Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Tiny Kansas town sues oil and gas giant over high prices

This tiny and hard-to-find Kansas town is taking on one of the biggest energy companies on the planet, over February natural gas bills they say would bankrupt the city, the residents, or both. Mulberry, a city of about 500 folks, is suing the mega-corporation BP — formerly British Petroleum — alleging that the company gouged them by raising the price of natural gas to more than 100 times the regular price during an arctic blast that began Feb. 10 and persisted for about the next 10 days. “We feel like it’s a David and Goliath, basically,” said Amy Tucker, the assistant city clerk and one of only two administrative employees at City Hall. “With a big corporation like that, you know, we’re just a blip on their radar.” But the people of Mulberry, in Crawford County, don’t feel like they have any choice but to fight. The city can’t afford BP’s bill and if it passes the cost through to residents, they can’t afford it either, Tucker said.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Kansas is working to connect dozens of communities with trails

An exciting venture is underway in the Sunflower State: the creation of an inter-connected trail system that will link dozens of communities, generate economic activity and entice Kansans to recreate for health and the enjoyment of the outdoors. Old railroad lines are being repurposed as multiuse trails for walking and biking. Several organizations are working on building rail-trails in Kansas. More than 27 rail-trails are either completed or partially completed, and 13 are undeveloped. In fact, 565 miles are completed and 273 miles are under development or planned. The goal is to link these together into a interconnected system.
Source: Kansas Reflector

Amtrak Going Daily Again In Kansas, Easing Worries About The Future Of Passenger Rail In The State

Amtrak plans to restart daily passenger service on its Southwest Chief route across Kansas beginning May 31. In October, Amtrak cut the line’s daily service down to three days a week because of the pandemic. But the company says new federal COVID-19 relief funding will allow it to restore daily service on the Southwest Chief and 11 more of its long distance routes over the next few months. The Southwest Chief, the only Amtrak service in Kansas, runs from Chicago to Los Angeles and includes local stops in Kansas City, Topeka and Dodge City. For southwestern Kansas communities like Garden City, the route provides a connection with the rest of the state and the region. “When you live in an area like this that’s very remote,” said Lona Duvall, the president and CEO of the Finney County Economic Development Corporation, “it’s just too important that people have that freedom of movement.”
Source: KCUR News

Arma Community Garden looks to win grant funds

Officials with the Arma Community Garden are asking for the public’s votes. The garden is one of more than 300, nationwide – competing for gardens for good grant money. The top 21 vote-getters will receive $5,000 each to help their respective communities provide nutritious food. Since 2019, the garden is Arma has supplied produce to the pantries at the library and the high school.
Voting closes on April 7th.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Cowley County joins effort to promote counties

Cowley County is joining other Kansas counties in recognition of Kansas County Government during April 2021 as part of National County Government Month promoted by the National Association of Counties (NACo). County government dates to 1634 and no two counties are exactly alike. Counties are diverse in structure and services delivered to the communities vary from one county to another. During the month of April, Cowley County intends to highlight its operations and offer descriptions of services provided to the citizens. Cowley County performs numerous daily services to the public, many which are readily noticeable and many that go unnoticed.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler

Natural gas penalties waived for Winfield

During a Winfield City Commission workshop Thursday, City Manager Taggart Wall said that city staff were notified earlier in the day that the city will not be assessed $4.8 million in penalties it could have faced from its pipeline company for customers’ natural gas usage during an unprecedented winter storm in February. With the penalties eliminated, this brings the city’s total gas liability down from $13.2 million to $8.6 million. “They have confirmed to us in an email that we were not assessed any penalties,” Taggart said.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler

Iola sees record number of roofs, permits

When it comes to building and repair work this year, everything is going up. The number of permits are up as well as prices. In fact, they’re setting records. And that’s not likely to change anytime soon. “This year has been crazy. Prices are rising throughout our whole industry, and supplies are hard to come by,” Ron Boren, president of Boren’s Roofing in Iola, said. “It’s going to be an interesting summer.” Bill Weston, with H & H Roofing, agreed. Supplies are limited and costly. But his crews are busier than ever, thanks to a hail storm last May that damaged dozens of local homes, especially in the north part of Iola and rural areas.
Source: The Iola Register

