Municipal News & Jobs

Business owner Todd Godfrey has purchased land across from his businesses on the 900 Block of North Washington Street. He intends to put up an event center he will christen “the Kaw” after a business that used to be located where his own businesses — Godfrey’s Range and Tactical Supply, Patriot Tattoo and Tanzillo’s Barber Shop — are located right now. The business, once it’s up, will contain an event venue as well as several restaurants and space for food trucks. He said he has a commitment with Never Surrender MMA which is located in Abilene to bring in fights about four times a year.
Source: JC Union.

South Hutchinson’s new city administrator asked the Reno County Commission Tuesday to pick up at least half the cost of replacing a bridge on Scott Boulevard that he contends is the county’s responsibility and whose closure to heavy county trucks is damaging city streets. Joseph Turner, who appeared before the commission during its public comment session, argued that the assumption that the city became responsible for the bridge due to a 1986 annexation of land or a 2012 unwritten agreement were questionable. However, the county commission declined to immediately take up the issue, with two of three commissioners contending county staff first needs to research it. … Turner, who has been on the job a little over a month, said the county’s detoured public works traffic has resulted in over a dozen waterline breaks and “serious damage to roadways.” “When I got here, I was told the bridge was the City of South Hutchinson’s responsibility to replace, but when I started looking at maps, it appeared the bridge is not in the city limits,” he said. “That put me on a path to investigate.”
Source: Hutch News.

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.

Municipals were mostly steady Wednesday… after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said scaling back asset purchases was not on the table yet. Triple-A benchmarks did see some strength on the short end, moving yields lower by a basis point, while out longer there was slight pressure on levels. … Reaching “substantial further progress” toward its maximum-employment and price-stability goals, which will allow the Federal Reserve to cut back on asset purchases “is still a ways off,” Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell repeated Wednesday. Testifying before the House Financial Services Committee, where many members expressed concern about inflation, Powell said price pressures are transitory and the economy will continue to need accommodation even when the pandemic ends and the labor market rebounds. Preemptive action would harm the economy.
Source: Bond Buyer.

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.

North Topeka’s NOTO Arts & Entertainment District has placed greater emphasis in recent years on creating a destination for locals and visitors alike — but up to this point, such improvement efforts have largely been grassroots. That has sparked questions among members of the community about how to keep beautification projects in the arts district going long term. “Part of the challenge with that is, how do you support it?” said Tom Underwood, NOTO executive director. Underwood and business owners in the district have engaged in conversations over the past year about the possibility of standing up a business improvement district, or BID, in NOTO, as they see it as a way to grow and enhance what the arts district offers.
Source: CJonline.com.

Celebrating its 75th anniversary when it commences next month, tickets are now on sale for the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo in Abilene. Happening from Aug. 4 to Aug. 7 at the Central Kansas Free Fairgrounds, the rodeo returns after being canceled, along with the rest of the Central Kansas Free Fair, in 2020. …to honor the 75th anniversary, a herd of longhorn cattle, from Sanders Ranch in Woodward, Oklahoma, will visit the rodeo. The herd will be part of the parade and driven into the the rodeo arena before and after the rodeo.
Source: Salina Journal.

Kansas’ small rural hospitals will get $23.5 million from the federal government to fight COVID-19 — the second most of any state as health officials brace for a delta-driven case surge. The funds from the Department of Health and Human Services amount to reinforcements as Missouri, which will receive $8.3 million, struggles with a growing number of outbreaks that Kansas officials fear will creep across the state line. The White House, which announced the funding on Monday, said the dollars will boost mitigation efforts and testing at the facilities, a critical element in controlling the virus’s spread.
Source: Wichita Eagle.

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.

Lenexa can’t fill entry-level maintenance jobs. Shawnee watched as firefighter applications fell by nearly half in two years. Kansas City, Kan., closed its only public swimming pool for the summer after struggling to staff it and lingering concerns about the pandemic. In Lawrence, city officials this spring began hunting for dozens of lifeguards, traditionally the domain of teens and college students. The applicants this time weren’t always who you’d expect. Marilyn Hull, a 64-year-old former program and communications officer at a local non-profit, applied for and accepted a position. Starting pay is listed at $10 an hour. “I felt bad for folks, especially kids, who might lose out on some pool time for the second year in a row,” Hull said. “I asked myself how I could help.” Across Kansas and Missouri, governments are straining to hire workers for an array of positions. Cities, counties, school districts and state agencies are all experiencing trouble filling openings. Low-paid and seasonal jobs— the often unglamorous but vital work that keeps roads repaired, lawns mowed and pools open — have been especially challenging.
Source: KC Star.

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.

Communities across Kansas are embracing mural movements and sharing their unique history in artistic ways. One north-central Kansas community is painting its way as a top mural destination in the Great Plains. A Mural Movement of Clay Center, Kan., is elevating public art to new heights. “Bucolic America,” on a Key Feeds grain elevator, is Clay Center’s newest and largest mural, paying tribute to farmers and rural America. In the mural, a bright red barn stands proudly in the background and a windmill stands tall in a big blue sky, while a calf stands close to its mother in a lush green field. The Key Feeds mural stands out in Clay Center’s skyline and draws in visitors and passersby alike. In the last year, A Mural Movement of Clay Center has supported 12 works of art, bringing the total number of murals to 14 and counting. Each colorful mural tells a different story, showcasing the talent and dedication of the 13 artists who have contributed to the movement: from the iconic “Greetings from Clay Center” mural, to the heartfelt depiction of Joe Rosenthal’s famous photo of the flag being raised during the battle of Iwo Jima on Clay Center’s Veteran’s Mural.
Source: Farm Progress.