Kansas Municipal News
Municipal Bond Trends for June 22, 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.
Overland Park voters OK increased sales tax for street maintenance
A three-eighths cent special sales tax dedicated to street and infrastructure maintenance has won approval by Overland Park voters with just over 53% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Johnson County Election Office. The results from by-mail and dropbox voting showed the measure passed with a total of 19,157 votes in favor, to 16,073 against. Turnout was 24.6%. Voting closed at noon Thursday. Results will be canvassed and official totals finalized on Wednesday, June 28.
Source: Prairie Village Post
County poised to liberalize dress code
Bare midriffs, form-fitting pants, and short shorts were among items discussed by county commissioners in a 1¼-hour discussion Tuesday of county personnel policies. County clerk Tina Spencer suggested that the county’s rarely enforced dress and appearance code might need to be updated and possibly liberalized. Commissioners suggested changes that would allow employees to wear overalls, painter pants, and military-type pants.
Source: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin
Re-ride late but mail was delivered
Marysville’s Pony Express Barn and Museum was humming at dawn Saturday. Expectant riders, with families along to watch, prepared to drive horse trailers out on the National Pony Express Trail and wait their turn to relay the mail to St. Joseph, Mo., on horseback. Dressed in the bright red shirts and buckskin vests of the National Pony Express Association, Marysville brothers Mike and Rich Pacha were ready for their turn on the trail. Mike Pacha held the Bible and read the association’s oath to the group of riders before they dispersed.
Source: The Marysville Advocate
USPS changes slow water sample deliveries to KDHE
For Jackson County water customers, whether they get their water through a rural water district or a city water supplier, knowing that the water they get from their kitchen faucets is safe to drink is of high importance – and the people who provide that water to them feel the same way. Just ask Dennis Ashcraft, who oversees water treatment and distribution for Public Wholesale Water Supply District 18 and the city of Holton, who collects several water samples every month and sends them to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment lab in Topeka.
Source: Holton Recorder
‘Dollar Store onslaught’: Topeka group fighting against new Dollar Store city responds
A community group is taking a stand against dollar stores by bringing a petition to Topeka city leaders. Fighting the Onslaught of Dollar Stores (FOODS) is a local group that seeks to bring awareness to Topekans regarding the number of dollar stores, such as Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, in the city. Specifically, the group has its sights set on the planned installment of a new Dollar Tree in the 1400 block of SW 17th St., which FOODS claims the city approved without proper notification to local neighborhoods.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Topeka’s new ordinance could hold landlords accountable
Local leaders are taking action to hold corporate and individual landlords across the city accountable. On Wednesday, members of Topeka’s Public Safety and Health Committee voted to move forward on action they hope will better protect Topeka tenants. The proposed ordinance would prevent a tenant, in good standing, from being evicted for alerting a landlord or government agency about health and safety complaints. It would give tenants the option to fight their landlords without fear of eviction. Topeka has roughly 560,000 housing units, and 40% of those units are rentals.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Prairie Village hosts first housing forum
Prairie Village residents will get a chance to weigh in this evening on the city’s much-discussed housing recommendations. The city, along with design firm MultiStudio, is hosting the first of two forums today from 4-7 p.m. at the Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse. It’s billed as an “open house-style event” where residents can visit different stations to learn about the current recommendations. According to the city, the topics to be covered include “the current state of zoning districts, what could change, and what people want.” The recommendations, which were first released last summer by a specially appointed committee, are aimed at addressing housing affordability in the increasingly expensive suburb.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Municipal Bond Trends for June 21, 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 20, 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.
Law Board agrees to 6.5% COLA for RCPD with contingent on cuts elsewhere
The Riley County Law Board ended its meeting Tuesday without a finalized budget as board members worked through how to fund cost of living adjustments requested by the Riley County Police Department. The initial proposal by RCPD in April was for an 8% COLA, with a realized budget increase of almost 9%. Over the past two months, the board has scaled that back to a 6.5% COLA and 7.4% overall increase, totaling $26.9 million. The city’s delegation on the board favored pushing the COLA down to 4%, with an overall realized budget increase of 6%, but were swayed by RCPD leadership and County Attorney Barry Wilkerson, who advocated that further cuts to the COLA could jeopardize RCPD’s ability to recruit staff.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Pottawatomie County projecting a mill levy decrease in 2024 budget
Pottawatomie County officials got their first look at the proposed 2024 budget at a Monday work session. County administration is proposing an approximate half mill levy decrease, with an estimated valuation increase of over $22 million, over $229,000 in additional ad-valorem taxes and a $1.6 million increase in budgeted expenditures. Commission Chair Pat Weixelman explains where much of the added expenses are coming from. The proposal includes for a 5% cost of living adjustment for employees, as well as anniversary increases paid out at a half a percent annually and 4% every five years. County administrators are also requesting to double the deferred compensation match, which equates to about a 36 percent increase year-over-year, according to Assistant County Administrator Heather Gladbach.
Source: 1350 KMAN
County finds temporary home for Meals on Wheels
After some concern over who would provide food for the Meals on Wheels program in north and south Brown County after this month, the Brown County Commission agreed to have Lentz Express in Horton prepare the Hot Meal Program for the remainder of the year. There was a discussion about bidding the position, and Services for the Elderly Director Wanda Davis shared issues she had been encountering in the process. Tim Lentz, owner of Lentz Express, shared his opinion that bidding for a hot meal program could be problematic. The Commission voted to select Lentz’s business for the rest of 2023, but still plan to open the hot meals for bid, with some reconfigured guidelines, at the end of the year.
Source: County Government | hiawathaworldonline.com
Hutchinson City Council votes to allow aerial fireworks on private property
On Tuesday, the Hutchinson City Council voted unanimously to amend its fireworks ordinance this year, allowing aerial fireworks in the city on private property. Fire Marshall Mike Cain told The Hutch Post that the only change in the new ordinance is it is now against the ordinance to discharge fireworks on public property without a special use permit. In addition, adults will now be held responsible for any juvenile offenses of the new regulations. “If you want to let your kids out and shoot, great,” Cain told the Post. “If they are doing something illegal with them, then the adult is now responsible and is assumed to have given them consent or permission to do that illegal activity.” Violating the Hutchinson fireworks ordinance is a misdemeanor. A person who is convicted of it could have to pay $250 or perform 50 hours of community service or both, plus court costs.
Source: KAKE – News
The new KCI terminal tops national travel sites 2023 list of best airports. Heres why
Kansas City International Airport’s new terminal is getting love from all over the country. A new report named KCI the best airport in the U.S. It topped a list of the 16 best airports in the world in 2023 from Travel Awaits, a travel website highlighting small towns and unique experiences. The list was split up into two categories: within the United States, or outside the country. To create the list, the site took nominations from its readers. A panel of travel industry experts and writers then reviewed those nominations, and readers voted on the finalists to determine the winners in each category.
Source: Kansas City Breaking News & Sports | The Kansas City Star
Air quality alert issued for Kansas City as ozone levels likely to reach unhealthy level
An air quality alert was issued for the Kansas City as the metro area is expected to see an unhealthy level of smog, according to the Mid-America Regional Council. An ozone alert was issued for Tuesday, the eighth time this season that the agency, commonly referred to as MARC, has issued such a warning. The poor air quality is forecast to fall under an orange ozone alert, which means unhealthy level of ground-level ozone, also known as ozone pollution or smog, is expected for people sensitive to pollution, including those with heart problems or respiratory disease like asthma and allergies. The outdoor Air Quality Index is forecast to be 105, with ozone being the primary pollutant.
Source: KC Star Local News
Why goats are invading a Wichita park
Wichita Sim’s Park was invaded by a herd of hungry goats Tuesday. The goats will be there working for two weeks to clear brush and poison ivy. The City of Wichita says the goats are more eco-friendly and can remove brush not easily reached by machinery in the sandy area. The goats arrived in a trailer, hungry and ready to eat Tuesday afternoon. “This is the most people I’ve had for a goat unload. Most of the time, I’m in a random backyard in town or out on a property in the middle of nowhere,” said Rex Rutledge with Restoration Grazing LLC.
Source: KSN-TV
Evergy pauses disconnection at Towne West after ‘documentation’ provided
A spokesperson for Evergy says it has paused service disconnection has been paused Towne West Square in Wichita. A news release sent out by Evergy at 7:41 p.m. says it has “paused service disconnection based on documentation provided toward making payment tomorrow.” Evergy says Towne West has been delinquent on its electric bill since last November. “Evergy has worked with Kohan Retail Investment Group, which owns the mall, to receive payment for the past due amount owed to Evergy,” Gina Penzig, Evergy corporate communications, said.
Source: KSN-TV
Summer Topeka Music Week brings country and rock to the Capital City
Topeka is set to be flooded with musical acts with the arrival of almost a dozen bands to the Capital City this summer. India Yarborough with the Greater Topeka Partnership said Visit Topeka is partnering up with Southwest Publishing & Mailing Corporation to deliver a lineup of ten bands to the Capital City in July as part of the Topeka Music Week. The bands will have live shows running from July 7 to July 16, occurring at the same time as Country Stampede and the Mini Fiesta.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Shawnee Mission teachers get larger-than-usual pay bump
Teachers in the Shawnee Mission School District are getting one of their biggest pay raises in recent years. It’s part of the latest contract between the district and teachers’ union, which was ratified by the Shawnee Mission school board at its meeting Monday, June 12. It’s also a continuation of efforts by the district to boost pay for positions across the district to deal with persistent staffing challenges that have bedeviled schools in recent years.
Source: Prairie Village Post