Kansas Municipal News
Pitt’s fowl ordinance
Chickens seem to be on people’s minds in southeast Kansas lately. Just this past Monday, the Arma City Council discussed regulations for keeping chickens inside city limits. Then on Tuesday, our flightless fowl friends found their way into the Pittsburg City Commission meeting. While Arma decided to table the discussion, Pittsburg dove right in. Pamela Hudson recently petitioned the city’s Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals to keep a small flock of chickens on her property. What is unusual is that Hudson actually contacted the city to see if she was allowed to keep the birds — a gesture that Mayor Cheryl Brooks commended her for. Hudson’s petition was recommended for approval and she only attended the city commission meeting to find out if her request would be approved.
Source: Morning Sun
Voters reject Winfield school bond projects
Winfield voters on Tuesday soundly defeated two school bond propositions, putting USD 465 officials back to the drawing board to figure out how to update aging and outdated infrastructure. Question 1 would have closed some schools, removed some buildings, built others and reconfigured others Question 2 asked voters to build a new football/soccer stadium at the high school and erect several new tennis courts at the Vaughan Tennis Center. Estimated cost of the two projects was about $54.7 million to be funded by about a 14 mill property tax increase from current levels, an estimated $159 on a $100,000 home. In the unofficial final count from the Cowley County Election Office, the first lost 3,188 (71.54%) to 1,268 (28.46%). The second, for the high school sports arena, lost 3,303 (73.03%) to 1,220 (26.97%).
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Municipal Bond Trends for November 9, 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 and Beth Warren.
Voters approve change for Wichita school board elections
Voters in the Wichita school district have overwhelmingly approved a change in the way the school board members are elected. A question on Tuesday’s general election ballot called for voters to elect a board member from the district where they live, and vote for an at-large position in both the primary and general elections. The current system had voters casting ballots for candidates in their districts for the primary election, while also voting for the at-large position. Voters in the general election would vote on all of the board members.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Hiawatha Commission taps former Atchison City Manager for open position
The search for a permanent replacement for Hiawatha’s City Administrator reached its conclusion at Monday night’s meeting of the Hiawatha City Commission. The group voted to agree to a contract beginning Dec. 5 with current Interim Assistant County Administrator for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, Becky Berger. Berger is a familiar face in local governance, as she served in Atchison’s city government for nearly 10 years, including the last 4 years as City Manager, before her resignation in August of 2021. Berger, a graduate of Willamette University, was interviewed at a Special Meeting of the Commission late in October, and hired with a strong recommendation of Hiawatha’s current Interim City Administrator Larry Paine, who was very complimentary and said he was proud to present the contract to the commission. Paine has served as the Interim Administrator for Hiawatha since former City Administrator Mike Nichols resigned earlier this year.
Source: City Government | hiawathaworldonline.com
Lawrence community members share concerns about city’s camp for people experiencing homelessness
Business owners, housing advocates, and housed and unhoused community members filled Lawrence City Hall on Tuesday night to speak out about the city’s handling of homelessness and management of the camp behind Johnny’s. Rick Renfro, owner of Johnny’s Tavern in North Lawrence, closed his restaurant as a form of protest Tuesday morning, saying he wouldn’t reopen until the city installed a fence around the camp adjacent to his property. He also asked the city to assign a staff member to oversee the camp from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m to manage the site and monitor who goes in and who goes out. Before the meeting, the city partially acquiesced by installing a fence that delineates the separation between Renfro’s property and the camp, which is on city-owned property.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Lawrence school district seeks community input on budget cuts via online survey
A public survey is asking community members to share their input on how the Lawrence school district should make budget cuts, including potentially closing and consolidating schools. As discussed during Monday’s school board meeting, survey takers will be asked which of the three “bucket” items — or categories of budget expenditures — should take priority. Bucket 1 lists potential staffing cuts; Bucket 2 lists potential program or activity cuts; and Bucket 3 lists potential facility or utilization changes. The Community Engagement Survey is part of the district’s Futures Planning Committee work. It’s open for all members of the Lawrence community to participate.
Source: The Lawrence Times
City to move forward with developing master plan for Manhattan cemeteries
Manhattan city commissioners indicated Tuesday they want city staffers to start planning for the future of cemeteries. The city government will move forward with developing a master plan that would give an outlook for the next 20 to 30 years of services. Officials said the offices and shops at both cemeteries are past their useful life and in need of significant repair or replacement. Operations have shifted from Sunset Cemetery to Sunrise Cemetery because of burial lot availability. Sunset Cemetery is full as far as traditional burial sites, but it has the potential for a columbarium, which is an above-ground option for cremation.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article
Growth in local manufacturing industry contributes to thriving Pittsburg economy
The Pittsburg manufacturing industry continues to buck national trends, according to the latest Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report. The quarterly economic update published by economist Dr. Michael Davisson of Pittsburg State University Kelce College of Business shows the local manufacturing industry has not only recovered from the COVID downturn, but is one of the region’s fastest-growing sectors. Pittsburg manufacturing has outperformed the national manufacturing industry, which has not yet fully recovered from the pandemic. Davidsson’s report states that roughly $579 million has been invested in Pittsburg over the past nine years, which includes $102 million in industry infrastructure. … Manufacturing in the Pittsburg micropolitan area contributes to 21.5 percent of all private-sector jobs, and represents the second-largest non-government employment sector in the local area. According to the economic report, manufacturing contributes far more to the local gross domestic product (GDP) than any other industry, at $276 million annually.
Source: City of Pittsburg
Douglas County voters approve expanding the Douglas County Commission from 3 members to 5
In Tuesday’s general election, Douglas County voted to add two more County Commission districts, increasing the size of the county’s governing body from three seats to five. As of 9:45 p.m. Tuesday with about 60% of precincts reporting, 18,631 votes were in favor of the ballot question, good for 61.17% of the vote. The change will cut the number of constituents that one commissioner represents from around 42,000 to around 25,000. With the vote, the next step will be drawing a new district map. The commission will have to adopt the new districts prior to Jan. 1, 2023. From there, selecting commissioners for the two newly created districts would likely involve holding a special election, with the winners serving until the next general election in 2024.
Source: LJWorld
Lawrence plans to hire more staff to support campsite for those experiencing homelessness
Lawrence business owners, residents, social service providers and people experiencing homelessness spoke to city leaders Tuesday evening about the city’s response to homelessness and the management of a camp in North Lawrence. During the public comment portion of the Lawrence City Commission’s meeting Tuesday, commissioners heard from about 20 people, with a few times that number gathered in the lobby of City Hall, about the issue. Some called for additional support for the camp, and city staff said at the end of the meeting that the city was in the process of hiring additional people to provide more monitoring at the site.
Source: LJWorld
Some Investors Bet Fed Could Lift Rates to Two-Decade High
Investors are bracing for the possibility that a second year of stubborn inflation could force the Federal Reserve to bring interest rates higher than they have been in more than 20 years. Wall Street pros spent much of this year betting that the Fed’s already aggressive rate moves would quickly cool the economy and stem rising prices. But last week’s better-than-expected jobs report was the latest sign of economic strength to catch investors off guard. Now, more are seriously considering whether the central bank’s target rate will rise as high as 6% before Fed officials take their foot off the brake—a level not reached since just before the dot-com bust in 2000, and one that could spell far more pain ahead for stocks and bonds. “It’s really hard to see any progress on inflation in the next four or five months. Not enough to satisfy the Fed,” said Jim Vogel, manager of interest-rate strategies at FHN Financial. Mr. Vogel believes rates will get to 6% before the Fed is convinced that inflation has been tamed.
Source: WSJ.com
USD 373 Newton passes bond issue
The third time – and a much more limited scope – is the charm for the Newton School District. District $8.4 million bond issue to repair and extend the longevity of Lindley Hall and Santa Fe 5/6 Center, passed widely with 72 percent of the votes cast in favor. “I was cautiously optimistic, but I’m surprised by the official results,” USD 373 Board President Mallory Morton said. “I’m grateful for all the community members who supported our schools. We could not do this without them.” The bond issue is not expected to raise local property taxes paid. It means that the district can move forward with repairs so students will be able to use Lindley Hall beginning next school year. The gym has sat shuttered since an engineering study ruled it unsafe.
Source: Harvey County Now
Kansans pass constitutional amendment on election, removal of sheriffs
The state’s voters embraced an amendment to the Kansas Constitution on Tuesday requiring election of county sheriffs and narrowing options for ousting a wayward chief law enforcement officer, while an amendment granting the Legislature more authority to reject state administrative regulations could be headed to defeat. Unofficial results on the bottom-of-the-ballot constitutional questions showed 549,972, or 62%, supported the sheriff amendment and 343,111, or 38%, were opposed. Passage would sustain the practice of electing sheriffs in 104 counties — only Riley County would be allowed to continue appointing a sheriff because it operates a city-county policing agency.
Source: KCUR News
Municipal Bond Trends for November 8, 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 and Beth Warren.
Jackson County Commission gathers input ahead of vote on 18-month solar farm moratorium
Terry Kaufman wears opposition on his shirt and his cap to development of a 2,000-acre solar energy facility on rolling hills in Jackson County. Kaufman, who handed out yellow “no solar” pins ahead of a public meeting Monday on the issue, said he supported imposition by the Jackson County Commission of an 18-month moratorium on consideration of applications for utility-grade solar. Commissioners listened to a couple dozen people eager to share clashing perspectives but didn’t vote on a pause that would give them time to study zoning regulations applicable to solar projects. “My own idea is this whole solar proposition probably doesn’t have long term viability,” said Kaufman, who viewed with skepticism the future of an energy sector so reliant for profitability on tax credits.
Source: Atchison Globe Now
City lake remains stable water source despite drought
Although water levels at the Winfield City Lake have dropped a few feet due to ongoing drought conditions, the city’s water supply remains in good shape and no action is needed at this time, Winfield water plant supervisor Dan Defore told Winfield commissioners during their Thursday work session. Water levels at Winfield City Lake are measured by the number of feet above sea level, said Defore. When full, the lake is 1,256.3 feet above sea level. As of Thursday, it was 1,253.9 above sea level.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Johnny’s Tavern closes in North Lawrence, cites nearby homeless camp
A local north Lawrence bar and restaurant is closing its doors until the city responds to concerns about a nearby homeless support center. According to the Lawrence Journal World, the owner of Johnny’s Tavern will close on Tuesday, indefinitely, until changes are made. Owner Rick Renfro told the Journal World that he wants the city to install a fence around the camp, provide professional staff between 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. and to control the amount of people staying at the camp to avoid overflow.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
City of Girard discusses potential merge of local fire departments
Girard could merge paid and volunteer fire departments. The city of Girard currently has two fire departments within its city limits: The Girard City Fire Department and the District 4 Fire Department. Girard Fire has paid workers and District 4 is run by the county and is volunteer based. In the open forum held today at city hall, one of the main concerns brought up was the quality of the department if they were to merge. “They do a fantastic job. But I want a higher level, more funding, more support for the protection of my kids,” said Cordell Harley, a Girard resident.
Source: KOAMKOAM
Wichita votes to increase water and sewer rates
The Wichita City Council unanimously voted to increase water and sewer rates on Tuesday. The proposed rates for 2023 are 6.25% for water and 3% for sewer, for a combined rate adjustment of 4.95%. The vote comes after the City Council voted back in October to put off the vote to learn more details on the increase and what the impact of the increase would be for customers who are on a fixed income.
Source: KSN-TV