Kansas Municipal News
All aboard the We-Go-Swing. Wheelchair users will enjoy this addition in Merriam park
Merriam’s new We-Go-Swing has come to Chatlain Park, so people in wheelchairs can swing with others without leaving their chairs. The swing allows riders — including those in wheelchairs — to cooperate in making the device move. Other adaptive swings make people leave their wheelchairs in order to board the swing, the city said. At press time, a June 10 ribbon-cutting was scheduled at the park, 6300 Carter Ave., marking the first day of play.
Source: Joco 913 News
Are slow-moving trains holding north Wichita back? No easy traffic fix on 21st Street
In 2009, Wichita commuters celebrated the completion of a five-year, $150 million infrastructure project to elevate train tracks over busy downtown streets, cutting down on both travel times and vehicle emissions. The Central Railroad Corridor, which has saved commuters an estimated 2 million hours of travel time annually, was named one of America’s 10 best transportation projects of the year. By elevating tracks over First Street, Second Street, Central, Murdock and 13th Street, the overpass removed what the city deemed “a major obstacle to economic development in downtown Wichita.”
Source: Wichita Eagle
Douglas County Commission approves development of new rezoning standards to protect agricultural land
County leaders are moving forward with the creation of a new tool to evaluate rural rezoning requests and protect prime agricultural land. At its meeting Wednesday, the Douglas County Commission voted unanimously to initiate the process to develop an amendment to the zoning and land use regulations for unincorporated or rural areas. The amendment, once developed and approved, will establish a new system and standards to evaluate requests to rezone agricultural land to another use.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Hutch Fall Fest will celebrate the Salt City
Downtown partners announce Hutch Fall Fest. the festival will take place on Oct. 1 and 2. There will be three events as part of this festival. Hutch Rec, in a partnership with Downtown Hutch and the Downtown Hutchinson Rod Run, will host the inaugural Hutch Fall Fest, celebrating the Salt City. The event will have performances, music and food. The weekend kicks off on Oct. 1 with the 14th annual Downtown Hutchinson Rod Run & Classic Car Show.
Source: Hutch News.
Reno County to create a new position to coordinate rural fire ops
The Reno County Commission agreed Tuesday to create a new position of a fire service professional to help develop a strategic plan for improving the county’s rural volunteer fire departments. The recommendation from Emergency Management Director Adam Weishaar was an alternative to one made by an outside consultant in May that the county consolidate its eight rural departments into one operating under a single fire chief.
Source: Hutch News.
Holcomb receives $224,000 in state Cost Share funding
Kansas Cost Share funds in the amount of $224,000 have been awarded to the city of Holcomb Tuesday from the state. The funds will be used to improve Henderson/Jones intersection, accommodating three lanes of traffic and allowing for a right turn lane. A center, left-turn lane will also be added on Jones Avenue, west of North Henderson Street, for the addition of a center, leftturn lane. Holcomb Mayor Janelle Gaede, is thrilled to receive the funding as the project seeks to enhance pedestrian and vehicle safety around schools and businesses in the heart of the community.
Source: GC Telegram.
Municipal Bond Trends for June 9, 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.
Heartland Flyer operating rail costs could fall to states
Plans to extend Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer rail service from Oklahoma to Kansas will likely require the state to share in the operating costs if it eventually becomes reality. Amtrak officials said Tuesday that it would cost roughly $500 million for track upgrades plus an unknown amount in operating costs that still need to be worked out. “Amtrak is committed to working together with the states to find a way to advance this service,” Amtrak President Stephen Gardner told a roundtable of media and local officials Tuesday. “We’re in it for the long haul,” Gardner said. “This is the type of service and the type of market which deserve passenger rail and it’s our job to serve the nation and to do so in ways like the ones proposed here.”
