Kansas Municipal News
USD 413 looks to overhaul summer school program
Potential changes to the USD 413 summer school program could soon become a reality. During the Feb. 6 Board of Education meeting, Assistant Superintendent Matt Koester said that he and Taryn Sigler, After School program coordinator, have explored ideas that offer greater flexibility to students and staff participating in the program. “Our whole discussion was about carrying our after school program to the summer time and redesigning our summer learning program to be more week-by-week based,” he said.
Source: Atchison Globe Now
Park City and developers consider potential STAR bonds district
The group already has been working on plans for an almost $500 million tourist destination for more than a year and a half. [Developer Matt] Baty said they’ve “put together a model that we think is going to be a regional and national draw.” The central piece of the district is a potential aquarium. “We’re in conversations with several operators about their potential interest,” Baty said. There likely would be other entertainment venues, including a museum, and two multipurpose facilities as well. Residential is a possibility as well along with hotels, restaurants and retail. Park City administrator Sean Fox called it all “pretty amazing.”
Source: Wichita Eagle
Old library in downtown Wichita vandalized
It’s where thousands in Sedgwick County went to get their COVID shots. But, now it’s become a target for vandalism. Damage was done to several windows at the downtown library over the weekend. The damage looks like a rock or something was thrown through one window. The others are boarded up. But, the city says it’s going to take steps to protect this site. And that it’s looking further down the road for what will go here next. “Looks like a lot of damage,” said Halle Brittain, a Valley Center resident. Five windows at the Old Library have been replaced with boards. Another, with a hole and cracks, has been taped up. Residents say it’s a sitting target.
Source: KAKE – News
City says cases handled by Louisburg judge without law license are still valid
All acts of former municipal judge David Ruder while he was in office are valid and enforceable despite the fact that he was serving without a valid law license for 20 years, according to the city of Louisburg. Ruder recently resigned after reportedly allowing his law license to lapse but continuing to serve as a municipal judge for the city of Louisburg. The city of Louisburg made the initial announcement in a social media post Monday, Jan. 23, stating that Ruder began serving as the Louisburg Municipal Court judge in 2008.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
KDHE issues stream advisory for Marais des Cygnes River near Osawatomie
Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a stream advisory for the Marais des Cygnes River near Osawatomie, Kan. The stream advisory is a result of an ongoing inflow and infiltration issue near the city of Osawatomie’s wastewater treatment plant. The advisory has been issued because potential elevated bacteria and contaminants may be present in the Marais des Cygnes River near the city. Anyone who lives or has activities near this stream is advised to not enter the water or allow children or pets to enter.
Source: Osage County News
Fed’s Bowman expects more rate hikes to reach inflation goal
The Federal Reserve will likely have to keep raising interest rates to rein in price growth, which could slow economic expansion and affect the jobs market, Governor Michelle Bowman said. “We are still far from achieving price stability, and I expect that it will be necessary to further tighten monetary policy to bring inflation down toward our goal,” Bowman said Monday at a community banking conference in Orlando, Florida. “Doing so will likely lead to subdued growth in economic activity and some softening in labor-market conditions.” She said restoring price stability is essential to support a sustainably strong labor market. … Fed officials lifted their benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point to a range of 4.5% to 4.75% on Feb. 1. The smaller move followed a half-point increase in December and four 75 basis-point hikes prior to that. Officials in December forecast rates peaking at 5.1% this year, according to their median projection. They will update those estimates next month.
Source: The Bond Buyer
Lawrence Police, FBI to address fentanyl crisis during community forum
It’s time to have the talk, according to the Lawrence Police Department. The department is joining forces with the FBI, the Lawrence School District and the Douglas County District Attorney to discuss what it calls the “fentanyl crisis” in the community.
Source: KSNT 27 News
$850,000 Funding Announced for Downtown Building Revitalization
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced $850,000 has been made available to fund a new round of Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grants. The HEAL program, which is funded by the Department of Commerce and the Patterson Family Foundation, provides grants to small communities across the state to revitalize downtown buildings.
The HEAL program is designed to bring downtown buildings back into productive use as spaces for:
- New or expanding businesses
- Housing
- Arts and culture
- Civic engagement
- Childcare
- Entrepreneurship
“Downtowns throughout Kansas are already making dramatic and visible improvements because of this popular program,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “Our partnership with the Patterson Family Foundation is creating even more opportunities for communities to bring their historic buildings back to life and strengthen their local economies.”
HEAL is intended to close financial gaps in restoring underutilized properties and making downtown districts throughout the state more economically vibrant. Applicants must show that submitted projects have potential to become economic drivers in the community.
Eligible applicants must be organizations applying on behalf of building owners and may include designated Kansas Main Street programs, economic development organizations, cities, counties, 501c3 or 501c6 organizations, and local community foundations.
Private building owners should contact their local organization to work in partnership on the application and to identify buildings that are strong candidates for the HEAL program. The buildings should be underutilized, valuable to the historic fabric of the downtown district and have a feasible plan for adaptive re-use.
“Contributing to the HEAL program alongside the Department of Commerce is a natural fit for our foundation’s mission,” said Lindsey Patterson Smith, President of the Patterson Family Foundation. “Downtown areas are often the heart of communities of all sizes, and we believe rural downtown spaces especially will benefit from improvements to their beauty, safety, and greater accessibility.”
HEAL matching grants will be awarded for either façade or building construction projects. Communities that received a previous HEAL grant are not eligible to apply in this round.
Proof of matching funds from the building owner will be required at the time of application. The application window opens February 13 and closes March 31 with award notifications at the end of May.
Information about the HEAL grant program and the online application can be viewed at www.kansascommerce.gov/heal.
Municipal Bond Trends for February 10, 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.
Board will vote Monday on whether to sell a former Wichita school to private developers
A former Wichita school that has sat vacant since 2011 could be sold to private developers if school board members approve the contract at Monday’s meeting. The former Price Elementary property at 6123 E. 11th Street, later renamed Blackbear Bosin Academy, would be sold to Garvey Ventures LLC for $500,000. The building was built in 1956 and sits on more than six and a half acres near 13th and Woodlawn. Garvey’s vice president of finance Aaron Wiechman said that if the sale is approved by the school board, developers will likely repurpose the property for housing.
Source: Wichita Eagle
$50 million project announced to downtown Pittsburg’s Block22
A new building, a two-story pavilion, redevelopment of the historic Besse Hotel… Pittsburg State University announces some big changes in the Block22 neighborhood. It’s the “Gorilla Rising.” PSU is working with the City of Pittsburg and local businesses on a new initiative they hope will strengthen the local business district and provide students with new and unique learning experiences. The University estimates the cost of the project to be about $50 million. … One part of the new initiative is adding a new building to the PSU Kelce College of Business. Officials say the building currently leased by BMO Harris Bank will be the footprint of a new building at Fifth and Broadway. As part of that new building, PSU will partner with the Colonial Fox Theatre to share space in a two-story pavilion. The Theatre already planned a space like that to accommodate a lobby expansion and theatrical support.
Source: KOAM News
Manhattan unveils, dedicates new $22.5 million joint maintenance facility
The City of Manhattan proudly unveiled their new joint maintenance facility during a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday. City Manager Ron Fehr delivered some opening remarks about the $22.5 million building that will now house over 100 employees from various departments and facilities across the city. Fehr said the facility provides significantly more space and resources than these departments had previously.
Source: 1350 KMAN
New bill addresses county nuisance enforcement
Hearings will begin in the state senate’s Local Government Committee at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in Topeka about SB-162, a bill granting counties greater authority to enforce nuisance ordinances similar to those enjoyed by cities. The bill is sponsored by Riley County, but has gained the attention and support of other counties in the state, including Crawford. According to Crawford County Counselor Jim Emerson, county governments used to have, or at least believed they had, the power to enforce the clean-up of nuisance properties that posed a danger to the public. That assumption was severely curtailed in the 2012 court decision Barnes v. Board of County Commissioners of Cowley County.
Source: Morning Sun
Daniel Farley is hired as the next South Haven School Superintendent
Wellington High School graduate Daniel Farley has just been hired to be the South Haven School Superintendent. He will begin his tenure on July 1, 2023. The USD 509 South Haven School Board of Education made the hire this week. Farley is currently serving as the Director of Special Programs at USD 353 Wellington school district. Mr. Farley has broad educational experience as a teacher and administrator. He also served as Assistant Director of Sumner County Educational Services/Principal of Sumner County Academy for two years and was also the Assistant Principal at Clay Center Community High School for two years.
Source: Sumner NewsCow
Debry hires Bel Aire’s Jacqueline Kelly as city attorney
The city of Derby recently announced it has hired Jacqueline Kelly to serve as its new attorney starting March 20. Kelly will replace former city attorney Jacque Butler. Kelly most recently served as city attorney for the city of Bel Aire and has also served in a legal capacity with the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office – as assistant district attorney in the areas of civil probate/juvenile offender/traffic – and in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Energy companies want to block outside bids on projects
Kansas electric utility monopoly Evergy and other energy companies in the state want lawmakers to grant them more monopoly power over construction of new energy transmission infrastructure, a lucrative sector of the business that is expected to grow in need. Experts predict billions of dollars worth of transmission infrastructure will need to be built in the coming years. Existing energy companies want state lawmakers to help shield their share of the work from competition, while outside developers want a chance at a piece of the pie — feeding a legislative process flush with lobbyists.
Source: CJonline
Newton’s Sand Creek Station to host NJCAA Division I men’s golf tourney
The Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragon men’s golf team won the 2022 national championship at the Odessa Country Club in Odessa, Texas, and the 2021 national title at the Rawls Course in Lubbock, Texas. If the HCC men’s golf team, led by 2022 Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee Chris Young in his 23rd season, gets the chance to “three-peat” as NJCAA Division I national champions, they can do it close
to home. The 2023 NJCAA tournament will be played May 16-19 at the Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton. … “The city of Newton is thrilled to host the 2023 men’s NJCAA national championship at Sand Creek Station golf course,” said Newton city manager Kelly McElroy. “Our community is honored to receive such great players and their families. Newton has much to offer in the way of shopping, dining, and entertainment and we look forward to welcoming you to our community.”
Source: Hutch News
A look at how declining home construction in Lawrence is creating concern on multiple fronts, including at the school district
The fact that Lawrence isn’t building very many single-family houses causes concern not only for [school board president Shannon] Kimball, but also with the school board-hired consultants who were tasked with making enrollment projections for the district over the next several years. Kimball said those consultants have given the district “information that leads me to believe that we may be a declining enrollment district for the next five years.” Given that the state bases a lot of its funding for K-12 education on a formula that pays the district based on the number of students it has, declining enrollments are likely to make for tighter financial times at the district. That would make the wage issue tough to address.
Source: LJWorld
Office of Broadband to Launch ‘Kansas Broadband Roadshow’
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the Kansas Office of Broadband Development will take its “Kansas Broadband Roadshow” across the state beginning this week. Starting in Emporia on Wednesday, February 15, Broadband staff will travel the state to learn directly from Kansans about internet access and its availability in their communities. The meetings will give the Broadband Office a grassroots understanding of the current connectivity landscape throughout Kansas to develop an effective five-year strategic action plan and support statewide digital equity. … The Office of Broadband officially kicked off its engagement process on January 19 at the inaugural Kansas Broadband Summit. Staff gathered input from invested communities and partners to ensure strategic engagement. The upcoming public meetings will allow Kansans from across the state the chance to discuss their experiences, needs and opportunities as it relates to high-speed access and development. The office will hold events at 25 to 30 locations around the state. Special attention will be paid to groups and communities that historically have been disproportionately impacted by digital inequities. These groups include low-income households, aging populations, people with disabilities or language barriers, racial and ethnic minorities, rural inhabitants, incarcerated individuals, and veterans.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
American Warrior, Inc. v. Board of Finney County Comm’rs (Procedure for issuing conditional-use permits)
This case involves an appeal from a decision of the district court of Finney County affirming the validity of a conditional-use permit issued by the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) of Finney County to Huber Sand, Inc. to operate a sand and gravel quarry. The Appellants argue the procedures for reviewing and issuing a conditional-use permit adopted by Finney County—in which the BZA, rather than the planning commission and board of county commissioners, can issue conditional-use permits—impermissibly varies from the procedures mandated by the Legislature. As a result, they claim the permit issued here is void and unenforceable. Because our Supreme Court has held governing bodies must follow the procedures laid out in K.S.A. 2021 Supp. 12-757 in issuing conditional-use permits, we find that Finney County has impermissibly delegated authority to issue conditional-use permits to its BZA. Accordingly, we reverse the district court and find that the conditional-use permit granted to Huber Sand is void and unenforceable.
Read the Court of Appeals opinion here.