Kansas counties ditching mask rules before lawmakers acted

Kansas counties already had started dropping or weakening mask rules before lawmakers toppled Gov. Laura Kelly’s newly reissued order requiring them — and more are expected to follow suit even as variants first detected in South Africa and the United Kingdom have been found in the state. The order, which was similar to one passed in November, was always porous, allowing the state’s 105 counties to set their own possibly less restrictive rules or opt out of the order entirely. Kelly, a Democrat, was required to reissue it Thursday under a new Kansas law, which also gives eight top legislators the power to reject her efforts to set rules to address the pandemic.
Source: KAKE – News

Concerns grow over Wichita street racing following recent hit and run

A Wichita woman is asking for the Wichita Police Department’s help in monitoring speeding in her neighborhood. She says she lives near Meridian and Pawnee. On Wednesday, police were called out to a hit-in-run that injured a 9-year-old boy. Police say two pick-up trucks were racing in the 2700 block of S. Meridian Ave. The injured child was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. “I can watch them coming down the street and they’re flying at a high rate of speed,” said Leigh, who has lived in the area for 25 years. She wants WPD to see what she is experiencing firsthand. WPD agrees that it’s an issue, but it’s not a simple fix. “It’s not something that you can just go out in a specific location and wait for two people to come up and race, a lot of times spontaneous,” said Sergeant Keith Fort with the Wichita Police Department. Leigh fears there could be more incidents if something isn’t done.
Source: KSN-TV

Columbus Fire Department working to improve severe weather preparedness

A Southeast Kansas Fire Department is doing what it can to be severe weather ready. Severe weather season is approaching – and the Columbus Fire Department is undergoing training for its new Storm Command Center. The training actually began Wednesday and they’re using the May 22nd, 2011 tornado as an example. The department has also updated the community’s emergency response plan.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Some emergency services struggling to retain employees

Some local police and fire departments are having a difficult time filling positions. We’re talking specifically about those on the front lines – or in this case, the front phone lines. Since the start of the pandemic, agencies have been working to fill these positions for longer periods of time. This isn’t something new for departments in the area – it’s been a problem for years, nationwide. Brandy Grassl, Labette County Emergency Management Coordinator, said, “We’ve been short staffed for almost a year now.” Filling positions for first responders like 911 dispatchers continues to be difficult. Unfortunately covid-19 hasn’t helped the process.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Bird e-scooters now available to ride in Topeka

There’s a new way to get around the Capital City. Bird e-scooters launched its pilot program Thursday with free rides for healthcare workers. One hundred of these scooters are now around Topeka. The company said it’s planning to ramp up with more scooters in the coming weeks. The city of Topeka has cleared them to bring a maximum of 400 scooters into town.
Source: KSNT News

Newton welcomes a new kind of hemp business

At the same time Spallitta and Trivisonno began to look for a new home, executive director Beth Shelton at the Harvey County Economic Development Council was hearing about a new company developing prosthetics out of hemp fiber. The two sides came to an incentive agreement, approved by the city of Newton and the Harvey County Commission, where Human Plant Solutions will move into a building at the city-county airport east of Newton. The company will take up 6,000 of the 6-year-old building’s 20,000 square feet and pay no rent for six months, though it will pay utilities.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Municipal Bond Trends for April 1, 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.

