Kansas Municipal News
Report maps path for water resilience in western Kansas
Though water conservation has been an increasing priority for the Kansas agriculture sector, it has also been somewhat fragmented in its approach. The framework presented Tuesday at K-State is a novel approach at bringing stakeholders from each part of the value chain into its efforts.
Source: CJonline
What tuberculosis outbreak in Wyandotte County means for the rest of Kansas
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Thursday confirmed a tuberculosis outbreak in Wyandotte County, with more cases than the entire state recorded last year. … Overall, 75 people statewide have been treated this year for the lung disease and two people have died. Officials say the disease requires consistent contact to spread. “There is a very low risk of infection to the general public in these communities,” KDHE communications director Jill Bronaugh told the Kansas News Service in an email.
Source: CJonline
Johnson County, reStart meet with residents on homeless shelter plans
Johnson County residents packed a meeting in Olathe Wednesday night to find out more about plans for converting a hotel in a busy shopping area into a homeless shelter.
However, the $10.5 million plan for the LaQuinta Inn off I-35 on 95th Street still faces an uphill battle. At last count in January Johnson County had 250 people who were homeless, 58 without shelter. The county has an agreement to buy LaQuinta Inn and renovate it into a 50-bed shelter for single adults living in their own rooms. “We have a real chance to address this now when it’s manageable and functionally end homelessness in Johnson County,” Mike Kelly, Johnson County Board of Commissioners Chairman said. The money to purchase and renovate the hotel would use COVID-19 relief funds. Johnson County selected reStart to run the homeless services center. Last month they applied for a special use permit in the City of Lenexa, but staff are recommending it be denied. Details on why will be released on Thursday. Wednesday evening at a packed meeting in Olathe, reStart was addressing what it calls myths and fears. They say residents will receive referrals, and they won’t be lining up to get in. They’re also planning safety and security measures as well as mental health services. “It’s not going to increase crime, it’s not going to have a negative impact on neighborhoods or businesses,” Stephanie Boyer said. Lenexa has described more information about what staff considers when deciding on special use permits including how removing restrictions will detrimentally affect nearby properties and relative gains to public health, safety, welfare and property values. “I get it. This is a unique project that we haven’t seen anywhere in Johnson County before for a 24/7 365 shelter,” Kelly said. Johnson County will host another meeting with residents on Thursday from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Monticello Community Meeting Room at Monticello Library, 22435 W. 66th St., Shawnee. The homeless services center will go before Lenexa’s Planning Commission Monday, August 26 and Lenexa City Council September 17. Source: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports
Many warnings, but no citations, for violating Wichita water restrictions, city says
The city of Wichita has issued 165 warnings — but no citations — for violations of the city’s drought water-use restrictions. “Ideally, we won’t have to issue a single fine,” Gary Janzen, director of public works and utilities, said. “We don’t want this to be punitive. What’s more important is coming together collaboratively. . . . We really want to focus on education over enforcement.” The city has had Stage 2 drought restrictions — which limits outdoor watering to one day a week in each quadrant of Wichita — in place for two and a half weeks. Water levels at Cheney Reservoir continue dropping, despite recent rains in the Wichita area, and there’s less water in the lake now than there was at the start of August. As of Thursday morning, Cheney was 7.28 feet low, or 60% full — a 2% drop from Aug. 1. Cheney Reservoir is about 25 miles west of City Hall in downtown Wichita, and its river basin extends west into several counties that are in a severe drought. Much of the rain Wichita has received has missed the river basin that feeds Cheney Reservoir, where the city typically draws the majority of its raw water to be treated. The city is now pulling more water from the Equus Beds aquifer than Cheney as part of its drought response. Janzen provided an update on the city’s drought response at Mayor Lily Wu’s weekly briefing on Thursday. He said the city’s water use has dropped significantly since the restrictions were put in place, in part because of recent rain. Based on numbers captured at the city’s pump station, the city’s treated water use has fallen 34% compared with water use the week of July 22 to July 28. “We do want to urge caution,” Janzen said. “We do not want people to back off on water restrictions, nor will we do that.” The water restrictions started Aug. 5. City officials said they will be in place until at least Oct. 5 before they are reassessed. The city’s drought response plan calls for moving into Stage 2 restrictions, which limits outdoor watering to one day a week throughout the city, when the 12-month average lake level at Cheney is 69%. As of Aug. 1, the 12-month average was 68.4%. Stage 3 restrictions would be triggered by a 12-month average of below 50%. “Cheney Reservoir has a 600,000-acre basin that feeds it,” Janzen said. “Since 2022, we’re more than 23 to 24 inches below normal precipitation in the basin. We have estimated that if we get back to normal precipitation, it will take three years to fill it back to (full) conservation pool. That is why it is so important. We have got to keep moving forward.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
‘Remote workers have killed us’: Downtown Topeka businesses share challenges
…some small and locally owned businesses in downtown Topeka are still paying the price in the new hybrid work-experience. Angie Anderson, owner of Cashmere Popcorn, said she has seen a significant decline in walk-in traffic because of the work-from-home policies that many offices based in downtown buildings now have. “We are learning to adjust,” Anderson said. “This, of course, has been going on since 2020.”
Source: CJonline
Fed minutes point to ‘likely’ rate cut coming in September
Federal Reserve officials at their July meeting moved closer to a long-awaited interest rate reduction, stopping short while indicating that a September cut had Federal Reserve officials at their July meeting moved closer to a long-awaited interest rate reduction, but stopped short while indicating that a September cut had grown increasingly probable, minutes released Wednesday showed. “The vast majority” of participants at the July 30-31 meeting “observed that, if the data continued to come in about as expected, it would likely be appropriate to ease policy at the next meeting,” the summary said. Markets are fully pricing in a September cut, which would be the first since the emergency easing in the early days of the Covid crisis. While all voters on the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee voted to hold benchmark rates steady, there was an inclination among an unspecified number of officials to start easing at the July meeting rather than waiting until September. The document stated that “several [meeting participants] observed that the recent progress on inflation and increases in the unemployment rate had provided a plausible case for reducing the target range 25 basis points at this meeting or that they could have supported such a decision.” One basis point is 0.01 percentage point, so a 25 basis point reduction would be equivalent to a quarter percentage point. In the parlance the Fed uses in its minutes, which do not mention names nor specify how many policymakers felt a certain way, “several” is a relatively small number. However, the summary made clear that officials were confident about the direction of inflation and are ready to start easing policy if the data continues to cooperate. The sentiment was twofold: Inflation markers had shown price pressures easing considerably, while some members noted concerns over the labor market as well as the struggles that households, particularly those at the lower end of the income spectrum, were having in the current environment. “With regard to the outlook for inflation, participants judged that recent data had increased their confidence that inflation was moving sustainably toward 2 percent,” the minutes stated. “Almost all participants observed that the factors that had contributed to recent disinflation would likely continue to put downward pressure on inflation in coming months.” On the labor market, “many” officials noted that “reported payroll gains might be overstated.” Earlier Wednesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, in a preliminary revision of the nonfarm payroll numbers from April 2023 through March 2024, that gains may have been overstated by more than 800,000. “A majority of participants remarked that the risks to the employment goal had increased, and many participants noted that the risks to the inflation goal had decreased,” the minutes said. “Some participants noted the risk that a further gradual easing in labor market conditions could transition to a more serious deterioration.” In its post-meeting statement, the committee noted that job gains had moderated and that inflation also had “eased.” However, it chose to hold the line on its benchmark funds rate, which is currently targeted in a 5.25%-5.50% range, its highest in 23 years. Markets rose the day of the Fed meeting but cratered in following sessions on worries that the central bank was moving too slowly in easing monetary policy. The day after the meeting, the Labor Department reported an unexpected spike in unemployment claims, while a separate indicator showed the manufacturing sector contracted more than expected. Things got worse when the nonfarm payrolls report for July showed job creation of just 114,000 and another tick up in the unemployment rate to 4.3%. Calls grew for the Fed to cut quickly, with some even suggesting that the central bank do an intermeeting move to head off worries that the economy was sinking fast. However, the panic was short-lived. Subsequent data releases showed jobless claims drifting back down to normal historical levels while inflation indicators showed price pressures easing. Retail sales data also was better than expected, assuaging worries of consumer pressure. More recent indicators, though, have pointed to stresses in the labor market, and traders largely expect the Fed to begin cutting rates in September.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Developer clears hurdle for Olathe project with housing, industrial
Plans to build a massive mixed-use development along U.S. Highway 169 in Olathe could bring hundreds of new jobs to a fast-growing corridor. On Tuesday, the Olathe City Council unanimously approved a series of zoning changes for Ward Development to create Park 169 on 247 acres northeast of 167th Street and Highway 169. Park 169 includes plans for townhomes, apartments, single-family homes and more than a dozen industrial buildings. The site is surrounded by homes to the east, undeveloped land to the south and industrial business parks to the west and north. A right-of-way for Burlington Northern Railroad sits between Highway 169 to the west and the Park 169 project boundary. The developer has submitted a request for the City Council to issue $252 million in industrial revenue bonds and approve a 10-year, 50% tax abatement for the industrial portion. The City Council is scheduled to review the bond request on Sept. 3. Industrial tenants have not been disclosed. According to