Kansas Municipal News
Hope, hurdles remain for long-discussed west Wichita highway project
Since around the turn of the century, many have agreed that a northwest bypass would be a boon for west Wichita economic development and the region overall. Advocates point to what the early 1990s expansion of K-96 did for east Wichita, with growth showing no signs of slowing in areas just off the highway on Greenwich Road, among other intersections. Yet, the proposed highway project — which would extend K-254 from around 45th Street North and Maize Road to Kellogg, just east of Goddard — first studied in the late 1990s appears not much closer to coming to fruition than it did years ago. “At one time, there seemed to be strong momentum, and then it just fizzled,” said Dan Unruh, founding partner at InSite Real Estate Group. Despite the Kansas Department of Transportation beginning to purchase land for the project in 2006, only one-third of the right-of-way has been bought so far. That’s about where progress stood two years ago.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Dodge City’s “Paving the future, property tax relief and street sales tax”
The 2023 Street Reconstruction Projects utilizing the new “Paving the Future, Property Tax Relief and Street Sales Tax funds” will begin soon. The Dodge City Commission recently approved a street project at Village Square Mall to mill and inlay Central Avenue from the northern drive to end of concrete pavement up to and including the US 50 and Central Avenue intersection. Another mill and inlay/overlay project will address much needed repairs tpi on Underpass Road from Trail Street. to Wyatt Earp Boulevard.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe
Faces of Emporia mural comes to life downtown
Downtown Emporia is full of smiling faces today, as work continues on the Faces of Emporia Mural at 907 Commercial St. Pasted and sealed with wallpaper glue on the south side of the Nick Jacobs American Family Insurance building, 188 photos of smiling Emporians will make up the latest in a series of five new murals as part of the Visit Emporia Community Arts Alliance. The Faces of Emporia mural follows the Hispanic Heritage Mural on El Marmol restaurant, funded and talent scouted by local volunteer organization Emporia Celebrates the Flint Hills, with help from the Emporia Community Foundation, Kathryn L. & Elvin D. Perkins Fund, Hispanics of Today and Tomorrow and Visit Emporia.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Water consumption trending upward within Garden City
Fred Jones, Garden City Water Resource Manager, gave a mid-year update on water consumption withing the city at the Garden City Commission’s regular meeting Tuesday. Generally, water consumption within the city has increased significantly this past year, Jones said. About 6.5% more water was used in 2022 than the city’s five-year average. “Water consumption continues to trend upwards; we’re averaging about 1% per year, and the range consumption totals differs by approximately 89 million gallons over the past six years,” he said. “It’s going up, but it’s not dramatic.” Jones said irrigation tends to get the brunt of the abuse for that increase, but there are other uses of water that do increase in the summertime that the city is probably getting to a point, in terms of the industrial capacity in Garden City, that they need to look at, which is water required for cooling. This year they are going to do some analysis of that, to see if they can get a better picture of what the cooling footprint is in Garden City, which can include any large businesses, the hospital and Garden City Community College. “We may be looking for some ways we can work with some of those entities just to provide them some more information education to help them conserve some water and hopefully save their businesses some money as well,” he said.
Source: Garden City Telegram
Sedgwick’s council wants to continue the city sales tax
A 10-year, one-half-cent sales tax. That’s what the Sedgwick City Council hopes to convince residents to vote on in November. The council approved a resolution on Wednesday to give voters the opportunity to extend the current half-cent tax for an additional 10 years, tripling its original length. In November 2019, voters passed a five-year city sales tax that took effect in 2020 and will sunset on Dec. 31, 2024, unless it is extended by a successful vote in five months. City Administrator Kyle Nordick told the council that the special sales tax approved in 2019 has generated $509,507 in revenue so far. He estimated that the one-half of one percent (0.5%) retailers’ sales tax would generate approximately $195,000 annually. “It’s going right out the door for street repairs,” Nordick said. “That would be part of the marketing.”
Source: Harvey County Now
Citizens gather at El Dorado’s Graham Park to remember lives lost in 1958 tornado
Saturday morning, the sounds of kids playing in El Dorado’s Graham Park could be heard throughout the neighborhood, but on June 10, 1958 a different sound is what long-time El Dorado resident Betty Henderson recalls. Henderson had only been married to her husband Pete for two weeks when the tornado struck. “God, listen to that train,” Henderson said to him. Pete told her, ‘that isn’t a train’ and that they ‘better head to the basement.’ According to the City of El Dorado, 13 people died that day. Saturday evening a memorial was held in the park to remember the lives lost in the tornado. The siren rang at 5:45 pm and there were a couple of survivors there reliving the moment all over again. Fast forward to today and things are different. The neighborhood where the disaster happened is filled with people who weren’t even born 65 years ago or some were too young to remember. Graham Park will always keep the memory of those gone alive through their memorial.
