Kansas Municipal News
Valley Heights board chooses Kennedy as superintendent
Valley Heights USD 498 has selected Melissa Kennedy as new superintendent to replace John Bergkamp, who will retire on July 1.
Kennedy is currently grade school principal in the Buhler school district.
Valley Heights’ school district issued a news release that said Kennedy’s broad educational experience as a teacher, curriculum director and principal appealed to the school board.
(Read more: The Marysville Advocate)
Pratt to build regional fire training facility
Pratt City Fire Department Chief David Kramer’s vision to build a regional fire training facility in Pratt moved from the drawing board to an action plan when Pratt city commissioners on Monday unanimously approved $13,360 for the purchase of four storage containers that will be delivered from Kansas City.
“Our firefighters really enjoy the training,” Kramer said. “It is a critical aspect of the job, and we want to be able to attract regional departments who would like to train as well.”
(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)
Florence brings back standards board
Florence city council reestablished a standards board Monday to combat nuisance vehicles and houses, with councilman Mary Shipman serving as the city’s representative.
The board will include Shipman, resident Darla Spencer, who was the driving force, and two additional community members.
“Whatever we decide we’re going to do to get this town cleaned up, we’re backed by everything,” Spencer said. “Once we get the standards board enacted, the team I put together is ready to start.”
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)
Muni Bonds Go Wild. Could 1% 10-Year Yields Be Far Behind?
The $3.8 trillion U.S. municipal bond market, sometimes called a sleepy asset class, has been partying awfully hard lately.
Consider that investors poured $1.8 billion into muni mutual funds in the week through Jan. 29, the 56th consecutive week of inflows, according to Refinitiv Lipper US Fund Flows data. Then, on Jan. 31, the biggest high-yield muni exchange-traded fund, the VanEck Vectors High-Yield Municipal Index ETF, drew in $150.2 million, the largest one-day increase in assets since inception in 2009. The amount of state and local debt on the books of Wall Street banks has dwindled to the least since late 2014. Overall, the market returned 1.8% in January, its strongest month in six years.
Read more: Yahoo/Bloomberg Opinion.
A look back at the Great Kansas Bond Scandal of 1933
Kansas Gov. Alf Landon called out two officers of the Kansas National Guard in 1933 to protect the treasury at the Kansas Statehouse as authorities investigated a scandal involving the forgery of $1.25 million in municipal bonds….the Great Kansas Bond Scandal, which came about in the midst of the Great Depression after bank examiners questioned the authenticity of bonds held as collateral by a bank in Topeka.
Investigators concluded State Treasurer T.B. “Tom” Boyd had given access to the treasury vaults to 34-year-old Ronald Finney, the son of wealthy Emporia banker W.W. “Warren” Finney, who was also part of the scheme.
Ronald Finney took bonds from the treasury, forged them and distributed them as collateral.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Municipal Bond Trends for February 5, 2020
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 Advisors.
Winfield power plant could mean more jobs, big savings
The Winfield power plant was chosen by the Kansas Power Pool for an expansion project because it already has an experienced power plant staff, with a possibility of more plant workers being hired, Winfield City Manager Taggart Wall said.
The expansion will help generate energy that will be sold to other Kansas Power Pool members cities.
Installation of the $80 million addition is expected to begin in December 2022, around the time the KPP’s power purchasing contract with Evergy expires.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)
Phillipsburg Airport runway project awarded KDOT funding
The Kansas Department of Transportation recently announced that a project to extend the runway at Phillipsburg’s Municipal Airport has been selected for funding.
The airport will receive $332,500 through the Kansas Airport Improvement Program to design a 600-foot runway extension. The city’s local match will be $33,250.
Phillipsburg Public Works Director Tim Driggs informed the city council about the grant on Monday and said he will begin working with a design firm on a proposal and will have contracts prepared for the council within the next month.
(Read more: Phillipsburg, KS news)
City’s subsidized contributions to Lenexa Public Market decrease as it grows revenues
As the Lenexa Public Market continues to grow in popularity and revenue streams, city staff report the market is inching closer to the city’s goal of self-sufficiency.
The Lenexa city council in December 2018 had agreed to subsidize public market operations for two years using transient guest tax revenues generated by hotels. Mike Nolan, assistant to the city manager, said the city will consider making a similar transfer during upcoming budget discussions.
Expenditures for the public market were about $369,000 in 2019, and revenues were about $225,000, so the city transferred roughly $143,000 from the tourism and convention fund to make up the difference.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post
Johnson County Commissioner says investments in sewer system will improve water quality, protect environment
It’s easy to take the water systems that bring clean water to and from our homes and businesses for granted.
Johnson County investments to improve water quality and protect water include the Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility improvements, which involve building an expanded plant in Leawood to treat all tributary flows. This project will have water quality benefits for Indian Creek, as well as the downstream waters of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. It will address nutrient removal as excessive nutrients can be harmful by degrading habitats and decreasing the amount of oxygen in the water.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Riley County commissioners show opposition to proposed Kansas senate bill
A new proposal in the Kansas legislature, Senate Bill 294, is drawing criticism from the Riley County Commission.
The bill, if approved, would add additional prerequisites to the county budgeting process, which in the commission’s eyes, would add additional costs and even affect how they budget their services.
At Monday’s meeting, County Counselor Clancy Holeman presented a letter of opposition to SB 294 be sent to the Kansas Associations of Counties, listing four different defects of the bill and the negative impacts they would pose to the county.
The first defect relates to new additional costs from the state on the county. These new costs derive from a required new software and new notices. The county clerk’s office would be required to mail out individual notices to every Riley County taxpayer with real property whenever the county “certified tax rate will be exceeded.”
(Read more: 1350 KMAN)
Bourbon County discusses policy for county roads
Bourbon County Commissioners on Tuesday discussed creating a policy to deal with what Commission Chairman Lynne Oharah referred to as “a 100-year-old problem” – requests for closing or opening county roads.
Richard Wolmesdorf attended the meeting to request closing a road near 115th Street and Tomahawk Road that he said “goes nowhere” and has not been maintained by the county for several years.
(Read more: Fort Scott Tribune)
Sedgwick County election commissioner raises concerns over voting bill
A House committee has scheduled a hearing Thursday on a bill that would allow Sedgwick County to establish vote centers for the 2020 elections, allowing voters to cast a ballot at any location on election day.
Sedgwick County election commissioner Tabitha Lehman told county commissioners Wednesday that she would have to speak against the bill, because of new procedures that have just been announced by the Kansas secretary of state’s office. Lehman said the changes will have a significant impact on day-to-day operations in her office, because it creates a separate, locked-down system for access to a statewide voter registration database.
Lawmakers approved a bill last year to allow for voting at any location, but secretary of state Scott Schwab said his office will be unable to make that happen in 2020 because of the changes in procedures and systems that will be required. The bill under consideration in the House this year would allow Sedgwick County to move ahead with the process.
(Read more: KFDI 101.3)
An inside look at Wichita’s former downtown library; it’s nicer than you remember
Supporters of a petition drive to force Wichita to vote on whether to tear down historic buildings have gotten a rare look inside the former Central Library, one of the buildings they’re trying to save from downtown redevelopment.
And they like what they saw.
Gone are the bookshelves that blocked sightlines while the building served as Wichita’s main public library.
What remains are huge open spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows offering scenic views of the Century II Convention and Performing Arts Center, the former Carnegie Library and the Garvey Center.
(Read more: Local News |)
Municipal Bond Trends for February 4, 2020
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 Advisors.
Wichita could ban or tax plastic bags
Wichita is exploring a citywide ban on plastic bags.
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday for a new task force to consider how to reduce or eliminate single-use plastic bags in the city.
Members of the task force have said they’re interested in an outright ban or city-wide tax to curb the use of the thin bags. Although they’re convenient and reusable, often ending up as trash bags or cage lining, they’re difficult to recycle and take hundreds of years to biodegrade. They ultimately end up at the landfill or in the river, sometimes harming animals, proponents of a ban say.
