Kansas Municipal News
Elementary and high school students teamed up to send pieces of Silver Lake around the country
What could Ella Day, Brooklyn Rupp and Colter Beam tell the world about Silver Lake, Kansas? The Silver Lake Jr./Sr. High School juniors had been students in the district since kindergarten, and they understood the small, rural community well. So when elementary school librarian Carrie Podlena asked high school art teacher Michaela Conley for help with a project to tell the story of Silver Lake Grade School, the art teacher knew exactly who could help.
Source: CJonline
Western Kansas farmers are pushing to save the Ogallala Aquifer before it’s too late
For Rep. Jim Minnix, the state’s increasingly acute water problem is not a theoretical matter of public policy. In addition to his duties in the Kansas Legislature, Minnix is a fourth-generation farmer and stockman. And while he and his colleagues in the Statehouse debate what policies to implement to encourage conservation in Kansas, the Scott City Republican said he has taken steps to decrease water use on his own property. While efforts to scale up conservation efforts could impact the pocketbooks of farmers like him and his 27-year-old son, Minnix said the long-term impact on the state of Kansas was paramount.
Source: CJonline
Community-wide CPR coming to Winfield
In conjunction with American Heart Month, a free community-wide CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) certification event will be hosted by William Newton Hospital, USD 465 and Winfield Fire/EMS on Feb. 10 at Baden Square in Winfield. Two sessions will be offered, 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Connecting the recent cardiac arrest suffered by the NFL’s Damar Hamlin, William Newton Hospital’s Community Education & Professional Development Coordinator Melanie Burnett stresses the importance of learning CPR. “This reminds us why CPR skills are so important for everyone — not just medical professionals — to know and be proficient at performing,” Burnett said. “The only way you can be assured that you CAN do something is to learn it, practice it and be ready should the situation arise.”
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Higher interest rate prompts Winfield to pay off its state-sponsored City Utility Low-Interest Loan
The City of Winfield plans to make a lump sum payment of $1.6 million toward its utility loan to keep up with rising interest rates, a move that could save more than $200,000 and will keep the city on track to meet its original repayment schedule. Prior to the increase in interest rates, the city had been on track to pay off the $8.5 million loan within five years. With the rising rates, the repayment timeline would have moved back to six years and added more interest costs.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
County approves more medical help for jail
Cowley County commissioners approved hiring more medical help at the Cowley County Jail to avoid disruption of services. Commissioners approved a contract with Turn Key Health Clinics, LLC after hearing from Sheriff David Falletti and Jail Administrator John Butters. The goal of the contract is to minimize disruption of services in the jail as a whole. This contract is the beginning of that plan. Falletti and Butters spoke of disruption of services when the jail nurse is absent. Turn Key has traveling nurses and will be able to provide coverage when the nurse, who is a county employee, is absent, ensuring that a professional is always present.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Fort Scott to resume discussion of brick street policy
When Fort Scott City Commissioners meet Tuesday, they will be asked to take a second look at a brick street policy. … Mayor Matthew Wells… campaigned for repairing the city’s historic brick streets and to form a crew dedicated to making those repairs… [local residents] noted that Fort Scott’s strong sense of place is identified by these brick streets.
Source: Fort Scott Tribune
Bourbon County changes minimum on Neighborhood Revitalization Program
Bourbon County Commissioners have made changes to the county’s Neighborhood Revitalization Program, which provides rebates on additional taxes due to improvements, additions or new residential, business or agricultural structures. After a discussion Tuesday, the commission approved Commissioner Clifton Beth’s motion to change the residential portion of the program to $5,000 in added value to the property to qualify, and raise the rebate period from five years to 10 years.
Source: Fort Scott Tribune
Kansas loses population as neighboring states gain
Kansas is one of 18 states to see a decline in population between July 2021 and July 2022, according to the Census Bureau. The Sunflower State is alone in population loss in the region. The closest Midwestern state on the list is Illinois. Negative domestic migration, or more U.S. residents leaving a state than moving in, is a primary cause of the decline… Nebraska is the only neighboring state that had negative migration, losing 4,270, but still managed a population increase of about 4,000 people.
Source: Derby Informer | Area
Kansas wheat farmers face a tougher future with more dry, hot, windy weather
It’s been a rough year for the Wheat State’s trademark crop. This resilient plant is a fighter. But even for a grain that’s seemingly built to succeed on these unforgiving plains, the ongoing drought tests its limits. Wheat farmers, like Chris Tanner in northwest Kansas, feel the roller coaster. “It can be very, very bountiful or it can be the complete polar opposite and be a famine,” Tanner said. “You have to learn how to weather those storms in life.” Recently, those storms have been closer to a Dust Bowl than a deluge. After the rain shut off last spring, most of his wheat fields in northern Norton County ended up producing fewer than 20 bushels per acre, a steep drop from his average yields. Many of them didn’t grow enough to bother harvesting at all.
Source: themercury.com
Osage City Library plans Valentine’s Day surprises for local seniors
The Osage City Library will be delivering some love to all the senior living centers for Valentine’s Day. Those who would like to participate can purchase or make homemade valentines, write a note, and sign them. The library’s goal is to make sure each resident receives at least five or six valentines each. Between 750 to 900 valentines are needed.
Source: Osage County News
Merriam tweaks downtown plan to address business concerns
Merriam is tweaking a plan to remake the city’s downtown corridor after some business owners objected to aspects of an initial plan unveiled earlier this month. At a special meeting Thursday, the city council authorized slight adjustments to a conceptual makeover of Merriam Drive between 55th Street and Johnson Drive — a project focused on safety, bikeability and walkability that has been years in the making.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Wind Farms Deliver Economic Jolt to Rural Middle America
A wind power boom in the nation’s central corridor has been a financial windfall for some struggling rural areas. Coke County, Texas, which has a population of about 3,300, had the biggest increase in economic output of any county in the country between 2019 and 2021, according to a Stateline analysis of Bureau of Economic Analysis statistics. Coke County’s gross domestic product, or GDP, increased from $128 million to $235 million, or 83%. Including Coke County, seven of the top 10 counties with the largest GDP increases had significant recent wind farm construction, the analysis found. … Much of the wind farm construction is happening in the areas identified as high-wind from the Dakotas south to Oklahoma and Texas, including Kansas, Nebraska and neighboring states, as well as concentrations around Iowa and the Great Lakes. Texas leads all states with 18,315 turbines as of late 2022, according to the federal data on turbines analyzed by Stateline, followed by Iowa (6,205), California (5,981), Oklahoma (5,370) and Kansas (3,962).
Source: Pew
Kansas eyes filmmaking incentives
As much as Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott wants to shoot movies in his home state of Kansas, sometimes he just can’t. Take for instance, “The 24th,” his 2020 movie about an all-Black regiment of soldiers that rebelled in the face of abuse and violence from the Houston police in 1917. But producers decided that the movie, with a $9 million budget, would be shot in North Carolina because that state offered incentives to filmmakers.
Source: Sunflower State Journal
Municipal Bond Trends for January 20, 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.
R9 Ranch water project delays costing Hays millions of dollars
Mayor Mason Ruder likes to point out he was four years old in 1995 when the city of Hays purchased the R9 Ranch in Edwards County as a long-term water supply. Now, 28 years later, the project is finally picking up speed, especially in the past year. “Every day is now an R9 Ranch Day,” Ruder declared with a smile during last week’s city commission meeting. City Manager Toby Dougherty updated commissioners on the R9 water transfer process. It started in February 2014 when the then-city commission voted to apply to the state to change the water use from agricultural irrigation to municipal, and begin the approval process.
Source: Hays Post
How the Golden Gloves helps the Hutchinson economy
The Kansas State Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament Saturday and Sunday in Hutchinson could bring in some big business to the Salt City, said Richard Gadbury, who will run the tournament…. Gadbury, owner of the Reno County Boxing Academy, said the Golden Gloves state tournament will draw boxers and their families from all over Kansas. “We are hoping to see 300-500 friends, family and fans attend the event,” Gadbury said. “We went the extra mile this year as far as advertising, and we were also able to get some awesome sponsorship opportunities from local businesses. “In our area, the State Golden Gloves shows consistently brings in a crown of around 500 fans, and 15-20 tournament entries. However, by all metrics, those numbers are on the rise. In the next couple of years, KO Golden Gloves is hoping to double the amount of tournament entries out of Kansas. Local gyms such RCBA, Alley Boxing. KO Boxing, Villa Boxing and Hernandez Boxing each have a strong stable of competitors that will be turning 18, therefore opening the door for more participants.”
Source: Hutch News
Topeka Fire Department has seen an upsurge in applicants. This change may be the reason.
The size of the applicant pool for Topeka firefighter’s jobs has dwindled in recent years, to the point where fire Chief Randy Phillips said only 20 to 25 people applied each time testing was offered. But a move made last week may have sparked a turnaround. Phillips announced Jan. 11 that the department, which has historically hired only certified emergency medical technicians, was doing away with that requirement. Applicants who lack EMT certification — and are subsequently hired — will instead receive that training once they start work, he said. “This is another way for us to attract the best and the brightest, and we see this change as a way to remove a potential barrier for those who have interest in joining our ranks,” Phillips said.
Source: CJonline
Fed Governor Lael Brainard sees high rates ahead even with progress on inflation
Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said Thursday that interest rates need to remain high, even though there are signs inflation is starting to ease. Echoing recent comments from her fellow policymakers, Brainard insisted that the Fed won’t waiver in its commitment to taming prices that have come down some in recent months but remain near four-decade highs. “Even with the recent moderation, inflation remains high, and policy will need to be sufficiently restrictive for some time to make sure inflation returns to 2% on a sustained basis,” she said in remarks prepared for a speech in Chicago.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Audit of Kansas economic development programs offers mixed assessment of incentives
Auditors working for the Kansas Legislature estimated five of the state’s major business development incentive programs would generate positive total returns for the private-sector economy but not produce enough growth in tax revenue to cover public investments. The evaluation was ordered in June by a joint committee of the House and Senate due to skepticism among some legislators with the state government’s use of tax credits or exemptions, or direct expenditure of state funds, to convince businesses to make capital investments or create jobs in Kansas. Gov. Laura Kelly, who won reelection in November, invited scrutiny by pointing to her first-term success in pursuing new jobs, including a $4 billion Panasonic battery plant for De Soto. Legislative auditor Josh Luthi said during a briefing with lawmakers all five programs were viewed as “generally successful” despite projections the programs wouldn’t deliver enough new state and local income, sales or property taxes to cover every dollar in direct costs or foregone revenue devoted to economic development.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Municipal Bond Trends for January 19, 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.