Kansas Municipal News
Board learns of staff duties at Labette County Health Department
Tasked with promoting and protecting the health of the communities in the county, Labette County Health Department employees’ duties are vast and varied. The Labette County Commission, meeting as the board of health, this week learned all the responsibilities of Health Department personnel. Health Department Administrator Lisa Scott said most of the department staff is cross-trained, but each has a specialty area.
Source: Parsons Sun
Decoding your grocery bill after Kansas’ food sales tax cut
Groceries are slightly cheaper in Kansas following a food sales tax cut that went into effect Jan. 1, but you may still have questions about how much you’re paying. The cut lowers the sales tax rate on many food items from 6.5% to 4%. But some Kansas consumers have complained they’re still getting charged too much or have otherwise expressed confusion about the numbers on their receipts. … While the state sales tax on food was cut from 6.5% to 4%, that’s not the only tax you get charged at checkout. Shoppers still pay separate sales taxes on food to both the county and city they’re shopping in. You may also pay additional sales taxes if you are shopping in areas designated Community Improvement Districts, which are aimed at incentivizing developers.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Municipal Bond Trends for January 13, 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.
Residents drive, shape Leawood’s brand of suburban luxury
Suburban luxury is Leawood’s brand, and it will continue to be so as long as its residents aim to keep it that way. The 75-year-old city began as a bedroom community of 1,000 residents who fled the bustle of Kansas City seeking the quiet of suburbia. As it evolved, the city has grown into the jewel of Johnson County with its multimillion-dollar neighborhoods and high-end storefronts to serve its population of roughly 34,700. Leawood’s terrain changed significantly when Tomahawk Creek Parkway was put in. Making room for commercial and office uses is an important addition to the city’s mix, Mayor Peggy Dunn said, but Leawood will never be a corporate town. Neighborhoods are the city’s niche. … Dunn said the city rarely grants incentives and never has used tax increment financing because other tools better fit residents’ needs. “We don’t want the public to pay to develop something,” Dunn said. “We’ve been persistent, and we’ve been consistent, and I think we’ve tried to treat everyone equally because other developers have foot the bill and paid for projects themselves. Our group of City Council and myself as mayor have wanted to just maintain that consistency.” One exception is if a project involves state incentives and structured parking.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
JoCo Commission votes to keep new public comment rules
Rules regarding public comments instituted by new county chair Mike Kelly remain in place after Kelly’s first meeting Thursday, despite some opposition from residents and other commissioners. Several residents attended Thursday’s meeting — Kelly’s first as chair — in person to protest the new rules, which end livestreaming of public comments at commission meetings and require residents to give their comments either in person or in writing. After discussion, the commission ultimately upheld Kelly’s rules in a vote by a narrow 4-3 margin.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Guns and fentanyl at high schools is a community problem, KCK officials say
As drug overdoses and gun deaths have been increasing on both sides of the state line, they’ve spilled into area schools – prompting administrators to look for solutions. In December, a student was arrested at Wyandotte High School for possession of a loaded gun with an extended magazine and fentanyl. In November, a student was arrested at the same school for possessing 15 fentanyl pills, according to incident reports from Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. Dr. Anna Stubblefield, the district’s superintendent, says these incidents are reflective of the world that students live in. … Stubblefield says students are young and don’t always make the best decisions. That’s why she says it’s educators’ job to hold them accountable, but they also need to help them grow and learn how to make different ones in the future.
Source: KCUR News
Hannes Zacharias (KU professor and former Kansas municipal official) featured on GovLove Podcast
Culture eats strategy. Hannes Zacharias, Professor of Practice at the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs and Administration, joined the podcast to talk about high performance organizations. He shared the traits of high performance of organizations, the importance of culture, and how to constantly improve an organization.
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Source: ELGL
Municipal Bond Trends for January 12, 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.
KU researchers assert FCC map of high-speed broadband access in Kansas ‘highly inaccurate’
The Federal Communications Commission’s state-by-state map of broadband availability didn’t capture the potential of 1 million Kansans living in regions without adequate high-speed service, University of Kansas researchers said. The findings were significant because the federal government plans to distribute $42.5 billion in broadband expansion funding to states based on the FCC’s map. In November, the FCC released maps showing broadband was available across Kansas and more than three-fourths of the state’s residents had access to reliable service. The deadline for states to challenge the map is Friday.
Source: Kansas Reflector
At public meeting about wind farm rules, residents speak out against commercial wind energy projects in Douglas County
A public meeting about proposed regulations for wind farms in Douglas County became contentious Thursday evening as some members of the public spoke out against the possibility of any commercial wind energy projects coming to the county. That included some comments directed at representatives of Florida-based energy firm NextEra Energy Resources, who were present at the meeting and said the company is interested in the possibility of a future large-scale wind energy project in the county. The company has previously confirmed to the Journal-World that it’s exploring whether a wind energy project would be viable in southwest Douglas County.
Source: LJWorld
Douglas County district attorney, sheriff continue to battle over whether sheriff must produce personnel records of officers
A dispute between the Douglas County district attorney and the sheriff is continuing, with the DA issuing more subpoenas seeking testimony about the credibility of officers in the sheriff’s department. Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister continues to object to those subpoenas as an overreach on the part of the district attorney. All this comes after a Douglas County District Court judge late last month declined to require Armbrister to comply with previously issued subpoenas, but also declined to cancel — or quash, in legal terms — the subpoenas. Instead, Judge Sally Pokorny urged the two elected officials to cooperate.
Source: LJWorld
GCCC recieves donation from Valley State Bank
Garden City Community College received a $30,000 donation from Valley State Bank in the form of a tax credit in December. GCCC is selling Kansas Department of Revenue tax credits to be used for the ongoing STEM Success Center project, a 10,000 square feet addition to the Warren Fouse Science and Math building for learning space dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). With locations in Syracuse and Garden City, Valley State Bank (VSB) has been a supporter of Garden City Community College for over a decade. During this time, VSB has supported the Broncbuster Athletic Association, GCCC Endowment Association, and many GCCC programs such as welding, meat science, and the rodeo team.
Source: Greater Garden City
Muni leaders spar over disclosure, ESG
Muni leaders are airing disagreements and concerns about the Financial Data Transparency Act and other recent developments, highlighting some long-simmering tensions over how issuers disclose information to the market. The multi-pronged discussion on FDTA and other hot topics occurred Thursday at the Richard Ravitch Public Finance Initiative Launch Symposium sponsored by the Volcker Alliance and hosted by the Pew Charitable Trust in Washington. The event was anchored by a study on Sustainable State and Local Budgeting and Borrowing. The study promotes a more active role for the federal government via a carrot of paying issuers for more robust disclosure combined with a stick of congressional oversight.
Source: The Bond Buyer
Wichita continues rebate program for water-saving devices
The City of Wichita has started offering rebates again this year for residents who purchase water-saving devices and appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines. The City Council approved the program and it was put into effect Wednesday. The program has been offered since 2013 and Public Works spokesperson Penny Feist said it has saved an estimated 466 million gallons of water over the past decade. The program is part of the city’s ongoing water conservation program to respond to drought conditions.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Emporia seeking input on skate park project
The City of Emporia is seeking feedback on its plan to expand a local skate park. Residents are encouraged to submit their input through an online survey. “The City of Emporia is now looking at opportunities to redesign and expand on the Skate Park amenities currently located in Santa Fe Park (South Ave & West St). While this park may see some improvements, expansion at this location is not an option,” the city announced in a Facebook post. The survey, which can be found at emporiaks.gov/1470/Skate-Park-Survey, will help the city “develop a concept for future improvements at Whittier Park here in Emporia.”
Source: Emporia Gazette
Jackson County Clerk Kathy Mick announces retirement
Jackson County Clerk Kathy Mick has announced that she will retire at the end of March after serving as clerk for 30 years. Mick was first elected to the position of county clerk in 1992 and took office in January 1993. She has worked in the county clerk’s office for a total of 44 years, starting as a part-time employee during her sophomore year of high school in 1978. She worked part-time after school and then full-time during the summer months, she said. Mick graduated from Holton High School in 1981 and began working full-time at the clerk’s office shortly thereafter. At that time, her aunt, Edna Brock, was serving as the Jackson County Clerk.
Source: Holton Recorder
Small Kansas town unites to save historic house
One small Kansas town united to save a historic house in their hometown of Lincoln. The house was built in 1905 by J.W. Grubb, a former mayor of Lincoln. People say the interior is one of a kind with outstanding woodwork, newspaper insulation and more.” “It has great bones it has great woodwork, it has just a lot of character,” Director of Lincoln Co. Economic Foundation Kelly Gourley said. The house was moved about two miles outside of town because the hospital in Lincoln needed the land the house sat on.
Source: KSN-TV
Sedgwick County EMS earns reaccreditation
Sedgwick County EMS has earned reaccreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS). A news release from the county says that Sedgwick County EMS is one of more than 180 ambulance services in the country to successfully complete the voluntary review process. That review process includes a comprehensive application and on-site review by national experts in emergency medical services. Sedgwick County EMS is one of just two accredited ambulance services in the state of Kansas.
Source: KSN-TV
Art project part of Wichita’s Northwest Water Treatment Facility
The City of Wichita is seeking qualified artists for three public sculpture art commissions on the grounds of the new Northwest Water Facility. The facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2024. The artwork for the project is expected to be installed by the end of 2023. The new water treatment facility is being built near 21st North and Hoover across from the Sedgwick County Zoo. The new water treatment plant will serve the city of Wichita, surrounding communities, industries, and wholesale customers. The new plant will provide 120 million gallons per day of drinking water and will replace the aging Main Water Treatment Plant.
Source: KSN-TV
School board gets first peak into survey results
A summary of the answers to the telephone survey sponsored by the Winfield board of education to see what can be salvaged from the failed bond issue in November didn’t offer much direction. Rick Nobles of Excellence K-12, which did the survey, explained the results to the board at Monday night’s meeting. The respondents approved of pursuing secured entrances for all school buildings, FEMA-rated safety shelters for each school and working on deferred infrastructure problems.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler