Kansas Municipal News
Southwest Kansas to get a children’s museum
Southwest Kansas will soon get its first children’s museum. Red Dog Children’s Museum received a $28,435 grant from Kansas Tourism Monday morning at the Russell Child Development building in Garden City. The museum was one of 14 recipients of Kansas Tourism’s 2023 Attraction Development Grants. Additionally, the museum received two other local grants from the Finney County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the Garden City Co-op to help kickstart it. The museum has been a project of Jenny and Trevor Hands for the past two years. Together the couple has a son, Graden, and when they travel, they go to children’s museums anytime they’re near one, Jenny Hands said. Jenny Hands said the idea for the children’s museum came to her and her husband while sitting on their living room couch because they were inspired by their son, their travels and because they have always “wanted to do something” for their community. “But in the research of planning this, we found of the 10 nearest children’s museums to Garden City, eight of them are outside of state lines and they’re an average of 300 miles away,” she said. “That is not accessible for our community, and we just started to develop a passion for educating children in our community and giving them the same opportunities that children in larger cities have.” Thus, the Red Dog Children’s Museum was born.
Source: Garden City Telegram
Kayak rentals coming to Vets Park
By next spring, people will be able to rent a kayak and paddle across the lake at Veterans Memorial Park. Director of Kansas Tourism Bridgette Jobe stopped in Great Bend on Tuesday morning to present a “big check,” representing a grant for $12,200 to the Great Bend Convention & Visitors Bureau. This joint project will involve the City of Great Bend and the Great Bend Recreation Commission as well. The plan is to add a kayak rental service that will operate similar to the Bird Scooters that were in Great Bend for a couple of years. Kayaks can be checked out from a locker placed next to the lake by using an app on a smartphone. The user will be charged a fee through the app. The kayaks come with paddles and life jackets in various sizes, although one has to be 18 years old to download the app. The Great Bend Recreation Commission suggested a rental rate starting at $25 per hour, but Great Bend Convention & Visitors Bureau Director Christina Hayes said that and other details have yet to be determined. “We are trying to make it affordable and easy.”
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Newton to ban tobacco use in city parks
The Newton City Commission has approved a policy to ban tobacco use at city parks and outdoor recreational areas. The Tobacco-Free Parks policy will be effective on January 1st, 2024, and it will ban tobacco use in city-owned recreational areas, including parks, playgrounds, trails and athletic fields. Sand Creek Golf Station will be exempt from the policy. The Healthy Harvey Coalition asked Newton High School students last spring to help with a study on tobacco litter in city parks, and in one park, the students filled a seven-liter bucket with discarded tobacco products. The Coalition also helped to encourage the City of Hesston to make its parks tobacco-free, and the group worked with the City of Newton on an ordinance to raise the age for buying tobacco products to 21. The City of Newton and the Harvey County Health Department will receive free signs from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the signs will be posted at parks and recreation areas to remind visitors of the new policy.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Bel Aire officials looking into problems with street project
There have been delays in completing a street improvement project in the city of Bel Aire, two years after construction began. Work on the project has stopped and the city is working on testing and inspections to determine when it can be started again. Bel Aire Mayor Jim Benage provided an update on Facebook on the project to improve Woodlawn between 37th and 45th Streets North. He said the wheel paths in the east lanes are deforming, cracking, slipping, and sinking. The city has hired a firm to take soil samples and results will be studied by the project engineers, the Bel Aire City Engineer and the Kansas Department of Transportation. Benage said a plan will then be developed for repairing the east lanes and finishing the project. As soon as this plan is developed and put in place, it will be shared with the public. With winter weather approaching, the work will likely be delayed until the spring. The city will take some temporary measures to provide a safe route through the winter. In the meantime the city will continue to have northbound traffic in the middle lane with traffic cones in place. The traffic light at 45th Street North will continue to be a four way stop. Benage said in his statement, “We are frustrated with the slow progress, but we need to be very intentional on how we proceed. Not doing so, could cause the City even more problems.”
Source: 101.3 KFDI
The market thinks the Fed is going to start cutting rates aggressively. Investors could be in for a letdown
Markets seem to have taken this week’s positive economic data as the all-clear signal for the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates aggressively next year. Indications that both consumer and wholesale inflation rates have eased considerably from their mid-2022 peaks sent traders into a frenzy, with the most recent indications on the CME Group’s FedWatch gauge pointing to a full percentage point of cuts by the end of 2024. That may be at least a tad optimistic, particularly considering the cautious approach central bank officials have taken during their campaign to bring down prices. “The case isn’t conclusively made yet,” said Lou Crandall, chief economist at Wrightson ICAP. “We’re making progress in that direction, but we haven’t gotten to the point where they’re going to say that the risk of leveling out at a level too far above target has gone away.” This week has featured two important Labor Department reports, one showing that consumer prices in aggregate were unchanged in October, while another indicated that wholesale prices actually declined half a percent last month. While the 12-month reading of the producer price index sank to 1.3%, the consumer price index was still at 3.2%.
