Kansas Municipal News
SEK sounds off on transportation
The Kansas Department of Transportation heard from Southeast Kansas residents during a Local Consult meeting to seek public input on IKE, the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program. The event at the Bowlus on Thursday morning included discussion on needed improvements to state highways. Truck drivers hauling material to and from Monarch Cement Co. in Humboldt face a particularly troublesome stretch of road on K-39 west of Chanute toward Fredonia. Kent Webber, president of Monarch, shared his concerns about the road at a special meeting organized by the Kansas Department of Transportation at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center on Thursday morning. KDOT officials met with more than 100 residents, county and city officials, business leaders and non-profit representatives to discuss projects under IKE, the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program.
Source: The Iola Register
Union Pacific sued over chemical spill affecting Wichita neighborhoods near 29th, Grove
Wichita residents living above a chemical spill from Union Pacific Railroad face property damages and a loss of property value as a result of the company’s negligence, according to a federal lawsuit filed this week by law firms across the country. The class-action lawsuit addresses a chemical spill at a Union Pacific rail yard near 29th North and Grove, which many Wichita residents learned about last year. The spill – which contains trichloroethylene, a carcinogenic degreasing agent – contaminated the groundwater beneath about 2,800 addresses. The groundwater plume runs about 3 miles, from 29th Street to the north to Murdock to the south, through many historically Black neighborhoods. “We’re concerned about the … impact on people’s home values,” said Chris Nidel, a lawyer with the Maryland-based Nidel & Nace firm, which helped file the lawsuit.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Some seniors, disabled Wyandotte County residents to be exempt from fee on BPU bills
Wyandotte County residents of a certain age and income, or who are disabled, will soon be able to seek exemptions from a Unified Government fee on their utility bills. The Board of Commissioners, Wyandotte County’s governing body, on Thursday passed PILOT relief for people ages 65 or older who have an income of $37,750 or less. The exemptions for qualifying residents will start in 2024. Ratepayers have long complained of the UG fee on their bills from the Board of Public Utilities, the publicly-owned utility that provides water and electricity to Wyandotte County. The PILOT fee, which stands for payment in lieu of taxes, helps the Unified Government manage revenue losses from property taxes that are not collected from the BPU, since the municipal utility is tax exempt. The money is used to help fund city operations. Residents unable to pay the PILOT fee face having their water or electricity turned off.
Source: KC Star Local News
Merriam begins appraising downtown properties for flood control project
Merriam is taking steps to buy properties in its flood-prone downtown. Kansas City-based real estate appraisal company Bliss Associates won a contract with the city to begin evaluating properties along Turkey Creek. Last summer, Merriam entered into a design agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Upper Turkey Creek Flood Risk Management project. Before USACE can finish designing the project, Merriam is surveying downtown properties to determine whether it will need to purchase land to build levees or flood walls. “Just because we complete an appraisal, it doesn’t mean that the acquisition will occur. It will just help us for planning purposes,” Public Works Director Celia Kumke told the City Council on Monday.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Johnson County tests hundreds after Olathe tuberculosis case
The Johnson County Health Department spent the day testing hundreds of people for tuberculosis at a local high school. It comes after an Olathe Northwest student recently tested positive for the disease. The Kansas City Start reports health officials tested over 250 people on Thursday, determining if there are any other cases. Tuberculosis is spread through the air by coughing, sneezing, laughing or singing, but the only way to contract the disease is through frequent or close contact with someone who has an active case. “This is a disease that is not passed easily from person to person,” said Charlie Hunt, Johnson County health director. “The unique aspect of a school is students are together for an hour at a time during their classes day in day out, week after week, so there’s a risk for transmission there.” Health officials have also been working to identify people the student has been in contact with and that any others are identified and treated.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
City of Wichita holds round table to discuss emergency winter shelter for city’s homeless
Finding temporary emergency shelter space for Wichita’s homeless population is a pressing concern to the city. “If we do nothing, we obviously know that the situation is worsening. We have a crisis on our hands with the emergency winter shelter,” said Sedgwick County Commissioner, Ryan Baty. Over a dozen Wichita city council members, Sedgwick County commissioners and state lawmakers met Friday morning to figure out how to address the immediate winter shelter needs. The meeting was prompted by last week’s announcement that Humankind will not be opening their emergency winter shelter in November. “If we have a winter like we’ve had the last two winters where we’ve had a cold snap, people will die in the streets of Wichita. And that is simply not acceptable from anyone in this community,” said Baty. On Friday, Humankind announced that they will be able to open their winter shelter but only with a limited capacity.
