Kansas Municipal News
After a tiny home is stolen in Colorado, deputies find it at a Kansas grain elevator
Three people were arrested after authorities recovered a stolen tiny home Sunday in western Kansas. Around 8 p.m., the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office was alerted by Colorado authorities that a stolen tiny home was possibly heading to Kansas, a social media post from the sheriff’s office said. The tiny home along with a stolen trailer and Bobcat skid steer loader were found at the Scoular grain elevator in Coolidge, Kansas, according to the post.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Roeland Park pushes to fill empty storefronts
On Monday, the city and chamber announced the launch of a new small business initiative called Project RISE. The vision for the economic development project is to support small businesses in Roeland Park by serving as a “one-stop shop” for local entrepreneurs looking to open in the city, according to a press release. “We want to see every store front, every office occupied,” said Mayor Michael Poppa. “It comes back to all of us. Those who live, work, play and shop here. We want to have a synergy across our City where businesses thrive.”
Source: Prairie Village Post
Fed Set to Raise Rates to 16-Year High and Debate a Pause
Federal Reserve officials are on track to increase interest rates again at their meeting this week while deliberating whether that will be enough to then pause the fastest rate-raising cycle in 40 years. “We are much closer to the end of the tightening journey than the beginning,” Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said April 20. Just how much closer the Fed is to that endgame will be a focus of internal debate because officials think their communications around future policy actions can be as significant as individual rate changes. Officials are likely to keep their options open as they finesse carefully calibrated signals in their postmeeting statement and remarks by Fed Chair Jerome Powell at a news conference after the meeting ends Wednesday.
Source: WSJ.com: US Business
Yellen Says U.S. Risks Default as Soon as June 1 Without Debt Ceiling Increase
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the U.S. government could become unable to pay all of its bills on time as soon as June 1 if Congress doesn’t first raise the debt limit. President Biden on Monday invited the top Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill to meet next week to discuss raising the country’s roughly $31.4 trillion borrowing limit, the White House said soon after Ms. Yellen’s warning.
Source: WSJ.com: US Business
Municipal Bond Trends for May 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, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.
Douglas County launches GIS ‘Geoportal,’ an information hub including interactive maps and other data tools
Douglas County’s Geographic Information Systems Department has launched a new “Geoportal,” a collection of GIS-related content like web applications, maps and data produced by county GIS staff. On the portal, the public can view interactive maps of road closures, properties, voting precincts, taxing districts, controlled burns and more. On top of that, users can download the data and maps available on the portal for free. Standard road maps and ownership maps, meanwhile, can be purchased.
Source: LJWorld
Douglas County Commission will soon decide on first solar project since new regulations were approved
The first application submitted under the county’s new regulations for solar energy projects may be just one step away from winning final approval from the Douglas County Commission. On Monday, the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission voted unanimously in favor of a conditional use permit application for the “Stull Solar Farm,” a small-scale solar project located on about 12.6 acres of a 117-acre parcel south of Lecompton. With that vote, the Planning Commission is sending the application to the County Commission and recommending that the county commissioners sign off on it. The County Commission is responsible for making the final decision on conditional use permits, and the project should appear on its meeting agenda in the coming weeks.
Source: LJWorld
Saline County organizations plan public forum on homelessness, criminal justice system
A public forum on topics surrounding mental health, homelessness and the criminal justice system will be held Wednesday at the Salina Grace Resource Center. The Saline County Community Improvement Team (CIT) Council is hosting the educational forum 6 to 8 p.m. May 3 as a way to help inform the public about how certain issues are affecting people locally and what efforts are being made to address them. Those who attend the forum will get more insight on how mental health, homelessness, substance abuse and interactions within the criminal justice system are at play locally. Local agencies that are part of the council will present various projects and programs being built and currently underway in the community.
Source: Salina Journal
Overland Park to review how city controls speeding on residential streets
It’s time to review Overland Park’s process for approving roundabouts, speed tables and other so-called “traffic calming” measures, an Overland Park city council committee has decided. The council’s Public Works Committee will take an in-depth look at the city’s 15-year-old set of rules on what requirements must be met, as well as whether some dedicated funding can be arranged. In particular, they’ll look at whether the current process is too restrictive and whether it should be easier for neighborhoods to get such measures okayed on their residential streets.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Ark City library finished with fines
Arkansas City Public Library has joined other public libraries no longer fining patrons for overdue books. “It’s a trend nationally,” said Mendy Pfannenstiel, Ark City’s library director. The fines have been found to be “not really effective” as a means of deterring people from turning in their books late, Pfannenstiel said. “What we want is for people to return the books.” Those people who can afford to pay the fines tend to do so; those who can’t afford them don’t. Fines range from 25 cents to $5 a day. Not paying the fines means patrons can’t use the materials, and “often they need them the most,” Pfannenstiel said. “It’s not equitable.”
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Macksville City Library announces grand opening of new wing
The Macksville City Library is hosting a grand opening celebration. “After 12 years of fundraising and nine months of construction, the new addition to our library is complete, and we are READy to Serve!” said Jody Suiter, library director. The public is invited to visit the library on Wednesday, May 3, for a “Come & Go & Check Out the Library” event from 1-6 p.m. “We are excited to share this milestone with our patrons, friends, benefactors and the community at large,” Suiter said. “Come see the new addition and learn about all the library has to offer with technology, resources, and programming for young and old.”
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Century II update shows tough decisions could be ahead
The company that took over managing Century II last year gave its first update to the Wichita City Council this week. And council members learned they face some future issues that could affect some popular, even beloved, groups and events. The City of Wichita turned over the management of Century II Performing Arts and Exhibition Center to ASM Global on Jan. 1, 2022. General Manager Chris Whitney said Century II is coming back from the lean pandemic years. “We’re finally, I feel like, back to a good solid event calendar load,” she said. “We’re seeing that in the industry. We believe the convention center business fully will come back around in ’23.”
Source: KSN-TV
De Soto needs more people, not just Panasonic, to lure big-name retailers and grocers, CRE experts say
De Soto already has a pretty good selling point — Panasonic’s $4 billion, 4,000-job electric-vehicle battery plant — but before the city can lure the likes of Target or Walmart to town, it will need to ramp up its population. Almost 1,300 apartments already are planned or under construction, thanks to Prairie Village-based Flint Development, Lawrence-based Alcove Development and other smaller builders, which at least gets the ball rolling on meeting current and future housing demand from the plant, which targets being operational in 2025. But it could take three to five years before residents occupy those spaces and have sufficient income to buy those future retailers’ products.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
New city policy says children can stay at North Lawrence campsite
Children are now allowed to stay with their parents at the city-run campsite for people experiencing homelessness in North Lawrence, according to a new policy. To stay with their children, parents must read the “family contract,” and maintain contact with their children at all times, according to the policy, which went into effect last week. Previously, the city has not allowed anyone under 18 to stay at the campsite. The city announced Monday that it is putting in place new safety protocols at the campsite, emphasizing that there are no visitors allowed other than “community outreach partners” who have been approved by the city.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Kansas Legislature approves K-12 education budget with private school benefits
The Kansas Legislature passed a K-12 education package Friday that fully funds public schools but includes expansion of a tax credit for private school students and allows private school students to participate in public school sports and activities. House lawmakers approved Senate Bill 113, which provides funding for the next three years, by an 83-37 vote, despite criticism from House Democrats who felt the process hasn’t been transparent — especially with a new provision that allows the state first right of refusal over closed school buildings. The bill passed 23-16 in the Senate after lengthy debate.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Legislature narrowly approves bill stripping authority from state, local public health officials
The Kansas Legislature narrowly passed a bill forbidding state and county public health officials from issuing test, isolation and closure mandates to counter spread of infectious disease and blocking the state from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations of children in schools or daycare facilities. The measure was sent Friday to Gov. Laura Kelly on the final day of the 2023 legislative session despite bipartisan opposition. The bill also would require the secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to conduct a study of overdose deaths in Kansas with an emphasis on the role of fentanyl poisoning. Proponents seeking to restraint authority of public health officials argued personal liberty interests should supersede government action on behalf of the overall population. Supporters bristled at appointed health professionals directing disease response rather than relying on elected officials with authority derived from voters.
Source: Derby Informer
Kansas lawmakers adopt property tax break for restaurant, child care and fitness club businesses
The Kansas Legislature sent Gov. Laura Kelly a bill bundling elements from more than a dozen bills, including a property tax exemption for fitness, restaurant and child care businesses able to demonstrate they were in direct competition with operations of state or local government. The Senate approved the package Thursday on a vote of 26-13 despite bipartisan complaints Senate Bill 8 was decorated like a holiday tree with special-interest tax policy. The deal previously passed by the House 76-43 contained 18 distinct policy changes. It now goes to Gov. Laura Kelly, and could be added to the Democratic governor’s list of vetoed bills. … Sen. Caryn Tyson, the Parker Republican and the Senate’s top negotiator on tax policy, said the bill was designed to restrain state, city, county, township, university, school district and community college investment in facilities or services that could be provided by private businesses. She said child care, restaurant and fitness businesses shouldn’t pay taxes to government entities using that money to establish functions the free market could handle.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Olathe voters approve two citywide sales tax extensions
Olathe voters have approved the renewal of two citywide sales taxes. With 20,589 ballots cast in Tuesday’s mail-in election, Olathe voters approved an extension of the city’s current 3/8-cent sales tax for street maintenance. Roughly 21% of the 96,802 registered voters in Olathe participated in the election. Unofficial results from the Johnson County Election Office show 16,367 people (roughly 80%) voted in favor of the street maintenance sales tax renewal, while 4,199 (20%) voted against it. Voters also approved a renewal of the city’s ⅛-cent sales tax for parks and recreation maintenance.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
Pittsburg pursuing more unified approach to community development
The conversion of an abandoned elementary school into a new day care center is being hailed as an ideal first project for Pittsburg’s new community development corporation, Point Forward. The nonprofit organization seeks to pool the resources and efforts of the municipal government, Chamber of Commerce, public school district and Pittsburg State University to accomplish projects individual members of the corporation might not be able to pull off on their own. A $6 million refurbishment of the old Washington Elementary School building on Locust Street into a fully functioning day care center is exactly the type of project that member entities had in mind when they formed Point Forward in the fall of 2022, according to City Manager Daron Hall.
Source: www.joplinglobe.com
Solar farm proposal reaches Pawnee County
A multinational energy company’s proposal to place a five-acre solar farm in southern Pawnee County has officials looking at spelling out the rules and regulations governing solar energy generation. At present, there are no policies on the county’s books regarding commercial alternative energy production. As the renewable energy source gains ground across the state, more Kansas counties are looking at whether solar farms would be a bankable asset or a risk to traditional agriculture producers.
Source: Great Bend Tribune