Kansas Municipal News
New Goddard water park is going to be a Blast
When Rodney Steven II opens his new indoor water park in Goddard this spring, he aims to make more than just a splash. The Genesis Health Clubs owner has worked to create a one-of-a-kind theme park within his almost 100-acre Genesis Sports Complex at 19800 W. Kellogg. “It seems like water parks are always themed the same,” Steven said. “I just want it to be unique.” The new Blast Off Bay is a play off of several things. That includes all the aviation and space names for buildings in the Goddard school district and Wichita’s status as the Air Capital of the World. The science fiction theme even borrows a bit from Hutchinson’s Cosmosphere.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Kansas House advances constitutional amendment requiring elected sheriffs
Rep. Eric Smith encouraged House members Tuesday to support a constitutional amendment requiring counties to elect sheriffs, rather than risk the possibility of a county commission gaining authority to appoint the position. Smith, a Republican from Burlington who said his “real job” as a deputy sheriff for Coffee County supports his political hobby, joined other supporters of the proposal in arguing it is important to shield top law enforcement officers from the scrutiny of other elected officials. “I just want want you to consider the idea that when you have an elected sheriff out there, that individual serves you and serves your constituents as an individual who has to uphold those values that they were elected on, and you can hold them accountable for that,” Smith said.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Wichita school board votes to drop mask mandate after debate over when it should end
Starting March 11, face masks will no longer be required in Wichita Public Schools, although they will still be “encouraged and welcomed.” The Wichita Board of Education voted 4-3 Tuesday to end a masking mandate that has been in place in Kansas’ largest school district since last August. A substitute motion supported by the board’s three most conservative members that would have immediately ended mandatory masking for students, staff and visitors failed 3-4. Face coverings will still be required on school buses, because of a 2021 federal order that they be worn on all forms of public transportation. And the motion that did pass includes a proviso for the board to reconsider and extend the mandate if COVID-19 spikes again in the district’s schools.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Bonner Springs officers rescue injured bald eagle
Members of the Bonner Springs Police Department made a unique rescue Monday morning. Animal Control Officer Kendra Anthony and Cpl. Kyle Rector rescued an injured bald eagle. They found her in the tree line, flapping her wings and unable to stand. The nonprofit Operation Wildlife believes the eagle was hit by a car and may have broken her tail. The officers were able to reach the bird and named it Kendra after officer Anthony.
Source: KSN-TV
Beer in farm wineries? New proposal would allow Kansas owners to sell
A proposal in the Kansas Legislature would allow farm wineries in Kansas to sell beer, according to some vineyard owners. The bill, House Bill 2688, is currently up for debate in the House. If it passes, it will move to the Senate. The plan requires that licensed farm wineries be issued a cereal malt beverage retailer license if the statutory requirements are met. Written testimony from Phillip Bradley, a representative for the Kansas Viticulture and Farm Winery Association (KVFWA), says the measure would help the response to the growing needs of customers.
Source: KSN-TV
Masks now optional in Johnson County schools
Last week, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners lifted a countywide public health order requiring masks in all K-6 schools. That order was originally set to expire in May, but with new COVID-19 cases dropping sharply, the board acted to rescind the mandate effective immediately. Some public school districts in northern Johnson County had already begun lifting their own masking rules for students and staff or had put measures in place to end their mask requirements for younger students once the county order was lifted. Students return to class Tuesday and Wednesday after the long holiday weekend (made longer, in some cases, by canceled classes late last week due to inclement weather), and none of the four major public school districts in northern Johnson County is now requiring masks.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Rising Rates Hit Municipal Bonds
Municipal-bond investors spent more than a decade fretting about state and local government finances. Now they are worried about interest rates. Municipal budgets are in far better shape than during the aftermath of the 2007-09 financial crisis or the early-Covid shutdowns when investors fled munis in droves. But the expectation that the Federal Reserve will begin ending pandemic stimulus measures has driven yields on state and local debt, which rise when bond prices fall, to their highest levels since April 2020. “Credit has just not been the boogeyman that anyone thought it might be,” said Matt Fabian, a partner with Municipal Market Analytics. “The real risk in the sector at least for now is rates.” … Many now consider the prospect of rising rates a more immediate threat, reducing the appeal of outstanding debt by offering better returns on newly issued bonds. Benchmark 10-year, triple-A general-obligation bonds were trading at 1.65% Friday, according to Refinitiv MMD, up from 1.04% at the start of the year.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Municipal Bond Trends for February 18, 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.
Kansas City, Kansas, mayor shares goals and frustrations two months into his term
Tyrone Garner, former Kansas City, Kansas Deputy police chief was sworn in as mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, on December 13, 2021. When asked about the on-going federal investigation into misconduct by the city’s police department from which he retired in 2019, Mayor Garner provided few details The KCKPD is under a federal investigation stemming from allegations of decades of abuse and corruption at the hands of law enforcement officers. As an internal affairs officer, Garner said at times he was responsible for investigating and disciplining officers for misconduct.
Source: KCUR
Historic Larned Opera House to be demolished
More than a century-old opera house in western Kansas is about to be obsolete. Larned officials say the building is a danger to public safety. The Larned Opera House sets on the corner of Fourth Street and Broadway. “This guy named John Schnack, he in 1886, decides he, the community can support and need a venue to show plays and stuff,” said Kevin Holt, historian. The opera house was built on top of five businesses.
Source: KSN-TV
Kansas is looking to develop its agriculture industry
The Kansas Department of Agriculture has launched its second Agriculture Workforce Needs Assessment Survey. This is through a partnership with the Department of Agriculture Economics at Kansas State University. The survey is designed to help find current and future needs people in the industry face. It hopes to identify jobs and specific skills required in the industry and help promote growth in the state. Kansas farmers, ranchers, and producers are asked to contribute to the assessment.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Parsons gets first look at future veterans memorial
People are getting their first look at a new memorial coming to Parsons. The first rough drafts have been completed for Five Pathways to Freedom veterans memorial. It’s expected to be built next to the Parsons Municipal Building and will honor veterans from the five military branches. The renderings were created by former and current students at Parsons High School. “Mainly it’s just been me and Colin Ryan, we’ve been the main contributors to it and that’s just what we’ve been working on for the majority of our first semester here,” Nick Sanborn, PHS Senior, “We still add little details here and there and still whatever Mr. Rea asks us to do we still put it on there.”
Source: KSNF/KODE
Hydroponic Kansas farm is thriving this winter, influencing local county schools
The winter weather can put a lot of plans on hold like school, business, or even events. But one Pittsburg business was built to grow in this, or any kind of weather — all while making nutritious food more accessible. “Weather does not affect our farm. You know it’s blowing cold wind outside, and we’re standing in here, it’s 71 degrees,” said Brad Fourby, Leafy Green Farms Owner. The winter weather isn’t slowing down production at Leafy Green Farm. “We’re standing in a 40-foot shipping container that’s not even hooked up to the city water, and we use about 10 gallons of water a day to grow about 100 pounds of leafy greens for the community. It’s doing perfectly. We had a nice harvest. We got some nice Swiss chard, some basil, some purple basil.”
Source: KSNF/KODE
High school composting project expands within community
What started as a high school project has become a force for change across Cherokee County. Compost, the newest form of waste reduction that will soon help make some gardens bloom a little brighter. “It’s something that I always wanted to do, but it just gave me time to sit down, plan it out and be like ‘Hey! Maybe this would work out,” said Emily Welch, Columbus High School student. Welch partnered with fellow senior Casey Soper and quickly the project began coming together. “My teacher told me the K-State Extension office had a grant for composting. I was like ‘Oh my gosh, everything is aligning,'” said Welch.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Topeka’s Gage Park in motion to get new train
The Shawnee County Commission approved a request by the Shawnee County Parks and Recreation Department to start looking for bids to purchase a new Gage Park train. “The current train is down regularly a day, a week, when it’s in season for repairs. Also, replacing will make it ADA compliant so everyone can ride,” Director Tim Laurent said. The train is expected to cost $600,000 to $700,000, however, the money will come from the American Rescue Plan Act. County Commissioner Kevin Cook asked the Parks and Recreation Department if the old train could be put on display. The idea was well received and both the commission and the parks department agreed to honor the legacy of the train by putting it on display.
Source: KSNT News
‘We can’t wait 15 years’: Legislative committee works to overhaul Kansas water policy
Time to protect water in Kansas is running short. Parts of the aquifer in far western Kansas may only have 10 years of water left. Small towns are struggling to provide clean drinking water, and upgrading their facilities would bankrupt them. If the state is going to preserve its water resources, it has to act soon, say proponents of an overhaul to the state’s water regulation. “I don’t like to use the word ‘crisis,’ but our situation in our state is serious,” said Rep. Ron Highland, chairman of the House Water Committee. For years, the state hasn’t fully funded its water plan. It has failed to secure federal grants to help with water projects because they require a state match. Gov. Laura Kelly has proposed in her budget that the state fund its share for water programs — $8 million — for the first time in more than a decade.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Resident speaks out against license plate camera
At the Garden Plain City Council meeting held last Wednesday, Feb. 9, local resident Sheldon Irwin used the citizens’ comments period to voice his opposition to the idea of adding one or more Flock Safety license plate cameras to the community. Interim police chief Alissa Imperatore had shared some information on Flock Safety cameras at the city council meeting last month.
Source: Times-Sentinel Newspapers » Feed
Proposal to ban cities from banning plastic bags pits Sierra Club against Kansas Chamber
Sierra Club lobbyist Zack Pistora told lawmakers he could talk at length about the “big mess” plastic bags have created for aquatic ecosystems, landscape and infrastructure in Kansas. But the real problem with Senate Bill 493, he said, is an assault on democracy. The Kansas Chamber, manufacturers of plastic bags, and service industry representatives asked the Senate Commerce Committee to adopt the legislation, which would ban cities and counties in Kansas from restricting the use of plastic bags and containers. Pistora said the bill is “disingenuous” because it doesn’t provide a way for communities to reduce the accumulation of trash caused by these products. He asked lawmakers to embrace the popular saying: “Don’t tread on me.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
USD 231 selects interim superintendent
James Sutton will serve as the interim superintendent at USD 231 for the next four months. Mark Meyer had served as acting superintendent after the departure of Pam Stranathan last December. Sutton will serve as interim thru July while the board of education conducts an employment search for a permanent replacement. In a statement Sutton said, he is very excited about getting to know everyone in the district and communities as much as possible. He recently retired from Belle Plaine, Kan., after 40 years in education. Sutton was born and raised in Pennsylvania outside Pittsburgh, but his undergraduate degree in elementary education came from Missouri Southern State College in Joplin, Mo. He attended Pittsburg State University attaining a Masters and then Education Specialist degrees.
Source: Gardner News
Conway Springs sells final lot in Countryview Addition
The City of Conway Springs is getting out of the housing industry. No, the city has not been building homes, but it had been selling lots in the local subdivision. At their meeting last week, members of the Conway Springs City Council voted to sell the final lot in the Countryview Addition. Because it is the last lot available, and because it was a smaller lot, the city sold the home site for half price.
Source: Times-Sentinel Newspapers » Feed
Derby Parks starts gathering input for master plan
Derby parks were feeling the love last week, as the parks department and PROS Consulting held a kickoff event Feb. 15 (at Derby’s Madison Avenue Central Park) to launch the community engagement portion in forming the new Parks Master Plan. The crowd on hand was not shy in giving input, either, which is exactly what PROS representatives said they are looking for throughout the planning process. PROS assisted Derby with its previous master plan and President Leon Younger commended the community’s reputation as a “can-do city.” Considering that, Younger said his company is looking forward to engaging the community once again to form a plan that will be embraced in Derby.
Source: Derby Informer | News
President approves disaster assistance for Kansas
Kansas will get federal assistance to help with damage done by devastating wildfires in December. On Friday, President Joe Biden approved Governor Laura Kelly’s federal disaster request. The wildfires on Dec. 15, 2021, were driven by high winds gusting between 60 and 100 mph. The fires damaged buildings, crops, pastureland, bridges, roads, and public utilities. The damage estimate is $15 million. Kelly requested public assistance for Barton, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Doniphan, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Ford, Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jewell, Kearny, Lane, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Meade, Mitchell, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Ness, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sheridan, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wichita, and Wyandotte counties.
Source: KSN-TV
Maize named fastest growing city in Kansas
A new report from the League of Kansas Municipalities, using data from the 2020 U.S. Census, has named Maize the fastest growing city in Kansas. Residents and city officials said they aren’t surprised at all. “I don’t see how any other community among the state could be any busier,” City Administrator Richard LaMunyon said. “It’s just impossible. And then this came out to kind of justify what we were saying.” LaMunyon has lived in Maize for over 40 years. Residents are used to seeing new homes, apartments, businesses and lots of construction every day. “We can tell,” resident Andrea Graham said. “I mean, there’s just so many more families and apartment buildings going up.” Graham said she likes living in Maize because it has all the perks of a small town along with cool activities.
Source: KAKE – News
Johnson County’s Central library set to debut drive-thru, areas for kids ‘to burn off some steam’
Johnson County’s Central Resource Library in Overland Park is set to re-open Tuesday after being partially closed for a year. When the library closed for renovations last February, the staff walled off a small portion of the building and called it Little Central to keep patrons safe from construction. Little Central closed on Feb. 14 of this year so workers could finish final touches and knock down the partition wall. Librarians at Central said they are excited to welcome patrons back to a space that’s nature-themed in staff spaces and throughout, which Johnson County head librarian Sean Casserley said connects employees and patrons to the larger, overarching goal of the library. “Having a connection to nature was really important in the sense that it was calming, relaxing,” said Casserley. “And I think that’s the thing, the role the public library plays, which is we have no agenda. We’re not trying to sell you something. There aren’t any politics. We are completely neutral, and our goal is to find something that interests you.”
Source: KCUR News
Moving out of the Sedgwick county courthouse? Commissioners will vote to move 10 agencies Wednesday
To make more space in the crowded Sedgwick County Courthouse, 10 agencies may be on the move. The decision to move them could be as early as the next county commission meeting, on Wednesday, February 23. “COVID has been a huge monkey wrench in the wheels of justice, so it is very difficult to get trials completed, particularly criminal trials you have to be sure that issues like due process are followed,” said Judge Phil Journey, a judge in the Sedgwick County District Court judge. According to one Sedgwick County commissioner, Sedgwick County has about 170 people being held on murder charges, and not enough space to meet the backlog. “Right now, this thing is clogged up and we’ve got to find a way to get back on track, and so that’s moving out of the building is just a huge investment in helping make our solution come forward,” said Sedgwick County Commissioner Jim Howell.
Source: KSN-TV
‘Don’t Meth with Us’ comes to Winfield
The Winfield Noon Kiwanis Club has a mission to help the children of the world, one child at a time. This mission has been demonstrated through the presentation of the “Don’t Meth with Us” program in two of the four Winfield Elementary Schools. Methamphetamines have been determined to be in the top five most addictive of drugs, along with cocaine, heroin, alcohol and nicotine. “Don’t Meth with Us” is designed to educate children and families about the consequences of meth, arming them with the tools necessary to combat illicit drug use and addiction. To accomplish this, we go into the schools and engage students on a personal level, opening their eyes to a bright, drug-free future. To date, this program has been presented to the fifth-grade classes in Whittier and Lowell elementary schools. As the students complete the one-hour program, they are presented with a T-shirt, pencil, wrist band and a pledge card. This program was started in San Juan County, N.M., and is now presented in multiple states throughout the U.S. Kansas Kiwanis has embraced this program, and this program is available to schools through their local Kiwanis Club. The Winfield Noon Kiwanis Club is scheduling dates for both Irving and Country View elementary schools.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Newton’s birthday party planned for 2-22-22
There was a dark side and a lighter side to Newton when the town came into existence about 150 years ago. On the seedier side was Hyde Park, a place with pop-up saloons where gunslingers and cowboys bellied up to bars and poker tables. There were ladies of the evening and one particular Sunday became famous for a gunfight, giving the town the moniker, “Bloody Newton.” There also were folks on the other side of the moral coin, who started churches and made sure their children attended school. Families did things together and people ran other kinds of businesses, like grocery stores and newspaper stands. There probably were people in between, as well.
Source: Harvey County Now
Bike Across Kansas returns to Hutchinson for overnight stay after two-decade-plus absence
It has been 23 years since riders in the annual Biking Across Kansas had a scheduled stop in Hutchinson. … There will be some differences in this year’s BAK. During that 25th annual ride in June 1999, riders chose from three routes, so there were only 300 or so who stopped in Hutchinson overnight and stayed at the high school gym, recalled Bob Updegraff, owner of Harleys Bicycles on North Main Street.
Source: Hutch News
Municipal Bond Trends for February 17, 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.
Mester backs faster Fed rate-hike pace if needed to tame prices
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Loretta Mester said she supports raising interest rates next month and tightening policy at a faster pace if needed to curb inflation. “I believe it will be appropriate to move the funds rate up in March and follow with further increases in the coming months,” Mester said Thursday in prepared remarks for a virtual event hosted by the New York University Stern Center for Global Economy and Business. “If by mid-year, I assess that inflation is not going to moderate as expected, then I would support removing accommodation at a faster pace over the second half of the year.” During their January meeting, Fed officials concluded that they would start raising rates soon from near zero and were on alert for persistent inflation that would justify a faster pace of tightening, according to minutes of the Jan. 25-26 meeting released Wednesday. Chair Jerome Powell told reporters after the meeting that officials were leaning toward moving next month to quell the hottest inflation in 40 years.
Source: The Bond Buyer
Bullard says Fed may need to raise rates above 2% to curb prices
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said bringing down inflation may require the central bank to overshoot a neutral target interest rate, which he sees as about 2%. “If you wanted to put downward pressure on inflation, you’d actually have to get to neutral — go beyond neutral,” Bullard said at an event by hosted by Columbia University and SGH Macro Advisers in New York on Thursday. “And I think that’s a major concern of mine — we’re not really in a position to do that right now, but we have to get in a position to do that” in case inflation doesn’t moderate as expected, he said. Bullard repeated his view that Fed should raise interest rate by 100 basis points by July 1 and start balance-sheet run-off in the second quarter, in response to the fastest inflation in 40 years.
Source: The Bond Buyer
Riley County commission approves ambulance in nothern county
Riley County commissioners unanimously approved to add an ambulance to the northern part of the county. The commission gave EMS administration the go ahead to start the process for building a new ambulance station. This includes finding an architect, position requests, and determine where to put the station. “To me, it’s obvious that we need to put a station up there, we have ARPA money. It will basically just need a small house and an oversized garage. We have a chance to do that now,” says Commission Chair Greg McKinley. … “I’m always fiscally conservative, but I think this something beyond that. More of a basic health issue that people expect to have services for their health, or services the city and rest of the county have,” says Focke.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Johnson County to end school mask mandates, defer to districts to set COVID-19 rules
Johnson County ended its school mask mandate for its youngest students, effective Thursday, in favor of allowing individual school districts to set their own rules as COVID-19 cases continue to drop from last month’s record highs. Eliminating the countywide order does not necessarily mean that masks are optional for all students and staff immediately, however, as four of the county’s six public school districts still have measures in place that will reinstate temporary mask mandates should cases rise to certain thresholds at different campuses. “We’re not just kind of throwing our hands up in the air, there are some measures in place to keep us from going off the rails, so to speak,” County Commissioner Janee Hanzlick said. “This situation does not mean the pandemic is over, it doesn’t mean we’ll never have to revisit any measures or orders in the future.”
Source: Joco 913 News
Fed’s Bullard says inflation ‘could get out of control,’ so action is needed now
St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard cautioned Thursday that without central bank action on interest rates, inflation could become an even more serious problem. “We’re at more risk now than we’ve been in a generation that this could get out of control,” he said during a panel talk at Columbia University. “One scenario would be now you get a new surprise that hits us that we can’t anticipate right now, but we would have even more inflation. That’s the kind of situation that we want to … make sure it doesn’t occur.” Bullard has made news lately with his calls for aggressive Fed action. He has advocated for a full percentage point of rate increases by July in an effort to stem price surges that are running at the fastest pace in 40 years. In his remarks Thursday, he repeated his assertion that the Fed should “front-load” rate hikes as way to get ahead of inflation running at a 7.5% pace over the past year.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
North Newton City Council agrees to purchase police canine
The North Newton Police Department is getting a canine, in the form of Odie, after the North Newton City Council voted 3-2 to obtain the dog. Voting against the decision were Councilmen Mark Jenkins and Dennis Campbell. Odie is 7-½ to 8 years old and will be paired with Officer Colt Pfautz, who is certified to work with a canine and has worked more than a year part-time with the North Newton Police Department and then was hired full time. Now, the police department will have a canine unit again. “It’s a positive we already have someone certified,” Mayor Ron Braun said. One citizen, Nathan Koontz, spoke out about the town getting another police dog during the citizen’s comments portion of the meeting, which happened before the council took a vote and discussed the matter themselves.
Source: Harvey County Now
March informational meetings planned in Wamego, St. Marys regarding solar farm draft regulations
Informational public meetings are scheduled in March surrounding the future of solar farms in Pottawatomie County. The county plans to host two come-and-go meetings where people can ask questions from county planning and zoning officials regarding proposed regulations regarding solar facilities. The meetings are a precursor to an anticipated formal public hearing this spring with the Planning Commission. Planning Commission and Planning and Development staff have been drafting regulations since last March for large-scale solar farms.
Source: 1350 KMAN
County Commissioners allocate $25,000 in ARPA funds to each city
Each city is eligible to receive up to $25,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds through the county following recent action taken by the Jackson County Commission. The commissioners agreed to allocate $25,000 in ARPA funding to each of the nine cities in the county. The county has received $1,279,156 in ARPA funding from the federal government, so far, and is expected to receive another $1,279,156 in July totaling $2,558,312. Previously, ARPA funds could only be spent on COVID-19 response, bonuses for essential workers and investing in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure, it was reported. A recent ruling was approved, however, that allow counties to use the funds more broadly.
Source: Holton Recorder
Overland Park officials worry city could lose millions in annual tax revenue with Walmart ‘dark store’ win
If the Kansas Supreme Court rules against Johnson County in its appeal of a lower court’s ruling on how to appraise Walmart stores’ properties, it likely won’t be a budget killer right away for Overland Park, said City Manager Bill Ebel. But he cautions that future structural changes that upset the balance of property tax, sales tax and user fees collections could be “concerning” in the long run. Ebel recently said that a “substantial portion” of the estimated $1.5 million the city might have to refund due to the ongoing Walmart case has already been set aside in a liability account, should the court rule in favor of the retail giant.
Source: Prairie Village Post
City of Overland Park sets five-year plan for public safety improvements
The city of Overland Park has set a five-year lineup for public safety capital improvements. At last week’s Public Safety Committee meeting, councilmembers reviewed the city’s projected costs for public safety improvements budgeted for 2023 through 2027. The committee approved the five-year projections for recommendation to the city council’s Committee of the Whole, which handles budgets and capital improvements. The five-year plan includes capital improvements — which typically encompass new facilities or fixes to existing ones — along with some maintenance repairs and recurring costs for the city’s Fire and Police departments.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Eliminating Kansas’ food sales tax may be pushed to 2024
Kansans may not see a total elimination of the state’s hefty food sales tax until 2024, under a new Senate proposal. The Senate Tax committee unanimously approved a bill with a long list of changes. One of those changes would set the date for the plan to go into effect to January 1, 2024. That’s about one year later than anticipated from some democrats, who expected the timeframe to be much sooner. Senator Ethan Corson, a democrat from Fairway, who sits on the committee, told Kansas Capitol Bureau on Wednesday that he’s hoping there will be room for negotiation once the bill moves to the floor. “Part of the conversation should this bill get to the floor will be about what the right implementation date is,” Corson said. “I would favor an implementation date of June of this year.”
Source: KSNT News
Chetopa hires extra assistance for snow removal
Ahead of the winter storms that dropped inches of snow in Labette County earlier this month, the Chetopa City Council on Feb. 1 gave approval to hire extra help for snow removal. The council approved a contract with Anthony Conard on an as needed basis to remove snow for the city at a rate of $80 per hour. The city will contact Conard if it needs help with snow removal when weather warrants it. The city council also agreed to pay city employees a maximum of up to five days for work-related exposure or a positive COVID-19 test.
Source: Parsons Sun
Study: America’s economy has seen talent ‘shift’ to heartland over the last decade
America’s economy has seen a “shift” in workforce talent from coastal cities to the country’s heartland over the last decade, according to a new study. The study, conducted by Heartland Forward, a think tank with a focus on economic renewal, analyzed more than 350 metropolitan areas across the country and measured each metro area’s workforce by two metrics: educational attainment and the number of workers in creative occupations. Heartland’s study found a marked shift in talent between 2010 and 2019 away from traditional talent hubs such as New York City and San Francisco toward states such as Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas.
Source: Parsons Sun
KwiKom wants to bring broadband to Paola
Faster and more reliable internet for residents and businesses in northern Paola soon could be available if the city and KwiKom Communications are able to obtain a state grant. Paola City Council members received an update on the plan during their Feb. 8 meeting. Acting Interim City Manager Randi Shannon said KwiKom Communications has identified Paola as an ideal community for the Kansas Office of Broadband Development Acceleration Grant. The 50-50 state grant also allows for up to a 50 percent co-investment of the matching funding. Therefore, KwiKom asked the city of Paola for a co-investment commitment of $250,000, which is 25 percent of the project’s $1 million total.
Source: The Miami County Republic
Merriam moves ahead with plan to redesign key downtown corridor
The city of Merriam approved a nearly $450,000 design contract with BHC Engineering for work along Merriam Drive in downtown, from Johnson Drive to 55th Street. … The design scope includes the portion of Merriam Drive from Johnson Drive to 55th Street, which runs directly through the city’s downtown area. While this is simply the design contract, the final project when completed aims to bring new curb and gutters, sidewalks, pavement and bike lanes to that stretch.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Municipal Bond Trends for February 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.