Source: KAKE – News
Boo! at the Zoo in Garden City returns for 28th year on Oct. 21
Celebrate Halloween at Lee Richardson Zoo on Oct. 21 with the return of Boo! at the Zoo. The event will be held from 4-8 p.m. Boo! is a fundraiser put on by the Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo annually with the goal of supporting improvements at the zoo and the zoo’s mission to promote education and conservation activities that “will foster an appreciation and understanding of wildlife and their habitats.” Jessica Norton, executive director of FOLRZ, said the project they are fundraising for now is a new playground by the Primate Forest, which was built in 2020. “I don’t know that we’re actually going to reach that goal yet, we’re still in the process of researching the cost because costs for construction have changed dramatically over the last few years, but a new playground by the Lemur Forest is what we’re currently fundraising for,” she said. Activities at the event include a Trick-or-Treat Trail, so far there are 35 treat stations signed up; Singing Witches, “bewitching” music; and a Ghoulish Graveyard, a graveyard of extinct animals that where attendees can take a journey past.
Source: Garden City Telegram
Kansas’ class of 2023 has record-low ACT test scores
As more Kansas high school students take the ACT, the state continues to fall behind the average national score, which itself has fallen to a three-decade low. Data released last week by the standardized testing company shows that scores from Kansas high schools’ graduating class of 2023 fell to an average of 19.3, or behind the national average of 19.5. That national figure marks a sixth-consecutive year of decline and the lowest in 32 years.
Source: Hutch News
Could state limit tax hikes?
As rising property values bring higher taxes for Kansas homeowners, top Republican lawmakers plan to make a proposed constitutional amendment a top priority. The idea on the table is to limit property valuation increases to a maximum of 4% per year, unless there is a market transaction. But there is no guarantee that limiting assessment growth would result in lower property taxes. That’s because local governments could still raise the mill levy to bring in the same amount of tax. And for those who do benefit, it would likely be because the tax burden is shifted onto others. “It does not in any way limit the growth of local property tax revenues,” said Edward Penner, of the Kansas Legislative Research Department.
Source: CJonline
Are Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, due for a breakup 25 years after unification?
The door is open — albeit slightly — to dissolving the 25-year-old Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. The mayors of Kansas City, Kansas, Edwardsville and Bonner Springs announced Wednesday they will meet with residents in the coming months to hear complaints and solutions to what they say are mounting financial problems. One possible solution? Breaking apart the Unified Government. “The three of us mayors recognize the need to review and evaluate the current state of affairs,” said Bonner Springs Mayor Jeff Harrington. On April 1, 1997, Wyandotte County residents voted to consolidate the the governments of Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County into one. At the time, Kansas City, Kansas, was in a tailspin — property taxes were the highest in the state, people were moving away to neighboring Johnson County and Missouri, and rumors of government corruption were rampant. Wyandotte County on the other hand, was relatively well-run and already covered 94% of all county residents.
Source: KCUR News
Agreement announced on water rights for south central Kansas region
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran have announced a bipartisan agreement to resolve water needs in an area of south central Kansas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Agriculture have agreed to work together on water rights issues for the Rattlesnake Creek Basin, which has provided water for area farms and for the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Stafford, Rice and Reno counties. The Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to pause its request to secure its senior water right as agriculture officials and local stakeholders look for a solution to the region’s water issues. Governor Kelly and Senator Moran have urged the Fish and Wildlife Service to work with agricultural producers and all water rights holders. The governor said failure to work out a solution will create unnecessary economic hardships for local businesses and communities.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Governor Kelly Invites Public Input on Volume 2 of Broadband Plan
Governor Laura Kelly announced the release of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume 2. As part of the planning process, the public is invited to submit their comments on the planning document. Together with the BEAD 5-Year Action Plan, Volumes 1 and 2 will help identify areas of need for high-speed internet buildout across the state and outline requirements for applicants to access grant funding. “Our vision for Kansas is one where every resident, regardless of their location, has access to affordable, reliable internet,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Volume 2 planning document sets a clear path to achieving that goal. I encourage all Kansans to be involved in the public comment process.” Volume 2 outlines defined objectives for broadband infrastructure projects, transparent subgrantee selection processes, and the active participation of eligible entities, all aimed at providing affordable broadband service options to residents.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
New Derby city prosecutor balancing full docket
Since joining city staff over the summer, Melissa Ricke has been hard at work on multiple fronts for Derby as the new assistant city attorney and city prosecutor. On the city side, Ricke helps City Attorney Jaci Kelly with business affairs as needed, while she also handles all the municipal prosecution at the court building. Additionally, she noted she helps law enforcement in a number of capacities as needed. “If they need a training, I will assist with that,” Ricke said. “If they need a consultation on maybe charging a case or if it should go to Sedgwick County as a felony, I will meet with them and give them advice and guidance on how to process through cases.”
Source: Derby Informer | News
Despite objections, Johnson County city approves office park to replace city park
In a 5 to 1 vote Thursday night, the Westwood City Council approved turning what currently is its only city park into an office park. The issue had been debated fiercely in recent months not only in Westwood, a town of 1,800 residents in northern Johnson County, but also among some residents in the bordering communities of Westwood Hills and Mission Woods who live close to Joe D Dennis Park, a green space with jungle gym and tennis courts at Rainbow Boulevard and 50th Street. The park effectively is Westwood’s only city park, at least for now. The six-member council’s decision allows for 7.6 acres of land made up of three adjoining parcels to be rezoned so the Karbank Real Estate Co. can build an office and retail development on part of the land.
