Kansas Municipal News
Flowers planted in Kansas town’s potholes
Police in southeast Kansas are advising residents to not plant flowers in potholes. The Sedan Police Department said officers responded to the 700 block of North Montgomery Street for the report of mysterious growths sprouting from several potholes. “Once on scene, officers discovered a number of potholes had been filled with plants,” the department said on Facebook. “We are asking the publics assistance in the apprehension of these suspects who have been aptly dubbed, ‘The Pothole Bandits.’ These bandits are described as having a facetious look in their eye, ornery grins, green thumbs and wearing fast running shoes. Any help in this matter will be greatly appreciated.”
Source: KAKE – News
85 miles of southwest Kansas railroad to get upgrades
An 85-mile stretch of the Cimarron Valley Railroad will get about $15 million worth of improvements. The upgrades are for the rail line from Hugoton to Dodge City. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and other politicians joined CVRR officials for a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday morning. “These upgrades are not just an investment in our infrastructure, but an investment in our agriculture industry – and our economy as a whole,” Kelly said in a news release. “By rehabilitating over 85 miles of an essential rail line in southwest Kansas, this project will make it easier and more efficient for local businesses to transport biodiesel and other agricultural products.”
Source: KSN-TV
Downtown Pittsburg mural grant applications now available
The City of Pittsburg’s Downtown Advisory Board (DAB) recently announced it will continue to provide grant funding to bring more art to downtown Pittsburg. The DAB is offering to split matching funds 50/50, not to exceed one thousand dollars. This is the second year they are offering the grant. For this year DAB has devoted two thousand, and five hundred dollars to bring more art to downtown Pittsburg. Grant applications will be accepted until August, or until all of the funds run out.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Downtown clock dedicated in Parsons
Years of volunteer time will be seen for decades in a Southeast Kansas community, thanks to something that tells time. A dedication ceremony was held this afternoon for this clock tower in downtown Parsons. It honors Pete and Mary Hughes for their years of volunteer work on many community projects. … “As we look down Main Street, it’s timeless, the volunteering that they did. And we thought to tie it to this clock, put their name on it and we hope it inspires other people, young people as they come up, to do what Pete and Mary have done, our community,” said Rod Landrum, SEK Point of Pride Cmte. Member. … “I’ve had builders come here and say I want to build in your town because of what’s behind me. That’s why main streets are so important. That’s why the bookends of a beautiful clock and a pocket park at each end are so important. It’s about whole community pride that helps you sell an entire city,” said Jim Zaleski, Parsons Econ. Development.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Osawatomie to launch ‘Third Saturday’ campaign with downtown block party
Downtown Osawatomie will be a happening place to be Saturday, April 15, during the city’s first “Third Saturday” block party. Main Street will be blocked off from Fifth to Sixth streets from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. during the event, which will include early activities from 4 to 7 p.m. like pickleball and cornhole tournaments, children’s street games, children’s bicycle parade and bike course, Nine Square, board games, and the Bull Creek BBQ food truck.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
USD 232 enrollment expected to boom — Here are the schools most impacted
Starside Elementary in De Soto and Mill Creek Middle School in Lenexa are expected to both be over capacity by the 2027-2028 school year with growth booming on the western side of USD 232. That’s according to an enrollment analysis from school planning firm RSP Associates presented to the USD 232 school board earlier this month. The report outlined how new residential growth, the addition of a new Panasonic EV battery plant and other expected investments on the old Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in De Soto could draw in more residents and lead to more growth in the district’s student population.
Source: Prairie Village Post
North Lawrence camp residents say violence and chaos is increasing, and the new fence hasn’t helped
People living at the city-run campsite in North Lawrence say they’re struggling with increased interlopers, assaults, theft and drug activity in the week since the city installed a fence intended to prevent visitors, and a woman said she was raped at the camp on Sunday. Tension, anger and fear at the campsite are increasing. At times, the feeling hanging over the camp is a foreboding one, said Jenn Adams — known as the “camp mom” — who has experienced violence while living outside before. “I felt safer out at Sandra Shaw after my throat had been cut than I do here now,” she said. “I don’t feel safe, and I’m across the street.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Giant solar power generation facility proposed just north of Lawrence
A division of oil giant Royal Dutch Shell is proposing to build a solar energy facility covering more than a square mile just north of Lawrence, near Midland Junction. The “Kansas Sky Energy Center” would supply electrical power to local utility Evergy Inc., which would ultimately own the facility. Savion LLC, based in Kansas City, said it has acquired more than 1,100 acres of land — currently used as farmland — on which to build the giant solar array. It said the solar collection equipment would cover as much as 734 acres of the land.
Source: The Lawrence Times
City manager: Aggieville requesting $25K for gift card promotion
Manhattan city manager Ron Fehr said he’s received a special funding request from the Aggieville Business Association to attract visitors back to the entertainment district. Fehr told Manhattan city commissioners Tuesday evening that he recently received a letter from the ABA board requesting $25,000 for use in a promotion that ABA officials think would bring people back to Aggieville, following months of construction projects in and out of the district. Fehr said the promotion would consist of $25,000 being spread out over 400 to 500 prepaid cards that would be available to Aggieville patrons either through direct purchase or some sort of contest.
Source: themercury.com
Municipal Bond Trends for April 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, Beth Warren or Henry Schmidt.
Sedan Police Department calls out ‘Pothole Bandits’ after creative prank
A pop of color on Montgomery Street isn’t a welcome sight for city workers in Sedan. In a lighthearted post alerting residents to “be on the lookout,” the Sedan Police Department reports “mysterious growth sprouting from several potholes.” The unidentified culprits who filled potholes with plants are dubbed “The Pothole Bandits” by police. While Sedan police acknowledge the humor and creativity, they’re calling for the beautification effort to stop.
Source: KWCH
New path to teaching: KSDE to pilot educator apprenticeship program
Ten candidates will this fall pilot a potential apprenticeship program that could be one of the best solutions to a rise in Kansas’ teacher vacancies. The Kansas State Board of Education on Tuesday heard an update on a pilot for teaching registered apprenticeship program that will tentatively start this fall. Shane Carter, director of licensure at the Kansas State Department of Education, said the program, if advanced past the pilot stage, is one of the most promising avenues he’s seen to help Kansas school districts grapple with increases in educator vacancies and a trickling pipeline of new teacher candidates.
Source: CJonline
Thousands of New Yorkers tried to win free trip to Topeka
More than 2,000 residents of the Big Apple entered a contest to win a free trip for four to Topeka. The 2,024 people entered the giveaway by Visit Topeka and Kansas Tourism after New York Mayor Eric Adams made comments Feb. 27 belittling the position of Topeka’s mayor. “I’d like to express my gratitude for the thousands of New Yorkers who’ve expressed interest in Topeka and Kansas and want to learn more about our great capital city,” said Sean Dixon, president of Visit Topeka, on Wednesday. Visit Topeka has randomly chosen the winner’s name and is in the process of contacting that person, said India Yarborough, communications director for the Greater Topeka Partnership, of which Visit Topeka is a part.
Source: CJonline
Supply issues impact vehicle purchases for Saline County
The lingering effects of automobile industry shortages have left their mark in Saline County, most recently through the bid process for new vehicles in the county’s Sheriff’s Office. Low inventory has left local automobile dealers without the capability to supply entities that go out to bid with a more immediate need for a vehicle. Dealers are now saying that in order to ensure vehicle availability, they should be ordered in the last quarter of the year prior to the year a vehicle is needed. So, if the county wants new vehicles in 2024, dealers are suggesting the county gets bids to them in the last quarter of 2023.
Source: Salina Journal
Shawnee considers cracking down on AirBnBs
Shawnee appears poised to institute new restrictions on short-term rental properties, like AirBnBs, in many of its residential neighborhoods. The Shawnee City Council dove back into the issue during a council committee meeting Monday. No action was taken, but the majority of councilmembers signaled their desire to ban AirBnBs, VRBOs and other short-term rentals in single-family home neighborhoods. There was also some discussion about adding other requirements in areas where they could be allowed, like new fees or taxes. “This is getting kind of absurd,” council president Eric Jenkins said. “We don’t have neighborhoods so you can come in here and put mini-hotels in. It’s just not appropriate.”
Source: Prairie Village Post
Prairie Band lauds court decision noting ‘arbitrary’ methods for issuing COVID-19 aid
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation welcomed a U.S. Court of Appeals decision in a challenge to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s method for distributing CARES Act assistance and the tribal chairman said the outcome could have ramifications for allocation of future federal funding. A series of lawsuits, including one by the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation headquartered in Mayetta, led to the Court of Appeals’ declaration the Treasury Department engaged in an arbitrary and capricious process for calculating emergency aid. The Court of Appeals ordered the U.S. treasury secretary to provide further explanation of decisions regarding Prairie Band’s aid. Prairie Band Chairman Joseph Rupnick said the Washington, D.C., appellate court’s ruling was “clear vindication” of the Prairie Band’s legal effort to compel accurate determinations of relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. He said the Treasury Department’s disregard of tribal enrollment data as a barometer for directing aid ignored fundamental principles of federal law and policy. “This case is yet another example of tribes having to fight for what they’re rightly eligible for and only being recognized by the government after a lengthy legal struggle, which in this case required two separate trips to the Court of Appeals,” Rupnick said.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Governor Kelly signs bill to raise the minimum smoking age to 21
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has signed a bipartisan bill from the legislature to raise the minimum smoking age from 18 to 21. House Bill 2269 makes changes in state law on the sale, purchase and possession of cigarettes and tobacco products. The Kansas Department of Revenue says raising the minimum age to 21 will bring the state into compliance with federal law, and that will allow federal funding to continue to be provided to Kansas for the enforcement of tobacco laws.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
City of Manhattan to pay close to $30K after losing appeal in case involving damaged mailbox
The Kansas Court of Appeals has affirmed that the City of Manhattan pay close to $30,000 in attorney fees to a local couple following their successful lawsuit over a damaged mailbox. The decision was published April 7 … The case stems from a December 2019 incident involving a city-owned snowplow that struck a stone mailbox, cracking its base. Marti Wickham and William Franz successfully sued the city and in November 2021 were awarded approximately $3,200 for the mailbox and roughly $10,000 for attorney fees.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Newspaper Editorial: Cities should encourage folks to mend, keep all sidewalks
Rules vary from town to town, but most cities at least used to require installation of sidewalks along with curb and gutter in new neighborhoods. Most at one time had rules about maintaining said sidewalks. We think it’s safe to say that those rules, regulations and ordinances are none too well enforced these days, and as a results, the ever-increasing number of walkers are mostly in the street. Sidewalks generally were and are installed on city property, the area along a street known as “the parking.” This is the tract between the edge of the right of way (often 60 feet) granted to a city in older subdivisions, as opposed to the width of the street itself, between the curbs, usually 30 feet.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Marijuana DUI’s no simple matter
The Kansas Department of Transportation put out a press release, warning drivers that driving high on marijuana is illegal. “April 20 each year marks the unofficial marijuana ‘holiday,’ which tends to see an increase in its use,” the release stated “But whether a person uses marijuana or another substance, they should never drive afterward, as driving under the influence penalties are not limited to defined alcohol concentrations.” Enforcing state law, however, is easier said than done, according to Deputy Police Chief Scott Powell.
Source: Harvey County Now