Kansas Municipal News
Saline County puts federal dollars toward local child care needs
Saline County invested in a local organization that is combating local child care issues, beginning with low wages and limited availability, as part of a big-picture effort to develop the workforce and find long-term solutions. This week, the county awarded the Salina Area United Way $400,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to be used in their ongoing efforts to address a persistent local need for child care around Salina. Dedicating some of the ARPA funds toward childcare initiatives has been on the county’s radar since the ARPA funding first came available.
Source: Salina Journal
USD 501 Topeka teachers to see raises
Teachers in Topeka USD 501 have a new contract — one that will pay them at least $2,000 more over the course of the 2023-24 school year. The district and representatives from Topeka’s chapter of the National Education Association teachers union on Wednesday finalized negotiations on the master contract, which sets the terms of employment and pay scales for more than 1,000 teachers in USD 501. USD 501 teachers are set to make at least $2,000 more than their previous years’ salaries, in addition to any already scheduled increases for additional years of experience and education.
Source: CJonline
“Rural by Choice Champion: Empowering Her Community through Big Initiatives and Transformative Parks and Trails”
Brittney Holum, one of the twelve grant recipients of the Rural by Choice Champions Program, has been hard at work on the Independence Rural Connection project. This initiative focuses on building trails, wellness, pedestrian and cyclist safety, beautification, and arts and culture through connecting partners and resources to build a stronger rural community. Accepting her charge to be the connector across partners and resources, early on in the initiative Brittney focused on traveling to other rural areas throughout the State to connect to other successful organizations and network with key players across the State. One example of this is she actively participated in three of the Kansas Sampler Foundation Trail Do-Alogues.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Wichita names site for new WSU-KU Wichita Biomedical Center: ‘This is going to be big’
On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council will consider a last-minute agenda item that’s a memorandum of understanding between the city, the University of Kansas Medical Center and Wichita State University for the new Wichita Biomedical Center in downtown. “This is going to be big,” said Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson. “This project is going to transform not only downtown but our entire region as it relates to healthcare (and) medical.” The city has two sites — the southeast corner of Broadway and William where a parking lot is and the southeast corner of Topeka and William where the Wichita Transit center is currently — that it is offering to sell or lease to the institutions.
Source: Carrie Rengers: Business Columns & Blogs |
SpaceX ‘superloads’ traveling through Kansas again
The Kansas Department of Transportation says SpaceX “superloads” are making their way through Kansas again Thursday through next Tuesday. KDOT tweeted a map of the planned route, with the loads starting in the northeast and making their way southwest. “Be aware as you travel, as this could affect your travel time,” the tweet said. The last time the loads came through the Sunflower State in late May, they were traveling at only 45 mph, and the giant structures took up the entire roadway. Traffic backups were several miles long at times.
Source: KAKE – News
Wichita water usage is higher than last year in midst of ongoing drought
The City of Wichita is warning people to watch how much water they’re using after reports show a 6% increase in water usage commercially and 12% increase residential compared to June 2022. The city has also been in stage one of a drought since January and it says with the amount of water being used stage two is closer than before. “A couple of months ago we would say that stage two would maybe be February of 2024 but now those projections are creeping up,” said Megan Lovely a spokesperson for the city.
Source: KAKE – News
Upset over a school closing, residents of one Kansas town want to cut ties with their district
Kansas residents upset over the closing of their rural high school want to disband their school district and start over, and the move could set a precedent for other towns dealing with enrollment declines. Voters in the Central Plains district near Great Bend will decide Tuesday whether to dissolve the district. If the measure passes, the Kansas Board of Education would redraw boundaries and assign the district’s territory into neighboring districts. The proposal surfaced after the Central Plains school board voted to close Wilson High School earlier this year, citing declining enrollment and rising costs.
Source: KCUR News
Parsons PD receives lifesaving K-9 gift
It is being called a heartfelt donation in Parsons. The police department has received two specialized K-9 trauma kits from the national nonprofit Protecting K-9 Heroes. Each kit — one for each of the department’s two K-9 officers and their handlers – is valued at more than $100 – and includes first-aid gear for the dogs. Things like a heat blanket, bandages, eye solution, and Narcan. “It’s extremely important just to have it so we can at least save the dog’s life if we have to. We pray that we never have to use them, but at least now we have that, that backup reserve just to take care of them,” said Cpl. Christian Smith, Parsons Police Department.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Pittsburg reexamining nuisance ordinance & “camping” in city limits
In an effort to “spruce up” the city this year, Pittsburg city leaders are taking a deeper look at a nuisance ordinance that’s been in place for nearly forty years. Since 1988, the city hasn’t allowed camping inside city limits. Last month, the Pittsburg Police Department asked the prosecutor what was considered camping under the ordinance. After looking at the ordinance, the prosecutor determined there was no real definition. So Tuesday night, Pittsburg city commissioners worked to better define that and see if that only includes campers and RVs or should it also include tents, tarps, and blankets.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Cleanup nears end as Iola talks storm recovery
By the end of the week, Iola’s crews may be close to doing their first full sweep through town to haul off piles of brush, limbs and downed trees toppled in the July 14 storm that roared through Iola and Allen County. Workers in Iola’s street and alley department, as well as helpers from other departments, continue to clear up brush piles across town. By Thursday, they had reached the final quadrant of town, the northeast section, Iola Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock said. “We’d like to be done Friday, but it may roll over into next week,” Schinstock said. “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Source: The Iola Register
Allen County takes swing at containing refuse
The Allen County Landfill will get another tool to try to control wayward trash. Commissioners approved the purchase of a new hydroseeder, a machine that sprays water and chemicals on the refuse pile to keep it from blowing into neighboring properties. The machine also helps landfill crews minimize the amount of dirt they have to use to cover the pile. “It’s very important we wet trash down during the day to keep it from blowing, and every day we spray a fire retardant chemical,” Mitch Garner, Public Works director, told commissioners.
Source: The Iola Register
Property taxes rising in Kansas as home values grow. What will lawmakers do about it?
A soaring real estate market leading to rising property tax bills has angered many Kansas homeowners in recent years. Lawmakers are now under pressure to take dramatic action amid a sense among some residents that the property tax system is fundamentally broken and after previous solutions have fallen victim to larger fights over tax policy between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature. As local governments publish annual budgets this summer, offering residents a window into how much officials plan to tax their property, calls are growing for tax relief, especially for seniors and others on limited incomes.
Source: KC Star Local News
AG sues Johnson County city over ‘illegal annexation’ for industrial park
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is suing the city of Edgerton, arguing it illegally annexed land for an expansion of its booming industrial park. It’s the latest in a years-long saga in southwestern Johnson County, where neighbors continue to fight industrial growth as they watch farmland get eaten up by warehouses. In 2020, the Edgerton City Council annexed and rezoned nearly 700 acres of unincorporated rural land to make way for an expansion south of Interstate 35 at the sprawling Logistics Park Kansas City intermodal facility. A group of homeowners unsuccessfully sued the city in 2021, arguing the annexations were illegal, and are now appealing.
Source: KC Star Local News
New taskforce, fentanyl enforcement efforts announced
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations announced a new collaborative initiative to combat fentanyl in Kansas called the Joint Fentanyl Impact Team. The objective of JFIT is to identify and disrupt fentanyl trafficking and distribution networks, and remove this deadly drug from Kansas streets. The team is comprised of KBI special agents, KHP troopers and HSI agents experienced in complex narcotics investigations. Team members are embedded alongside federal, state and local law enforcement officers operating all across Kansas. This task force will allow for increased coordination of intelligence, personnel, and resources. One component of JFIT’s strategy is the introduction of the KBI’s new K-9 unit.
Source: The Ottawa Herald
Wichita expects to have extra money the next two years
Wichita city government expects to collect a $26.7 million surplus this year and next, more than enough to offset property tax revenue increases for 2023 and 2024. The city expects a $12.6 million budget surplus for 2023 and a $14.1 million surplus in 2024. At the same time, it’s budgeting for $12.6 million more in property tax revenue for next year. The city could have used this year’s surplus to lower the mill levy and offset next year’s property tax revenue increase. Instead, the City Council approved keeping the mill levy the same, which means property owners whose properties increased in value will pay more in taxes.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Fed approves hike that takes interest rates to highest level in more than 22 years
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved a much-anticipated interest rate hike that takes benchmark borrowing costs to their highest level in more than 22 years. In a move that financial markets had completely priced in, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee raised its funds rate by a quarter percentage point to a target range of 5.25%-5.5%. The midpoint of that target range would be the highest level for the benchmark rate since early 2001. Markets were watching for signs that the hike could be the last before Fed officials take a break to watch how the previous hikes are impacting economic conditions. While policymakers indicated at the June meeting that two rate hikes are coming this year, markets are pricing in a better-than-even chance that there won’t be any more moves this year. The post-meeting statement offered only a vague reference to what will guide the FOMC’s future moves.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Aspiring teachers in Kansas have a new paid path to career through pilot program
Kansas’ State Department of Education kicked off a pilot program Tuesday morning meant to provide aspiring teachers with an alternative path to their career. The Kansas Registered Teacher Apprenticeship program allows students to get four years of full-time paid employment as educators while pursuing their degree in education. “If you can learn on the job, you have an opportunity to see the entire breadth of the education world, and you also have an opportunity to figure out if you really love this profession, because if you don’t, then there are other places you can get a job,” said Kara Belew, a U.S. history and government teacher at Andover Central High School and Kansas Teacher of the Year finalist. “This is for people who already know they love education, and they just need an extra help and an extra hand to get going.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Mission weighs new limits on tobacco sales near schools, churches
Mission’s longtime effort to tackle rules on selling tobacco is making headway. The Mission Planning Commission on Monday voted 7-0 to recommend city council approval of an ordinance that requires new tobacco or e-cigarette retailers to comply with distance restrictions in what the city is calling “buffer zones.” … This comes after years of attempts in Mission to limit minors’ access to tobacco and e-cigarettes. Under the ordinance, new tobacco or e-cigarette business licenses would not be permitted within 1,000 feet of a school, a church, a park or another tobacco or e-cigarette retailer.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Leawood nixes plan to slash height of tall building projects
At its Tuesday meeting, the Leawood Planning Commission unanimously voted to deny changes to the city’s development ordinance that would have significantly lowered the maximum height for offices and mixed-use projects. The change would have lowered the maximum height for buildings zoned for planned office or mixed use from 90 feet to 55 feet. This would generally have left room for a four-story building, instead of Leawood’s current maximum of six stories. The city would have made an exception for what staff called a “signature building” with a unique design or for sites that already had tall trees.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Generous donors help finance (and name) new Pratt pool
It was hand shakes, rounds of applause and smiles all around when the blue tarp dropped and the names of Gary and Jean Cromer were revealed as the generous donors who helped finance (and name) the new swimming pool on July 22 in Pratt. The Cromer’s donated $6M to ensure summer water fun and enjoyment for the citizens, especially youth, of Pratt for years to come. Their generosity was celebrated Saturday, and while many in attendance were anxious to get into the water, perhaps none were as eager as young Eli Lee, who had been at the pool complex since 9:30 a.m., waiting to make sure he was the first in the gate for the grand opening.
Source: Pratt Tribune