Kansas Municipal News
Kansas closes fiscal year with $758 million above estimated tax receipts
Kansas’ tax receipts at the end of the 2020-21 fiscal year exceeded anticipated revenue levels by $758 million. Gov. Laura Kelly attributed this growth to signs that efforts to strengthen the states’ economy are working. Others say it’s time to cut taxes. “It is time for the state of Kansas to look at lowering its tax rates – sales, personal income, and corporate income – all should be discussed. We encourage the Kansas Legislature and Governor Kelly to look at our Kansas Tax Modernization study conducted by the Tax Foundation,” a statement provided by Kansas Policy Institue said. “It proposes very specific recommendations for reforming the state’s tax code that will bring pro-growth structural transformations to the state.” Some of the recommendations from the Kansas Tax Modernization study include, for individual income tax, indexing tax provisions for inflation, enhancing the standard deduction, allowing an independent choice of itemization, rolling back excessive credits, and eliminating the Social Security tax cliff.
Source: Atchison Globe Now
Lawrence approves close to $2M in pay increases for three unionized worker groups
Expressing appreciation for the results of a long negotiation process, city leaders have approved close to $2 million in pay increases for three unionized employee groups, including the newly unionized solid waste workers. At its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously as part of its consent agenda to approve agreements with the Teamsters Union Local No. 696, the Lawrence Police Officers’ Association and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1596. Collectively, the three contracts represent $1.94 million in additional pay for 2022.
Source: LJWorld.com.
County health officers regained powers as delta variant cases spike in Kansas. Will they use it?
With a key set of reforms limiting how local and state officials can respond to COVID-19 struck down in court last week, county health officers in Kansas regained a set of tools at a critical juncture, as the delta variant has seen case counts jump in recent days. Whether any counties will use their ability to issue health orders, limiting gathering sizes and imposing other mitigation requirements remains to be seen, however, as the political realities of the virus remain unchanged. Johnson County District Court Judge David Hauber opened the door last week when he ruled Senate Bill 40, the sweeping set of changes to the state’s emergency management law approved earlier this year by legislators, to be unconstitutional.
Municipal Bond Trends for July 20, 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.
Bird scooters roll into Emporia
A flock of birds has nested in downtown Emporia. Bird Scooters, that is. The electric scooters are a new mode of transportation popping up in cities around Kansas. The goal, the company said, is to give the community access to another mode of transportation and bring a boost to the economy. “A growing list of cities, states, and countries are looking to micromobility alternatives, such as scooters and bikes, not only as a means of minimizing congestion but also as a way to support local economic recovery,” a Bird spokesperson said. “We are excited to work with Emporia to offer residents safe and sustainable transportation during the pandemic and beyond.”
Source: Emporia Gazette
Schools confront more polarization with mask rules for fall
Students in Wichita, Kansas, public schools can ditch the masks when classes begin. Detroit public schools will probably require them only for the unvaccinated. In Pittsburgh, masks will likely be required regardless of vaccination status. And in some states, schools cannot mandate face coverings under any circumstances. With COVID-19 cases soaring nationwide, school districts across the U.S. are yet again confronting the realities of a polarized country and the lingering pandemic as they navigate mask requirements, vaccine rules and social distancing requirements for the fast-approaching new school year.
Source: KAKE – News
KCK schools to require mask-wearing amid renewed COVID-19 concerns
Amid growing regional concerns about COVID-19 resurgence, the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Board of Education has adopted a back-to-school plan requiring all students to wear face masks except for those with health exemptions. School board members approved the fresh guidelines Tuesday night. The measure comes as area public health officials are concerned about the growing number of new cases resulting from the COVID-19 delta variant, which is spreading through parts of Missouri and beyond — especially in areas where vaccination rates are low. Other requirements for Kansas City, Kansas students returning to in-person learning include obtaining all required immunizations under Kansas law, wearing masks on school buses and staying home if symptoms of COVID-19 are present. The school district plans to have daily continuous cleaning operation of its facilities and to practice social distancing in the classrooms to the best extent possible, according to the guidance.
Source: Kansas City Star
Overland Park committee creates canopy streets award
The city of Overland Park Legacy of Greenery committee created the Canopy Street of Excellence award — and named its first-ever honoree recently.Residents on 101st Street from Hemlock Street to Hardy Drive, part of the Pinehurst Estates subdivision, won the canopy street award this year. Canopy streets are defined, per the city’s website, as those with “continuously spaced trees near the street, with overarching limbs that are usually touching, creating a canopy.”
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
City Council sides with neighbors, rejects mixed-use plan in east Wichita
In a rare break with the Planning Commission, Wichita’s City Council has rejected a proposed complex of apartments, office and retail service space proposed at the site of a closed-down school in a historically Black neighborhood in east Wichita. Siding with neighbors opposed to the plan, the council rejected the Nguyen Senior Village, a proposal for 78 apartments with a gathering center for residents, rental office space and personal service businesses that may have included such uses as a barber shop, beauty salon and laundromat. The five-acre site is the former location of Holy Savior Catholic Academy and before that, was a public school, Carter Elementary.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Johnson County: Schools should mandate masks for unvaccinated
The health department in Kansas’ most populous county urged its public schools Monday to require students and staff who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19 to wear masks indoors when classes resume for the fall. The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment’s guidance came with confirmed cases of the faster-spreading delta variant continuing to rise across Kansas and fueling larger numbers of new COVID-19 cases overall. “We want a return to normalcy, but we need to be cautious and get vaccinated if eligible.” said Dr. Sanmi Areola, the department’s director.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Fate of masks in schools this fall
As COVID numbers continue to increase in parts of the state, many school districts are considering masks in the classroom this fall. The Wichita school district has announced masks won’t be required, but that decision could change…. Terri Moses is the safety director for Wichita schools. She says staff are paying close attention to COVID trends in the county and taking the advice of medical experts. If hospitalizations and positive cases increase, the school board will adjust. “Change is a constant part of our response. And then in order to work with our community and keep our buildings as safe as possible, we’ve got to be ready to change when that change is necessary,” says Moses.
Source: KAKE – News
It’s official: The Covid recession lasted just two months, the shortest in U.S. history
The Covid-19 recession is in the books as one of the deepest — but also the shortest — in U.S. history, the official documenter of economic cycles said Monday. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the contraction lasted just two months, from February 2020 to the following April. Though the drop featured a staggering 31.4% GDP plunge in the second quarter of the pandemic-scarred year, it also saw a massive snapback the following period, with previously unheard of policy stimulus boosting output by 33.4%. “In determining that a trough occurred in April 2020, the committee did not conclude that the economy has returned to operating at normal capacity,” the NBER said in a news release. “The committee decided that any future downturn of the economy would be a new recession and not a continuation of the recession associated with the February 2020 peak. The basis for this decision was the length and strength of the recovery to date.”
Source: CNBC
South Hutchinson bridge in need of repair, ownership in question
A bridge in South Hutchinson desperately needs repairs. But before the bill is paid, Reno County and the city need to figure out which one of them actually owns it. The bridge on Scott Boulevard in South Hutchinson was built in 1963. It’s not clear if the city or county built it initially, but the county has maintained it over the years. The cost to repair it is $700,000. The city is asking the county to split the bill so it doesn’t come at the expense of taxpayers. “We’ve asked the county to participate as a 50/50 partner on this bridge and they refused to contribute one penny to the project. They won’t budge,” says Joseph Turner, the South Hutchinson city administrator.
Source: KAKE – News
‘Giving patrons a calming place to go.’ Johnson County library gardens grow interest in plants
While Johnson County’s libraries are growing a readership inside, outside their green spaces are growing an interest in botany. Several branches have gardens on their properties for educational or community use. At Corinth in Prairie Village, there’s a large container garden just beyond the emergency exit door in the children’s section that opens to the public for specific library programs. Diana Spencer, youth information specialist, and Meagan Condon, youth services librarian, took what was a fairly bare concrete area and made it bloom.
Source: Joco 913 News
Busy weekend ends Ark City’s 150th celebration
Arkansas City’s five-day, 150th anniversary celebration concluded Sunday with a weekend full of events. A free concert, featuring both Bad Mechanix and BackRhodes, was presented Friday evening in the Wilson Park Rotunda. The concert was sponsored by Burford Theatre Arts, which also operated a beer garden at the event. The concert was followed by a firework display that was postponed Thursday due to the threat of inclement weather.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Bull riders, ropers and barrel racers from across the country bullseye for the Pretty Prairie Rodeo this week
The PRCA Pretty Prairie Rodeo is ready to roll. According to the group’s organizers, this year will bring top cowboys and cowgirls to Pretty Prairie to compete for prize money. Last year’s rodeo paid off more than $80,000 in prize money. “We’ll have something for everyone,” said Julie Graber, executive secretary of the booster club that puts on the rodeo. The show starts at 8 p.m. this Wednesday through Saturday, July 21-24.
Source: Hutch News.
Access ridership in Hays down by half during pandemic
Access public transportation in Hays has seen its ridership cut in half since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. The service usually provides 65,000 to 70,000 rides per year in Ellis County. It typically serves about 1,000 clients per year. The service closed for about a month in April 2020 as a result of the statewide shutdown. It has been operating since with COVID restrictions, which means riders must wear masks and only two riders can be on the bus at the same time to allow for social distancing.
Source: Hays Post.
Junction City bed tax idea goes to the County Commission
Junction City Mayor Jeff Underhill and City Manager Allen Dinkel Monday to outline an idea that would establish a City transient guest tax and leave the County with a bed tax only for Grandview Plaza and Milford. Under this plan the convention and visitor’s bureau would also come under Chamber of Commerce auspices once again, instead of being a separate organization. “What we talked about was them dissolving their transient guest tax and us being able to implement our own in the city that we would be able to utilize and we would operate the CVB at that point…”
Source: JC Post.
Sedgwick County Zoo’s new superstar, a 400-pound goofball rhino baby, is drawing crowds
The Sedgwick County Zoo has a new superstar — a 400-pound potato who likes to roll in the mud, pretend to charge at visitors, and run around like a clumsy puppy who isn’t quite used to his feet. He’s such a star that he’s lured lots of visitors since the zoo at 5555 W. Zoo Boulevard reopened post-COVID-19, officials there say. And he’s so popular that he even has his own merch display in the zoo’s gift shop. But for as much joy as he’s brought to zoo staff and to Wichita zoo visitors, KJ the baby black rhino — born on March 1 — has a bit of a sad backstory. He was a surprise to his keepers, who didn’t even know his mother, longtime zoo favorite Bibi, was pregnant until 13 months into her 16-month pregnancy.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Sedgwick County EMS Director Dr. John Gallagher placed on paid administrative leave
Sedgwick County EMS Director Dr. John Gallagher was placed on paid administrative leave Monday following a Wichita Eagle investigation into slow response times and a staffing shortage in the department, as employees complain about his leadership style. County Manager Tom Stolz made the decision Monday. Stolz has been under increasing pressure from EMS employees and Commissioner Jim Howell to act quickly after two EMS employees quit last week, blaming unresponsive leadership during an ongoing public health crisis.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Kansas utilities and municipalities have plans to recoup record energy bills
For officials in Eskridge, the eye-popping prices from February’s Winter Storm Uri never cease to amaze, even though it almost six months since the bitter cold spell ripped through the Great Plains. It is one of 50-plus cities with municipal gas agencies, leaving them more at the whims of the wildly fluctuating markets than most. Eskridge’s total bill from the Kansas Municipal Gas Agency was $1.1 million — 10 times more than its entire gas costs for all of 2020. Relief came in the nick of time, however, as Kansas lawmakers approved a loan program for cities staring down those eye-popping bills, allowing them to pay off their sky-high costs without burdening residents with dramatic rate increases — or having to disband their city all together.
Source: CJonline.com
Edgerton seeks residential developers
Elevate Edgerton! gave a presentation on Edgerton’s housing situation at the July 8 council meeting. James Oltman, president, said they had decided to work with RDG Planning and Housing Design for the city’s housing needs. Less than one percent of Edgerton’s houses were built in the last ten years with 79 percent being built between 1979 through 2009, he said. Oltman said Edgerton’s median rent is the third lowest in the county at $746 per month, but there wasn’t a lot of rental variety. “There is not a lot of supply,” he said. Oltman said the greatest shortage of housing is for residents whose income is more than $75,000 and want multi-family homes.
Source: Gardner News
Some counties revisit mask mandates
COVID-19 numbers in Sedgwick County are slowly increasing. According to the health department, we’re sitting at a 12% positivity rate. Other counties and cities across the U.S., such as Kansas City, are revisiting the idea of mask mandates. Right now masks aren’t required in Sedgwick County but individual businesses have the choice to mandate them inside their facilities. Many residents we talked to say if masks would help slow the spread, they’d be open to another mandate. “If we had to go back to them for a little bit, I’m not thrilled about it but I certainly understand with two variants coming out really hitting everybody,” says Jason Brabander, Park City resident. In Johnson County, health officials are looking to recommend masks for the unvaccinated in public areas. But some are raising a privacy concern saying it’s a personal decision to get vaccinated, so many people might not be willing to disclose the information, making enforcement difficult.
Source: KAKE – News
Girard one of 10 chosen for T-Mobile Hometown Techover
Thousands were nominated, but one southeast Kansas community could soon get a huge technology makeover. Girard has been named one of the top 10 finalists in T-Mobile’s Hometown Techover contest. The overall winner will receive a $3 million prize. It includes a city network upgrade, little league field refurbishment, and a $200,000 community grant. “We were all excited and stuff. I mean everyone was excited. We had the shirts made up, and it was something exciting for Girard kind of put them on the map,” said Girard Mayor Mickey Pyle. The city will receive a $50,000 grant for being selected as a finalist. The overall winner is expected to be announced at the end of the month.
Source: KSN-TV
Miami County discusses what experts it will call in Golden matter
The County Commission will call upon experts to provide insight on a variety of topics in the coming weeks regarding the proposed incorporation of the city of Golden in northern Miami County. The four commissioners agreed at their June 30 meeting that deliberations would not begin until August, because of conflicting schedules in July. The commissioners said they would like to be present for all the deliberations. The incorporation of the city of Golden would require a unanimous, 4-0 vote from the commissioners. Commissioner Danny Gallagher is not taking part in the deliberations because of a potential conflict. He left the commission chambers during the Golden discussion, and he did not attend the June 23 public hearing.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Natural gas leak outside of Lyons, KS
Authorities said Friday that a natural gas well outside of Lyons that exploded during maintenance the day before is now safe and repaired. Local residents had complained of an odor and a lingering haze, but a Northern Natural Gas official said there is no danger to the public. The complaints of a noxious smell began after the underground storage well blew open after 3 p.m. Thursday southeast of Lyons, causing water and natural gas to fly up into the air.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
‘Fairly concerning’ — Johnson County COVID-19 numbers spike as part of larger trend driven by Delta variant
Local health officials are expressing growing concern as new COVID-19 cases in Johnson County continue a renewed surge as the more contagious Delta variant spreads throughout the greater Kansas City region. Data kept by the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment show an increase across the board in COVID-19 activity in Johnson County. Over the past two weeks, key metrics like the incidence rate of new cases and percent positivity have shot up to levels last recorded in February in March, when mass vaccinations were just getting underway. “It’s starting to be fairly concerning, yes,” said Dana Hawkinson, MD, during the University of Kansas Health System’s daily COVID-19 briefing Thursday.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Property tax rates vary widely among area counties
When it comes to property taxes, Pottawatomie County is playing in a very different league from either Riley or Geary counties. According to a Manhattan Mercury analysis of government data, Pottawatomie County has three times more taxable property value per person than does Riley County — and nearly four times more than Geary County. That has a major impact on the way local governments go about setting their budgets, an annual exercise that’s happening right now. In essence, it forces tax rates higher in the Manhattan and Junction City areas and helps keep them lower in Pott County to raise the same amount of money to fund government operations.
Source: themercury.com
Lead exposure risk higher in KS water
People in Missouri and Kansas risk lead exposure from drinking water at greater rates than almost any other state, a new report found. The Natural Resources Defense Council released findings Thursday that as many as 12 million Americans may be receiving drinking water through lead pipes without realizing their water is contaminated. “There is no safe level of lead, which causes irreversible harm to people’s health, particularly for children,” a release announcing the report says. Missouri has the 6th most lead service lines, the pipes that carry water from water mains into residents’ homes, of any state in the U.S., putting it above the far more populous Texas. Only Illinois, Ohio, MIchigan, New York and New Jersey have more lead pipes than Missouri.
Source: The Iola Register
Gardner city council increases fines for trucks
The Gardner City Council passed four housekeeping items during their July 6 meeting, including increasing truck route violation fines to $200 per violation. Randy Gregorcyk, council member, said he appreciated the work of Amy Nasta, deputy city administrator, for work on the ordinance. “The best way to get someone’s attention is by getting in their back pocket,” he said. Mark Baldwin, council member, said he wanted to know if they had considered raising fines with first a warning and then escalating exponentially the fines. “For habitual offenders $200 might not be a big deal,” he said.
Source: Gardner News
City of Wichita vs. Trotter
Municipalities have broad police powers to enact ordinances regulating or restricting certain activities to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the public. The City of Wichita’s after-hours establishment licensing ordinance, Wichita Municipal Ordinance 3.06.030.A., is not unconstitutionally overbroad as its application does not create a realistic danger of significantly compromising Wichitans’ expressive rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Read the full opinion: Kansas Court of Appeals.
KCC Approves Eskridge Natural Gas Payment Plan
The Kansas Corporation Commission has approved a plan proposed by the City of Eskridge to recover deferred natural gas costs related to last February’s cold snap. Beginning next month, Eskridge utility customers will see a separate, additional charge on their bill assessing $2.54 per one thousand cubic feet for their gas usage. The funds collected will be used to make payments on the 10-year low interest loan the City received from the State Treasurer to pay its $1.1 million February natural gas bill.
Source: WIBW News Now
Arts commission approves concept for $325,000 art piece for Lawrence police headquarters
A $325,000 public art project for Lawrence’s new police headquarters received an approval from the local arts panel and will now be considered by city leaders. As part of its meeting Wednesday evening, the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission voted 9-0 to recommend the project for approval. The project will now go to the Lawrence City Commission for consideration. Following a national request for qualifications, the city selected Joe O’Connell, of Tucson, Ariz., two years ago from more than 40 artists to create the art at the new police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. O’Connell is expected to complete the $325,000 project this year.
Source: LJWorld.com.
City of Lawrence issues cease and desist order for all AT&T projects, cites ‘continuous reckless, illegal, and discourteous behavior’
The City of Lawrence has issued a cease and desist order to AT&T and its subcontractors for all active projects in the city because of numerous complaints and what the city describes as reckless behavior. In a news release Thursday, the city states that all right-of-way permits applied for by AT&T and its contractors will be denied until further notice. The release states that the city has received numerous complaints from residents and the other utilities operating in city right-of-way areas regarding the behavior of AT&T and its contractors. In the cease and desist order, the city states that the city has received complaints from residents and other public utility companies on “numerous occasions” regarding AT&T’s “continuous reckless, illegal, and discourteous behavior within the City.” The order states the main problem is AT&T and its contractors working in the right of way without having properly performed utility location.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Wichita to revive its downtown with unique ‘Midwestern placemaking’ design
… local business and city leaders are looking to the future after launching the new “Front Porch Project” through a $75,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Wichita’s project will pair artists and local businesses to create “front porches,” or outdoor extensions of their business, building on a Midwestern placemaking concept that is an integral part of the community. The project, created by Downtown Wichita, a local nonprofit, in partnership with the city of Wichita is among more than 60 projects set to receive NEA funding nationwide that will integrate arts, culture and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical or social outcomes. … The “Front Porch Project” also builds on a finding that local officials had determined early on in the pandemic: outdoor spaces can be critical to the livelihood of a business.
Source: Smart Cities Dive
Local and state school boards grapple with critical race theory as national debate comes to Kansas
Haven, Kansas, is about the last place most people would expect a debate on critical race theory. The small town of 1,200 people halfway between Hutchinson and Wichita is a far cry from New York City or Chicago or other larger districts that have rethought the teaching of issues of race and American history — moves that have embittered conservative lawmakers nationally. But as the debate surrounding CRT, primarily taught at institutions of higher learning, has divided educators, legislators and parents, one member of the Haven Unified School District 312 board decided they needed to take a stand.
Source: CJonline.com.
Panel: Review use of American Indian mascots
A commission tapped by Gov. Laura Kelly to probe racial equity in Kansas has recommended schools in the state “review and eliminate” the use of American Indian mascots, nicknames or imagery. The guidance from the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice is voluntary but comes as many schools throughout the state are reevaluating mascots that many consider to be offensive and derogatory. The move wasn’t unexpected, as many members advocated for the recommendation during a recent meeting of the commission dedicated to the subject.
Source: Salina Journal.
The mystifying bond market behavior could last all summer
The bond market is defying Wall Street forecasters, as long-term Treasury yields continue to head lower despite a strong economy and rising inflation. A decline in bond yields, which move opposite price, can be a sign of expectations for a weaker economy. But strategists say it’s not just slower growth concerns that’s driving the move. Momentum and positioning are also playing a role, as are some technical factors. “It’s confounding,” said Michael Schumacher, director of rates strategy at Wells Fargo. “You’ve got some number of big players who for various reasons are pretty comfortable with the thought that economic growth is, I would not say weak, but not as spectacular as some people expected.” The most closely watched U.S. interest rate metric — the 10-year Treasury note yield — again skidded below 1.3% Thursday, a level where it last traded in February, prior to last week.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
City agrees to pay $900K to family of man killed in 2012 Wichita police shooting
The family of a 23-year-old Wichita man who was fatally shot by police in 2012 has reached a $900,000 settlement in their lawsuit against the city of Wichita. The settlement comes just weeks before claims in an excessive force lawsuit filed by the parents of Marquez Smart were set for jury trial in federal court. Smart’s parents, Brenda and Randall Smart, sued the city over the shooting in 2014, alleging Wichita police officers Lee Froese and Aaron Chaffee violated their son’s Constitutional rights on March 10, 2012, when they shot him five times from behind as he ran away from an Old Town club where someone had fired into a crowd at closing time. Evidence suggests three of the bullets hit Smart in the back while he was unarmed and lying face down on the ground with his arms outstretched. He died later at a Wichita hospital.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Kansas law allowing suits against local COVID rules unconstitutional, JoCo judge rules
Expansive changes to Kansas’ emergency management laws, which allow citizens to sue over public health measures, are unconstitutional and promote “the equivalent of legal anarchy,” a Johnson County judge said in a scathing ruling Thursday. As COVID-19 cases rise again, driven by the highly contagious delta variant, the ruling restores, for the moment, at least, the ability of local health officials to unilaterally issue orders requiring masks and restricting gatherings. It also allows Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to issue new emergency orders without approval from Legislative leaders. Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican who is a running for governor and who advised the GOP-controlled Legislature as it drafted the bill, already plans to appeal the ruling.
Source: Kansas City Star
Johnson County animal shelters struggle to cope with surge in ‘pandemic pet’ returns
Local animal rescue groups say they are facing an influx of “pandemic pet” returns along with a sudden drop in adoptions as the world begins to return to normal. … three rescue groups experienced a dramatic increase last year in pet adoptions, a trend seen across the country as people stuck at home during the early months of the pandemic rushed to find pets to keep them company or break the monotony of stay-at-home orders. Now, these same groups are seeing the reverse effects. As families re-establish some of their pre-pandemic routines and people return to in-person work, pets are being returned at alarming rates.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Municipal Bond Trends for July 15, 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.
Cowley County animal shelter full as surrenders increase, adoptions decrease
The Cowley County Humane Society has had to start a waiting list for people wanting to surrender animals due to several factors, including a big increase in kittens and fewer adoptions. The shelter has had 51 intakes and 18 adoptions for the month as of July 11, according to a post on the CCHS Facebook page. CCHS released a statement July 8, saying that they are aware of community members who are frustrated because the shelter cannot immediately take in animals they need to surrender. Kitten season, the time of year when a large number of kittens are born, has hit the shelter hard, the statement reads. People have left animals at the shelter door after hours, including entire litters of kittens and a pregnant cat. There is currently a waiting list of people who need to drop off kittens and cats, the statement reads.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
City of Lawrence Waste Workers Ratify First Teamster Contract
Sanitation workers employed by the City of Lawrence unanimously ratified their first Teamster contract yesterday. The three-year agreement contains a modernized wage scale and substantial benefits as well as strong seniority language, grievance procedure, consistent work rules and improved working conditions. The group of more than 70 sanitation workers is represented by Local 696 in Topeka, Kan. “We are thrilled to be working under contract. This agreement contains countless improvements that sanitation workers in Lawrence have gone too long without. We are proud of what we have accomplished,” said Jody Norcross, a sanitation driver for the City of Lawrence and chief steward at Local 696. “This is a huge win. We hope this win will encourage other workers for the City of Lawrence to join us and build on our momentum to continue bringing real change to this city.”
Source: Hiawatha World Online
EMS service has been a bargain for Scott County, but how much longer?
When recently addressing the county’s support of emergency medical services in the 2022 budget, Scott County Hospital CEO Mark Burnett pointed out to commissioners that he’s requesting an additional $60,000 in next year’s budget. That would boost the county contribution to $260,000, compared to $200,000 this year and $180,000 two years ago. EMS, which covers staff and general operations for the ambulance service, is not a money-maker for the hospital, Burnett points out. “Even with this budget request, it will still operate at about a $27,000 loss,” says Burnett.
Source: Scott County Record.