Kansas Municipal News
New Council member hopes to change views of community involvement
Benedikt Middleton wants to change how people view community involvement. “I think there is this idea that to be a member of the city council, you have to be of a certain position in the community,” said Middleton. “I know, growing up, that was the way I felt.” As the newly appointed Iola City Council member to Ward 4, Middleton hopes to see a change in this outlook. Being semi-retired, Middleton worked for 32 years with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) as an engineering technician specialist. He now does remote consulting work for an engineering firm based in Arkansas. Middleton was appointed to the vacant Ward 4 seat at the July 8 council meeting. The seat had previously been held by Mark Peters who resigned in late April.
In his new role, Middleton hopes to serve as the “ears and voice” of the ward. “I think I should have ‘ears’ to listen to those in my ward, and then ‘voice’ what I hear,” he said.
Source: The Iola Register
Garden Plain gets federal grant for new aquatics facility
The City of Garden Plain will be getting a federal grant to help build a new municipal pool and aquatics facility. The grant is for over $1.6 million from the National Parks Service, administered through the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The city plans to build an aquatics center that includes a zero-entry pool with a shallow play area, lap swim lanes, a bathhouse and concession building, and features such as a diving board, basketball goal, a slide, shade structures, inflatables and a splash pad area. The total estimated cost of the facility will be $3.27 million, so the grant funds will cover about half the cost of construction. Garden Plain Mayor Kevin Hammond said in a press release that the city will move as quickly as possible through the design and construction process. The project will go out for bids and it’s expected to take 18 to 24 months to complete. The aquatics facility will be located at the north end of City Park, east of the pickleball courts. The playground equipment currently located in the project area will be moved to another area of the park. The city also plans to pave the current parking areas and possibly expand them to allow for more visitors.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Wichita holding steady in water usage with drought restrictions
Wichita mayor Lily Wu reported a slight increase in water usage over the past week, but she said usage has been mostly steady and there has been an overall drop in water usage as the city goes into its second month of outdoor watering restrictions. The city went into Stage Two of its drought response plan on August 5th, and outdoor watering is limited to one day a week. The city is divided into four quadrants and watering is only for a specific day for each quadrant, with no watering on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Mayor said the city has sent 242 warning letters so far to homes and businesses that have not followed the restrictions. She emphasized that the goal is education and the importance of working together to save water. The Cheney Reservoir is at 67.2 percent of its conservation pool for the 12-month moving average, and it is now 59.7 percent full. Mayor Wu said recent rainfall did not provide much relief. The city continues to offer a rebate program on water-saving appliances, such as rain barrels. As of August 30th, more than $50,000 was still available in the program. The city has approved rebates for 343 devices, totaling more than $24,000. More information on the rebates and on water-saving practices is available at the city’s web site savewichitawater.com.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
City to consider altering process of approving change orders
Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday will discuss how much oversight they want to have of change orders to construction contracts. The city currently doesn’t have standardized procedures regarding who approves change orders and how, though city officials typically have asked the commission to do it if the total project costs exceeds $50,000 or if the commission originally approved the contract. However, officials said in meeting documents that the process of getting a change order in front of the commission is time-consuming, particularly with the high volume of change orders the city receives.
Source: 1350 KMAN
County hoping to solidify nuisance regulations
Karen Rothe, the director of the Harvey County Planning, Zoning and Environment department, currently deals with nuisance properties in the rural county areas. Rothe said right now, the rules around nuisance violations aren’t clear and she would like more weight behind the notices she does send. “I’d like something that would give me a little more leverage and would be more definitive on what a nuisance is,” Rothe said. “It’s not as clear as I would like it to be.” Right now Rothe said the main things the county considers a nuisance are broken down vehicles, things in a floodplain that aren’t secure, or things that could be a fire hazard. “What we’re looking at is safety,” Rothe said. Other examples she gave were leaking gas cans or old tires that could gather water and attract mosquitoes.
Source: Harvey County Now
KCK mayor says BPU costs residents too much. Are bills more than elsewhere in the metro?
Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Tyrone Garner has pointed to concern over monthly bills as a reason to take a critical look at the Board of Public Utilities, saying some in the community perceive that the publicly owned asset is more of a “burden” than a “benefit.” Unlike most in the Kansas City metropolitan area, Kansas City, Kansans, get both electricity and water services through a century-old publicly owned utility founded in 1909. The BPU, a nonprofit governed by a six-member elected board, has shrunk its workforce, by far its largest operating cost, over the past several years. Elected BPU board members have the authority to set electric and water rates to align with the needs to run the service. The most recent rate increases, scheduled to take effect through 2025, came last year despite some resident concerns raised over the cost of utility bills and criticisms of its service.
Source: KC Star Local News
Why does Lenexa have a spinach festival? You can thank Popeye and a stroke of luck
The Johnson County city goes all-out for its annual Spinach Festival at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park each year. The festival’s spinach-themed food offerings, rock-skipping contest, baby crawling contest, live music, crafts and more have attracted thousands of visitors during the event’s 40-year history. But many Lenexa residents are unaware that the celebration’s roots stretch back 90 years, to Johnson County’s great spinach boom of the 1930s. For a few years, Lenexa was known as the Spinach Capital of the World. It’s hard to imagine today, with most of its land dedicated to urban developments.
Source: KC Star Local News
As Rosedale Arch turns 100, its admirers celebrate Kansas City, Kansas, history with a party
The arch was built to honor Rosedale soldiers who fought in World War I. After the monument fell into disrepair, the community has spent decades restoring it. Now, neighbors are throwing the arch a birthday party to celebrate. The Rosedale Memorial Arch in Kansas City, Kansas, turns 100 years old on Saturday. The arch, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, was completed in 1924 to honor the U.S. Army’s 42nd Infantry Division in World War I. “The original dedication ceremony was Sept. 7, 1924, and it was a very large event for Rosedale, which had just newly become part of Kansas City, Kansas,” says Sarah Oltvedt, events director with the Rosedale Development Association. The arch has since become an important community landmark that reminds residents of Rosedale’s history, she says. The unit it honors became known as the “Rainbow Division” because its members came from 26 different states. Of those service members, 375 men came from the Kansas City, Kansas, area. In June 1917, Lt. Col. Frank L. Travis assembled the soldiers on top of Mount Marty in Rosedale, where the arch now stands near the University Of Kansas Medical Center. Source: KCUR News
Dog attack prompts change in animal law
Parsons city commissioners on Tuesday approved changes to the city’s ordinance related to animals, including dogs. The change was sparked in part by a Parsons resident who complained early in August about a stray dog attacking and killing his smaller dog just feet from his front door. The ordinance requires a dog that’s bitten a person to be impounded and get a microchip implanted in it at the owner’s expense. The same treatment goes for any animal that attacks or wounds another domestic animal, but this is at the discretion of the animal control officer or police officer handling the call. The microchip requirement applies to any animal running at large at the time of a bite or attack. There is also an observation period until an owner can provide proof of vaccination. The ordinance requires animal owners to pay vet fees. “Failure to pay all vet fees and recover the animal by its owner within the three business days shall allow the animal to become the property of the city and it may be adopted, transferred to a duly incorporated humane society, or humanly euthanized. All impoundment costs shall be the responsibility of the dog owner and may be assessed as restitution in any criminal case involving said dog or collected by a civil lawsuit,” the ordinance reads. The ordinance makes it unlawful for the owner of any animal to permit it to run at large in the city at any time. An animal is at large when it is not inside a home, secure fence or pen, on a leash held by a person capable of controlling the animal or tethered to prevent it from getting into public rights of way or another’s property. If an at-large animal bites a person, the owner will have to pay a minimum fine of $500 in addition to other penalties allowed in the ordinance. If an at-large animal attacks or wounds another domestic animal, the owner will pay a minimum fine of $400 in addition to other applicable penalties.
Source: Parsons Sun
Commission asks planners to consider variance for RV living
A suggested zoning change that would allow citizens to live in qualifying RVs by seeking a variance will return to the Parsons Planning Commission as early as October. Planners in August were to consider a zoning change that would allow people to live in RVs stored on private property. However, planners voted to keep the zoning regulation that allows proper storage of RVs on private property but restricts citizens from living in these RVs. Their decision returned to the Parsons City Commission Tuesday to accept or deny the recommendation, send it back for study or suggest something different. Parsons city commissioners on Tuesday, after a lengthy discussion, voted to return the RV issue to the planners with a recommendation to consider implementing a variance option with restrictions on what RVs would qualify and how utility hookups and other matters would be handled.
Source: Parsons Sun
Gov. Kelly announces second round of water local consult meetings
Governor Laura Kelly announced the dates for the second round of local consult meetings to gather input on strategies for implementing the 2022 Kansas Water Plan. The September meetings will build on the first round of local consult and Regional Advisory Committee meetings held earlier this summer. Kansans can RSVP for the second round of meetings here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WaterLC2 “Preserving the quality and quantity of our water is an existential issue for our state,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These meetings will help build a program that provides the collective, coordinated action on water conservation and quality that communities across Kansas need, in both the short and long term.”
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe
Clay County aims to improve agricultural mental health
A new program in Clay County aims to lower the suicide rates among farmers. The Clay Counts Coalition is focused on preventing and treating substance abuse and mental illness in an area lacking resources. The effort starts with connecting farmers to their communities. “We know that our entire community, but particularly our farmers, are two times more likely to end their lives in suicide and struggle with mental health issues,” said Lori Martin, Clay Counts Coalition community mobilizer. Agriculture workers are sometimes overlooked in conversations about mental health. “Data shows that a lot of times, the ag community deals with it, but they deal with it without talking about it just because it’s kind of a taboo topic,” said Matt Weller, Clay Counts Coalition communications coordinator. The Clay Counts Coalition is working to educate and ease the stigma with the farmer-to-farmer project by educating people on signs of mental health issues. “We took 15 people who are on the front lines in dealing with our farmers in our community. We spent an entire day working together on learning and strategizing how we can take this national research and personalize it so it fits with Clay County,” Martin said. Also, they work to host community events, like hatchet therapy, where they talk about frustrations. “It allows them to have that sense of community and sense of sharing,” Martin said. The Clay Counts Coalition is still in the beginning stages of its farmer-to-farmer project. The coalition hopes to use grant funding to continue building resources and education in Clay County.
Source: KSN-TV
Municipal Bond Trends for September 6, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.
Johnson County dedicates time capsule in county square
When crews were demolishing the old 1952 courthouse three years ago, they discovered a time capsule forgotten in time. This week, Johnson County officials past and present gathered to dedicate a new time capsule in downtown Olathe, one that gives a glimpse of life in the community today. Eventually, the box and its contents will be enclosed in the History Plaza in Johnson County Square near the fountain. Johnson County officials expect to open the time capsule in 50 years.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Great Bend redefines qualifications of administrator positions
On Tuesday, the Great Bend City Council approved an ordinance amending the qualifications and duties of the two administrator positions. City Attorney Allen Glendenning said the changes include clearing up the need for appointed officials to live within city limits. “The charter ordinance about appointing officers says that elected officers have to be within the city limits,” said Glendenning.
Source: Great Bend Post
Valley Center matches Park City’s offer
If Park City can offer the school district free land for its new elementary school, so can Valley Center. The Valley Center City Council on Sept. 3 approved a proposal to give the Valley Center school district 18 acres of land and infrastructure, a potentially $2 million offer, for the district’s new school.
Source: AV News
Municipal Bond Trends for September 5, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.
What you can do for your city
In a call-back to JFK, Neighbor Advisory Committee (NAC) member Bob Gilmore pointed out the negativity he sees in certain residents. He said all they do is complain, but never step up and do anything; that they want the city to solve all their problems. “We need to stop asking what the city can do for us,” Gilmore said, “but what we can do to help our city.” Homelessness and petty theft top the list of grievances. Gilmore suggested each neighborhood begin standing up their own neighborhood watch to report unusual activity to the police. A neighborhood watch can patrol the parks and public spaces and generally keep an eye on things. “The cops can’t patrol every block every minute,” Gilmore said. Another suggestion was to reconstitute the reserve police force. In years past, the department could call upon reserve officers to bolster the ranks of the full-time officers, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Gilmore wasn’t sure why the program had gone silent, whether it was from lack of interest, liability issues, or both. The idea of neighborhood residents watching out for and helping each other is a primary reason the NAC was created. It is why the NAC has been so focused on creating the neighborhood map, so people knew which neighborhood they lived in and could begin to build a sense of community and pride with those neighbors. The other members agreed. There is only so much the city can do. The citizens must step up and pick up the slack. City officials advising the NAC have agreed to set up meetings with law enforcement to discuss the viability of these suggestions and how to possibly implement them.
Source: Morning Sun
The Kansas State Fair opens Friday and will be a more digital experience this year
The Kansas State Fair will open today in Hutchinson with several new high-tech features that will try to pull the down-home event into the digital age. Though the fair, which runs through Sept. 15, has had an app in the past, the newest iteration has lots of bells and whistles that will help people find exactly what they want while on the grounds, Schulz said. The app includes lots of “wayfinding” information as well as details on where to get certain foods. If, for example, fairgoers are craving funnel cakes, they just type the words “funnel cake” into the app and it will provide a list — with maps — of every vendor selling funnel cakes. The app also includes a searchable daily schedule, the concert lineup at the Grandstand, a guide to free entertainment, and a “shopping finder.” Visitors also can buy tickets on the app, share fair photos and get answers to frequently asked questions, such as “What are the top foods at the fair?” (Pronto Pups, deep-fried Oreos, Pizza Box Nachos, chicken salad cucumbers) and “When does the Midway open?” (At different times nearly every day.)
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Lineman working for Wellington died after ‘contact with an energized piece of equipment’
A city of Wellington employee was killed after “coming into contact with an energized piece of equipment,” according to a city news release. It happened around 9:20 a.m. Wednesday at the city’s power plant. The electric distribution “lineman was part of a crew performing maintenance on wildlife guarding equipment,” the news release says. “Fire & EMS personnel transported the lineman to the local emergency room. Two other linemen at the work site were uninjured.” City manager Jeff Porter said they are not releasing “additional information about the employee or circumstances at this time.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle