Kansas Municipal News
Girard, school district OK partnership
Following last week’s Girard City Council meeting, the local council and Girard USD 248 announced a partnership that will soon allow residents to use one of the school’s facilities. USD 248 superintendent Todd Ferguson took the podium during the meeting, discussing partnership options between the city and school district regarding the use of the school’s Activity Center, located at 150 Apico Way on the north side of the building. “I believe you guys are probably relatively in the loop on this, but I just wanted to make sure that we’re comfortable with this moving forward,” he said. “As you may or may not know, we renovated our weight room in the basement at the high school this past summer, a state-of-the-art facility. What that means is we’ve taken some pretty good weight equipment and moved it out to the Activity Center. In talking to the mayor (Mickey Pyle), and everyone else involved, I’d love to see our community have an Activity Center where people can go out and work out, where people can go out and get on a treadmill, where people can go out and lift weights.”
Source: Morning Sun
Politicians mark start of $532 million project to replace Leavenworth’s 126-year-old penitentiary
Heavy construction machinery did the real work in advance of Monday’s groundbreaking for a $532 million Leavenworth federal prison and satellite prison camp to replace an antiquated structure constructed in 1897 that served as the nation’s first maximum-security prison. After the speeches and applause, a gaggle of local, state and federal politicians and Federal Bureau of Prisons officials dutifully grabbed ceremonial shovels and gouged the frigid dirt at their feet to celebrate a step forward for public safety. The imposing stone facade of the U.S. Penitentiary known as “Big Top” remained solid, but the federal prison’s electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems long ago surpassed operational limits. The new prison project — a top priority of local officials in Leavenworth for two decades — belatedly gained traction in Congress about five years ago …
Source: Kansas Reflector
Kansas and Wichita homestead refunds are ‘here for us to take advantage of’
Property tax refund options for older homeowners are growing thanks to new state and local programs. But homeowners must know about the programs and fill out the correct paperwork to take advantage of them. This year marked the rollout of Kansas’ property tax “freeze’’ for qualifying homeowners. Called the Seniors or Disabled Veterans Refund (SVR), it is designed to keep an eligible homeowner’s taxes from increasing year to year. Over 10,000 claims for this refund have been filed across the state in 2023, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue. The popularity of the SVR tax refund program will spread in 2024 as it becomes more widely known, predicted State Sen. Tom Holland…
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Horton mural honors the lives of veterans
A new mural in Horton is doing more than just beautifying what once was just a brick wall. It’s honoring the lives of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. “We’ve had the dream for a number of years,” Reinvent Horton President Connie Werner said. “We got a hold of the artist that did this mural and then told them about the stories of the gentlemen that lost their lives and the history of our armory here and a number of different historical things.” So they got to work. In under two weeks, Chase Hunter along with other artists with “The Arts Department” made a dream into a reality. Something Hunter says he is grateful they got the opportunity to do. “It was an honor,” Hunter said. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to put some paint where it ain’t and do something for the community and the people. The wounds are still fresh with these people and to kind of let them know these people aren’t forgotten and they deserve to be honored in the way we did.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
Truckload of Bottled Water helps Caney Valley School District midst water shortage
Caney Valley School District in Kansas is proactively addressing the ongoing water shortage by implementing innovative measures. School Superintendent Blake Vargas recently discussed the district’s approach, which includes temporarily closing school on specific days while ensuring compliance with the required number of school days for the year. Vargas explained the rationale behind the decision, stating, “The determination was made. It’s a variety of days. The majority are on Mondays; we do have a couple of Fridays. But up to our Thanksgiving and Christmas break, we will be off. Essentially, what we’ve done is by eliminating those days, we know that we can reduce water consumption during those days. We want to do our part with that. Even though we’ve seen a little rain in our area, we recognize the need for substantial rainfall.” The Caney Valley School District’s commitment to conserving water resources has included the purchase of trailer restrooms and the distribution of bottled water. While these measures have had financial implications for the district, they have been buoyed by generous donations from the community.
Source: KOAM News
Fort Scott City Manager announces his resignation
The Fort Scott City Manager is resigning from his position. Brad Matkin posted a video on Facebook this morning announcing his resignation. He sent his letter to the City Commission Tuesday night. His resignation will be effective Jan. 3. Matkin says he’ll continue the duties of his role in addition to helping in the transition of finding a new city manager, continuing to close out ongoing projects and planning for next year.
Source: KOAM News
Dodge City in mourning, disbelief after deadly weekend shooting
Hours after gunfire ripped through the Central Station Bar & Grill, Dodge City is still in shock, with many saying they can’t believe something like this happened here. “There’s two mothers right now that aren’t going to be able to hug their children. So I just hugged her and we just talked,” resident Regina Heavener said. Shortly after 1 a.m., Heavener received a phone call that shook her to her core. Her daughter, Carlee, who is a bartender at Central Station, was feet away from where a gunman opened fire at a Halloween party at the bar. The shooting claimed the lives of two partygoers and injured two others. Carlee says she thought she heard the sounds of balloons popping before it became clear to her that this had turned into a tragic event. “It felt like time stood still. And then moments later, it was a round of fires. And I’m almost positive it was seven because I heard a ‘bop bop, bop, bop, bop, bop bop,'” Carlee said. Carlee says the bar cleared out fast after the series of shots rang out. She says she did what she could to protect people who were still in the bar taking cover.
Source: KAKE – News
Municipal Bond Trends for October 31, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Municipal Bond Trends for October 30, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Municipal Bond Trends for October 27, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
EPA will propose stiffer lead pipe rules
Decades after officials banned lead in gasoline for new cars and stopped the sale of lead paint – huge steps toward eliminating lead exposure to the public – there are still an estimated 500,000 U.S. children with levels of lead in their blood that are considered high, and experts say lead in drinking water is one important reason. Now, the Environmental Protection Agency is aiming to further reduce lead levels in drinking water … President Joe Biden has already called for eliminating the country’s estimated 9.2 million lead pipes, lines that connect water mains under the street to homes and businesses and are responsible for most of the lead that gets into drinking water. But it’s costly to send out workers to dig up the pipe, lay new ones and replant damaged landscaping. In many cities, homeowners are expected to pay to deal with the pipe on their property.
Source: Hutch News
High-res imagery important to county, cities
Barton County Cartographer Bj Wooding describes the value of the ultra-high-resolution digital orthoimagery very simply. “It’s been used by several different departments and agencies, and I don’t know how they do their jobs without it, frankly,” she said, addressing the Barton County Commission Tuesday morning. Commissioners then approved the purchase of the imagery for the Mapping Department at a cost of $28,500. This will cover the four major cities in the county (Claflin, Ellinwood, Great Bend and Hoisington) for a total of 79 square miles. The county will pay half, with the balance split among the communities based on size.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Shawnee bans short-term rentals like AirBnBs in residential areas
Shawnee will ban short-term rentals like AirBnB and VRBO in single-family neighborhoods. After its fourth meeting on short-term rental businesses, the Shawnee City Council on Monday decided to move forward with banning them entirely in residential areas. During the city council committee meeting, the city council asked city staff to draft an outline that will ban rental businesses like AirBnB and VRBO in R-1 (single-family residential) districts.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Stafford’s newest mural available in wearable version
A wearable version of Stafford’s mural project has been delivered and is available for purchase or pickup if pre-ordered. “We will have extras to sell,” said City Administrator Jami Downing, who noted that available colors and sizes will be posted soon. A $5 portion of the proceeds from each T-shirt or sweater purchased will be put into the city’s Community Development Fund, earmarked for future mural projects. “We’ve got a few ideas, it’s just going to depend upon what we go to next,” Downing said. “
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Ford County Commission approves 1.5-mile setback between turbines, airport
The Ford County Commission unanimously approved a reduction in the minimum distance a wind turbine must be set back away from private airports and air strips at its Oct. 16 meeting. The decision to reduce the required distance from three miles to 1.5 miles rejected the Ford County Planning and Zoning Board recommendation to adhere to the federal three-mile setback rule for all airports in the county for safety reasons. The 3-mile setback disqualified 12,000 acres of Bucklin area private property from receiving an estimated thirty-four turbines.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe
Alma Cheese Curds wins 2023 Coolest Thing Made in Kansas contest
Alma Cheese Curds is the 2023 Coolest Thing Made in Kansas — People’s Choice, after six weeks of competition, the Kansas Manufacturing Council announced Tuesday. The winner was announced during the KMC Kansas Manufacturing Summit held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Wichita. “The KMC is excited to celebrate Alma Creamery ‘s cheese curds as the 2022 Coolest Thing Made in Kansas. Thank you to everyone who nominated and voted for their favorite Kansas-made products. It has been a fun competition,” said KMC Executive Director Brandie McPherson. “The manufacturing industry is an important part of the Kansas economy.”
Source: Emporia Gazette
De Soto EV battery Plant incentives helping people nearby
The $4 billion Panasonic Electric Vehicle Battery Plant in De Soto is already having a big impact outside the massive campus. New interchanges are already completed and lead to roads that are currently under construction south of K-10. The development agreement just announced this month lays out how the tax incentives will help cover the upgrades and leave a lasting impact on the surrounding area. “There is a lot of infrastructure improvements that will be needed,” De Soto City Administrator Mike Brungardt said. “It’ll cost a lot of money, and the development is going to largely fund that through the TIF incentives.” Much of that money goes to roads and other infrastructure, but one unique feature is a new fire station with a fire truck and the money to hire first responders to staff it, with Panasonic picking up the tab. Brungardt says it’s an example of how the incentives are helping the whole region. “It will serve not only the Panasonic building but also thousands of acres in Northwest Johnson County,” Brungardt said.
Source: KSN-TV
Reality of public service not always what Kansas officials expected
The adage “you get out what you put in” usually is attached to manual labor or building a business. It’s also applicable to elected officials, both novices and veterans, as they carry out the duties of their public roles. Kansans will go to the polls Nov. 7 to vote for their choices for city government, school boards and community college boards. These elections typically draw fewer voters than those for state and national offices, but the disruptions of the pandemic shifted the context of their roles. This year’s vote represents a return to normalcy of sorts. No longer do city councils and school boards find themselves at the center of pandemic-related debates over such topics as mask ordinances and in-person school attendance. But the divides over those issues linger, as does the lesson that local officials – many of whom are paid little, if anything, for their service – aren’t immune from the consequences of being in the eye of a storm.
Source: KLC Journal
Cell phone tower in Andover catches fire
The City of Andover says a cell phone tower at a local park caught on fire Wednesday afternoon but the cause is unknown. Hal Larcher said he was spending his day at Central Park in Andover getting pictures and video of some of the flooding happening there, when suddenly he turned around and saw a thick black smoke filling the sky. He says it was clearly coming from the cell phone tower in the middle of the park. “I was shocked for sure,” said Larcher. He says it’s unlike anything he’s ever seen before. Larcher explains when he was looking at it he thought the fire was coming from an antennae that was about halfway down the pole.
Source: KAKE – News
About the city of beautiful maples
Hiawatha’s beautiful maples have a rich history that makes the fall splendor of the town even more intriguing. This year, fall took its sweet time settling. An unusually dry late summer and early fall certainly took its toll on the maple trees. Their beautiful colors were a little late turning, and maybe not quite as bright as a wetter year would be, but the maples still were magnificent. After Monday’s rain, many leaves have fallen, but a walk around Hiawatha can truly be inspirational and full of so many colors of autumn. Hiawatha has long been known for its beautiful maples, which were first planted so many decades ago by Theodore H. Korthanke. Korthanke lived from 1860 to 1941 and was considered one of the founding fathers of Hiawatha, and certainly the founding father of the maple trees found nearly on every block.
Source: Local News | hiawathaworldonline.com