Kansas Municipal News
It’s illegal to let these 19 ‘noxious weeds’ grow in your yard in Kansas and Missouri
With summer on the way, many Kansas Citians are heading out to work the earth in yards, farms and community gardens around the metro. But as they contribute to the region’s strong agricultural tradition, some residents may find aggressive plants threatening to overtake the natural biodiversity of the local ecosystem. These plants, called “noxious weeds,” are at the center of an ongoing battle to maintain ecosystems in the Midwest. And local officials advise killing these plants on sight. “Noxious weeds are one of the greatest threats to the Kansas environment,” writes the Kansas Department of Agriculture. “They displace native plant species, interfere with the production of agricultural crops, increase erosion, destroy wildlife habitat and decrease property values.” Missouri and Kansas list a total of 19 plants that residents are advised to uproot. Here’s how to spot them, and what state laws say about preventing their spread. The Kansas and Missouri departments of agriculture maintain lists of noxious weeds that can spread aggressively and harm local ecosystems. Four are commonly found in the Kansas City area, according to Johnson County’s public works department.
Source: KC Star Local News
Several fire departments respond to fire near Cheney Reservoir
Several fire departments responded to a fire southeast of Cheney Reservoir Tuesday evening. The report of a building fire came in at 5:25 p.m. near the intersection of West 21st Street North and North 391st Street West. Cheney Fire said the first units to respond found a building fully engulfed in flames. They pulled a water line when the roof started to collapse. There were issues with electrical on the back of the building, Cheney Fire said. Because there were no fire hydrants in the area, crews brought 1,000-gallon tankers to get as much water on the scene as they could. Responding fire crews include Cheney Fire Rescue, Colwich Fire Department, Mount Hope Fire Department and Sedgwick County Fire Stations 31 and 32. The structure is a total loss, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Source: KSN-TV
Douglas County Commission approves strategic plan to end homelessness, discusses supportive housing
Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday voted to approve the joint city-county strategic plan to end homelessness and heard an update on supportive housing plans and projects. The strategic plan, “A Place for Everyone,” breaks the issues into five focus areas: Equity and Inclusion; Affordable Housing; Supportive Housing; Systems; and Emergency Shelter. Staff members first presented the draft plan to the county commission in March 2023. The commissions had a joint meeting in January to hear updates on the plan’s progress. The plan includes an estimate of about $267.77 million for the five-year plan — that breaks down into about $218.3 million for affordable housing; $28.4 million for supportive housing; $21 million for emergency shelter; $45,000 for equity and inclusion and $25,000 for systems. The county’s entire approved 2024 operating budget is $194.74 million, and the city’s total expenditures for 2024 are $472.33 million. Lawrence city commissioners approved the plan during their meeting Tuesday. Both commissions — and the city manager and county administrator — made clear that the approval does not obligate either government to spend the estimated cost to fully fund the plan. Both commissions will consider specific expenses as part of their annual budgeting processes. In a work session ahead of the commission’s regular meeting, Assistant County Administrator Jill Jolicoeur and others gave an update on supportive housing, which has been the county’s primary focus in the plan.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Lawrence City Commission will no longer broadcast public comment, which will be near ends of meetings
Lawrence city commissioners approved most proposed changes to public comment procedures, including no longer broadcasting general public comment live. Commissioners hear public comment on specific agenda items they’re considering, but people may also address the commission about any topics “germane” to city business that aren’t on the agenda during the general public comment period — which has been near the beginning of meetings for years. Commissioners voted to: (1) Move general public comment almost to the end of the meetings, but not the very end. Frequent commenter Chris Flowers told the commission that people often make points in general public comment that commissioners at the end of the meeting ask city staff to address. Some commissioners said they thought that was a good point. The general public comment period will be after all the regular agenda items and work sessions, but before commission items. (2) No longer broadcast public comment on the meeting livestreams, but still include public comment in recordings of meetings. It was not clear whether the broadcast of meetings will be turned back on at the end of public comment to publicly share commission items. (3) Strongly encourage public commenters to give their names and zip codes, but not require signing up in advance or requiring speakers to share their full addresses.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Pottawatomie County officials provide update on Westmoreland tornado cleanup
Pottawatomie County officials provided an update Wednesday on the recovery effort in Westmoreland following last week’s tornado. Public Information Officer Becky Ryan spoke about the county’s new landfill and recycling policy for those in Westmoreland. Ryan says residents can take their recycling to other nearby counties if needed, such as Nemaha and Riley County. Ryan also explains what residents can do with additional storm debris. The response from surrounding communities has been described as “overwhelming” by local officials. Ryan says that the county is pretty well set on items available for those in need and that the community center remains open for those who need items. Ryan also describes the morale in Westmoreland by many to be “overwhelmed” but “focused on helping one another in the recovery effort.” Additional information can be found at pottcounty.org/tornado.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Wichita to hold open house for Bicycle Plan update
The city of Wichita will have an open house Tuesday to get more input on an update of the city’s Bicycle Plan. The city began the process of updating the plan last summer, and city spokesperson Megan Lovely said that input was used to set the goals for the plan. The city is now taking input to get more into the details. The plan is updated every ten years and it’s a roadmap that identifies projects to increase bicycling safety, comfort and convenience. The city has put together a draft of a long-term bicycle network and options for bicycle facilities. The open house will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Friends University, in the Olive White Business and Technology Building at 2100 West University Avenue. Online commenting will be available at WichitaBicyclePlan.com through June 1st.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Kansas Tourism Announces New Grant to Assist Restoration of Historic Barns for Agritourism Businesses
Kansas Tourism today announced the Barn Adaptation and Restoration Needs (BARN) Grant Program is open for applications. This is the first grant program of its kind for Kansas Tourism. The grant has been created to support and expand agritourism businesses across Kansas through converting underutilized or vacant historic barns into new venues. “Transforming barns through the BARN program will preserve historical structures and repurpose them into vibrant hubs for agritourism activities, all while bringing new life and economic opportunities into Kansas communities,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “By revitalizing these iconic buildings, we are honoring our state’s agricultural roots and planting seeds for future businesses to grow and prosper.” The BARN grant program is designed to spur economic growth and help create memorable visitor experiences by preserving a significant aspect of Kansas’ architectural history. These grants are specifically designed to rescue iconic barns from likely demolition or collapse and rehabilitate them into spaces conducive for new or expanding agritourism businesses.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Kansas students can soon enroll in new districts. What are top options around Wichita?
A new Kansas law will allow all students to enroll in districts other than the one they live in — as long as the district has availability. The state law was signed in 2022 and goes into effect this upcoming school year. Under the law, the only reason districts can reject students’ enrollment is if there is not a spot available. Nonresident enrollment will open June 1. If a district receives more enrollments than open spots, students will be randomly selected. Once enrolled, students will be allowed to stay in the non-district school through their graduation but are allowed to transfer to different schools at any time. Enrollment forms and information can be found on each district’s website. If a student is currently enrolled in the district they reside in and move outside the district, they would have to follow the open enrollment process to stay in their current school. All nonresident students will also be responsible for transportation to and from school. Wichita Public Schools, the largest district in Kansas, has 60 high school openings, 120 middle school openings and 275 elementary school openings across all their schools. Some individual schools have no space available, according to the district’s dashboard.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Ransomware group called ‘most prolific and destructive’ claims credit for Wichita attack
Wichita’s government operations appear to have been disrupted by a Russian hacker group, according to Eagle research and a cyber threat analyst. A notorious Russian cybercriminal group — LockBit — is claiming credit for the attack on the most populous city in Kansas. A dark web listing flagged by cyber threat analyst Brett Callow indicates LockBit is prepared to post the city’s data for other hackers if a ransom is not paid. LockBit’s demands are unclear. Wichita officials would not confirm whether LockBit or any other group has contacted the city about a ransom. The group is known to ask for multimillion dollar payouts in BitCoin, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
New logo chosen for City of Garden Plain
