Kansas Municipal News
10-year Treasury yield jumps to 3.51%, the highest level since 2011
Treasury yields ticked higher early Monday as traders anticipate the U.S. Federal Reserve’s next moves in the face of persistently high inflation. The yield on the 2-year Treasury bond rose 7 basis points to trade at 3.93% at 6:41 a.m. ET, trading around levels not seen since 2007. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, meanwhile, gained nearly 5 basis points to 3.494%. … The Fed’s two-day meeting is due to begin Tuesday, with most market participants expecting another 75-basis-point hike by the central bank. Some analysts have, however, argued the Fed could increase interest rates by a full point, or 100 basis points.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Recruiting ‘never really stops’ — Saline County schools seek backup school bus drivers
School districts in Saline County share a similar message when it comes to recruiting bus drivers — as many as they can employ, there is always room for more. While there is not a dire need for school bus drivers right now in Saline County, local schools never really stop recruiting for drivers. Southeast of Saline Superintendent Roger Stumpf said he has become a driver himself, filling in any gaps that may arise in the district’s routes.
Source: Salina Journal
KDHE Partnership Providing Free COVID-19 Tests for All Kansas Communities
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation’s public charity, RF Catalytic Capital, and Project ACT, is now offering free at-home COVID-19 tests to households in all Kansas communities. All Kansas households can now visit AccessCovidTests.org and enter their zip code to place an order for 5 at-home COVID-19 test kits. Amazon will deliver the test kits directly to your house. Frequent testing is especially important for those with more exposure outside the home, such as kids in school or people who spend time in a group setting. By visiting AccessCovidTests.org, Kansans will be able enter their zip code to order free, rapid, at-home COVID-19 test kits.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
KDOT to Receive $39.5M Over 5 Years for EV Charging Infrastructure
The Kansas Department of Transportation’s Charge Up Kansas NEVI Plan has been approved and is set to receive $39.5 million total over the next five years under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. The plan provides KDOT federal funds to help build a high-powered EV charging network across the state. Initial program funding will be matched with local funding to build direct current fast chargers (DCFC) along designated EV charging corridors. In Kansas, those corridors are I-70, I-35, I-135, I-335, U.S. 400 and U.S. 81 from I-70 north to the Nebraska state line (see map below). Once complete, this will result in nearly 1,600 miles of Kansas interstates and highways with readily accessible fast-charging stations.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Why is Bourbon County Shrinking?
…the most common question I get is, “Why are we shrinking?” Many people are quick the lay the blame on any number of local factors, but… ten primary reasons from my research over the years, which are listed below: 1. Rapid industrialization during and after WWII. 2. Change in tax policies to promote manufacturing. 3. Agricultural efficiencies and the drop of ag employment…
Source: Fort Scott Biz
Downtown Wichita sculptures will receive a pop of color from local artist
As many people flock to downtown Wichita for Open Streets ICT, there will be one event going on that will bring color to downtown long after this weekend. The sculptures in downtown Wichita will be receiving new decorations in the form of crocheted hats and even overalls. Tamara Gonzales posts many of her creations on her Instagram page @CrochetWithTamara. She also posted her idea to add overalls to the sculpture of the man reading there and that sparked her latest project. She took her idea to Wichita’s Division of Arts and Cultural Services with a unanimous vote to allow the crochet items on the sculptures. Now, she has items ready to go for all the sculptures in downtown Wichita. She plans to put them on Sunday morning before Open Streets ICT kicks off.
Source: KAKE – News
Wichita pours millions of dollars into fixing Century II roof
If you look at the skyline of Wichita, it’s hard not to notice the round blue roof of Century II. However, in recent years that roof has fallen into disrepair. “We found flakes of the roof when we’ve been watering. So yes, the roof is deteriorating, the building looks rundown, it’s decrepit,” said Save Century II Chairperson Celeste Racette. The city is looking to fix that. On Tuesday the Wichita City Council will review a plan to spend just short of 10 million dollars on repairs to the historic building. Half of that will go to the roof. “Our goal is to just bring it up to the quality and a level that Wichitans should expect from any asset that they themselves actually own,” said Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple.
Source: KAKE – News
Explosive device found in Parsons
A homemade bomb was found in Parsons Thursday afternoon, forcing authorities to block an area. Around 2 p.m., Parsons police got a call for a suspicious object found in the 2700 block of Dirr. Officers arrived in the area and found the device tested positive for explosive material. Police called the Kansas Highway Patrol Hazardous Device Unit to collect and dispose of the device. Parsons Fire and Labette County Emergency Medical Services were staged in the area just in case the device detonated. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an Improvised Explosive Device is defined as a “homemade” bomb and/or destructive device to destroy, incapacitate, harass, or distract.
Source: KSN-TV
Johnson County solar farm project is pitting neighbor against neighbor
Frank Gieringer rides a flatbed trailer toward rows of apple trees loaded with Galas, Crimson Crisps and other varieties, ready for the picking. His family owns this bucolic orchard and berry farm outside Edgerton, Kansas. Just beyond its borders lie 2,000 acres of land, a potential location for the state’s first utility-scale solar farm. Gieringer says he’d welcome the new neighbor. “To really look at ‘em, it’s not a heck of a lot of difference than looking at an orchard or a vineyard really. It’s just rows of panels,” Gieringer says. “They’re harvesting sun. Same thing I’m doin’. All of agriculture sells the sunshine.”
Source: Prairie Village Post
Lawrence City Commission to consider 30-minute total limit and signups for general public comment
A revised draft of a city ordinance would limit general public comment during Lawrence City Commission meetings to 30 minutes total and require advance signup, and it suggests that comments won’t be livestreamed. It also adds more specific language regarding decorum and restricts the public’s ability to request that items be removed from the consent agenda. The proposed changes come after commissioners, following the end of an executive (closed-door) session and before their regular meeting began on Aug. 9, voted unanimously to “Direct staff to return with proposals regarding operations of the City Commission meetings to enable the Commission to be more efficient while complying with both the Kansas Open Meetings Act and the First amendment.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Municipal Bond Trends for September 16, 2022
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.
Salina parks, trails keep people active, connect the community
There are a lot of ways to stay entertained in the greater Salina area, and for those who enjoy exploring outdoors, the city certainly has a few places to offer. Salina has a robust trail system and several parks that are interconnected by paths throughout the city. … Salina has 21 total miles of completed trails to offer, both aggregate and concrete. The trail system serves a dual purpose; the town is essentially surrounded by 21 miles of levee to prevent flooding from the nearby Smoky Hill River, which used to run through the city. So, the levee doubles in as a path that makes the city more interconnected and accessible on foot.
Source: Salina Journal
Johnson County commissioners vote to recommend increase in sheriff’s deputy salaries
The Johnson County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to recommend a plan that would increase pay for incoming sheriff deputies. After a presentation on a loss of deputies at the sheriff’s office, commissioners voted 4-2, with one absent, to recommend the staff consider a proposal from human resources to increase the minimum and maximum potential salaries of sheriff’s deputies with an annual planned increase in pay. The sheriff’s office, which employs just over 500 deputies along with civilian employees, pushed for salary increases after experiencing a higher vacancy rate than normal. There are 69 deputy vacancies in the office, according to a presentation made to the board by human resources and sheriff’s office officials. They said the openings have led to reduced community policing and staffing in jails and court security.
Source: KC Star
2-year Treasury note tops 3.9% as investors anticipate further Fed rate hikes
U.S Treasury yields rose further on Friday after major indices were down in premarket trading as investors anticipated further interest rate hikes to curb inflation. The Yield on the 2-year Treasury bond climbed above 3.9%, a level it had not seen since 2007. … The 2-year Treasury is highly sensitive to policy decisions as it is widely recognized as in indicator of how investors think central bank policy will develop in the near future. … robust economic data indicated to investors that the Fed could comfortably continue hiking interest rates without running the risk of putting too much pressure on the economy.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
City of Ellis initiates TNR program
The City of Ellis initiated a Trap-Neuter (or spay)-Return (TNR) program on Thursday, Sept. 15. According to the Ellis Police Department (EPD), in the first round of trapping, near the intersection of Walnut St & E 11th St, a mama and her four kittens were caught. … “If these cats are not claimed in three days time, they will be spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and returned to the area in which they are caught.” The EPD says the program began in order to control the community cat population in the city.
Source: KSN-TV
Sen. Moran stops by to congratulate Hiawatha PD on technology grant
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran stopped by Hiawatha City Hall Thursday afternoon to visit with city officials and members of the police department about a grant he helped the city obtain. It was shortly after 2 p.m. when Sen. Moran stopped by City Hall. There he met with city officials including City Administrator Larry Paine, Mayor Bill Collins, Police Chief Mickey Gruber, among other police personnel. As the lead Republican on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Related Agencies, Sen. Moran helped secure $30,000 in federal funds for the Hiawatha Police Department to replace outdated technology.
Source: hiawathaworldonline.com
Wichita suburb warns of coyotes in residential areas
Officials in suburban Wichita are warning residents about an uptick in coyote sightings. The Maize Police Department said Thursday that there have been several coyote sightings in various residential neighborhoods. “We want to remind residence [sic] to be mindful when letting or leaving pets outside, especially if they are not in fenced in yards,” the department said on Facebook. “Coyotes will often attack and kill domestic pets, but will typically shy away from humans unless they are cornered.”
Source: KAKE – News
Walnut Valley Festival kicks off 50th anniversary
People are flocking to the Winfield Fairgrounds for the 50th anniversary of the Walnut Valley Festival. The past two years of the festival have been a little different because of COVID-19, but this year people say they are ready for a more normal year at the fairgrounds. People from all across the country and even the world come to the festival to enjoy all different styles of Americana music.
Source: KAKE – News
Overland Park explores enclosing its farmers’ market, adding development nearby
The Overland Park Farmers’ Market soon may operate all year and could add office space plus a 240-space garage. On Monday, the City Council unanimously agreed to issue an additional $1.5 million to the Farmers’ Market Improvement Project in its 2023-2027 Capital Improvements Plan, which adds to the $5.5 million originally allocated in the 2020-2024 plan. Additional or alternative economic development tools and structures also could be identified and used, such as STAR bonds, but none are part of the conceptual plan at this time.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Petition seeks spaces for smaller dogs at Johnson County dog parks
A growing number of Johnson Countians are advocating for more spaces exclusively for smaller dogs at county-run dog parks, with a community petition urging that change now with more than 930 signatures as of Thursday. Olathe resident Sara Crane initially started advocating for small dog parks after her one of her two maltipoos — a breed that is a mix between a Maltese and a poodle — was attacked by a pit bull at Overland Park’s Thomas S. Stoll Memorial Park.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Overland Park ordinance would levy fines for ‘nuisance’ parties at vacation rentals
Overland Park is closer to finalizing new rules for “nuisance” parties within city limits following a deadly shooting earlier this year that took place at a home being used as a short-term vacation rental. The Overland Park City Council’s Public Safety Committee on Wednesday approved city staff’s recommendation for a nuisance party ordinance. The measure defines a “nuisance” party as a social gathering of five or more people on a residential property that leads to criminal violations disturbing surrounding properties. The ordinance would allow the city to penalize residents who create a “disturbance of the quiet enjoyment of residential property,” according to city documents.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Municipal Bond Trends for September 15, 2022
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.
Wichita Mayor addresses confusion surrounding marijuana and fentanyl strip vote
There are still a lot of questions to iron out when it comes to Wichita’s new take on marijuana and fentanyl testing strips. Some are wondering if they can legally smoke marijuana in the streets, while some county leaders are saying not so fast. The City said people cannot walk around smoking marijuana. It is still illegal, as are fentanyl strips. Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple said the City is simply out of the business of small possession of marijuana and fentanyl strip cases.
Source: KSN-TV
New jobs coming to Topeka with $125M Goodyear investment
An incentive agreement benefiting the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s Topeka plant has been approved by the Topeka and Shawnee County’s Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDO) board. This investment, previously referred to as “Project Boomerang,” is expected to result in an estimated economic impact locally of $480 million over the next decade. Goodyear is projected to make a five-year investment of $125 million and create up to 40 new full-time jobs. The performance-based JEDO incentive for this project is up to $585,000, resulting in a 713% return on investment for Topeka and Shawnee County.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Kansas lawmakers say new audit shows ‘epic fail’ in COVID-19 aid spending
Hundreds of thousands of dollars of COVID-19 relief funds spent by state and local governments could have violated federal rules or was ill-advised, a report released Wednesday by the Legislature’s nonpartisan auditing office showed. The audit, which took into account funds spent under the CARES Act, comes as state officials are still grappling with how to spend millions in federal pandemic relief, with the process to dole out the money coming under fire over transparency concerns. Of the $18 million in expenditures by county governments, nonprofits and businesses reviewed by the Division of Legislative Post Audit, officials flagged $1.1 million in spending as ill-advised, with an additional $264,000 considered wasteful or excessive.
Source: CJonline
New Topeka city manager Stephen Wade wants government to be more transparent and customer-friendly
Making Topeka’s city government more transparent is key to new city manager Stephen Wade. So are improving customer service, making the city more developer-friendly and facilitating community conversations, he said. Ensuring that “voices that normally don’t get heard have a chance to speak” is what Wade sees his role as city manager as being during such talks, he said.
Source: CJonline
Local govt officials share how public service has — and has not —changed
A panel of three local government officials shared Thursday with participants in the Wichita Business Journal’s Emerging Leaders program how public service has — and has not — changed over their years in the industry. What’s remained steadfast, city manager Robert Layton said, is government’s core mission of making life better for the people that it serves.
The public’s perception of government, though, has taken on a new tone the last few decades. “We have to work harder to earn the public’s trust, and when you see things in the media about the times that we stub our toes… People still hold us accountable and expect the best from us,” Layton said.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
School districts are increasingly turning to four-day school weeks as a way to attract and retain staff, despite objections from some parents over child-care demands
Districts facing teacher shortages are increasingly turning to four-day school weeks as a means to attract and retain staff, despite objections from some parents over child-care demands and some evidence of lower test scores. So far, the trend has been particularly pronounced in rural communities in some Midwestern and Southern states. Dozens of districts in Texas, Missouri, Colorado and Oklahoma have adopted four-day weeks in recent years.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Municipal Bond Trends for September 14, 2022
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.
Audit reveals two-thirds of $48.5 million in broadband aid allocated to southern Kansas
Nearly two-thirds of $48.5 million in COVID-19 funding earmarked for expansion of broadband services to Kansas homes and businesses was invested in upgrading internet connectivity in the southern half of the state, an audit report said Wednesday. The Kansas Legislature’s auditing arm told a joint House and Senate committee the three southern regions of the state absorbed 35 of 66 grants or $30.4 million approved by Gov. Laura Kelly and legislators on the State Finance Council. The four northern regions took on the balance of the projects budgeted at $18.1 million. Overall, auditors said, the state didn’t find a suitable recipient for $1.5 million available for broadband improvements in unserved or underserved locations. State evaluators rejected 16 applications.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Johnson County expanding public trails onto former Sunflower ammo plant site
This week, Johnson County’s Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners approved the latest step in the county’s efforts to expand Kill Creek Park trails onto the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant site. Johnson County is expanding its Kill Creek trail system into the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant site. Johnson County’s Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners at a special board meeting Monday approved an agreement paving the way for JCPRD to eventually expand the Kill Creek Streamway Park trails onto the site of the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Army Plant.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Derby business community’s input sought on sales tax future
With the pending sunset of the Derby Difference sales tax in 2024, the city has started efforts to generate public feedback to shape the direction of future sales tax utilization. In line with that, the city hired Wichita State University’s Public Policy and Management Center to direct feedback efforts and create a community survey regarding the Derby Difference sales tax. As part of that, WSU staff will be holding focus groups to shape the survey – with members of the Derby Chamber of Commerce the first to participate in one held at a luncheon on Sept. 8.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Wind turbines going up in Marion County
Pieces of wind turbines for Sunflower Wind Farm will be seen on highways and roads in the county starting Oct. 3, planning and zoning director Sharon Omstead told county commissioners Monday. Erection of turbines is expected to begin Oct. 6. Omstead told commissioners excavation of turbine locations was 70% complete and turbine foundations were 40% complete.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
School security a top priority for districts
Keeping students safe in Jackson County’s three school districts remains a priority for the districts’ superintendents, particularly with a new school year just getting started and the effects of one of the deadliest school shootings in the nation’s history still reverberating with educators across the country. Officials in all three of the school districts — Holton, Jackson Heights and Royal Valley — worked with law enforcement agencies this past summer on how to bolster security in school buildings, with those efforts led by Joe Romans, a deputy with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office who, as Royal Valley Superintendent Aaric Davis noted, serves as a “school safety specialist” for all county schools.
Source: Holton Recorder
‘It’s a numbers game’: Residents asking when downtown Wichita will finally get a grocery store
“We get that question a lot and really what it comes down to in that industry is it’s a numbers game,” said Jason Gregory with Downtown Wichita. Gregory with says right now there are about 3,500 people who live in what he calls the core of downtown. But, while there is a gap there, Gregory says it could be closed pretty quickly with businesses locating downtown and the potential of another school, WSU and KU’s joint health sciences’ campus, coming in the next few years. “I think we’re on the precipice of, you know, an explosion of growth. It’s really exciting times for downtown and I think the next five years are going to be some of the most exciting that we’ve seen yet.”
Source: KAKE – News
A giant solar farm project is pitting neighbor against neighbor
Frank Gieringer rides a flatbed trailer toward rows of apple trees loaded with Galas, Crimson Crisps and other varieties, ready for the picking. His family owns this bucolic orchard and berry farm outside Edgerton, Kansas. Just beyond its borders lie 2,000 acres of land, a potential location for the state’s first utility-scale solar farm. Gieringer says he’d welcome the new neighbor. “To really look at ‘em, it’s not a heck of a lot of difference than looking at an orchard or a vineyard really. It’s just rows of panels,” Gieringer says. “They’re harvesting sun. Same thing I’m doin’. All of agriculture sells the sunshine.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Sedgwick County threatens to bill Wichita for minor marijuana cases after city decriminalizes
The Sedgwick County Commission has ordered a cost analysis of the Wichita City Council’s decision to decriminalize marijuana, exploring how much it would cost the county to book people in jail for misdemeanor marijuana offenses and pursue charges in district court. Commission Chairman David Dennis said Wednesday he plans to bill the city for any future costs of jailing and prosecuting people on misdemeanor marijuana charges. “At what point do we start charging the city of Wichita for this process,” Dennis said. “Because we’re going to bill them for all the people that go into our jail.”
Source: Wichita Eagle
Pickleball court ready for action in Sedgwick
Sedgwick Park is a new destination for pickleball enthusiasts. In the past week, the city finished converting the west side of its basketball slab into a pickleball court. City council member Monty Leonard, who spearheaded the project, was at the park last Friday afternoon applying a special paint to the concrete surface. “I grossly underestimated how much it takes to paint a pickleball court,” he said.
