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Municipal News & Jobs

Municipal News & Jobs2026-08-07T10:07:18-05:00

Kansas Municipal News

Wichita introduces new facade improvement program aimed at small businesses in low-income areas

City Hall would like to make its facade improvement program more accessible to Wichita’s small-business owners located in lower-income neighborhoods. Sally Stang, director of the city’s housing and community services department, shared details during a Thursday media briefing about a new program that provides a deferred, 0% interest loan to owners or tenants with matching funds to help renovate building facades. “We’re very excited to roll this out, we think this is a great opportunity for small businesses and our low-income neighborhoods,” Stang said.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Municipal bonds collateral damage of improving economy, climbing rates

Municipal bond yields continued their ascent, following U.S. Treasuries higher, as markets adjust to rising rates and an improving economy that created an environment in which stocks sold off not because of economic uncertainty but stabilization. The atypical relationship — falling stocks and rising USTs — is likely temporary as global markets essentially recalibrate, moving away from COVID-impacted investments, such as technology companies, and back into traditional investments that were put on the wayside during the pandemic. Municipal triple-A benchmarks rose another three to six basis points, with the largest cuts longer out the curve. Munis are correcting after sitting idle for well over a month as its taxable counterparty moved into higher-yield territory since the beginning of the year. A lot of the pressure on munis is tied to U.S. Treasury and global bond markets selling off due to the perception of a stabilizing global economy with sunnier views of vaccine effectiveness and stimulus.
Source: The Bond Buyer

Pawnee County lowered to Level Green on COVID risk assessment

Pawnee County continues to see a drop in COVID-19 cases as the county health department lowered the COVID risk assessment matrix to Level Green, which indicates no to minimal risk of spreading the virus. Pawnee County has dealt with fewer cases than in months past as conditions continue to improve. The county’s weekly COVID report shows 1,132 cases as of Feb. 23, which is an increase of two cases from a week ago. Total community cases (excluding Larned State Hospital, individuals in long-term care and Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility) were 594, which is up by only three cases from last week.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

The gradual return of events to Wichita

Century II is hosting four public events over the next four weeks — a first for the venue in nearly a year. But it’s no easy task to put on an event during a pandemic. … “We work with the Sedgwick County Health Department on a case by case basis working with the needs of each event to make sure that staff, attendees, and the people putting in the events are as safe as possible,” explained Megan Lovely, the city’s communication and special events manager.
Source: KSN-TV

Hutchinson Fire Department: Fighting future fires with fire

If you noticed smoke or flames in Reno County on Thursday, do not be alarmed. Fire Crews are doing what they can to keep wildfires from igniting. Thursday was the last day the Hutchinson Fire Department is fighting future fires with fire. “If this field was on fire it would allow the crew to come and start working without a lot of other resources,” said Doug Hanen, the Division Chief of Operations for the Hutchinson Fire Department. As the temperatures in Kansas begin to warm up, so does the risk of wildfires.
Source: KSN-TV

Iola wants rules on incentives

Iola City Council members are keen on developing a policy to codify what incentives can be offered for new business development. Councilman Carl Slaugh has taken the reins to the endeavor, asking his fellow Council members for their thoughts on what should be considered when drafting the policy, which would require approval of the full Council’s approval…. The subsequent discussion covered several areas, from setting criteria to determine how much, if any, can be offered. Members pointed to such criteria as the number of employees or revenue generated from sales taxes or utility usage. Mayor Jon Wells said incentives, and criteria, also should differentiate on whether developers are industrial, commercial or residential.
Source: The Iola Register

Johnson County city reports thieves are stealing this essential vehicle part

Lenexa police say they have seen a substantial increase in catalytic converter thefts over the last couple of months, mainly at businesses where fleets of vehicles are parked overnight. “While most any type of vehicle is at risk, lately we are seeing thieves targeting work vans, trucks and larger utility-style work vehicles,” the city said in a news release. “Stealing a catalytic converter only takes a few seconds, but can be expensive to replace and costs businesses valuable time while their fleet vehicles are out of service.”
Source: Joco 913 News

City governments in Kansas didn’t launch the tech revolution. But they’re embracing it.

With residents demanding 24/7 access to information online, cities across the state are improving their communications infrastructure, an imperative made more pressing by the covid-19 pandemic. Their efforts create more than just increasingly sophisticated websites. The roles and duties of city officials are evolving in conjunction with their communication strategies, creating both strains and opportunities for strengthening the social fabric.
Source: KLC Journal.

