Kansas Municipal News
City extends funding agreements with WIBA, Greater Wichita Partnership
Wichita’s City Council voted Tuesday to renew agreements and provide funding to two organizations geared toward supporting businesses and growing the economy. The Council approved $400,000 annually for the next three years for the Greater Wichita Partnership, along with $100,000 for one year for the Wichita Independent Business Association, or WIBA.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Airport touts grant programs, new routes in contracting service consultant
Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport has contracted a consulting firm the airport’s leader says could help add new routes from the city and get Wichita in the game on a federal grant program. The Wichita City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved signing Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting to a three-year deal for consulting services, continuing a previous partnership between the airport and the firm.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Wichita changes zoning code to increase capacity of home daycares
In an effort to improve access to child care, Wichita’s City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to increase the capacity of home daycares from 10 to 12 children. More specifically, the vote was to approve an amendment to the Unified Zoning Code, which is shared by Wichita and Sedgwick County and includes regulations for home occupations and daycares. The effort is in response to a desperate need for child-care availability in the Wichita area that officials say has a significant impact on the local workforce.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Investors Worry Too-Hot Economy Will Put Fed on More Aggressive Rate Path
The U.S. economy doesn’t look anywhere close to a recession. Investors are starting to worry that may ultimately be bad news for markets…. In ordinary circumstances, that run of strong economic data should be good news for markets as well. Yet investors have been viewing almost everything the past year through the lens of how it might affect the Fed’s interest-rate policy. Their growing fear is that if the U.S. economy remains too hot, it will force the Fed to raise interest rates higher and hold them there for longer than they anticipate. That would raise the chances of a sharp downturn, which in turn, would likely lead to more pain for markets.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Bill banning plastic bag restrictions runs into Senate hurdle
A bill barring local governments from regulating plastic grocery bags and other material ran into a roadblock in the Senate on Thursday morning. The Senate Commerce Committee voted down the bill that had been backed by the business community, including the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, the state restaurant association and the National Federation of Independent Business. It was the second consecutive year that the ban ran into difficulty although it has had widespread support from lawmakers in the past.
Source: Sunflower State Journal
$350M project in Newton will be region’s largest private investment in 5 years
Newton’s City Commission on Tuesday approved a development agreement for the construction of a new manufacturing facility for GAF Materials, a New Jersey-based roofing manufacturer with 26 plants across the U.S. Local economic development leaders in the area have called it the largest private sector investment in the Wichita region in the last five years. Under the agreement, Newton will provide up to $350 million in industrial revenue bonds, including a sales tax exemption on construction materials and equipment, as well as a 100% property tax exemption for 10 years. In order to receive the incentives, GAF must invest at least $75 million in improvements on the site.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Governor Kelly Announces EMP Shield Plans to Build $1.9 Billion, 1,200-Job Computer Chip Manufacturing Facility in Coffey County
Governor Laura Kelly today announced that EMP Shield, an industry leader in protecting electronic devices from destructive magnetic pulses, plans to invest $1.9 billion in a computer chip manufacturing facility in Burlington. The facility will create more than 1,200 jobs averaging $66,000 annually. EMP Shield will build its facility on 300 acres in a secure campus located at Silicon Prairie Industrial Park. The company will be joined by six out-of-state suppliers, resulting in an additional 1,000 jobs created in Coffey County. … EMP Shield plans to have four production lines operating in approximately 235,000 square feet of facilities in the new industrial park that will produce thousands of chips per week. Its suppliers will manufacture necessary components and prepare the final products for delivery.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Kansas governor: $1.9 billion, 1,200-job computer chip plant to be built in Coffey County
A company known for protecting electronic devices from destructive magnetic pulses Monday unveiled plans to invest $1.9 billion in a computer chip manufacturing facility in Burlington capable of employing an estimated 1,200 people when fully operational. Gov. Laura Kelly said EMP Shield would locate the secure chip-manufacturing facility on 300 acres in the Silicon Prairie Industrial Park. That plant would collaborate with six out-of-state suppliers capable of adding 1,000 jobs within Coffey County southeast of Topeka. “Right now, computer chips — the technology that powers everything from cars to smartphones to broadband — are mostly made in China. That’s a problem,” Kelly said.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Garden City launches Citizens Academy program for 2023
Garden City has announced the return of its popular Citizens Academy program, which will take place from March 23 to May 11. The free, eight-week course is open to all Garden City residents who want to learn more about services provided by the city and its daily operations. The program gives people a behind-the-scenes look at what happens within the City on a daily basis and helps them better understand how their community is run. The Citizens Academy program will be led by City staff and includes tours of facilities, as well as group activities. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with City leaders and staff, ask questions, and learn about the various services and programs provided by the City.
Source: KSN-TV
‘Fund the Field’: McPherson schools announce matching fundraiser opportunity
On Friday, the McPherson Public Schools Capital Campaign committee announced that there will be a $100,000 matching funds opportunity for their “Fund the Field” capital campaign project. This campaign was put together to help fund a new outdoor facility at McPherson High School. This includes a regulation artificial turf soccer/football field and an eight-lane track.
Source: KSN-TV
The Parsons Police Department is rolling out a new program
A new community outreach program is in the works for a local police department. The “Parsons Police Department” is rolling out a new program called “R-U-O-K”. The computerized system is geared toward helping people with medical conditions, mental health, and well-being concerns, as well as those who are at high risk for falls. They can add information like address, medical history, and emergency contacts. The system then makes daily automated calls to check in on anyone enrolled in the program.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Shawnee County 911 calls could change
Shawnee County commissioners plan to vote on a program that could change how 911 calls are fielded. 911 calls have a wide range of resources needed, and in the past valuable resources have been sent to a caller’s location, when they were needed more somewhere else. The Nurse Navigation Program changes that. The program was created by the American Medical Response to give everyone calling 911 the proper care. If the call is determined a lower equity call, meaning a lower-tiered emergency, such as illness or non-life-threatening injuries, then they will be put in touch with a nurse navigator to walk them through the best steps for their care.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Lenexa’s Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park to get major facelift this summer
Lenexa will go ahead with upgrades to Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park on 87th Street Parkway. The work will reimagine the Indian Trails Aquatic Center, add new parking and sidewalks throughout the 51-acre park and update the aging skate park. Last week, the Lenexa City Council voted unanimously to greenlight three separate projects related to the park on the city’s capital improvement project list valued at a total of $17.3 million.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Coffey County tapped for computer chip plant
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced Monday that EMP Shield, a Burlington-based company that specializes in protecting electronic devices from destructive magnetic pulses, plans to invest $1.9 billion in a computer chip manufacturing facility in rural Coffey County. The facility will create more than 1,200 jobs averaging $66,000 annually, Kelly said at a news conference. EMP Shield will build its facility on 300 acres in near Beto Junction in northern Coffey County.
Source: The Iola Register
Gov. Kelly Announces Airport Improvements
Governor Laura Kelly announced that 66 airport projects across the state have been selected for Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) funding for planning, constructing, or rehabilitating public-use general aviation airports. “Whether it be airplane manufacturing, a link in the supply chain logistics, or travel, the Kansas aerospace industry is an essential part of our state’s economy,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These grants ensure the safety and longevity of Kansas airports, all while contributing to economic growth and job creation.” The aviation industry represents over 120.6 billion in economic impact across a broad spectrum of supply chain and manufacturing industries in Kansas.
Source: Andover American
Could county level income taxes solve the property tax problems in Kansas?
One Kansas lawmaker thinks county-level income taxes are the answer to sparing Kansans the burden of ever-increasing property taxes. Sen. David Haley, D Kansas City, calls the proposal, SB 79, an earnings tax and says it’s based on the system in Kansas City, Missouri. Under the proposal, county residents would have to approve the up to 1% tax by vote. “We contend that a majority of anyone in a taxpaying entity, or that county, should be allowed to vote,” Haley told the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee Monday morning. “This would be triggered by the vote of each county, as to whether or not this would be imposed. And it would be put before the electorate every so often – in 10 years.” Half of the money raised would go to lower property taxes in that county.
Source: KAKE – News
Dwarf Goats: One Man’s Idea for Saving a Town in Rural America (Wilson, KS)
The former mayor of Wilson, Kan., believes he can lure travelers off Interstate 70 to see a collection of frolicking goats; he is butting heads with skeptics. Like many visionaries, David Criswell can’t say exactly how he dreamed up his big idea. Yet after chewing it over, Mr. Criswell, the former mayor of Wilson, became convinced he could milk a roadside attraction starring Nigerian dwarf goats clambering up and down a cluster of grain silos. “I’m going to bring people to town with these goats,” Mr. Criswell said. He anticipates herds of travelers pulling off Interstate 70 to visit his towering dwarf-goat playground. “Visually entertaining,” Mr. Criswell said, and a boost for local business. He envisions visitors buying souvenirs, meals and gas.
Source: Wall Street Journal
USD 252 superintendent interviews to start next week
The USD 252 Board of Education will start interviewing superintendent candidates next week, following a special meeting on Tuesday to review applications. According to board president Emily Darbyshire, interviews are set to begin Tuesday, Feb. 21. Information about the candidates will be released Tuesday morning. Outgoing Superintendent Michael Argabright announced his retirement effective June 30, 2023 last year. He’s led the district for more than 16 years.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Johnson County releases 2023 market study analysis, sees residential and commercial growth
Johnson County has released its Market Study Analysis for the Assessment Year 2023, examining the real estate market in the county – including both the residential and commercial markets. … The study found that nearly 90% of residential properties increased in value for 2023. The median single-family residential sale price rose 13.8% from 2021 to 2022, leading to an average increase in residential values of 12%. Commercial real estate also remained steady, specifically within the office and retail sectors. Overall, commercial values also increased at a rate of 12%.
Source: Johnson County Kansas |
After 43 years on the streets, Wichita police department’s ‘Dirty Harry’ retires
Chuck Loftis and another Wichita officer snuck on top of a pool hall at Ninth and Grove. It was the ‘90s and violent crime was skyrocketing as gangs fought over who could sell drugs where. A spotlight on the building kept the dealers below from being able to see them. They peered down, saw an exchange for crack and called in the description of the dealer to officer Robert “Bob” Bachman, who was down the road in a marked police car. Bachman pulled up. The dealer threw his crack and ran, but he didn’t get far, Loftis said. A man came out the door of the pool hall and yelled back inside: “Dirty Harry got Bobby,” Loftis recalls the man saying.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle