Kansas Municipal News
Municipal Bond Trends for November 14, 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.
City of El Dorado receives Safe Streets and Roads for All grant
Transportation safety is always a priority for the City of El Dorado, whether it’s driving, walking or biking. A Safe Streets and Roads for All grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will help the City continue to improve safety throughout the community. The City received notice from Congressman Ron Estes’ office of the $160,000 grant. This will be used for a road safety audit to develop a new City of El Dorado Transportation Safety Action Plan, which will be part of the previously authorized Transportation Master Plan now underway. “This will help us identify places that have safety issues in the transportation network,” explained City Engineer Scott Rickard. “From there, we will come up with a plan to remediate those issues.” The grant will hopefully open other opportunities for federal or state grant dollars. Typically, federal funds are first used to fund planning documents to justify construction projects. “This will give us a guiding document to apply for additional grant funds for building out the improvements,” Rickard said. “It also will aid in updating the City’s Capital Improvement Plan for future improvements.” El Dorado is one of only seven cities in Kansas who received this grant, which focuses on planning and projects to improve safety and help prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways. In addition to the federal grant of $160,000, the Kansas Department of Transportation is funding the matching 20 percent so there is no cost to the City.
Source: City of El Dorado
Municipal Bond Trends for November 13, 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.
Russell recognizes Purple Heart recipients at ceremony tomorrow
The Purple Heart medal is presented to U.S. military service members wounded or killed by enemy fire. It was originally awarded by George Washington in 1782 to recognize meritorious service in combat. It is the nation’s oldest and one of the most distinguished military awards. The Russell community is home to many veterans and families, including Purple Heart recipients and Gold Star families. The City of Russell has a long history of supporting military personnel and veterans. The Purple Heart Proclamation is an official expression of Russell’s appreciation for the sacrifices and Purple Heart recipients that were made defending our freedoms.
Source: City of Russell
Shawnee voters overwhelmingly renew two key sales taxes
With two landslide approvals by Shawnee voters, the renewal of two existing sales taxes means promising futures for city projects. In last Tuesday’s election, Shawnee voters overwhelmingly voted to renew the “Parks & Pipes and Pavement” sales taxes, which together fund improvement projects throughout the city. Their renewal means the city will be able to move ahead with no gaps in funding. According to unofficial final Election Night results, the “Parks and Pipes” tax issue passed with nearly 75% of voters approving the measure, which renews the 1/8-cent citywide sales tax that is specifically designated for building and improving city parks, trails and stormwater drainage systems. Meanwhile, the “Pavement” tax passed with nearly 76% of voters approving it. That’s a 3/8-cent citywide sales tax meant specifically for maintenance and improvements to city streets, curbs and sidewalks.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Clay Center continues discussion on lifting pit bull ban
Four members of the Clay Center City Council’s Administrative Committee agreed last week they should recommend to the full council to do away with the city’s ban on pit bulls and strengthen the city’s vicious dog ordinance with stricter penalties for dogs running at large. However, they also agreed the council should have more discussion on this before they do it. The council reviewed statistics on dog attacks and looked at other cities that have lifted bans, which included Abilene, Salina, Concordia and Junction City. These cities also handle issues with dogs with a vicious dog ordinance rather than an outright ban.
Source: www.ccenterdispatch.com – RSS Results in news,local/* of type article
Lawrence Public Library bans smoking, verbal harassment and more from its campus under new code of conduct
The Lawrence Public Library has rolled out new rules for its campus and lawn — including banning smoking, vaping and verbal harassment — and prescribed consequences for breaking them. Repeated instances of such behavior could now get a patron suspended for a period of a week to six months, under the library’s new code of conduct. Violent or threatening behavior may result in longer or indefinite suspensions. The library has received numerous complaints from patrons about safety issues in and around the library. Library administrators pledged to improve public safety in the library, but the lawn and parking garage are owned by the City of Lawrence. That has limited staff members’ ability to address issues that may arise: for instance, the library can eject or ban people, but those people could still hang out outside. The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday approved an agreement to lease the library plaza, the yard directly south of the library building, to the library for $1 per year for five years. With the new lease agreement, the library can extend its behavior policies to the whole campus, which includes “the library itself, the Library Plaza, Reader’s Garden, and green spaces surrounding the library on Vermont, Kentucky, and 7th Streets up to the public sidewalk,” according to the library’s website.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Johnson County cuts bus routes to Overland Park, Olathe, Gardner
Riders of three Johnson County bus routes serving Olathe, Gardner and Overland Park will have seven weeks to make other arrangements, as Johnson County commissioners look for ways to cut costs in the transit system. Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to suspend service indefinitely on three unpopular bus routes – the 482 Overland Park Flex, the 519 Olathe Express and the 595 Gardner-OP Express. Service on the three routes will be curtailed at 8 p.m. Dec. 31, following a public notification period. The routes were culled because of low ridership, with all three averaging less than four passengers per hour. Suspending them is expected to save the county $833,000 a year. The Overland Park Flex route offers service on request in an area that serves central Overland Park, including senior living facilities Overland Towers and Santa Fe Towers. The Olathe Express and Gardner-OP Express run between those cities and Kansas City, Missouri. There are some alternative routes, suggested by Josh Powers, director of the county transit division. The new 487 route, which runs between Overland Park and Lenexa along 87th Street, is a possibility, as is Micro Transit or Freedom On-Demand, which are both on-demand services. Freedom/Freedom On-Demand is for persons with disabilities.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Olathe to change school start times to ease bus driver shortage. Some parents are worried
After a year of contentious debate, the Olathe school board is finally poised to vote on changing school start times so that bus drivers can take on more routes amid ongoing labor shortages. But some parents, especially with elementary aged children, worry the proposed later bell times would put them in a bind, concerned they will struggle to find morning childcare and make it to work on time. Since last year, the district has been studying changing school times to address the bus driver shortage. Stakeholder groups have considered 20 possible bell schedules, with several parents raising concerns along the way. But officials say they’ve now come up with new school start times that should be manageable for the majority of families. “When we look at change to the system, obviously change is hard and it affects everyone,” Jim McMullen, deputy superintendent of organizational operations, told the school board last week. He added that adjustments are focused on, “getting all students to and from school, and providing equitable access for all students for all programming. But also all the additional things we do on a daily basis in our K-12 schools to provide great enrichment opportunities for our kids,” such as field trips and activities.
Source: Joco 913 News
Crews respond to partial building collapse in downtown Lyons
Emergency crews responded to the report of a structural collapse in downtown Lyons on Sunday morning. At around 10 a.m. Sunday, crews were dispatched to the 100 block of West Main Street in the downtown business district where a partially collapsed two-story building was located. Responders were able to contact the business owners and determined there were no injuries in the vacant buildings, the City of Lyons said in a press release Sunday evening. Emergency crews remained on scene for the remainder of the day and placed barricades to provide public safety. The City’s response will most likely last for several weeks. Highway 56 (in the 100 block of W Main) has been opened back up to two-way traffic only.
Source: KAKE – News
Lawrence school board to consider tax breaks for affordable housing project
Lawrence school board members will meet Monday for a brief agenda that includes considering the district’s portion of tax breaks to help fund construction of a downtown affordable housing project for people ages 55 and up. The board’s agenda as of Sunday afternoon listed only reports from board members and the superintendent and consent agenda items, or a list of items that are generally considered routine and are approved with one motion unless a board member or the superintendent asks to pull something for further discussion. A report about the crossing guard and Safe Routes to School programs was postponed because of a last-minute scheduling conflict with the presenter, according to district spokesperson Julie Boyle. The developer of the New Hampshire Street Lofts, the 48-unit affordable housing project planned for 1000 New Hampshire St., is seeking a 15-year, 95% Neighborhood Revitalization Area (NRA) property tax rebate as well as Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) financing to make project construction materials sales tax exempt. The school board’s agenda materials state that “Impacts of the project on the local school district are insubstantial due to state school financing formulas.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Topeka City Councilwoman addresses plan for homeless ordinance, election results
Karen Hiller, the Topeka City Councilwoman for District 1, joined the 27 News Morning show to talk about moving forward with a new council, after Tuesday’s general election. “I’m pleased to see our two incumbents coming back,” Hiller said. “And I think our two new council people are going to fit in really well. I think we are going to have a really good council.” She emphasized that every person on the council has a different skill set that will be advantageous in moving the city forward in a better direction. As far as when those new members will be sworn in, Hiller said we still have to wait a little bit. “A few years ago, the state changed our election cycle,” she said. “So, we moved to the November cycle. And when that happens, the election happens in early November, but you don’t actually get sworn in until early January.” Hiller said, in the last two months of the year, the council will focus on smoothly wrapping up any work and preparing for the new members’ transition. “And we will swear them in the first week of January and get things rolling,” she said. In reference to the new homeless ordinance set to go in place Nov. 17, Hiller advised 27 News to “stay tuned”. She said the council felt like a message needed to be sent, and that’s what they did in creating the ordinance.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Open enrollment could create issues for Kansas school districts
Starting next fall, students in kindergarten through 12th grade can go to any school in Kansas, even if they do not live in the district. Wichita School Board Member Stan Reeser believes the change opens doors for students across Kansas. “I think most families today still say what is the best school district, what is the best program, where my child can succeed,” said Reeser. He believes Wichita will be a coveted school district for its programs, including college credit, “IB,” and AP classes. They also offer special education programs not seen in other districts. Reeser says the challenge is making sure they have enough staff. “Not so much the building size or the classroom size, but do we have the staff to expand the program,” said Reeser. Leah Fliter, from the Kansas Association of School Board, says the state per-pupil funding will go to the school where the student attends. “If you have a kid that lives in Northeast Wichita, but they are going to school in Maize or Andover, if they’re in the Maize school building, at the desk, on September 20th, they get counted for Maize funding purposes, so yes it’s an issue that you’re paying taxes in one district but going to another district,” said Fliter.
