Kansas Municipal News
Lawrence leaders discuss statewide housing needs, governor’s budget proposal for $20 million for moderate-income housing
As the City of Lawrence works to address its affordable housing shortage, one question local leaders had was whether $20 million proposed for housing in the governor’s recently released budget proposal could help Lawrence. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission received a presentation from the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation on its recently completed Kansas Statewide Housing Assessment Report and discussed housing issues with a KHRC official. The commission, which in recent years has been working to address local affordable housing shortages, requested a presentation on the report after it was released last month.
Source: LJWorld.com
10-year Treasury yield hits 1.9% as investors bet on rate hikes
The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield hit 1.9% on Wednesday morning, its highest point since December 2019. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note moved 2 basis points higher to 1.8916% at 4 a.m. ET. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond climbed 1 basis point to 2.2036%. … The 10-year rate surged on Tuesday, topping 1.87%, amid growing investor anticipation that the Federal Reserve could soon start to hike interest rates. The two-year Treasury yield, which reflects short-term interest rate expectations, also topped 1% for the first time in two years. It remained higher on Wednesday morning, hovering above 1.06%.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Municipal Bond Trends for January 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.
Winfield 150th celebration planned for 2023
City improvement projects, a new city flag and a multi-day celebration are among the plans that are under way for the City of Winfield’s 150th anniversary celebration to kick off in 2023. There were initial plans to host the anniversary celebration in 2020, the 150th anniversary of the city’s founding in 1870. However, all other milestone celebrations have been based on the anniversary of the city’s incorporation, which occurred in 1873, Winfield Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Sarah Werner said. Planning for next year’s festivities are in the very early stages, Werner said. Plans are being directed by a small task force along with a larger planning group consisting of representatives from local civic groups, nonprofits and other organizations.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Additional hybrids purchased for Derby PD
With two patrol vehicles set to exceed 100,000 miles in 2022, the Derby Police Department requested the purchase of two new Ford Interceptors, which was approved by the city council at its Jan. 11 meeting. Based on the bids received and the current hybrids in use by Derby PD since August 2021, Chief Robert Lee suggested the department purchase two additional hybrids in 2022. The difference in cost between the gas engine and hybrid models was $3,000 per car, but through use of the current hybrids Lee projected the cost savings to be roughly $15,000 per car over a five-year lifespan. The city approved the lowest responsible bid of $108,854 from Rusty Eck Ford for two hybrid Interceptors. While the cost is $654 over budget, Lee said that could be covered by the department’s equipment fund.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Life of Bob Dole new exhibit at Finney Coumty Museum
The Finney County Historical Museum in Garden City opened the 2022 display year today with a new short-term exhibit in the Front Door Gallery that focuses on the life and career of Robert J. Dole, who died in December as one of the best-known Kansans in history. Entitled “Bob Dole, One of the greatest of the Greatest Generation,” the exhibit incorporates many of the Russell native’s connections to Finney County and southwest Kansas, as well as his dedication to the Sunflower State. The Front Door Gallery is a small space inside the museum’s main entrance at 403 S. Fourth St., adjacent to the pedestrian arches at Lee Richardson Zoo. Admission is free and viewing hours run from 1 to 5 p.m. daily, with the exception of federal holidays Jan. 17 and Feb. 21. All other museum displays are accessible simultaneously.
Source: Greater Garden City
Federal probe into Kansas City, Kansas, Police is looking at officer misconduct, decades of homicides
A federal grand jury has demanded that the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department hand over records covering two decades of homicide cases, internal affairs reports and informant files as part of what appears to be a wide-ranging investigation. The nine subpoenas obtained by KCUR through a Kansas Open Records request reveal a search for information on homicide cases that cover the years Roger Golubski worked as a KCKPD detective, through 2010, the year he retired from the department. KCKPD and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas confirmed in October that since 2019 they were cooperating with a federal grand jury looking into allegations against Golubski.
Source: KCUR News
Lawrence considers closing schools amid funding cuts, enrollment decline
Lawrence Public Schools is considering closing schools to keep up with funding cuts due in part to declining enrollment. District leaders say four scenarios are on the table for the Board of Education to deal with this. All involve closing schools and/or shuffling students to other schools in the district. “I want to reiterate again, these are only scenarios, starting points,” said Dr. Larry Englebrick, the district’s interim chief operations officer. “No decisions have been made; no recommendations have been made.” Englebrick made the comments at a Boundary Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday.
Source: KSN-TV
Kansas abandons efforts to trace contacts for COVID-19 infections
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Tuesday it would stop contact tracing for COVID-19 at the end of the month because of a lack of cooperation and a surge in new cases. Janet Stanek, the agency’s acting secretary, also told lawmakers during a Senate panel meeting that the agency no longer requires schools to track the source of infections. The agency will stop contact tracing Feb. 1 and instead ask individuals who test positive to let their close contacts know about potential exposure to the deadly disease.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Sedgwick County Reaches Record Number of COVID-19 Hospitalizations
New data released by Sedgwick County on Monday, Jan. 17th, shows 277 patients are currently hospitalized with the virus. Of that amount, 80 are patients with COVID-19 in the Intensive Care Unit. The number of hospitalized patients marks a new record since the pandemic began. In addition, the latest data shows a rolling 14-day average positive test rate of 22.1%–another record high, surpassing the previous percentage from November 2020.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
“Axe the Food Tax” Bill Formally Introduced on Friday
Kansas House Democrats and Republicans formally introduced the #AxeTheFoodTax bill on Friday, Jan. 14th. The bill cuts the state sales tax on food purchased at Kansas grocery stores and farmers’ markets from 6.5% to 0%. It’s estimated that this would save the average Kansas family roughly $500 per year. Governor Kelly said that if passed, the new tax law could go into effect as soon as July 1, 2022.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Record COVID surge closes some schools, invokes mask mandate at others
An unprecedented surge in new COVID-19 cases has canceled classes at Peabody and Goessel and added Marion and Peabody schools to nine others identified as COVID “clusters” statewide. Local school and health officials did not announce the surge to media. It was discovered via routine checking of state data and social media feeds for parents and students. According to state data, the county recorded a record 34 new cases Tuesday — 9 more than the previous single-day record, set the Monday after Thanksgiving this year.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Billions are at stake in how the government defines a place as rural
A town of 1,000 people feels like a rural place to someone from Chicago. To a person living in a town of 200 people, that population of 1,000 feels almost urban. But what the government defines as rural determines tens of billions of dollars a year in spending aimed at propping up America’s small or remote places. Houston, Missouri, a town of 2,500 tucked into the hills of the Ozarks near the Arkansas border, takes pride as the hometown of famous clown Emmett Kelly. It holds an annual festival named in his memory. The residents pride themselves on a small-town, rural lifestyle with easy access to wide-open, outdoor spaces. But for some federal grants, Houston is not rural.
Source: KCUR News
COVID Relief funds used for new internet antenna in Pittsburg
The City of Pittsburg will soon be expanding internet access for local students. City commissioners approved the varience of a new antenna for the DragonNet system. The program went into operation last year in January to provide internet for students in Pittsburg community schools. The new antenna will be located at the USD 250 School Board office, and will be one of three new sites throughout Pittsburg to help areas with limited coverage after the initial rollout. “Almost all of the work that students are doing requires some level of internet access these days. It puts them on an equal footing. It’s really an equality thing, we want to make sure that no students are negatively impacted by the fact that they have difficulty getting broadband internet,” said Jay Byers, Pittsburg Deputy City Manager.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Louisburg extends FLIP program through 2022
The Louisburg City Council at its Dec. 6 meeting approved continuing the Faces of Louisburg Improvement Program (FLIP) for commercial and residential properties through 2022. Business owners and residents can apply to the city when making improvements to the front of their businesses or homes. The council doubled the amount of money that can be reimbursed for a residential project, from $500 to $1,000. A staff report noted almost half of the residential projects made improvements of more than $2,000, with six of those projects making upgrades of more than $3,000 in the past two years.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Lenexa will prioritize certain homes for popular exterior grant program reimbursing improvements
The city of Lenexa is revising its increasingly popular exterior grant program to prioritize home projects most in need of improvements. After expanding the city’s exterior grant program from a few select neighborhoods to citywide, Lenexa is now revising the program in order to reduce the number of eligible applicants and focus program funding on older homes and those with lower appraised values in order to make the biggest impacts on neighborhoods. In 2021, the city funded 11 of the 356 exterior grant applications it received, according to a city memo. In turn, the program generated more than $100,000 in investment in single-family homes.
