Kansas Municipal News
New ‘Welcome’ banners to be installed in downtown Topeka
Look up on Kansas Avenue in downtown Topeka and you will see new banners welcoming international visitors to the Capitol City. Bob Ross, with the Greater Topeka Partnership, announced Wednesday afternoon eight new banners will be installed across Kansas Avenue in Downtown Topeka. The new banners say “Welcome” in eight different languages. The languages include Spanish, English, Arabic, Mandarin, Ukrainian, Hindi, Potawatomi, and German. “Downtown Topeka is proud to be the front door for the Capitol City of Kansas,” said Rhiannon Friedman, president of Downtown Topeka Inc. “Each year people from around the world visit our city for business, family, and fun. When you visit Downtown Topeka, we want to say welcome in as many languages as possible and ensure everyone realizes our downtown businesses are honored to serve them.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
Spring Hill district debuts new solar project aimed to help cut energy costs
One local school district is harnessing the power of the sun to power up its classrooms. Wednesday morning, the Spring Hill School District unveiled its newly constructed solar array. The school district partnered with Evergy and EnergyLink to install a solar array directly behind Spring Hill High School. The ground-mount solar field stretches across roughly 4 acres of land behind the school. Jeff Martin, vice president of customer operations for Evergy, said the high school’s land availability and proximity to the grid made it a perfect fit for the project.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
Olathe approves incentives supporting Garmin’s massive expansion
Garmin Ltd. won two tranches of incentives from Olathe for its $240 million-plus headquarters expansion’s second phase, which will add 1,500 new jobs. On Tuesday evening, the City Council unanimously approved the tech manufacturer’s request for a 10-year, 75% property tax abatement, along with the issuance of $145.9 million in industrial revenue bonds for a component of its second-phase expansion. The company will remodel and repurpose a 580,580-square-foot facility at 1200 E. 151st St. for office and research uses in the northwest corner of 151st Street and Ridgeview Road.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Political signs must come down, City of Topeka says
With the end of the Kansas Primary Election all political signs be taken down, according to the City of Topeka. Two days after an election ends, all political signs must be removed from the public right of way. A temporary sign ordinance will be enforced starting Friday, Aug. 5. Those who violate the ordinance may have to pay a $50 penalty. Each day that the violation repeats will be treated as a separate and distinct offense. The fines go into effect following the third day after Election Day. Removal of each sign is $30.
Source: KSNT 27 News
County’s solar facility moratorium will not delay Osawatomie project
Miami County’s six-month moratorium on solar facility construction will not delay Osawatomie’s partnership with Evergy to build up to five megawatts of solar power — nearly double the originally proposed footprint — to serve the community, a city official said. Deputy City Manager Bret Glendening confirmed in an email Monday, Aug. 1, the county moratorium only applies to unincorporated areas of the county, not properties that have been annexed into a city. The Osawatomie-Evergy solar array project would be built on city-owned acreage directly north of the Osawatomie State Hospital on the northwest corner of the intersection of Old KC Road and 335th Street.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Municipal Bond Trends for August 2, 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.
Great Bend working with business owner on downtown parking
Downtown business owner Joe Andrasek envisions developing the empty lot north of his Charlie’s Place on Main Street into a multi-use gathering space. However, this would mean it would no longer be available as parking for his or other nearby establishments. That is why he appeared before the Great Bend City Council Monday night. He was seeking some form of purchase or lease agreement with the city so the city-owned lot on Williams Street behind Charlie’s would remain open to parking.
Source: GB Tribune
Prairie Village won’t have electric scooters on its street after August
Bird scooters are leaving Prairie Village at the end of the month when the one-year pilot program expires. The city council committee of the whole on Monday rejected a proposal to extend the pilot another year. Photo credit Juliana Garcia. Prairie Villagers will have until the end of this month to enjoy puttering around the city on Bird electric scooters. The city council’s committee of the whole on Monday decided against renewing the city’s one-year pilot program with Bird Rides, Inc., which would have kept the dockless, pay-as-you-go vehicles on city streets for another year.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Snapping turtle tangled in fishing line rescued from Meadowbrook Park pond
Two animal control officers from different Johnson County cities recently teamed up to rescue a snapping turtle tangled in a fishing line in the pond at Meadowbrook Park. Courtney Sievers, a community service and animal control officer for Prairie Village Police, told the Post she received a request last week from animal welfare group Operation Wildlife to help a turtle — potentially tangled in fishing line — in the Meadowbrook Park pond.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Leawood considers several options for conducting citywide survey on pit bull ban
This week, the Leawood City Council discussed the possibility of allowing residents to weigh in on its dangerous animal ordinance — the last one in Johnson County that bans pit bulls. Leawood is considering whether to send out a community survey about its pit bull ban, the last ban of its kind on the books in Johnson County. The Leawood City Council on Monday heard an overview of potential options for sending out a citywide survey asking what residents think of the city’s current rules around owning pit bulls.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Winfield Public Library goes fine-free
To ensure equitable access for all, Winfield Public Library has become a fine-free library, adopting recommendations from the American Library Association. While fees for lost or damaged books remain, existing fines have been waived. Studies show that going fine-free has positive effects for the entire community. Due to quarantine periods during COVID, WPL stopped charging for late materials in March 2020. Post-quarantine, WPL did not reinstate fines as research was gathered regarding the effect fines had on library usage. Based on data gathered, in July of 2022, the library board of directors voted to waive all existing fines and discontinue them on almost all materials. Fines will still be charged for inter-library loan items and technology (such as eReaders). Fees for lost or damaged materials remain on accounts and will continue to be charged.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
New Fed Infrastructure Law Will Aid KS Bridge Improvements
Kansas cities and counties needing to replace or repair locally owned bridges have a supportive partner in the Kansas Department of Transportation. The agency is improving programs and collaborating with partners to take advantage of new revenue streams generated by the federally approved Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). KDOT has reshaped two local bridge improvement programs which focus on city and county bridges to include approximately $137.5 million in BIL funds over the next five years. The increase will more than double and triple local bridge impvement funds currently available in these programs under the existing Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE).
Source: Fort Scott Biz
Sedgwick’s city park is getting several new additions soon
The Sedgwick city maintenance crew laid the foundation last week at the city park for what will be the new playground equipment recently purchased by the city. The playground is called the flying alpine by Actively Play and includes two straight slides, a double straight slide, a sectional left turn slide, a sectional right turn slide, a honeycomb climber, net climber, upright snake climber, tic tac toe panel, gear panel, storefront panel, drum, and a rain wheel. “We’re not lacking for slides,” Mayor Bryan Chapman joked about the new playset.
Source: Harvey County Now
Sedgwick County jail critically understaffed, sheriff says as he seeks to boost deputy pay
The Sedgwick County Jail is experiencing critical staffing levels, with the deputy to inmate ratio more than double the national jail standard recommended average of one deputy to 30 inmates, Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter says. The jail now is staffing one deputy for about 69 to 75 inmates, according to Easter, who plans to ask the Sedgwick County Commission on Wednesday to increase starting pay for detention deputies by more than $4 an hour, from $19.34 to $23.50. The jail is budgeted to have 228 detention deputies but currently has 113 unfilled positions, according to Easter.
Source: Wichita Eagle
It’s proving increasingly hard to hire cops in Kansas — and to avoid losing them to other jobs
The Dodge City Police Department struggles to keep officers. Stress, in an era where police complain they’ve become pariahs, only makes it harder to hire and keep officers on patrol. All that turnover means more work for the officers that remain, which could bring on more burnout. “We asked these people to do so much more with less staff,” said Deputy Police Chief Jerad Goertzen. “When we’re putting so much more on them and asking them to do more, (it) seems like burnout is hitting a little bit earlier.” A week after making that observation, two more people had put in their resignation letters. Law enforcement agencies across the country are straining to hire. Job postings that used to get hundreds of applicants now have a fraction of the interest. Officers are logging more overtime, morale is low and jails are struggling. Sedgwick County, for instance, is spending $2.3 million to install cameras in its jail to compensate for the people it can’t hire.
Source: KCUR News
Municipal Bond Trends for August 1, 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.
Free land? How about a free house? Kansas town tries a little of everything to grow
If you’re looking for evidence of rural decay and postindustrial decline in this dusty north-central Kansas town, you can find it. The last remaining manufacturing employer, US Tower, closed its facility during the pandemic, putting about 25 local workers out of a job. On the edge of town lies a subdivision without any houses, a barren reminder of a free land program that has failed to attract much interest. In the middle of the day, the shutting of a car door echoes for blocks, bouncing between the aging two-story buildings that bracket Lincoln Avenue downtown. Many are vacant.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Damaged Andover elementary school ready for new semester
Students are set to return to Prairie Creek Elementary School on August 11. The Andover school was damaged in the April 29 tornado, and workers have been making repairs since then. The school has been closed since the tornado, and students had to finish the semester elsewhere. Work is not expected to be completely done by the first day of school, but the building will be usable.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
New medical school opens in downtown Wichita
A new medical school is opening in downtown Wichita with its first class of 91 students. The Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine is located in the former State Office Building at Broadway and William. It has 116,000 square feet with classrooms, labs, and workshops as well as examination rooms that will allow students to simulate experiences working with patients. Students went through orientation on Friday and classes will begin Monday. There are 18 students from Wichita and Kansas. The school is planning for 127 students next year, and 170 students each year after that.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Mission city planners approve apartment project at former JCPenney call center site
The former JCPenney call center in Mission has sat vacant nearly two decades, but city planners and Block Real Estate Services LLC are working to change that. The Mission Planning Commission recently gave unanimous approval for the developer’s preliminary plan and final plat to construct a four- to five-story, 307-apartment building on a 5-acre site at 5665 Foxridge Drive. The site includes the former one-story, 39,825-square-foot call center, which was built in 1970. With an average unit size of 974 square feet, the building will include 185 one-bedrooms, 112 two-bedrooms and 10 three-bedroom options. Amenities include an outdoor pool and courtyard, fitness facility, bocce ball court, putting green and a pickleball court, according to city documents.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
City to consider supporting new historic district in historically-Black area
Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday will consider signing a letter to support creating a historic district in an important area for the Black community. …The letter would support the nomination of the 900 block of Yuma Street for the state and national Register for Historic Places. The buildings in the proposed district include the Douglass Community Center (former site of United Service Organization built in 1939), Douglass Center Annex (Douglass School in 1939), Pilgrim Baptist Church (Second Baptist Church in 1911) and the Kaw Blue Masonic Lodge (Shepard’s Chapel in 1916).
Source: themercury.com
Butler launching new Fire Academy in fall 2022
Zachary Lindsey knows firsthand what Butler Community College’s Fire Science program teaches. He started his Fire Science education at Butler and spent 17 years in the fire service in North Carolina. Lindsey, originally from Eureka and a Bluestem High School graduate, returned to Kansas in early 2020 and is now head of Butler’s Fire Science program. Since taking over the program, he’s been innovating to give Butler Fire Science students greater leverage in the marketplace. His most recent innovation is the creation of the Butler Fire Academy – designed to train students to be firefighters in 16 weeks. It’s a heavy lift but needed, according to Lindsey.
Source: Derby Informer | Area
Great Bend council drops idea of stipends
After much discussion Monday night, some heated, it was clear the many on the governing body, including four council members and the mayor, opposed the of offering stipends to entice more people to run for the city offices. Although divisions amongst the council members remained, it was the consensus following a work session that the matter be laid to rest. The idea of the city offering some sort of benefit as an enticement first arose at the June 20 meeting, raised by Ward 1 City Councilwoman Lindsey Krom-Craven. It surfaced again at the next meeting July 5. City Administrator Kendal Francis said Monday he had polled other cities, asking what they did. Most that responded offered some form of pay, ranging from a few dollars to over $900 per month with benefits.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
JoCo approves $4.6M for retention bonuses for sheriff’s office and corrections workers
The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners last week unanimously approved the use up to $4.6 million in county reserve funds to pay for retention bonuses for sheriff”s office and corrections department employees. The move aims to address ongoing challenges these departments have faced and attracting and retaining workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding will go toward the sheriff’s office and corrections department — both of which, county staff said, don’t have the means in their existing budgets to pay for retention incentives.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Municipal Bond Trends for July 29, 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.
The Kansas Supreme Court rules that police can be liable when their actions injure a bystander
The Kansas Supreme Court has reversed a lower court decision that shielded a Wichita police officer from criminal charges when he shot at a dog and a young girl was injured. Former Wichita police officer Dexter Betts was responding to a domestic disturbance call when a dog lunged at him, his attorneys say. Betts shot at the dog, but missed. Bullet fragments hit someone behind the animal. Betts was charged with reckless aggravated battery in 2018, but prosecution was blocked because a court ruled he qualified for statutory immunity — a provision in state law that protects officers from prosecution for doing their jobs. The Kansas Supreme Court disagreed, and in an opinion by Justice Dan Biles sent the case back to a trial court.
Source: KCUR News
Lawrence to swap all 15-minute parking stalls for 2-hour stalls
The City of Lawrence will soon convert all 19 of its short-term parking stalls to two-hour spots. The city’s 15-minute stalls have been underutilized compared to the two-hour ones, according to a city news release Friday. “When introduced, the 15-minute time frame was intended to encourage high frequency turnover rates for visitors when picking up or dropping off items at Downtown Lawrence storefronts,” according to the release. “… Because the two-hour parking stalls can also be used for short-term parking needs, the City made the decision to convert all 19 of the current 15-minute parking stalls to two-hour parking stalls.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Johnson County commissioners approve spending over $4.6 million for retention bonuses
Johnson County commissioners on Thursday approved funding for up to $3,000 in retention bonuses to combat staff vacancies in the sheriff and corrections departments due to a labor shortage. In an unanimous vote, commissioners agreed to spend more than $4.6 million over the next two years to help those agencies retain staff. The money is coming from the Countywide Support Funds reserves. “We are struggling, at least in some areas of the organization, to be able to recruit and retain,” said Maury Thompson, interim director of the human resources department.
Source: KC Star Local News
Osawatomie Completes Levee Certification
The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was pleased to announce they have accepted the accreditation materials for the City of Osawatomie levee system! Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. submitted the materials on behalf of the City of Osawatomie and was a tremendous partner in completing the accreditation. Now that the accreditation has completed, FEMA will produce a new countywide Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report and Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) for Miami County, Kansas. The levee will be shown as fully accredited on this future FIRM.
Source: City of Osawatomie
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Cybersecurity Company to Move Headquarters to Kansas
Governor Laura Kelly today announced cybersecurity company Novacoast is relocating its corporate headquarters to Wichita from Santa Barbara, California. The company plans to bring 100 new high-tech jobs to the state and help make Wichita a center for cybersecurity training. The announcement comes as Governor Kelly embarks on her “Prosperity on the Plains” economic tour talking with business leaders across Kansas about how to continue her administration’s record-breaking economic success. “I’m thrilled Novacoast is moving its headquarters to Wichita and creating 100 high-tech jobs for Kansans,” Governor Kelly said. “More and more companies are choosing to come to our state because they’ve seen that our talented workforce, strong infrastructure, and pro-business climate will help them grow and succeed.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce » Press Releases Category Feed
McPherson approves further restrictions on water park
The McPherson City Commission set new hours for the McPherson Water Park for the remainder of the season during their meeting on Tuesday. Staffing issues have persisted at the facility, a joint venture between the city and the McPherson Recreation Commission, notably with regard to lifeguards. It’s a component of an issue that affects aquatic centers all around the country. The water park’s new hours for Tuesday through Friday will be 1 to 5 p.m. The water park will continue to be closed on Mondays to wrap up the season. The park will be open on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m.
Source: McPherson Weekly News » Feed
Nicodemus, Kansas’ historic Black town, celebrating 144 years
The town of Nicodemus in northwest Kansas is holding a big celebration this weekend and is inviting people to stop and visit. The Nicodemus Homecoming Emancipation Celebration LLC Committee is holding its annual homecoming weekend to honor its 144 years of heritage and history. As many of the town’s initial population has relocated, descendants of Nicodemus come back every July to celebrate the community’s history, educate the next generation, and get together with old friends and family. This celebration will feature a parade, food vendors, games, live music, a 5k run/walk, pancake feed, karaoke, and more through July 31.
Source: KSN-TV
Parsons PD welcomes their newest member to the force
Officials from a national nonprofit were in Southeast Kansas today to witness their efforts in action. The Parsons Police Department opened its doors to Canines for Cops. Based out of Houston, Texas, this was the first chance its representatives got to see the newest member of the police department, K-9 officer Morgan. The organization played a role in getting her on the force. It reached out following the December murder of a puppy belonging to a Parsons police officer. It also provided more than $12,000 to help purchase and train K-9 officer Morgan.
Source: KSNF/KODE
‘Someone could die,’ trains slow response time in Marshall County
The fear in Marshall County is someone could die, a house could burn down, or a first responder could need help, that concern is coming from Sheriff Tim Ackerman following numerous complaints from citizens about blocked train crossings. Ackerman is frustrated. “There’s nothing we can do, we are just hoping no one dies, no house burns down because they can’t get through,” Ackerman told KSNT 27 News. In the past, the sheriff’s office would ticket the trains, some up to three miles long, but eventually, the railroad stopped paying the tickets and invoked a federal loophole in the law that let them block roads for five minutes to an hour, according to Ackerman.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Emporia’s transient guest tax receipts 15 percent above 2019 record
Emporia’s transient guest tax receipts are doing quite well. Visit Emporia Director LeLan Dains says the 7-percent tax on each room night stay at local hotels has led to some impressive totals as the local economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dains says it’s important for Emporia to have large-scale events that bring people to the city from a regional, national or international basis. He also says travel numbers are higher than expected with gas prices elevated for at least three months, and that is a good trend for Emporia.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio
Common Ground adding 11th community garden in Lawrence
A new garden site is set to join the list of urban gardens located throughout Lawrence as part of the Common Ground community gardening and urban agriculture program. The new garden site at Broken Arrow Park, located at 31st and Louisiana streets, will be the 11th garden established as part of the program. Common Ground is facilitated through the Lawrence-Douglas County Sustainability Office, and the program’s new manager, Umut Bayramoglu, told the Journal-World earlier this year that the program hoped to add another garden site sometime during 2022.
Source: LJWorld
What’s black and white and cool all over? Tesla vehicles join Leawood police fleet
The Leawood Police Department has added a Tesla Model Y electric vehicle to its fleet of black-and-white patrol cars. The department began researching electric vehicles last year after finding unfavorable reviews of the hybrid patrol cars that were available then. An early cost comparison — done more than a year ago when the city could buy gasoline for $1.75 a gallon — put energy costs for the city’s current Ford Explorer Patrol SUV at roughly $4,500 a year.
Source: KC Star
Resident revitalizes downtown Pittsburg building
Over the past several years, downtown Pittsburg has been receiving a facelift from many business and community members in the area. What started out as a simple investment for Pittsburg resident Ian Youvan developed into a project of renovation, creativity, and hard work on a building on Broadway. When Youvan received his first COVID-19 stimulus check in 2020, he decided to invest the money into a rising cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, he said. After having success with it, he purchased the building 117 N. Broadway from the city’s landbank, and began cleaning it out and restoring the building last year. Youvan said the building was full of trash when he bought it.
Source: Morning Sun
Municipal Bond Trends for July 28, 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.
Radio towers handed over to Claflin, Ellinwood
As County Communications continues its move to the system, the county’s Claflin and Ellinwood repeaters are no longer needed, 911 Director Dena Popp said. It was suggested the UHF TAC 11 (Ellinwood) and 18 (Claflin) be transferred to the cities for their utility and public works departments. Under the proposed agreements, the cities would be responsible for the transfer of the repeaters and utilities, if any, and assume all licensing, maintenance and other costs. Both were established over a decade ago and are atop the water towers. Popp said for the county to remove and get rid of them wasn’t cost effective and this was a good alternative.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
KPERS moves ahead with refinancing to avoid volatility of employer contributions
Trustees of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System relied on their authority to refinance the system’s unfunded liability in a bid to stabilize public employer contribution rates during a period in which investment earnings were expected to shrink. The KPERS board simultaneously cut the porfolio’s investment return assumption to 7% from 7.75%, which had been the highest among the nation’s large public pensions. The decision to lower the portfolio’s annual earning estimate added $1.8 billion to the system’s unfunded liability, but had no influence on retiree benefits. The board in May also committed to reamortization, a process of refinancing billions of dollars in unfunded liability held by KPERS. Amortization is a financial tool comparable to refinancing a home mortgage, because it spread KPERS’ liability over a period of decades.
Source: Kansas Reflector
JoCo, De Soto and Kansas add millions more in incentives toward Panasonic battery plant
Johnson County will add another $15 million to a growing pot of incentives dedicated to Panasonic’s new $4 billion factory planned for De Soto. The Board of County Commissioners on Thursday voted to spend $7.5 million on local road improvements and commit another $7.5 million toward building a new fire station with hazmat capabilities for the factory. Kansas officials have already committed $829 million in incentives to lure the Japanese electronics maker to De Soto. That includes $500 million in refundable tax credits, which allows the firm to not only reduce its tax burden, but receive cash directly from the state.
Source: KC Star Local News
Wichita firefighters helping in South Dakota
Some members of the Wichita Fire Department have moved north during their two-week assignment with the Kansas Forest Service Fire Suppression Module. They spent two-and-a-half days working on the Trout Fire in northwest Nebraska. From there, they headed north to the Casino Fire in southwest South Dakota. The fire is on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It has burned 12,636 acres and is at least 80% contained. According to the Wichita Fire Department, four hand crews, 10 wildland engines, one dozer, and three water tenders are assigned to the fire. The Wichita firefighters have put in handline, caught spot fires, and have completed mop-up.
Source: KSN-TV
Shawnee Mission boosts substitute pay after schools struggled to cover teacher absences last year
The Shawnee Mission school board this week unanimously approved an increase in substitute teacher pay for the upcoming school year, a move aimed at counteracting the district’s increasing struggles at finding enough classroom subs. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded teacher shortage issues in SMSD and districts nationwide and led to a shrinking substitute pool, especially last year.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Overland Park OKs solar panels for energy-efficient redesign of 75th Street fire station
Plans for reconstruction of Overland Park Fire Station 41 are moving along as the city approved the addition of solar panels to the building. The fire station, which is undergoing an energy-efficient redesign, sits near the intersection of 75th Street and Conser, just west of Metcalf Avenue. Last week, the Overland Park City Council voted to have SFS Architecture, a local firm, design a solar infrastructure for the station and increase the reconstruction project cost by $225,000 to add solar panels to the building.
Source: Prairie Village Post