Source: KC Star Local News
Iola vies for federal infrastructure dollars
With infrastructure funds flowing from Washington, D.C., It’s in Iola’s best interest to apply for every penny it can, Mayor Steve French said. “That money’s gonna go someplace,” French said at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “We might as well bring some of it back home if we can.” City Administrator Matt Rehder gave Council members a preliminary list of potential projects that could utilize Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation funds. The two biggest-ticket items would be to replace all of the bare steel gas mains in the city, expected to cost about $10 million, and relining Iola’s 75 miles of sewer lines, which carries a price tag estimated at $8 million. The BIL is a five-year, $1.2 trillion federal investment in the country’s infrastructure. Rehder and Iola’s other department heads have begun poring through the mountains of information regarding eligible projects — a task unto itself — to find how Iola could benefit, Rehder said.
Source: The Iola Register
Wyandotte County mayors announce task force that could reshape KCK’s unified government
The mayors of Kansas City, Kansas, Edwardsville and Bonner Springs on Wednesday announced plans to form a task force that could reshape Wyandotte County’s consolidated government structure. Edwardsville Mayor Carolyn Caiharr said a “citizen-focused” group will begin neighborhood discussions in November to hear resident concerns about the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, which consolidated in 1997. “What has served you well over the last 25 years, and what improvements need to be made?” Caiharr asked during a press conference outside Memorial Hall in downtown KCK. “We are not only looking for complaints, but solutions.” The group will consider recommendations for governmental change, which will then be sent to the Unified Government’s 11-member Board of Commissioners. That could include de-consolidating the governments of KCK and Wyandotte County.
Source: KC Star Local News
As aquifer levels decline in the Great Plains, states weigh the need to meter irrigation wells
About a quarter of the United States’s irrigated cropland sits on top of the Ogallala Aquifer in the Great Plains. But water levels are dropping, and states are taking different approaches to monitoring how much groundwater irrigators are pumping out. Mike Shannon first learned about the Ogallala Aquifer because he made a costly mistake. In the mid-1980s, Shannon was new to city government when one of his hometown’s wells started to go dry. “I just assumed, maybe I ought to go somewhere else and stick another hole in the ground and we’ll get more water,” Shannon said. “Well, unfortunately, I stuck a hole in the ground and there was no water there.” He’d spent several thousand dollars on a test well that was bone dry, and he had to answer to his constituents for it. Today, Shannon is still thinking about groundwater as the interim city manager for Guymon, the Oklahoma panhandle’s largest city.
Source: KCUR News
Sedgwick County home prices jump in September compared to a year ago
Even with elevated mortgage rates delivering a consistent headwind to demand and sales volume, Sedgwick County saw its fifth straight month of year-over-year home price increases in September, according to a new report. South Central Kansas MLS data, covering last month’s housing market activity, found the median sale price in the county rose 8.6%, compared to September 2022, to $240,000. That’s the largest year-over-year percentage increase since March’s 8.7% jump. Meanwhile, the decline in Sedgwick County sales volume versus 2022 didn’t let up, with September sales dropping 10.5% to 614 closed listings. So what’s maintaining the seller’s market with mortgage rates over 7% and overall sales dialing back? It’s all about inventory, according to Wichita State University’s Center for Real Estate and its recently-released 2024 Kansas Housing Markets Forecast.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
New federal law modifies 2022 Safer Communities Act to allow archery in schools
More than a million students in 49 states will be able to participate in school archery programs using “dangerous weapons” after bipartisan legislation sailed through U.S. Congress and was signed into law by President Joe Biden. The “Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act” passed with unanimous consent in the Senate and a 424-1 vote in the House of Representatives in September. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, was the only vote against the act. When President Biden signed the bill into law last week, it amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow schools to use federal education funds to purchase “dangerous weapons” to train students in archery and other shootings sports, as well as culinary arts.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Kansas becomes the 10th state to require 2-person train crews, despite the industry’s objections
Kansas became the 10th state in the nation Wednesday to require two-person railroad crews despite objections from freight railroads, but the industry may challenge the rule in court as it has in other states like Ohio. The major freight railroads have long pushed to cut crews down to one person, but unions have resisted because they believe it’s safer to have two people working together to operate trains. Gov. Laura Kelly said two-person crews “will protect workers from the effects of fatigue, prevent train derailments and reduce risks in the many Kansas communities along our railroad tracks.” The new administrative rule took effect Wednesday. The railroad industry maintains there isn’t enough evidence to show that two-person crews are safer and many short-line railroads already operate with a single person aboard. “Regulatory efforts to mandate crew staffing such as the latest in Kansas lack a safety justification,” said spokesperson Jessica Kahanek with the Association of American Railroads trade group.
Source: KAKE – News