Kansas Municipal News
Marshall County to get updated 911 system
Marshall County is preparing to switch to the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council’s New Generation Call Handling System. Michelle Reinhart, a terminal access coordinator for the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, led the discussion about the new system at Monday’s county commissioners’ meeting. … Marshall County is the one of the last two counties in the state to join the system. “We are excited,” Reinhart said. “It’s $18,000 a year. It will come out of 911 monies. We will never replace another piece of equipment. We will never update mapping again.” An automatically updated statewide map will enable dispatchers to locate 911 callers more quickly. Additional location-gathering tools are included in the system.
Source: The Marysville Advocate
Sedgwick County firefighters take additional steps to protect both themselves and drivers
A new digital alert system is protecting firefighters and drivers alike. Sedgwick County firefighters have begun using HAAS Alert Service’s Safety Cloud to not only protect themselves but also to protect drivers. The digital alert system lets drivers know 30 seconds ahead of time when there is an emergency situation ahead. “Digital alerts are found to be 90 percent effective in reducing collisions compared to just lights and sirens,” said Vice President of Communications for HAAS Alert Brock Aun. According to Aun, most firefighters said they would rather go into a burning building than stop on the side of the road. “They can control a fire but they can’t control drivers,” he said.
Source: KAKE – News
Local businesses in Pittsburg brace for economic impact as students leave for summer
Perla Garcia, owner of a local business by Pittsburg State, would have felt the impacts of students not being in town if it wasn’t for one thing – she sells ice cream. While the students are her main clients, the frozen goods keep her busy when the warmer temperatures come around. But summer doesn’t work in every business’s favor. With only 20% of the 5,600 Pittsburg State students being local, businesses in the city need to find strategies for when the non-local students leave. The Kelce Business and Economic Research Center estimates that there’s a decline of more than 22.8 million dollars in student spending during the summer, in Pittsburg. Knowing that, business owners adopt different strategies to minimize the economic impact — from selling seasonal items like ice cream to changing their business hours.
Source: KOAM News
Pittsburg commission asked to rescind support of US-69
During the public comments segment at the beginning of Tuesday evening’s city commission meeting in Pittsburg, a half-dozen residents came forward to plead their case and ask the commission to rescind its 2001 support of a new US-69 bypass along the route proposed by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). The proposed new route, known as the West Alignment, has been a heated topic in Crawford County in recent weeks. Beginning a few miles north of Arma, the new bypass would run roughly parallel to 200th Street to US-400. Access to this bypass would be limited. The current kerfuffle was sparked by a $13 million grant from the federal government to be used in improving US-69 secured by Senator Jerry Moran. KDOT has begun to move forward on one of the key access points to the new bypass, extending US-160 west two miles from its current junction with US-69 near the state park in Frontenac. This extension runs through newly constructed homes and runs dangerously close to the small community of Capaldo. Concerns that this road will sit for 20 years, largely unused, while KDOT comes up with the $1 billion to finish the project have earned this extension the sobriquet of the “highway to nowhere.”
Source: Morning Sun
Chanutes 150th anniversary event planned
Chanute’s 150th celebration and downtown block party is coming up. The downtown block party to celebrate Chanute’s founding is planned for 2-8 p.m. Saturday, July 1. The city of Chanute was established in 1873. “It’s an afternoon of free, family-friendly activity,” said Mayor Jacob LaRue on Monday. “So it’s awesome what’s going to happen.” Inspyral Circus will perform and kids can participate in rock painting and a kids dash for cash. There also will be food trucks at the event. SEK Princesses will appear 4:30-6 p.m.
Source: The Chanute Tribune
0.25% sales tax question will be on November ballot in Chanute
Voters in November will decide the fate of renewing a 0.25% sales tax question that would benefit economic development and infrastructure efforts in Chanute. On Monday, the Chanute City Commission unanimously approved a resolution in order to place the question on the upcoming November ballot. “I think it hits all the points we’ve been discussing,” said Mayor Jacob LaRue. “I think it’s nice to have a consensus on the question.” If the sales tax question is approved, it will help the city maintain municipal buildings and further economic development initiatives in Chanute.
Source: The Chanute Tribune
Municipal Bond Trends for June 15, 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.
Installation of permanent pickleball courts approved in Salina
One of the fastest-growing sports in the world has already made its way to Salina, but players here will now have a permanent outdoor place after pickleball court overlays are coming to Oakdale Park. The move comes after approval by the Salina City Commission to award a bid for the project in the amount of $444,762 and approval to accept donated funds to pay for it. Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Hammond said pickleball has already been happening on the south courts in Oakdale Park, with temporary nets placed and lines painted for that use, but a more permanent option was wanted.
Source: Salina Journal
Reno County Commissioners look into changing fireworks regulations
All five commissioners asked the county administrator, Randy Partington, to draft a new plan for fireworks rules. The county already has rules for fireworks only going off from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. from June 30 to July 4. The commissioners want to keep those regulations but strike some of the other restrictions and go to “lawful state fireworks” rules. Reno County Counselor Patrick Hoffman said that fireworks emitting a shower of sparks more than sixfeet are prohibited under the current county resolution. Commissioners directed Hoffman to draft anupdated resolution allowing such fireworks.
Source: Hutch News
Nitrates found in Yoder water again
Nitrate levels have once again risen above allowable limits in the Yoder area. Residents are asked again to limit water usage, especially for infants under 6 months old and those who are pregnant. Reno County Public Works is currently in discussions with the City of Hutchinson regarding the purchasing of water for Yoder. The last nitrate level test, in Rural Water District 101, was collected on June 6, 2023. The level tested at 11.2 mg/L, which exceeds the Kansas and Federal (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 mg/L for public water supply systems.
Source: Hutch News
Municipal Bond Trends for June 14, 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.
Walmart to Build $257M Case-Ready Beef Facility Create 667 New Jobs in Olathe
Governor Laura Kelly today announced Walmart will build its first-ever fully owned and operated case-ready beef facility in Olathe. The retailer will invest $257 million in the plant and create 667 new permanent jobs. Construction of the facility will also create 1,000 design, fabrication, and construction jobs. “Thanks to our work to make Kansas a top food and agriculture state, companies continue to invest in our communities and create high-paying jobs for Kansans,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Walmart’s innovative new facility will support a more prosperous future for Olathe, for the Kansas City metro, and for our state as a whole.” The opening of the 330,000-square-foot facility will further Walmart’s efforts in creating an end-to-end supply chain for high-quality Angus beef while increasing transparency and capacity in its supply chain to deliver high-quality products for its customers in the Midwest.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Harvey County pledges $250000 for grant application with IdeaTek
After much discussion, the Harvey County Commissioners approved a motion to commit $250,000 in matching grant money to partner with IdeaTek in applying for the Lasting Infrastructure and Network Connection (LINC) grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce. The motion also included providing a letter of support. It was approved by a 2-1 vote, with Commissioner Becky Reimer voting against. During the weekly commissioners meeting, Ethan Kaplan, a representative from IdeaTek, requested that the county partner with them in the application in order to enhance their chances of being successful. Kaplan told the commissioners that the total project, which includes three towers and 460 homes, will cost $5.25 million. The grant request is $4.6 million, and the required match is $460,000, but IdeaTek is including $650,000 in matching funds to improve the chances of their project being selected. The addition of the county’s pledge of $250,000 will bring total matching funds to $900,000 and give IdeaTek and Harvey County a strong chance at being successful in their application, according to Kaplan.