Source: KAKE – News
WAMPO begins planning process to improve Wichita transportation
The Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WAMPO) began its planning process in hopes of improving transportation throughout the Wichita region. WAMPO provides federal funding on transportation systems and improvements. The goal is to find solutions for safety, ease of travel times and improving connectivity for all modes of travel. According to WAMPO Executive Director Chad Parasa, every five years there is an update to the transportation plan. Parasa said several things are factored into these updates such as population and new business. Some of the current projects WAMPO funded include the Zoo Boulevard Bridge, 37th Street, Hydraulic and Hillside, Maize Road to 119th Street, and Meridian Avenue. Both Zoo Boulevard and Hydraulic and Hillside will begin construction soon. WAMPO is also focusing efforts on bicycling, public transit, walking and running.
Source: KAKE – News
Johnson County is recruiting gardeners to help prevent flooding
Kansas City sits at the intersection of many rivers — the Missouri River separating downtown from the Northland, the Kansas River in Wyandotte and Johnson counties, and Turkey Creek, the Blue River, Mill Creek and Brush Creek forming a spider web across the bistate area. And this is no accident, said Heather Schmidt, the stormwater program manager in Johnson County. “Whenever anybody develops or settles anywhere, they want to be by the stream,” Schmidt said. “It’s their water source, and it’s their source to get things away. And that’s always been problematic, because they also get flooded out.” Johnson County has a complex watershed — some water feeds into Mill Creek and eventually the Kansas River, and in the east it feeds into the Blue River or Brush Creek and into Missouri. Although the state line represents an important governmental boundary in Kansas City, floodwater does not respect state lines. And when flash flooding occurs, it can create a regional crisis that requires collaboration from cities and counties across both Kansas and Missouri.
Source: Prairie Village Post
City of Derby announces land donation for senior services
On June 5, the city of Derby announced an upcoming donation from the Cross of Glory Lutheran Church. The church will donate its building and land at 1315 S. Rock Road to the city later this year, which is planned to be the new home for the Derby Senior Center. The city announced via press release that plans to utilize the facility would focus on the senior services of Derby. The release stated that the donated property will be the future home of the Derby Senior Center. Cross of Glory Lutheran Church will continue its regular services and operations while working to determine its next steps throughout the rest of the year. According to spokesperson Linda Boaldin, the church is still an active congregation, and its primary focus at this time is directed at continuing to meet the needs of its members. Director of Senior Services and Transportation Jenny Foster-Farquhar noted that the donation will provide the green space that the Derby Senior Center has been lacking in its current location at the City Hall complex. “We are really excited about the opportunity to meet our current needs and expand our services. We are grateful for the generosity from the Cross of Glory Lutheran Church,” Foster-Farquhar said. “Not only will it provide opportunities for the future of the senior center, but it will provide opportunities for us to move our senior garden. We will have additional green space and could have some natural fits for intergenerational programs with Park Hill Elementary.”
Source: Derby Informer | News
Affordable High Speed Internet Project Coming to Bourbon County
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Kansas State Director Christy Davis today announced a $49.9 million loan to connect thousands of rural Kansans to reliable, affordable high-speed internet. The project will improve service for 149 businesses, 821 farms and over 4,000 people in Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette and Neosho counties. “High-speed internet is essential in today’s world of online business, learning and communication,” Davis said. “This investment will help ensure rural Kansas remains a place of opportunity to live, work, and raise a family.” This is the fourth funding round of the USDA ReConnect Program. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department has invested in 142 ReConnect projects that will bring high-speed internet access to 314,000 rural Americans.
Source: Fort Scott Biz
City of Leawood and two police officers dropped from lawsuit alleging excessive force
The City of Leawood and two of its police officers have been removed from a lawsuit that alleged police used excessive force against a woman seeking treatment at a local hospital. Muriel Martin, 76, of Kansas City, filed a federal lawsuit on May 19 in the U.S. Court for the District of Kansas. An amended complaint now names Saint Luke’s Health System as the sole defendant. “The lawsuit in its original form included false and damaging statements about the Leawood Police Department and its employees,” said Chief Dale Finger. “We responded immediately to these untrue allegations by bringing forward undisputable evidence proving otherwise.”
Source: KC Star Local News
Overland Park let people keep chickens in their backyards, and it was a clucking success
As the program approaches its ending date December 31, the city animal control department noted there have been no documented complaints on properties with chicken permits since the pilot began in March 2022. City councilmembers now will begin to consider whether to make the chicken rules permanent, as some members of the council’s Community Development Committee proposed at a meeting Wednesday. They also discussed reducing the quarter-acre minimum requirement or even dropping it altogether. Since the pilot program began, chicken ownership has proved popular for those smaller lots, said city planner Colin Victory. The city approved 31 of its 57 permit requests. Of those approved, 22 were for lots from a quarter to a half acre. All of the six denials were because the property didn’t meet the minimum size. Only four of the approved permits were south of Interstate 435.There have been some calls and letters requesting that the lot size requirements be reduced, and the animal control department officials said as small as a 0.2-acre minimum would be acceptable. Anything lower could cause problems with duplexes, officials said.
Source: KCUR News
Four mobile mental health teams will soon be responding to 911 crisis calls in Wichita
Mental health professionals will soon be embedded in the Wichita Police Department to respond to 911 calls, providing face-to-face help for people in crisis, rather than relying on officers who may or may not be trained to do that. At least one of four teams will be on call seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. — when first responders say they receive the most mental health-related calls — and the clinicians can be deployed with officers or called to the scene after contact is made. “It’s an exciting time because we’re really looking at treating the person who’s in crisis where they’re at so we’re able to manage mental health-related calls and get people connected quickly to care at the time of crisis,” said Jennifer Wilson, Sedgwick County Comcare’s director of crisis services. The development of a 24/7 mobile mental health response system was one of 58 recommendations put forward by the task force charged with addressing systemic failures that contributed to 17-year-old Cedric Lofton’s death in 2021. Police responded to a crisis call about Lofton, then took him to a juvenile detention facility where he was fatally restrained. Source: KLC Journal
Municipal Bond Trends for June 12, 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 9, 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.
Hutchinson Airport, council, community weigh in on future plans
After obtaining a long report from a consultant, the Hutchinson Airport is getting ready to grow. On Tuesday evening, the city council, airport stakeholders and the community met to brainstorm on next plans for the airport. Lindsey Dreiling, who most recently served as deputy director of aviation and unmanned aircraft systems for the Kansas Department of Transportation and is currently the aviation director at Kansas State University Polytechnic, led the meeting, using engaging activities and to-the-point commentary as well as question and answer sessions. Through a series of questions and activities, stakeholders, employees, councilmembers and community members realized maintenance, hangars (where planes are housed) and more businesses − namely maintenance and repair − are top priorities.
Source: Hutch News
Pittsburg celebrates annual 620 Day
The City of Pittsburg’s Downtown Advisory Board (DAB) is inviting the community to celebrate 620 Day with an All-Day City-wide Celebration and a Downtown Block Party. The idea of 620 Day (or June 20) comes from Pittsburg’s area code. The purpose of this annual event is to cultivate pride and celebrate the Pittsburg community.
Source: City of Pittsburg
City of Great Bend and Barton County agree to share projects
Members of the Great Bend City Council and the Barton County Commission crowded in the cramped first floor Barton County Courthouse conference room for their third joint session Thursday evening. During what has become an annual event, the elected representatives and other city and county officials shared thoughts and concerns, and brainstormed ideas. They also teased one another while noting the value of this new-found spirit of cooperation between the two entities.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Debate over stone bridges continues
Discussion continues on whether two stone bridges in Cowley County should be preserved or replaced, with a local resident who works near one of the bridges saying there might be more support for replacement. At their May 16 meeting, county commissioners approved applications for two grants through the State of Kansas that, if awarded, would be used to replace the Esch Spur/Pudden Bridge on 232nd Road over Grouse Creek, which was closed in 2016 due to structural failure, and the bridge over Rock Creek, one half-mile north and 1.6 miles east of Rock. If awarded, the grants would be used to replace two closed stone arch bridges with modern structures. Supporters of the bridges have said they should be allowed to stand, possibly with modern bridges built alongside, in the name of historical preservation. However, a resident who works on land adjacent to one of the bridges said he supports replacement because the bridge is in disrepair and adds miles to his daily drive. Jon Johnson, who farms and ranches on either side of the Esch Spur/Pudden Bridge, told the CourierTraveler in an email that there might be more desire to replace the bridges instead of preserve them, especially from people who live and work in the surrounding communities.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
More voters send in ballots than go to polls in Winfield to approve USD 465 construction bond projects
A vote to use property taxes to bankroll a $15 million bond project for Winfield schools passed with 59.5% of the vote. The bond will provide revenue for upgrades to safety and security, air quality and HVAC systems, along with deferred maintenance. USD 465 Board of Education president Ed Trimmer said he was “pleased we have the number of votes to pass the bond. It will help us keep our buildings in shape.” County clerk Karen Madison said she’d prepared for 3,000 voters on Election Day and got 392. In fact, 590 people took part in early voting. The bond issue was a special election, with no other items on the ballot. “People want to vote early now. It’s easier to fill out a ballot and send it back than it is to go to the polls,” Madison said.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler