Kansas Municipal News
Valley Center to consider water treatment plant
Valley Center is considering building its own water treatment plant. The city voted Tuesday to approve a special meeting on the topic next Thursday. It will hold a public hearing to decide on whether to ask for a maximum $19 million loan from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to build the facility. The city currently sells its untreated water to Wichita and then buys treated water from Wichita at a higher rate than Wichita residents. “What we do know is that once we’re done that that per thousand gallons that we’re charging monthly to our residents would be about half of what we’re paying or charging them from Wichita right now,” said Valley Center City Administrator Brent Clark.
Source: KSN-TV
Lawrence city commissioners approve change to allow 2 affordable homes on more single lots
Lawrence city commissioners approved a tweak that will open up more single residential lots to possibly be developed with two small affordable homes. City commissioners in 2019 approved a text amendment to allow two affordable homes to be built on one lot, if projects meet several conditions. But city code currently does not allow development of two smaller homes on certain types of lots. The new text amendment the commission approved Tuesday will change that, opening up more than 1,000 lots to the possibility of being developed with two affordable single-family homes. City staff members had had recommended opening up the option for developers to seek special use permits to develop two homes on single lots smaller than 7,000 square feet regardless of the type of residential zoning district they’re in.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Reno County alcohol vote could change business operations
On Nov. 7, Reno County voters will decide on whether to get rid of the food rule. Reno County has been a semi-dry county since the 80s, meaning businesses that sell alcohol by the glass over 6% must ensure food makes up 30% of sales. “This is ultimately an outdated regulation that is obscure that very few people actually recognize is still here,” Pippin Williamson, Sandhills Brewing co-owner, said. “I mean the number of times that we’ve heard people say like, I thought we got rid of that 20 years ago. If you’re a non-food establishment, it is almost impossible to do 30% food sales. And that is actually the way that this law was designed was to make it impossible for non-food establishments to operate with alcohol.” The only way to change that rule is for the public to vote on it. To get it on the ballot, commissioners had to vote for it.
Source: KSN-TV
Municipal Bond Trends for October 3, 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.
Internet access is top priority for upcoming Topeka meeting
City officials say Topeka is teaming up with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to talk broadband access later this week. City of Topeka spokeswoman Gretchen Spiker said in a press release that a joint listening session for stakeholder agencies will be held, courtesy of Topeka and the FCC, to discuss the topic of broadband access on Thursday. This is part of a push by the FCC to gain more information from different communities across the U.S. as to what challenges they are facing when trying to access broadband services. Broadband access is under discussion across the U.S., from the highest levels of our government to the Capital City of Kansas. Debate is focused on whether or not broadband should be seen as essential, such as access to water or electricity.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Junction City ready if government shuts down
One Kansas community shares its plan if leaders in Washington, D.C. can’t come to an agreement on the national budget. Saturday, the United States House of Representatives, Senate and President Joe Biden agreed to a 45-day extension for the congress to come to an agreement on budget. KSNT 27 News spoke with the city manager of Junction City who says anytime there’s uncertainty, it can trickle down to the community. “I think a family has angst when you may not get paid for a month and you have bills due,” City Manager of Junction City Allen Dinkel said, “And of course from our standpoint, you know, habits of sales tax, people shopping and everything else because not knowing if they’ll get paid and secondly will they get that pack pay and whole bit.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Transforming Halstead: SEED and HEAL Grants Fuel Prosperity and Community Growth
For this month’s Spotlighting Prosperity, we are excited to showcase the City of Halstead and the great work they have been doing to help their community prosper. In the past year, they were awarded a SEED grant, and more recently, a HEAL grant. With assistance from the SEED grant, the Kansas Learning Center for Health facilitated an amazing Outdoor Fitness Equipment project that was recently completed and the library is getting some much needed updates. Utilizing the HEAL grant, they are expanding the Daphne Mae Café in their downtown. This will allow more dining seating, event space, and provide a new location for meetings and other larger group activities.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Bond yields could race through 5% in next couple of weeks, market forecaster warns
Wall Street forecaster Jim Bianco expects Treasury yields to go a lot higher — and possibly overshoot through five percent in the next couple of weeks. “I don’t think we’re near the end of this move in the bond market,” the Bianco Research president told CNBC’s “Fast Money” on Tuesday. If the Federal Reserve hints about ending interest rate hikes while investors still sense inflation, Bianco warns they won’t buy bonds. “That’s what I think has been killing the bond market,” he said. “The more the Fed talks about being done, waiting [and] assessing all the rate hikes they’ve done — the more that they’re making it worse.”
