Kansas Municipal News
A Kansas bill hopes to weed out bad cops by sharing job applications
Kansas police departments could soon have another tool to keep unqualified candidates away from law enforcement. A proposed bill would require agencies to share information used on a job application and, more importantly, share information on why a candidate was rejected. A candidate could be rejected from one law enforcement agency and continue to apply to other agencies without those agencies knowing why they were rejected. Law enforcement agencies can share application materials with other departments that show why they rejected a candidate, but they currently don’t have to.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Study concludes Johnson County workers need a raise
Staffing and labor costs are emerging as top challenges for the county commission as this year’s budget-writing season gets underway. In the past two weeks, commissioners have discussed problems connected to a shrinking labor supply and the cost of filling vacancies in the sheriff’s office as well as other county departments. Those challenges were underlined by a recent study commissioned by the county that concluded, in part, that county worker pay needs to increase by 6% on average in order for the county to stay competitive in a tightening labor market.
Source: Prairie Village Post
3 license plate readers will be put on Roe in Roeland Park
Roeland Park will soon have three license plate readers operating at two of the city’s busiest intersections along Roe Boulevard. The license plate readers are intended to serve as an investigative tool for law enforcement to identify license plates associated with reported crimes but not to catch speeders or drivers who run red lights, Police Chief John Morris said.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Brian Silcott selected as new Ottawa city manager
When Brian Silcott and his wife, Mary Elizabeth, were introduced last week at a meet-and-greet reception at the Bottle House, he admits it would have normally been a nerve-racking experience. But it was actually just the opposite. Silcott was one of four finalists interviewing to succeed longtime Ottawa City Manager Richard Nienstedt, who retires at the end of the month. It was their opportunity to make a good first impression on local residents who turned out to meet and pose questions to the candidates. “Usually when you have community meet-and-greets, there’s some social anxiety there just because you’re seeing so much, but both my wife, Mary Elizabeth, and I felt very welcome by the community as a whole,” he said. Silcott talked about his experience Monday afternoon after he was named as Ottawa’s new city manager during the Ottawa City Commission’s study session.
Source: Ottawa Herald
BlackRock says the Federal Reserve could hike interest rates to a peak of 6%
Rick Rieder, managing director and chief investment officer of fundamental fixed income for BlackRock Inc., speaks during the Institute of International Finance Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Oct. 11, 2013. The world’s largest asset manager sees the U.S. federal funds rate peaking at 6% after Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned interest rates are likely to head higher than the central bank previously expected. “We think there’s a reasonable chance that the Fed will have to bring the Fed Funds rate to 6%, and then keep it there for an extended period to slow the economy and get inflation down to near 2%,” BlackRock’s chief investment officer of global fixed income Rick Rieder wrote in response to Powell’s testimony before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday. The economy is more resilient than expected, Rieder said, pointing to the most recent jobs report and consumer price index reading. “This is partly due to the fact that today’s economy is no longer as interest-rate sensitive as that of past decades, and its resilience, while a virtue, does complicate matters for the Fed,” he wrote in the note.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
EPA edict has cities questioning piping
Get the lead out. That’s the edict from the Environmental Protection Agency that Newton and other cities find themselves working to comply with in relation to their water system. Newton recently sent out a survey to residents, asking for information on what the pipes in their homes are made out of, as the EPA requires. “If it was my home, I’d want it out,” City Engineer Suzanne Loomis said. “Lead can make you real sick.” … Residents have until Friday, March 31, to fill out the survey. Following, city staff must go to residents who have filled it out and inquire if people need help filling out the survey and plan to do so. She said it’s in the interest of both residents and the city to fill it out and turn it in. … She said if the city doesn’t have a high turn-in rate, it could invite additional scrutiny and rules to follow from the Kansas Department of Health and the EPA.
Source: Harvey County Now
Municipal Bond Trends for March 7, 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 Chair Powell says interest rates are ‘likely to be higher’ than previously anticipated
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Tuesday cautioned that interest rates are likely to head higher than central bank policymakers had expected. Citing earlier data this year showing that inflation has reversed the deceleration it showed in late 2022, the central bank leader warned of tighter monetary policy ahead. “The latest economic data have come in stronger than expected, which suggests that the ultimate level of interest rates is likely to be higher than previously anticipated,” Powell said in remarks prepared for two appearances this week on Capitol Hill. “If the totality of the data were to indicate that faster tightening is warranted, we would be prepared to increase the pace of rate hikes.”
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Powell Says Fed Is Prepared to Speed Up Interest-Rate Rises
Chair Jerome Powell said the Federal Reserve would consider raising interest rates by a larger half percentage point this month and was likely to lift rates higher than previously expected this year to cool an economy that has shown surprising strength. Mr. Powell’s comments to lawmakers Tuesday laid the groundwork for a notable shift in tactics to reduce price pressures. He said hotter inflation and hiring could lead central bank officials to alter their recently adopted strategy of raising rates in smaller quarter-point increments.
Source: WSJ.com: US Business
Upgrades to Wichita’s sewer system expected to eliminate 98% of the smell, city says
Federal loans will fund 49% of Wichita’s major sewer system upgrades, which are expected to get under way this year and will result in cleaner wastewater emissions into the Arkansas River by 2027. The Wichita City Council on Tuesday approved a funding agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency for $191,481,121 in WIFIA loans, the same program used to fund $280.9 million for Wichita’s new drinking water plant. “I just want us to pause for a second and actually celebrate this. This is a legacy project for the community, and specifically for this council,” City Manager Robert Layton said during the meeting.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Winfield proposes sidewalk repair reimbursement plan
The City of Winfield is proposing a plan to reimburse landowners for sidewalk repairs, a task that property owners currently bear the entire cost for. Based on results of a 2010 Transportation Assessment Study, repairs and upgrades to the city’s sidewalk infrastructure would cost a total of $7.5 million in today’s dollars, according to a memo from Winfield Community Development Director Patrick Steward. According to a questionnaire community members filled out several years ago as part of the city’s comprehensive plan update, 50% of respondents said the city and landowners should split the cost of sidewalk repairs, 47% said the city should pay the full cost, and 3% said the landowners should foot the bill.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Brad Matkin is new Fort Scott city manager
Brad Matkin was officially chosen as the new Fort Scott City Manager Tuesday evening. The vote to approve his contract, which was not available prior to press time, passed 4-1 …
Source: Fort Scott Tribune
One of 3 sites in Sedgwick County could have electronic gambling machines
Sedgwick County will soon have a new gaming facility with historical horse racing machines at one of three potential sites: Towne West Square in west Wichita, Wichita Greyhound Park in Park City, or at a planned $160-million entertainment complex in Park City. Sports betting legislation signed into law in Kansas last year cleared the way for the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission to license an operator of up to 1,000 historical horse-racing machines in Sedgwick County.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Wichita delays action on tobacco ordinance
Wichita City Council members have delayed action for a week to consider language in an ordinance that will establish new penalties for people who sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. The ordinance eliminates the criminal penalty for people under 21 to possess tobacco, but law enforcement officers can still confiscate tobacco items. The ordinance will create a minimum fine of $200 and a maximum of $1,000 with six months in jail for retail employees who sell tobacco to minors. There’s also a $250 penalty for a business that sells tobacco to underage people, and that fine can be increased with multiple offenses, leading up to a license suspension.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Harvey County will consider changing rules at county parks
The Board of Harvey County Commissioners got their first look at revised regulations for the county’s three parks Thursday morning. Commissioners didn’t take action, but the revised regulations will be brought back before them next week. The regulations will more clearly define when park staff and law enforcement can have someone removed from park grounds for behavior that is illegal, dangerous or unreasonably disruptive. County Administrator Anthony Swartzendruber said the park regulations were last updated in 2019. He said the new regulations would go into effect April 1, which is when the annual park passes go on sale, if commissioners approved them next week.
Source: Harvey County Now
Kelly admin wants extra funding for STAR Bonds. Critics say that’s proof it doesn’t work
For years, a controversial sales tax incentive in Kansas has been billed as a way to build transformational tourist destinations that draw visitors from across the region. Kansas STAR Bonds have helped to build well-known attractions like the Kansas Speedway and Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. But state leaders have often over-promised and under-delivered on STAR Bonds projects, allowing the bonds to fund more mundane uses like adding new turf to soccer fields or creating shopping centers. The program is now at risk because of its reliance on local taxpayers to pay off project debts.
Source: Kansas City Star
Consultants recommend City of Lawrence allocate $1.4M in grant funds to affordable housing
Statistics and survey responses made clear that affordable housing is Lawrence’s most pressing need in order to alleviate and prevent homelessness, consultants told the city commission on Tuesday. The city has been allocated about $1.64 million in federal HOME-ARP funds, but it must provide a plan for how it’s going to spend those dollars by March 31. Consultants received survey responses from 918 Lawrence and Douglas County residents. Of those responses, 38.5% identified construction of new affordable rental housing units as their highest priority for the HOME-ARP funds.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Overland Park to hold special sales tax election for street upgrades
Overland Park is now set to hold a special mail-in election this June asking voters to approve a dedicated sales tax that would go towards improving aspects of the city’s aging infrastructure. Notably, city officials say funds raised by the tax would also allow the city to reduce its reliance on chip seal, the controversial road resurfacing method. The Overland Park City Council Monday night unanimously approved putting the proposed 3/8-cent special sales tax up for a vote. If approved, the new tax would be an increase from the city’s current 1/8-cent sales tax, which is set to expire in March 2024.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Municipal Bond Trends for March 6, 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.
Wichita’s historic former Firehouse No. 7 in Riverside to be auctioned
An unusual building is up for auction in Riverside this month. The 2,112-square-foot property at 901 N. Porter Ave., which is at the northwest corner of Franklin and Porter, was built as Wichita’s Firehouse No. 7 in 1922. “That’s really got a lot of history to it,” said auctioneer Rick Brock of McCurdy Real Estate & Auction. According to the Kansas Firefighters Museum archives, the $25,000 station initially had four firefighters assigned there.
Source: Carrie Rengers: Business Columns & Blogs |