Kansas Municipal News
Derby officials say limited information was accessed in January system breach
Derby officials said a limited amount of information may have been accessed during a computer system breach that was discovered in mid-January, but there’s no indication that this information was misused. The city discovered a computer network disruption on January 14th, and this affected some systems. The disruption affected email services and caused utility bills to go out late. City officials said the information that was affected included residents’ names, addresses and personally identifiable information. There is no evidence of actual misuse of this information and there’s no indication that it will be misused in the future. As a cautionary step, the city is sending notices to potentially affected people with a posting on Twitter and Facebook. The city has also implemented additional security measures within its computer network and at city facilities.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
There is every reason to trust your community banks today
Residents of small towns in Kansas might think that the much-talked-about banking crisis, currently in the headlines, might not affect them. For the most part, they would be correct. But bad practices at the Silicon Valley Bank and the Signature Bank found themselves unable to supply money to their depositors who were depending upon their funds to operate private businesses. Quick action by the Federal Reserve and FDIC led to action by the Federal Government to guarantee all deposits in both banks, and hopefully, avoid the same crisis among other lending institutions. While both banks have been seized and placed up for sale, there is every reason to think our borrowing, depositing and check writing can continue, without delay, among banks across America. That brings us back to where most Kansas banks are today — in private hands, as community banks. They did not get heavily invested into crypto financing, as SVB and Signature did. And, community bankers still know their reason for existence, which is to serve the consumers who make deposits and borrow funds through their banks.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
‘We’ve done so much work’: Amtrak potentially making its way through Wichita
The last time Wichita saw an Amtrak train moving through its neighborhoods was in 1979. Over 40 years later the rumble and whistles could be back. “We’ve done so much work locally and regionally to prepare Kansas, Department of Transportation, and Oklahoma Department of Transportation to agree that they think that this is a worthy solicitation for those two states to join together to pursue,” said Sedgwick County Commissioner, Pete Meitzner.
Meitzner said financial issues such as ridership and cost caused the cancellation of many routes. He added whenever there is not enough revenue to cover the cost, the states make up for it. Meitzner said times have changed and Amtrak has made technological advances. He said he’s confident ridership will be up. The Federal Railroad Association (FRA) has approximately 51 billion in grant funding. Meitzner said Oklahoma and Kansas are going to have to split the cost. The grant will pay 80 percent of that cost.
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas Supreme Court to make rare visit to rural Kansas
The Kansas Supreme Court is set to visit a town in north central Kansas for the first time in its 162-year history. The justices on the Kansas Supreme Court will travel to Concordia to conduct a special evening session on April 11, according to the Kansas Judicial Branch’s website. This visit is meant to help familiarize Kansans with the court, its work and the overall role played by the Kansas Judiciary. The session will last from 6:30 p.m. to around 8 p.m. at the Concordia High School.
All members of the public are invited to attend the special session to learn more about the court as it hears oral arguments in two cases. When the hearing concludes, the justices will greet the public during an informal reception.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Emporia residents urged to help set city’s ‘action plan’ during next week’s visioning meetings
Emporians are asked to give their thoughts on community needs and goals during a pair of visioning meetings on the calendar next week. … This part of the process connected to funding through the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge approved for Emporia back in November. The RDA is working with Atlas Community Studios on the grant, which is being split between Emporia and Tunica County, Mississippi. The USDA expects results of the grant to include an analysis of broadband Internet capacity for homes and businesses, strategy development to improve local housing, new or enhanced cultural and recreational amenities, strengthened workforce development and establishing a peer exchange network.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio
Sales tax cut would cost Humboldt
In late February, the Kansas Senate passed a measure, Senate Bill 248, that eliminates the collection of sales taxes on food for cities and counties as well as that charged by the state. The difference to Humboldt would be about $52,000 garnered from its 1.75% sales tax on designated grocery items. Humboldt collected $462,000 in sales tax revenues for 2022. While that may appear negligible, the fact that state legislators can order such a change goes against the people’s will, Humboldt city administrator Cole Herder said. “It’s not good policy. The people of Humboldt voted to have that tax, and now you have legislators who may not even know where Humboldt is, telling them they are going to cancel that election. Humboldt city administrator Cole Herder talks about a Kansas Senate proposal that would eliminate the collection of sales taxes on food for cities and counties as well as that charged by the state. The measure has been tabled.
Source: The Iola Register
Lawrence City Commission to consider land purchase, zoning and code exemption for Pallet Shelter Village
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will consider a $725,000 land purchase, a contract for $1.11 million of temporary shelters for people experiencing homelessness, and a resolution suspending zoning and code enforcement on that property for a year. The commission in December approved budgeting $4.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act money — federal COVID-19 relief funds — to purchase modular homes from Pallet, a Washington state-based “Public Benefit Corporation.” The modular Pallet homes, which will include a heating and cooling source but no bathrooms, will be part of a “village setting” that includes restrooms, laundry, shower and community gathering facilities and support service offices.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Western JoCo development at K-10/Ridgeview paves the way to future opportunity
Two decades ago, Ridgeview Road was a humble gravel road in western Lenexa. By 2020, a $30 million extension transformed it into a path of opportunity for 600 acres of all types of development. The area around the Kansas Highway 10 and Ridgeview interchange now is awash in projects either under construction or approved. News that Panasonic Ltd. is bringing a $4 billion, 4,000-job EV-battery plant down the highway undoubtedly will increase interest in the intersection. But the megaproject isn’t what triggered the current activity. “There was natural growth that was coming this way, whether it’s one plant or several companies over five to 10 years from now,” Lenexa Mayor Mike Boehm said. “A boom of development was probably going to happen on the K-10 corridor anyway.”
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Municipal Bond Trends for March 16, 2023
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman, Beth Warren and Henry Schmidt.
Emporia gets a bit more magical
Emporia Main Street, along with several local businesses, have become the new homes for a collection of Fairy Doors. The community is invited to come downtown starting this week and look high and low (well mostly low) around local businesses for some new and colorful installations. Emporia Main Street launched this concept to provide the community and visitors a fun, free activity to do while visiting downtown and surrounding businesses. “We had such a great response to our interactive murals, and we wanted to produce another initiative that would draw people downtown,” explains Jessica Buchholz, Community Development Coordinator for Emporia Main Street. “The Urban Fairy Door project is designed to generate more foot traffic for our local businesses. We know if we can get more people in front of a business they are more likely to patronize that business and spend their dollars locally.”
Source: Emporia Gazette
Burrton considering request for Sunday liquor sales
Lisa Cokeley, owner of The Wet Spot, asked the Burrton City Council to consider making Sunday sales legal at its March 7 meeting. She later explained that the fact that other little towns in the region already allowed Sunday sales meant that it could be a good opportunity for the business she and her husband purchased about a month ago. She said she didn’t know what legal hoops she or the city would have to jump through to make it a reality. “I’ve talked to others who are doing very well on Sunday sales around here,” she said.
Source: Harvey County Now
Commissioners open to changes in how back taxes are collected
The Board of Harvey County Commissioners appeared willing to consider County Treasurer Becky Fields’s request to change how tax foreclosure actions are handled for people who are behind in their property taxes. Fields asked commissioners three times, including the past two weeks, to repeal the charter amendment the county enacted in May 2019 because she said any taxes paid get applied to the most recent tax bill owed. “That doesn’t help them, because it puts them in a tax sale,” she said. Fields said she wanted the county to follow the state statute whereby someone behind on property taxes could pay the oldest taxes due first to get their property out of risk of a tax foreclosure sale. She noted that the law allowed the county to seek a foreclosure action if a property owner owed five years of back taxes.
Source: Harvey County Now
North Newton considering breaking away from planning and zoning, historic preservation commissions
North Newton Mayor Ron Braun said during the regular city council meeting Monday that allowing North Newton and Newton to have their own planning and zoning and historic preservation commissions is a matter of positivity. Currently, both towns have representatives on each of those commissions. He said the matter was formally brought up last year, and it’s just meant for each entity to deal with matters regarding their own towns. Newton takes up about 98 percent of the agendas anyway, he said. “Now the conversation focuses really not encumbering one city with another city’s agenda,” he said during the meeting.
Source: Harvey County Now
Find the economic impact of the Kansas airport nearest you
If you have ever wondered how vital an airport can be to a Kansas town, no matter how big or small, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has the answer. For example, Wichita’s Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport supports 20,583 jobs and has an economic output of $6.1 billion.
| Other Airports | Jobs Supported | Economic Output |
| Topeka Regional | 1,774 | $199.9 million |
| Salina Regional | 640 | $31.9 million |
| Garden City Regional | 232 | $44.5 million |
| Great Bend Municipal | 137 | $22.2 million |
| Hays Regional | 170 | $22 million |
| Goodland Municipal | 128 | $29.8 million |
“Every airport serves a unique and important role for their community,” Bob Brock, KDOT director of aviation, said in a news release. “It is this uniqueness that makes credible data on individual airports even more important to local, state and national decision-makers.” KDOT’s Division of Aviation worked with industry experts to get a close-up look at all 140 public-use airports across Kansas and put the details on a new website. The data includes the economic impact on the community, the condition of the runways and which ones need improvements.
Source: KSN-TV
KS House passes expansive voucher-like program, ties it with Kelly’s top education priority
The Kansas House narrowly passed the largest school choice program in state history while tying it to special education funding long sought by public school advocates and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. … The House fell far short of a veto proof majority setting up a major uphill battle if the policy reaches Kelly’s desk. But supporters are hoping the inclusion of one of Kelly’s top education priorities will earn her signature. Last week Republicans tied together the controversial voucher-like program to special education funding, essentially daring Kelly to either approve a program she has long opposed or veto additional funding for special education, which has been a key part of her second term platform. Kelly asked for $72 million in funding next year followed by an additional $72 million increase for the next five years.
Source: KC Star Local News
Assessing the state of the city, county and school board
Growth and development were two common themes during the annual State of the City Breakfast in Paola. About 50 people attended the breakfast, which was organized by the Paola Chamber of Commerce and took place at the Paola Country Club on Tuesday, March 7. Jeremy Smail of First Option Bank served as the moderator. Attendees listened to officials from the city of Paola, Paola USD 368 and Miami County give updates.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Parsons: Food truck rules vital for health, safety
The city of Parsons enacted a new food vendor ordinance earlier this week, and it’s elicited feedback from residents on social media who wonder why it is necessary. City officials say it is necessary for the health and safety of food truck owners and patrons who eat at them. “It makes legislative sense; it makes safety sense,” said Jim Zaleski, economic development director for the city of Parsons. … Zaleski said this ordinance is needed no matter what. He said it is positive for business with keeping the health and safety of everyone intact. “It’s not about doing what’s popular. It’s about what’s doing what’s right for the residents,” Zaleski said.
Source: Parsons Sun
This river that starts in Johnson County is in trouble, but people are trying to help it
On a warm morning last April, several hundred people fanned out along a waterway in Kansas City. In the span of a few hours, they collected about 30 tons of garbage along the Blue River. The annual effort takes on the visible scars of overdevelopment and neglect, removing nearly 2,000 tons of litter and illegally dumped trash over the past three decades. Volunteers will again roll up their sleeves this year — on April 1 — for Project Blue River Rescue, a tradition that began with the Friends of Lakeside Nature Center and a local chapter of the Missouri Stream Team program.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Johnson County mayors oppose bill to end local food sales tax
Twenty-two Johnson and Wyandotte County mayors raised their collective voice this week in alarm about a proposal in the state legislature that would eliminate local sales taxes on food – a move they say could halt construction projects already in progress and endanger their cities’ bond ratings and budgets. The mayors, members of the Johnson and Wyandotte County Council of Mayors, also warned that ending their ability to collect sales tax revenue on food would likely result in property tax increases to make up for lost sales tax revenue.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Cities, counties oppose Senate president’s food sales tax proposal
Cities and counties came out Wednesday against a proposal by Senate President Ty Masterson to fill a budget hole caused by a bill that would eliminate millions of dollars in local sales taxes on groceries. While they liked the intent of the Masterson’s proposal, they said they were disillusioned by years of promises from the Legislature to reinstate revenues that it’s taken from local government.
Source: Sunflower State Journal