Source: Finance
A new Johnson County program gives landlords reasons to accept housing choice vouchers
Housing choice vouchers, also known as Section 8 vouchers, help people in need find affordable housing. But landlords often won’t accept them, saying they don’t want to fill out the paperwork or are worried that tenants will damage their units. A new program in Johnson County aims to increase the number of landlords who do take vouchers by offering incentives to do so. Landlords who take on such a tenant will gain access to a damage claim fund and receive a one-time bonus equivalent to two times a unit’s rent.
Source: KCUR
City of Wichita changes policies to meet housing needs
On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council voted to approve the 2024 Annual Agency Plan and 2024-2028 Capital Fund Grant Five-Year Action Plan Estimate to address housing needs in the community. A topic of discussion was the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. Currently, all 3,420 vouchers are being used, and over 5,000 are on the waitlist. At Tuesday’s Wichita City Council meeting, the housing and community services department asked the council to approve changes to policies to meet regulations and local needs.
Source: KSN-TV
Kansas collects $7M in first year of sports betting
The state’s first year of sports betting brought in $7 million in state revenue from $1.85 billion in wagers. In a Sept. 28 update to committee lawmakers, Kansas Lottery finance director Matt Schwartz said revenue projections were basically on track with expectations. “Sports wagering revenues, we’re now a little more than 12 months in,” Schwartz said. “The state’s share of revenues for the first fiscal year, which was 10 months of operation, was a little more than $5.8 million.” The fiscal year ended June 30. From the September 2022 introduction of sports betting through the end of August this year, the state has collected about $7 million in sports betting taxes, and sports bettors have staked about $1.85 billion.
Source: Derby Informer | Area
Schools update cybersecurity training
Dennis Elledge, Director of Technology for Derby schools reported that cyberattacks are on the rise at the Sept. 25 Derby Board of Education meeting. Eldridge said major organizations like MGM Grand and Paramount Studio are falling victim. He says many breaches begin with deceptive emails that trick recipients into clicking on a link leading to a compromise .October is cybersecurity month and the technology department is providing information, training and procedural changes to increase awareness for district staff.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Workers uncover Topeka’s historic streetcar rail system
A downtown Topeka street construction project has uncovered a piece of Kansas history. In September, crews working along Jackson Street came across buried railing from the Capital City’s long-retired streetcar system. Schuetz Construction foreman Scott Schuetz said workers found the rails as they replaced the existing street. “There’s a set of trolley tracks we were told down Jackson Street that we dug across several times connecting the services to the buildings, and then there’s a set of tracks that we dug across in 10th Street as well as in Eighth Street.” Katie Keckeisen is a local history librarian at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. Nearly 150 years ago, Keckeisen said downtown Topeka bustled with horse-drawn trolleys. But in 1889, the very first electric versions of those trolleys first appeared on Topeka streets.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Want to open a restaurant? Haysville willing to pay $15,000 if you’ll do it there
Sometimes, when a city wants something badly enough, it has to go after it. In the case of Haysville — the city of about 11,200 just south of Wichita — residents want more restaurants, says economic development director Danielle Gabor. So the city has come up with three incentive packages that it hopes will help draw the specific kinds of restaurants the growing city most needs. Entrepreneurs who want to open one of three types of restaurants in Haysville — a sit-down coffee shop with a drive-through, a full service steakhouse, brewery or family dining restaurant, or a fast food/quick service restaurant — could qualify for an incentive package up to $15,000 in cash and tax rebates, she said. It’s not unusual for cities to offer these types of incentives, Gabor said. Haysville has had the coffee shop and steakhouse incentive on the table for awhile, but it recently upped the offer from $5,000 to $15,000 and added the fast food/quick-service incentive.