Source: Economy
Municipal Bond Trends for November 16, 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.
Shawnee County is seeing record revenues at its golf courses this year
Shawnee County’s government has set a record this year for golf revenue, with one key reason being COVID-19, an official says. Many new golfers took up the game during the pandemic, when it was among the few activities available. Now, they continue to play, Josh Maike explained Monday to The Capital-Journal. County golf revenues eclipsed $2 million for the first time this year, county commissioners learned at a work session Monday from Maike, recreation superintendent for Shawnee County Parks and Recreation. The previous record was $1,805,080, set last year, he told The Capital-Journal. Other reasons Shawnee County set the record include golf leagues, junior golf, affordable access to its courses and the positive customer experience golfers receive at those courses, Maike said.
Source: CJonline
Municipal Bond Trends for November 15, 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.
Newton hires McPherson’s Daniela Rivas as its next city manager
The Newton City Commission approved a contract to hire Daniela Rivas as its next city manager. Rivas, who works as an assistant city administrator/finance director for the City of McPherson will replace Kelly McElroy, who left the city position in October. According to information released by the city, Rivas grew up in Wichita and has family in Newton, and her familiarity with the community is one of the factors that drew her to the job. “Having spent my summers in Newton growing up, I know what a special community it is,” Rivas said. “I’m honored and excited to contribute to the growth and success of such a wonderful city.” At its Tuesday meeting, Mayor Leroy Koehn said city department heads, city commissioners, community members, and department heads all conducted interviews as part of the process. “Every group chose Daniela,” he said. “We all feel very good about our new city manager, and she will be a really good fit.” Commissioner Rich Stinnett and Commissioner Rod Kreie both complimented Rivas’s enthusiasm. “She’ll be a great cheerleader for the City of Newton,” Kreie said.
Source: Harvey County Now
Pickleball noise causing issues at this Prairie Village park
Prairie Village is looking at four different options for alleviating pickleball noise coming from public courts at Windsor Park. Residents near the park at 7200 Windsor St. have shared concerns about the incessant noise of paddles hitting balls at six pickleball courts that were installed at the park in June. … The Prairie Village City Council last week gave city staff the green light to explore options for four different types of possible sound mitigation at the park.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Lawrence Police Department prioritizing calls by solvability; non-officer responders working out well, chief says
The Lawrence Police Department is prioritizing calls by how solvable they are, LPD Chief Rich Lockhart told city commissioners Tuesday, and the addition of four non-officer responders has helped with efficiency. The department is now using a solvability matrix to guide its members’ efforts, he said. They’re going to focus and investigators’ time on violent crimes against people and the most severe and solvable crimes. Emergency dispatch will help classify calls as they’re received, and Lockhart said someone with the department will call people and let them know they’re going to have a delayed response and offer to schedule a time to make a report — probably the next day, either over the phone or in person with a teleserve employee.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Pittsburg Community Schools USD 250 Superintendent announces retirement
Pittsburg Community Schools USD 250 Superintendent Richard Proffitt has announced his plans to retire in a statement from the district office on Tuesday morning. Proffitt has served as the USD 250 Superintendent of Schools since 2018, guiding the district through the pandemic and capping off his career with the renovation of the Pittsburg Community Middle School. “It has been my pleasure to have worked with the Board of Education, administration, staff, students and community in Pittsburg,” Proffitt said. “I am proud of the accomplishments that have been made during my tenure and I have been honored to work with such wonderful professionals that made it happen on a daily basis. …
Source: Morning Sun
A look into Topeka’s next multimillion dollar park
Shawnee County Parks and Recreation gave county commissioners a sneak peak into the nearly $4 million dollar Southwest Topeka Family Park project. Talks have been in the works for nearly a decade to turn the plot of land at southwest 21st and southwest Urish by the Midwest Health Aquatic Center into Family Park. At Monday’s Shawnee County commission meeting, parks and rec were able to show the commissioners what those talks are turning into. The design, which is still an evolving concept, includes a “Destination Playground,” pickleball courts and a shelter house. It’s the latest phase of a master plan, which was approved back in 2021.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Labette County explores use of repeaters for rural firefighters
Labette County commissioners on Monday heard about a portable repeater that could improve radio communication for rural firefighters. Firefighters have struggled in certain areas of the county to reach the 800 megahertz tower in the center of the county with 2-watt handheld radios. The county received a grant to purchase for firefighters 100 handheld radios programmed to the state’s 800 radio system. The grant brought in $212,500, and the local match will be $37,500. Many fire departments haven’t updated their 800 MHz radios since 2012. Charlie Morse, the county’s emergency management director, brought in two L3Harris radios for testing in the county.
Source: Parsons Sun
KDOT to share updated plans for US50/400 expansion
A public meeting for four upcoming U.S. 50/400 expansion projects in Finney and Gray counties will take place on Thursday, November 16, from 5:30 to 7 pm at the Gray County Recreation Center 4-H room. The Kansas Department of Transportation will host the event. The four U.S. 50/400 projects have been divided into two groups for design and construction–a western and eastern group. The two projects in the western group extend from Aerodrome Road in Finney County east to 7 Road in Gray County. The two eastern group projects extend form 7 road east to Cimarron. A brief presentation will begin at 5:45 pm, followed by the opportunity to view proposed improvements made since the November 2022 open house. These projects are nearing completion of the Preliminary design phase, and updated plans that show improvement to managing direct highway access while increasing capacity will be on display. These updates are focused on locations where the highway intersects local streets. Information presented will be available online from November 16 to December 2 for those unable to attend. Visit ike.ksdot.gov/US50-expansion.
Source: Western Kansas News
Disappearing Main Street: The struggles of finding the next generation of owners
How long do you think it should take to find a buyer for a thriving business? Longer than you might think if you live in small town, Kansas. Don’s Place is nestled in the middle of downtown Protection, Kansas whose population was 503 as of 2021. There it’s been serving up home cooked goodies for fifty years now, a milestone the entire town celebrated in September. … But now, the Dellingers are looking to sell. “I’m not quitting because of the business. I’m just quitting because I’m too old to do it,” Don said as he flipped burgers on the grill. “Things are starting to wear out.” However, they can only sell out if they can find the next generation of owners.
Source: KAKE – News
Fighting water woes in Kansas
The State of Kansas Governor’s water conference is this week. It’s an effort to save water in the wake of a drought in parts of Kansas, along with aquifers that are drying up. “I always say the sky is not falling. But today is our opportunity to keep it from falling,” said Susan Metzger with Kansas State University. Metzger is announcing a water institute at Kansas State at the university level this week as well that coincided with the state water conference. “The future is critical, and if we don’t protect our water resources here in Kansas, well then our communities, our industries, our livelihood, they have the choice and freedom to move to other places,” said Metzger.
Source: KSN-TV
Pottawatomie County ponders next steps after sales tax proposal fails for second time
For two consecutive years, Pottawatomie County voters have turned down a proposal to raise sales tax by a quarter percent to fund certain county road projects. Commissioners on Monday pointed to a lack of ability to educate the public as to the benefits of these projects. County Counselor John Watt says commissioners can’t actively push ballot issues because of state statute, something Dee McKee says she doesn’t agree with. Commissioner Greg Riat believed the issue could’ve been helped if an outside group threw its support around it. County Administrator Chad Kinsley says a big discussion will be needed ahead of next year’s budget.
Source: 1350 KMAN
City of Newton working to boost tree sales
The City of Newton is giving out coupons to residents for 50 percent off trees through the end of the month or until supplies last. Currently, the city has given out about a third of the available coupons. Coupons can be picked up at the third floor of City Hall, located at 201 E Sixth Street, and will have a list of participating greenhouses. Erin McDaniels, the city’s communication’s director, said the city does this each spring and autumn as part of its tree city program. “Having trees and green space and parks, these are things that improve the quality of life for our community,” McDaniels said.
Source: Harvey County Now
Haysville offers incentives to open certain restaurants in the city
The City’s Economic Development Director Danielle Gabor said the city is looking at ways to keep up with its growing population. One way is with its restaurant incentive program that is designed to help new restaurants get up and going. “Originally was $5,000 and it was just for a steakhouse and a coffee shop and we increased that number recently to $15,000. It also includes a fast food or quick service dining restaurant,” explained Gabor. Gabor says adding more restaurants in the city gives more options for both Haysville residents and people in nearby cities like Wichita to visit and spend their money.
Source: KAKE – News