Source: Sunflower State Journal
Kansas picks 614 small communities for portion of federal relief package
Waldron Mayor Shirley Nelson was happy to learn her tiny south-central Kansas community is slated to receive $1,517.07 in federal pandemic relief. State officials on Wednesday revealed the list of 614 small communities that will receive American Rescue Plan funds administered by the state. Waldron, with a population that fluctuates from 10 to 12, has the distinction of being the smallest city in Kansas to receive a chunk of the $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package. “I’ll be glad to have it,” Nelson said. “We’re very, very small, so any extra income is very, very welcome. We have streets to take care of and stuff. It would be a really big help.” Those streets require a special kind of gravel that won’t sink into the underlying sand. Waldron, which sits along the Oklahoma border in Harper County, is a nice place to live, Nelson said, but doesn’t have a single business to support city operations. Everything is privately owned.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Counties with the lowest home prices in Kansas
The real estate market is booming right now thanks to low-interest rates, a flood of millennial buyers, and shrinking inventory. The median cost of a home has increased 20% year over year, hitting $347,500, according to a report released in April 2020 by real estate listing website Redfin. These high asking costs—while good for sellers—are pricing many buyers out of the market entirely. But all things are not equal when it comes to real estate in the United States. Credible used 2021 data calculated by the National Association of REALTORS to compile a list of counties with the lowest median home values and monthly mortgage payments in Kansas. Counties were ranked by the monthly mortgage payment for a typical home in 2020, from lowest to highest. Ties were broken by median home values in 2020.
Source: KSN-TV
Sedgwick loses administrator and superintendent, gains a flag
City Administrator Joe Turner told the council last week that City Superintendent Kermit McGinn has announced his resignation to pursue an exciting opportunity with USD 439. “We are terribly disappointed to see him go as he is an invaluable member of our team,” Turner wrote in his report to the council. “However, we are genuinely excited for him and this opportunity and wish him well.” … The Sedgwick City Council approved a resolution last week to adopt and declare the official city flag for the City of Sedgwick
Source: Harvey County Now
Kansas school leaders having to decide how to spend more than $1 billion in federal relief money
More than a billion dollars is heading to Kansas schools. The money comes from multiple federal coronavirus relief programs. On Wednesday, the Kansas State Board of Education approved $25 million for 34 districts. The money, known as ESSER II, is the second of three federal coronavirus relief bills. ESSER II includes more than $330 million specifically for Kansas schools to apply for. Some of that money has already gone out before Wednesday. What districts are spending money in round two is different than ESSER I. “With ESSER I a lot of it was technology and improving that so that you could do remote learning,” said Craig Neuenswander, deputy commissioner for fiscal and administration services at the Kansas Department of Education. “Now it’s more summer school, after school programs, different curriculum, supporting staff, by either additional staff or working extra time, so additional pay for those types of services.”
Source: KSN-TV
Keystone Pipeline expansion project at Kansas’ border shut down
The owners of a pipeline that runs through Kansas have shut down its expansion project for a new branch at the Nebraska border. TC Energy announced Thursday that it canceled its $9 billion Keystone XL Pipeline project, which would start at Steele City and run through South Dakota and Montana into Canada. The termination came after months before, President Joe Biden revoked a permit allowing the new pipeline addition to cross the Canadian border. TC Energy’s existing Keystone Pipeline has operated since 2010 and runs in two branches through Kansas: one goes east through Seneca and into Missouri before ending at Patoka, Ill. The Cushing Extension branch goes south through Washington, Clay, Dickinson, Marion, Butler and Cowley Counties into Oklahoma.
Source: KSNT News
McPherson USD 418 voters reject school bond issue, sales tax question defeated
The timing wasn’t right. The price tag was too large. The location was too congested. No swimming pool. Whatever the reason, the $112 million bond question put forth by USD-418 was met with a solid no by voters Tuesday night. The lack of clarity was also felt by district administrators. USD-418 Superintendent Shiloh Vincent said it wasn’t just one clear-cut reason he had heard for people voting against the bond during the community meetings the district hosted. “Responses have been varied, so that makes it tougher to know what needs addressed,” Vincent said while awaiting the final vote count at the McPherson County Courthouse on Tuesday evening. One thing, though, is clear: the district still needs to address its aging facilities.
Source: McPherson Weekly News
Lawrence residents will soon be able to contribute to help neighbors in need pay their bills
The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday gave a nod of approval to a program that will allow residents to donate to a utility assistance program to help others who can’t pay their bills. The program will be administered by Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, which was the only group to respond to a city request for proposals, for $250 per application that gets approved by the city. The city already has a special rate for residents ages 60 and up who earn 110% of the federal poverty level or less, but this program will expand assistance to other customers with low incomes. The per-application cost to the city — which would come from the general fund rather than from the pool of donations, according to Kristy Webb, utility billing manager — is roughly equivalent to two or three months’ worth of the average household’s city utility bills, which include water, sewer, stormwater and solid waste and recycling.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Rescued! Maize police and Eagle Valley Raptor Center come together to save gray horned owl
Ruffled, some feather injuries, but alive, that’s the fate of a gray horned owl captured in Maize Monday morning. The Maize Police Department was busy after a gray horned owl got stuck in the netting at a local batting cage. They shared the following clip on their Facebook page Monday. The Maize Police Department eventually turned for help by calling a local raptor center. “So I kind of gave them instructions on the bird and how to get it out safely without getting hurt, put it in a cardboard box, and then one of the police detectives brought it here to us,” said Ken Lockwood with Eagle Valley Raptor Center.
Source: KSN News
The Symphony in the Flint Hills returns
The Symphony in the Flint Hills is back after two years of cancellations — and so far there’s no threat of another cancellation on the horizon. Through art, music and educational presentations, the Symphony in the Flint Hills tells the story of one of the last standing tallgrass prairies in North America. The 2019 event was cancelled after storms damaged the concert site, and the pandemic was the culprit in 2020. As vaccinations rise and the weather forecast looks more promising, Operations and Donor Relations Manager Kelly Tastove said she is excited to welcome people from across the country to the Flint Hills, where she grew up. The event is Saturday, with a rain date of Sunday.
Source: The Iola Register
First week on the job for Abilene’s new city manager
During a meeting in April, The Abilene City Commission and Mayor Brandon Rein approved the appointment of Ron Marsh as the new Abilene City Manager. Marsh started his new position June 1 with hopes to help the local community. “I came to the city management profession a little bit later in life,” Marsh said. Long before joining city services, Marsh spent five years in the Army and had several jobs inside the private sector. He started his career in city and county management in Sedgwick County as a public works administrative assistant. “I came to really like public service and really like working with the public,” Marsh said. “Granted, it can be frustrating at times, but it’s a lot more fulfilling than it ever is frustrating.”
Source: abilene-rc.com.
Salina airport to add daily flight to Houston
The Saline County board of commissioners accepted a grant request from the Salina Airport Authority Tuesday that could prove huge in helping the Salina economy surge out of the pandemic. The airport will sign a one-year agreement with SkyWest Airlines to schedule nonstop jet service to Houston, Texas, starting Sept. 1. With the commission’s approval, the county will award the airport authority $1.64 million to reimburse SkyWest for any revenue shortfalls from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, 2022.
Source: Salina Journal.
Douglas County Commission to consider development of new rezoning standards to protect agricultural land
County leaders will soon consider moving forward with the creation of a new tool to evaluate rural rezoning requests and protect prime agricultural land. At its meeting Wednesday, the Douglas County Commission will decide whether to initiate the process to develop an amendment to the zoning and land use regulations for unincorporated or rural areas. The amendment, once developed and approved, would establish a system and standards to evaluate requests to rezone agricultural land to another use, according to a county planning memo.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for June 8, 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.
City of Lawrence would pay Catholic Charities $250 per approved application to utility assistance fund under proposed contract
The Lawrence City Commission on Tuesday will consider a contract that would pay Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas $250 for each application approved for a utility assistance program. That amount is roughly equivalent to two or three months’ worth of the average residence’s city utility bills, which include water, sewer, stormwater, and solid waste and recycling. According to the commission agenda item, the city can now allow residents to opt in to donate to a utility assistance program through their own bills. The city already has a special rate for residents ages 60 and up who earn 110% of the federal poverty level or less, but this program would expand assistance to other customers with low incomes. A previous agenda item states that “In following other Utilities, it is recommended that an outside charitable agency would administer the funds raised through a donation program.” The cities of Topeka, Salina and Kansas City, Kansas, use nonprofit agencies to administer similar programs, according to the July 7, 2020 meeting agenda. Other than those examples, though, it’s unclear from the agenda why city staff would not administer the program.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Wichita hopes to attract commercial interest in vacant land near ballpark with building height change
On what are now empty grass lawns just east of Riverfront Stadium, the city hopes to more easily attract new commercial development surrounding the ballpark with a change in building height requirements. On Thursday, the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission voted to approve a request to amend the maximum building heights that are allowed on two oddly shaped parcels within the existing Ballpark Village Planned Unit Development. The request still has to go in front of the District 4 Advisory Board and City Council, but the change is expected to increase the allowed building heights from 50 to 85 feet on the L-shaped property at the northwest corner of Maple and McLean, and from 50 to 95 feet on the vertical sliver of land at the northeast corner.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Winfield Public Library offers Chromebooks, hotspots and e-readers for check-out
The Winfield Public Library is offering personal hotspots and Chromebooks for check-out, joining e-readers as electronic devices available from WPL. Hotspots can be taken home and checked out for two weeks. Chromebooks are for use on WPL’s campus and can be checked out for 90 minutes. Thanks to a grant from the American Library Association, personal hotspots are available at WPL to 67,156 residents to provide internet access to families and households that lack Wifi services.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Deadline for submitting flood damage extended for Osborne County residents
The Kansas Division of Emergency Management has extended the deadline for collecting information on flood damages experienced by residents of Osborne County to Tuesday, June 15. Last month, Paradise Creek spilled out of its banks following heavy rain of up to six inches flooding Natoma. To report damages, residents should call 785-646-2522 or e-mail ng.ks.ksarng.list.kdem-damage-collection@mail.mil. Residents will be asked to complete an interview and will need to provide their insurance status; the estimated value of the home or personal property that was damaged; and photos that documents reported damages.
Source: KSN-TV
Municipal Bond Trends for June 7, 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.
The Fed is in early stages of tapering its asset purchases; change in the federal funds rate remains far in the future
The Federal Reserve is in the early stages of a campaign to ready markets for reducing its $120 billion in monthly asset purchases to stimulate the economy. … This time, the Fed is creating a long runway for tapering, making clear that rate increases only come after this process. It also has set a higher standard of economic improvement required for rate increases than it has for asset purchase reductions. [Fed Vice Chair for bank supervision Randal] Quarles late last month made that separation clear, saying: “It will become important for the FOMC to begin discussing our plans to adjust the pace of asset purchases at upcoming meetings.” But, he added, “in contrast, the time for discussing a change in the federal funds rate remains far in the future.”
Source: CNBC
Overland Park sees trifecta of hotel-to-apartment conversions
When it comes to multifamily conversions, a growing number of extended-stay hotel properties in Overland Park have whet out-of-state developers’ appetites. Ruttenberg Gordon Investments (RGI), a Chicago-based real estate investor, looks to rezone the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Overland Park at 10610 Marty St. so its 143 rooms can become 143 apartments. The existing three-story hotel building could be retrofitted to house 121 studios and 22 one-bedroom units, with 194 combined existing and new parking spaces. All amenities, including a pool, will remain within an interior courtyard, site plans show.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Kansas town is using big catches to reel big dollars into the community
There’s something fishy going on in Eureka. The town is using a big catch to put some big dollars back into the community. From the biggest fish at 42.5 pounds nor the smallest ones, the flathead catfish tournament makes a splash in Greenwood County. The Shakin’ ShoDown is fun for the kids and even worth winning a few trophies, but the weight of this event carries heavier than some of these large fish. The reason why is because all of the funds go back into the community to help those in need.
Source: KSN-TV
Kansas’ longest-running golf tournament tees off its 41st year
The longest-running professional golf tournament in the state of Kansas is teeing off its 41st year Monday after being canceled last year due to COVID. The Southwest Kansas Pro-Am golf tournament is known for bringing in elite play, but for many, what makes it special is that every swing, drive, and putt helps babies in need. For the past four decades, 100% of the tournament’s proceeds have benefitted the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City.
Source: KSN-TV
Fastest-growing counties in Kansas
From 2018 to 2019, the U.S. population grew by .48%, its slowest rate in 100 years. Declining births, increasing deaths largely due to the graying Baby Boomer population, and a crackdown on immigration have contributed to many states seeing net population losses in recent years. But in other pockets of the country, populations are growing. These shifts can be due to job opportunities, high quality of life, easy commutability to job centers, low rents, or any combination of these or other factors. Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Kansas using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2019, based on 5-year estimates.
Source: KSN-TV
KDOL partners with several law enforcement agencies to reduce fraud backlog
Thousands of Kansans have had unemployment benefits put on hold due to fraudulent claims. A new partnership between the Department of Labor and several law enforcement agencies across the state aims to fix that. Monday was the first day of the program in Sedgwick County … The process to be verified is simple, you just bring some legal form of identification, like a passport or driver’s license and social security card to the records office at the county jail. There, they verify your identity and send that information on to KDOL, with the goal of speeding up the process.
Source: KAKE – News
Topekan Bill Randall is promoting urban agriculture through this decades-old community garden
If you have driven down S.W. Huntoon Street past S.W. Warren, you might have looked to your left and noticed a community garden overflowing with produce and plants. Bill Randall wants Topekans to consider the nutritional benefits of a vegetable garden and the importance of urban agriculture. … According to Randall, the garden was first created in 1938 by William Cawker, a former Topeka fire chief. Cawker purchased the land with the intention of building a home but instead built a victory garden as World War II caused food shortages.
Source: CJonline.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for June 4, 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.
Manhattan city manager excited about Museum of Art and Light
Manhattan city manager Ron Fehr told Riley County commissioners Thursday that he is “certainly excited about the opportunity” for the proposed Museum of Art and Light. “It would be a world-class facility,” Fehr said. On Tuesday, Manhattan city commissioners approved the use of sales tax and revenue (STAR) bonds for the creation of the museum next to the Flint Hills Discovery Center. Officials expect the Kansas secretary of commerce to decide in the next few weeks whether the project is an appropriate use of STAR bonds. Officials estimate the total project cost at $43.6 million plus the cost of the land. Half of that would be generated by state sales tax revenue and the other half would come from private donations.
Source: themercury.com
Dodge City shares a glimpse into what its $10 million downtown renovation will look like
It’s been in the works for years and now Dodge City’s Downtown Streetscape Project is nearing the end of its design phase — boosting its potential is a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation. KDOT awarded a max amount of $2 million to support Dodge City’s nearly $10 million, primarily STAR Bond-funded, endeavor in renovating its downtown. “This is tremendously exciting. This is the heart of Dodge City, this is the core of our community,” said Melissa McCoy, Dodge City Assistant City Manager…. Dodge city leaders say the project is an investment in their community. “We want to be able to capture more visitors through welcoming experience of our downtown, but also create some great quality of life amenities that our locals and folks in the region will be able to enjoy as well,” said McCoy.
Source: KSN-TV
Pittsburg’s economy makes progress recovering from pandemic
Pittsburg City Manager Daron Hall says there are many indicators that the city’s economy is recovering from the pandemic, but the most tangible one might be Pittsburg’s tax revenue when compared to a year ago. “We just got the latest (numbers) and they’re actually about 13% now for the year, so they’re way up which is obviously a good problem to have if you’re in the business of running a city,” said Hall. Hall also says the city’s numerous job offerings and strong economy are bringing more people to town.
Source: KOAMKOAM
Celebrating 40 years: A look back at Wichita’s roots for the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run
Back in 1981, former Wichita Police Chief Richard LaMunyon (currently, Maize city administrator) along with five other WPD officers felt a need to help the Kansas Special Olympics. “What can we do?” LaMunyon remembers his officers asking. “I said, ‘We’ll send money.'” So, they ran a torch 5.8 miles from Wichita City Hall to South High School. Creating the first-ever Special Olympic’s Law Enforcement Torch Run. “You never know what’s going to happen with an idea,” he said. With some persuasion by Chief LaMunyon, the Law Enforcement Torch Run spread like wildfire. “We started with one state, the state of Kansas. We then went to like six states. Then we went to like 12 states, and then all of a sudden, every state got involved,” he said. “Canada was the first outside of the United States to get involved; all their provinces came on board. And then all of a sudden, we’re in Europe. We’re in Japan. We’re in China. We’re everywhere that you can think.”
Source: KSN-TV
How Topeka city leaders want to reverse dropping population data
The latest census numbers show a decline in Topeka’s population, and city leaders are wanting to grow it by attracting people to the area. A total of 180,000 people lived in Shawnee County 10 years ago. As of 2020, that number has dropped by one percent. An economist with the Greater Topeka Partnership presented these numbers to community leaders at a roundtable discussion. They said they are looking to make Topeka a place where people want to stay long-term. “As income is increasing there’s more job opportunities, there’s maybe less inequality,” Freddy Mawyin, an economic specialist in Topeka said. “I would say more opportunities as a whole.” The goal is to make Topeka a place where people want to work, but also a place where they want to live and grow with the city.
Source: KSNT News
Olathe working to attract bigger pool of applicants to fill shortages of lifeguards
Lifeguard shortages, you have heard about them preventing some pools from opening in the Kansas City area. But in Olathe, they’re not throwing in the towel. City managers say they are trying to attract a bigger pool of applicants. They said they are streamlining the application process during an event this weekend. At the event people will take a swimming skills test and interview on the spot. If all goes well, applicants will be invited to spend the next three days in certification training that Olathe is offering for free. Because of the response to COVID-19, last year in Olathe only two pools opened and patrons were required to pre-register for specific time slots.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
Farm animals helped kick off the Finney County Public Library’s summer reading program
Farm animals helped kick off the Finney County Public Library’s summer reading program Friday. Pam Tuller, executive director of the library, said they hosted a kick-off event this year because usually they have a big program in nature with a presenter and around 300 people attend in one place at one time. Doing that this year didn’t seem like the best idea when they were planning it, Tuller said. ‘We decided we have all this space, we’re going to use it,’ she said. ‘Our theme this year is ‘Tails & Tales’ and since we can’t get zoo animals here and we can’t get ocean animals here and we know I’ve got goats and one of my staff members has chickens, we’d bring in farm animals.’
Source: GC Telegram.
Baldwin City Council developing policy to guide the sale, leasing of city-owned properties
Baldwin City is developing procedures to guide the sale or leasing of city-owned properties on coveted sites along its main thoroughfare and near downtown. On June 1, the Baldwin City Council gave first-round approval to a set of guidelines for real estate deals involving city-owned properties. The measure will be considered for final approval at the council’s June 15 meeting. Under the new policy, if the city wanted to sell or lease its properties, it could do so through sealed bids, live or online auctions or negotiations. Properties would be advertised on the city’s website and social media sites for 14 days before any sale or lease would be considered, and all sales and leases would have to be approved by the council. The city also has the option of advertising properties in local media outlets or listing them with real estate agencies.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Surging tax collections in Kansas reflect uncertainty of economic recovery
A sparkling state revenue report for May reflects the challenges of accurately predicting what will happen in a post-pandemic economy goosed by unprecedented streams of government stimulus. Even after a late-April adjustment to the state’s official revenue forecast, which provides the barometer lawmakers use to form tax deals and set spending levels, Kansas collected $509 million more than expected in May. The extraordinary one-month surplus of cash provides a cushion for the state as a new fiscal year approaches in July. Still, the inability to place the forecast within a half-billion dollars of actual revenue over a four-week period raises questions about what to expect in the coming months.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Advocates think a ‘heritage area’ is a tourism boon for Kansas. Farmers fear a land grab.
A growing national debate over the federal government’s goals for land use and conservation has upturned a nascent push to promote a large swath of western and north-central Kansas as a national heritage area. Proponents have viewed the plan as a way of boosting tourism in the region and underscore that it is in its infancy, with ample opportunity remaining for local input and support. It is distinct from being deemed a National Park Service site, as it doesn’t transfer land to a government entity or require administration by federal agencies.
Source: CJonline.com.
Johnson County vs. State Fire Marshall
PER CURIAM: The Board of County Commissioners of Johnson County (Board) contends that the State Fire Marshal’s adoption and enforcement of the National Fire Protection Association’s Life Safety Code (Code) exceeds its statutory jurisdiction under Kansas law and violates the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA). But we lack jurisdiction to reach the merits of these issues as the district court has not yet entered a final order in the case.
Source: KS Court of Appeals.