Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Municipal Bond Trends for July 25, 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.

‘I’m no hero’: Retired cop becomes Cottonwood Falls fire rescuer

Saturday was not Kirk VanDegrift’s first fire rescue. But it was the first time he encountered real people. “I didn’t think. I just did it… It’s just what you do,” VanDegrift said Sunday about his actions before dawn Saturday in Cottonwood Falls. Even though one woman died, he potentially saved others. VanDegrift was sleeping when the fire developed in an apartment building at 801 Eighth Street around 4:16 a.m. “The smell of smoke woke me up,” VanDegrift said. “I thought it might be coming from my apartment, and maybe it was up in the ceiling.” When VanDegrift went outside, he instead found smoke coming from the end of an apartment building. He called 911, then went to the front of the building.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Weir water customers urged to conserve temporarily

Residents of Weir that utilize city water are being asked to conserve their use for the time being due to an accident. According to the city, a break in the Bone Creek service line is being repaired at the moment and it could take some time. Currently, the tower is very low and as a result, those on Weir City water should conserve as much as possible until tomorrow, when a fix is expected. This is not a boil order, Weir officials said only limited use is necessary by customers.
Source: KSNF/KODE

UG Commission hears study findings

The UG was formed 25 years ago from the city of Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County. The consultants discussed potential realignment for the UG. A realignment of county administration was recommended in managing department functioning. The consultants suggested putting like departments together under an assistant administrator. Currently some assistant administrators are over groups of departments that are not like each other, according to the consultants. It is an ideal time to make changes since there were two assistant administrator positions open. Also, the consultants felt the UG could benefit from collaborative work among the departments. They cited the UG’s SOAR program as an initiative that worked among departments.
Source: Wyandotte Daily

Caldwell begins process of updating 100-year-old water system

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing over $2.2 million in different infrastructure and economic development projects in rural Kansas. One of those projects is in Caldwell, a town of about 1,000 that is in desperate need of water system improvements. Monday morning, the USDA Kansas Director for Rural Development, Christy Davis, announced that the USDA is investing $2,268,200 toward eight community projects across the state. For the City of Caldwell, a $479,000 loan and a $512,000 grant will supplement previous funding for improvements to the water supply system. Funds already assigned to this project include a prior award from Rural Development’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan in the amount of $1,558,000 and a Kansas Department of Commerce-Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $600,000.
Source: KSN-TV

Kansas corrections system grapples with 22.6% vacancy rate among prison staff

Operations at the Lansing Correctional Facility were expected Wednesday to return to normal following lockdown of inmates and deployment of a tactical team and officers from other prisons to quell a melee in the maximum-security unit, state officials said. Violence erupted among inmates Friday night in Lansing’s A Unit and prisoners assaulted corrections officers responding to the disturbance. One inmate was hospitalized with a stab wound and several corrections officers were injured, the union representing officers said. David Thompson, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Corrections, said Tuesday the state prison in Leavenworth County had resumed normal operations in all but maximum-security units. He said an internal inquiry into the fighting, described as a riot by union representatives, would be conducted.
Source: Andover American

Topeka housing market one of the ‘Hottest’ in the nation

The City of Topeka has been ranked as one of the top housing markets in both the U.S. and the state of Kansas. According to Realtor.com, Topeka’s “Hotness Rank” is 14 when compared to June’s hottest real estate markets. Affordable metros are more favorable to people looking for a deal when compared to pricey cities across the country. “Home sales continue to be strong in Shawnee County,” said Linda Briden, CEO of the Sunflower Association of Realtors. “Topeka continues to be the top housing market in Kansas and, at No. 14, one of the best housing markets in the United States. Topeka-area realtors are eager to help new families discover their next home in our incredible community.”
Source: KSNT 27 News

Unemployment rates up across state for month of June

Kansas’ unemployment rate increased slightly between May and June, however, Kansas Labor Secretary Amber Schultz says employment rates are still in a good place. The state did see a robust level of hiring for the month adding 4,600 new jobs, however, due to inflation, real-hourly earnings did decline by 4.1 percent compared to June 2021. Unemployment rates were up across most of the KVOE listening area between May and June. Lyon County’s unemployment rate increased from 2.2 percent to 2.7 percent.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

There are no dog parks in west Wichita. Some City Council members want to change that

When Reece Hembree takes his dog, Simba, to the dog park, he has to drive east. That’s because Hembree lives out west, and the closest dog park is on Meridian, in north central Wichita. “The closest one I saw was like 11 to 12 miles away, and I was like, ‘OK,’” he said. “It’s not bad, but it would be pretty convenient to have one somewhere in west Wichita.” That’s a common request, the two City Council members who represent west Wichita say.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Investors Bet Fed Will Need to Cut Interest Rates Next Year to Bolster the Economy

As the Federal Reserve prepares to meet this week, Wall Street investors are betting that officials will raise interest rates aggressively through the end of the year—and then turn around and start cutting them in six months. The unusual wager reflects investors’ growing sense that the Fed is driving the economy into a recession as it tries to fight inflation, analysts said. At the same time, by constraining longer-term borrowing costs, it makes a recession slightly less likely to happen soon. That is a boost to riskier assets such as stocks, compared with a more traditional bet that rates wouldn’t boomerang so quickly. Bets on the future course of short-term interest rates play a decisive role in determining yields on U.S. government bonds. Those in turn set a floor on borrowing costs across the economy, with higher yields curbing growth and lower yields boosting it.
Source: WSJ.com

USDA Invests Nearly $2.3 Million in Community Infrastructure and Economic Development in Eight Rural Kansas Communities

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Kansas Director for Rural Development Christy Davis today announced that USDA is investing $2,268,200 toward eight community projects across the state. … Project details of today’s eight announcements are:

A $33,000 grant will assist Thrive Allen County, Inc. with a Feasibility Study to create an incubator/accelerator space for Allen County. The space would increase economic development by creating an inviting, supportive space for entrepreneurs in the area.
A $202,000 grant will assist The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, in conjunction with partners Pittsburg State University Small Business Development Center and Kansas Works, expand services to small businesses. Assistance provided will include access to local employment opportunities, increased access in business education, workforce development, and job training opportunities. It is anticipated that 100 full time jobs will be created.
A $30,200 grant will help purchase a fully equipped patrol vehicle to enhance the work of the City of South Hutchinson‘s Police Department.
A $55,000 loan and a $35,000 grant will help purchase four transportation vehicles for individuals with developmental disabilities in Marshall and Washington Counties. The three transport vehicles and one maintenance truck will replace older vehicles with high mileage and high maintenance costs. Once all the vehicles are put into service, they will meet the basic needs of the individuals with developmental disabilities for many years to come.
A $577,000 loan and a $291,000 grant will provide additional funding for renovating the water and sewer system in the City of Caney. Funds previously obligated for this project include $600,000 from the Kansas Department of Commerce and loans and grants totaling $4,765,800 from USDA Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal.
A $24,000 grant will be used toward an engineer to evaluate the current wastewater system for the City of Susank. A preliminary Engineering Report will outline any appropriate corrective actions needed.
A $479,000 loan and a $512,000 grant will supplement previous funding for improvements to the water supply system of the City of Caldwell. Funds already assigned to this project include a prior award from Rural Development’s Water and Waste Disposal Loan in the amount of $1,558,000 and Kansas Department of Commerce-Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $600,000. This project ensures that the city will have safe and reliable water for many years to come.
A $30,000 grant will be used to evaluate the wastewater collection system and treatment facility in La Harpe. An engineer will evaluate the current system and propose a plan for repairing and modernizing the water system. Once completed the city will have the information needed to develop a final wastewater system project.

Amelia Earhart statue lands in Congress 23 years after Kansas started effort

Kansas aviation pioneer and advocate for women’s equal rights Amelia Earhart will be honored this week with a bronze statue in Congress, an effort that has taken more than two decades to accomplish. Congress will unveil the statue Wednesday, making Earhart the 11th woman enshrined in the National Statuary Hall Collection. The effort has taken 23 years since the Kansas Legislature voted in 1999 to replace the state’s two statues with Earhart and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It took four years to get Eisenhower’s statue in Congress.
Source: Salina Journal

Municipal Bond Trends for July 22, 2022

Panasonic’s De Soto plant will put a charge into KC-area economy

Kansas and the Kansas City region are riding high after winning the megaproject known for months only as Project Ocean. Plans by Panasonic Energy Co. Ltd. to build a $4 billion electric-vehicle battery plant in De Soto bring the promise of 4,000 jobs. More than that, they position the region as a new player amid a sea change in how the world powers vehicles and other products of everyday life. “We will be the production epicenter for batteries that will power the increasing demand for EVs and a more sustainable world,” Gov. Laura Kelly said at a July 13 news conference. “A new facility of this size is transformational not only for Johnson County, but also for the surrounding area. … We’ve shown that the state of Kansas is truly a winning investment for companies small, large and mega-sized.”of Kansas. Gov. Laura Kelly says the state will be “the production epicenter for batteries that will power the increasing demand for EVs and a more sustainable world.”
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

Nevada official: Tesla/Panasonic gigafactory offers excitement, lessons for KC area

“People don’t realize what an investment like this, and a name like Panasonic … means.” Forms of this statement have come from scores of government, development and business officials since the announcement that Panasonic Corp. plans to build a $4 billion battery plant in De Soto. But the above quote means even more because it comes from someone who has seen firsthand what such a project can do for — and to — a region. Mike Kazmierski, CEO of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, has watched the buildup of Tesla Gigafactory Nevada. Tesla and Panasonic share the plant for battery manufacturing. The plant will bring big changes for the region — great opportunities and tough challenges, Kazmierski said. A key to maximizing the former and handling the latter is quick, collaborative efforts. “Time is not your friend on this,” he said. “Time goes faster than you can imagine.”
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

Communities designate ‘cool off areas’

With temperatures forecasted to remain above 100 degrees for the next week, several communities in Crawford County have designated “cooling off areas” open to the public should residents have issues with their air conditioning or just need to stop in during errands.
Source: Morning Sun

‘Miracle Mile’: Flurry of openings energizes Iola’s State Street business corridor

The timing may be a coincidence, with several Iola businesses opening (or reopening) within weeks of each other. But that activity also brings a palpable sense of enthusiasm, notes Jonathan Goering of Thrive Allen County. Goering serves as Thrive’s economic development director for Iola, Allen County and Humboldt, and has watched — and occasionally assisted — as several businesses have opened this summer. The fun started when the owners of Yates Center’s Vaqueros Mexican Restaurant decided to open a second location, Vaqueros II, in the building formerly occupied by the Greenery and Inn Club. That was followed in late May with Westco — which had been shuttered since last September after a torrential rain caused the furniture store’s building to collapse.
Source: The Iola Register

Sedgwick County Zoo opens new train ride attraction

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Friday for a new attraction at the Sedgwick County Zoo. The Martha C. Buford Safari Express will take Zoo visitors on a 1.3 mile trip, offering never-before seen views from behind the scenes. The Zoo’s president and chief executive officer, Scott Newland, said there are two C.P. Huntington Electric Trains that will provide the trip. He said riders will hear recordings from animal care staff on the conservation efforts going on at the Zoo. Sedgwick County Commission Chairman David Dennis, who is a board member for the Zoo, said the train has been on the wish list for many years. He said it was made possible by the generosity of the Buford family and the community. Dennis said the train is part of a 25-year master plan for the future of the Zoo, and he said recent improvements at the Zoo are just scratching the surface on the exceptional growth that is in store for the future.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Edgerton approves ticketing minors on sidewalks

City council approved enforcing prohibition of motorized wheeled devices on city streets, highways and sidewalks through citations at their Thursday, July 14 council meeting. Edgerton’s current city code bans operation of a motorized device with wheels defined by a propelled motor or battery used to transport a person and is not required to be registered with the Kansas Department of Revenue Motor Vehicles Department. These are usually electric mini bikes, electric go carts and more operated by minors. The updated code changes from the Sheriff’s office escorting a child home to giving the minor a citation for a traffic infraction through the municipal court.
Source: Gardner News

De Soto approves TIF, setting the table for Panasonic’s incoming megaproject

The De Soto City Council unanimously approved two tax increment financing project plans totaling 605 acres in the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, clearing a path to provide local incentives to Panasonic Energy Co. Ltd. The first, 309-acre plan area will house a $4 billion, 4,000-job electric-vehicle battery plant, which the Japanese electronics conglomerate this month announced it would build in Kansas, after months of state competition with Oklahoma. The second, 296-acre plan area sits just south and could support a potential $4 billion second phase, should Panasonic opt to expand. Both areas are southeast of 103rd Street and Dual Drive, within a larger 5,877-acre TIF district De Soto approved in January so the future property tax increment could be redirected toward new site infrastructure.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal – The Business Journals

JoCo weighs $15M for infrastructure improvements to support De Soto plant

Next week the Johnson County Board of Commissioners will consider providing $15 million to support infrastructure improvements in De Soto. Earlier this month Panasonic announced it will create a $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant on the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant. The new plant is expected to create 4,000 new jobs paying an average of $30 an hour. Once construction is complete, the plant is expected to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Before work begins on the new battery plant, the board will consider allocating county funds to support the development through road improvements and the construction of a new fire station.
Source: Kansas City Business News

Sedgwick County Health Department recommending people wear masks indoors

Due to the high community level rating, the Sedgwick County Health Department is now recommending that people wear masks indoors even if they are vaccinated. The department says that last week the community level in Sedgwick County rose from low to medium and then from medium to high. The amount of confirmed new positive cases has been slowly rising since early march. The department says that there are 844 new cases for the week ending on July 20. For comparison, there were 517 new cases in the same week in June. COVID-19 hospitalization has risen as well. Approximately 200 beds in Kansas hospitals are being used for COVID patients. This is up from 100 in June.
Source: KAKE – News

Bird e-scooters to arrive in Olathe this week

Starting Monday, electric scooters from Bird Inc. will be rolled out across Olathe. It’s part of an agreement with the city government and the shared microtransit provider expected to bring up to 200 scooters to Olathe. The initial disbursement will be about 50 scooters placed around the city.
Source: Parsons Sun

Mulberry PD helps residents beat the heat

With temperatures holding steady at over 100 degrees for the past few days, Mulberry Chief of Police Joey Adelman has been out with his officers checking on the town’s 424 residents. “I have watched our Chief and his guys go door to door to check on the elderly and less fortunate families during this heat wave to make sure they have what they need,” said Mulberry resident Brad Lawson. “Also, when they get done checking them, they hand out bottles of cold water and food to those out in this heat.” According to Adelman, he and his officers have distributed over 1,000 bottles of water over the past month.
Source: Morning Sun

Red tape threatens rollout of infrastructure package

The Biden Administration will host a summit this fall to help cities and states in line for federal infrastructure funds avoid the tangle of red tape that is known to stall American projects. As funds begin to flow from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the government is eyeing ways to manage issues like permitting, community opposition and litigation, which have long driven up the costs and timeline of American infrastructure projects. Those challenges are on top of the current economic hurdles of inflation and a tight labor force…. The summit will focus on improving project delivery and the administration’s permitting action plan and highlight projects that have gone smoothly. The White House has unfurled its own set of red tape with the IIJA, said DJ Gribbin, founder of consulting firm Madrus and former Special Assistant to President Trump for Infrastructure, and one of the panelists at the conference. With 375 different programs, including 125 brand new ones, and new reporting and regulatory requirements for all agencies, the IIJA is a “hot mess,” Gribbin said. “It creates lots of communication but every one of those communications takes time and effort,” Gribbin said. “There’s going to be lots of programs, lots of money, lots of chaos.”
Source: The Bond Buyer

Municipal Bond Trends for July 21, 2022

De Soto residents are excited for Panasonic’s battery plant, but ‘this is a big jump for us’

People in De Soto, Kansas, are feeling hopeful about the future of their town after Panasonic announced on July 13 that it will build a $4 billion plant in the town to make electric vehicle batteries for Tesla. Still, they have concerns about the environmental ramifications of the plant and how ready De Soto is to welcome thousands of newcomers. Kansas officials estimate that the factory will bring about 4,000 new jobs to the quickly growing town on the edge of western Kansas City. The state subsidies of more than $829 million — about $200,000 per employee — are tied to those employment levels.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Wellington City Council meets in City Manager Shane Shield’s last council meeting

The Wellington City Council met on Tuesday for City Manager Shane Shields’ last council meeting. Shields has been the City Manager for over six years and has been working for Wellington for the last 20. He’ll be sorely missed, but thankfully his last meeting went out without a hitch…
Source: Sumner NewsCow

Gov. Kelly Announces Formation of New Wildfire Task Force

Governor Laura Kelly announced the creation of the Governor’s Wildfire Task Force, a group of leaders from across the state, to create recommendations for how Kansas communities can better prevent, respond to, and recover from wildfires. The Task Force met for the first time on Wednesday. Several parts of Kansas have experienced large-scale wildfires in the last 10 years, causing catastrophic financial losses and threatening the safety of residents, fire fighters, and first responders. The Governor’s Wildfire Task Force will take a comprehensive look at mitigating wildfire threats, review the role that local governments and state officials play in responding to such emergencies, and address how these entities can provide more support to communities impacted by devastating wildfires.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Local police take specialized training to help opioid epidemic

As the number of drug overdose deaths continues to climb across Kansas (nationwide, the daily average for opioid overdose deaths is 130 people), special Naloxone training sessions for law enforcement agencies are being held throughout the state. “For us, it’s seconds gained that will potentially save lives,” said Sergeant Christopher Tener with the Wichita State University (WSU) Police Department. There were 20 officers from at least four different police departments (including the Wichita Police Department, the Derby Police Department and the Park City Police Department) who gathered at WSU Wednesday for the city’s first-ever Naloxone training session. “The goal is going to be to do more events like this where we can train a lot of agencies to go back and then train the officers and deputies that work for those various agencies,” said Daniel Donovan, the Community Support Specialist for DCCCA, an organization that provides social and community services.
Source: KSN-TV

Valley Center will have first-of-its-kind 3D printed housing community

A Wichita startup working to revolutionize the way homes are built in Kansas has its first development project lined up in Valley Center. CC3D, a startup from the Wichita-based Crain Company, plans to build a first-of-its-kind neighborhood of 3D-printed concrete duplexes with around 100 rental units. The development is expected to go up on a 20-acre site that’s on the south side of 77th Street and east of Meridian. Eric Ross, CC3D’s CEO, said the innovative home construction method is faster and more sustainable than traditional wood framing, with the goal of putting “a little bit of a dent” in housing inventory shortages.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Amazon employees in Kansas can pursue college degree from Butler under new program

Amazon employees in Kansas have the opportunity to advance their education through a new program with Butler Community College, the El Dorado school announced. Amazon, which has a fulfillment center in Park City and a distribution facility in northeast Wichita, has selected Butler to serve as the region’s only two-year college provider for the company’s Career Choice program, which assists full- and part-time employees as they learn new skills to advance their careers at Amazon or elsewhere.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Hill’s to use former city council chambers in Tonganoxie

Hill’s Pet Nutrition will be utilizing the former city council chambers in Tonganoxie. The pet food company’s agreement with the city of Tonganoxie was approved at a recent Tonganoxie City Council meeting. Hill’s will use the space at 321 Delaware St. for business needs as the company continues to build its $250 million plant at Tonganoxie Business Park that’s expected to cover at least 300,000 square feet.
Source: TonganoxieMirror.com stories

Poverty simulation boosts understanding

StepMC has been helping the McPherson community understand poverty for over 10 years and will continue that mission this Thursday, July 23, with a poverty simulation. StepMC was founded in 2010 by a group of city leaders who recognized the problem of poverty in the community. They realized that the programs in place at the time were not addressing the underlying issues. McPherson had resources to help pay rent and utilities or get food at the time, but there were no programs to help people get out of poverty. Those leaders recognized that building relationships across socioeconomic lines had the potential to help lift those living in poverty out of poverty. “StepMC is in a unique niche. We help fill the gap between concrete resources and where people need to get to, to be thriving,” Austin Regier, director of StepMC, said. StepMC makes an effort to uplift people in poverty and recognize their power and work in the community.
Source: McPherson Weekly News

Emporia Main Street celebrates accomplishments

Emporia Main Street had a lot to celebrate last year, and it’s looking to expand on those successes over the next year. Main Street had its annual meeting at the Lyon County History Center on Wednesday. Main Street Director Casey Woods says successes like the startup of the Fab Lab, a second business going into the Incubator space and upper-story housing are all promises kept to the community, which is important because people are drawn to results. For the next year, he says Main Street needs to “tell a different story.” Main Street also announced its award winners, including the Lyon County History Center for the J Warren Brinkman Preservation Award.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

Lifeguard shortages lead to more changes at McPherson Water Park

Lifeguard shortages continue to cause changes at McPherson Water Park. Staffing shortages have led to the water park being closed on Mondays. On Tuesday, the city commission made additional changes to help keep the water park open for the remainder of the season. All swimming parties scheduled for July and August have been canceled. There will be 10 total refunds given, totaling $2,225. Additionally, the McPherson Recreation Commission free swim special event has been canceled for the year. “Right now, the most important thing is to ensure that the greatest priority remains on safety, not just that of our residents but also the safety of our employees,” Wayne Burns, director of public lands and facilities said.
Source: McPherson Weekly News

Cleanup at old Sunflower site still years from completion, but Army says that shouldn’t impact Panasonic factory

Roughly 25 years after its closure, cleanup on the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant south of K-10 highway in De Soto is still forecast to take at least six more years, even as a new $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant is set to be built on the long-abandoned site. At a public meeting Wednesday night at De Soto City Hall, representatives from the U.S. Army gave an update on ongoing efforts to clear the site of explosive and contaminated materials. The U.S. Army has been working on remediation efforts alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and several contractors since 2015.
Source: Prairie Village Post

JoCo homeowners can get money back for sustainable yard projects

There’s still a lot of summer left, Johnson County — leaving ample time for home improvement projects. If you’re undertaking a DIY endeavor especially around your yard this summer, you may consider getting some money back if it’s an eco-friendly addition like a rain barrel, native plantings or a compost bin. There are several Johnson County cities that offer reimbursements for such projects through city or county-sponsored programs. But to be clear, the programs in this story are specifically yard-related and differ from other local sustainability grant programs that reimburse residents for things like solar panel installations.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Lenexa could soon become last big JoCo city to put public meeting videos online

The Lenexa City Council may soon be joining Johnson County’s other larger cities in providing recordings of their regular meetings online. Among Johnson County’s largest cities, Lenexa is the only one that currently does not livestream its city council meetings. Overland Park, Olathe, Prairie Village, Shawnee and Leawood all livestream their city council meetings on their YouTube channels or city websites and also archive videos of past meetings online. Lenexa currently does provide audio clips of meetings on request, but staff members said those requests are infrequent.
Source: Prairie Village Post

JoCo residents seek help from Kansas AG after losing legal challenge to Edgerton warehouse project

In the year and a half since she began trying to stop a slew of warehouses from being built on rural land dotted with single-family homes near Edgerton, Jennifer Williams has gotten used to hearing the metaphorical sound of doors slamming shut. Challenges to city hall on annexation and rezoning, a stab at creating a new city – all failed. But another failure, this time in court, has re-energized Williams and her group, Protect Rural JoCo. On paper, it still counts as a loss, but that matters less to Williams than what the judge said during the hearing. Those comments have convinced her that the annexation of land near her home in south Johnson County that cleared the way for a 600-acre warehouse development is illegal, and at least that one judge agrees.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Drainage concern raises need for city oversight in Scott City

A new asphalt parking lot to the west of the First Christian Church may be a welcome addition for members of the congregation, but not so much for the Scott County Library less than a half block to the south. Concerns with the flow of water off the asphalt surface were raised during Monday’s Scott City Council meeting. Because the library is at a lower elevation than the parking lot, water will inevitably flow in that direction. … The council decided that if there are any issues with drainage they will need to be resolved between the church and
the county since the library is county-owned. However, it also raised the need for large, flat work – parking lots, concrete foundations, etc., to be approved by the city. “At this time the city does not require permitting for flat work, but that’s going to change,” said City Administrator Brad Pendergast.
Source: Scott County Record

Lawrence approves regulations, fees for long-term program to allow patios in downtown parking stalls

After some debate about increasing the fee beyond the proposed $1,000 per parking stall, city leaders adopted the proposed long-term regulations for a program that has temporarily allowed downtown businesses to construct patios and outdoor dining areas in downtown parking stalls. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 4-1, with Vice Mayor Lisa Larsen opposed, to adopt an ordinance that establishes limitations, design criteria and other regulations for the “parklets,” and charges businesses $1,000 per year per parking stall used. Though a few commissioners said they would consider increasing the fee, ultimately commissioners decided to stick with what was proposed, noting that fees could be increased in the future if appropriate.
Source: LJWorld

Concerns grow about blocked crossings in Marshall County

Union Pacific trains blocking crossings in Marshall County has gained more attention in recent years as trains have gotten longer, some extending beyond two miles. The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office issued a reminder to the public last week to contact the Federal Railroad Administration through their website if they have concerns about long waits for trains to pass at highway, town or county road intersections.
Source: The Marysville Advocate

A look at Iola’s Past — Riverside Park shaped local sports legacies

The one constant through all the years of Iola sports has been Riverside Park, from harness races in the early years of the 20th century, to track meets ball games and swimming competitions today. Riverside Park once looked nothing like it does today. Not even close. Longtime Iolan Donna Houser and Riverside Park aficionado gave this newcomer an overview of the park’s history and its significance. In fact, the stadium’s Mustang locker room is named after her late husband, Ray, a longtime football coach. The Iola High School class of 1987 was instrumental in its removation. “We moved to Iola 68 years ago,” said Houser. “I had a teaching job and he loved football and teaching history and that’s what he did… We were the smallest school in the league in ‘66. We played Coffeyville and Pittsburg and they were a lot bigger.” On Feb. 26, 1938, it was announced a levee would be built around Riverside Park. The stadium was constructed in 1939.
Source: The Iola Register