Ward’s bond application, the industrial segment is expected to create 1,033 new jobs over the next decade. Ward will work with Fogel-Anderson Construction Co. as the contractor and Powell CWM as the architect for the industrial portion. Along the property’s western half, to the east of Highway 169, the developer plans 1.5 million square feet of industrial space on roughly 140 acres. Ward plans to build 13 speculative industrial buildings, each ranging from 62,000 to 264,000 square feet. Forty-two acres at the northeast corner will house five three-story apartment buildings, each containing 30 units. Those apartments will be surrounded by townhomes configured into 33 two-story fourplex buildings. To the south of the existing Madison Place subdivision, the Grain Valley developer will build 113 single-family homes on about 29 acres along the project’s eastern boundary. Thirteen townhome buildings, each containing eight to 10 units, are planned to the west of the single-family homes. The developer wants to plat 94 lots to house 188 duplex units on 35 acres between the industrial buildings to the west and the townhomes to the east. A new north-south collector road, to be called Barker Road, will be built at the center of the site, between 159th Street and 167th Street. Landscape berms are proposed on both sides of Barker Road to divide industrial and residential components. The residential portion is split between two school districts. Once construction is complete, K-12 students living in the apartments and townhomes north of 163rd Street will attend the Olathe School District. Students living in the townhomes, duplexes and single-family homes to the south would attend the Spring Hill School District. Curt Petersen, a Polsinelli PC attorney representing Ward Development, told the City Council the project site has been vacant for over 13 years. Petersen said the biggest challenge for the undeveloped property is striking a balance between meeting demand for workforce development and creating a project that won’t disrupt the people who live nearby. “It takes a long time to try to be both responsible for all the adjacent land uses, but also put something on the screen that over the next decade, over these phases, can actually be financed, built and successfully operated,” Petersen said. Petersen said once the project is complete, market demand will influence if the residential units will be listed for sale or rent. Although there was not a public hearing, the City Council heard from one neighbor. Thomas Stalnaker has lived in his home on 164th Terrace for 24 years. He objected to having an industrial development near residential housing. “Nowhere within the city of Olathe does this exist. There is not this concentration of medium industrial and residential on one little feeder street. It doesn’t exist, it’s intense,” Stalnaker said. Park 169 is part of a growing number of industrial projects south Olathe. Northwest of 167th and Highway 169, construction continues for Walmart’s 330,000-square-foot beef packaging facility. The $257 million plant is expected to begin production by June 2025. BlueScope Properties Group also is working to develop its third industrial warehouse in Great Plains Commerce Center.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Despite more housing, Wichita seeing a 10% increase in rent
Last year, 800 new housing units were built in Wichita, a five-year high. Still, even with the supply going up, rent went up by 10%. A real estate expert at Wichita State University said the new apartments aren’t helping the market as much as you’d think because we’ve been in a deficit of new builds since the 2008 financial crisis. The need for housing goes beyond numbers in a report. According to local nonprofits, it’s directly impacting their operations. When you operate an emergency domestic violence shelter, you have to be able to admit people fast. “We don’t have a waiting list because if someone is in life-threatening danger, we want to make sure they have a place to stay,” said Amanda Meyers, Wichita Family Crisis Center executive director. “But what that looks like is if we don’t have the space, we’re calling community partners, we’re calling nearby communities, we’re looking at hotels, even.” The sooner emergency shelter tenants can move out to create room for others, the better. However, recently, with the lack of safe, affordable housing for who are often women with small children, it’s been more difficult. “That’s what keeps them here,” said Meyers. “They’re ready. They have a job, you know, they have childcare, they got their training, and it’s the housing that’s keeping them.” Mennonite Housing received three times as many phone calls from people looking for housing this summer compared to earlier this year. About 10% of people seeking help at Mennonite housing are coming from the city-owned affordable units sold off earlier this year. “We have been inundated with phone calls, there’s been changes with the city’s public housing seniors that are unable to afford the rental rates,” said Penny Heron, Mennonite Housing property manager director. With landlords’ insurance costs and property taxes going up, one expert said, new challenges are ongoing. “The apartment owners, when they get those increases in their property tax and insurance rates, that has to translate into higher rents that they charge,” said Stan Longhofer, Director of the WSU Center for Real Estate. Longhofer said the biggest impacts from that will show themselves in the next year or two.
Source: KSN-TV
Familiar barriers hinder city’s growth
A recent article in the Topeka Capital-Journal listed Pittsburg in the top 14 Kansas cities to lose at least 100 residents between 2022 and 2023. Three other southeast Kansas cities — Independence, Coffeyville, and Chanute — also made the list at the 11th, 12th, and 14th spots, respectively. Pittsburg ranked seventh with a loss of 154 citizens, leaving the city with 20,504 residents. Pittsburg City Manager Daron Hall said he reviewed the Capital-Journal’s data, going back as far as 2015. In that year, the Journal reported Pittsburg’s population as 20,394 and is now reporting 20,504 for 2024. That is an increase of one-half of one percent — statistically flat. “The source data can be speculative,” Hall said. “Over that nine-year span, CJ [the Journal] reports a decrease for each year but two, with growth in 2022 of 4 percent, which was enough to offset all of the decreases, which were each less than three-quarters of a percent.” Hall added that the city uses U.S. Census data, which reported a 2020 population of 20,646 while the Journal reported 20,050 — a difference of 600 people. “I can’t see any trend,” Hall said. “Those miniscule (less than 1 percent) fluctuations are why we don’t get too concerned over any number year to year, whether it is up or down. We of course like to see it up.” Article writer Jason Alatidd, citing the Kansas Division of the Budget’s population data from July 1, says the state’s population currently sits at 2.94 million, an overall increase of 3,396 from last year. Many communities, not just smaller ones, have experienced a recent population decline. Overland Park, with a current population of 197,089, topped the loss list last year with a loss of 637 residents. KCK was also near the top, with a loss of 412, leaving it with 152,933 residents. Meanwhile, other metro area suburbs — Mission, Shawnee, Leawood, Spring Hill, and Gardner — saw increases. On the flip side, some smaller cities gained population. According to the Journal, Emporia grew by 164 to 24,105. Louisburg, in Miami County just south of the Kansas City metro, added 113 new residents to top out at 5,170. Several small communities around the Wichita metro also welcomed new residents. Job growth, new businesses and amenities, and the quality of schools are some of the factors that can affect population shifts, positively or negatively. In Pittsburg, all of these factors are on “a positive trajectory,” according to Hall. “More and more small businesses are trying new things to make Pittsburg a great place to work and play,” Hall said. In the past decade, Pittsburg has experienced growth in art and entertainment as well as both large and small revitalization efforts downtown. Festivals such as ArtWalk and Paint the Town Red have complimented older celebrations like Little Balkans Days. Small, local developers such as Blue Spoon, LLC, Lorenz-Haus Development, and DVLP are committed to breathing new life into old downtown buildings alongside the larger, university-driven projects like Block 22 and Gorilla Rising. “We utilize numerous incentives to encourage growth,” Hall said, “including, but not limited to, the State of Kansas programs like Reinvestment Housing Incentive District and Moderate-Income Housing, as well as local programs like the Revolving Loan Fund, utility assistance, road assistance, and the Neighborhood Revitalization Program.” The three biggest barriers to substantial population growth in Pittsburg are housing, childcare, and access to a four-lane highway between Kansas City and Tulsa, according to Hall. Housing and childcare being the most immediate. “When people explain what they look for when moving to a community,” Hall said, “we hear jobs, housing, education and childcare.” Hall added that the city is seeing a continuation of projects to support commercial, educational, industrial and recreational growth, totaling $727 million and adding 1,700 jobs since 2013. “The community has several initiatives aimed at providing hundreds more childcare spots,” Hall said, “and while we are fortunate for these endeavors, the current plans will still leave us with a shortfall of all the spots we need to allow all the parents who would like to, to reenter the workforce.” At this time, according to Hall, housing inventory seems to be the area that could be stronger. There will be more than 251 new dwellings in downtown by 2025, and numerous builders are active in and around Pittsburg. The focus is on the larger, planned developments that produce neighborhoods with dozens of homes. “We continue to work on the market, where skilled contractors experienced in production building could have a significant impact,” said Hall. “We are also looking at zoning updates and creative funding sources to allow for infrastructure support.” The challenges are not unique to Pittsburg, but are repeated in cities large and small across the country. “It’s a problem we will continue to work on,” Hall said, adding that the city is currently under contract for a new Housing Needs Assessment, which will continue to guide our efforts and help grow Pittsburg. The third challenge is connecting Pittsburg to Kansas City and Tulsa with a four-lane highway. While the city has a stake in such a project, the ultimate timeline for construction is up to the Kansas Department of Transportation. Access to such a route would have a significant impact on growth and increase opportunities. The default route between Tulsa and Kansas City, that most GPS systems will pull up, is I-44 to I-49, which turns into Highway 71 as it enters the southeastern part of the Kansas City metro. “Imagine if you could stay in Kansas when you leave 44 instead of getting on 49 and making that drive into Missouri,” Hall said. “That would bring so many more people through our area and our state. It would have to have a positive impact on your economy.” While the Journal reports a population drop in the past year, it may just be ringing an alarm that doesn’t need rung. Pittsburg may not be growing by leaps and bounds, but it is not declining either. “The old adage is you are either growing or shrinking,” Hall said. “We have had basically the same population for decades. Our economy is growing, but creating new housing is proving to be difficult for the same reasons many communities are facing.”
Source: Morning Sun
Municipal Bond Trends for August 21, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.
Johnson County opens a facility for kids in mental health crises
A new Johnson County facility is opening with promises of a more sympathetic approach to helping kids in crisis. It has video games, basketball courts and weekly yoga. It offers couches and a TV — an improvement from the steel bars or hospital gowns at other locations.
Source: Johnson County Post
Disaster declaration approved for May storms in Kansas
The Federal Emergency Management Agency says disaster assistance will be available to help with recovery efforts from severe storms that hit 14 Kansas counties in May. … Public assistance federal funding is available to the state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the storms in Barton, Ellsworth, Harvey, Hodgeman, Lincoln, Morris, Ottawa, Pawnee, Reno, Rush, Russell, Stafford, Wabaunsee and Wyandotte counties.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Municipal Bond Trends for August 20, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.
Disappearance of city clerk leaves Peabody in challenging situation
Christopher King, husband of Jonathan Clayton, interim city clerk for the City of Peabody, reported him missing on Aug. 3. His disappearance has left his family, friends, and the City of Peabody scrambling for answers. The disappearance: Clayton’s last known phone conversation was with Peabody Mayor Catherine Weems at 9:20 a.m. on Aug. 3. Clayton mentioned attending a PMSA meeting at 11:30 a.m. and that his husband, Christopher King, was unwell. Weems noted no changes in Clayton’s behavior “Even our conversation on Saturday morning seemed perfectly normal,” Weems said. However, when Clayton failed to appear at the meeting, concerns arose. “A PMSA board member contacted me when Jonathan didn’t show up. Jonathan was never late,” Weems said. Fearing an accident, she shared her earlier conversation with him. Board members couldn’t locate Clayton, and when he didn’t return home, King reported him missing. Peabody Police Chief Philip Crom said the department is actively working on the case. Clayton, 42, is 6 feet tall, around 215 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen driving a red Chevy Silverado with an extended cab. Clayton served as the interim City Clerk of Peabody. He was originally hired as the city’s animal control and health and safety officer. Crom said law enforcement pinged Clayton’s phone on Aug. 4, but by Aug. 5, it was off. Searches of Peabody and Newton by his husband and sister have been unsuccessful. “The last ping that hit was at the Holiday Inn Express that morning at 10:30 a.m,” King said. King said staff at the hotel said he came in, asked to use the bathroom, and left. King also said that the Kansas Highway Patrol did a search of Clayton’s grandma’s farmland in Kiowa County. “His sister, Jessica, and I have spent many hours searching this area, Newton and around Marion County, and the highway patrol has, as well. So the searches have been going on and are continuous. And now I think there are folks looking at a lot of digital and online interactions to see if that could find out where he’s at from that,” King said. Clayton and King, a city council member in Peabody, operate CK Vintage, an antiques and craft store in the city. Clayton also took a job working for the City of Peabody as the city’s animal control and health and safety officer in 2023 after leaving the Kansas Department of Commerce, where he served as the director of economic recovery. Due to vacancies of Peabody staff, Clayton was promoted by the Peabody City Council to serve as interim clerk in June. Clayton also volunteered with the Peabody Main Street Association, which aims to revitalize the City of Peabody, and had received $1.5 million in state grant funding for its work. “Jonathan could talk to anyone, and they respected him,” PMSA Board Member Morgan Marler said. King said they are working continuously to find him. “There are lots of things that will come out later that I’m not at liberty to speak about because it involves the investigation,” he said. Clayton’s past: With increased media scrutiny as well as a continuing investigation into his disappearance, Clayton’s past has surfaced. In 2016, Clayton was arrested for financial crimes in Philadelphia and later pled guilty to one count each of forgery, theft by unlawful taking and conspiracy to commit theft. He completed probation but still owes restitution of approximately $195,000. The Department of Commerce claims they were unaware of these charges, while the City of Peabody confirmed they knew but emphasized that Clayton had no access to city funds. The mayor, as well as the police chief, have reiterated multiple times that there is no criminal investigation related to Clayton in Peabody. “We do not have concerns about any criminal activity on the part of Jonathan Clayton during his city duties,” Weems said. Weems told the Wichita Eagle in an interview that he did have access to the city credit card, but no improper purchases were found. According to King, he was also arrested in association with the Philadelphia case but was not charged with the crime, which involved a plan to take funds from a ride-sharing platform Clayton worked for in Philadelphia and use them to fund a theatre company he and King were both involved in. “I was arrested initially because I owned the theater company,” King said. “He did the financial part of it. I did the creative part of it. But I was never convicted of any felonies or anything.” Peabody Main Street, where Clayton volunteered his time as a grant administrator, was also aware of Clayton’s past criminal charges. According to Marler, the PMSA board has expressed no concerns about any criminal activity on the part of Clayton. She said Clayton helped PMSA enact several policies that have allowed them to obtain documentation and show that no mismanagement of funds has occurred. According to documentation from PMSA, provided to the Department of Commerce and the Hillsboro Free Press, as grant administrator, Clayton did not have access to any PMSA funds. “Our community embraced him and his husband, even after we found out about the felony, because we truly believe that people deserve second chances,” Marler said. There are no criminal charges pending in Peabody. “Here in Peabody, all I’m working on is the missing persons case,” Crom said. “There is no criminal investigation or allegations of criminal behavior in Peabody. I know the Kansas Highway Patrol has an investigation open, but I do not have details about that.” In the Wichita Eagle article, King told the paper Clayton was under investigation for his handling of money for the State of Kansas and while serving on multiple board positions in his hometown of Mullinville. Captain Candice Breshears of the Kansas Highway Patrol issued the following statement. “The Kansas Highway Patrol is an assisting agency to the Peabody Police Department regarding the Jonathan Clayton missing person case. This is an ongoing investigation, and there is no other information available at this time,” Breshears said. “Please refer to the KBI missing person report or contact the KBI for any information regarding Mr. Clayton’s whereabouts.” The email: On Aug. 8, Clayton’s email account sent an automatically scheduled message to various officials and media, with a disclaimer noting it was to be sent upon his incapacitation or death. The email contains allegations against Department of Commerce employees, including Lieutenant Governor David Toland and others Clayton previously worked with. Clayton resigned from the Kansas Department of Commerce on Nov. 20, 2023, after serving as director of economic recovery for several years. The email alleges that Clayton was made to alter grant application scores for BASE grants in order to funnel them to certain legislative constituencies, like Butler and Johnson counties. The grant used federal COVID funds to distribute $100 million in funds in the first round of awards in 2022, according to a state press release at the time. Butler and Johnson Counties received $51.6 million in awards, according to the Kansas Department of Commerce website. Newton applied for one such $12 million grant to pay for upgrades for the Kansas Logistics Park and did not receive it. A second round of $50 million in funding was awarded, with Halstead receiving $144,000 to build a spec building at its industrial park. The Department of Commerce acknowledges receiving the allegations made in Clayton’s email. “The Kansas Department of Commerce has been made aware of allegations of misconduct against a former employee in connection to activity that occurred after they left state employment,” Patrick Lowry with the Department of Commerce said. “We are reviewing the matter to determine what, if any, impact the alleged activity may have to the agency or community partners. We are also assisting state and federal law enforcement, as appropriate. Due to the ongoing investigation, we will have no further comments at this time,” Since the email was sent five days after Clayton disappeared, some assumed this meant he had access to his email. However, Crom said that is not the case. Rather, Clayton had scheduled the email in advance. “Each week, a prompt would come up on his computer and ask if he wanted to send or delay the sending of the email,” Crom said. “He would just delay it another week. But when he wasn’t there to press the delay button, the email automatically sent on Aug. 8.” King said, at this point, he would not say anything negative about Toland. “Anything that I would say that Jonathan told me which is hearsay at this point. And to protect myself, I’m going to not say anything at all,” King said. “I’m just thankful for all the help they’ve given Peabody and everything they’re doing for Peabody.” PMSA implications: Clayton’s disappearance coincided with the Department of Commerce’s denial of the second $750,000 portion of a $1.5 million BASE grant to PMSA. He was scheduled to meet with PMSA on the day he went missing to transfer grant data from his laptop. In May 2023, the Department of Commerce awarded PMSA $1.5 million to revitalize Peabody’s historic district, with Clayton playing a key role in securing the grant as the then director of economic recovery. “He came into town like a magical unicorn,” PMSA Board Member Lindsey Hutchison said, acknowledging his significant help. However, as Clayton volunteered with PMSA after resigning from the Department of Commerce, delays in receiving the second grant installment caused growing concern. “Here is this guy that works for the Department of Commerce that wants to move to our little town and help us apply for this huge grant, a grant that could save our downtown. And he did help, he had a big heart, but we all know there are no magical unicorns. And this has hurt us,” she said. By July, PMSA had yet to receive the funds. Clayton repeatedly assured the board that all documentation was submitted and under review. On July 26, Amber Cabrera, a Department of Commerce attorney, informed PMSA they were missing documents, setting an Aug. 9 deadline. Clayton’s removal as grant administrator was requested during a meeting between PMSA, Cabrera and Department of Commerce Director Erin Starr. On July 29, PMSA received a list of needed documents. The meeting Clayton scheduled with PMSA board members the day of his disappearance was arranged so board members could begin downloading all of the pertinent BASE grant data from his laptop. Marler said the board members believed it would be a simple transfer of data from his laptop onto one of their devices. With Clayton missing and no access to his laptop, the board began attempting to contact the Department of Commerce and working with local law enforcement in an effort to locate Clayton. The Department of Commerce did not return their phone calls; rather, they sent a termination letter at the end of the business day on Aug. 6, advising PMSA their grant had been terminated and funding needed to be returned to the Department of Commerce. Instead of giving up, PMSA board members dug in and worked even harder to find the needed documents. On Aug. 12, the board accessed Clayton’s computer with help from his sister, who was able to provide passwords. They thought they would just download his hard drive and retrieve their documents. However, they found 760 accounts requiring passwords and tens of thousands of documents, all unlabeled or filed. “Our volunteer board has put in more than 650 hours, as of Aug. 16, while each of us maintained our full-time employment,” Marler said. While the work has been tedious, the board has been able to confirm critical information; all projects have been completed, contractors have been paid and there was no embezzlement by Clayton from the BASE grant account. The Hillsboro Free Press contacted the Department of Commerce on Aug. 16 to inquire about the status of the grant funding. The Department