Municipal News & Jobs

Lawrence city leaders are set to discuss the city’s controversial sidewalk policy that generally requires property owners, not the city, to pay for repairs to sidewalks bordering their homes and businesses. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will receive a staff presentation about the city’s sidewalk repair policy and related financial assistance program, and respond to commissioners’ questions regarding potential policy changes, according to a city staff memo to the commission. … the commission will discuss the origin of the current policy that was adopted in 2018, the subsequent implementation of the program in 2019, and changes to the program that have been made over the past couple of years. The city’s long-standing ordinance requiring all property owners to pay to repair the sidewalks running along their property had not been fully enforced for decades, and the policy and related program were intended to begin enforcing the ordinance.
Source: LJWorld.com

Kansas lawmakers left Topeka Saturday morning after advancing a rash of bills but without acting on some major pieces of legislation. … Legislators failed to pass the K-12 budget, opting to save the bill for when they return for veto session. … Tax policymakers repackaged dozens of proposals into three bills: one just on the food sales tax (HB 2106), another with smaller or less controversial tax cuts (HB 2239) and a third with larger or more controversial positions (HB 2597). Only HB 2239, a compilation of 29 different bills, was taken up by both chambers. It passed with bipartisan support. It would cut taxes by an estimated $91 million in fiscal year 2023, $100 million in 2024 and $120 million in 2025. The new food sales tax plan is not as aggressive as Kelly and fellow Democrats have pushed for. They wanted to axe the state’s 6.5% sales tax on groceries to zero, starting July 1. The plan negotiated by Republicans would gradually cut the rate to zero over three years, with the first cut to 4% not coming until Jan. 1.
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.

Plans call for 29 buildings to go under the wrecking ball to clear the way for the project, aimed at eliminating a sharp curve atop the Polk-Quincy Viaduct on Interstate 70 in downtown Topeka. A chart and map sharing the details were provided to The Capital-Journal by the Kansas Department of Transportation, which remains in the process of acquiring those properties. “Due to ongoing negotiations, we cannot provide information about what was paid for the properties,” said Kelly Kultala, KDOT’s public affairs manager for northeast Kansas. KDOT plans “total acquisition” of 41 properties, it said.
Source: CJonline

Making downtown thrive is a high priority for Salina Downtown. Last week, the organization came one step closer to helping Santa Fe Avenue remain a thriving artery – they moved onto the downtown street. … Along with the city, Salina Downtown is helping to open up a performance stage at Santa Fe Avenue and Ash Street. This stage is expected to open May 6, with a Salina Arts and Humanities event. On May 7, Visit Salina will have the sculpture unwrap event, featuring 23 sculptures.
Source: Salina Journal

The University of Kansas men’s basketball team is moving onto the NCAA National Championship game. Here’s a look at some of the scenes from downtown Lawrence on Saturday as KU beat Villanova in the national semifinal game. Check back for more updates as tens of thousands of fans are expected in the downtown area following the KU game.
Source: LJWorld.com

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.

After accepting a developer’s petition to finance street, sewer, and water improvements for a housing development under K.S.A. 12-6a01 et seq., the City of Wichita levied special assessments against David L. and Leslie J. Snodgrass (Appellants), and other property owners in 2004. The City issued bonds to pay for the improvements, then in 2011 issued refunding bonds to benefit from lower interest rates. But the City did not refund to property owners any of the money it saved by doing so. Appellants sued the City and individually named defendants asserting an entitlement to money based on the difference between the interest rate on the original bonds in 2004 and the interest rate of refunding bonds issued in 2011.
Appellants then moved for partial summary judgment, arguing the City’s failure to pass on its savings constituted a “‘taking, under the guise of taxation.'” The City cross-moved for summary judgment. The district court granted summary judgment for the City, finding that the assessment was voluntary, that the alleged injury was too small to sustain a takings claim, and that the action was barred by a 30-day statute of limitations. The court dismissed Appellants’ remaining claims, including those against the individually named defendants. On review, we find the district court properly dismissed Appellants’
claims as untimely and properly granted summary judgment for the City.
Source: Snodgrass vs. City of Wichita

Kansas lawmakers may have a new plan for cutting the state’s food sales tax as the Legislature approaches a pair of deadlines on the governor’s signature policy proposal. Gov. Laura Kelly and the House and Senate tax committees have put forth their own proposals, but none have been debated or passed by either chamber of the Legislature. Rep. Adam Smith, R-Weskan, laid out the concept during a Wednesday conference committee between tax policymakers — a meeting of select senators and representatives to hammer out differences between bills. The plan would cut the state’s 6.5% sales tax rate on food — the second-highest in the country — to 1.5% starting July 1 and 0% a year later. The cut would apply to groceries and some related items, but not to prepared food, such as restaurant meals. It would be “clean” as other tax cut ideas get moved to separate bills.
Source: Salina Journal

In early February, Hutchinson Public Schools USD 308 Board of Education named Dawn Johnson the new superintendent for the 2022-2023 school year. Since then, Johnson said she’s been planning what she intends to do in her first year as superintendent. Johnson’s career in education began more than 30 years ago. She spent the first half as an educator, teaching English to middle and high school students.
Source: Hutch News

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.