO) released the finalized 2022 Kansas Water Plan (KWP) this week. This is the first comprehensive water plan for the state of Kansas to be released since 2009 and provides a roadmap for navigating the vast array of water issues throughout the state. The water plan provides an outline for management, conservation and development of the state’s water resources. To do so, it names five guiding principles – conserve and extend the High Plains Aquifer; secure, protect and restore our Kansas reservoirs; improve the state’s water quality; reduce our vulnerability to extreme events; and increase awareness of Kansas water resources.
Source: Fort Scott Biz

Hoisington meeting challenge of rising electric costs

… the price of natural gas — one of many factors going into the cost of electricity — is expected to spike again during the winter months of 2023. City officials in Hoisington and across the state are resorting to a variety of measures to mitigate the increasing cost of purchased power, a big chunk of a monthly electric bill. Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell said that some of those out-of-the-box measures have been going on for a while. “A thing that we’ve done internally is to make changes to our staffing structure,” Mitchell said. “We’re reducing staff; trying to be as lean and mean as we can and still get things done.” Fifteen years ago, Mitchell said, city employees numbered 41 in the community’s various departments. That number has since been reduced to 27. “We’re always taking costs and purchases very seriously,” he said. “But prices are rising everywhere; it’s across the board.”
Source: Great Bend Tribune

10-year Treasury yield tops 4.2% for first time since 2008

Treasury yields rose on Thursday after surging to highs not seen in more than a decade in the previous session. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed 9 basis points 4.22% in midday trading, hitting its highest level since 2008. The yield on the policy-sensitive 2-year Treasury traded up nearly five basis points to 4.601%. Yields and prices move in opposite directions and one basis point equals 0.01%. Many investors been concerned about the economy contracting as the Federal Reserve has been hiking interest rates to fight persistent inflation. Another 75 basis point hike is expected from the central bank at its next meeting on Nov. 1 and 2.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Wichita police say they’ve made largest fentanyl bust in department history

Officers have made the largest fentanyl bust in Wichita police history, the department said Thursday. It’s enough pills to possibly kill the entire population of Wichita. “We’ve estimated — based on weight — the number of pills to be somewhere in the area of half a million to a million, which would make this the largest seizure of fentanyl for our agency to date and a record seizure nationwide,” the department said in a Facebook post.
Source: Wichita Eagle

City interested in revitalizing downtown Wichita library

The City of Wichita is wanting to breathe new life into the old downtown library and its asking for your help. The city has put out a request for information to see what different ideas are out there to reuse the over 50-year-old building at Main and English. It was the long-time site of the county’s COVID vaccine clinic and that helped spark interest in bringing the building back to life once more. Mayor Brandon Whipple says he received several emails, social media posts and other communications about interest in the building during the time the clinic was active. So, when it wrapped up, city staff started to talk more about how to continue using the space.
Source: KAKE – News

Affordable housing shortage in Wichita leaves hundreds of low-income residents nowhere to go

“I just want a place where I pay rent that my children lay their heads, and I lay my head, to be suitable for us. We’re not animals,” said Heather Jay. Jay is in the process of applying for a Housing Choice Voucher, also known as Section 8. But she already lives in public housing and says it’s a nightmare. “It’s hard to find somewhere that will pass inspection because they do have to do an inspection,” said Jay. But she’s lucky to even have an apartment at a place that accepts Section 8.
Source: KAKE – News

Topeka officials want change in response to vacant house fires

After two vacant house fires yesterday, city officials are eager to bring change to Topeka. Councilwoman Karen Hiller and Christina Valdevia-Alcala have been working to create the “Changing our Culture of Property Maintenance” committee to improve city maintenance. Hiller says one way of preventing vacant house fires is to secure these vacant properties and monitor them to make sure no one is using them illegally.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Topeka gives away 200 free weatherization kits

Up to 200 free weatherization kits will be distributed to local residents this weekend. The Kansas Gas Service and the City of Topeka worked together to provide these free weatherization kits to help local residents prepare their homes for the coming winter. The kits will be distributed to those who signed up for them on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 215 SE 7th St. in downtown Topeka. “In anticipation of winter, Kansas Gas Service is proud to provide weatherization kits to our Topeka neighbors,” said Lindsay Freeman, State Manager of Community Relations for Kansas Gas Service. “Weatherizing your home helps you save money by saving energy, and it can also improve the comfort of your home.”
Source: KSNT 27 News

Changing Our Culture initiative gets lawn mowed in Topeka

A new initiative in Topeka, called “Changing our Culture’ is designed to improve the quality of structures and premises in Topeka, so that structures and premises violations are the exception rather than the rule. Owners are motivated to take care of properties before city departments are even called. “We got involved because the city of Topeka gets complaints about overgrown lawns of substandard property and the issue is what do we do about it. We decided about a year and a half ago to take on the whole thing. We came up with a five year goal to only have 500 substandard properties in this town at one time,” said Karen Hiller, district 1 city council member.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Topeka mall demolition leads to new opportunities

The construction fence is coming down as demolition at the former White Lakes Mall comes to a close. District 5 Council Member Brett Kell says there is already interest in this area by three businesses. With talk of business moving into south Topeka, businesses that are already here are eager to see what’s to come. Jay Ives, president of the Blind Tiger, says that this will be a good thing to Topeka. “It’s about time that something is done with the White Lakes mall,” said Ives. “So, now that the building is down and the developer, we hear is ready to announce, we are waiting to hear what’s going to happen and this is going to be a very big thing for the capitol city.”
Source: KSNT 27 News

Mission weighs new regulations for e-cigarette retailers

The city of Mission is weighing new regulations on shops that sell e-cigarettes and other vaping products. … The regulations would impose a limit on vape shops from opening up within a certain distance from schools, daycare centers, churches or colleges. The idea is modeled off similar limits already in place in Shawnee, Mission City Administrator Laura Smith told the finance committee on Oct. 12. Shawnee currently does not allow e-cigarette and tobacco retailers within 200 feet of schools.
Source: Prairie Village Post

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