Reno County takes input on commercial wind regs

Speakers offered widely contrasting views of what messages it would send – and what the economic impacts would be – depending on which commercial wind development regulations the Reno County Commission adopts. A half-dozen speakers appeared in favor of regulations forwarded by the Reno County Planning Commission, while four others called for more stringent restrictions or an outright ban on wind development in the southeast corner of the county. Each side received 30 minutes to speak. The County Commission then put off for two weeks further discussion on the topic to consider what they had heard and formulate their own opinions.
Source: Hutch News.

Audit: Bogus unemployment claims may have cost Kansas $600M

Kansas may have paid $600 million worth of bogus claims for unemployment benefits last year, a legislative audit said Wednesday, more than double an estimate from the state Department of Labor. The report from the Republican-controlled Legislature’s nonpartisan auditing division suggested that nearly 1 in 4 unemployment claims paid last year could have been fraudulent amid a surge in filings during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the Department of Labor’s own data. The department on Tuesday estimated last year’s fraudulent claims as worth $290 million.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Cheney superintendent worried as gas bill skyrockets

A week after temperatures plummeted below zero, causing demand for electricity and natural gas to skyrocket, some are getting a glimpse at what it is going to cost. Cheney Superintendent David Grover says the district’s bill is usually $7,000 but now is $57,000 and it doesn’t include the coldest days. The district gets its gas from the city. “School budgets as most people understand are set July 1, read July 1 through June 30th, and there certainly was never a $300,000 cushion built into energy,” said Grover. He has reached out to local, state, and federal lawmakers for help.
Source: KSN-TV

Kansas lawmakers seek relief from increases in natural gas prices following arctic blast

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, Rep. Ron Estes, Rep. Tracey Mann, Rep. Jake LaTurner, and Rep. Sharice Davids sent letters on Tuesday to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Richard Glick amid extreme increases in natural gas prices. They are asking Glick to consider expeditiously Governor Laura Kelly’s emergency request to protect Kansans from the potentially severe economic consequences following the arctic blast last week. They are also asking to look into the price spike and see what can be done to make sure it doesn’t happen again. “I really think we need some type of investigation before we rely upon the federal government to try to solve this problem. We need to go back to those gas companies and figure out exactly why this price went so high,” said Sen. Marshall.
Source: KSN-TV

Housing official talks about growing demand for rental assistance in Wichita

Since the City of Wichita opened applications for the Wichita Emergency Rental Assistance Program Monday morning, more than 800 people have sent in their solicitation. City officials say they expect the number to gradually grow. The program is intended to help Wichitans pay for their overdue rent and utility bills. “Many families have been impacted by COVID-19 and are hurting, I mean we see the number of families that are struggling to get their unemployment benefits that really didn’t surprise me,” said Sally Stang, Director of Housing and Community Services for the City of Wichita. “And we’re going to continue to outreach to make sure that we are reaching everybody who might be eligible to apply.”
Source: KSN-TV

Save Century II loses in bid at state Legislature to protect Wichita buildings

After a lengthy hearing in Topeka, the state Legislature won’t be taking action to save Century II and the former Wichita downtown library. The Save Century II group argued their case for state intervention before the House Local Government Committee. Save Century II members Celeste Racette, John Todd, Karl Peterjohn and Walt Chappell were asking lawmakers to require a binding public election before any decisions are made to tear down the historic buildings to replace them with a sweeping redevelopment of the Arkansas River front where they stand.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

McPherson receives update from BPU regarding gas prices

Tim Meier with BPU provided commissioners with an update on gas prices, production and the cold snap during Monday’s city commission meeting. Meier advised that, beginning on Feb. 9, BPU became curtailed on their production and had to begin receiving oil. They maintain approximately one million gallons of oil in stock at their facilities, but with gas prices going through the roof, they knew they needed a lot of fuel generation. “Typically, natural gas is substantially cheaper than oil, but oil was actually the cheaper option,” Meier said.
Source: McPherson Weekly News » Feed

Muni yields climb 30-plus basis points in weeklong sell-off

Triple-A municipal benchmarks saw another seven basis point cut in yields on bonds outside of 10 years on Wednesday, pushing municipal to U.S. Treasury ratios higher amid sloppy trading and cheaper pricing levels on high-grade competitive deals. Municipal bonds could not ignore another rise in U.S. Treasury rates, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell’s congressional testimony and a resulting equity rebound, along with approval of emergency use of a new COVID vaccine and the likelihood of more federal stimulus. “The municipal yield curve continues to steepen, and refuge from significant price losses only exists at the very short end of the market at this time,” said Michael Pietronico, chief executive officer at Miller Tabak Asset Management.
Source: The Bond Buyer

