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Municipal News & Jobs

Municipal News & Jobs2018-08-05T16:28:50-05:00

Kansas Municipal News

Does your Johnson County tap water taste funny? Here’s why

For any Johnson Countian who may have noticed a funny taste or smell to their tap water lately, WaterOne has an important message: your water is absolutely safe to drink. The different “flavor profile,” as WaterOne officials put it, is due to seasonal temperature changes in local river water, and technicians are already making adjustments for it, said Mandy Cawby, WaterOne customer relations director.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Wichita mayor delivers State of the City address

Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple delivered a progress report Thursday evening on the city’s efforts to boost the economy, improve public safety and provide opportunities for all of its citizens.  In his State of the City address, the mayor said the city is working with Wichita residents to build a vibrant community. The mayor said the city has turned the corner on the COVID economy from 2020, and now has an unemployment rate of three percent.  He said the city has restored or created over 32,000 jobs and now has the most robust job market it has had in decades.    He said Wichita is leading the state in economic growth and is getting attention from companies around the world.  He talked about recent announcements from Bombardier, Novacoast and other companies in setting up their headquarters in Wichita.
Source: 101.3 KFDI

Derby adding new position on legal team

Due to some continuing shifts within the city of Derby’s legal division, staff proposed creating a new full-time assistant city attorney position that was approved by the Derby City Council at its Feb. 14 meeting. Currently, the legal division includes the city attorney (with Jacqueline Kelly just hired to the position), a part-time assistant city attorney and part-time city prosecutor. With the part-time assistant city attorney position vacant for over two years and the current city prosecutor recently giving notice, the decision was made to combine the roles into one full-time position to help attract potential employees. Replacing the part-time positions with a full-time position will cost the city $13,202.07 in 2023.
Source: Derby Informer | News

Tax credits may help with courthouse project

Barton County may be able to receive additional funding for the $4.2 million courthouse renovation, Chairman Shawn Hutchinson announced Thursday when the Barton County Commission hosted a Great Bend Chamber of Commerce coffee. “There’s a potential we could get $1.2 million back in tax credits,” he said. That is possible due to Great Bend Economic Development Inc.’s efforts to have the downtown area declared a historic district.
Source: Great Bend Tribune

Wind farm zoning trial set

Trial has been rescheduled for May 1 in a lawsuit filed 2½ years ago by a company that lost its bid to install wind turbines south of US-50 in an area within a Flint Hills wind farm moratorium. Trial was postponed from Dec. 5 because a lawyer for the plaintiffs had surgery. Although lawyers for both the company and Marion County have filed a multitude of papers in the case, it has not been resolved. Many of the filings ask the court to make a decision without a trial.
Source: HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Garden City firefighter passes on shield number to son in same department

A Garden City firefighter has passed on his shield number to his son, who is now in the same department. According to the Garden City Fire Department Facebook page, the father, Battalion Chief James Southern, joined the GCFD in March 2003. “[He] never thought he would see the day he and his son worked in the same department simultaneously,” the GCFD said. According to the GCFD, his son, Anthony Southern, would grow up to finish an enlistment in the Army and complete his Firefighter I certification.
Source: KSN-TV

Integra is bringing thousands of jobs to the area, but are there enough workers?

Integra Technologies’ semiconductor manufacturing plant is expected to bring 2,500 of jobs to the Bel Aire area, but are there enough workers? What could it mean for other businesses? It’s no secret that many industries have been struggling to attract workers and fill empty positions. Some business experts believe Integra will be able to fill this need, but it will take partnerships and will stir up some competition. “Anytime you are bringing in a major employer that many folks added to the labor pool, it’s a concern for everybody,” said Dr. Lary Straud, Associate Professor of Management at Newman University.
Source: KSN-TV

Loud booms in central Kansas believed to be military training, sheriff says

Residents in Barton and Rush County have heard some loud booms in the area, some that reportedly shook a car and opened a front door on Thursday. A KSN viewer in eastern Rush County reported hearing two loud booms and that a friend of theirs from near Olmitz said they heard the same a few days prior. Two other viewers stated that this wasn’t the first time hearing the booms over the past week as well. KSN reached out to both Rush and Barton County.
Source: KSN-TV

Pittsburg has a new EV charging station — near a local landmark

Many gathered in downtown Pittsburg for the celebration of the new EV charging station at the Colonial Fox Theatre. Pittsburg native and Pitt State graduate Kelly Burgess gifted the first, fast level three dc charging station in Southeast Kansas. This new charger gives electric vehicles a healthy charge in just two hours. The charging installation is supported by the Switch Energy Network where drivers can create and activate the station from their smartphones. The nearest station that would compare to this one is in Joplin.
Source: KSNF/KODE

This JoCo city is next to weigh antisemitism measure

Roeland Park is the latest Johnson County city considering adopting a non-legally binding definition of antisemitism that would guide the city’s response in the event of an act of hate. The item came up this week on the city council’s agenda, two weeks after Leawood adopted what is believed to be the first such municipal resolution against antisemitism in Johnson County. It also comes in the wake of multiple incidents at local high schools — including one at Bishop Miege in Roeland Park — in which students used antisemitic and racist language in acts that were investigated by police.
Source: Prairie Village Post

World-renowned pianist performs at Pratt library

Steven Spooner, a Professor of Piano at the Peabody Institute at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, made a stop at the Pratt Public Library on cold February 15 night, warming hearts and souls with his engaging pianistic abilities. “I’ve never been to a piano concert like this before so I didn’t know what to expect, but he was pretty good,” said local piano player and artist Patrice Egging. “I was particularly impressed with how soft he could play, and his expression. I was also impressed with his humility. I told him I felt like he was inspired by the spirit.”
Source: Pratt Tribune

Grant helps Winfield fire department with equipment

Winfield Fire Department and EMS has received an award of personal protection equipment worth $36,400 from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. The award, made Tuesday in Wichita, is for eight sets of new bunker gear and nine pairs of boots, all to help replace outdated gear and provide protection against burns, smoke inhalation and other dangers faced on the job. Winfield Fire Chief Vincent Warren and EMS coordinator Brad Klein accepted the award.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler

Dog park plans slowed by ADA requirements

Catapla Park in Arkansas City is still going to the dogs, it’s just taking longer than expected. The city announced its plan last October to revamp the small park into a safe place for pet owners to let their pets get some exercise, but so far no progress has been made. Municipal Planner Nick Rizzio said Tuesday that the goal for the project had been to keep the cost minimal and have it completed before the end of the year. The project will be more expensive than he had anticipated due to the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for parking spaces, sidewalks and an entrance and exit for each gate. He said the cost is still being evaluated.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler

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

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

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