Source: Prairie Village Post
‘Take action’: Mayors urge Johnson County to mandate masks during record COVID surge
Several Johnson County mayors want rules that require face masks in public spaces extended to the entire county after municipal leaders approved similar mandates in four cities this week. The new rules come as COVID-19 cases soar to record highs on the back of the highly contagious omicron variant, which is pushing already strained area hospitals and even morgues to the brink. This week the city councils of Roeland Park, Mission, Prairie Village and Fairway each voted to implement a requirement that anyone visiting public spaces wear face masks or pay a $25 fine. Those rules take effect Jan. 18 and extend through mid-February.
Source: Joco 913 News
The story behind the renaissance of Humboldt, Kansas
It might not be growing in population, but Humboldt, Kansas is one town that has defied the odds in other ways. Drive around town and there is a coffee shop, a frame shop, a working 19th century cabinet shop that makes high-end furniture, a shaved ice shop, a candy shop and four restaurants. As 2020 dawned, a family restaurant with a microbrewery and a new grocery store were in the offing, along with more building and construction, more businesses coming to town. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a force that’s been devastating to small businesses across the country. City offices and retail shops closed. Restaurants adapted to delivery and carryout orders. A cruise night – where town residents piled into cars and cruised streets – boosted morale. Yet the good times in Humboldt have seemingly continued to roll. In January, the community was named one of “52 Places” to visit in 2022 by travel desk of The New York Times, alongside such destinations as Monaco, Greenland, and Marrakesh, Morocco. Back in the summer of 2020, when The Journal first published this extensive profile of the community, the future wasn’t so clear because the pandemic was clouding the future for lots of small businesses everywhere.
Source: KLC Journal
Slow return to normal: Employees still needed in Salina, despite drop in unemployment
In Salina, businesses and employers across several industries are looking for workers and many are offering incentives to new hires. The November 2021 labor force and unemployment report, which is the latest available from the Kansas Department of Labor, showed Saline County with an unemployment rate of 2.5%. This rate is a significant drop from the highest during the pandemic, April 2020, which saw the county’s unemployment rate reach 10.7%. For comparison, the report from November 2019 showed a 2.7% unemployment rate. Salina and the north-central Kansas region are doing well with employment compared to other places in the state … Despite this noticeable drop in unemployment rates, employees are still needed throughout the community.
Source: Salina Journal
Kansas schools close amid COVID surge and staffing crisis; educators hope for time to get healthy
The coronavirus pandemic continues to surge in Kansas, forcing more than a dozen schools to cancel classes as state regulators loosened education requirements to become a substitute teacher. With Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, educators expressed hope the closures combined with the three-day holiday weekend will stem the wave of sickness from COVID-19, influenza and other illnesses. At least one district is moving to remote learning, and another has said it may also. The school disruptions come as the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports rising case rates and 26 active school clusters. Hospital leaders say they are overwhelmed with unvaccinated COVID-19 patients amid a staffing emergency.
Source: CJonline
Traffic, housing, sports: Six projects that will change life in Johnson County in 2022
Tina Tribble is surprised when she runs into other Overland Park residents who still do not know about U.S. 69. Starting this year, the highway will undergo a $400 million expansion with two new electronic toll lanes. … It’s one of a half-dozen major developments set to change daily life in every corner of Johnson County. Also in the works are mixed-use projects, hundreds of apartments and new sports facilities. For some, it means a booming local economy — an injection of millions of dollars and new jobs. For others, a fear that their communities are changing too fast in an uncertain time.
Source: KC Star
A year after a historic cold front slammed the state, how prepared is Kansas for another deep freeze?
Residents are unlikely to forget February 2021 anytime soon. If the blistering cold temperatures that slammed Kansas weren’t memorable enough, rolling blackouts were instituted twice in a 48-hour span in a bid to conserve energy use. A series of factors pushed natural gas prices through the roof, leaving utilities, municipalities and businesses with bills they are, in some cases, still trying to pay off — with residents picking up the tab for years. All this has legislators interested in ensuring the state is prepared if a similar event hits Kansas this winter — or in years to come.
Source: Hutch News
Reno County’s labor force is changing
Reno County’s demographics are changing. According to Jeremy Hill, the director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University, Reno County’s population will continue to decline. As for the people in their 60s and higher, this demographic should not start to decline until around 2030. “So it’s an expanding aging market for the next eight years,” Hill said. “Then it’s going to level off and then start shrinking.” Because the working-age population has migrated out of the area a little bit, Hill said, there are fewer younger kids. So the 18 and under demographic is shrinking. And the working-age population, which the county is dependent on right now, is also shrinking, he noted.
Source: Hutch News
Municipal Bond Trends for January 14, 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.
Former Belvue City employee sentenced for embezzling thousands in public funds
A former City of Belvue treasurer arrested in June 2021 has been sent to jail for taking thousands of dollars in public funds over several years. … Judge Elder said in court Thursday he was imposing the 60 day jail sentence to send a message that if you steal from a city municipality you won’t just get a slap on the wrist. A criminal complaint filed last June alleged the amount of public funds unlawfully converted actually may have topped $100,000.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Municipal Bond Trends for January 13, 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.
JoCo EMS may change how it responds to 911 calls amid latest COVID-19 surge
The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has placed added strain on local hospitals’ emergency rooms and Johnson County’s emergency medical response team. As a result, the Johnson County EMS System is considering possible changes to how it responds to 911 calls. Ryan Jacobsen, medical director for the Johnson County EMS System, said the circumstances are challenging now, particularly with the rise in 911 call volumes, coupled with a pre-pandemic shortage in emergency providers and staff.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Working for Lenexa: National tragedy spurs police officer’s career path
Watching the 9/11 terrorist attacks unfold on national television was the moment Hunter Tschippert decided he wanted to become a police officer. He was 5 years old. “Being in kindergarten and seeing the second plane hit was what pushed me toward the line of work to begin with,” he said. “Since then, this is the career path I knew I wanted to go into.” It wasn’t until Tschippert got older that he really understood what happened that day. But watching emergency responders moving toward the crisis is what made him feel called to the line of duty.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Overland Park advances backyard chicken pilot program — Here are the details
A new ordinance that would allow backyard chickens on smaller lots is headed for the Overland Park City Council now that a second council committee recommended it Wednesday night. The proposal, which revamps how the city handles applications for residential chicken keeping, is the product of months of work and negotiation among councilmembers who have previously tended to deny chicken permits in the northern part of the city, where yards are generally smaller.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Parsons Police enter Covid Protocol, what this means for residents
The Parsons Police Department enters COVID Protocol again, with staffing levels at a critical state. “If we can get our staff out of the red and healthy, we can return to a sense of normalcy,” According to Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks. “We want what is best for all parties involved. So if you see an officer keeping their distance or asking you to step outside or out of a vehicle please comply and know that we are just trying to stay safe but still be effective.” The Police Department had a spike and logged 6 positive COVID cases in the last week. In a release, the department says it put their already minimal staffing levels to a critical state. They want to keep the public safe from sickness as well as crime.