The City of Garden Plain has a new design for its official flag and community logo. The design was chosen in a contest that received 52 entries, and the Garden Plain City Council gave its approval during a meeting on May 1st. Designed and submitted by Garden Plain resident Pam Weber, the design, titled “Rolling Wheat on the Tracks” features the gold, black, and white color scheme associated with Garden Plain. According to Weber’s description of the meaning and symbolism of the design “It is a nod to the past, present and future of the community. Russian Mennonite settlers brought hard red winter wheat with them to Kansas; the harvesting of this wheat is still vital today and will continue to be so now and into the future. The wheat is arranged in a circle which could portray a locomotive wheel of the past rolling along the black tracks that run through the middle of the flag. The rolling wheat wheel could also be a wagon wheel of the settlers who carried the wheat to our prairie land. The round rolling wheat wheel also represents a town in forward motion.” City staff will be working to replace emblems and signs over the next few months to display the new logo.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Wichita water main break causes sinkhole; uprooted tree crushes one vehicle
A water main break on south Market Street in Wichita created a sinkhole that two vehicles fell into Monday morning. One was crushed under a large tree that had been uprooted. The main break occurred in the 1100 block of S. Market, near Morris. Part of Market is temporarily closed as crews from Wichita’s public works department remove the tree and repair the water line.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Municipal Bond Trends for May 8, 2024
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.
Municipal Bond Trends for May 7, 2024
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.
Municipal Bond Trends for May 6, 2024
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.
Garden City approves new bonding policy for municipal court
The ordinance provides direction to the city, the Garden City Police Department and the establishment of uniform practices concerning bonding practices in the Garden City Municipal Court. James Dummermuth, city attorney, said the new procedures were created after the GCPD, the Municipal Court and some members of the public have felt that the polices created in 2016 and then amended in 2018 have not addressed the recidivism bond. So, a new policy was drafted where they’re not going to use OR Bonds – where people didn’t have to post any type of cash bond, corporate surety bond, or anything of the like, they’re arrested and released – but are going to require a cash bond in almost all situations with some exceptions.
Source: Garden City Telegram
Sedgwick County new home construction fell in 2023. Will that make housing shortage worse?
Despite the need, new home construction in Sedgwick County went down last year. The county appraiser estimated a dip in new construction of almost 12%, an estimate that included single-family homes, duplexes and quadplexes. Single-family building permits fell by 9% in the Wichita area, according to the Wichita Area Builders Association. Why? “Inflation, and how fast and high it went up and stayed up — and also interest rates…”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Has Kansas’ relocation incentive program successfully attracted residents to rural areas?
Between 2012 and 2022, 1,670 people have participated in the student loan payment program, receiving a total of about $13.3 million. According to a program audit reviewed by The Wichita Eagle, 600 people had completed the program and received five years of student loan assistance, 560 had either withdrawn or been disqualified, 260 were involved in the program at the time of the audit, 160 withdrew before receiving any payment and 90 were on the wait list.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Gardner’s past a linchpin to future
Rep. Fred Gardner grew up near Burlington and remembers the days before Wolf Creek nuclear power plant came to town. Community development skyrocketed. A new computer chip manufacturing plant is likely to have the same effect.
Source: The Iola Register
Big changes proposed for Lawrence City Commission’s public comment policy
Proposed changes to Lawrence City Commission procedures would move the general public comment period to the end of meetings, make it untelevised, and require signup in advance. Commissioners hear public comment on specific agenda items they’re considering, but people may also address the commission about any topics “germane” to city business that aren’t on the agenda during the general public comment period — which is currently near the beginning of meetings.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Kansas wheat crop deteriorates due to lack of moisture
The condition of the crop has been deteriorating rapidly, especially over the past few weeks, going from 57 percent good to excellent on February 25 to only 31 percent good to excellent by April 28, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. It has suffered from lack of moisture for much of the growing season, especially during the spring green-up. The Kansas wheat crop is also ahead of schedule, with one-third already headed, well ahead of 9 percent last year and 6 percent average. A March 26-27 freeze event took a toll on it, as there was not enough snow cover, and the plants were more advanced than they typically are at the end of March.
Source: Salina Journal