Kansas Municipal News
WSU forecast calls for Kansas home values to continue to increase
Wichita State University’s Center for Real Estate is forecasting that Kansas home values will continue to appreciate in 2024. The forecast was released Thursday by CRE director, Dr. Stan Longhofer. He said the inventory of homes available for sale is very limited, and as a result the market still favors sellers despite the softening of demand due to higher mortgage rates. Longhofer presented the forecast in Manhattan to the Kansas Association of Realtors Annual Conference. It calls for home sales to fall slightly in Wichita and remain flat statewide next year, and new home construction activity is also expected to be down.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Turbines to take a spin in the spotlight at ribbon-cutting
The formal opening of Orsted’s Sunflower Wind farm will be marked with a ribbon cutting Thursday. The 200 megawatt wind farm is one of 13 Orsted wind farms in the United States. Sunflower will produce enough electricity to power more than 70,000 homes. Local landowners, community members, and stakeholders will be at the event to celebrate the project’s completion and economic benefits it will bring to the community and state.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Will this Johnson County city restrict — even ban — Airbnbs? Neighbors are complaining
The Shawnee City Council is considering whether to tighten restrictions on Airbnbs and other short-term rentals — or outright ban them from residential areas. City officials say they’ve received a growing number of complaints in single-family neighborhoods about noise, parking, alcohol and trash at Airbnb and Vrbo locations. And now the city is considering whether to regulate them more or get rid of them altogether, as a growing number of cities nationwide, including New York City and Dallas, crack down. Shawnee could be one of the first cities in Johnson County to do so. Prairie Village officials also have discussed regulating short-term rentals in residential areas. The Overland Park City Council last year passed an ordinance regulating nuisance parties, which came out of a study of short-term rentals following a fatal shooting at one.
Source: Joco 913 News
Governor Kelly issues state of disaster emergency for wildland fires
Governor Laura Kelly has issued a state of disaster emergency proclamation Thursday morning due to increased fire weather conditions. Warmer conditions, strong winds and low relative humidities will create high to very-high fire weather conditions especially in the central and western regions of the state. Governor Kelly says this declaration allows resources to be “prepositioned to provide state assistance.” “I urge everyone across the state to use extreme caution and avoid burning, if at all possible,” Governor Kelly said. “Please keep yourself and your community safe and use extra precautions anytime you are doing any burning.”
Source: KAKE – News
Flamingo at Kansas lake draws visitors
The Chase County State Fishing Lake is a popular place to be Thursday after a flamingo was spotted seemingly enjoying the warm Kansas weather. The local sheriff’s office says the bird’s name is Flint. “We know this is an unusual sight to see and the lake is a popular place today,” the Chase County Sheriff’s Office said. “So with that said we remind everyone to please watch for pedestrians and park where access is not restricted.” The sheriff’s office said state game wardens have been contacted and that people should not attempt to catch the flamingo.
Source: KAKE – News
Lawsuit against City of Wichita claims court system doesn’t do psych evaluations before trial
A lawsuit against the City of Wichita covers what its court system is not offering certain defendants. That class action lawsuit claims Wichita’s Municipal Court doesn’t provide psychological evaluations to determine if a defendant suspected of having mental health issues should stand trial. The lawsuit says The City has been wrongfully convicting people who aren’t competent for years and it needs to stop. Attorney Mark Schoenhofer says his client was wrongly convicted on charges related to drugs, petty theft, and urinating in public because there was no psych evaluation before she went to trial.
Source: KAKE – News
More affordable tiny homes coming to McPherson
“It’s a $1.2 million project that will build seven homes, permanent homes for families and provide supportive services. Which means they need a doctor, if they need to get a better job, if they need education, if they need to get an attorney, we can actually provide those services for those families so that they stay stably housed,” said Chris Goodson with the McPherson Housing Coalition.
Source: KAKE – News
Johnson County is creating more courts to divert people to treatment, not jail
According to the National Alliance on Mental Health approximately “44% of people in jails and 37% of people in prison have a mental illness.” The number of people in prison with a substance abuse issue is estimated to be 65%. Specialty courts with focuses on veterans, mental health and drug treatment are systems aimed at providing individualized plans for qualifying offenders to treat underlying issues that may have contributed to non-violent crimes. Currently, Johnson County has a veterans treatment court and juvenile drug court, and in October, the 10th Judicial District will begin operating a mental health and adult drug treatment court.
Source: KCUR
Wichita explains why it is selling off affordable housing
Two days after the City of Wichita announced it is selling 13 public housing units, the mayor explained why and what it could mean for people who need public housing. Why? “A lot of these houses, keep in mind, are not occupied,” Mayor Brandon Whipple said. “Frankly, they are the ones I get calls about on, ‘Why are they boarded up?’ ‘The city owns this,’ and ‘It’s a drag on the neighborhood.'” He said there is a blight issue with the houses, so the city wants to find buyers to get the homes fixed and then get people living in the homes.
Source: KSN-TV
Municipal Bond Trends for September 28, 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.
Kansas Is Attracting Wealthy Millennials
The millennial generation — those currently aged 27 to 42 — is America’s largest, and as they move solidly into their peak earning and spending years, they are quickly asserting their economic power. Millennials faced a tough economic outlook in their early working years. The impacts of the Great Recession, unprecedented levels of student loan debt, and stagnant wage growth made it difficult to find good jobs and build wealth. But over time, the outlook has improved. Millennials are now the largest segment of the labor force. Within the last few years, they have also become the largest share of homebuyers.⁴ And other unique characteristics of the generation⁵ — like higher educational attainment levels, especially for women — also contribute to economic advancement.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Kansas attorney general proposes statewide limits on foreign ownership, leasing of land
Attorney General Kris Kobach floated a proposal Tuesday calling on the Kansas Legislature to ban foreign individual and corporate purchases of parcels of land bigger than 10 acres and to limit leases of land by foreign entities to two years in a bid to constrain the influence of adversarial countries such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. Kobach, who testified before a joint House and Senate committee dedicated to foreign investments and land purchases, said the solution to bigger and bigger slices of Kansas’ 52 million acres being gobbled up by companies, people or governments outside the United States was obvious. “U.S. citizens and companies must control our own land,” Kobach said. “It’s a hedge against the threat China and other foreign bad actors pose to our supply chain and our food security.”
