Kansas Municipal News
Prairie Village – from farms to suburbs
For generations the area that is now Prairie Village was part of the communally held ancestral hunting territory of the Kanza and Osage tribes. In the 1820s, the federal government removed the Kanza and Osage people to reservations elsewhere in what is now Kansas. The government then removed the Shawnee from their ancestral territory and placed them on a reservation that spanned modern-day Johnson County until 1854. Congress then formed the Kansas Territory and again removed the Shawnee. The influence of Indigenous people and cultures remains today in the names of streets, parks, and geographical features throughout the county. After Congress created the Kansas Territory in 1854, Euro-Americans migrated to the area and purchased land on which to live and farm.
Source: Prairie Village Post
How local educators are tackling the fentanyl crisis
Local educators and organizations are focusing on prevention and awareness when it comes to the fentanyl crisis in Johnson County. Educators and organization leaders convened for a roundtable on Tuesday morning at Shawnee Mission West hosted by U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas’ Third District. Like previous fentanyl roundtable discussions, Tuesday’s summit was closed to the public. In a press conference that immediately followed, Davids said the discussion focused largely on fentanyl education and awareness. Superintendents from USD 232 in De Soto and Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools were present, as well as administrators from Shawnee Mission and Olathe school districts. Davids said she learned that the represented school districts — Shawnee Mission, USD 232, Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools and Olathe — all used naloxone (brand name is Narcan) more than once in the 2022-23 school year.
Source: Prairie Village Post
New book documents Leawood’s 75-year history
A book detailing a quarter-century of Leawood’s history is turning a final page. City officials say “Leawood; The Journey Continues,” will hit the presses this month — coming out in time for the city’s 75th anniversary celebration. The book serves as a second edition of the city’s first history book, “Leawood; A Portrait in Time” — which was penned by local author Ann Morris. Residents can buy the second edition either with a copy of the first history book or by itself.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Public can no longer pull most items from Lawrence City Commission consent agenda
Members of the public can no longer request to pull most items from the Lawrence City Commission’s consent agenda during meetings, commissioners voted Tuesday. A governing body’s consent agenda generally includes a list of items that are considered routine and are approved in one vote. Some bodies, such as the Lawrence City Commission and Douglas County Commission, allow commissioners themselves as well as members of the public to ask that an item be removed from the consent agenda for discussion; the Lawrence school board allows board members and the superintendent to remove items from the consent agenda. The change approved Tuesday was on the consent agenda, but Commissioner Brad Finkeldei asked to discuss it.
Source: The Lawrence Times
County: New ambulance will be hard to get
Buying a new ambulance isn’t going to be a simple process, Allen County commissioners learned this week. That’s because supply chain issues have made for a lengthy wait to receive the units, Terry Call told them. He retired as the county’s EMS and zoning director, but returned part-time to handle zoning issues. Call researched ambulance options after Michael Burnett, Iola’s EMS director, gave a report about equipment needs a couple of weeks ago. Under the terms of a new contract between the city and county, commissioners agreed to provide ambulances and associated equipment. It likely will be more than a year — maybe even well into 2026 — before the county could receive a new ambulance, even if they ordered one now, Call said.
Source: The Iola Register
WaterOne has a new general manager
WaterOne has a new permanent leader. The nonprofit water utility’s board last month voted to confirm Shaun Pietig as WaterOne’s new general manager, overseeing all the operations of its 272-square-mile service territory in Johnson County. Pietig first came to WaterOne in 2007 as a project engineer and has done a number of jobs within the organization, most recently serving as Director of Distribution. Pietig will be the fifth general manager in WaterOne’s history and the first woman ever in that position. She will formally take over her new role on Tuesday, Aug. 8. Previous General Manager Mike Armstrong retired in December after 25 years with WaterOne. An interim general manager has been in place since then.
Source: Prairie Village Post
County seeks solution for excess tires
A company that recycles used tires has been dumping more than 200,000 tires at the Allen County Landfill over the past six months, prompting county leaders to consider changes to the way it handles or charges for tire collection. Shane Lamb with FMS/United Tire told commissioners he needs to dump shredded tires at the landfill until he’s able to build a facility that can convert the material into fine, crumb rubber that is a highly desirable recycled product used by many industries. Lamb operates out of a facility at the former Lehigh Portland Cement plant. Since February, Lamb’s company has dumped 1,980.57 tons of tire material at the landfill. By comparison, the next highest customer, J.D.’s Automotive, dumped 67.31 tons in the same period.
Source: The Iola Register
The Fitch analyst behind the U.S. downgrade breaks down the decision—and how the country can regain the top rating
It’s not a growing jobs market, strong U.S. dollar or a resilient economy that will help the U.S. regain the top rating from Fitch. According to the firm, it’s going to take a major step up in governance. Fitch Ratings cut the United States’ long-term foreign currency issuer default rating to AA+ from AAA on Tuesday, sending global stock markets down on Wednesday. The agency had placed the country’s rating on negative watch in May, citing the debt ceiling issue. “This is a steady deterioration we’ve seen in the key metrics for the United States for a number of years. In 2007, general government debt was less than 60% and now it’s 113%, so there has been a clear deterioration,” Richard Francis, Fitch’s co-head of the Americas sovereign ratings, said Wednesday on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.” “Furthermore, we’re expecting fiscal deficits to rise over the next three years and we expect debt to continue to rise over the next three years.”
