Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

‘Worst educator shortage’ in Kansas history

The standards for substitute teaching in Kansas will continue to be lowered for a second consecutive semester in light of “an educator shortage that may be the worst we have ever seen” in Kansas. The Kansas State Board of Education on Wednesday voted 7-3 to temporarily expand eligibility for the state’s emergency substitute teacher license. Board members Ben Jones, Melanie Haas and Janet Waugh voted against. Ordinarily, emergency substitute teacher license holders must have a bachelor’s degree or proof of having completed at least 60 college credit hours. The board’s action on Wednesday expands that eligibility to high school graduates, subject to them clearing background and fingerprint checks.
Source: Salina Journal

Economic optimism: Reno County has record low unemployment; retirees and exporting talent part of issue

Area experts are upbeat about the economic outlook for Hutchinson and the region, despite record-low unemployment and ongoing inflation-recession worries. Meeting those challenges, however, they say, will likely require convincing more young people to start their careers in their home community or to come back as more of the aging population continues to retire. The tightest labor market for Reno County in more than 30 years means job hunters and those wanting to move up have opportunities not seen in a while, said Tucky Allen, Business Services Director for Kansas WorkforceOne.
Source: Hutch News

Powell vows that the Fed is ‘acutely focused’ on bringing down inflation

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell reiterated the central bank’s commitment to bringing down inflation, saying Friday that it’s essential for the global financial system. “The Federal Reserve’s strong commitment to our price stability mandate contributes to the widespread confidence in the dollar as a store of value. To that end, my colleagues and I are acutely focused on returning inflation to our 2 percent objective,” Powell said in introductory remarks for a Fed-sponsored conference on the global role of the U.S. currency. Those remarks come two days after the Federal Open Market Committee voted to raise benchmark interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point to a targeted range of 1.5%-1.75%. Banks use the rate to set borrowing costs for short-term loans they provide to each other, but it also feeds through to a multitude of consumer products like credit cards, home equity loans and auto financing.
Source: CNBC

Lawrence Police Department creates position devoted to diversity and community engagement

The Lawrence Police Department has announced changes to its organizational structure, including the creation of a new position in the chief’s office devoted to diversity and community engagement. According to the announcement, which came this week in a memo to the Lawrence City Commission, Lt. Myrone Grady, who already is employed by LPD, has been named as the department’s first executive officer for diversity and community engagement.
Source: LJWorld

City of Olpe hosts roughly 600 visitors as part of Biking Across Kansas tour Thursday night

The City of Olpe played host to several hundred cyclists from across the state Thursday evening. Riders in the annual Biking Across Kansas event concluded day six of their journey across the state at Olpe High School where students, staff and residents put on a special meal to welcome roughly 600 individuals. … USD 252 Superintendent Mike Argabright says he was grateful for the opportunity to showcase the Olpe community to the visiting riders.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio

Municipal Bond Trends for June 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.

Bourbon County Jail Inmates Moved to Other Counties

Bourbon County Jail inmates are being sent to other counties, according to the Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center Administrator. “The Bourbon County Jail will be farming out most, if not all, of their inmates to other counties in southeast Kansas,” said Major Bobby Reed in an email with the daily reports sent to news entities. “The facility is doing this because of staffing shortages.” “Approximately 56 inmates out of 65 are being housed elsewhere,” Reed noted to fortscott.biz.” The cost (to the county) is $40 per day per inmate.” That amounts to $2,240 per day in payments to other counties, by Bourbon County. … Staffing is at a critical point. “I have 16 positions when fully staffed,” he said. “I have not been fully staffed in a long time.”
Source: Fort Scott Biz

Fireworks to be discharged in North Newton for one day

A couple of citizens expressed concerns during the Monday night North Newton City Council meeting about extending the days fireworks can be ignited in town during a lengthy discussion about the matter. Gwen Neufeld and Evelyn Adams were against the proposed idea of extending the days to Saturday and Sunday, since the Fourth of July in on a Monday this year. The amount of time fireworks can be discharged in North Newton is only on the Fourth of July. “There’s a reason people don’t want to live on the other side of the railroad tracks,” Neufeld told the council, adding the nightmare of the noise used to stress her out when her children were quite young. … City Administrator Kyle Fiedler told the council they received copies of an email and letter sent to the city against extending fireworks days. He also said the city of Newton is allowing the sale and discharge of fireworks from June 27 through July 4 and that the North Newton Council hasn’t addressed changing the town’s stance on the matter for 23 years.
Source: Harvey County Now

Girard police officer & restauranter to compete in Nat’l BBQ competition

The search to find one of the best outdoor cooks could hold the power to help make a Southeast Kansas couple’s dream come true. “I never for a moment thought I was going to make it as far as I have,” said James Jarvis, Hero’s BBQ Co-Owner. Girard Police Officer James Jarvis is currently competing in the Char Champion Competition, a search to find one of the best outdoor cooks in North America. “If I’m not mistaken, there were approximately 25,000 plus entrants in this competition. We’ve been fortunate enough to advance to the quarterfinals,” said Mr. Jarvis.
Source: KSNF/KODE

KDOT bridge inspector resigns after railing falls in Topeka

KDOT announced Thursday one of its bridge inspector has resigned after pieces of the Polk-Quincy Viaduct fell from the bridge earlier this week. KDOT said it conducted an internal review of the bridge inspection process. During that review, KDOT discovered the inspection of the Polk-Quincy Viaduct on May 23, 2022, did not follow protocols, according to a press release. This comes after a 60-foot barrier wall fell off the Polk-Quincy Viaduct into an empty parking lot on June 11. The falling wall was likely due to high temperatures and deterioration of the steel that connects the concrete barrier to the viaduct deck.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Wichita’s housing market is still hot, but what about future sales — and appraisals?

Nationally, the housing market may be experiencing a correction, but in Wichita, there’s still a boom on. That’s because the greater Wichita area is still seriously short of houses, so it comes down to supply and demand. “It’s economics 101,” said John McKenzie, president and CEO of Coldwell Banker Plaza Real Estate, who is in his 50th year in real estate. He said the past 24 months — particularly the past 12 months — are like nothing he’s seen before. That includes potential buyers “crawling all over each other other” at a home with 18 showings in a day and, in some cases, houses selling for double their asking prices. McKenzie said some two-bedroom, one-bath houses that used to be in the mid $70,000 to low $80,000 range have been selling for $140,00 to $150,000. “It’s just absolutely nutty,” he said. “Until we get inventory up, we’re going to continue to see the market that we’re in.”
Source: Wichita Eagle

Douglas County Commission denies petition to incorporate City of Clearfield

Douglas County won’t be adding a new city within its borders for now, after the Douglas County Commission denied a petition to incorporate the proposed City of Clearfield following a three-hour public hearing on Wednesday night. The commission cited a few chief concerns as reasons for that decision. Among them were that there was no concrete plan for how to provide city government services and that the 18-square-mile boundary proposed for the community — which would have made Clearfield roughly the 13th-largest city in the state by land area covered — might have a maximum population density of only dozens of people per square mile.
Source: LJWorld

Why Rural Americans Keep Waiting for Fast Internet, Despite Billions Spent

The U.S. government has spent billions of dollars on several rounds of programs to upgrade internet speeds in rural areas over the past decade. Despite those efforts, many residents are still stuck with service that isn’t fast enough to do video calls or stream movies—speeds that most take for granted. Many communities have been targeted for broadband upgrades at least twice already, but flaws in the programs’ design have left residents wanting.
Source: WSJ

Municipal Bond Trends for June 15, 2022

Powell says the Fed could hike rates by 0.75 percentage point again in July

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday he expects the central bank to raise interest rates by a similar magnitude again at the next policy meeting in July. “From the perspective of today, either a 50 basis point or a 75 basis point increase seems most likely at our next meeting,” Powell said a press conference following the central bank’s policy decision on Wednesday. “We anticipate that ongoing rate increases will be appropriate.” “The pace of those changes will continue to depend on incoming data and evolving outlook on the economy,” Powell said. “Clearly, today’s 75 basis point increase is an unusually large one, and I do not expect moves of this size to be common.”
Source: CNBC

Fed hikes its benchmark interest rate by 0.75 percentage point, the biggest increase since 1994

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday launched its biggest broadside yet against inflation, raising benchmark interest rates three-quarters of a percentage point in a move that equates to the most aggressive hike since 1994. Ending weeks of speculation, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee took the level of its benchmark funds rate to a range of 1.5%-1.75%, the highest since just before the Covid pandemic began in March 2020. Additionally, members indicated a much stronger path of rate increases ahead to arrest inflation moving at its fastest pace going back to December 1981, according to one commonly cited measure. According to the “dot plot” of individual members’ expectations, the Fed’s benchmark rate will end the year at 3.4%, an upward revision of 1.5 percentage points from the March estimate. The committee then sees the rate rising to 3.8% in 2023, a full percentage point ramp higher.
Source: CNBC

Newton resident makes a case to quiet trains

Zelly Walker asked the Newton City Commission to do something about train noise. That something she suggested would be to put in a partial quiet zone during the evening in Newton. To do so, the city of Newton would need to apply for a variance with the Federal Railroad Administration. She mentioned multiple communities in Kansas, such as Dodge City, Parsons, Fort Scott Overland Park, Lenexa, Edgerton and Belle Plaine had all been successful in establishing quiet zones – places where trains don’t have to blare their horns going through intersections.
Walker said Newton is having more trains and they seem to be sounding their horns longer.
Source: Harvey County Now

Pottawatomie County employees to receive mid-year pay raise of 3.5 percent

Pottawatomie County employees will get a slight mid-year pay increase following commission action Monday morning in Westmoreland. Commissioners unanimously settled on a 3.5 percent increase, effective July 1 to help assist employees struggling to stay afloat amid rising inflation. The increase was agreed upon after an initial proposal Monday from County Administrator Chad Kinsley, seeking a 10 percent pay increase for employees, rivaling a 10.5 percent increase Riley County approved last month.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Kansas universities get $24 million to research disaster response tools

A new research initiative is providing universities and colleges in Kansas with $24 million to research how the state can better support residents before and after disaster emergencies. The Adaptive and Resilient Infrastructures Driven by Social Equity, or ARISE, project is a federally funded program through the National Science Foundation. The five-year initiative will partner 17 institutions ranging from universities to business leaders, health professionals and other community stakeholders to advance the resiliency of the state infrastructure. The project involves $20 million in federal funding, and an additional $4 million from the state.
Source: Atchison Globe Now

NOTO bike ordinance changed by Topeka City Council

The Topeka City Council is changing the rules on a recently-passed ordinance that bans bikes from sidewalks in North Topeka. On Tuesday, the Topek City Council voted to continue to allow bicycles, scooters, skateboards and roller skates on sidewalks on Northeast Morse Street and the bridge from Oakland to North Topeka. Starting next month, riders will no longer be allowed on the rest of the sidewalks in the North Topeka Arts District. Shop owners and people who frequent NOTO might be aware of the small sidewalks. This is the main reason for this new city ordinance. Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala says to her, this seems like a common sense solution and a win-win.
Source: KSNT 27 News

It could cost more to rent a golf cart, buy a membership at Wichita golf courses

Wichita golfers could pay 15% more for memberships and $1.50 more for golf carts if park board-approved increases receive City Hall’s OK. The Board of Park Commissioners will propose the price increases to the City Council sometime next month. The park board agreed on the proposal during a meeting June 13. The plan to raise prices comes roughly three months after the council voted not to privatize the city’s four golf courses. Annual golf memberships vary in price, with the most expensive one $114.44 for a couples’ membership. That means the biggest dollar increase for memberships would be around $17. Director of Parks and Recreation Troy Houtman said the increase would still be affordable and is needed to continue to make a profit.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

ReConnect Program Webinars FY2022

Preparing for ReConnect Round 4

Presented by USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS), this webinar will provide information about the ReConnect Program, and help prepare applicants ahead of the next Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

Staff from RUS will conduct two webinars that provide a brief overview of the ReConnect Program and helpful tips about assembling portions of the application ahead of time. Both webinars will cover the same information:

What applicants can do now to prepare for the next FOA
System registration and applicant identification requirements
A high-level look at eligibility requirements
Tips on the application system
An opportunity to ask questions about how to prepare

Slides, a transcript, and a recording of the webinar will be posted on the ReConnect website after the session.

Please note: RUS is also planning a series of ReConnect webinars and workshops which will focus on the upcoming FOA, key portions of the application requirements, and the entire application system.

Webinar Dates and Times

Both webinars will cover the same information; no new information will be added to the second webinar. Please register for the session that’s most convenient for you:

Wednesday, June 22, 2022 from 1:00PM to 3:00PM Eastern

Wednesday, June 29, 2022 from 1:00PM to 3:00PM Eastern

You can also find registration links at the events page on the ReConnect website.

Here’s everything the Fed is expected to announce, including the biggest rate hike in 28 years

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday is expected to do something it hasn’t done in 28 years — increase interest rates by three quarters of a percentage point. In response to soaring inflation and volatile financial markets, the central bank will hike the rate that banks charge each other for overnight borrowing to a range of 1.5%-1.75%, where it hasn’t been since before the pandemic crisis began. … Goldman Sachs said new language in the statement could indicate that the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee “anticipates that raising the target range expeditiously will be appropriate until it sees clear and convincing evidence that inflation is moderating,” implying a high bar for reverting to [25 basis point] hikes.”
Source: CNBC

Lack of affordable and other housing options in Lawrence highlighted in homeless needs report

City leaders on Tuesday heard some of the findings of a study that examined homelessness in the area as well as factors that affect the community’s ability to address the issue, including the shortage of affordable housing options and a lack of permanent supportive housing. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission received a presentation from the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research on the 2021-2022 Douglas County Homelessness Interim Needs Assessment. Some of the key early findings of the study are that the current housing options in the community are not enough to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness or those at risk of experiencing homelessness.
Source: LJWorld

Douglas County leaders hold hearing about proposal for new city

The County Commission will have the final say in deciding whether Clearfield may incorporate as a new city, and Wednesday night’s hearing is a requirement in the process for doing so. During the hearing, commissioners will hear testimony from people who reside within the 18-square-mile territory that petitioners are proposing as the new city’s boundaries. There are more than a dozen factors that will ultimately inform the commissioners’ decision, including the likelihood of significant growth there or in adjacent areas within the next 10 years and the new city’s proximity to other cities nearby.
Source: LJWorld

Municipal Bond Trends for June 14, 2022

Muni yields rise further ahead of Fed rate hikes

Municipals were weaker amid larger losses in U.S. Treasuries while equities ended mixed as markets were quieter ahead of the FOMC rate-hike decision Wednesday. Triple-A benchmark yields were cut five to eight basis points, depending on the scale, while USTs rose six to 11 basis points. Muni-to-UST ratios were at 66% in five years, 84% in 10 years and 99% in 30, according to Refinitiv MMD’s 3 p.m. read. ICE Data Services had the five at 67%, the 10 at 83% and the 30 at 98% at a 4 p.m. read. In the primary, J.P. Morgan Securities priced for Riverside County, California, $360 million of 2022 tax and revenue anticipation notes, with 5s of 6/2023 at 2.15%, noncall.
Source: The Bond Buyer

City Council votes to end extra sales tax, improvement district in northeast Wichita

Wichita City Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to end an extra one-cent sales tax that helped fund public improvements to go along with a development near K-96 and Greenwich Road. The district northeast of the interchange includes the Wichita Sports Forum and a number of restaurants and retail stores. The district was created for a 22-year term that would have ended in October, 2036, but strong retail sales growth in the area will allow the city to pay off the bonds on the public improvements and end the tax on September 30th of this year. The sales tax that was in effect in the district was used to finance improvements at the K-96 and Greenwich Road interchange. Interim assistant city manager Kathy Sexton told the council that the tax can be ended because it has successfully raised the amount needed to pay for the interchange.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Rose Hill taking design submissions for fall festival

The city of Rose Hill recently opened up competition for its 2022 fall festival button design contest, open to all Rose Hill and USD 294 residents. The theme for this year’s festival is “Our Roots Run Deep – 135 Years & Growing.” Button designs must be drawn in a 6-inch circle on plain white paper. The exact drawing is copied from the entry – not redrawn or touched up in any way. The words “Rose Hill Fall Festival” and “2022” must be on the design, and no computer designs will be accepted.
Source: Derby Informer | Area

Emporia to offer tours of Carnegie library

The city of Emporia will soon offer tours of the old Carnegie library building, located at 110 E. Sixth Ave. The library will be open at 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, and 10 a.m. Thursday, June 23, for tours. The city said each self-guided tour will be approximately 30 minutes long. The Emporia City Commission received an extensive report on the building in April, and on May 11, the city received a letter of interest for the building.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Special meeting planned on vacant homes, local rentals in Emporia

Some influencers in Emporia talk about a lack of housing. But more homes than you might think sit empty — and some have been unoccupied for years. “We’ve got, in a recent count, over 130 vacant houses — that is, duplex or single-family,” City Housing Specialist Jeff Lynch said. Lynch and the city’s Community Housing Board have called a special meeting for Thursday evening. It has two main topics: a potential city ordinance on vacant houses and registration of all rental property. Empty homes are a concern in cities large and small. Several residents complained to the Madison City Council last week about absentee owners in other states letting properties become eyesores.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Schwindt excited to take on Burrton superintendent role

Just three weeks after Burrton USD-369 began the search process for a new superintendent, the board of education has hired Kara Schwindt to fill its top leadership position. “It was definitely a fast process, but I’m really excited,” she said. “I think right now ‘excited’ is kind of my word. I’m excited to get in and meet staff, meet the community and see what direction we’re going to go.” Schwindt said she was interested in the Burrton superintendent position because she wanted to stay close to the Wichita area to be near family.
Source: Harvey County Now

Human trafficking training course happening in Garden City for law enforcement officers

“The hundreds of survivors that I’ve had the opportunity to work with over the years, they have told me about, ‘I was going to school when this happened to me and none of the adults around me knew what what it was or what to do,’ Phillip said. “‘I was, you know, involved in this, this traffic stop with an officer and he missed it.’ You know, I mean, I hear these stories over and over and over, and we call them miss opportunities. I don’t want to see any more missing opportunities.”
Source: KAKE – News

Lawrence Police reunite 7-year-old boy with his stolen scooter

A 7-year-old boy was reunited with his scooter at Lawrence Police Department headquarters on Tuesday afternoon after the red, three-wheeled vehicle was stolen from outside of an area Walmart while he was shopping with his mother. Brantley Lammo, 7, covered his mouth and appeared overjoyed as a Lawrence officer walked out carrying the recovered scooter, along with a new one and a helmet. “Thank you,” the boy said excitedly.
Source: KC Star Local News

Public library delivers new books to Topeka readers

If you’re an avid reader, look no further as this local library brings the books to you. As a part of the Topeka Public Library, the Bookmobile allows you to browse its shelves from anywhere. Community engagement is important for a public library, and that means lending books in any way it can. On Tuesday, the Bookmobile stopped at the Brookwood Shopping Center, giving easy access to those in Southwest Topeka. “The bookmobile goes out so that we can get books in the hands of people that might have trouble getting to the library,” said Dawn Buttery, Outreach Storyteller at the Topeka Public Library.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Resident raises concerns about wind farm to Labette County

Labette County commissioners Monday entertained the idea of putting into effect a moratorium on wind farm construction and development, but no formal action was taken. County resident Lindsey Wilson approached county commissioners about protective opportunities for the county with wind turbines. Wilson and her family live in what would be the footprint of the wind farm if the German utility company RWE moves forward with the development. She asked commissioners to complete research and read about wind farms. “
Source: Parsons Sun

Rolling blackouts possible

While it is unlikely conditions will deteriorate to February 2021 levels, when cities across Kansas were forced to save power amid a historic winter storm, the possibility for rolling blackouts is real. An annual assessment conducted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation said there was a “low likelihood” of emerging reliability issues over the summer and the state’s largest utility said it was prepared. But the NERC report also contained a word of warning. “Load shedding may be needed under extreme peak demand and outage scenarios studied,” the group wrote.
Source: Salina Journal

Garden City Airport terminal project begins construction

The ground has finally broken on the Garden City Regional Airport new terminal project. A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held Friday. Shannon Dick, Garden City mayor, said in researching for his speech at the groundbreaking he found a paper called “The Economic Importance of Air Travel in High-Amenity Rural Areas” by Ray Rasker, et al. The paper found strong correlations to a resident’s per capital income, earnings per job, employment in professional jobs, education and diversity of job types to a community’s distance to major airports, those with 15,000 enplanements or more. Based on that number, GCRA is classified as a major airport. Dick said the paper found that “connected” rural areas, those that are within about 100 miles from a major airport, outperform rural areas that are “isolated”, those further from an airport, and act more like metropolitan areas.
Source: GC Telegram

Drivers beware: 3 bike tours rolling through Kansas

While Biking Across Kansas will send about 600 cyclists streaming through the area this week, the annual non-competitive ride isn’t the only bicycle-related event that passes through central Kansas this month. With three riders killed while traveling through the state over the past five years, cyclists and event organizers are asking motorists to be aware and share the road. State law requires at least 3 feet of space between a cyclist and a vehicle when passing, so drivers should pass like any other vehicle, only when it is safe to do so with sufficient space. Two races — the Trans Am and the RAAM — should reach the western Kansas border around the third week of June, if not sooner. Those races follow different routes.
Source: Hutch News

Fed likely to boost interest rates by three-quarters of a point this week

Markets are beginning to anticipate an even faster pace of interest rate hikes, and Federal Reserve officials apparently are contemplating the possibility as well. Central bank policymakers are entertaining the idea of a 75 basis point increase to the Fed’s benchmark funds rate that banks charge each other for overnight financing, according to CNBC’s Steve Liesman. Changes in the economic outlook, including the likelihood that inflation hasn’t peaked and is running well ahead of the Fed’s 2% goal, could influence a bigger rate move during the two-day meeting that concludes Wednesday. A 75 basis point move is “a real distinct possibility,” Liesman said.
Source: CNBC

As mortgage applications pull back, lenders say housing demand still strong in Wichita metro

As inflation and interest rates rise, local residential mortgage lenders are seeing signs that the white-hot market of the last two years has started its journey to normalization. But that does not mean the housing market is screeching to a halt, they said, as there is still plenty of demand to work through while supply remains tight in the metro area. … Last Friday’s Labor Department report that inflation in May experienced its largest annual increase since 1981 increased expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise benchmark interest rates by 75 basis points when it meets on Wednesday — and expectations that mortgage rates will continue their march upward closer to 6%. Despite those headwinds, Girrens said there is still a high amount of housing demand locally, as many prospective buyers — already qualified for loans — have not been able to land a new home.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Municipal Bond Trends for June 13, 2022

Andover recovery committee begins work on tornado relief efforts

A long-term recovery committee has started meeting in Andover to continue relief and rebuilding efforts after the April 29th tornado. The committee will work to coordinate efforts between the City of Andover and Butler and Sedgwick Counties. The committee includes emergency management officials, business and government leaders and staff from local relief agencies. The committee will be working to share information, simplify resident access to resources, and resolve cases with unmet needs.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

City of Manhattan coordinating week-long storm cleanup

Manhattan’s seen widespread tree damage following a severe storm that gusted the city with 100 mile per hour straight line winds on Saturday, June 11, prompting the city to coordinate a citywide cleanup effort beginning next Tuesday. In a similar fashion to the annual citywide Spring cleanup the City of Manhattan organizes around the beginning of April, the community will be divided into zones with different days assigned for crews to pass through to pick up debris.
Source: 1350 KMAN

What saying ‘yes’ means in Tonganoxie after Tyson rejection

Four years after fighting off a controversial chicken processing plant, the growing Leavenworth County community approved a deal with little fuss to bring in Topeka-based Hill’s Pet Nutrition with a 10-year, 100% tax abatement. The move culminates a period in which Tonganoxie has worked to become more strategic and open about economic development. It’s also seen an entrepreneurial revival fill nearly all its downtown storefronts. But the community’s focus on wooing big companies to town hasn’t changed, so long as they aren’t named Tyson.
Source: KLC Journal