Sedgwick county leaders to discuss changes to current health order on Friday

The current COVID-19 positive rate is down to 4-point-7 percent. That’s the lowest it’s been since the last week of September. County leaders are set to meet on Friday to discuss the current health order which expires on March 20. County commissioner Pete Meitzner said he is pleased with the community’s role in lowering the positivity rate. The county manager says fewer restrictions could be on the way but ultimately it’s up to the health officer. “Now the order that we currently have is in effect until sometime in March, we will talk with Dr. Minns on Friday about a number of things — but one of them is going to be what his feelings are on regulation right now and I would bet he will definitely want to discuss that,” said Tom Stolz, Sedgwick County manager.
Source: KSN-TV

Hays energy company protects customers from skyrocketing bills

The recent arctic blast led to skyrocketing energy demands across the midwest and now many customers are fearing skyrocketing bills.  Midwest Energy, Inc. is a company that provides gas and electric services to a large portion of western Kansas. Following the recent weeks’ weather and events, the company had hundreds of concerned customers reach out to ask if they too could expect higher bills in the coming months and if they needed to prepare for a financial hit. In response to the calls, company CEO Patrick Parke said, “We will stand with our customers.”
Source: KSN-TV

Shawnee uses eminent domain to expand sidewalk and build trail along 75th Street

Shawnee is claiming eminent domain to acquire private property for construction improvements along the 75th Street corridor. Located along a section of 75th between Quivira and Switzer Roads, the project involves the widening of a sidewalk on the north side of 75th as well as building a new 8-foot multipurpose trail along the south side. Paul Lindstrom, senior project engineer with the city, said nearly all of the permanent and temporary easements are required to make room for the sidewalk expansion and new trail.
Source: Prairie Village Post

New casino in Park City opens for business next week

The new Crosswinds Casino in Park City will open at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, according to a news release from Wyandotte Nation. The casino will be 20,000 square feet and is located at 777 N Jackpot Way. The casino will have 500 slot machines and 200 VGT machines with Red Spins. The casino will also have a bar and cafe. … “Park City has worked hard and has been successful over the years with their redevelopment plans and have welcomed us as partners,” Wyandotte Nation Chief Billy Friend said. “The great thing about this project is it will not only create jobs for the area, but will bring in increased revenues through tourism, and create new opportunities for additional development.”
Source: KSN-TV

Municipal yields rose for the sixth day in a row

Municipal yields rose for the sixth day in a row Tuesday, pushing the 10-year above 1%, a level not seen since May 2020. High-grade deals priced and secondary trading showed bonds exchanging hands at yields higher than triple-A benchmarks in some cases, but a healthy two-way flow was evident, even if there are signals that yields have not yet found a ceiling. U.S. Treasuries held steady for most of Tuesday as Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell testified before Congress that the bond buying would continue and the economic recovery was far from complete.
Source: The Bond Buyer

Grant Opportunity for Businesses in Historic Downtown Merriam

The City of Merriam is reimbursing up to $5,000 to eligible property owners in the downtown area to make exterior improvements to their businesses. The Historic Downtown Exterior Improvement Grant is for business and property owners to make outdoor enhancements for items, including new: Painting, Siding, Awnings, Building additions, Landscaping, Door/Window replacements, Foundation repair and Floodproofing (must meet FEMA standards).
Source: Merriam, KS news

Rolling blackouts in Kansas helped regional power grid avoid ‘cascading failures’

Managers of the Southwest Power Pool delivered a series of emergency warnings from their office in Little Rock, commanding utilities across a 14-state region to begin shutting off power for rotating blocks of customers. For Evergy, serving eastern Kansas and western Missouri, that had meant imposing a temporary blackout for 170,000 customers in the Kansas City region, and 60,000 customers elsewhere. “What happens is that if they don’t take any corrective action, then an unplanned event happens, and it could lead to cascading failures — and that would be a disaster because it takes days to recover from,” said Anil Pahwa, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Kansas State University, where he has taught and conducted research since 1983.
Source: Kansas Reflector

After vaccine distribution in Kansas favored rural areas, some big counties get boost

After a distribution formula tended to give rural counties in Kansas more COVID-19 vaccines per capita than more heavily-populated areas, a new plan underway this week offered substantially more doses to some larger counties. New data from the Kansas Department of Health & Environment showed Johnson County was due to receive 14,040 vaccine doses this week, more than twice what was allocated to the state’s largest county two weeks ago. Sedgwick County was due to receive 15,530. Wyandotte County, however, received only 2,340. That’s fewer than it received two weeks ago.
Source: KC Star Local News

Wichita considers plan to encourage urban farming and reduce food insecurity

If there are three things Kansans like to do, it’s raise food, eat and make money. And the Wichita City Council was given an outline on Tuesday of a plan to make it easier for residents of the city to do all of the above. The need is profound, said council member Becky Tuttle, who presented the plan to the council Tuesday and has been working on it since before she got in office two years ago.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Gas spikes slam Humboldt

City leaders officially declared an “extraordinary financial emergency” for Humboldt Monday night in response to recent spikes in natural gas prices. Residents and businesses can expect an 80% increase in their per unit usage charges in statements issued later this week, Cole Herder, city administrator, told council members… Humboldt is on the hook for an immediate $49,022 payment to KMGA to go toward a $1 million advance payment that one of the consortium’s suppliers demanded during the crisis. KMGA uses about 20 suppliers. Herder said one of those suppliers told KMGA that in order to reserve $30 million worth of gas for the weekend, it must pay $1 million in advance.
Source: The Iola Register

Johnson County Park board rejects plan to mine underneath Big Bull Creek Park

A proposal to mine limestone from beneath Big Bull Creek Park, Johnson County’s biggest public park, has been turned down by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District’s governing board. The eight-member park commission concluded the leasing proposal by Topeka-based Mid-States Materials would likely have a negative impact on Big Bull Creek Park in Edgerton, and it unanimously rejected the plan at its meeting Wednesday, Feb. 17. But the commission went further and approved a policy prohibiting surface or subsurface mining on any county park land.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Michelle Hubbard named next superintendent for the Shawnee Mission School District

Michelle Hubbard will be the next superintendent of the Shawnee Mission School District. The Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Hubbard Monday night. Hubbard is currently the district’s Deputy Superintendent and will take over for outgoing Superintendent Mike Fulton, who is retiring, in July. The board unanimously approved a three-year contract for Hubbard that will last through June 2024. No other terms of the contract were immediately released.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Pittsburg’s February Storm Response

The City of Pittsburg employees are part of a large network of local public employees who work diligently to provide many services.  At the City, the majority of our resources are focused on public safety, including police, fire, water, wastewater, stormwater and streets. Last week was an unprecedented time for so many of us.  Harsh temperatures, snow and ice, coupled with a loss of power, caused a strain on our families, businesses and our community. The stories of hardship across the country served as a reminder to me how fortunate we are to have such dedicated public servants working on our behalf. Our crews did what they always do – they worked hard to make sure essential services continued.  They kept the water flowing to our homes, they battled the snow, ice and below zero temperatures to keep the roads passable, the police and fire department responded to calls for emergency service, and our customer service team kept taking calls, a lot of times from their homes when they couldn’t get to the office.
Source: City of Pittsburg

Neighborhoods come together to rescue chicken on the lam

It all started Feb. 12 when a Riverside friend who sometimes helps with my pet chickens alerted me to a Facebook post. Lisa Aguilera, a hospice worker whose 96-year-old client, Betty Jane Qualls, lives in the Country Overlook neighborhood near College Hill, wrote a post about a chicken on the loose. The little black chicken with iridescent green feathers had been roaming a stretch of Belmont near Betty’s house for weeks. Betty, who asked Lisa about the chicken daily, was quite concerned with frigid temperatures and snow on the way.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

State and federal government weighing options as residents brace for higher energy bills

State and federal lawmakers are weighing their options to help residents who may see their electric bills increase sharply after energy shortages slammed the region last week during a historic cold front. A dramatic uptick in demand for energy throughout the Midwest and South saw utility companies institute rolling blackouts, with thousands of Kansans affected. The problem was most acute in Texas, where millions were without power and services were disrupted due to the severe cold.
Source: Topeka Capital-Journal

Johnson County needs more affordable housing. Is converting these hotels an answer?

Developers in Johnson County have long said the costs of land and construction are too high for them to make much of a profit off more affordable apartments — a housing market the area sorely needs. But now a Utah-based firm has a solution, using existing buildings that are very similar to apartment buildings. The developer plans to convert two Overland Park hotels into apartments — with rental prices more attainable for middle-income workers who can’t afford most Johnson County housing. It’s not a new idea, but it is one that has grown in popularity across the country in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic as more hotels closed amid a damaged tourism industry.
Source: Joco 913 News

Lenexa works to create more walkable, bikeable connections within residential areas

After more than an hour of discussion, the Lenexa City Council last week unanimously approved city code changes that call for wider sidewalks as well as trail connections between homes every 800 feet. The changes are a prompt from city staff to improve connectivity, ease of access and safety issues for bicyclists and pedestrians, as recommended by the city’s Complete Streets plan. The plan, which the city accepted in December 2019, is intended to guide development of pedestrian and cycling transportation channels through the city.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Municipal bond yields increase as correction continues

Municipal bonds sold off by as much as 10 basis points outside of five years but triple-A benchmarks were cut across the curve as customer selling pressure increased again and investors are demanding more yield as economic data shows an improving economy and federal stimulus more likely. Trading to higher yields was swift out of the gates. Large blocks of high grades, such as Maryland, Georgia and Washington, traded as much as 20 basis points higher than prints from last week and double-digit higher than benchmark yields Monday.
Source: The Bond Buyer

Coronavirus positivity rate in Sedgwick County still dropping

Good news. The positivity rate for COVID-19 is still declining. The rate is now down to below five-percent. Those numbers had been in the high teens. “Our trajectory is good,” said the top doctor in the state, Dr. Lee Norman. “Cautiously optimistic we are really on the right path forward.” In Sedgwick County on Monday the county manager said they will consider loosening restriction. County health leaders will take a look at that possibility. “But based on these numbers and based on how fast we’re beginning to roll the vaccine,” said Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz, “I think he (Dr. Garold Minns) will visit about that and will probably visit the commission some time within the next week or so.” Commissioners have the ability to drop restrictions or make changes.
Source: KSN-TV

Kansas legislators consider raising minimum age for tobacco to 21

A Kansas Bill heard Monday seeks to bring the state in line with federal regulations regarding minimum age for cigarettes and tobacco use. In late 2019, the federal “Tobacco 21” bill was signed into law, raising the federal minimum age for the sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years. The Kansas measure would bring the state even with nationwide regulation for the minimum age to purchase or possess cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and tobacco products. Rep. John Eplee, an Atchison Republican and physician, sponsored the bill to curb the “catastrophic downstream health effects” teenage tobacco and cigarette use can have throughout one’s lifetime.
Source: Kansas Reflector

Kansas COVID case report is best since September; KU doctor says keep wearing masks

Monday’s coronavirus pandemic update for Kansas was the best in more than five months for new cases of COVID-19. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 883 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. That is the first report below 1,000 since Sept. 16 and the fewest since Sept. 9. Kansas has now had pandemic totals of 291,715 confirmed and probable cases, 9,103 hospitalizations, 2,466 ICU admissions and 4,643 deaths. The weekend increase was 883 new cases, 32 new hospitalizations, nine new ICU admissions and 29 new deaths.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Wichita schools will send seniors and freshmen to in-person classes four days a week

Starting next week, Wichita Public Schools will begin transitioning some secondary students to in-person classes four days a week. District officials announced Monday evening that on March 1, seniors and 6th-graders will start attending class on-site every day except for Wednesdays, which will remain remote. Freshmen will join starting March 8. The learning model change applies only to students whose parents opted for on-site learning. Parents who chose the remote learning model will continue to keep their children at home. School officials have previously said about 40% of students were enrolled in online-only education.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Governor Laura Kelly Announces new KANSASWORKS.com Site to Connect Job Seekers with Kansas Employers

Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced the launch of the newly redesigned KANSASWORKS.com website to provide a more user-friendly experience for job seekers and employers. Dubbed KANSASWORKS: NextGen, the new site features an updated user interface, making it easier for employers and job seekers to find the services they need. These changes came from careful consideration of user feedback and efforts to align the needs of Kansans looking for careers with hiring businesses. “The new KANSASWORKS.com is a much improved, easier-to-use service to help Kansans seeking a job connect with employers across the state,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “With the help of our partners, we have created a modern, effective tool to address the needs of our state’s workforce and our business community to spur our economic recovery statewide.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

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