Kansas Municipal News
Why small business is flourishing in Valley County, Nebraska
For heartland communities hoping to thrive, encouraging and supporting entrepreneurs can energize the local economy. Places such as Ord, Nebraska, have emerged as regional poster children for economic development. Peers such as Council Grove in Kansas are seeing green shoots of their own. But such shifts can be difficult to make, and there isn’t a tried and true formula that works everywhere. To figure out what works, communities have to develop their own combination of tactics and be willing to push until they find their version of success.
Source: KLC Journal
City officials ask Columbus residents to vote “Yes” for special election
The city of Columbus is asking residents to vote “yes” on the upcoming ballot. A special election will take place on Tuesday June 14th. It will be a single issue ballot for the continuation of the city’s half percent sales tax, which has been in place since 1997. If renewed, the money generated from the tax will go towards the city’s general fund, which goes to support things like the police department, fire department, streets and other city projects.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Shawnee Co moves forward with 1 solar farm, sends another back for discussion
Two conditional use permits to use land in Shawnee County for solar farms went in front of the Shawnee County Commission Monday morning with two different results. Representatives from Evergy spoke before neighbors who expressed concerns about the potential problems they could have with the solar farm next door. Several residents who would border the property spoke out against giving permission for a conditional permit. According to representatives supporting the solar farm, the panels could produce enough electricity for 550 homes year-round. Evergy called the sites, “the most suitable properties for this project.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
Emergency Declaration issued after GCFD battles mile-wide blaze in Finney County
The governor has issued an emergency declaration for a wildfire in Finney County Monday afternoon. Firefighters got the call around 2:20 PM that a large brush fire was located on Jennie Barker and Quarterhouse road nearing Residental structures. Upon arrival firefighters quickly realized that with the excessive heat and wind, the fire had grown out of control. The fire stretched to over 200 acres in what appeared to be a 600-acre wheat field that had yet been cut. The Kansas Highway Patrol and Finney County Sherriff’s office started a search and evacuation around 2:30 PM as fire units continued to battle the blaze. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Forrest Services responded to the scene as well as the State Fire Marshall. It was determined that a Combine Header was the initial cause.
Source: Western Kansas News
Progress moving along on Saline County jail project
Despite issues facing every construction project right now, including supply-chain problems, work on the Saline County Jail project is progressing well, and if things continue, is still on schedule to be completed next year. Saline County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes said the county is definitely experiencing these same issues, but the contractors, Turner Construction, are working to ease these issues for this project. “I give a lot of credit to the contract team we have in place because they’ve been really proactive,” Smith-Hanes said. One example of this has been ordering supplies well in advance of when they will be needed for the project.
Source: Salina Journal
Hutchinson turns into Superman’s hometown of Smallville Thursday
On the weekend of Hutchinson’s transformation into Smallville, live music, food trucks, family fun events and costumes fill downtown. Nearly the entire town becomes involved, with organizations like Hutch Rec, the Hutchinson NAACP, The Historic Fox Theatre, the Kansas State Fair and Reno County Museum hosting events. More than a dozen businesses also join in through events or sponsorships, turning the city into a bustling metropolis of possibilities.
Source: Hutch News
Osawatomie Announces New Director of Public Works
The City of Osawatomie welcomes a new Director of Public Works to its leadership team this summer following the retirement of incumbent director Bill Roseberry. Local resident Michele Silsbee will assume the role of Director effective July 5th, 2022. In her new role, Silsbee will manage the City’s public works infrastructure and improvement projects, including storm water, street and alley repair and maintenance, parks, cemeteries, and the flood protection system. Silsbee brings over 10 years of public works project management experience, including work with large-scale storm water projects and developing and implementing asset management programs.
Source: City of Osawatomie
Eisenhower Park murals depict cross section of Dodge City history
Passersby Eisenhower Park can finally see what began in a barn in 2011 as a large mural project for Dodge City. Renaissance woman Inga Ojala said the mural was going to be painted directly on the wall at the park but decided to go with four panels instead. It really is a sight to behold in person, however here is what one can look forward to seeing up close should they visit the park, located at 205 Gunsmoke St., in central downtown Dodge City. The south panel of the mural depicts the history of the Dodge City Army Air Field back in the 1940s.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe
Here are the community members who will help hire Wichita’s next police chief
A group of community members will have a large say in who will take over Wichita’s embattled police department. The group, made up of well-known names, will help in the national search process being done by a California-based company, will interview candidates vetted by that organization and give recommendations to City Manager Robert Layton for a final decision.
