Municipal News & Jobs

It really has been a chicken-and-egg type of situation for GO Topeka and the Washburn University School of Business. For years, the economic development organization had supported the business school’s endeavors, including financial support for the annual pitch competition for budding, entrepreneurial business students. It’s all been part of a goal of growing the local economy by developing and promoting young talent, especially that at Washburn. But the challenge, representatives from the two organizations have often found, is that the very same young people who can create economic opportunities often leave Topeka because they haven’t found it here.
Source: CJonline

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 and Beth Warren.

The City of Wichita (City) charged Gabrielle Griffie with unlawful assembly under Wichita Municipal Code of Ordinances (W.M.O.) § 5.73.030 (2020) several days after she organized and participated in a protest on the streets of Wichita and the steps of its federal courthouse. The City’s theory of the case was that Griffie planned the protest for the purpose of engaging in “disorderly conduct”—more specifically, engaging in “noisy conduct tending to reasonably arouse alarm, anger or resentment in others.” W.M.O. § 5.24.010(c) (2020). After the municipal court found Griffie guilty, she appealed to the Sedgwick County District Court and requested a jury trial. Griffie argued that the district court should strike down the “disorderly conduct” provision used to support the unlawful assembly charge as unconstitutionally overbroad because it prohibits a wide range of expressive conduct protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The district court denied Griffie’s request, and a jury found her guilty of unlawful assembly under the “noisy conduct” definitional ordinance. Griffie appeals, renewing her constitutional challenge to the “noisy conduct” provision of W.M.O. § 5.24.010(c). For the reasons stated, the Kansas Court of Appeals reject Griffie’s facial challenge to the constitutionality of the ordinance and affirm the district court’s judgment.

David Lewis Beck appeals from the district court’s denial of his petition for injunctive relief to prevent the City of Blue Rapids, Kansas, from removing nuisance conditions on his property. Beck asserts the district court erred in determining the conditions were nuisances. But those factual matters were undisputed at trial. Finding Beck has not shown the district court erred, Kansas Court of Appeals affirms.

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 and Beth Warren.

As overnight temperatures drop into the teens, there is still no place for the up to 200 people who are living unsheltered in Lawrence to sleep that is fully protected from the elements. While the city is working to set up its emergency winter shelter, it is still in the process of hiring staff, and there are no plans to open the shelter ahead of the previously scheduled date of Dec. 1. Lawrence Community Shelter leaders have said LCS is not able to increase its capacity without more funding, and the shelter continues to provide beds for only 50 people.
Source: LJWorld

Kansas has been allocated about $1.5 billion in the first year of since the federal government provided an infusion of infrastructure money, primarily targeted on bridge and road construction. The White House announced to-date funding totals on Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of the bipartisan infrastructure law. … Kansas is in line for more money for roads and bridges, with a formula projecting $2.8 billion over five years. … More than $28 million is going to Kansas airports. Kansas is also getting more than $23 million for ports and waterways. … Kansas will receive at least $100 million for high-speed internet coverage.
Source: CJonline

A growing number of people in Salina are hoping the city will reconsider a ban on having pit bulls in the community as a petition is slowly gathering the signatures it needs to go before the City Commission. The group Salinans Against BSL, or breed specific legislation, led by Debrah Corrales and Tyler Sartain, has spent the past several months at various locations around Salina collecting signatures for a city ordinance which would repeal the 2004 ordinance enacted by the commission which bans specific breeds of dogs, pit bulls, from the city. “We’ve been thinking about an (official) petition for (awhile),” Sartain said.
Source: Salina Journal

KANcycle, a bike sharing program through OCCK Transportation, has updated its system to be more user-friendly via a mobile app. The new offering enables riders to plan a multimodal trip and unlock a bike in just a few steps in the Transit app. As a worldwide service, the Transit app allows users to navigate public transit with accurate real-time predictions, trip planning, step-by-step navigation and convenient payments. Now, Salina’s local bike sharing program can be viewed and accessed through the app.
Source: Salina Journal