Source: KSN-TV
USD 410 makes plans to educate patrons about bond
As USD 410 Durham-Hillsboro-Lehigh awaits official approval from the Kansas State School board to hold a special election for a school bond on Jan. 23, the district is making plans to educate patrons about the projects that would be included in the proposal. The district’s efforts to inform patrons about the bond will begin on Nov. 9 following approval for the election from the state school board. Patrons can expect to find information in the local newspaper, on district Facebook and website and on handouts at school events and display boards around the community. A direct mailing to registered voters will be sent around Jan. 3. Community meetings are scheduled for Nov. 14 and Dec. 4 at Hillsboro Middle High School Auditorium. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and are expected to last approximately one hour. There will be information published in the Free Press and on social media if you are unable to attend either meeting. “Until we have full approval for the special election from state officials, we really shouldn’t jump the gun by putting out bond information. However, we want to keep people informed so it seems appropriate at this date to let people know our game plan for communicating about the bond once the election is approved,” said Superintendent Clint Corby. If the petition to hold a special election is approved by the State Board of Education, the bond election will take place on Jan. 23, 2024.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press
Lawrence business owners share frustration with surging downtown homelessness population
Bowersock Mills and Power Company owner Sarah Hill-Nelson manages hydroelectric power plant facilities on both sides of the Kansas River in downtown Lawrence where homeless people struggling with mental illness and addiction tend to congregate. Some that she encountered arrived from other cities — specifically Hiawatha, Melvern, Leavenworth and Topeka, she said — after told Lawrence was a haven for unhoused people. Hill-Nelson said others were apparently given bus tickets to Lawrence by officials in communities eager to rid themselves of troublesome residents. The result has been a public safety crisis in Lawrence that surpassed the city’s ability to deliver housing, treatment and services to the homeless population, she said. “I’ve even heard about people who kinda laugh, ‘The liberal people in Lawrence, it’s kind of funny, let them deal with it,’” she told an House and Senate committee studying homelessness on Thursday. “It’s not that funny, because these people are suffering. Lawrence simply cannot handle all the Kansans suffering from substance use disorder and mental illness.”
Source: Derby Informer | News
City sells transformer to city of Osawatomie
The Garden City Commission approved the sale of a Substation Class transformer to the of Osawatomie at their regular meeting Tuesday. Mike Muirhead, Garden City Public Utilities Director, said the cause for reason for the sale is because on Oct. 25, Osawatomie experienced a catastrophic failure of their main substation transformer, which lead to large portions of their city being without power. So, representatives of Osawatomie contacted Garden City representatives including city staff, the mayor, City Manager Matt Allen, and Public Utilities staff, inquiring whether or not the city had a Substation Class transformer that matched the voltages and size they needed, Muirhead said. The city did have a backup transformer that would work. The transformer was purchased in 2014 for $185,652 and after calculating the inflation to 2023 dollars and the depreciation of the transformer, it was valued at $176,468, Muirhead said. “With the city of Osawatomie paying for the transportation and set-up costs, which was estimated at about $25,000, and since it was going to another municipal electric community in Kansas, staff set the value of the transformer at $150,000,” he said.
Source: Garden City Telegram
INK Reaching Out to Local Government and Business Community
The Information Network of Kansas (INK) is reaching out to local government and business leaders to form new partnerships to help make government more accessible to Kansans. INK was statutorily created in 1992 to assist state and local government agencies to collect, analyze, and disseminate data/information. INK was the first such organization created in the U.S. and is a model that other states have followed. Our mission is to enhance public access to government data and information. INK often does not charge fees for its services. INK contracts with KIC/Tyler Technologies as its system and support manager.
INK recently hired a new Executive Director, Murray McGee. Murray is a Certified Public Manager with over 20 years’ experience in local government. Most recently he served as the City Administrator in Moundridge, KS, and comes to INK with a collaborative “can do” attitude.
McGee is planning a series of meetings across the state to meet with local government staff, elected officials, business, and community leaders to discuss your needs for access to government data. He will also discuss INK’s grant program which was created to assist state and local governments acquire necessary software and hardware to develop program capabilities. For example, INK is funding a project with the Kansas Biological Survey to layer multi-agency and multi-format water data so that relationships may be observed for policy-making purposes.
INK is also currently funding the modernization of the state’s Amber Alert system as well as the development and implementation of a Dept. of Revenue program that will permit 105 counties and the Dept. to analyze property assessment data – while permitting counties to retain control of their data and allowing members of the public to view selected data.
INK provides a broad range of services to Kansas agencies and serves over half the Executive Branch agencies as well as over 400 local government entities. INK is the largest provider of payment processing to state and local agencies in the state of Kansas. INK has a broad range of capabilities that include transforming paper-based systems to online solutions, making government data more accessible to individuals and businesses, payment processing, as well as a broad range of other innovative solutions such as appointment scheduling, website development, and multi-agency collaborative projects.
Meetings have been scheduled for December 4th at 10 AM and 2 PM at the BriefSpace (219 W 10th St.) in Hays; December 5th at 10 AM; 2 PM and 6 PM at the Sundstrom Conference Center (102 N. Main St.) in Lindsborg; December 6th 10 AM; 2 PM and 6 PM at the Greater Wichita Partnership meeting room (505 E. Douglas) and December 8th at 10 AM and 2 PM at the Sunflower Foundation (Sunflower Board Room) 5820 SW 6th Ave, Topeka, KS.
Please let us know if you can attend. Contact INK Executive Director, Murray McGee at 785-296-2408 or e-mail murray.mcgee@ks.gov.
After promise of free tuition, this southeast Kansas town isn’t just growing. It’s booming
Announced in fall 2019, the Neodesha Promise Scholarship — funded by high school alumnus and philanthropist Ben Cutler — vowed to turn the tide for the southeast Kansas town of about 2,100, which for years had seen a dwindling population and enrollment in the school system. With Cutler’s funding from a lifetime as an executive in the finance and insurance industries, the program essentially guaranteed qualified graduates like Leck from Neodesha High School that their tuition to any college in Kansas or the country would be paid for, at least up to the equivalent of the highest in-state tuition and fees in Kansas. Four years and one pandemic later, the program has been a spark for the community, said Rebekah Peitz, who administers the program and helps students navigate college even after graduation.
Source: Hutch News
Hutchinson Fire Department, hospital raising funds for Infant Safety Box Project
The Hutchinson Fire Department and Hutchinson Regional Medical Center are raising funds to provide a safe and anonymous way for mothers or guardians to legally surrender a child. The Infant Safety Box Project is aimed at raising at least $50,000 to install Hope’s Cradles at two fire stations. If more funds are raised, more cradles will be installed across the community. … “Our goal really is to ensure both the guardian and the child have a future,” Hutchinson Fire Chief Steven Beer said in a statement. “This cradle can give the guardian hope in a desperate situation and prevent the loss of life.”
Source: Hutch News
This Saline County program weatherizes homes, saving money — and sometimes lives
Terminating a live wire didn’t exactly come with his job description, but it’s something that Peterson, executive director of the Community Housing Development Organization, would gladly do again. Saline County funded a home Weatherization Assistance Program with American Rescue Plan Act dollars and asked his organization to take the lead. Since the program’s inception, Peterson has been able to help homeowners who are in situations that cause large energy bills, often unbeknownst to them. “We’ve seen a lot of things that made us feel extremely good about what we were doing — not only saving energy dollars but protecting them from dangerous situations,” Peterson said.
Source: Salina Journal