Kansas Municipal News
City of Topeka opens new rental assistance program
A new program launched by the City of Topeka aims to create a more collaborative community approach to ensuring equity and access to housing and shelter. Equity Access Shelter (EAS) will enhance homeless services to ensure all people receive rent assistance with a single point of access. EAS is located within Topeka’s Housing Services Division. “No longer does a person needing rent assistance have to call multiple agencies to try to get help,” said Carrie Higgins, senior program administrator for the City of Topeka. “One phone number means individuals are able to access help quickly, and without further trauma. EAS uses an assessment to score each individual’s level of need, as well as coordinated entry to assist those individuals based on prioritization.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
Municipal Bond Trends for October 31, 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.
Analysts looking past the week’s FOMC meeting
With a 75 basis point rate hike expected, analysts will focus on clues about the Federal Open Market Committee’s thought about slowing future increases. “We expect the Federal Reserve to raise the fed funds rate by another 75 basis points at the November meeting, followed by a 50 basis points hike in December,” noted Scott Colbert, director of fixed income and chief economist at Commerce Trust. “… We don’t anticipate a rapid decline in interest rates going forward.” Inflation hasn’t cooled “enough to warrant easing interest rate hikes just yet,” said Steve Skancke, chief economic advisor at Keel Point, “but also not bad enough to support a full 1% rate hike in November.” Additionally, the September minutes showed official are more worried about “taking too little action to bring down inflation compared to the cost of being too aggressive,” he said. While a pivot won’t be suggested, Skancke said, Fed Chair Jerome Powell could suggest “smaller rates hikes lie ahead: 50 bp in December and 25 bp in January, as signs of abating inflation become more evident.”
Source: The Bond Buyer
A fire that erupted Sunday evening north of Wichita continues to burn
Firefighters still were working to contain a large fire at the Evergreen Pallet Recycling Center in Park City on Monday afternoon. The fire was reported around 6:48 p.m. on Sunday at the center, 300 W. 53rd Street N. in Park City. The intensity of the fire closed a portion of 53rd street between Arkansas and Broadway that has since been reopened. People are being asked to drive safely through the area as the fire is still burning, the Park City Police Department said. The fire is “consuming multiple piles of pallets and mulch, covering approximately 10 acres of the grounds,” Sedgwick County Fire District 1 said in a Facebook post.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Two Overland Park police officers help out trick-or-treaters on Halloween
Overland Park police officers Amanda Burns and Shelbe Piggie were riding around town to find the perfect trick-or-treaters. The officers wanted to use their down time to connect with the community. It was also a way to make sure kids were being safe. “Whenever we’re not on calls, we are encouraged to go into the neighborhoods, not only for the safety of the kids, but to be around making sure they’re using their crosswalks,” Officer Burns said. “We like for them to cross at street corners, but also looking for drivers speeding through neighborhood and not stopping for the kids.” Neighbors said they enjoyed seeing the officers “It’s really awesome,” resident Breanne Lindeman said. “I would’ve loved seeing it when I was younger. I would’ve thought it was the coolest thing, so I’m so happy the kids now can see this.”
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
Traders Expect Higher Interest Rates to Stay
Wagers on rates remaining higher for longer have crept upward most of the year and are now nearing their highest levels since 2013. Ahead of the Federal Reserve’s next decision on Wednesday, derivatives markets show the federal-funds rate sitting at around 3.5% for the long run. That is a full percentage point higher than the central bank’s own latest forecast. Those wagers have crept higher throughout most of the year, and are now nearing levels not seen since the 2013 bond-market rout known as the “Taper Tantrum.”
Source: WSJ.com: Markets
Gage Park mini-train to stay in Topeka
The Gage Park mini-train is officially retired, giving it’s last ride over the weekend, but that does not mean it is going anywhere anytime soon. Although the train will most likely never be giving anyone rides ever again, Shawnee County Parks and Rec is already making plans to preserve the locomotive. The train will be replaced with an electric counterpart, but the old steam engine will remain in Gage Park on display. There is currently no official placement, but the Director of Parks and Rec says it will be staying home.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Shawnee Mission launches pay incentives for some staff in effort to fill vacancies
Shawnee Mission has launched a pilot pay incentive program aimed at attracting and retaining paraeducators and custodians at a time when the district is struggling to fill those positions. Shawnee Mission’s Board of Education last week unanimously approved spending more than half a million dollars on the program, which is aimed at addressing staffing shortages for classified, or non-teacher, staff.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Panasonic to break ground on new Kansas battery plant in November
Panasonic Energy will begin construction on a new EV batter plant in De Soto, Kansas, in November. The new facility will produce batteries that will be used in electric vehicles. “As the global shift to EVs accelerates, we are looking into ways to strengthen our battery production capacity in North America and meet the growing demand from our automotive partners,” Kazuo Tadanobu, President, CEO of Panasonic Energy Co., Ltd., said. The company says the batteries are in high demand, and the De Soto site will help expand production capabilities with goals of mass producing EV batteries in 2025.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
Doggone project soon gone: Pet owners in Overland Park will receive permanent tags
If you own a pet, you know the drill. You properly license the dog or cat before receiving a tag that’s good for one year. That’s the easy part. Then comes the epic struggle to replace the old tag with the new one on the animal’s collar. It may take pliers or fingernails of steel, if you can get the dang things to move at all. But with a new licensing procedure that will take effect in January, Overland Park hopes fewer people will be growling in frustration. And the city will save some money, too. Pet owners will now receive a permanent tag, instead of one that must be replaced each year. The licenses still must be renewed annually, but the original tag remains valid as long as the license is renewed.
Source: KC Star Local News
Johnson County residents concerned about rise in coyote attacks on dogs
Residents in Johnson County are worried about coyotes attacking their pets. Some emergency vet clinics say they’ve seen a spike in small dog attacks and most are blaming coyotes. For dog owners like Maggie Uhruh, coyotes are a big concern. “I have a dog that is seven and a half pounds, and we don’t have a fence,” Uhruh said. “I always worry when I let her out that a coyote is just going to snatch her up.” She says she’s been seeing more coyotes around her neighborhood lately.
Source: KMBC.com
Annual Emporia Main Street trick-or-treat draws crowd downtown
Emporia Main Street’s annual downtown trick-or-treat event was held Saturday morning, following the Dia de los Muertos parade. Children of all ages could be seen walking along Commercial Street sidewalks picking up candy from area businesses and booths. A photo contest is still ongoing, and winners will receive Emporia Main Street gift certificates. Categories include babies ages 0 – 2, kids ages 3 and up and families.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Shawnee pitches new TIF district to support infrastructure upgrades
SHAWNEE, Kan. — The City of Shawnee could soon create a new special tax district to support future infrastructure upgrades…. Unlike TIF districts requested by developers, the city will consider creating a conservation TIF district. The state defines conservation districts as areas in which at least 50% of buildings are more than 35 years old, that are not yet blighted, but could become blighted due to inadequate infrastructure, dilapidation or the deterioration of surrounding structures. … Revenue generated by the TIF district would be earmarked for infrastructure improvements …
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Nearly $2M to Boost Tourism Industry
Governor Laura Kelly today announced that Kansas Tourism, in partnership with the Patterson Family Foundation, is providing nearly $2 million to eight tourism projects across the state to enhance the state’s growing tourism industry. …
The TASK recipients and amounts awarded:
- City of Great Bend Convention & Visitors Bureau, Barton County, $337,500
- Flint Hills Discovery Center, Riley County, $200,000
- Grassroots Art Center, Russell County, $172,226
- Horse Thief Reservoir Benefit District, Hodgeman County, $299,918
- Johnson County Park & Recreation District, Johnson County, $201,168
- Miners Hall Museum Foundation, Crawford County, $337,500
- Strataca: Kansas Underground Salt Museum, Reno County, $174,750
- The Nature Conservancy, Logan County, $238,950
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Derby updates revamped Neighborhood Maintenance Grant program
Looking to increase utilization, the city of Derby modified its previous neighborhood revitalization program earlier in 2022 – having spent a little over half of the allocated funding between 2016 and 2021. City staff reported on the success of the new Neighborhood Maintenance Grant program at the Oct. 25 Derby City Council meeting. With the success, updates to continue enhancing the new program in 2023 were presented for consideration, which the council approving them unanimously. Partly due to updates to property code enforcement, the revitalization program was reviewed to better assist low-to-moderate income homeowners.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Wichita looking at regulations for short-term rentals
Wichita City Council members are looking over a draft of recommendations for licensing and regulation of homes that are used as short-term rentals of seven days or less. The homes are offered through booking apps and web sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. Planning director Scott Wadle presented the draft recommendations to council members during a workshop meeting this week. He said short-term rentals became popular around 2008 with apps that were offering bookings, and there are around 475 rentals operating in Wichita, a higher number than previous years. … The draft requirements include yearly licensing requirements, zoning requirements, limits on occupancy and insurance requirements.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
Johnson County receives federal grant to create Mental Health Court
Johnson County is on track to create a mental health court that will reduce the likelihood of people with severe mental illnesses returning to the criminal justice system. On Thursday, the Board of County Commissioners accepted a $309,766 grant from the Department of Justice to support the development of the Mental Health Court program. Johnson County Mental Health Center, in collaboration with the District Court and District Attorney’s Office, applied for the grant. The grant funds will be used for staff training and education, travel and research, developing program assessments and paying staff salaries associated with program implementation.
Source: Johnson County Kansas
SE Kansas Mining History preserved through donations
Kansas Tourism announced this week that Miners Hall Museum will receive $337,500 to help preserve an important piece of SE Kansas Coal Mining History. The grant goes toward relocating and renovating a Page 618 Walking Dragline, which is a unique piece of coal mining machinery that was used to dig for coal in Cherokee County. This is only one of eighteen Page 618 Walking Draglines ever built and only one of two Page 618s still in existence. It will be the largest walking dragline preserved for public display in the U.S., and is the only restorable walking dragline of its kind known to exist.
Source: KOAMKOAM
Downtown Pittsburg art district designation will open doors for new projects
There’s already a lot of public art in Downtown Pittsburg, and more of it is now on the way. Earlier this week, the Pittsburg City Commission gave its blessing to the creation of an arts district in the downtown area. Crista Cunningham is the president of the Pittsburg Artwalk Association, the group that has been pursuing the idea for the last year. She says the new designation will pave the way for even more public art in that part of town. “To hopefully enhance what’s already happening, so if there’s a way for those business owners to get grants using that title, the possibility is there. Hopefully, it will shine up our downtown even more, bring more people to the area,” she said.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Erie has best small library in state
The Erie City Public Library has been named the Kansas Library Association’s Best Small Library in Kansas. Erie Library Director Julie Kent … said she kind of just fell into doing the seed library. “When this whole thing started, when I got the grant for the greenhouse two or three years ago from the county, in my grant, I put in $50 for seeds.” She happened to find a five-gallon bucket of seeds on sale at Tractor Supply for $20. Then she thought she could probably get donations of seeds if she asked. She reached out to Baker Creek Seeds and then the husband of one of the library board members who works in the gardening department at Walmart said they had a whole bunch of seeds they wanted to donate to the library.
Source: Parsons Sun