Source: Dining With Denise Neil |
Governor Kelly Announces $47M in Federal Funds for Two Kansas Rail Projects
Governor Laura Kelly announced two short-line railroad companies in Kansas are being awarded a combined $47 million in federal funding for rail improvement projects as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Watco, based in Pittsburg and with rail operations across the western and southeast portions of Kansas, is being granted up to $15.7 million to convert eight locomotives into fully battery-powered units. In southeast Kansas, the Neodesha Subdivision of the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL), a subsidiary of Watco, will receive up to $31.2 million for track-related improvements.
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas
Governor Kelly Releases Kansas Broadband Digital Equity Plan for Public Comment
Governor Laura Kelly announced the Kansas Digital Equity (DE) Plan for high-speed internet connectivity is available for public review and comment. While the recently announced Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Five-Year Action Plan outlines the state’s plan to provide access to high-speed internet, the Digital Equity Plan focuses on specifically connecting users. The DE Plan outlines digital skills training, affordable service plans, and the availability of broadband-ready devices as top priorities. Additionally, the plan emphasizes technology’s positive effect on various areas of everyday life, such as health care, education, and civic engagement. “Digital equity empowers Kansans with the tools they need to succeed in the modern world,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The release of the Digital Equity Plan marks a significant milestone in our commitment to closing technology gaps. I urge everyone to participate in the public comment process.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Sedgwick voters to mull sales tax extension
City of Sedgwick voters will soon be asked whether to indefinitely extend a half-cent sales tax. The question will play a role in if a sizable amount of the city is paved. In 2019, 64 percent of voters in the City of Sedgwick approved the addition of a half a percent of sales tax on purchases within the city to help pay for road and infrastructure maintenance. In the same election, the city voted down adding on additional sales tax to pay for park improvements.
Source: Harvey County Now
New art coming to Newton
The Newton Murals Project recently added two new murals as part of its mission to add color to Newton. The Newton Murals and Arts project has completed 12 murals in Newton so far, and the latest includes an addition to the back of the Meadowlark Mural in the Old Mill Plaza parking lot at 301 N Main Street. The other is a mural at the R. Michael Rhoades wetlands park next to the Newton Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Meadowlark mural is an ongoing project. Most recently, it added a three-dimensional element using “junk art” to display a “space bug.” In November, it will receive 12 more additions, when the Newton middle and high school students’ designs are displayed. The students had the opportunity to submit a design using a theme.
Source: Harvey County Now
Municipal Bond Trends for October 2, 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.
Attorney for Kansas Press Association has similar view to recent AG opinion, but association is concerned about lost revenues and transparency
Attorney General Kris Kobach issued a legal opinion declaring cities in Kansas had the right to exempt themselves from state law requiring official city business notices to be printed by a designated newspaper. Kobach’s nonbinding analysis said cities could adopt ordinances that allowed them to inform the public by posting information on budget hearings, zoning proposals and other issues to a city-owned website rather than buy newspaper advertisements. … Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said the attorney general’s interpretation of nonuniformity in state law mirrored the perspective of a lawyer representing KPA. On Friday, Bradbury said elected city governments would risk undermining transparency important to their constituents by adopting ordinances ending the practice of compensating newspapers for dissemination of notices to the public. … Over the past 20 years, attempts in the Legislature to abolish city-notice standards have been unsuccessful due to concern revenue losses by newspapers could leave them vulnerable to closure. … Bel Aire Mayor Jim Benage said the change to Bel Aire’s distribution of official information would save the city an estimated $10,000 annually. “Times change,” Benage said. “We think using our own city website to publish legal notices is a better way to share information with area residents. We feel it encourages more interaction with residents and spurs web users to seek even more detailed information through other links on our website.”
Source: Kansas Reflector