(Read more: Local News |)
Hutch rental licensing program repealed
The divisive and sometimes heated discussions over Hutchinson’s Residential Rental Licensing and Inspection Program have quieted slightly. On Tuesday, the city council voted unanimously to repeal the program.
In September 2019, city council members showed interest in fine-tuning – but not burying – a proposal that takes a stick-and-carrot approach to regulating rental housing.
“This issue has torn this community apart,” said Mayor Jade Piros de Carvallo.
“I was a big proponent of the registration program, but it unfairly penalized our landlords. I look forward to working with the community to ensure we don’t take a step back,” she said.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Study of high electricity rates in Kansas points to industry changes, planning needs
The president of London Economics says high electricity rates in Kansas reflect a rapidly changing industry, higher-than-usual surcharges and the absence of long-term planning.
A.J. Goulding delivered his firm’s assessment of the power dynamic between utilities and regulators in hearings Tuesday before Kansas legislators.
Lawmakers in 2019 commissioned a study of why Kansas has higher electricity rates than other states in the region. For its study, London Economics compared Kansas to 18 states.
The firm recommended Kansas establish a state energy plan and mandate the annual publication by utilities of an integrated resource plan. Additionally, the study recommends a shift to performance-based ratemaking, where utilities are rewarded or punished for things like service quality and reliability.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Lawrence to consider changes to camping ordinances that some say make being homeless illegal
Advocates for the homeless say city camping ordinances criminalize being homeless, and city leaders are questioning whether changes should be made.
Earlier this winter, some residents spoke out against the city’s illegal camping ordinance to the Lawrence City Commission, saying that it gave the city cause to police, ticket and clear the campsites of homeless people who have no other choice but to sleep outside. And some who work to serve the homeless have similar views. Lawrence Community Shelter Executive Director Renee Kuhl recently told the Journal-World that she was against any ordinance that made being homeless or sleeping outside a crime.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Lawrence developing new method for allocating social service funds
The City of Lawrence is developing a new method for allocating money for social service agencies and programs.
At the Lawrence City Commission’s meeting on Tuesday, Assistant City Manager Casey Toomay said city staff was developing a matrix to help the commission evaluate requests for social service funding from the general fund.
Toomay said the matrix would give commissioners a more quantitative way to evaluate the requests than the previous method, which involved an advisory board that provided funding recommendations. Toomay said that board will now only provide recommendations for how to use the city’s special alcohol fund.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Will coronavirus force Fed to lower rates in March?
The prevailing opinion is the Federal Reserve will note the downside risks caused by the coronavirus and won’t cut rates in March, but bets are hedged for later in the year.
But some analysts say a rate cut will be needed soon. The coronavirus will strike at consumer confidence, which will cause a drop in spending, said Dan Geller, Analyticom LLC founder. “Since personal consumption makes up 70% of GDP in the U.S., the Fed will have to cut the funds rate to stimulate the economy and restore consumer confidence,” he said.
The illness “certainly has tilted the odds from a slight chance of a rate increase in the last week of January to a one in seven chance of a rate cut in mid-March,” said Robert R. Johnson, professor of Finance at Heider College of Business of Creighton University. “If the conoravirus becomes a true global pandemic and isn’t under control by the date of the Fed meeting, the Fed would likely cut rates in an attempt to stimulate the economy.”
(Read more: Bond Buyer: Feed)
GCCC Releases 2018-2019 Annual Report Report Highlights Key Accomplishments, Fiscal Data & Taxpayer ROI
The 15-page report offers readers a comprehensive look at the institution’s key accomplishments and financial data from the past fiscal year, spanning July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019.
Some of those accomplishments include new educational pathways with partner universities, state and national titles earned by student organizations, and GCCC’s Centennial Celebration, marking 100 years since the college’s inception in 1919.
GCCC President Dr. Ryan Ruda, who began his tenure at the start of the 2018-2019 academic year, said the report’s synopsis of demographic and fiscal data, along with noteworthy events, reflects the college’s important work in producing positive contributors to the economic and social well-being of society.
(Read more: Greater Garden City » Feed)
How Local and State Governments Can Close Revenue Gaps in 2020
It’s been called a billion-dollar prize – the gap between available revenue opportunities and the ability of local, state and federal government agencies to turn those potential revenue opportunities into reality.
It’s a challenge that many municipalities face. Research from McKinsey estimates that close to 20 percent of government revenues worldwide – or $309 billion in the U.S. – are lost each year, either in uncollected agency fees or due to outbound payment issues.
Compounding the current problem of unrealized revenue are new business models driven by technological, economic and social forces. In addition to financial services such as peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding, digital sharing platforms for parking spaces, cars, bikes, scooters and RVs have emerged in recent years. These platforms are creating new challenges for local leaders and City Hall which lacks the infrastructure to support efficient permitting, regulation and taxation. However, municipalities can play a key role in helping this wave of emerging companies who are driving the sharing economy.
(Read more: CitiesSpeak)
Controversy fills Johnson County’s election office. Does the system need an overhaul?
Johnson County’s most recent election commissioner abruptly resigned and left behind a string of lawsuits and concerns over delayed vote counts and troublesome technology.
The commissioner before him left the county with a battle over severance pay and a scandal that caused many to question the office’s leadership.
Now as the search lingers on to replace Ronnie Metsker, who left in December, some local officials and state legislators are calling for change. They argue the process of appointing the commissioner in Kansas’ most populous county leads to partisan influence and little local oversight. And they question whether the process hinders the ability to find qualified candidates.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Wave gets Naftzger Park entertainment, booze contract; competitors say bid process unfair
City Hall turned over control of events and alcohol sales at the new Naftzger Park to the Wave venue on Tuesday, despite complaints from competing vendors who questioned the process and called it a “sweet deal” for the popular downtown venue operators.
The plan passed unanimously after a lengthy discussion with owners of two companies that also do event planning and promotion who complained that Wave, the operator of an Old Town venue, will have control over any alcohol sales at events at that park.
The new contract also gives Wave the right to control access to the newly renovated multi-million-dollar park and sell admission to events there.
(Read more: Local News |)
Five years after upholding it, Prairie Village city council votes to repeal ban on pit bulls
Following a lengthy public input session in which more than 20 people lobbied the council to take the step, the Prairie Village City Council on Monday repealed the city’s ban on pit bulls.
The move comes nearly five years after a similar proposal was voted down by the council. The issue was reintroduced for discussion at a council of the whole meeting in January, during which the council advanced it to final consideration for last night’s meeting. Prairie Village was one of a dwindling number of Shawnee Mission area cities that still had an outright ban on the breed on its books.
Prior to Monday’s meeting, the council received more than 80 emails from residents who wanted the ban lifted and nine who said they didn’t.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Motion to rescind tax abatement for Dimensional Innovations fails after tense discussion among Overland Park council
An effort to rescind a tax abatement for an Overland Park architectural design company failed Monday night …
It was an early look at how the council members may interact with each other on what is likely to become an ongoing philosophical debate on public financing of private development projects. Farassati has been skeptical of most tax incentives and argues against them at length just about every time they come up. He has also made them a campaign issue in his run for Mayor Carl Gerlach’s seat.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Municipal Bond Trends for February 3, 2020
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 Advisors.
KDOT’s Cost Share Program accepting applications for spring 2020
After a highly successful first round of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Cost Share Program last fall, a second round of applications are now being accepted for spring 2020. Applications will be accepted from Feb. 3 through April 15.
The Cost Share Program is designed to provide financial assistance that leverages state funding with local and private funding for projects related to economic development as well as job growth and retention. It will provide funding to local entities for construction projects that improve safety, increase the total transportation investment and help both rural and urban areas of the state improve their transportation system.
(Read more: Kansas Transportation)
Kansas homeowners concerned by state’s rising property taxes
When Mary Coffman and her husband moved to Overland Park from Oklahoma City in 2014, they found a comparable home – and expected their property taxes to be about the same, too.