Source: Harvey County Now
Wichita temporarily drops aptitude test for police officers amid recruiting slump
The Wichita Police Department has temporarily lowered its standards at a time when it is struggling to recruit officers, a move that appears to conflict with a report that found a lack of minimum standards was sowing discontent within the ranks. The Wichita City Council has approved funding for more officers than the department has been able to recruit and hire. But the police union says lowering entry standards isn’t the answer. At issue is an aptitude test given to police recruits as an entry exam that was recently — and quietly — eliminated by the department after consultation with new Human Resources Director Jason Hood. The change wasn’t announced until the city released a dashboard tracking its progress on a list of changes recommended by national police consultant firm Jensen Hughes.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Newton could soon smoke tobacco out of city parks
The practice of using tobacco products in city parks might soon go up in smoke. The Newton City Commission got the chance to review and discuss language that would forbid tobacco products in all city parks, excluding the Sand Creek Station golf course. The discussion follows work by the health department and others picking up large amounts of cigarette butts in parks to show the commission the litter smoking caused in order to advocate for the change. The policy isn’t criminally enforceable. Offenders can be told they must leave the park for smoking and can be made subject to trespassing violations. The reviewed resolution would come with signage noting that no smoking is allowed in the parks. The signs will be paid for by Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Source: Harvey County Now
Editorial: Cemeteries the history book of every town
Cemeteries are on my mind a lot lately, due to the time of the year I suppose, although I tend to think about them often. I sometimes watch videos on how to clean headstones and about people who repair headstones that have fallen over, I research people and photograph headstones for others. You can go out to most cemeteries on any given day and see someone walking the paths and of course, people placing flowers on graves and spending time in reflection. When people think about visitors coming to our towns, they don’t often think about the number of out-of-town visitors to our cemeteries. Not only do people travel to towns to visit family gravesites, genealogists roam cemeteries to research family histories all the time. In essence, our cemeteries represent our communities to those who visit. I’ve often said, “Show me a well-cared-for cemetery and I’ll show you a community that takes pride in its history and town.”
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe
Governor Kelly Announces WaKeeney Selected as Newest Kansas Main Street Community
Governor Laura Kelly visited WaKeeney today to announce its selection as the latest community added to the Kansas Main Street program, a Kansas Department of Commerce initiative to preserve and revitalize downtown districts across the state. This brings the total number of Designated Main Street communities in Kansas to 36. The Kansas Main Street program was originally launched in 1985. The Kelly Administration revived the program in 2019 after it was shut down in 2012 and has since welcomed 11 additional communities to the program. “I congratulate all who worked to ensure WaKeeney was added to the list of cities in the Main Street program – it is a rigorous process and a testament to the pride of this community,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Kansas Main Street program helps rural communities like WaKeeney bring back jobs and continue being places where future generations want to live and raise families.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Fed Holds Rates Steady but Expects More Increases
Federal Reserve officials agreed to hold interest rates steady after 10 consecutive increases but signaled they were prepared to raise rates next month if the economy and inflation don’t cool more. New economic projections, released Wednesday after their two-day policy meeting, strongly suggested officials were leaning toward slowing down their increases rather than stopping them altogether. Most of them penciled in two more rate increases this year, which would lift them to a 22-year high, and boosted their expectations for growth and inflation. The Fed fights inflation by slowing the economy through raising rates, which causes tighter financial conditions such as higher borrowing costs, lower stock prices and a stronger dollar. Officials had signaled growing disagreement in recent weeks over whether to keep raising rates. “We don’t know the full extent of the consequences of the banking turmoil that we’ve seen,” Powell said Wednesday. “It would be early to see those.” Other Fed officials have expressed more concern that inflation, hiring and consumer spending haven’t slowed more.
Source: WSJ.com: US Business
City of Emporia unveils new mass notification system
The City of Emporia unveiled a new mass notification system Monday, after receiving community feedback. According to a written release, moving to a new notification platform, Civic Ready, will allow the City to distribute information in a more efficient and streamlined manner; directly connecting its social media platforms, website, and other city platforms used for distributing information.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Marion cops get big raises
Marion City Council voted Monday to raise entry-level police pay 47.1% after Chief Gideon Cody said doing so would help recruitment. Top pay scale wages also will increase with first-year assistant chief pay rising 63.6%. Officers will make $20 to $25.09 an hour, up from a low of $13.59 now.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal