Kansas Municipal News
Shawnee County to add solar panels to 10 warning sirens
Shawnee County is saving some money with its new environmentally friendly proposal. This week, the county proposed to add solar panels to the outdoor warning sirens. After approval from commissioners, they are planning a test run. Ten solar panels will be placed on various outdoor warning sirens across the county. While these sirens are a great way to notify the public of severe weather, the county still advises residents about having multiple methods.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Local fire departments prepare for colder temperatures, tips for keeping homes safe
Local fire departments are busy this time of year responding to many calls from frozen pipes bursting, fires at boarded-up structures being used for shelter, but also electrical fires from furnaces and space heaters. With the colder temps on the way, it can be a challenge for firefighters to respond. The icy roads can slow response, but the cold temps can make it harder to get water. Many departments, like Sedgwick County, bring in extra trucks with about 2,000 to 2,500 gallons of water just in case fire hydrants are frozen.
Source: KSN-TV
Kansas school district is first in the state to use electric buses
A local district is the first in the state to put electric school buses on the road. The Wabaunsee School district previously announced it would be the first in Kansas to start driving kids to school on these buses. “We feel fortunate that we got chosen for this grant that allows us to try these new buses out and try out the new technology,” USD Superintendent Troy Pitsch said. “And to put the kids on a nice, brand-new, safe bus, and save money at the same time.” The Environmental Protection Agency grant totalled $790,000. Pitsch said the district is excited to utilize this technology, that offers more than just the new car smell.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Bike to work in JoCo? These riders say it can be done 🚴
Cars may still be king of the suburbs, but some in Johnson County are no longer bowing down. In an area with a reputation for shunning other forms of transportation, a handful of commuters have a message for colleagues, friends and other potential riders: it’s not so hard to quit being a driver. And beyond that, they say, biking to work can be fulfilling, enriching and even fun.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Johnson County paves way for new fire station at new Panasonic site
A new fire station is on its way to the future grounds of the Panasonic battery plant in De Soto. The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners last week agreed to set aside $500,000 toward the initial steps of building a new fire station within the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant site off of K-10 highway. The fire station will serve the new Panasonic plant and the surrounding area, according to county documents.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Financial data bill heads to Biden
Cities, towns, counties and states will be required to standardize their financial information in machine-readable format by 2027 under a provision included in the defense authorization bill that President Joe Biden is expected to sign into law. The Senate Thursday overwhelmingly approved the $848 billion National Defense Authorization Act of 2023, which includes the Financial Data Transparency Act. The House passed the NDAA last week. Biden is expected to sign it into law as soon as next week. Municipal market issuers like the Government Finance Officers Association, the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors lobbied unsuccessfully to have the bill stripped out of the NDAA, though they did succeed in getting some of the language toned down. … Under the new law, municipal issuers will be required to disclose their data in a financial reporting standard, such as eXtensible Business Reporting Language, or XBRL, at the end of four years. The SEC and other financial regulators have two years to craft the standards. The new law represents an unfunded mandate for governments, said Michael Gleeson, the National League of Cities’ legislative director for finance, administration and intergovernmental relations, in a recent blog post to members.
Source: The Bond Buyer
Municipal Bond Trends for December 19, 2022
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.
Commerce Announces SEED Grant Recipients Supporting Economic Development
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the award recipients for the new Strategic Economic Expansion and Development (SEED) grant program. In total, 61 recipients will receive nearly $2.7 million to invest in small communities across the state. “SEED grants provide funding for quality-of-life enhancements in some of our state’s smallest communities,” said Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland. “These investments will set the stage for future economic development success and prosperity across the state.” Awardees are located in communities with a population of 5,000 or less, as required by (KS Stat 9-2324 [2021]). They are required to provide a minimum 10-percent match as well as complete the projects within 12 months.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Pittsburg Arts District is a win-win
This fall, Pittsburg officially established an arts district. Some residents have probably not heard about this. One reason for that may be that people often pay more attention to bad news than good news, and there is no downside to speak of in designating such a district. As Deputy City Manager Jay Byers pointed out shortly before the city commission approved creating the Pittsburg Arts District in late October, establishing the district cost local taxpayers nothing, and didn’t commit the city to any specific future obligations. “There’s no legal action here, you’re just declaring a particular geographic area an arts district,” Byers said — adding, however, that establishing an arts district could have tangible benefits for the city. “There is potentially some grant funds available if you have a defined arts district, and there’s also an impact on the artists themselves,” he said. “It attracts more artists to an area that’s been defined as an arts district.”
Source: Morning Sun
Wichita to pay landlords who accept housing vouchers
Wichita, Kansas, is launching a new program to create incentives for landlords to lease apartments to people who receive federal rental assistance. Starting Jan. 1, the Wichita Housing Authority’s Landlord Assistance Program will provide landlords who accept tenants receiving assistance with a host of incentives, including up to $1,000 in payments, up to $3,500 to cover the cost of damages to a unit, and two months of rent after a tenant is evicted. “The landlord incentive program helps reduce the likelihood of economically disadvantaged individuals or families becoming homeless due to not being able to find rentals that accept housing vouchers and encourages landlords to participate in the program by mitigating their risk,” said Sally Stang, Wichita’s housing and community services director, in an email.
Source: Smart Cities Dive – Latest News
Kansas Water Authority votes to save what’s left of the Ogallala
The board that advises the Kansas governor and Legislature on water policy now says the state needs to dramatically cut farming irrigation to stop draining the Ogallala aquifer. The vote by the Kansas Water Authority on Wednesday signals a call for a major shift in state policy. For the first time, a state entity has stated that Kansas should move away from gradually depleting the aquifer and act to halt the decline of the vital underground reservoir. Kansas Water Office director Connie Owen called the vote a historic step in changing how the state manages the aquifer, which has lost more than one-third of its water in recent decades.
Source: Garden City Telegram
State’s Rural Broadband Expansion Project Continues with Additional Funds
Rural broadband expansion continues in Kansas. Gov. Kelly’s office announced this week that an additional $23.1 million will be provided to six service providers that will bring high-speed broadband service to nearly 4,200 homes, businesses, schools, health care facilities, and other institutions in unserved and rural areas of the state. This is the second of three rounds of awards from the Kansas Capital Project Funds (CPF) Grant Program. The program is the result of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s approval of Kansas’ Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) broadband infrastructure plan.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Nat’l Park Service Names Wichita American WWII Heritage City
The City of Wichita has been designated an American World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service. The American World War II Heritage Cities Program (AWWIIHC) honors the contributions of towns, cities and counties and commemorates the stories of the men, women and children whose bravery and sacrifices shaped the U.S. home front during World War II, and still impact our country today. As the Air Capitol of the World, Wichita gained great attention and accomplishment during World War II for the development and production of military aircraft. Nearly 26,000 plans of various types were produced, and more than 1,600 B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers. Wichita’s population grow from 114,966 in 1940 to 200,000 in 1943 as men and women came for jobs.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Shake-up at Unified Government limits power of KCK mayor to set agenda
A surprise vote at Thursday night’s meeting has led to a major shake-up in how the Unified Government of Wyandotte County conducts meetings. Mayor Tyrone Garner had already moved to adjourn the meeting and wished the crowd a Merry Christmas when a motion was made to suspend the adjournment and add an item to the agenda and a letter began circulating from Commissioner Angela Markley. After several minutes of quiet huddling and a 10 minute recess, Markley announced a proposal to change the way the body conducts meetings, allowing commissioners to add items to agendas and decide what items go to the full commission. An item could not be removed without the approval of the standing committee chair.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
USDA Grants will help rehab rural Kansas communities
The USDA has approved grants that will help rehabilitate housing and community centers in rural Kansas communities. The Rural Development grants total $255,662 and are part of a nationwide program to help rural communities in 47 states and American Samoa. In Kansas, the grants will be distributed in 5 counties: A $59,200 grant will help rehabilitate the exterior of the Independence Historical Museum. Located in the historic post office building, the museum celebrates the community’s culture through history, arts, and activities.
Source: KSN-TV
Sneak peek: Concept for future of downtown Merriam
A Merriam Drive makeover is on the horizon. The heart of downtown Merriam — Merriam Drive from Johnson Drive to West 55th Street — is looking at nearly $4.7 million’s worth of improvements. New curbs and gutters, sidewalks, pavement and bike lanes are all part of the improvement project. Project Coordinator Todd Veeman said the project should go out to bid in January, with construction potentially starting in April 2023.
Source: Prairie Village Post
‘I will leave:’ Teachers, parents fight KCK district plan to add cameras in classrooms
Parents, students and teachers are urging the Kansas City, Kansas, school board to reject a proposal to spend nearly $6.8 million in federal COVID relief dollars to add cameras to classrooms. District officials are proposing the idea as a stopgap measure during ongoing staff shortages. They say that adding the cameras would make it easier to livestream and record lessons to classrooms that are staffed with long-term substitutes or teachers who are not qualified in the subject area.
Source: KC Star Local News
Unlike most jails in Kansas, Douglas County has found a way to lock up fewer mentally ill inmates
In November 2020, Brandon Scrimsher was sentenced to three months in the Douglas County jail. The prospect of more time in jail was disheartening. Scrimsher, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, said his mindset and mental health sank. “I really kind of got … the attitude of, you know, this really sucks and why try,” Scrimsher said. “Nothing’s ever gonna get better.” Despite his skepticism, Scrimsher found hope at the Douglas County jail. Case managers stationed inside the jail insisted he prepare for life outside — connecting him to mental health workers, classes and even housing when he was released.
Source: KCUR News
Search for new city administrator begins
The wheels are turning to find a replacement for the resigning Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis. First, the City Council Monday night approved contracting with Selected was Strategic Government Resources of Keller, Texas, to handle the search, and it also approved naming current Assistant City Administrator Logan Burns to fill the post as the interim administrator during the hiring process.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
In Kansas’ ‘Little Sweden USA,’ the small-town American dream is still alive
Its nickname is “Little Sweden USA,” and when you pull into Lindsborg, it’s clear why. Pole banners and road signs greet visitors with a friendly “Välkommen.” Many businesses display replicas of Swedish dala horses, the town mascot. The word “SWEDES” is painted in yellow on the blue stands of the Bethany College football field. Wine and spirits are obtained at Swedes Liquor. The street benches downtown possess a distinctly Scandinavian design quality. Umlauts abound. … Lindsborg, located in a central Kansas region called the Smoky Valley, has long punched above its weight. Settled by Swedes in 1869, it is a town that has preserved its heritage to a degree rarely found in the American Midwest. In an era of atomization and polarization, Lindsborg has held tight to its communitarian roots. … It is all paying off. Unlike most small towns in Kansas, Lindsborg is growing. The real estate market is on fire, the schools have a great reputation, downtown is on the upswing, and students from the small liberal arts college continually breathe new life into the town. “It’s a little like Mayberry,” said Mari Loder, a local Realtor who moved to Lindsborg in 1995.
Source: KC Star Local News