Source: Wichita Eagle
KDHE lifts boil water advisories, clears communities to use tap water normally
Derby, Valley Center, Kechi and Rose Hill residents can now drink and use their tap water normally. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment lifted Derby’s boil water advisory at 8:38 a.m. Friday. Valley Center, Kechi and Rose Hill followed suit later Friday morning, and Sedgwick County rural water district 3 was given the all clear at 1:38 p.m. Laboratory testing showed no evidence of bacteriological contamination in any of the water systems, KDHE confirmed. The only remaining boil advisory at mid-afternoon Friday was for Sedgwick County rural water district 2. KDHE spokesperson Matt Lara said jurisdictions that purchase water from Wichita couldn’t start sampling their water until Wichita’s boil advisory was rescinded, an all-clear that came just before 1 a.m. Thursday.
Source: Wichita Eagle
McPherson officers participate in Torch Run
On June 3, officers from McPherson Police Department participated alongside McPherson County Special Olympics Athletes for the 2022 Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run. The run started at Domino’s Pizza on the corner of Main St. and First St. and ended at Dough Co. Donuts on S. Main St. There was a brief ceremony on the Plaza, with County Commissioner Keith Becker speaking briefly. The ceremony was to honor the Special Olympics and local athletes Bethany Bigelow and Caleb Demaio who are participating in The Games in Orlando, Fla., through June 12. Bigelow and Demaio left for Orlando on June 4, with McPherson Police providing an escort out of town.
Source: McPherson Weekly News
Tornado damage reported as storms pass through Manhattan and Marysville, Kansas
Tornado damage was reported Saturday night after storms moved through the Kansas cities of Manhattan and Marysville. The National Weather Service in Topeka warned about 7:13 p.m. that a radar-indicated tornado was moving south toward Manhattan. Reports of damage, including downed trees and power lines, soon followed. North of Manhattan, the police chief of Marysville, Kansas, took to social media to report damage in the city’s downtown area. Marysville is about two and half hours northwest of Kansas City. TOP VIDEOS × In a Facebook Live video, Police Chief Matt Simpson asked members of the public to say away from the area.
Source: KC Star Local News
Emergency crews in Johnson County rescue man stuck in 10-foot trench
Emergency responders in Johnson County rescued a man stuck from the waist down in a 10-foot trench in Leawood, authorities said Friday afternoon. Authorities responded at 2:50 p.m. to the 10000 block of Meadow Lane in Leawood. The person who was stuck in the trench was awake and stable, said Alyson Angell, public affairs officer for Johnson County’s Department of Emergency Services. “These types of rescues are very tricky as we have to be very careful not to vibrate the ground in any way and trigger more dirt to collapse,” Leawood Fire Chief Colin Fitzgerald said in a news release.
Source: KC Star Local News
Friday was your chance to drag race a Wichita police officer
The Wichita Police Department and Mel Hambelton Ford are teaming up again this year for an event to help curb illegal street racing. The second-annual “Beat the Heat” event is Friday, June 10 at Kansas International Dragway at 7800 West 61st Street North, near Maize. Each racer will be charged a $20 entry fee and will be required to sign a waiver. It’s $8 per person for spectators and kids 12 and under get in free. …The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office will have a couple of patrol deputies participating as well.
Source: KAKE – News
Finney County/Garden City discuss blackbird mitigation in joint meeting
Finney County Commissioners and Garden City Commissioners discussed nuisance bird mitigation at a joint meeting on Monday. … County Commissioner Lon Pishny said he started investigating mitigation of the birds, which include species such as European starlings, common grackles, great-tailed grackles, red-winged blackbirds, American crows, Eurasian collared doves and pigeons over a year ago. The large bird population is damaging the area with feces accumulation from roosting, which causes a human health and safety hazard; damage to HVAC systems, electrical substations and power stations; damage to vegetation including trees and landscaping within city limits; lost crop yields; and economic loss for feedlots, dairies and granaries throughout the county. They are also noisy.
Source: Garden City Telegram
Backyard poultry leads to salmonella outbreak in U.S.
One person has died and 27 have been hospitalized in over 38 states, including Kansas, as a salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry sweeps the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning people after recording 219 cases of salmonella across the country. Illnesses started appearing in February of 2022 and spiked on May 5, 2022, but were still being recorded as of May 22. Kansas has been fortunate with only one recorded case, while Texas, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin have all seen 10 to 15 cases.
Source: KSN-TV
Community comes together to preserve Altamont Flag Day
A Southeast Kansas community came together to keep a tradition alive. Today marked the return of the annual Altamont Flag Day. It almost didn’t happen this year. A committee is usually in charge of putting the whole event together, but they were all unable to due to other commitments. Altamont city clerk Heather Beasley took it upon herself to rally volunteers together, and in just three weeks Flag Day was ready to go. “Luckily there was a whole notebook of stuff that they were able to give us, so we kind of had a starting point to go to, and just using all of my network people, we were able to reach out and throw something together, so it was really exciting to watch it all fall into place,” says Heather Beasley, Altamont City Clerk.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Topeka FD camp empowers women to get involved firefighting
The Topeka Fire Department is hosting the annual Camp Courage for women this week. Camp Courage is offered for women ages 14-20 who want to learn about the world of firefighting from a woman’s perspective. The camp is a way to encourage women to get involved in fire service and show what firefighting entails. During the weeklong camp that started Monday, campers participate in different real-world activities to teach them different experiences. This includes deploying hoses, search and rescue, medical protocols and more. The instructors for the camp come from all over the state of Kansas to teach women about being a firefighter.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Wichita will look to eliminate extra 1% sales tax at K-96, Greenwich early
A community improvement district anchored by the Wichita Sports Forum near K-96 and Greenwich Road has been collecting an extra 1% sales tax since October 2015, and has so far accumulated $1,836,810 in revenue. City economic development officials say that’s enough to reimburse the special assessment bonds used to help cover the costs of K-96 interchange improvements. Wichita’s City Council will decide Tuesday whether to terminate the CID early — eliminating the 1% sales tax effective Oct. 1. The CID up for consideration was established in 2013 in partnership with K-96 Destination Development Inc., developers of Greenwich Place shopping and dining district, and was set to expire in 2036. One of two CIDs in the area, the district encompasses the Sports Forum, Dave & Buster’s, Duluth Trading Co., Academy Sports and other businesses.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Three bike tours coming through Kansas
While Biking Across Kansas will send about 600 cyclists streaming through the area next 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
100th Anniversary of Otis Volunteer FD
This year the Town of Otis and the Otis Volunteer Fire Department will be gearing up for a huge celebration on the 4th of July Celebration for the 100th anniversary of the Otis Volunteer Fire Department. … There will be a first Responder’s Parade down Otis Main Street starting at 9:30. This is something new to recognize all agencies of emergency responders.
Source: Otis Telegraph.
Municipal Bond Trends for June 10, 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.
As part of budget cuts, Lawrence school district plans for a third of elementary classes to be multigrade next year
Current Lawrence school district estimates call for about a third of the district’s elementary classrooms to be multigrade next school year, and one school has opted to convert all its elementary classrooms to multigrade. The number of multigrade classrooms won’t be finalized until August, but the district is currently estimating that 40 of its 119 elementary classrooms, or about 34%, will combine grade levels. Which students end up in a multigrade classroom will vary between schools and grades, and at least two schools have already begun notifying parents of plans to combine classes. Parents will be notified of official placements in August.
Source: LJWorld
De Soto plans suggest Panasonic could build two megaprojects at former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant
Even before Panasonic Corp. makes its reported decision between Kansas and Oklahoma for a new electric vehicle battery plant, officials in De Soto have started making proactive incentive moves to facilitate not just one, but two potential $4 billion megaprojects. At a five-minute special meeting Monday evening, the De Soto City Council agreed to a July 7 hearing date for two separate, but substantially similar, $4 billion project plans near the north entrance to the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant, southeast of a Kansas Highway 10 bend. The two project plans both outline advanced manufacturing facilities of at least 2.5 million square feet, as part of about 4 million square feet of total site work. The first 309-acre project site sits directly north the 296-acre second, at the southeast corner of 103rd Street and Dual Drive. The initial megaproject is expected to deliver as many as 4,000 new jobs.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Overland Park considers short-term rentals; Hens allowed in Spring Hill
Overland Park has posted an online survey as it studies short-term rentals like Airbnbs or Vrbos, which are rented for short periods of time. Mayor Curt Skoog announced the study in March after a Wichita woman was shot to death during a party at a short-term rental property in the 9700 block of West 145th Terrace. “Short-term rental operators need to be considerate of their neighbors in the community and we need to ensure our residential neighborhoods will continue to be safe and welcoming,” Skoog said at the time. … More Spring Hill families will be able to have female chickens on their property, after the City Council on May 26 approved an ordinance regulating the practice. A previous council rejected a similar ordinance last year. Previously, chickens were legal only on lots of 3 acres or more. The new rules allow hens on single- or two-family properties of at least a quarter-acre, and the number of hens allowed varies by the size of the property…
Source: Joco 913 News
Inflation rose 8.6% in May, highest since 1981
Inflation accelerated further in May, with prices rising 8.6% from a year ago for the fastest increase since December 1981, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The consumer price index, a wide-ranging measure of goods and services prices, increased even more than the 8.3% Dow Jones estimate. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core CPI was up 6%, slightly higher than the 5.9% estimate. On a monthly basis, headline CPI was up 1% while core rose 0.6%, compared to respective estimates of 0.7% and 0.5%. Surging shelter, gasoline and food prices all contributed to the increase.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Communities collaborate on boutique crawl
Business promoters of several area towns have come together for a special shopping event to showcase speciality shops in their communities. Residents of Winfield, Arkansas City, Dexter and Wellington will soon have the opportunity to explore local businesses and win prizes in what is being called a Boutique Crawl from June 10 through June 18. Visit Ark City Director Jill Hunter said the crawl is designed to encourage local communities to work together and draw shoppers in to discover what their businesses have to offer. “There are a lot of really nice boutiques in the area that people really don’t know about,” she said. Winfield Chamber CEO Sarah Werner said Monday said that she is excited about the event.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Hutchinson plans a big welcome for cyclists
More than 600 riders participating in Biking Across Kansas should start arriving in Hutchinson around 10 a.m. Tuesday, as the 49th annual ride makes an overnight stop here for the first time in more than 20 years. The planned route will bring the riders into town on Fourth Avenue and then up to Washington Street to Harley’s Bicycles on Seventh Avenue. The street will be blocked off there and vendors set up to welcome and celebrate with the riders.
Source: Hutch News
National glider competition brings pilots to Kansas
Glider pilots from across the United States are competing in the 2022 Standard and 20-Meter Multi-Seat National Glider Competition from June 7-16 at the Sunflower Glider Port on the retired Naval Air Station near Yoder. The event is hosted by the Kansas Soaring Association. On the first day of the competition, 22 gliders were towed into the sky by tow planes. The competition began at 3 p.m. for the standard gliders and at 3:05 p.m. for the 20-meter, multi-seat gliders. Each pilot was given the flight task, which is a cross-country triangle course that they have to follow and then return to the glider port.
Source: Hutch News
Topeka gave out 176 computers to residents
For Sharon Chambers, the computer given to her will enable the flexibility and privacy she needs. “I’m just here to pick up a computer because mine died,” said Chambers, 74. “I need to print stuff, and I don’t have one anymore.” While Chambers says a lot of the work she needs to do can be done on her phone, having a desktop computer is important because of the access it offers. … Chambers was one of 176 residents given a computer Wednesday through the city of Topeka’s TSC-Get Digital program, which strives to increase digital equity in the capital city. This program was enabled by a $250,000 grant the city received from the Kansas Digital Equity and Inclusion Collaborative last year.
Source: CJonline
Douglas County leaders end COVID-19 disaster declaration, praise county’s emergency management team
Douglas County leaders approved a recommendation to end the county’s COVID-19 disaster declaration, which had been in effect since March 17, 2020, at their meeting Wednesday night. That approval comes about a week after the county’s Unified Command team, which was formed to respond to the pandemic, elected to demobilize. County Emergency Management Director Robert Bieniecki and Deputy Director Jillian Rodrigue were on hand to thank the commission for their support. Commissioners, for their part, praised Bieniecki, Rodrigue and the rest of the Unified Command team who helped guide the county’s response to the pandemic.
Source: LJWorld
Opinions mixed as Lawrence’s Sustainability Advisory Board considers 15-cent fee for plastic and paper bags
Members of Lawrence’s Sustainability Advisory Board met Wednesday to begin discussing an ordinance to impose a 15-cent fee for single-use plastic and paper bags, revealing some mixed opinions about how the board wants to proceed. The Lawrence City Commission asked the board last month to restart the discussion on disposable plastic bags. The city has previously discussed banning plastic bags altogether or creating a bag fee, and a draft ordinance was even proposed, but the process was delayed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential for state legislation prohibiting such bans. After discussing other agenda items at Wednesday’s meeting, the board only had time for about 30 minutes of discussion about bags before it had to adjourn. In that time, a few of the board’s nine members expressed support for the existing draft ordinance, which would require stores to charge their customers a 15-cent fee for each single-use plastic or paper bag. Two members, meanwhile, expressed opposition.
Source: LJWorld
Municipal Bond Trends for June 9, 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.
‘Recovery Connect’ aims to help Sedgwick county residents find aid to bounce back from pandemic
The last two years have been tough for Robert Chavez and his non-profit, Veterans Unidos. The Coronavirus pandemic forced a lot of people to cut back on their spending, meaning donations to his organization dropped. “We had to start asking the hard questions on what did we need to do to get ourselves back to where we were pre pandemic?” Chavez turned to Sedgwick County Commissioner Lacey Cruse, who told him about a county program, Recover Connect. It helps connect people to resources out there, from housing assistance and daycare, to job training and grant writing. Cruse says “We can’t have a healthy community if we don’t have healthy people, and healthy in mind, body and spirit and so people are seeking these services that will help get them back on their feet.”
Source: KAKE – News
Western Kansas wheat crops are failing just when the world needs them most
This time of year, the wheat growing in this part of western Kansas should be thigh-high and lush green. But as a months-long drought continues to parch the region, many fields tell a different story. “There’s nothing out there. It’s dead,” farmer Vance Ehmke said, surveying a wheat field near his land in Lane County. “It’s just ankle-high straw.” Across western Kansas, many fields planted with wheat months ago now look like barren wastelands. The gaping spaces between rows of brown, shriveled plants reveal hardened dirt that’s scarred with deep cracks from baking in the sun.
Source: KCUR News
Kansas lawmaker wants to spend $150B to harden schools
A Kansas lawmaker wants to redirect $150 billion dollars in COVID relief dollars to harden schools, increase security measures and pay for armed resource officers. On Thursday, June 9, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., and U.S. Congressman Mike Garcia from California introduced the Safe Schools Act legislation that would allow COVID dollars to be used for video surveillance, locks, panic buttons security systems and armed guards inside schools. “While we made some progress in previous legislation to make our schools stronger, harder, and safer, certainly there is more that can and must be done immediately to protect kids,” said Senator Marshall. “What happened in Uvalde was a horrific tragedy. While many have been quick to play politics, one thing we can all agree on is that Congress must act to harden schools. For these reasons, I am introducing this legislation that allows the abundance of unused COVID relief dollars to be allocated to secure schools in Kansas and throughout the nation.”
Source: KSN-TV
How the new Wichita Water Treatment Facility will help water treatment in the future
This is the second boil advisory issue for Wichita in eight months. The two issues are not connected. One involved a problem with a pipe, the other a filter at the water treatment plant. That plant is more than 80 years old, but a new one is under construction. We are still several years out until the plant is up and running. The main thing that will really benefit Wichita in the future is having this new equipment and fewer repairs needed when this site opens up. “We are the largest water provider in the entire state of Kansas, and to continue to do that well. We not only have to update our plant, and also make sure that we have the best people working for us, but also make sure that we have parts on hand so that we have as little interruption of service as possible,” said the Mayor of Wichita, Brandon Whipple.
Source: KSN-TV
Ellsworth warns residents of ransomware attack
The City of Ellsworth is dealing with a ransomware attack. It found out about the attack after employees noticed unauthorized activity on the City’s network on June 2. The City took the system offline to stop any potential malicious activity and notified federal law enforcement. Computer forensics experts are investigating, and a new server is being installed. So far, there is no information on who is behind the attack or how it happened. The City posted a news release on social media to warn residents. However, the City has not determined if any personal information is at risk. It will update residents as investigators get more information. Residents can still get City services, but internal operations are limited this week. However, the City hopes to have the new server operational by Friday morning.
Source: KSN-TV
Lyon County’s Click It or Ticket efforts leads to over 70 citations, including seven DUI arrests
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office has announced the results of its recent Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign at the end of May into early June. Lyon County Deputy Jody Meyers says there were over 70 citations issued during the two-week effort, including 13 safety belt citations, 46 speeding citations, one citation for texting while driving. There were 13 other citations and arrests, including seven arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Meyers says there were 115 vehicle stops, of which 80 percent were conducted at night. Ten occupant restraint tickets were handed out during the night patrols.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio
Leawood residents could request crosswalks at certain intersections under draft policy
Leawood officials are reviewing the initial draft of what would be the city’s first-ever crosswalk policy, a conversation that was sparked by concerns raised by residents about the intersection at 93rd Street and Lee Boulevard. If ultimately approved by the Leawood City Council, the new policy, which was reviewed this week by the council’s Public Works Committee, would allow residents to provide a written request to the city engineer for a crosswalk on non-arterial roads within city limits
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Overland Park committee approves city-county partnership for fire station use
Plans for continued sharing of fire and medical resources between Overland Park and Johnson County moved forward last night. At this month’s meeting, Overland Park’s Public Safety Committee unanimously approved four respective lease agreements allowing the Overland Park Fire Department to share resources with the Johnson County Med-Act emergency service center. Under the agreement, the fire department and the county would share use of Fire Stations 2, 3, 4 and 5. In exchange, the county would pay $12 for each square foot of the space it occupied in each station to cover operating and utility costs.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Manhattan looks to not call applicants unfit if commission rejects them for boards
The Manhattan City Commission wants to be able to reject board applicants without calling them unfit to serve. Commissioners didn’t vote Tuesday, but they agreed that they wanted to opt out of the state law that requires using that term. The issue came up recently with the commission’s 3-2 rejections of Annie Cook to the Human Rights and Services Board and Thomas Hanson to the Historic Resources Board on May 17. The commission still disagrees on whether commissioners can make their own recommendations after rejecting the mayor’s.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article
Manhattan commissioners change meeting quorum from four to three
The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday changed its quorum for voting in meetings from four to three. A quorum is the minimum number of members needed for a valid vote. The change means the commission can take action when at least three of the five members are present. Commissioners passed the measure 4-1, with commissioner Usha Reddi voting against it. Commissioner John Matta said his reason for the change was that in previous commissions, commissioners sometimes would not show up. If they didn’t reach the quorum, the commission couldn’t conduct business. He said his reasoning now is that if anything happened to two commissioners, the meeting could still run.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article
Wichita bumps new specials from 15 to 20 years (for a 2-year period)
As metro area home prices rise, while housing availability remains low, the Wichita City Council approved a program Tuesday intended to help address those issues. The council unanimously approved a two-year program of 20-year special assessments for new single-family housing developments. City staff is also directed to meet with those in the industry to develop implementation timelines and program details. Fifteen-year special assessments are currently the norm in the city. Special assessments include infrastructure such as sewer and water lines, streets and stormwater improvements. “This is just one more tool you have in your toolbox that will marginally affect affordability of single-family homes,” said Kathy Sexton, interim assistant city manager, in a presentation to the Council.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Kelly ‘very confident’ Kansas will land $4B megaproject
Even as Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration accepts its second consecutive national Gold Shovel Award for economic development, the state’s best business attraction days might well lie ahead. Should Kansas beat out Oklahoma in landing a $4 billion advanced manufacturing facility, reportedly a Panasonic Corp. battery plant, that single megaproject would more than double the $1.45 billion valuation of the state’s top 10 projects won in 2021. An executive last week said Panasonic is “finalizing” which U.S. state it will choose for a new battery plant site, according to Reuters.
Source: Wichita Business Journal