Kansas Municipal News
Water woes in Towanda: Close to $114,000 down the drain
A mysterious water leak in Towanda has city officials scrambling to find out when and how it happened. In a city council meeting just last month it was announced the leak was losing 50,000 gallons of water per day costing the city approximately $114,000. City Administrator Andy Newbrey said, “This whole thing has been baffling.” Newbrey thinks the leak started in June of 2023 when water costs jumped but after further investigation, he realized it may have started in June of 2022.
Source: KAKE – News
Can one tax solve problems with a different kind of tax?
Could higher sales taxes be the answer to slowing skyrocketing property taxes? That’s one idea Sedgwick County commissioners are discussing. Property tax relief is a growing concern for Kansans across the state, leaving local and state leaders scrambling for ways to lesson the burden. “We knew it was going to go up,” said Jeremy Lankton, a Sedgwick County homeowner.
Source: KAKE – News
Hays celebrates the grand opening of a new MicroFactory
The City of Hays is celebrating the grand opening of a new MicroFactory on Wednesday. … GrowHays said the MicroFactory is designed to meet the needs of startup manufacturers. The goal is to build a manufacturing base in Ellis County.
Source: KSN-TV
Battery energy storage system approval a decision not to be taken lightly
While Concurrent seeks predictability and wants to lower its risk of investing in a project only to have the city deny its permit, Halstead is taking a look at its own risks—namely, how safe are battery energy storage systems (BESS)? Last month, legal counsel told Halstead’s planning commission that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) developed Standard 855 to provide minimum installation requirements for mitigating the hazards associated with energy storage systems. Standard 855 was developed in response to the many fires and explosions taking place. It was published in 2019. Harvey County Now will continue to research, but so far has been unsuccessful in finding firm data, probably because BESSs are still so new.
Source: Harvey County Now
Newton parks department preparing for spring at the cemeteries
In addition to maintaining parks, the City of Newton Parks Department is responsible for maintaining Newton’s loved ones’ final resting places. Parks Superintendent Hondo Collins said the cemetery keeps the department busy year-round, but with the warmer weather coming up, maintenance would be increasing. Newton has two city-run cemeteries: Greenwood and Restlawn. According to the city, Greenwood is one of the largest municipal cemeteries in Kansas, with 15,000 filled lots and between 100 to 150 burials each year. Greenwood was founded in 1872 and is 71.35 acres. Restlawn is 15.09 acres.
Source: Harvey County Now
House moving to close part of Main Street
Being stuck behind a train is a common excuse for being late Newton. Wednesday, motorists can be stuck behind a house. The City of Newton sent out a notification that parts of Main Street will be blocked Wednesday morning as crews will begin transferring a home northward upon Main Street to North Newton. The home will be moved a little under a mile northward …
Source: Harvey County Now
Wichita man loses toy laser after pointing it at law enforcement plane, police say
A 56-year-old Wichita man had his toy laser taken from him after shining it at a law enforcement plane flying above the scene of a drive-by shooting, police said. The laser incident, which appeared on a police report released Tuesday morning, happened at 2:08 a.m. Saturday in the 600 block of South Terrace, which is near Kellogg and Oliver. The laser was pointed at a Kansas Highway Patrol plane helping police after the drive-by shooting. Police interviewed and released the man, but took his laser as evidence. It’s a federal crime to point a laser at an aircraft, with the possibility of a hefty fine and up to five years in prison.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
City of Lawrence names new director of finance
Rachelle Mathews, currently the acting chief financial officer for the City of Topeka, will be the new director of finance for the City of Lawrence. The city announced Mathews’ hire in a news release Tuesday afternoon. Her position will be effective Monday, April 15. Mathews received her Bachelor of Arts in business and accounting from Kansas Wesleyan University and her MBA from Washburn University, according to the release. She’s a certified management accountant, and she began her career in public finance as an accountant in Topeka in 2015, according to the release. She is currently studying for the Government Finance Officers Association certified public financial officer credential. “As I enter this chapter of my career, I am very much looking forward to growing and learning inside the City of Lawrence,” Mathews said in the release. “This position is more than the numbers. It’s a commitment to serving this vibrant community and contributing to the financial well-being of the organization.” Mathews is an active member of Women in Public Finance, according to the release.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Consumer prices rose 0.4% in February and 3.2% from a year ago
Inflation rose again in February, keeping the Federal Reserve on course to wait at least until the summer before starting to lower interest rates. The consumer price index, a broad measure of goods and services costs, increased 0.4% for the month and 3.2% from a year ago, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. The monthly gain was in line with expectations, but the annual rate was slightly ahead of the 3.1% forecast from the Dow Jones consensus. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, the core CPI rose 0.4% on the month and was up 3.8% on the year. Both were one-tenth of a percentage point higher than forecast. While the 12-month pace is off the inflation peak in mid-2022, it remains well above the Fed’s 2% goal as the central bank approaches its two-day policy meeting in a week.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Douglas County launching local program to restore people’s legal competency as they await trial
People who are booked into jails statewide have long waited several months — even more than a year — for beds at state mental hospitals, so their competency to understand court proceedings can be restored. Douglas County is now working on a local solution to that problem. The Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council heard a report about the program Tuesday morning. The county plans to launch the new process on April 1. The district attorney’s office cannot prosecute people who are not mentally competent to participate in their own defense, Douglas County DA Suzanne Valdez said Tuesday. Katy Fitzgerald, criminal justice coordinator for the county, said defendants are now seeing an average wait of about 14 months before a bed opens for them at a state mental hospital. But “A recent change in state legislation allowed counties — if they met certain conditions — to conduct competency evaluations and orders for restoration without sending those in custody to Larned or Osawatomie state hospitals,” according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
Source: The Lawrence Times
High nitrate levels in Yoder water warrant source change
High nitrate levels in Rural Water District 101, which serves the Yoder area, warrant a change in water sources. It is not the first time the area has dealt with the problem. “Nitrate levels have continued to be above allowable limits,” said Reno County. The last nitrate level test was on March 4 and tested at 12.5 mg/L, which exceeds the Kansas and Federal (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 mg/L. Nitrate levels in many water sources have increased due to applications of inorganic fertilizer and animal manure in agricultural areas, according to Reno County. Since initial test results and a public notice on Aug. 12, 2020, Reno County has tested quarterly. Each test has been above the EPA MCL. “On August 12, 2020, Reno County received a precautionary public notice for acute nitrate violation from KDHE,” said Reno County. “A warning was then sent to Yoder residents to limit water usage, especially for infants under 6 months. Subsequent notices were sent notifying residents that bottled water will be provided, upon request, to any household with members at increased risk from the nitrates, such as infants, nursing mothers, pregnant women, and other at-risk customers as identified by a health care provider.” Reno County says Public Works is talking to the City of Hutchinson to purchase water.
Source: KSN-TV
Municipal Bond Trends for March 12, 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.
Salina annexing more than 90 acres west of I-135 into city
More than 90 acres of land next to Interstate 135 is set to be annexed into Salina. The annexation of 92.81 acres north of Water Well Road comes after a request by a developer to the city with the intent to create a new convenience store-travel plaza in the community.
Source: Salina Journal
Muni Bond Games and the IRS’ Lurking Arbitrage Vampires
Today’s interest rates may tempt public financiers to try to play the spread between tax-exempt and taxable bond yields. That invites heightened federal scrutiny, but there are some strategies likely to avoid the bite of the IRS. … For long-term debt issued for public facilities construction, for example, there is in some cases an allowable “temporary period” of a few years during which the proceeds can be invested at a profit. In the case of short-term borrowing for operating budgets, so-called revenue anticipation notes are allowable as long as they mature within a defined time period. … For 2024 and going into 2025, it’s pretty likely that the U.S. Treasury yield curve will remain inverted, with short-term taxable rates exceeding most yields on longer-term municipal paper, so the arbitrage issue will be pervasive. The arbitrage window will close only when the Federal Reserve allows the Treasury yield curve to normalize with short rates drifting to levels materially lower than the rates on muni debt. That seems unlikely until T-bills start trading two full percentage points lower than they are in today’s market — probably not sooner than late 2025, barring a recession.
Source: Governing
Rethinking interest rate cuts
… more prominent commentators are calling on the Fed to go slow on cutting interest rates. Tuesday’s hotter-than-expected Consumer Price Index report added fuel to calls for caution. A consensus is forming that bringing down inflation to the Fed’s 2 percent target will be a long struggle, scrambling the central bank’s outlook on rate cuts. There’s more doubt now about a rate cut in June, even as markets continue to bet on one. “We think it’s a coin flip as to whether the Fed cuts interest rates in June or if it takes a more conservative approach and waits until September” …
Source: NYT Dealbook
Municipal Bond Trends for March 11, 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.
Increase in doggy day cares may trigger new regulations
The Kansas Pet Animal Advisory Board held preliminary discussions on regulating pet boarding facilities to keep animals staying at them safer. “We have seen an increase in licensees and we’ve seen an increase in complaints in that category,” said Heather Lansdowne, director of communications for the Kansas Department of Agriculture. “It involves a lot of nonrelated dogs comingling together and can be potentially problematic.” Most stays at dog boarding facilities go off without a hitch, but there have been injuries and deaths of dogs reported in Kansas facilities. Last year, an Olathe family lost both of their dogs while boarding them at a facility called Lucky Paws.
Source: CJonline
Hays set to permit golf carts on city streets
With the consideration of other low speed vehicles allowed on the roads of Hays, the Hays Commission has voted to allow the use of golf carts on public streets….. City staff’s safety recommendations [include:] golf carts have seat belts, lights, and blinkers; be operated by a licensed driver over the age of 18 and be insured…
Source: Hays Daily News
Next major Kellogg project includes expansion to 6 lanes from K-96 to Andover
Kellogg continues to expand in the Wichita metro with the next big project widening Kellogg to six lanes from K-96 to Andover. The City of Andover is looking forward to the project, in part because of what it will mean for traffic at Kellogg and 143rd. Instead of traffic being stalled at the intersection, sometimes for several minutes, it will flow seamlessly from K-96 through town. The City of Andover said one of the big reasons it’s excited about the project is traffic safety, upgraded with traffic much more easily able to flow from Andover into Wichita.
Source: KWCH
Choose Topeka program pays cash to new residents. Now it’s focusing on Latino immigrants
A Topeka program that offers cash to people who move to Shawnee County is shifting its efforts to attract Latino immigrants. The Choose Topeka program that launched in 2019 offers up to $15,000 to each applicant who finds a job and moves to the Topeka area. It’s an economic development effort by Go Topeka, a local public-private partnership. Bob Ross, a spokesperson for Go Topeka, said program officials realized that Spanish-speaking immigrants appeared to be the most interested in the incentive. Officials then began marketing the program directly to them, including both Spanish-speaking immigrants and Spanish speakers already living in the U.S. Hispanic and Latino populations are growing rapidly in the state, and Topeka has one of the larger communities. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 16.5% of Topeka’s population is Hispanic or Latino, which is roughly 20,000 people. Ross said that community has been established in Topeka for more than 100 years and is a unique feature for the city. The city has leaned into that. For instance, the Topeka school district offers dual language education where students learn in both Spanish and English in their classes. “If you’re a first-generation immigrant and you speak Spanish,” Ross said, “Topeka can be a very welcoming community for you.” The Latino population in Kansas is expected to continue growing rapidly in the decades to come.
Source: KLC Journal