Kansas Municipal News
City of Lawrence may consider adopting version of the CROWN Act
Lawrence’s Human Relations Commission on Thursday voiced support for the city to adopt a version of the CROWN Act, a law that blocks race-based hair discrimination. Michele Watley, founder of Shirley’s Kitchen Cabinet, presented to the HRC on why Lawrence should implement the CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” Watley is the founder of Shirley’s Kitchen Cabinet, a Kansas City-based organization dedicated to advocacy for Black women.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Chanute Ks, is celebrating its 150th anniversary
Chanute, Kansas is celebrating its 150-th anniversary. The city was founded in 18-72 as a railroad hub. Chanute is a city located in the southeast part of the state of Kansas. the city was founded in the 1870’s, during the expansion of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railway westward, which played a major role in the city’s growth and development. “So in 2023 is our 150th anniversary. we’re looking at a number of different events. we’ll have a downtown block party on July 1st with a circus that has stilt walkers and aerial acts and different things like that, as well as activities that go on down along our main street.” Said Jane Brophy, the Executive director of Chanute Chamber of Commerce.
Source: KOAM News
Pittsburg unveils new fast-charging station
As of Wednesday afternoon, Pittsburg has a new fast-charging station that has literally put the city on the map for electric vehicle (EV) drivers. “If you looked at a map of charging stations in Kansas this morning, Pittsburg wasn’t there,” said Colonial Fox Foundation Executive Director Vonnie Corsini, “But this afternoon, we are.” Before Wednesday’s unveiling, the closest fast-charging station was outside of Joplin, at the interchange between I-44 and I-49. Although another charging station is in Pittsburg, near the Kansas Technology Center, it is not a fast-charging station. The new station can fully recharge an EV in two hours or less, according to Kelly Burgess, electrification specialist for Case New Holland (CNH) Industrial in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Source: Morning Sun
Municipal Bond Trends for February 22, 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.
Fed minutes show members resolved to keep fighting inflation with rate hikes
Federal Reserve officials at their most recent meeting indicated that there are signs inflation is coming down, but not enough to counter the need for more interest rate increases, meeting minutes released Wednesday showed. While the Jan. 31-Feb. 1 meeting concluded with a smaller rate hike than most of those implemented since early 2022, officials stressed that their concern over inflation is high. Inflation “remained well above” the Fed’s 2% target, the minutes stated. That came with labor markets that “remained very tight, contributing to continuing upward pressures on wages and prices.” Consequently, the Fed approved a 0.25 percentage point rate increase that was the smallest hike since the first March 2022, taking the fed funds rate to a target range of 4.5%-4.75%. But the minutes stated that the reduced pace came with a high level of concern that inflation was still a threat. … The summary repeated that members believe “ongoing” rate hikes will be necessary.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Harvey County approves sixth-month moratorium on renewable energy projects
The Board of Harvey County Commissioners adopted a resolution Tuesday morning that placed a six-month moratorium on commercial renewable energy projects on a 2-1 vote in what was at times a tense meeting. Commissioners took action on a separate resolution that would have called for an advisory election.
Source: Harvey County Now
Bullard still favors hiking rates to 5.375% as fast as possible
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said the U.S. economy is proving more resilient than expected and repeated his call for the central bank to keep raising interest rates. “I think we are going to have to get north of 5%. Right now I’m still at 5.375%,” Bullard told CNBC in an interview Wednesday. “We’ve got a little ways to go here and I’ve argued that ‘hey, let’s get to where we want to go’ and then from there we can see how the data come in. Let’s hope that we get disinflation in 2023.”
Source: The Bond Buyer
Fed minutes show members resolved to keep fighting inflation with rate hikes
Federal Reserve officials at their most recent meeting indicated that there are signs inflation is coming down, but not enough to counter the need for more interest rate increases, meeting minutes released Wednesday showed. While the Jan. 31-Feb. 1 meeting concluded with a smaller rate hike than most of those implemented since early 2022, officials stressed that their concern over inflation is high. Inflation “remained well above” the Fed’s 2% target, the minutes stated. That came with labor markets that “remained very tight, contributing to continuing upward pressures on wages and prices.”
Source: Finance
Integra Technologies announces megaproject site for Wichita-area semiconductor plant (in Bel Aire)
Integra Technologies has selected a site to build its microchip manufacturing and testing plant, part of a heavily subsidized $1.8 billion project aimed at winning the international competition for semiconductor superiority. The 1-million-square-foot building will be built at the southeast corner of the intersection of Rock Road and U.S 254 in Bel Aire. A training center and interim headquarters will be at 3718 N. Rock in Wichita, where Integra is leasing space.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Four out of five Sedgwick County homeowners will see tax appraisals increase again
Four out of five Sedgwick County homeowners will see higher tax appraisals when notices are mailed out March 1. “In a very hot market, demand exceeded supply for homes, and prices, they went up,” County Appraiser Mark Clark told the County Commission on Wednesday. Tax appraisal increases are driven by sales of new and existing homes. The median sale price for a home in Sedgwick County increased to $225,000 from $203,000 in 2021, which was the first time the median price point had topped $200,000.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Harvey County’s rescue workers describe response in the event of a train derailment
As hazmat crews continue to clean up the site of a train derailment in northeast Ohio that exposed residents to toxic chemicals, Harvey County’s top rescue officials were questioned about how they might respond if such an incident happened here. “We would respond with an appropriate accoutrement of resources, eyes on the ground to see what we have,” Newton Fire Chief Steve Roberson said. He said he would try to get accounts from first responders to size up the situation instead of bystanders.
Source: Harvey County Now
City of Sedgwick leaders interact with the community at Sodality Place
The City of Sedgwick held a meet and greet on Tuesday to allow community members to interact with the new city administrator (Kyle Nordick), the new chief of police (Lee Nygaard), and the new full-time officer (Josh Blanding). Nordick said he truly appreciated everyone who came out and that it was great to see and meet new people. “Personally, the people I met last night were all new connections which is exactly what I had hoped for,” Nordick said. “This allowed us to conversate on things and obtain perspective on how well we are doing in the city, as well as areas that we are missing on.”
Source: Harvey County Now
Wetmore School to close
The Prairie Hills USD No. 113 board of education has voted to close the Wetmore Academic Center. According to a report in the Sabetha Herald, at the Feb. 13 meeting, the board approved a resolution to close the the school at the end of the 2022-23 school year. Board President Leslie Scoby said the decision was not easy and the board’s decision was based on extensive study and reflection on several things, including: declining enrollment, difficulties of distributing resources to all three campuses, challenges to the community of a school closure.
Source: hiawathaworldonline.com
9 apply to be Marion city administrator
Nine people have applied to be Marion’s city administrator, Mayor David Mayfield said Tuesday. “We’ve gotten quite a few in the last couple weeks,” he said of applications. “I’m pretty impressed with some of them we’ve got.” Tuesday was the first time council members publicly discussed hiring a new administrator. … Mayfield proposed meeting in executive session at 4:30 p.m. March 1 to review applications and narrow the list of candidates to four.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal
Have Kansas police seen more marijuana arrests since Missouri legalization?
The Overland Park Police Department says they’ve seen no increase in tickets or arrests since recreational marijuana became legal across the state line. “It’s still early,” spokesman John Lacy told FOX4 Wednesday. “That law just passed recently, and we know that there are people who are probably purchasing in Missouri and bringing it across state line, but we have not seen an increase or a spike.” Lacy said patrolling their portion of Interstate 435 as drivers head west from Missouri into Leawood and then Overland Park hasn’t been a priority yet.
Source: KSN-TV
Proposed rezoning could lead to rural housing development
A proposed rezoning could lead to the development of homes on five adjoining 15-acre tracts of land northwest of Paola and south of Hillsdale Lake. Members of the Miami County Planning Commission reviewed plans for the requested rezoning during their meeting Tuesday, Feb. 7. The plans were submitted by Charles Klaasmeyer, who owns about 160 acres of land zoned Agricultural (AG) at the southeast corner of 271st Street and Crescent Hill Road. Klaasmeyer has requested that the land be rezoned to Countryside (CS) because CS allows for 15-acre lots as opposed to the 20-acre minimum in the AG zoning.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Atchison County approves development of bike route
County leaders have officially paved the way toward development for Atchison County to become part of a national cross country bike route. Commissioners Chairman Casey Quinn, Vice-chairman Eric Noll and Commissioner Allen Reavis signed Resolution No. 2023-1518 to approve and support the development of United States Bicycle Route 55 through Atchison County as designated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. … Proposed plans are that in Kansas the Route 55 runs along the eastern edge of the state from the Nebraska state line to the Oklahoma border.
Source: News | atchisonglobenow.com
Humboldt to decide 4-day school option
School board members are expected to decide by April whether they will institute a four-day school week for Humboldt-USD 258. A committee looking into pros and cons of a shorter school week will present information to Board of Education members in March. The school board has the final say. The plan is to decide before the district sets the 2023-24 school calendar in April, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amber Wheeler told the Register.
Source: The Iola Register
Looking into Reno County’s past through photographs
The curator of the Reno County Museum decided to put Hutchinson on the map − in a new way. He created a pictorial history book, featuring dozens of photos of historic Reno County. David Reed sorted through the museum’s collection of photos and picked out the ones he thought would best represent the county. Then he researched each picture and created a fact-filled blurb. “Images of America: Hutchinson and Reno County” was released on Jan. 16, with all the proceeds from the sale of the book going to the museum. For about a year, Reed wafted through the museum’s collection, trying to find the photos that he thought were special. Many of the city’s churches, which were built during the late 1800s, are featured in the book, as are the original post office, several banks, the county jail and the courthouse. Each blurb is meticulously researched, paying attention to dates.
Source: Hutch News
Second microchip project sought in Burlington
Kansas is pursuing federal funding for a second microchip plant, this time at a location an hour south of Topeka dubbed “silicon prairie,” with the aid of about $371 million taxpayer-funded subsidies. Gov. Laura Kelly announced Monday that EMP Shield plants to invest $1.9 billion in a computer chip manufacturing plant at Burlington’s Silicon Prairie Industrial Park. EMP Shield will create 1,200 jobs averaging $66,000 a year, the governor said. Six out-of-state suppliers are joining EMP Shield, creating an additional 1,000 jobs in Coffey County. Four production lines will produce thousands of microchips a week. Burlington has a population of about 2,600. The governor’s office said bus routes will be established to transport workers from metropolitan areas.
Source: Hutch News