Municipal News & Jobs

Lawrence city leaders say they are interested in putting some limits on general public comments at meetings, capping the period allowed for those comments at 30 minutes. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission discussed potential changes to how it handles public comment during meetings. The commission’s meetings have regularly been going to about 11 p.m., and sometimes later, and the commission agreed that limiting general public comment — as opposed to the comment period for specific agenda items — could allow the commission to get to its regular agenda sooner and provide more predictability to the public.
Source: LJWorld

Seaman USD 345 administrators don’t think they would need it, but if they ever do, they want Narcan to be readily available should there ever be a need to revive a student who overdosed. The Seaman Board of Education on Monday evening briefly discussed the possibility of equipping school nurses and law enforcement at the middle and high schools with Narcan, a drug that can reverse the potentially lethal effects of opiate overdoses.
Source: CJonline

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.

Topeka’s first three permanent city managers came from other states. But the next, Stephen Wade, is a native of this community. After months of searching and multiple closed-door meetings, Topeka’s mayor and council voted 10-0 late Tuesday to approve a contract calling for Wade, 55, to start work as city manager on Wednesday. Wade has been employed since 2020 by the city of Topeka, where he is administrative and financial services director. He previously spent 30 years in the media industry, including being publisher from 2018 to 2020 of The Topeka Capital-Journal and working previously as general manager at The Augusta Chronicle in Augusta, Ga.
Source: CJonline

The Federal Reserve will deliver another 75-basis-point interest rate hike next week and likely hold its policy rate steady for an extended period once it eventually peaks, according to a Reuters poll of economists released on Tuesday. Policymakers have done little to push back on market pricing for a third consecutive rate hike of three-quarters of a percentage point at the U.S. central bank’s Sept. 20-21 meeting, with inflation, as measured by the Fed’s preferred gauge, running at more than three times its 2% target.
Source: Reuters

A representative with NextEra Energy Resources, a Florida-based energy firm, confirmed to the Journal-World Thursday that the company is still in the initial stages of gauging whether the area is the right place for a wind energy project. NextEra spokesperson Sara Cassidy said that included assessing existing transmission infrastructure, gauging landowner and county officials’ interest and conducting environmental surveys. … Nearly a year later, property owners in the path of the proposed project are starting to filter into camps that are open to the project or against it entirely.
Source: LJWorld

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.

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.

Shawnee County maintains 60 miles of trails, with 31.64 miles being paved, said Mike McLaughlin, communications and public information supervisor for Shawnee County Parks and Recreation. While the county’s trails are used mostly for recreation, they’re increasingly becoming a transportation network in recent years, due largely to the creation of extensions that connect them with each other, said parks and recreation director Tim Laurent.
Source: CJonline

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.

Most banks store money, but the Food Bank of Reno County is stocked with canned goods and pantry items instead. Particularly amid current rising economic costs, however, food is money. Penny Taapken, the director of the food bank for the last 18 years, said the need is increasing for services. “We serve emergency food to those in need so that no one should go hungry,” she said.
Source: Hutch News

As Kansas prepares for technology giant Panasonic to break ground on a multibillion dollar factory, Gov. Laura Kelly announced a new office designed to boost apprenticeships and help better bolster the state’s workforce. Under an executive order signed Tuesday, Kelly’s administration will create the Office of Registered Apprenticeships, a move designed to expand the tool, which allows workers to get paid while receiving job training in a specialized field. Currently, nearly 3,400 Kansans participate in one of 212 apprenticeship programs statewide.
Source: CJonline

How many watermelon or ears of corn must one sell to cover the City of Scott City’s vendor fee? City council members are in general agreement the answer is “too many,” which is why they are looking at the prospect of waiving that fee for individuals selling farm and garden produce. Police Chief David Post expressed concern during Tuesday’s council meeting that the current vendor fee seems excessive.” Those who sell produce are currently required to pay a $25 fee, plus $50 for a background check. He agreed that vendor permits should be required in certain situations, but said, “Since this is an agricultural community, maybe we should exempt agricultural products.”
Source: Scott County Record

South Hutchinson residents may see a rise in their water rates next year after the city council agreed to review the city’s ordinance establishing monthly rates. City Administrator Joseph Turner contends language in the ordinance has been misinterpreted since at least May 2017, when the city adopted its current rate schedule, and perhaps going back as far as 20 years. Turner argues the ordinance sets both a monthly service fee and a per gallon user fee with a minimum charge but that residents have been only paying the user fee.
Source: Hutch News

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.

Topeka’s city government is rescinding, at least for the next five years, the residency requirement it’s had in place since the early 1980s.The Topeka City Council voted 7-2 Tuesday evening to approve an ordinance taking that step, which is aimed at increasing the city’s pool of potential workers at a time when high-quality employees have been hard to find. The ordinance OK’d Tuesday arranges for the repeal to expire on Dec. 31, 2027, unless the mayor and council vote to extend it beyond then.
Source: CJonline