Source: KOAMKOAM
Ongoing Dispute Over Whether WPD’s Use of “Gang List” is Constitutional
The United States District Court for the District of Kansas denied significant portions of the City of Wichita’s motion to dismiss the class-action lawsuit challenging Wichita’s “Gang List.” The ruling allows plaintiffs to proceed with their central claims that the gang database itself, as well as WPD’s use of it, is unconstitutional. The case was filed in April of 2021. The City of Wichita and the police department’s motion to dismiss was filed on July 9, 2021. … Attorneys bringing the suit are asking for injunctive and declaratory relief, challenging Kansas law and WPD policy and asking that the City of Wichita immediately cease its use of the Gang List and prohibit the operation of a Gang List in the future.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Pittsburg USD 250 cancels school for rest of week
Pittsburg USD 250 closes for the remainder of the week (Jan. 13-14). The district sites staff shortages due to Covid-19 as the cause. According to an email sent to parents, “Due to staff shortages, USD 250 will be closed on Thursday, 1/13/22 through Friday, 1/14/22. As a reminder, Monday is a scheduled day for No School. Students and staff will return on Tuesday, 1/18/22. Please see the attached letter for more information.” Monday is a holiday, so students and staff will be in school again on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. USD 250 is not requiring students to engage in school work in an online format during cancellation. “This will provide us with a five (5) day period to help our positive students and staff recover and diminish the chance of person to person transmission in our school buildings,” states the district in a letter attached to the email.
Source: KOAMKOAM
Fed hikes are a certainty. It’s the pace and end point that can rock markets: Rates expert
The Federal Reserve is going to raise rates, and based on the latest inflation reading this week, the central bank is likely to start its rate hike cycle in March. The Fed has telegraphed the rate hikes, but the market remains on edge because the hawkish turn from Fed Chair Jerome Powell has occurred quickly and goes beyond higher rates to an unwind of the Fed’s massive balance sheet. It’s the pace of the tightening cycle that remains an unknown, says Priya Misra, global head of rates strategy at TD Securities, and that will contribute to volatility this year.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Fed’s Harker calls for ‘action on inflation,’ sees 3 or 4 rate hikes this year
Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Patrick Harker said Thursday he foresees three or four interest rate hikes will be appropriate this year as the central bank tackles a nagging inflation problem. His thinking, outlined in a live interview on CNBC’s “Closing Bell,” is consistent with estimates the policymaking Federal Open Market Committee released in December. But while officials then penciled in the likelihood of three quarter-percentage-point increases this year of the Fed’s benchmark overnight borrowing rate, Harker said he may be open to even more.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Emporia discusses smaller lot sizes in potential housing development
As Emporia continues to battle its housing shortage, the city commission discussed the possibility of decreasing lot sizes in a potential development area. At its study session Wednesday morning, the commission heard a proposal from planning and zoning specialist Justin Givens to create a Housing Opportunity Overlay in a 16.8-acre vacant parcel of land directly east of the intersection of Soden’s Road and South Exchange Street. A Housing Opportunity Overlay would allow a developer to decrease lot sizes from the 9,000 square feet minimum requirement in city codes to 5,800 square feet, which would consequently increase the number of residential units that could be built within the area.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Governor Laura Kelly Announces $1.5 Million Available in Tourism Grants
Governor Laura Kelly today announced a new grant opportunity to help communities develop or enhance tourism attractions to boost their local economies. “Our tourism industry supports Kansas jobs, injects millions into our economy and preserves our state’s unique history for future generations,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These grants will enhance local community efforts to develop quality tourism assets that will grow the economy and improve the quality of life for all Kansans.” The grant program is the Tourism Attraction Sub-grants for Kansas (TASK) program available through the Kansas Tourism Department. The program offers funding support for public and not-for-profit groups to pursue new or improved tourism attractions, with a total of $1.5 million available. TASK is funded by the American Rescue Plan U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation state grants.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Kansas governor proposes to set aside $600M, spend reserves
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has proposed that Kansas put $600 million of its surplus revenue into a rainy day fund and spend nearly $1.8 billion of the excess revenue on a long list of projects. Parts of Kelly’s proposed spending blueprint for state government through June 2023 are likely to meet strong resistance from the Republican-controlled Legislature. It assumes that Kansas will expand its Medicaid coverage, which GOP lawmakers have repeatedly blocked, and give a one-time $250 income tax rebate to residents who filed state income tax returns last year. Before Kelly’s budget director outlined her proposals to a joint meeting of the House and Senate budget committees Wednesday, Republicans suggested that the state’s good economic fortunes could sour quickly.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Supreme Court blocks OSHA vaccine or test mandates
The Supreme Court has stopped the Biden administration from enforcing a requirement that employees at large businesses be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing and wear a mask on the job. At the same time, the court is allowing the administration to proceed with a vaccine mandate for most health care workers in the U.S.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
More details released for Governor Kelly’s proposed state budget
Governor Laura Kelly is proposing that Kansas set aside $600 million of its surplus revenues in a rainy day fund and spend nearly $1.8 billion more in cash reserves on a host of one-time projects. The Democratic governor’s budget director on Wednesday outlined proposed spending blueprint for state government through June 2023 to the Republican-controlled Legislature’s budget committees. The projects Kelly proposed in her spending blueprint for state government through June 2023 included paying off bonds early and undoing financial maneuvers lawmakers did in previous years to deal with budget shortfalls. She’s also proposing a one-time rebate of $250 to all Kansans who filed state income tax returns last year.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Vandalism of Wichita parks puts other projects on hold
The City of Wichita said that every time it has to make repairs from vandalism, it has to use money that was supposed to go to other projects. It is becoming a more significant concern because of the increase in destruction at city parks. Thursday morning, Troy Houtman, Wichita Parks and Recreation director, said the costs are adding up. For example, someone damaged a control panel at a Aley Park. Part of the panel was knocked off the wall. Houtman said they will have to pay $5,000 to replace it. Vandals also broke into the building at the swimming pool in the Park. They trashed the inside of the place and left behind a big mess.
Source: KSN-TV
‘It would just be a battle’: Wichita-area leaders avoid COVID restrictions amid surge
As COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations top record numbers in Wichita, local officials say there isn’t enough public support to issue any public health orders aimed at slowing the spread. The Sedgwick County Commission and Wichita City Council signaled this week that they will instead continue encouraging people to get vaccinated, a long-term strategy that would do little to slow the current surge, as most COVID-19 vaccines aren’t considered fully effective until five or six weeks after the first dose (two weeks after the second dose).
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Parsons Registered Offender Program begins
The Parsons Police Department has launched a new program to keep registered offenders in compliance with their required conditions of release or sentencing. In late 2021, the department’s officers became concerned after an audit of registered offenders in Parsons found 44% in violation of registration requirements. Acting Commander Kyle Wiford developed what would become the Parsons Registered Offender Program. Wiford worked with selected patrol officers, the Labette County Sheriff’s Office and the Labette County Attorney’s Office to develop the process and procedures for PROP.
Source: Parsons Sun
Lenexa will prioritize certain homes for popular exterior grant program reimbursing improvements
The city of Lenexa is revising its increasingly popular exterior grant program to prioritize home projects most in need of improvements. After expanding the city’s exterior grant program from a few select neighborhoods to citywide, Lenexa is now revising the program in order to reduce the number of eligible applicants and focus program funding on older homes and those with lower appraised values in order to make the biggest impacts on neighborhoods. In 2021, the city funded 11 of the 356 exterior grant applications it received, according to a city memo. In turn, the program generated more than $100,000 in investment in single-family homes.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Lawrence Public Schools considering closing several schools in proposed scenarios
Multiple school closings were proposed by the Lawrence school district’s Boundary Advisory Committee Wednesday in an attempt to lessen an impending budget crisis. Executive Director of Data and Technology Zach Conrad presented four scenarios, each of which involves closing or repurposing at least two schools at the elementary and middle school levels. So far, these scenarios are still just ideas for the school board to consider – the school board will ultimately make decisions moving forward. Kathy Johnson, executive director of finance for the district, said the school board should publish proposals and host public hearings by the Feb. 14 board meeting, and make decisions on closures in late March or early April.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Commission adopts commercial wind regulations for unzoned portions of Reno County
The Reno County Commission Tuesday finally adopted new regulations for the development of commercial wind turbines in the county after 18 months of debate. The board then voted to create a new countywide overlay zone that will apply those regulations to parts of the county that are otherwise not zoned. The commission previously voted to ban commercial wind development in the fully-zoned portions of the county.
Source: Hutch News