Source: Harvey County Now
Wichita, Sedgwick County growing more slowly than predicted
The populations of Wichita and Sedgwick County are growing slower than predicted. A 2015 city-county comprehensive plan predicted that, by 2035, Sedgwick County would reach a population of 610,000 and Wichita would reach 448,000. Now, the city-county planning department is predicting this won’t happen until 2045.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Why are people moving to a Kansas town of 120?
There’s no stoplight, no high rise, not even a Mcdonald’s. However, what the small town of Damar, Kansas, lacks in infrastructure, it makes up for in heart and personality. “It’s wonderful because most of it is the people here. They want to be here. They are not here just because they are born and raised here. They want to stay here,” said Jim Desbien, the treasurer for the Damar Community Foundation. Desbien’s family settled in the French Canadian heritage town, also known as the “Acadia of the West,” in the late 1800s.
Source: KSN-TV
Wichita City Council votes to decriminalize marijuana and fentanyl test strips
The Wichita City Council voted Tuesday to reduce the penalties for people caught with marijuana or fentanyl test strips. It was an issue that has been up for discussion in the past several months. Fentanyl strips would no longer be classified as drug paraphernalia, and marijuana possession would be decriminalized in the city. An average of 850 cases for illegal possession of marijuana are filed each year in municipal court. Possession of marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia would remain illegal under state law. Any charges for these crimes would need to be filed by the district attorney.
Source: KSN-TV
Pratt firemen honor 9-11 with bell ringing
It was a quiet Sunday morning in Pratt, but at specified times the big bell in front of City of Pratt Fire Department on Jackson Street rang out in honor of those who lost their lives, particularly first responders and fire fighters in New York City during a terrorist attack on the Twin Towers. Pratt City Fire Chief David Kramer, joined by firemen Mac Calloway, Eric Welch, Justin Garrett and a few others throughout the morning, rang the bell at 8:46 a.m. when the north tower was struck, again at 9:03 a.m. when the south tower was struck, and then at 9:37 a.m. when the Pentagon was hit by an airplane. “It’s been 21 years, but we still remember,” said Kramer. “We have had a busy week and at least of a third of our department is still on a training weekend so we didn’t plan a big public ceremony. But we are here because this is such a very important day in the history of our country. We hope others took the time to remember those who lost their lives in service.”
Source: Pratt Tribune
Bond yields continue climbing, 2-year Treasury tops 3.8%
U.S. Treasury yields continued to climb higher on Wednesday as investors digested the previous session’s dramatic market route triggered by a hot inflation reading. The yield on the 2-year Treasury, the part of the curve most sensitive to Fed policy, was trading 1 basis point higher at around 5:00 a.m. ET to reach 3.773%, at one point hitting as high as 3.805%, its highest level since November 2007. Tuesday’s session saw it surge 17 points. Yields move inversely to prices, and a basis point is equal to 0.01%. Meanwhile, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was up just over one basis point, trading at 3.439%. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was up just over half of a basis point at 3.517%.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Wichita beer festival, on hiatus since COVID, is making its big comeback at a local park
Beer lovers used to look forward every fall to the big Midwest Beerfest, which in its heyday would fill Century II with local, regional and national breweries passing out samples of their best brews. That event — which was always put on by the Wichita Chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food — hasn’t happened since before the pandemic and still isn’t back this year. But another growing beer festival, which also has been on hiatus since the COVID-19 pandemic, is making a 2022 return and will be set up at a new venue.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Newton begins eminent domain process to claim land for rail spur
The city of Newton will begin the eminent domain process and condemnation proceedings to acquire land to build a railroad spur to serve the Kansas Logistics Park. They approved a resolution to begin the process at their Tuesday commission meeting. “It’s been a little while since we’ve seen condemnation,” City Attorney Chris Towle said, explaining that the act allows the government to take private property and compensate a property owner with a fair market value for the property.” The state recently announced a $3.04 million award to the city to pay for the spur. The resolution allows the city to begin surveying and providing a description of the area that the city would need to use for a rail spur. The city isn’t locked into condemning an area once the survey is completed.
Source: Harvey County Now