Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Lawrence playground invites children of all abilities to play, thanks to donation from late benefactor

School and business leaders are gearing up to celebrate an inclusive playground for youngsters on Lawrence’s southeast side. Featuring wide pathways and ground-level entry, the play equipment provides accessibility, no matter a child’s method of mobility. A celebration for the William Dann Playtown will take place at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21 at the Kennedy Early Childhood Center, 1605 Davis Road. The Lawrence Schools Foundation and Lawrence chamber of commerce will host the event. The shiny play equipment features two covered areas connected by a slightly elevated pathway, as well as bars to climb on and hang from, and a tunnel and slide. It also encourages children to use sign language via a panel that teaches the signs for play, friend, peace, love and help.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Plastic bag ban: Could this be a Wichita ordinance by next year?

Banning plastic bags in Wichita is a discussion that’s been brought to the Wichita City Council several times. As a result, the city started the Wichita Plastic Bag Ban Task Force in February of 2020. The group includes some city council members, businesses like Dillons and Goodwill, and other advocates. Member Lori Lawrence said it has been a slow process to present an actual ordinance to the council. COVID-19 has pushed back meetings and outreach efforts. The task force has also been working on getting an economic impact and litter study finalized.
Source: KSN-TV

Wondering how testing out of school quarantines works? The Eudora school district shares a look at the process

A COVID-19 testing program used since August in the Eudora school district aims to reduce COVID-19 quarantines. Students and staff exposed to a positive case can “test out” of quarantine as long as they don’t have symptoms and continue to test negative for the virus. Mark Dodge, spokesperson for Eudora Public Schools, said an advantage of the plan was that it helps students and staff stay in schools as much as possible — and with no financial cost to the district for testing supplies.“We are a ‘test-to-stay’ district and do not quarantine students due to close contact,” Dodge said in an email. “Our Stay to Learn and Play plan allows us to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, while working to keep students and staff in school and at work.”
Source: The Lawrence Times

Sedgwick County unemployment rate remains one of the highest in Kansas, but drops off

Sedgwick County’s unemployment rate remained one of the highest in Kansas in August, but no longer topped the list across the state, according to the Kansas labor market report released Friday. The unemployment rate in Kansas remained at 3.8% in August, the same as July. Last August, the state had an unemployment rate of 6.2%, showing some economic recovery over the last year. “August estimates indicate little change in the labor force since July, resulting in no change to the unemployment rate at 3.8 percent,” Labor Secretary Amber Shultz said in a statement. “The private sector added jobs for the third consecutive month. Most of the gains in August were due to continued economic recovery in manufacturing and leisure and hospitality.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Proposed tax law changes, muni provisions could alter muni landscape

Tax law changes and bond provisions included in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package being debated in Washington likely will shift the demand components for and the makeup of the muni market in dramatic ways in the coming decade. The market is closely watching Washington to see whether the proposed tax law changes — higher rates for both individuals and corporations — and new municipal bond tools — the return of tax-exempt advance refundings, a higher bank-qualified limit and direct-pay taxable bonds — come to fruition. “If enacted as drafted, the impact on the municipal bond market will be comparable to the 1986 tax reform: munis’ supply and demand will both be expanded extensively, and credit quality will strengthen,” BofA Securities strategists Yingchen Li and Ian Rogow said in a Friday report. “A golden decade is to be expected. The tax-exempt muni market will over time transform to a market with much shorter average maturity and mostly advance refunded bonds, while taxable munis will grow fast and big and become the majority of outstanding munis after five years.”
Source: The Bond Buyer

Candidates debate privatization as Wichita preps to outsource Century II on Tuesday

Three days before a vote to turn Century II, Wichita’s last large public venue, over to private management, candidates for City Council clashed over whether privatization of park and arts facilities is a good idea. Southeast Wichita Council District 3 challenger Mike Hoheisel said he thinks it’s time to pump the brakes on turning over major city assets to private profit-making companies. Privatization “is putting another barrier in between accountability to the people and the people who need to be held accountable,” he said during a Saturday evening campaign forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters.
Source: Wichita Eagle.

Lawrence City Commission to discuss strengthening city’s rental inspection program

Close to 60% of Lawrence residents are renters, but an extremely small number of the city’s rental properties — under 1% in recent years — are inspected annually for code and safety violations. That could soon change. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider the first draft of amendments to the city’s rental inspection ordinance, which includes provisions to increase the number of units inspected and to reduce the number of violations that allow landlords to qualify for less-frequent inspections, among other proposed changes. Commissioners agreed in August that the current inspection program is inadequate and expressed interest in a potential overhaul.
Source: LJWorld.com.

City of Lawrence announces testing requirements for unvaccinated employees; Douglas County to consider similar policy

The City of Lawrence will soon be requiring its unvaccinated employees to be tested regularly for COVID-19, and Douglas County could soon adopt a similar policy for its employees. Between the two local governments, such policies would cover more than 1,600 workers. While these kinds of policies don’t go as far as the vaccine requirements that President Joe Biden recently announced for federal workers, officials with both local governments said their positions were influenced by the high voluntary vaccination rates among their workforce. City Manager Craig Owens said the city has already verified that 77% of its employees are vaccinated, and that employees continue to turn in vaccination cards and make the decision to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Source: LJWorld.com.

Winfield faces increased natural gas costs

Projected natural gas prices for the coming months were discussed at Thursday’s Winfield City Commission work session, as the effects of record high gas prices during February’s cold snap continue. The average market price for natural gas one year ago was $2.07 per Metric Million British Thermal Unit (MMBtu), according to Winfield City Manager Taggart Wall. The current average is $3.98 per MMBtu. … Wall said the higher prices are caused by several factors, including leftover concern from the February event and reduced productions due to recent hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

Sedgwick County Health department launches ambassador program

With vaccination numbers slowing down throughout the summer, the Sedgwick County Health Department is taking a grassroots approach to boost numbers. It launched an ambassador program in August, where health officials trained volunteers to go into their communities and speak with unvaccinated individuals, talk to them about any misinformation, and answer any questions. The idea of the program is to help reach people who might be turned off by government or health officials but may be more open to hearing information from friends.
Source: KAKE – News

Burlingame celebrates its place on the Santa Fe Trail

The Santa Fe Trail is a landmark that is revered throughout history as it helped bring together multitudes of different ethnicities and cultures, as well as help people at the time navigate the new land given by the Louisiana Purchase. Burlingame is positioned on the trail, so the town celebrated the 200th year anniversary of the trail’s formation, and all that it has contributed to current American society as an old commercial highway predating the railroads.
Source: KSNT News

Special Prairie Village task force to tackle housing affordability issues, as home prices keep increasing

With housing prices continuing to balloon throughout Johnson County, a special committee established to examine housing affordability in Prairie Village held its first meeting this week and laid out a timeline for offering its recommendations to city officials. Members of the Prairie Village ad hoc housing committee met on Thursday to discuss the body’s primary purpose — and why it simply exists. Mayor Eric Mikkelson recently announced the creation of the committee, which is charged with developing recommendations to bring before the city council regarding affordable housing strategies.
Source: Prairie Village Post

‘The Rail’s Always Been Here’ So Kansas Towns Want Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer Line Revived

Sitting in the middle of Wilson Park near downtown Arkansas City is a massive, black steam engine from 1910. The city restored the old Atchison Northern Santa Fe locomotive in 2008. It’s a symbol of the importance the rail industry has played in Ark City’s 150-year history. “Rail is part of what our city was built on,” said Andrew Lawson, the city’s public information officer. “The rail’s always been here.” But, like the rest of south-central Kansas, the town hasn’t had passenger rail service since 1979. Amtrak ended its Lone Star route between Chicago and Houston, leaving a sprawling gap from Oklahoma City to Wichita. Some Ark City residents remember when the trains still passed through.
Source: KCUR News

Grant could help bring housing to Zarah

At the request of Great Bend Economic Development Inc. to develop affordable housing in downtown Great Bend’s landmark Hotel Zarah building, the Great Bend City Council Monday night will consider applying for a Moderate Income Housing Grant through the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation. GBED is proposing the city apply for the grant on its behalf, GBED President Sara Hayden said. GBED is eying these funds to be used towards the renovations in the multi-story red-brick Zarah at Main and Lakin. She stressed that this grant does not require the city to kick in any funding to proceed. “These are just funds that would otherwise go to another community,” she said.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Municipal Bond Trends for September 17, 2021

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.

Univ. of Kansas Hosp. Auth. v. Board of Franklin County Comm’rs

Syllabus by the Court…
2. Under K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 22-4612(a), the obligation of one of the statutorily specified governmental entities, such as the city law enforcement agency, to pay for the medical expenses of an indigent criminal offender is initially triggered by the entity having custody of the indigent offender at the time the decision is made to obtain medical treatment for the offender.
3. A person is in custody when under arrest, although arrest might not always be necessary to establish custody.
4. Applying K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 22-4612 to the stipulated facts, no law enforcement agency had custody over the patient at the time the decision was made to obtain medical treatment for the patient.
Source: KS Supreme Court

Nebraska Furniture Mart Could Win Back $1.5 Million From Kansas City, Kansas, In ‘Dark Store’ Battle

Nebraska Furniture Mart, one of the busiest retailers in the region, stands to get a refund on property taxes it paid on its Kansas City, Kansas, location after winning an appeal to a state tax board. The Kansas Board of Tax Appeals ruled last week that Wyandotte County overestimated the value of Nebraska Furniture Mart’s sprawling location in Village West. If the board’s decision holds up — the county could appeal the decision in court — Nebraska Furniture Mart stands to collect a nearly $1.5 million refund. That refund would come from the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas Community College as well as school and library districts in the area.
Source: KCUR News

Edgerton city leaders weigh in on the incorporation of Golden, Kansas

To prevent the expansion of warehouse development across the Miami County, Johnson County line, homeowners in northern Miami County have petitioned to incorporate the City of Golden, Kansas.
“The possibility of annexation and rezoning for industrial development have raised a number of concerns for our citizens. Concerns they believe can only be addressed by city incorporation that would potentially keep Edgerton north of the county line,” County Commission Chair Rob Roberts said. Ahead of the vote to incorporate the city, the Miami County Board of Commissioners are hosting a series of study sessions to get expert testimony about how creating that city could affect the county overall. Wednesday, the commission heard feedback from community leaders from the City of Edgerton.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF

Municipal Bond Trends for September 16, 2021

Wichita looks to install two dams, remove nearly 500 acres from flood plain

In a move intended to remove 212 homes and nearly 500 acres from a flood plain in west Wichita, the City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to seek federal funding to install two dams. The area in question starts at Calfskin Creek west of Maize Road and extends for four to five miles east and three to four miles north and south of Kellogg. After the dams are in place, the homes would no longer be in the flood plain and residents would no longer have to buy flood insurance, said Don Henry, assistant director in public works and utilities.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Rural Kansas nurses say strain of new COVID-19 surge has taken a ‘significant toll’

With limited resources, hospitals in rural areas of Kansas have struggled in recent weeks as COVID-19 cases have surged and hospitalizations are on the rise. In Great Bend, nurses say they’re struggling to keep up. One-third to half of the patients coming to the University of Kansas Health System’s Great Bend campus are there for COVID-related reasons, said Peter Mick, an emergency room nurse. “Working in the emergency room the past several weeks, we’ve seen a significant uptick in the number of patients that we see daily,” Mick told The Star in a video interview.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Wichita unveils redesigned park honoring civil rights icon at entrance to med school

City officials have begun showing off the planned design of a downtown park being rebuilt as the entryway to Wichita’s new osteopathic medical school, while continuing to honor the legacy of civil rights luminary Chester I. Lewis. The proposed redesign of Chester I. Lewis Reflection Square Park features a small stage, the floor of which will be a tinted concrete rendering of the “redline” map of Wichita. It shows the pattern of segregation in the city caused by overtly racist policies from the 1930s to the 1960s, which limited the places African Americans and immigrants could buy housing.
Source: Wichita Eagle

EPA begins environmental cleanup project in Pittsburg

The US Environmental Protection Agency began a cleanup project this week on the East 4th Street field across from the Mission Clay Products property in Pittsburg. Pittsburg Deputy City Manager Jay Byers says the EPA is working in conjunction with the city and the church that owns the property to remove lead and other contaminants found in the soil. “Given the history of the area and its proximity to old smelter sites, the city felt it was necessary to test for possible contamination,” says Byers. The site is also immediately adjacent to a city park and several businesses. “We conducted environmental testing using an EPA-certified lab and the results revealed high levels of lead and other contaminants,” Byers added. “Once the EPA learned of our findings, they undertook their own analysis and committed to a cleanup as a brownfields project.”
Source: City of Pittsburg

Overland Park commission weighs concerns over height of proposed LUX Senior Living complex off Quivira

Concern over a proposed senior living apartment complex brought concerned neighbors from the surrounding area to the Overland Park Planning Commission meeting this week. Developers of LUX Senior Living apartment, set to be built on the northwest corner of 137th Street and Quiviria Road, presented their request for the lot to be rezoned from RP-5, which allows up to four-story buildings, to RP-6. Under that new designation, the complex would be able to build three buildings, ranging from five to six stories based upon grading. The change would also allow developers to more than double the number of units on the 5.9-acre property, from the original 104 units to 236 units. The additional one to two stories was the primary concern raised Monday by the residents, who live in two neighborhoods near the proposed complex.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Prairie Village’s new and improved Harmon Park skate park is now officially open

The revamped skate park at Prairie Village’s Harmon Park, 7710 Mission Road, is officially open. After a summer of reconstruction, the new and improved park welcomed skaters from across the Kansas City metro on Wednesday, Sept. 15, to celebrate the opening. The concrete from the original 2005 park — which was created with the help of then-eighth graders Jake Shepard and Andy Peterson — had been deteriorating for years, and the city decided to work with Canadian firm Newline Skateparks to design a new one. Kanten Russell, former professional skater and Newline’s lead designer, flew in from San Diego to attend the event. Russell said being present at the ribbon cutting allowed him to “be in the trenches” and get feedback from the local skate community.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Johnson County school districts deal with ‘unprecedented’ classified staff shortages

The school year is underway, but many classified staff positions remain unfilled within the four public school districts serving northern Johnson County. The shortage of classified workers is hindering some district operations at the start of a school year already plagued by the spread of the Delta variant, contentious disagreements over school mask requirements and the challenge of catching up on educational ground lost through online learning. Officials in Blue Valley, Olathe, Shawnee Mission and USD 232 in De Soto all reported experiencing a higher number of classified staff vacancies in their district compared to recent years. This includes shortages in custodians, lunch room staff and classroom aides.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

City of Lawrence considering long-term expansion of parklet program

Last summer, Lawrence city officials took measures to allow downtown businesses more room for safety against COVID-19 by allowing outdoor seating to occupy some downtown parking spaces — temporary “parklets.” Now the parklets may be here to stay for a while longer. The temporary right-of-way program is set to expire on Dec. 31, but the city is considering implementing a long-term parklet program after this one expires, according to a city news release Thursday. The long-term program would include several changes to the current regulations for parklets, including “fire code, safety regulations, right-of-way permits, historic design guidelines, equity among local businesses, parking and more.”
Source: The Lawrence Times

Party in Park offers variety of services for Paola seniors

Senior citizens got to find out more about services available to them while enjoying music and ice cream during Party in the Park. Live music was provided by Gale and Friend’s, including “Annie’s Song” by John Denver and “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin. The folk style band featured four guitar players, a banjo player and a violin player. Ice cream was offered by Endless Mercy Baptist Church. Water was provided by Price Chopper. Party in the Park, sponsored by the Miami County Council on Aging and the Paola Senior Center, was Sunday, Sept. 12, on Paola’s Park Square.
Source: The Miami County Republic

Reno Commission approves moratorium on wind farms

The Reno County Commission agreed in a surprise move Tuesday to issue a moratorium on the development of commercial wind farms in Reno County through the end of the year and look at banning them in the zoned areas of the county. In a pair of motions Commission Chairman Ron Hirst introduced, the board also directed the county planning commission and planning staff to draft regulations creating an overlay zone to regulate wind development in unzoned parts of the county. The motions required scheduling public hearings on both proposals, which the commission will take up on Dec. 27.
Source: Hutch News

Grand opening of M.T. Liggett Visitors Center set for October in Mullinville

Driving along Highway 54 in southwest Kansas, many residents and tourists come across an area of unique windmills and artwork as they approach the town of Mullinville. The artist M.T. Liggett was known in the area as an interesting and vocal individual in regards to all things southwest Kansas. Now the sculptor’s legacy is being honored.
Source: Dodge Globe

Trial basis: Prairie Village is willing to check out this e-scooter for a year

Bird electric scooters are coming to Prairie Village on a one-year trial basis, but only because Mayor Eric Mikkelson broke a 6-6 tie on the City Council earlier this month. On Sept. 7, Mikkelson cast the deciding vote to approve an agreement with Bird Rides Inc., whereby the company will deploy a minimum of 50 scooters that can be operated between 4 a.m. and midnight daily. Operators must be at least 18 years old, have a driver’s license and generally follow the traffic rules that apply to bicycles. Either the city or the company can end the agreement with 30 days’ notice.
Source: Joco 913 News

Olathe program shines light on various cultures

Music, food and dancing are things every culture has its own twist on doing. A new program series put those front and center recently, as it aimed to foster better cultural understanding between neighbors in Olathe. The Know Your Neighbor series, a partnership between the Indian Creek Library and the Olathe Human Relations Commission, kicked off its first program with a presentation about Indian culture. Although the library has hosted cultural presentations before, none has been as in-depth or sustained as this series.
Source: Joco 913 News

EPA conducting clean up project in Pittsburg

A clean-up project by the EPA is underway in Pittsburg. It’s taking place on a field on East 4th Street, across from the Mission Clay Products property. Crews are working to remove contaminated soil. City leaders say the land isn’t far from the old smelter sites, and they became concerned when the church that owns the property started allowing people to play soccer there.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Seely to retire as McPherson City Clerk

McPherson City Clerk and HR Officer Tammy Seely has announced her retirement. The city commission was notified of her plans to retire on Oct. 1, during their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday morning. “Last Tuesday, our city clerk, Tammy Seely, provided me her notice of retirement from the city of McPherson,” Nick Gregory, city administrator said. “Tammy has been a hard-working, tremendous asset to the city of McPherson over the 16½ years in many different capacities.” Seely began her work with the city in February 2005 as deputy city clerk.
Source: McPherson Weekly News » Feed

Johnson County school districts deal with ‘unprecedented’ classified staff shortages

Douglas County Commission approves homelessness resources, discusses options for federal funds

The Douglas County Commission approved $125,ooo toward emergency local homelessness prevention at Wednesday’s meeting. This allocation comes from American Rescue Plan funding and will go toward rent and utility assistance. The request came from the Douglas County Housing Stabilization Collaborative, a community program originally formed by Family Promise of Lawrence. The DCHSC plans to allocate $100,000 toward rent and $25,000 toward utility assistance. Following this summer’s expiration of the eviction moratorium, Gabi Sprague of the DSHSC said the community is seeing the effects. Data has been hard to collect, they said, but at least 70 households between housing service providers in the county have been evicted since the expiration and some existing resources such as the Kansas Emergency Rent Assistance program often don’t release funds fast enough to stop them.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Municipal Bond Trends for September 15, 2021

For decades, this police helicopter was a familiar sight in Topeka skies

For 38 years, a police helicopter was a familiar sight in the skies above Topeka. … Patrol officers liked having the “eye in the sky,” saying its presence made them safer and aided them in finding lost children or people who were in danger. When it appeared in 1982 that a softball tournament at what is now Topeka’s Felker Park would have to be canceled because of wet field conditions, an officer flying the police copter hovered over the infields to blow them dry, enabling the games to go on.
Source: CJonline.com

Two Kansas counties are coming together to address teen suicides

They’re the two biggest counties in our state, and both are working to find a solution. It’s a campaign called #ZeroReasonsWhy. After seeing a dramatic rise in teen suicides in Johnson County, superintendents of the six school districts came together to work towards a solution and created the campaign. The message is that there are zero reasons why the community can’t empower, educate, and advocate for teen mental wellness. It is peer-led. Student ambassadors work to start the discussions in their high school and normalize mental health.
Source: KSN-TV

USDA Launches Resource Guide to Help Rural Communities Seeking Disaster Resiliency and Recovery Assistance

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson today unveiled a resource guide as part of National Preparedness Month to help rural communities seeking disaster resiliency and recovery assistance.

This guide follows the Biden-Harris Administration’s announcement of the American Jobs Plan, which targets investments to support infrastructure in communities that are most physically and financially vulnerable to climate-driven disasters….

The resource guide outlines USDA Rural Development (RD) programs and services that can help rural residents, businesses and communities impacted by disasters and support long-term planning and recovery efforts. A resource matrix categorizes RD programs that can support preparedness and recovery through four key assistance types:

housing assistance, and community and economic development planning;
infrastructure and equipment financing;
industry, entrepreneurship and local business development; and
education and training.

The guide also includes information on technical assistance providers and other federal agencies that work with USDA to support rural communities in disaster planning and recovery efforts. It features examples of how customers have used USDA programs to support their recovery efforts.

Additional resources to support rural communities seeking disaster assistance are available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/page/rural-development-disaster-assistance.

To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, contact the nearest USDA Rural Development state office.

Lawrence City Commission approves design for public art piece at police headquarters

The Lawrence Police Department headquarters will soon feature a new piece of public art. The commission’s design concept approval Tuesday follows the approval of the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission, which discussed the design for the art piece at a meeting in July. The pavilion will be made of stainless steel, with a circle of several glass pairs of eyes around its top, and it will sit north of the facility, near the trails where officers and residents sometimes run. Joe O’Connell, the city-selected artist for the project, told commissioners the design is inspired by compassion and understanding of others.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Wichita looks to install two dams, remove nearly 500 acres from flood plain

In a move intended to remove 212 homes and nearly 500 acres from a flood plain in west Wichita, the city council unanimously voted Tuesday to seek federal funding to install two dams. The area in question starts at Calfskin Creek west of Maize Road and extends for four to five miles east and three to four miles north and south of Kellogg. When the dams were in place, the homes would no longer be in the flood plain and residents would no longer have to buy flood insurance, said Don Henry, assistant director in public works and utilities.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Wichita hires consultant to research proposed nondiscrimination ordinance

Stymied by nearly 11 hours of contentious public comment about a proposed nondiscrimination ordinance this summer, city officials have hired a consulting group for almost $18,000 to research the topic more. The ordinance is designed to prevent discrimination within city limits on the basis of “age, color, disability, familial status, gender identity, genetic information, national origin or ancestry, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other factor protected by law.” It bans discrimination in employment, housing and businesses that serve the general public.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Municipal Bond Trends for September 14, 2021

Rent Backlog Tied to Coronavirus Estimated at $9M for Flint Hills Counties

The coronavirus pandemic and the federal foreclosure moratorium have resulted in what one study says is nine million dollars in outstanding rent being built up in Flint Hills counties. The Manhattan Housing Authority is urging those facing issues tied to rental arrears that the Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance program is sending aid to 500 households statewide each week to help ease the backlog. MHA commissioner Brad Claussen tells KMAN the aid availability covers both ends of rental transactions. The Assistant Executive Director of the Manhattan Housing Authority, Mandy Thomas, tells KMAN that applications can be submitted to the agency online. Riley, Geary and Pottawatomie County renters account of 7% of the state’s overall total.
Source: 1350 KMAN