Kansas Municipal News
New animal ownership limits placed in Junction City for cats, dogs and ferrets
A new city ordinance has been approved in Junction City which limits the number of animals in each residence within city limits. City Attorney of Junction City Britain D. Stites announced on Nov. 8 that the City Commission voted on and approved the new limits for animals per residence. Households may own, harbor or possess no more than six dogs, cats, ferrets or any combination of the three animals. The previous limit was set at 19, according to Stites.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Here’s how and when the Wichita school board plans to search for next superintendent
The Wichita school board plans to name outgoing Superintendent Alicia Thompson’s replacement by spring break 2023. Thompson, who has held the job since 2017, plans to retire at the end of the school year. … Chief Human Resources Officer Sean Hudspeth said the district will first conduct an internal search process, as it does for all openings. The board can then choose to initiate a national search …
Source: Wichita Eagle
Markets watch U.S midterm elections and fed speakers
Markets will be paying close attention to the outcome of midterm elections as they will decide whether Republicans or Democrats will control Congress, which would affect future spending and monetary policy. Throughout the week, traders are also watching a series of Federal Reserve speaker remarks, looking at them for hints about the central bank’s future policy path. During an event held by the Richmond Federal Reserve bank on Monday evening, its president Tom Barkin said the central bank would continue its efforts to rein in persistently high inflation.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Municipal Bond Trends for November 7, 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.
Legal fight on voting records resolved
A Kansas county sued over voting documents has said the matter was resolved Friday, after a national left-leaning group filed a request with Butler County for records of voters who submitted advanced ballots but encountered issues preventing them from being counted. … Terry Huelskamp, an attorney representing Butler County, said Friday afternoon the matter had been resolved.
Source: CJonline
After tenant complaint, city condemns converted attic apartment; parent wonders how many rentals are ever inspected to begin with
When Kari Taylor’s daughter, Seagan, decided to move into what the family viewed as a “quirky” top-floor apartment of a home at 1126 Ohio St., it was with the caveat that a handful of maintenance issues discussed with the leasing agent would be addressed in short order. But scattered maintenance issues like leaks and electrical work quickly snowballed into the realization that the unit should never have been a living space in the first place; the apartment was condemned as uninhabitable by the City of Lawrence following an inspection in mid-October. According to the city’s notice, the unit appears to have been converted from an attic into an apartment at some point without the proper city building permits.
Source: LJWorld
Lawrence city leaders to consider process to reduce number of advisory boards, improve their functionality
Lawrence city leaders will soon consider setting up a committee to study potential changes to the city’s many advisory boards and commissions, including a recommendation to significantly reduce their overall number. The city has 45 boards, commissions, steering committees, governing boards or other related bodies, according to the city’s website. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider adopting a resolution to establish a committee to study and make recommendations regarding the structure for all boards and commissions and a reduction in their overall number.
Source: LJWorld
Lawrence business leaders push for city ordinance that would prohibit camping in downtown as homeless concerns grow
An ordinance to prohibit the homeless from camping in downtown Lawrence continues to be pushed for after a two-hour meeting between business and city leaders on Monday left unresolved downtown safety concerns. About 60 people attended a Downtown Lawrence Inc. meeting on Monday morning, with several business owners saying their employees are frightened as they come to and from work, and they are hearing from customers who say they no longer feel comfortable bringing their children downtown. “This is a major crisis, and I think it has been about four or five months that we have been trying to get it in the forefront of the public’s mind as an issue we need to address,” said Rick Renfro, an owner of Johnny’s Tavern, which is next door to a temporary homeless camp the city has erected in North Lawrence.
Source: LJWorld
Kansas Main Street Program Seeking New Communities, Hosting Application Workshop
The Kansas Main Street program announced today it is seeking new communities to join the program in 2023. On Monday, November 14, at 10 a.m., the program will host a virtual application workshop for communities interested in the program. “My administration rebuilt economic development tools like the Kansas Main Street Program, and it has since been a crucial part of preserving and growing Kansas downtowns,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “I encourage more Kansas communities to join this program and strengthen their economy.” Kansas Main Street provides technical assistance and support for communities working to revitalize their downtown area by focusing on four points — economic vitality, design, promotion, and organization.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Butler County voters to decide on ‘liquor by the drink’ in general election
While both businesses are owned by the same group, the two businesses operate under different rules when it comes to getting a liquor license. “This law was enacted in 1986 and each county had to opt in to one of three rules. They could either have a dry county, they could have a wet county or they did this hybrid where there are 30% of sales required to be food.”
Source: KAKE – News
Topeka Metro offers free rides on Election Day
Topeka residents will be able to use city transportation for free on Nov. 8 for the Kansas General Election. The Topeka Metro announced earlier this month that it would be making an additional effort to help residents exercise their civic duty to vote in the upcoming election. All of the Metro’s fixed bus routes will be free and paratransit passengers will receive two free rides on Nov. 8.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Wichita school board approves special transfer of Southeast High students at semester
The Wichita school board voted unanimously Monday to authorize the special transfer of up to 260 Southeast High School students to Heights High for the start of the spring semester in an effort to alleviate disruptive overcrowding. Current Southeast students will not be required to switch schools if they don’t want to, but the district boundary change approved by the BOE means future students from within the Adams, College Hill, Jackson and Price-Harris Elementary boundaries will now attend Heights instead of Southeast.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Working for Lenexa: Taking on new responsibilities at home and in the workplace
Getting engaged. Planning a wedding. Then suddenly having five kids. It’s been nearly two years since Lenexa Police Department Public Service Officer II Sarah Bell got married to her husband, Jeremy, and became a stepmom to their five children, ages 4 to 12. … Connecting a citizen with the appropriate county services. Handling record requests. Processing paperwork for a report. Sarah is typically the first person you see when you enter the police department lobby. “You need to have the ability to talk to all kinds of people and keep a calm attitude,” she said. “I could have three people waiting in the lobby. One needs fingerprints. One needs a report. One has a question.” Two internships — one with a local organization to counter sexual assault and another with the Lenexa Police Department — helped Sarah get more comfortable dealing with the public and handling situations.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Wichita State earns national designation for economic development efforts
Wichita State University has been designated as an Innovation & Economic Prosperity University, which recognizes public research universities and their work with public and private sector partners to support economic development. Wichita State is one of 80 higher education institutions to earn the national designation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Johnson County school board bans trans students from preferred bathrooms, sports teams
After months of tense debate, the Gardner Edgerton school board on Monday approved a policy prohibiting transgender children from using their preferred restrooms or participating on sports teams that align with their gender identity. The school board voted 5-2 to approve the policy, which has sparked ongoing controversy and student protests. It states that students must use the facilities, and participate on the athletic teams, that conform with their sex at birth. School board members Katie Williams, the lone liberal on the board, and Greg Chapman voted against it. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas argued that the policy violates federal law, plus isolates and harms transgender students.
Source: Joco 913 News
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.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Cities approve agreement on future water rights
In a mega meeting, four different Harvey County cities came to an agreement about their shared water future. The governing bodies for Newton, North Newton, Halstead and Sedgwick all approved an agreement governing how the cities would share a possible 536 million gallons in annual water rights that the State of Kansas will soon consider granting. “I think we’ve accomplished what we needed to,” Newton City Engineer Suzanne Loomis said after all bodies approved the agreement. “This is just the beginning of a continued good relationship for neighbors.” Since 1997, the cities have been working together to perfect (secure) the water rights on six wells located in the Equus Beds. To do this, the cities formed the Public Wholesale Water Supply District No. 17.
Source: Harvey County Now
Governor Announces Nearly $16M to Expand Broadband in Rural Kansas
Governor Laura Kelly announced today $15.7 million will be awarded to seven service providers that will bring high-speed broadband service to underserved, economically distressed, and low-population areas of the state. This is the first of three rounds of awards from the Kansas Capital Project Funds (CPF) Broadband Grant Program. This phase of funding will connect more than 1,900 homes, businesses, schools, healthcare facilities, and other public institutions to fast, reliable internet in the next 24 months. This funding aims to solve the “last mile” of broadband needed in critical areas. The targeted counties have as few as five locations per square mile, which until now has prevented companies from investing the resources to deliver a quality broadband option. The CPF Grant Program provides the funding needed to implement high-speed broadband in these areas of the state.
“By connecting nearly 2,000 more Kansas homes, businesses, and schools to high-speed internet, we’re continuing to deliver on our goal of giving every Kansan a connection to the world,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “We’ve made substantial progress throughout my administration, and this funding knocks down another barrier to ensuring communities across the entire state have broadband access.”
The new grant program results from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s approval of Kansas’ Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) broadband infrastructure plan. The federal CPF program is a $10 billion initiative available to states, territories, and tribal governments under the American Rescue Plan Act to fund capital projects. Kansas was one of the first eight states in the country approved for funding under this program and was allocated $83.5 million. The CPF program opportunity resulted in 141 applications from providers requesting $693 million in funding support to build out broadband infrastructure across Kansas.
The service providers selected to deliver these last-mile connections will provide partial matching dollars, bringing the total project amount for the first round to $19,700,991. All 141 applications remain eligible for the next two rounds of funding.
“We are at 55,000 new households and businesses connected already in the Kelly Administration, and we will not stop until every Kansas resident has the connectivity needed to compete in the digital economy,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland.
“This is just the beginning of the work we’ll complete through the Capital Projects Fund,” said Jade Piros de Carvalho, Director of the Office of Broadband Development. “Providers across the state have stepped up to partner with our office and the communities they serve to meet the needs of residents and businesses.”
The first round of grant recipients include:
- Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative (Anderson and Allen counties) – $4,584,590 to connect 385 premises
- Giant Communications (Jackson County) – $895,295 to connect 163 premises
- MT Networks LLC (Coffey County) – $2,581,932 to connect 326 premises
- Nex-Tech (Thomas County) – $541,320 to connect 64 premises
- Pioneer Communications (Hamilton County) – $202,484 to connect 54 premises
- S&A Telephone (Lyon County) – $3,746,870 to connect 421 premises
- Totah Communications (Montgomery and Chautauqua counties) – $3,244,793 to connect 500 premises
The post Governor Kelly Announces Nearly $16M to Expand Broadband in Rural Kansas appeared first on Kansas Department of Commerce.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Overcrowding at Wichita high school spurs BOE to consider redrawing boundaries
As overcrowding strains Southeast High School, the Wichita school board will consider altering district boundaries to move some students to another high school. Southeast’s functional building capacity is 1,982 students. This year, the school enrolled 2,192 students, the second most of any Wichita high school behind East. “Building and classroom safety due to overcrowding at Southeast is a problem that will continue to harm students and faculty at Southeast until we do something about it,” debate teacher Michael Harris told the board of education last month.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Wichita moves to tighten access, increase oversight on secretive police surveillance program
Where are you going, where have you been — and where are you right now? If the answer is Wichita, and you got there by motor vehicle, it’s likely the Wichita Police Department already knows. Or it can find out with a reasonable degree of certainty using its Flock Safety license plate reader surveillance system, a high-powered database that has helped Wichita police rescue kidnapped children, arrest murder suspects and recover stolen vehicles. But the power of Flock — which has been used by Wichita police since 2020 — comes with privacy concerns.
Source: Wichita Eagle