Wichita, Sedgwick County, among areas enforcing an April burn ban

Depending on where you live, you may need to keep from enjoying any backyard chimineas and fire pits for the month of April. A burn ban is imposed in 16 counties, including Sedgwick County, by the State of Kansas through the entire month of April. Restricted activities include burning trees and brush from land clearing, crop residues, construction debris, yard waste, and the use of backyard chimineas and fire pits. The counties in the April burn ban are Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cowley, Elk, Geary, Greenwood, Johnson, Lyon, Marion, Morris, Pottawatomie, Riley, Sedgwick, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte. To comply with the regulations, the Wichita Fire Department (WFD) will enforce an open burning ban during April. Effective April 1, no new burn permits will be issued and all previously issued burn permits will be suspended until at least May 1. Live fire training will also be suspended during this time.
Source: KSN-TV

Amtrak could run through Wichita again under President Biden’s transportation bill

President Joe Biden’s proposed transportation bill includes billions more for Amtrak. It could mean trains could once again run through Wichita. The map Amtrak released Wednesday shows proposed routes if funding is increased. It includes a passenger line running from Wichita, through Oklahoma City and down to Texas. Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple said it could be a boost for the city. “It would not only be an economic boom for us but help us keep airline prices down. It would give more options and opportunities for Wichitans,” said Mayor Whipple. Amtrak has not served Wichita directly since 1979.
Source: KSN-TV

Wichita will continue to require employees and visitors to city facilities to wear masks

The City of Wichita will continue to require employees and visitors to all city facilities, including those who have received a vaccination, to wear masks, practice safe social distancing, and limit attendance at city facilities until further notice. On Thursday, Kansas legislators revoked an order aimed at encouraging counties to keep mask mandates amid the coronavirus pandemic, just hours after Gov. Laura Kelly issued it. Kelly’s order Thursday required people to wear masks indoors at businesses and public spaces and outdoors when they can’t socially distance. State law gives counties the final say, but her order meant that elected county commissions had to vote to set less restrictive rules or opt out. The order was similar to a mask policy Kelly issued in November.
Source: KSN-TV

FAA awards $18M to improve Kansas airports

More than two dozen Kansas airports are getting grants from the Federal Aviation Administration. The U.S. Department of Transportation says $627.7 million of FAA grants are going to airports across the United States. Kansas is getting more than $18 million of it. Today’s grant announcement includes 449 grants to 390 airports. “These grants are an investment in safety and continued innovation,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson in a news release. “Every airport in every community plays a vital role in our air transportation system.” Some Kansas airports are getting a lot of money. Goodland is getting $3.1 million to reconstruct runways.
Source: KSN-TV

GOP lawmakers repeal Kansas mask mandate, lawsuits expected against local orders

Kansas’ statewide mask mandate, already an exemption-filled patchwork, came to an end Thursday, canceled by top Republican lawmakers under a new law that makes it more difficult for health officials to keep COVID-19 precautions in place. A group of leading legislators, known as the Legislative Coordinating Council, voted 5-2 along party lines to overturn Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s mask mandate hours after she reissued it to fulfill the requirements of the new law. One member of the eight-person panel, embattled Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop, was absent for the vote conducted over video conference. “The revocation of a one-size-fits-all statewide mandate does not in any way impact any local orders that are in place,” said Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch, an Ottawa Republican. “The numbers don’t support a statewide mandate at this time.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Opposition mounts to potential Labette County wind farm

Area residents with questions and some with statements of opposition to the proposed development of an industrial wind farm were present at the Labette County Commission’s Wednesday meeting in Oswego. RWE is exploring the development of a wind farm that would have an estimated 50 to 75 turbines that could be 500 feet tall at the tip of the blade, although turbine numbers, exact heights and placement will be determined by the collection of wind and weather information. The proposed footprint runs south of 19000 Road, north of 8000 Road, west of Meade Road and east of Douglas Road, though contracts have been signed for property outside that area. Wayne Bozman of rural Edna said many people know the disadvantages of having a wind farm next to their homes, but he asked commissioners to tell them the advantages.
Source: Parsons Sun

Lenexa is again weighing the future of its outdoor pools

Lenexa is wrapping up the latest phase of a years-long study of its outdoor aquatics services in an attempt to gather more public input after residents opposed previous plans to close at least one city pool. At issue for the city is finding a way to balance residents’ desires and needs for existing pools with fiscal responsibility in paying for them. A study of the city’s pools completed in 2019 concluded, in part, that the city’s three outdoor pools are too expensive to maintain and don’t get enough yearly visitors collectively to warrant all of them remaining open.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ark City students back in buildings full time

Most public school students in Arkansas City, except for those on remote learning plans, we’re back in class Wednesday for the first time since March of last year when the coronavirus pandemic first struck. Wednesday is the date lawmakers set for public schools to begin offering in-person classes five days a week in a bill that is awaiting Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s signature, according to the Associated Press. The Ark City school district had planned to return all students not on remote learning plans to classrooms five days a week starting next week. State legislators pushed that up one week. USD 470 Superintendent Ron Ballard said he expected to get attendance reports for Wednesday on Thursday morning. “It was a smooth transition — we’re pleased,” Ballard said.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler

Local leaders express interest in expanding Douglas County Commission from three members to five

Douglas County leaders are open to increasing the number of seats on the County Commission, and will soon develop a plan to gather public feedback on such a change before potentially taking further action. As part of its meeting Wednesday, the commission discussed increasing the number of seats from three to five, which would require holding a public election. The issue came to the commission following some public concern about whether rural residents are adequately represented in county government, but Commission Chair Shannon Portillo said that to her, the issue spoke to broader questions about representation.
Source: LJWorld.com.

Municipal Bond Trends for March 31, 2021

What’s in a breed? Johnson County city reconsiders its ban on these types of terriers

Overland Park says it’s one of a few Kansas City area communities with a dangerous dog ordinance that specifically bans pit bulls and similar dogs. However, a City Council committee is considering whether a change is in order. After advocates asked the Public Safety Committee to eliminate the breed-specific language, committee members agreed to study the issue through the summer. “We understand there are many members of the community very passionate about this issue,” said committee chair Paul Lyons. “We are interested in your input on whether or not you would support eliminating the breed-specific dog ban.”
Source: Joco 913 News

Olathe’s Future Educators program aims to change the school district for the better

A guaranteed job when you’re fresh out of college can be a strong incentive to graduate, and that’s what the Olathe School District is aiming to provide. The district’s new “Hire Our Own” program targets students in its 21st Century Future Educators Academy at Olathe East, with the hope of making them employees in four years. “This has kind of been a goal, with the national teacher shortages, to try to encourage our students to go into education,” said Cathy Donovan, director of staffing and talent acquisition for the district. The program is only open to students who are enrolled in the educators academy. The academy marks its second year with a graduating class in 2021. About 29 seniors were eligible to apply this year, and Donovan expected eight to 10 of them to apply. Shelley Staples, a facilitator for the academy, was more optimistic, hoping as many as 16 might go for it.
Source: Joco 913 News

North-Central Kansas pharmacy hitting the road with extra COVID-19 vaccine doses

Too many COVID-19 vaccine doses, not enough arms to put them in, that is the situation S&S Drug in Beloit, Kansas found themselves in recently. The north-central Kansas community has been able to successfully vaccinate all residents that wanted a shot, so the local pharmacy is hitting the road to help vaccinate other communities. But how is that possible? “First of all, we are part of the Federal Pharmacy Partner Program it’s the federal program that allocates vaccines directly to pharmacies we are currently not allocated any of our vaccines through the state or the KDHE,” said S&S Drug Pharmacist Chris Mondero.
Source: KSN-TV

Labette County residents weigh in on potential wind farm

Labette County could be the newest site for wind farms — but not everyone is excited about it. Helen Erickson, Labette County Resident, said, “We are 31.7 miles away. We see the flashing lights at night.” Wednesday’s Labette County Commission meeting was where residents gathered to voice their concerns about the potential RWE wind farms. While an agreement has yet to be reached, RWE has already begun talking to local landowners.
Source: KSNF/KODE

Fake palm trees have made an appearance in west Lawrence; whether they can stay is an open question

Jeff Crick, the city’s director of planning and development services, [says] artificial trees haven’t become an approved use in the city. He pointed to the landscape material standards section of the city’s land development code, which reads, in part: “No artificial plants or vegetation may be used to meet any standards of this section …” Matt Gish with AllConstruct LLC, is building the home, … said his reasons for installing the fake palm trees, which are about 20 feet tall or so, are simple: He’s trying to create a Caribbean feel for the home, which will have a pool near the palm trees. “I suppose the city created the ordinance because they want to protect the city’s look, but I don’t think these hinder that,” Gish said.
Source: LJWorld.com.

Argonia looking into skyrocketed gas bills

More Kansans are opening their gas bills and wondering how they will find the money to pay. The city of Argonia says most of its residents are seeing bills in the thousands for just one month. On a warm spring day in Argonia on Tuesday (March 30), people around town still feel the impact of February’s cold snap. They tried to prepare to avoid natural gas bills beyond what they could afford. “We turned our thermostat down to 65 during the day, 60 at night to try to conserve. It didn’t help,” said Argonia resident Ken Bradfield. Bradfield couldn’t believe what he saw when he received his February gas bill last week.
Source: KWCH.

How the Shawnee Mission School District spent $3.8M in federal COVID-19 relief money

The Shawnee Mission School District has allocated nearly $3.8 million so far in federal COVID-19 relief money since the start of the 2020-21 school year. Nearly $1 million of that, or roughly a quarter of the total, has been spent on upgrading schools’ air ventilation systems, seen as a critical need to tamp down potential spread of the airborne pathogen. In August 2020, the Board of Education approved spending nearly $800,000 to purchase and install heavy-duty negative air machines and air scrubbers to better filtrate air in school buildings and have since okayed the use of higher-grade air filters for buildings’ HVAC systems.
Source: Prairie Village Post

As vaccination rate lags, Sedgwick County hopes to convince skeptics to get a shot

As the supply of COVID-19 vaccines has increased, Sedgwick County officials are grappling with a problem they weren’t expecting this early in the year — more vaccine doses than people who want a shot. “We’re trying to take away every barrier that we can think of regarding why someone would not get a vaccine,” Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz said Monday. Those efforts include hiring interpreters and holding mobile vaccine clinics to target neighborhoods with low turnout to the vaccine clinic at the former Central Public Library in downtown Wichita.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Libraries prepare for limited openings

Both the Winfield and Arkansas City public libraries plan to open on a limited basis within the next several weeks. The Winfield library expects to move from Phase 3 of its reopening plan to Phase 4 next month. Starting April 14, adult patrons can make an appointment and are allowed 25 minutes to select books and make use of the computers, copier and the fax machine. Time slots for computer use will also be available for important needs such as job needs and printing. Masks will be required to enter the library and must be worn at all times. Some areas of the facility will be restricted.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

Latino leaders fighting COVID-19 vaccine myths

Even as much of the country thrills at the prospect of getting their COVID-19 shots, sizable pockets need convincing. In the immigrant and refugee communities of southwestern Kansas, cultural barriers and access to the shots could leave those hit hardest by the pandemic in ongoing peril. So town by town, county by county, public health officials find themselves shooting down unfounded fears about the shots that could finally beat back a virus that has killed hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and millions around the world.
Source: Hutch News.

‘Heroic’ crews key to halting fires

Hutchinson Fire Chief Steven Beer called efforts he witnessed on Monday by firefighters working to save homes in rural Reno County “heroic,” noting “I’ve been doing this for 34 years and I saw stuff I haven’t seen in my entire career.” The result he said, was that they brought two major wildfires under control with damage to only one home. The efforts of nearly 160 firefighters from five counties resulted in saving more than an estimated $27 million worth of property. The battle continues, however, with both fires at only 50% contained late Tuesday morning.
Source: Hutch News.

Wichita fire department using latest technology to help fight fires

New technology is helping crews in Reno and Sedgwick county battle the many fires we have seen this week. The Wichita Fire Department is using their drone to help battle these fires, but Thermal Imaging Cameras help the Wichita Fire Department battle fires from the ground. “We use it all the time almost on every fire,” said Lance Gifford, a firefighter with Station One. Gifford said they have been using thermal imaging for more than a decade, but as technology advances so has the equipment. Now, these cameras are handheld making it easier on firefighters. “This is so much better clarity-wise resolution,” said Gifford.
Source: KSN-TV

Community comes together with donations for crews battling Reno County fire

The fire crews battling the Ice and the Beer Fire in Reno County received outpouring support from people in their community. One of the Hutchinson VFW members said they were able to gather two truckloads full of donations to the men and women on the frontlines. “Gatorade, lots of Gatorade — anything that they can eat quickly and drink quickly to keep them nourished so they can do the job,” said Ron Bremer, member of the VFW Auxiliary post-1361. Hutchinson resident, Kim Campbell, says she stood outside of Dillon’s grocery store and collected donations for the firefighters. “I put an empty cart outside, made a sign, and by the time I was done, I had five carts full,” she said.
Source: KSN-TV

Municipal Bond Trends for March 30, 2021

Kansas ‘ahead of schedule’ as frustration continues over COVID-19 vaccine scheduling

The majority of Kansans are still waiting as they hope an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination will become available. As of Monday, every Kansan age 16 and older is eligible to get a vaccine, but the state doesn’t receive enough vaccine to meet the need. It could be worse, according to state leaders. Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said 43-percent of all Kansans are vaccinated. “We’re definitely ahead of schedule, especially when you consider we’ve done teachers and many high-risk populations,” Norman said during a Facebook Live with the University of Kansas Health System Tuesday. This week, Norman said the state of Kansas will receive it’s largest allocation of COVID-19 vaccine to date. The increase will trickle down to metro counties, like the Johnson County Health Department, where they echoed a similar message Monday afternoon.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF

Kansas City ranked among most lucrative metros for recent graduates

Kansas City ranks third in the nation in adjusted pay for recent college graduates, according to a report from Self Financial. According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median earnings for recent college graduates working full time is about $50,000 a year. The median earnings for recent college graduates working in the Kansas City metro is $49,000, but it’s $52,802 when adjusted for relative cost of living. St. Louis is second, with actual median earnings of $48,000 and $53,274 adjusted. The report noted that computer science and engineering jobs earned the most. Data analysts focused on college graduates age 22-27 for the study. Only the 50 largest metropolitan areas were included in the analysis. States that ranked well after the adjusted cost of living include: Kansas, Texas, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Ohio.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF

Cowley County part of mental health pilot project

Cowley County is one of five locations that will share in a $4 million state grant to help people with serious mental illness to avoid incarceration and hospitalization. Four County Mental Health, which serves Cowley County, is among the entities that will be involved in creating pilot programs to help people with serious mental illness, according to a press release from Gov. Laura Kelly’s office. Greg Hennen, executive director Four County, said the organization is excited to be included in the pilot project activity. “This model fits well with the mission and purpose of our newly developed Assertive Community Treatment program, and we believe our ACT team could be a key partner in this needed effort,” he said. The grant is administered through the state, but comes from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. It will make $1 million available annually for four years.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

Lawrence and Douglas County leaders call for more collaboration to address homelessness, other community issues

At a joint meeting Monday, elected city and county leaders said that the coronavirus pandemic made both the problem of homelessness and the need for local governments to work together to address it more clear. The pandemic led to various organizations working to house people quickly or shelter them temporarily in noncongregate settings, such as hotels. City Commissioner Lisa Larsen said that she had noticed, especially this winter, a lot of organizations doing good work to try to address homelessness, but a certain collaborative element seemed lacking.
Source: LJWorld.com.

Residents urged to take precautions as wildfires ramp up in Reno County

Hutchinson and Reno County residents are urged to take precautions this week as the area is under “Catastrophic” and “Very High” ratings on the Grassland Fire Danger Index through the week. The National Weather Service puts out the Grassland Fire Danger Index, which assigns a risk level for wildland fires based on the amount of dead grass, temperature, wind speed and humidity. Rather than predict how a fire will behave, the ratings correspond to the likelihood that fires will get out of control. Sunday and Monday kept area fire departments busy as several fires started in the county.
Source: Hutch News.