of Commerce, via Lowry, advised the Free Press an extension has been granted, and PMSA now has until Sept. 4 to submit the needed documentation. They also now have staff in Peabody working directly with PMSA, providing technical assistance and explaining the reporting requirements. While Clayton is not here in person to address the documentation concerns, his automatically sent email alluded to the situation. “Finally, the allegations by the commerce department that I did not provide sufficient documentation for two BASE grant awards is unilaterally unfounded and I believe to be a form of retaliation,” Clayton stated in his email. “These allegations have been escalating since my October 2023 departure from the commerce department.” Unanswered questions: Two weeks have passed since Clayton disappeared, leaving many questions unanswered. The most pressing: where is he, and is he safe? “We and even the people that he’s wronged at this point cared about him, and they still care about him. All of us wanna see him. If he’s done anything illegally, we want him to face the consequences, because all of us strongly believe in that. But we wanna know that he’s safe. And if there’s some kind of mental health crisis going on, we wanna make sure that he can come home and get the help that he needs at the same time,” King said. Weems asked for patience and understanding as they navigate the situation. “Peabody is resilient, and we will persevere,” Weems said. If anyone has any information about Clayton’s whereabouts, they are urged to contact the Peabody Police Department or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Source: Harvey County Now
Halstead working to improve safety for students
Planning is underway to update a portion of Sixth Street in Halstead, making it safer for students on their way to school. “It will make it safer for children to walk,” Halstead City Clerk Julie Wait said. This is part of the Safe Routes to School project Halstead is working on. Wait said from Sixth to 10th Street, there are no sidewalks. “They [students] are walking in the street,” Wait said. Wait said the project would also improve the existing sidewalks. Wait added that the proposed improvements would make the street more visually appealing, as well. Halstead received a $400,000 Transportation Alternatives Grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation. Wait said the city is required to match 20 percent, or $80,000, and cover any additional costs that come up from inflation. According to a report from County Administrator Anthony Swartzendruber, the county and city are working to reach an agreement for maintenance of the roads. The county is responsible for maintaining the two inner lanes of Sixth Street. The city maintains the outer two lanes. Initial city plans involved combining and re-striping the outer two lanes and condensing it into one lane. This would create 11-foot east and westbound lanes and an 11-foot turn lane. The city also planned to add a four-foot bike lane on either side of Sixth Street. “The re-striping of Sixth Street should naturally decrease the speed of traffic, improve the flow of traffic, allow for sidewalk expansion along Sixth Street and allow for the addition of bike lanes,” Wait said in an email. Plans for the street and the possible re-striping are still being finalized. The city completed the first phase in September 2021, which involved developing an improvement plan for the road. Wait said the city worked with Lochner, the engineering consultant, to complete phase one. Together, they analyzed the town to find what streets and sidewalks needed to be replaced and to determine what the route for the safe streets project would be. The city is now working on the second phase, which carries out those plans. Wait said so far the city has been planning out the project by meeting with engineers and the department of transportation. As of the time of writing, a start date and timeline for the project is unknown.
Source: Harvey County Now
Governor Kelly Announces Elanco to Invest $130M, Create 70 Jobs in Elwood
Governor Laura Kelly announced today that Elanco Animal Health Inc., a global leader in animal health, is investing $130 million to expand and renovate its manufacturing facility in Elwood. The expansion in Doniphan County is expected to create approximately 70 new jobs over the next two years. “The continued investment by Elanco speaks to the work my administration is doing to attract and retain businesses,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Elanco’s expansion is not only creating new jobs but is adding to the unparalleled economic momentum that has made Kansas the best state in the nation to live, work, and raise a family.” Elanco is located within the Animal Health Corridor, which is the single largest concentration of businesses working to improve animal health worldwide. These businesses produce everything from veterinary pharmaceuticals to specialized food for livestock and pets. Elanco’s Elwood site currently manufactures and ships its Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody and will be the flagship location for Elanco’s future monoclonal antibody manufacturing. This product is the first and only USDA conditionally approved targeted treatment for parvovirus, which affects an estimated 330,000 dogs annually in the U.S. The expansion will add the needed capacity to support Elanco’s growth in monoclonal antibody innovation. “Expanding the capabilities at our Elwood manufacturing site is a critical step toward executing the most exciting pipeline in Elanco’s 70-year history,” Elanco Manufacturing and Quality Executive Vice President Grace McArdle said. “In partnership with our Elanco research and development colleagues, this site plays a key role in delivering solutions that are transforming the way veterinarians and pet owners care for the world’s animals. We appreciate the commitment of the State of Kansas, Doniphan County, and the City of Elwood to help pets live longer, healthier, more active lives.” This project will help enhance the local economy through increased tax revenue and serve as a stable long-term employer in Elwood. The company will be better positioned to optimally serve customer demands with improved project development and commercialization lead times. “Sitting in the heart of the Animal Health Corridor, Kansas is a powerhouse in this critical sector – attracting companies from across the nation and around the world,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Elanco is an excellent example of the top-notch employers the Kelly-Toland administration is committed to partnering with as we grow the state’s economy.” Design-build firm Burns & McDonnell, headquartered in Kansas City, is leading the expansion project as the primary provider of integrated design and construction services.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Halstead sets another public hearing for battery storage
With the City of Halstead still awaiting feedback from Concurrent LLC, the planning commission tentatively set a public hearing for their next meeting on Monday, Sept. 16. City Manager Ethan Reimer hoped this would get a response from Concurrent, a company wishing to locate a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Halstead. The commission listed regulations at a meeting in June. The city attorney then sent the regulations to Concurrent but hadn’t heard back. “I’m hoping this will put pressure on them,” Reimer said. Reimer said if he told them there was another public hearing, he hoped that would encourage Concurrent to respond to the BESS regulations proposed. According to past reporting by Harvey County Now, the commission requested regulations around the noise level. After testing areas in town, the commission agreed that the noise decibel should not exceed a level of 75 within 100 feet of the property. The commission also set restrictions of a 25-foot setback for the side and rear of the property. The commission said they wanted regulations available to the public before the meeting so that the meeting had different community feedback from the last public hearing. “I want regulations up so people can look at them ahead of time,” Tessa Windling, chair of the planning commission, said. The commission said they would reschedule the public hearing if information wasn’t up for the public two weeks out from the meeting. The commission also approved a conditional use permit for two accessory structure requests. The sheds were for personal use and would be 1,500 square feet, which exceeds the 720 square foot limit.
Source: Harvey County Now
Lawrence City Commission agrees to put sales tax increase on ballot, continues discussion of 2025 budget
Lawrence city commissioners decided Tuesday that they will ask Lawrence residents to vote on whether to approve a .05% sales tax increase to fund homelessness programs. Otherwise, much of the 2025 city budget is still up for discussion. Commissioners heard from more than 30 people during their budget hearing, most asking them not to increase property taxes. Many also asked commissioners to maintain funding to staff Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical fire trucks with four staff members rather than cutting staff for each truck to three, as the city manager’s budget had proposed. In their discussion, commissioners considered ways to save on costs and potentially lessen tax increases, such as using fund balances — essentially the city’s savings accounts, or funds kept on hand in case of emergencies. They agreed that spending fund balances was not sustainable but thought it could help get through a particularly difficult year when sales tax revenues came in far below what the city anticipated. Commissioner Brad Finkeldei summarized items the commission would like city staff members to look into and bring back for further discussion: Funding 149 total operational staff for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, and staffing each fire truck with four people; Adding one LDCFM deputy chief; Funding non-sworn personnel for the Lawrence Police Department; Postponing the start of construction of new fire stations by one year; Looking at using special funds to fix some playgrounds; Authorizing Parks and Recreation to look into advertising and sponsorships; Charging the University of Kansas for false fire alarm calls; and Decreasing the amounts of raises some city staff members will receive. Here’s the full text of the question commissioners approved to put on the ballot: “Shall the City of Lawrence, Kansas be authorized to repeal the 2019 Sales Tax in the amount of five one-hundredths of one percent (0.05%) in the City of Lawrence, Kansas, and replace it with the levying of a new special purpose retailers’ sales tax in the amount of one tenth of one percent (0.1%) for the purposes of (1) providing and improving the quality, availability, and affordability of housing in Lawrence, acquiring land for future affordable housing units, investing in private/public partnerships for the provision of affordable housing, and such other related affordable housing purposes as may be in the best interest of the City, and (2) providing temporary emergency shelter for persons experiencing homelessness and related services including but not limited to providing food, laundry, transportation, storage, non-prescription medical supplies, case management, and outreach services as well as homeless prevention services including but not limited to rent stabilization funding, utility assistance, assistance obtaining government identification cards, government benefits, and such other related programs and services for persons experiencing homelessness as may be in the best interest of the City, the collection of such sales tax to commence on April 1, 2025 and shall terminate ten years after its commencement, all in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 12-187 et seq. and amendments thereto?”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Manhattan is ‘special place’ for incoming city manager Danielle Dulin
Home is where the heart is, and Manhattan’s newest city manager said she is returning to work in a community she always has loved. Long before the Manhattan city commission appointed Danielle Dulin as city manager early this month, she was an economics student at K-State. She grew up in the small Kansas town of Bucklin about 30 miles southeast of Dodge City, but it was in the Little Apple that she met Mike, her husband and a fellow K-State graduate, and began her professional career.
Source: 1350 KMAN