Municipal News & Jobs

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.

The Hutchinson City Council on Tuesday approved hiring former Reno County Administrator Gary Meagher as an interim city manager. However, a discussion and any action on the process for hiring a full-time replacement for former City Manager Jeff Cantrell, whose contract the city council ended on May 3, was delayed because two city council members were absent from Tuesday’s meeting. Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho said they’ll try to hold a brief executive session during one of three upcoming special meetings on the budget to get the process started, but she wasn’t sure which meeting that will be. Under the agreement approved on Tuesday, Meagher, 70, is contracted as interim manager for two months, after which the city can extend the agreement on a month-to-month basis.
Source: Hutch News

With the Hutchinson Chamber not making the cut last month for a state grant it sought to begin a new business park with, South Hutchinson city officials agreed Tuesday to take $500,000 it pledged for the project off the table, at least for now. However, the council was not in favor of the city spending money on a speculative commercial building of its own. South Hutchinson City Administrator Joseph Turner advised the council that the chamber would still like the city to commit the funds for economic development but that he was not “automatically willing to commit to another project right now.” Mayor Matt Nisly said he was open to other possibilities if the chamber had a specific project, but he agreed with Turner that it would depend on the project.
Source: Hutch News

Although the current carrier, SkyWest Airlines, has been quiet after announcing it will be terminating service in the community, the Salina Airport Authority is encouraged about the future of passenger service to and from Salina. Tim Rogers, the executive director for the airport authority, updated the Salina City Commission Monday about the situation, and said that a proposal was submitted last week to the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. D.O.T.) for Essential Air Service (EAS) to the airport. “One proposal was received from Denver Air Connection…proposing 50-seat regional jet service to and from Salina and Denver, with an option for continued operation also to and from Salina and Chicago,” Rogers said.
Source: Salina Journal

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 the City of Lawrence contemplates jumping its long-held border along Kansas Highway 10, city leaders are due to get an update on what infrastructure and services — streets, sewers, emergency response — will be needed and how much it will cost. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will receive a presentation on a study of the infrastructure needs and costs for an area generally west of K-10. Taken together, the anticipated costs total more than $100 million. There has been interest in developing that area, and the city has been updating its previously created plans for the area.
Source: LJWorld

As Lt. Clark Rials enjoys his retirement, he has no regrets about staying close to home. “I had an offer from the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, and back then I wanted to be a patrol officer,” says Rials, a recently retired Douglas County sheriff’s deputy, as he thinks back to the start of his career. “I wanted to get out and be a deputy, carry the gun, drive the fast cars and all that good stuff.” It has been 25 years since Rials turned down that offer. He is now celebrating — and relaxing — after 30 years working with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Source: LJWorld

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.

Even when the state’s 6.5% sales tax on groceries eventually ramps down to zero, Lawrence shoppers will still be paying close to 3% in sales taxes on groceries. The overwhelming majority of Kansas cities and counties — Lawrence and Douglas County included — charge local sales tax in addition to the state sales tax, and state lawmakers ensured that would not change. The recently passed changes not only don’t affect local sales taxes on groceries, but also prohibit local governments from reducing or eliminating their local sales taxes on groceries.
Source: LJWorld

The question of whether the City of Lawrence should ban or otherwise limit the use of disposable plastic bags will once again be up for debate. After state legislation to prohibit municipalities from banning plastic bags did not come to pass, Vice Mayor Lisa Larsen asked her fellow commissioners at their meeting Tuesday about bringing the issue of plastic bags back up. Other commissioners agreed they’d like to consider the matter, with Mayor Courtney Shipley adding she was very interested in the topic.
Source: LJWorld

Mark Griffith, Allen County’s new road and bridge director, stresses safety. He believes it’s important to listen to citizens about the problems they encounter on county roads. There’s a good reason why people care so much about county roads and bridges, according to Mark Griffith. “That’s what they travel on every day. That’s what they take their kids to school on,” he said. “Their homes may be their sanctuaries, but they spend a lot of time in their vehicles. They need to feel comfortable when traveling on our roads and bridges.” Griffith is the county’s new road and bridge director, and also will oversee the county’s rock quarry. He serves under Public Works Director Mitch Garner.
Source: Iola Register

Clark Kent is headed to Hutchinson in June. So is the Batmobile. The 2022 Smallville Comic Con is going to take place in Superman’s “supposed” hometown – Hutchinson. From June 18 to 19, eight celebrity guests, more than 120 vendors and almost 60 exhibitors will attend the convention. “It is the largest year for our celebrities — we’ve never had any this large before,” said Troy Robinson, Smallville operations manager. Troy Robinson projected that this year’s attendance will surpass 5,000, which has remained the record for the last seven years.
Source: Salina Journal

Travis Wilson isn’t opposed to change in his southeast Kansas community. But for his 160-acre plot of land, there sure has been a lot of it in recent years. First came arrival of wind development in Allen County, dotting the landscape around Wilson’s property with turbines — a decision he respects, even though it means his house “sounds like a washing machine” if windows are open. But now the southern part of his land is directly impacted by a new kind of development: a proposed 89-mile transmission line from Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant in Burlington to another power station near Joplin, Mo.
Source: Salina Journal

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.