Source: Derby Informer | News
Augusta’s four legged “weed eaters”
The City of Augusta has hired 140 new employees to clear out a tangle of weeds and poison ivy. That may sound like a lot of workers, but these contractors are much easier to get along with and require zero time to train. Those workers aren’t human, but in fact a herd of locally raised goats! When Frank Sortini, Parks Superintendent for The City of Augusta, received a called from Rex Rutledge, Owner of Restoration Grazing, he knew it was the perfect time to bring in the goats. It’s been a goal of Sortini’s to switch the city’s weed management to a more natural system since he came onto the team. Using goats as weed management is much more beneficial and more enjoyable than using chemicals or machinery.
Source: Andover American
Peabody water main break drains tower
A Tuesday night water main rupture in Peabody drained the entire water tower and the city is now under a boil water advisory. City clerk Jylle Wilson said water was gushing out of the ground like “a very large fountain” when a resident spotted it on 5th St. between Locust and Plum Sts. at 10 p.m. Tuesday. The water main break was located six blocks from the water tower. The crack in the six-inch pipe was six feet long, Wilson said.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Holton OKs new food truck fees, regulations
Food trucks have been an ongoing topic for the Holton City Commission in recent months — specifically, whether food vendors visiting Holton should be required to pay license fees for selling their wares. On Monday, commissioners voted to work a licensing fee schedule for food trucks into the city’s regulations for “transient merchants,” with provisions in the license application for making sure food truck operators do not disturb those in the area where they set up with “obnoxious noises, sounds or smells” from generators, as Codes Enforcement Officer Jeff Draper noted.
Source: Holton Recorder
A community legacy: Take a look at how artists honor city at Olathe Downtown Library
It’s a gallery like no other. After all, it’s a place for books. And there is perhaps no better place for a colorful, soaring art piece that celebrates the late Mayor Michael Copeland than in front of the new Downtown Olathe Library. “Mayor Copeland was a champion, not only for the city of Olathe, but of public art, the Olathe Public Library, and education and literacy,” said Olathe City Manager Michael Wilkes of the city’s longest serving mayor, who died in August 2020. “To see his legacy celebrated with vibrant, colorful art at the beautiful downtown library is a fitting celebration of his impact to our city.” A blown glass and stainless steel sculpture titled “Prairie Paintbrush” is among several pieces of commissioned art designed and created for the library, located at 260 E. Santa Fe St.
Source: Joco 913 News
JoCo on the Go, Johnson County Government’s podcast, surpasses 40,000 downloads
Just in time for National Podcast Day on Saturday, Sept. 30, Johnson County Government’s podcast recently surpassed a major milestone: 40,000 downloads. The JoCo on the Go podcast has featured 158 episodes since its launch in August 2019, marking its fourth anniversary this August. Produced by the county’s Public Information Office, JoCo on the Go sheds light on topics ranging from COVID-19 to the 2020 Census to severe weather. Episodes feature interviews with local government staff and community members, who share their knowledge and expertise on the podcast topic. Past guests have included nurses who work for the county, the director of a Theatre in the Park production and more.
Source: Johnson County Kansas |
Study shows shortage in college-educated workforce, WSU works to keep graduates in Kansas
A study from the University of Kansas shows a shortage of college-educated people applying for jobs in the state. It could lead to 34,000 unfilled positions by 2030. “There are lots of jobs available, and there will be more jobs available in the future. Our challenge as a state is finding employees to take those jobs,” says Donna Ginther, Professor of Economics and Director of the KU Policy and Social Research Institute. Ginther says KU graduates are pursuing jobs in other states.
Source: KSN-TV
Good boy! Wichita police therapy dog consoles kids who witnessed violent incident
Stewie, an American Kennel Club registered therapy dog for the Wichita Police Department, consoled kids who witnessed a violent incident Wednesday. “Today, officers responded to a violent incident where there were juvenile witnesses,” the WPD said. “The children were understandably overwhelmed and emotional about the event.” Stewie came to the rescue with his handler, Officer Larison. Officer Larison works with Stewie every day. The two attended the Brevard County Paws and Stripes Therapy Program, which is a 40-hour course that prepares the K9 teams to complete the necessary requirements of becoming a Nationally Registered Therapy Dog Team.
Source: KSN-TV
Zoning codes could allow native plants and pollinator gardens
A few years after relocating here from Pennsylvania, a friend of mine dove into home ownership. Being extremely knowledgeable and passionate about birding and gardening, she decided to convert part of her front yard into a native plant pollinator garden. She’s had no problem with the plants, but the city codes are giving her fits. … Unfortunately, native pollinator gardens violate many communities’ local ordinances. These old laws reflect the 1950s ideal of a suburban lawn. They incentivize the planting of nonnative grass which is mowed short and often treated with fertilizers. They also encourage or condone ornamental shrubs, trees, and other plants which are an invasive threat to our native Kansas plants. … As for my friend, she … is now working with Emporia officials to update the local ordinances. Fortunately, she has a template. Active in Kansas and western Missouri, the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) has prepared model legislation to encourage native plants and pollinator gardens while still allowing communities to clean up true noxious weeds, abandoned lots, and unkempt yards.
Source: The Iola Register