Source: CNBC
Governor Kelly Invites Public Input on Broadband Infrastructure Plan
Governor Laura Kelly announced today that the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume 1 is available for public viewing and comment. The BEAD 5-Year Action Plan, along with Volume 1 and Volume 2, will identify served, unserved, and underserved locations across the state and map out a plan to expand access to high-speed internet. The BEAD program, established by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, has allocated more than $451 million to Kansas for the development of broadband networks. “Universal internet access is essential, and BEAD is a catalyst to a more connected and prosperous Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “From remote work to telehealth and other critical services, my administration is committed to ensuring every Kansan has the opportunity to thrive in the digital economy.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
SpaceX shipment passes through Pratt
Most area residents are used to the sights and sounds of big trucks and bumper-to-bumper traffic in Pratt as two major state highways cross right in the middle of town at First and Main Streets. Early Monday morning, however, a few more eyes than usual kept a close check on U.S. Highway 281, also known as Main Street, as a large SpaceX load was scheduled to travel through. “Everyone was all aflutter already on Sunday evening as there were reports of the SpaceX load coming through Great Bend and then St. John,” said Patrice Egging. “We heard it got stuck on the roundabout south of St. John, so Mike and I drove out to see it.”
Source: Pratt Tribune
Municipal Bond Trends for August 2, 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 August 1, 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.
Pottawatomie County Commission hears update on changes to unified development regulations
Pottawatomie County Commissioners discussed changes to the county’s unified development regulations during their Monday meeting. County Planner Stephan Metzger tells commissioners they are proposing small changes that serve primarily as clarifications for existing regulations. One of those changes intends to prevent a loophole in their paved road requirements for lot splitting. Another clarification includes a process to determine if land use is agricultural in nature or not. Metzger says this is another attempt to prevent a loophole where a house could be constructed and simply stated to be part of a larger agriculture operation.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Kansas community votes not to disorganize their school district
A rural Kansas community has voted not to disorganize their school district after a 7-12 grade school closed. Due to a lack of funding earlier this year, the Central Plains School District closed the school which caused some voters to think disorganizing the district would be the best option. Enough petition signatures were gathered to put the disorganization of USD 112 up for a vote during the August 1st primary election. If it had passed the Board of Education may have divided the land among surrounding districts. “We have about 10 school districts that border us,” Superintendent Bill Lowry said. “So, there would be about 10 school districts eligible to be assigned by the board of education.”
Source: KAKE – News
Wichita approves location for shared WSU-KU biomedical campus
The joint campus will include shared spaces for advanced laboratories, clinical research and technology for students in medical and other health programs from Wichita State, Wichita Tech and the University of Kansas. Wichita State University said in a release Tuesday that “about 3,000 students and 200 faculty and staff will be housed at the center, with opportunities for growth in existing and new programs.”
Source: KAKE – News
KDOT secretary looking for path out of Kansas’ transportation industry labor shortage
Kansas Department of Transportation secretary Calvin Reed pointed to workforce shortages as a significant challenge to the state’s multibillion-dollar, 10-year Eisenhower transportation program. Reed, nominated by Gov. Laura Kelly and endorsed by the Republican-led Senate Confirmation Oversight Committee, said an aging workforce in core areas of the industry were fundamental problems that government and private-sector employers had to address. Reed highlighted one of those worrisome gaps, especially prominent in western Kansas, between demand and supply of professional land surveyors. Among the state’s nearly 3 million residents, only 258 are licensed land surveyors. The average age of this cadre of people responsible for defining boundaries of real property was 59.8 years, he said.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Municipal Bond Trends for July 31, 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.
2 huge projects could transform swaths of Johnson County with apartments, event center
Two huge developments would transform swaths of south Overland Park under plans headed to the City Council next week. On Aug. 7, the council will consider the two projects with hundreds of apartments and commercial space. The first is Metcalf Village, on 40 acres of vacant land on the southeast corner of 159th Street and Metcalf Avenue, where the developer is proposing 900 residential units, including apartments and townhomes, restaurants and retail space, plus parks and pickleball courts. The other project, Schlagel Farms, is at the southeast corner of 175th Street and Pflumm Road, where developers hope to build 300 apartments, 150 townhomes, retail, restaurants and an event center on 74 acres of undeveloped land.
Source: Joco 913 News
Wichita municipal court begins new policy on cell phones
Wichita Municipal Court has started a new policy to deal with cell phones in the courtroom. The court will require the use of what are known as Yondr bags. People who attend court proceedings will be required to put their cell phone in the Yondr bag, which is a soft, lockable pouch. People can keep their cell phones but they will not be able to have access to the phone. When they leave the courtroom, a clerk will unlock the bag. Court administrator Nathan Emmorey said there have been issues in the past with victims being texted or harassed through their cell phones by defendants. He said the new policy will provide privacy and security, and it will eliminate the temptation for people to check or use their phones in the courtroom.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Small-town life suits John and Tammy Sturn
John and Tammy Sturn live in Ellinwood but can often be found in The Slammer in Lyons. The Slammer (thericecountyslammer.com), located in the Historic Rice County Jail, offers an escape room, historic tour, cellblock venue, a murder mystery dinner and overnight accommodations. “It’s cool. It has been a retirement business that helps preserve an historic building,” John Sturn said. John noted that when the building was the county jail, the sheriff and his wife lived downstairs. Chris McCord bought the building in 2020 with the idea of turning it into an Airbnb-type venue. The escape room opened after Thanksgiving in 2021. The Sturns have a partnership with McCord to manage the business.
Source: Great Bend Tribune