Kansas Municipal News
Reno County installs new information kiosk
Responding to frustrations expressed by people turned away at the vehicle tag office because they didn’t have all the necessary paperwork, often after waiting in line for up to an hour, Reno County has installed a new information kiosk inside the annex lobby. The new touchscreen device lists what documents are required to get a tag and title, whether buying a vehicle from a dealer or an individual, as well as what’s required when renewing a tag. Developed by the county’s Information Technology Department at the direction of County Administrator Randy Partington, the kiosk offers a lot more information about county offices than just the tag office.
Source: Hutch News
Understaffed and stressed: Kansas nursing homes, hospitals
The workforce at Kansas hospitals and nursing homes is increasingly tied to firms that aren’t regulated at the state level and are often out-of-state — and those facilities say they are fed up and want action. Finding enough workers is a challenge for health care across the state. That is certainly true in Rush County, where Locust Grove Village, a nursing home in LaCrosse, is hanging on for dear life. Attracting staff has been a problem for some time, administrator Charlotte Rathke said, and like many of their peers, Locust Grove Village has been forced to rely on contract workers from staffing agencies, firms that supply workers to hospitals and long-term care homes regionally and nationally on an as-needed basis.
Source: Hutch News
Municipal Bond Trends for October 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.
Treasury yields inch higher as markets await unemployment data while Fed remains hawkish
The yield on U.S. Treasuries inched higher on Friday as markets awaited the release of labor market data, which could give indications about inflation and future Federal Reserve policy. … Data released earlier in the week, including an unexpected decline in job openings, led some investors to believe the gap was narrowing and that this could affect Federal Reserve policy. Fed speakers, however, stuck to the hawkish tone of the last weeks on Thursday, with Chicago Federal Reserve President Charles Evans saying the Fed expects to hike interest rates by another 125 points across their next two meetings as central bankers continued to be concerned about recent inflation readings.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Ogallala Aquifer on track to 70% depletion in 40-45 years
The newest drought monitor shows three-fourths of Kansas is now in a drought emergency. The Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) says current drought conditions are on par with what the state saw between 2011-2012, and this could mean significant decreases for parts of the Ogallala Aquifer, the biggest groundwater source for Southwest Kansas. Between 2011-2012, the average rate of decline for the aquifer was 2-3 feet. In parts of certain counties, that number was between 10-15 feet. The average recharge rate for the aquifer is three inches of water per year.
Source: KSN-TV
Municipal Bond Trends for October 6, 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.
Derby’s council expresses concerns with scooter program
The City of Derby’s electric scooter program may be gone at the end of this year after the initial 17-month pilot program with Bird Scooters is set to expire. City Council members heard a one-year update from Sarah Gooding, assistant to the city manager at the Sept. 27 meeting. Scooter ridership peaked shortly after the program was introduced in August 2021 with 1,796 rides in September 2021. Ridership dropped over the winter months and picked up again to a high of 1,049 rides in June 2022. Compared to similar electric scooter programs, Derby’s has a longer average ride time of 12.8 to 17.6 minutes per rental. City Manager Kiel Mangus attributed this to Derby not having a traditional downtown and shopping areas and parks being more spread out across the city. After attending a recent conference in Columbus, Ohio, Mangus said scooter rentals were more practical in cities with a congested downtown area.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Governor Laura Kelly Announces $28.5M for 32 Pedestrian and Bike Transportation Projects
Governor Laura Kelly announced $28.5 million has been awarded for 32 Transportation Alternatives (TA) program projects across Kansas for Fiscal Year 2023-24. The competitive grant program, administered by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), provides funding for a variety of projects, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure for non-driver access to public transportation, and overall safety and mobility improvements.
View the 32 Kansas TA projects selected to receive an award.
Safe crossing: Crossing Guards needed in McPherson
Every Wednesday morning and afternoon Jerry Montagne can be found working as a crossing guard, escorting children safely to and from school at Washington Elementary. Serving as a crossing guard isn’t part of his duties as McPherson County Sheriff, rather he does it because he enjoys it. “About three years ago they had a shortage of crossing guards and officers were having to fill in,” Montagne said. “I offered to do it and I love it. I look forward to seeing all the kids each week.” Montagne is one of many crossing guards employed by the city and supervised through the McPherson Police Department.
Source: McPherson Weekly News
When will the housing market cool down? WSU releases annual forecast
Will the hot housing market stay hot? Wichita State University’s (WSU) Center for Real Estate released its annual housing forecast. The verdict? The market may be cooling off but by how much? It has been a very unusual year — coming off the pandemic when stimulus checks and low-interest rates set the housing market on fire. This year those interest rates skyrocketed, bringing down housing affordability. So the big question this year is when will the market balance out?
Source: KSN-TV
Overland Park infrastructure group says sales tax increase could reduce chip seal work
An Overland Park infrastructure advisory group says renewing and increasing a special sales tax could be one way in which the city could fund improvements to the city’s aging infrastructure while reducing its reliance on the controversial chip seal method of road resurfacing. Overall, the group says the city needs nearly $30 million more annually in order to maintain its infrastructure, primarily roads, at a “good” level. Any decision to increase the city’s current 1/8-cent special sales tax dedicated to infrastructure would ultimately have to be approved by voters, and the suggestion was one of several revenue-raising possibilities the group offered in a report discussed by the city council Monday.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Arkansas City gives land to college for tech center
Arkansas City commissioners unanimously approved donating the city-owned property at the corner of West Washington Avenue and South Fifth Street to Cowley College for its new career and technical training center. The location is the site of the city’s old water treatment plant. The commission on Tuesday considered whether to sell the property to the college. Commissioner Jay Warren argued that donating it would benefit both the college and the city.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Allen County looks at options for 911 backup
A county commissioner wants to explore more options to develop an emergency backup plan for the 911 system. Commissioner David Lee suggested Chelsie Angleton, 911 director, look at alternatives to a proposal she’s working on that would set up a backup system in the event the dispatch center in Iola was wiped out by a disaster such as a tornado or flood. If the Iola communications center were heavily damaged, dispatchers could move to a temporary location. She proposed setting up a backup station in the basement of Humboldt’s City Hall, which could allow dispatchers to operate there during the emergency.
Source: The Iola Register
Kansas ditches debt as it strives for rating upgrades
With a stabilized budget and amid stronger-than-expected revenue growth, Kansas paid off a chunk of debt and will fund some projects with cash, saving $754 million in interest costs as it builds a case for rating upgrades. The state tapped its surplus to pay down $1.6 billion of debt mostly owed to its pension system, redeemed callable bonds, and will cash fund $203 million of capital projects instead of issuing bonds, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Monday. “By prioritizing fiscal responsibility, we have put Kansas back on track and ready for the road ahead,” she said in a statement.
Source: The Bond Buyer
Fed’s Bostic would raise rates as high as 4.5% by end of 2022
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic said he favors lifting interest rates to between 4% and 4.5% by the end of this year, and then keeping the tightening in place to reduce inflation that remains near a four-decade high. “I would like to reach a point where policy is moderately restrictive — between 4 and 4 1/2 percent by the end of this year — and then hold at that level and see how the economy and prices react,” Bostic said in prepared remarks Wednesday to Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research.
Source: The Bond Buyer
67 Counties, Including Sedgwick, Updated to Drought Emergency Status
Governor Kelly has approved updated drought declarations for Kansas counties with Executive Order #22-08. This drought declaration continues to keep all 105 Kansas counties either in watch, warning or emergency status. The drought declaration placed 67 counties into an emergency status, 11 counties in a warning status and 27 into a watch status. This action was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. Much of Kansas has experienced above normal temperatures, with precipitation averaging well below normal for many of those same locations over that same timeframe. In some parts of Kansas these precipitation deficit conditions have existed since the latter part of 2021.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Daily resigns as Sedgwick’s police chief and interim city administrator; hired as Medicine Lodge city administrator
Sedgwick police chief and interim city manager Brian Daily announced that he had accepted a position with Medicine Lodge as their full-time city administrator at Monday’s city council meeting. The start date for his new position will be Nov. 14. After two executive sessions totaling thirty minutes, Daily told the council he would submit an official resignation letter as well as what his last day would be soon. “I had a great opportunity here,” Daily said. “I’ve loved everything about Sedgwick. I’ve enjoyed it and I’m excited about this next opportunity.” Mayor Bryan Chapman told Daily that he has done a good job.
Source: Harvey County Now
Wichita’s emergency rental assistance program ends after federal funds run out
$29 million spent and 3,300 families helped. That was what the Wichita Emergency Rental Assistance program accomplished in the 18 months it was active. City Housing Director Sally Stang sums up the response to WERAP pretty simply, “There was tremendous demand.” However, the program is ending. Stang says the city is no longer accepting any new applications and will be paying out its final few months of rent checks through the end of the year. The reason for such a popular program getting shut down? It ran out of funding.
Source: KAKE – News
Topeka creates first of its kind position to focus on development, equity
The City of Topeka has hired a new Director of Development and Economic Growth, a position that is the first of its kind in the capital city. Filling this position is Rhiannon Friedman who previously has been serving as the President of Downtown Topeka, Inc. She will be transitioning to her new role later this year on an as yet undetermined date. The position will be housed within the City’s Planning and Development Department. It will aim to make Topeka more development efficient with equity at the core. Friedman will focus on affordable housing expansion, incentive packages available to builders and developers as well as increased communication in these areas.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Merriam weighs $1M fund to help city’s struggling hotels
In an effort to help the city’s flagging hotel industry, Merriam is considering setting aside up to $1 million that would pay for grants the city’s four hotels could use to refurbish their properties. The move, city officials say, would have the double impact of reducing blight at the four prominent hotel properties along Interstate 35 and also, ultimately, lead to more tax revenue for the city if hotel usage picks up as a result. City staff last month laid out a proposal to offer the hotels reimbursable grants with a 50% required match by the hotel, and a minimum $10,000 investment, according to city documents.
Source: Prairie Village Post