They were wrong.
The retirees went from paying around $2,600 a year in Oklahoma to $3,200 in Kansas. Six years after their move, Coffman said they’re handing over $5,600 a year, more than double their Oklahoma tax bill.
Coffman said they’re lucky enough that they’re not dependent on Social Security. But they still have to watch their spending and have even talked about returning to Oklahoma.
(Read more: Wichita Eagle)
Retirees wary of plan to refinance KPERS debt
Virgil Funk is nervous about Gov. Laura Kelly’s proposal to refinance the pension obligations of retired state workers and public teachers.
Funk, 82, retired in 1998 after working for 27 years as an educator in Topeka schools. He joined about 100 others from the Kansas Coalition of Public Employees in a rally Monday at the Statehouse.
Kelly for a second year in a row has called on lawmakers to extend debt payments to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System by 10 years as a means of lowering annual payments now. The process, which is similar to taking out a second mortgage on a house, is known as reamortizing.
(Read more: Community – Cherokee County News Advocate)
STAR bond attraction progresses
A new attraction in Derby’s STAR bond district has moved forward with developers predicting that work will likely begin this May and be completed in the spring of 2021.
Called the Derby Sports Zone, the indoor and outdoor sports center and restaurant would offer activities such as volleyball, sand soccer, yard games, and others.
Its 3.5-acre site was originally on the north side of the district near the dinosaur park, but was moved further south on Rock Road to an 11.2-acre parcel between the Don Hattan dealership and the Derby Marketplace because of a deed restriction on the sale of alcohol.
(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)
Reno County receives federal grant to fight opioid addiction
The Reno County Health Department is one of 21 organizations nationwide that has been selected to receive federal money to help fight opioid addiction in rural America.
The department will receive a chase of $14.8 million in funding that will be use to develop prevention programs, treatment and recovery services, and other public safety programs. The Reno County Health Department could receive up to $750,000 to help fund the programs.
The Rural Responses Initiative is part of the Just Department’s Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program.
(Read more: KFDI 101.3)
Labette County Board of Commissioners announce decision to close Parsons Judicial Center
Monday afternoon, The Labette County Board of Commissioners released their decision to close Parsons Judicial Center except when court is actually in session.
This comes after Labette County Judge Oliver Kent Lynch’s decision to hear cases in the Oswego Courthouse, a move that was not included in the county’s budget.
The minimum impact that would be incurred on the budget was estimated to be $250,000 in increased costs, primarily security spending.
(Read more: KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com)
Shawnee County OKs permit for event center, bed and breakfast
Rod McCollum wants to “grow old and die” on the land where he was raised just southeast of Topeka, he told the Shawnee County Commission on Monday.
Commissioners subsequently voted 3-0 to approve permits that McCollum, 63, said should enable him to do that.
Those two permits authorize the McCollum Family Trust to establish a bed and breakfast inn consisting of four guest rooms in his existing home and to convert an existing barn into a special event center on the property involved, provided each of 10 specific conditions are met.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Dodge City’s 2nd Ave. Art guild gets Main Street grant
As part of the Dodge City Revitalization Improvement Program, 2nd Ave. Art Guild received a grant from Main Street Dodge City to go toward upgrades to its facade.
According to Main Street Dodge City, the purpose of the program is to improve the appearance and functionality of commercial properties located in the Downtown Commercial District.
The DRIP Grant has awarded 43 grants totaling $136,717.18 since its inception.
To enhance exterior appearances of buildings, DRIP provides incentives for current and new downtown property owners.
(Read more: News – Dodge City Daily Globe – Dodge City, KS)
KDOT announces approved December bids
The Kansas Department of Transportation has announced approved bids for state highway construction and maintenance projects in Kansas. The letting took place Wednesday, Jan. 15, in Topeka. Some of the bids may include multiple projects that have been bundled based on proximity and type of work.
District One — Northeast
Atchison: U.S. Highway 159, from the north city limits of Nortonville — the Atchison/Jefferson county line — north to the west city limits of Effingham, milling and overlay, 11.4 miles, Herzog Contracting Corp., Saint Joseph, Mo., $1,039,582.17.
(Read more: Sabetha Herald)
Wichita unlikely to profit when it privatizes events and alcohol in new city park
Wichita City Hall is poised to turn over control of events and alcohol in its newest park to a private operator who will likely keep all of the profits, city documents show.
The City Council is scheduled to vote on a contract to give the operators of the Wave venue in Old Town the option of closing off general access to the renovated Naftzger Park and charging admission to outdoor concerts or other events they schedule.
In addition, “Wave will have first right of refusal for coordinating alcohol service for all Naftzger Park events, including events that it does not host,” according to a city staff report recommending approval.
(Read more: Local News |)
Municipal Bond Trends for January 31, 2020
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 Advisors.
If coronavirus fears escalate, Wells Fargo warns 10-year Treasury yields could fall another 30%
Wells Fargo Securities’ Michael Schumacher expects the bond rush to intensify.
According to the firm’s global head of rate strategy, coronavirus fears will drive more investors into the U.S. Treasury market as a safe haven play and drive yields sharply lower.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury Note yield is already down 22% so far this year.
“Our big concern is that investors get more and more nervous,” Schumacher told CNBC’s “Trading Nation” on Friday. “We would say that probably the last 25 to 30 basis points mainly in the 10-year is largely due to the virus.”
Read more: CNBC.
Manhattan city commission discusses potential city-wide sales tax; reviews goals and priorities
KDHE says Douglas County patient does not have coronavirus
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says a patient from Douglas County who was under investigation for the coronavirus has tested negative, and that person does not have the virus.
The patient had recently returned from a trip to China, where the coronavirus has been active. Specimens were sent to the Centers for Disease Control for testing, because the state does not have the testing capability for the virus.
KDHE Secretary Lee Norman said in a press release that the patient is in good health and has been released from a facility where he was being monitored. Dr. Norman said the patient will be able to resume his normal routine, and there is no risk to the public.
KDHE is still working with CDC officials and local partners to detect and respond to any possible cases of coronavirus that might occur in Kansas in the future.
(Read more: KFDI 101.3)
Topeka City Council considers taking meetings on the road
Topeka’s mayor and city council might take their show on the road.They plan Tuesday to consider authorizing the city manager to arrange for them to meet on the second Tuesday of each month at a location other than their chambers at 214 S.E. 8th.City manager Brent Trout this past week identified two potential meeting sites as being the city’s Holliday Building at 620 S.E. Madison and its Law Enforcement Center at 320 S. Kansas Ave.The Topeka and Shawnee County Public.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Osage County settlers planted churches, seeds of abolitionism
The making of Osage County’s history was not limited solely to those individuals who maintained permanent residence here. Such is the case of John Rankin, an Ohio resident and the man who established the Presbyterian church in Lyndon, Kansas.
John Rankin was originally from Tennessee. Rankin was influenced by the period called the Second Great Enlightenment, which was a revival of the Christian faith that led many to realize slavery was incompatible with their beliefs.
Rankin became ordained as a pastor in 1814, and soon after joined a local Anti-Slavery Society, a branch of a nationwide group that believed prejudice in any form was offensive and that African Americans were entitled to the same rights and privileges as the white man. Rankin’s involvement in the Anti-Slavery Society was influential to famous abolitionist radicals such as William Lloyd Garrison.
(Read more: Osage County Online)
Labette County allows OT for court safety
Labette County commissioners will allow the sheriff’s department to rack up extra overtime to provide security for the full-time courtroom in Oswego.
The sheriff’s department has limited overtime built into its budget, but the court change this week required Sheriff Darren Eichinger to pull in off-duty deputies to provide security in Oswego. Deputies are volunteering to work the overatime hours. Eichinger said the overtime will be 32 to 40 hours a week depending on Judge Fred W. Johnson’s court schedule. This week the overtime will be about 32 hours.