Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Less than a year after starting Wichitas parkrun draws tourists as well as locals

In January, an Australian couple took time out of their three-week vacation at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, to fly to Wichita for a weekend so they could participate in the Exploration Place parkrun. At the end of June, a Chicago-area couple drove from Illinois to run in the weekly event that takes participants on a 3.1-mile route along the Arkansas River. Both couples said they likely wouldn’t have traveled to Wichita if not for the lure of completing one of the newest parkruns in the U.S. A parkrun is a free, weekly 5K that is open to walkers, runners, volunteers, spectators and even leashed dogs accompanied by their owners. The concept started in 2004 in west London when a small group of runners wanted to provide a free-for-all timed event to encourage inclusiveness and wellbeing. Their lofty goal was to create a healthier, happier planet by encouraging people to get involved on a regular basis, either as a volunteer or a participant.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Johnson County creates new diversity sustainability boards

Two new citizen advisory boards on diversity and sustainability were voted into existence by the Johnson County Commission last Thursday after extended discussion, particularly on the implications of a diversity group. The advisory groups – called coalitions – can each have up to 15 members appointed by Chairman Mike Kelly and subject to approval by the full commission. The diversity coalition also had supporters amongst the public speakers. Justice Horn, chair of the Kansas City LGBTQ Commission, said the idea was “long overdue for folks across this community to feel like they have a place in Johnson County.”
Source: Prairie Village Post

Derby Fire Department holds annual open house event

This year marks the fifth annual open house event in which the Derby community showed up to see fire trucks and learn about firework safety. “Derby’s a great place and we just knew it was going to be a great experience for them,” Said Brittany Henning. “And didn’t want to miss anything.” Brittany and Patrick Henning are originally from Maize but traveled with their kids to Derby to see the parade and open house this morning. They have become more fire aware recently and have made sure to prepare for emergencies. “We looked into it a while ago, bought a few things for safety for our house and things like that,” Henning said. “And I think this (event) really makes people go ‘oh wow that really is an issue’.”
Source: KAKE – News

New federal funding will help Kansas build out broadband infrastructure

Nearly half a billion dollars worth of federal funding is going to build Kansas’ broadband infrastructure. For Jacquelyne Leffler, the last three years have been a whirlwind for her ranch up in Americus Kansas, near Emporia. She started directly selling her beef online in 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. “No one could find beef on the grocery store shelves, and I thought I’m gonna really capitalize on this and I sold to over 1500 people that year and did 170 head of cattle,” said Leffler. She says sales numbers have stayed at that level since 2020 but notes one thing that hasn’t been able to keep up is her internet service. She does 90% of her sales online as well as track data when farming.
Source: KAKE – News

Municipal Bond Trends for July 3, 2023

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. 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.

Municipal Bond Trends for June 30, 2023

A Kansas gardener is suing for the right to sell honey and fruit from her Ottawa yard

Ellen Finnerty revels in working her backyard garden as much to learn the science as to harvest a juicy watermelon…. Now the Ottawa resident wants to keep bees, too, and ultimately sell her honey, fruits and vegetables at a local farmer’s market. But the city of Ottawa halted her aspirations last year, citing city code. Finnerty holds out hope. With help from a small-government advocacy group, the gardener sued in May, arguing those rules violate the Kansas Constitution. Some cities across the country are changing their codes to allow residents to grow more food or add bees and chickens to their yards. Lawrence, for example, changed its codes in 2016 to loosen rules for residential crops and allow beekeeping and sales of honey and other homegrown foods. In 2019, the state of Indiana struck down all municipal beekeeping bans.
Source: KCUR News

Hospitals in Kansas turn to overseas workers to combat nurse shortage but immigration law gets in the way

Kansas recruiters are looking as far away as the Philippines in Southeast Asia because 21% of registered nursing jobs in the state went unfilled last year. That’s what the Kansas Hospital Association found in a recent report. “Just to kind of put that in perspective, we need four nurses on a unit,” said Cindy Samuelson with the KHA. “If we’re thinking of percentages 25%, that means we only have three.” Prior to the pandemic, the U.S. was already experiencing a shortage of nurses. During COVID-19, the issue was only exacerbated as fatigued nurses left the workforce. Samuelson said the association held its very first virtual job fair to try to reach more potential workers. The group is also partnering with the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and rural organizations to raise awareness of the job opportunities in the medical field.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe

Governor Kelly Joins Sen. Moran Rep. Davids to Break Ground on De Soto Road Project Near Panasonic

Governor Laura Kelly today joined U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, U.S. Representative Sharice Davids, and other state, local, and private sector leaders for a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction of the De Soto Local Road Improvement Project. The Kansas Department of Transportation’s (KDOT) 4.5-mile street improvement project will support the $4 billion, 4,000-job Panasonic Energy electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility currently under construction. The project, which represents the largest private investment in Kansas history, was announced last July.
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

Municipal Bond Trends for June 29, 2023

Topeka leaders say they took ‘future of hotel’ into city’s own hands

Topeka Mayor Mike Padilla recalls feeling helpless as Topeka’s West Ridge Mall was auctioned off in December 2021. “There was little that we were able to participate in at that time, and the result wasn’t what we hoped for,” he said Tuesday during his first monthly news conference with acting city manager Richard Nienstedt. What happened with that mall was one reason Padilla supported Topeka’s city government bidding $7.6 million in an auction this month to win the right to buy Hotel Topeka at City Center, 1717 S.W. Topeka Blvd., he said.
Source: CJonline

Municipal Bond Trends for June 28, 2023

Powell says more ‘restriction’ is coming including possibility of hikes at consecutive meetings

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell talked tough on inflation Wednesday, saying at a forum that he expects multiple interest rate increases ahead and possibly at an aggressive pace. “We believe there’s more restriction coming,” Powell said during a monetary policy session in Sintra, Portugal. “What’s really driving it … is a very strong labor market.” The comments reiterate a position taken by Powell’s fellow policymakers at their June meeting, during which they indicated the likelihood of another half percentage point of increases through the end of 2023.
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Garden City hires new Parks & Rec chief

Ticia Herd, Executive Director of the Mulvane Recreation Commission for the past 15 years, has been named the new Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Garden City. “Ticia’s excitement about the growth and diversity of Garden City was evident throughout the search process. We look forward to her arrival in early August,” Matt Allen, Garden City City Manager, said. Herd replaces former director Aaron Stewart. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation and a minor in psychology from Pittsburg State University, completed MBA coursework from Friends University, and is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP).
Source: Greater Garden City » Feed

Temporary water treatment facility one of Kansas largest

A water treatment facility that would temporarily become the seventh largest in Kansas was built on site to treat water from the creek. The operation could treat 3,600 gallons of water per minute and put treated water back into the creek that exceeded the obligated water quality criteria.
Source: Backroads News

Governor Kelly Announces Nearly $43.6M in Grant Funding Creation of Over 4200 New Child Care Slots

Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund announced funding awards to 52 statewide organizations for the purpose of creating new, sustainable, high-quality licensed child care slots across the state and accelerating capacity-building in support of families, businesses, and economic development. These grants are part of the Child Care Capacity Accelerator grant program, which was designed to advance the rapid development of additional child care slots statewide. The program will provide $43,593,294 in grant funding, which will create 4,211 new child care slots across the state.
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

Wacky Wednesday returns in Crawford County

The Crawford County Historical Museum in Pittsburg, Kansas today hosted its Wacky Wednesday children’s series. This free and family-friendly event featured various themes tailored for children from preschool to 6th grade. Held from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the activities took place both on the museum grounds and inside the museum itself. Bart Taylor, an award-winning educator specializing in US History and Will Rogers, served as the event’s host. As the Creative Curator and Interpreter at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, Bart brought his expertise and passion for history to engage and entertain the participants.
Source: KOAM News

Newton PD mourns loss of police service dog Bella

A retired police service dog in Newton has died. Bella was only nine years old. The Newton Police Department said she suffered a sudden medical emergency and died Tuesday. The department said Bella was successful at her job. She was a certified patrol and narcotics detection K-9 who joined the department in 2015. She served in the patrol division with Sgt. Tony Hawpe, her handler. After he transitioned to the investigations division, Bella retired in January.
Source: KSN-TV

Nuclear plant eyes Marion Reservoir

Evergy wants to buy 19% of Marion Reservoir’s conservation pool water to use for cooling basins at Wolf Creek nuclear power plant near Burlington. “That has never happened before,” Lisa Suderman, vice chairman of the Neosho Regional Advisory Committee, told county commissioners Monday. The state owns the water in the reservoir. That’s why the request was directed to the state, she said…. Suderman suggested that the county, cities, and Marion County residents who have a stake in Marion Reservoir water meet to discuss getting a retention agreement. A retention agreement applies not to drawing water out of the reservoir but to retaining water in the reservoir. Suderman suggested forming a delegation of every governing body in the county to talk to the water office about such an agreement.
Source: Marion County RECORD

Hillsboro says yes to fences no to animals

Hillsboro property owners who want privacy fences along their side yards can now have them, but people who own agricultural land annexed into the city can no longer claim an agricultural exemption to city regulations. Those changes to city ordinance were made Tuesday during Hillsboro’s city commission meeting.
Source: Marion County RECORD