Kansas Municipal News
Municipal Bond Trends for August 16, 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.
The Pittsburg Aquatic Center goes to the dogs
The Pittsburg Aquatic Center is going to the dogs. The Aquatic Center opened up to canines and their families this evening (8/15). The Pittsburg Parks and Recreation hosts this event every year. It’s the last night the pool will be open, before it’s all drained tomorrow (8/16). But, before being emptied, nearly fifty dogs of all shapes and sizes enjoyed the last swim of the summer season. “I like them coming down to Parks and Rec. and just enjoying the water with us. You don’t get to see a lot of the dogs all together unless your down at Schlanger enjoying the dog park, so it’s nice to see them in the water just having fun and splashing around,” said Sydnie Crawford, Manager of the Pittsburg Aquatic Center.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Great Bend sends dog kennel zoning amendment to Planning Commission
A Great Bend couple is hoping Great Bend zoning regulations can be amended and allow them to continue operating a dog boarding kennel in their west Broadway residential neighborhood. This is a possibility after the City Council Monday night voted to initiate a change for consideration by the city’s Planning Commission.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Tabor College receives $90,000 USDA Grant to promote rural entrepreneurship
Tabor College has been selected for a $90,000 Rural Business Development Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The grant, set for Aug. 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023, will provide services to Hillsboro, Marion County, and much of central Kansas for starting and growing businesses. The former Tabor Welcome Center, located on the corner of D and Washington streets, will serve as the program incubator. Staci Janzen, professor of business administration at Tabor, has been named program director.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press
After years getting trapped by parked trains and ignored, neighborhood demanding action
After years of being blocked in their homes by trains for hours on end, a small Butler County neighborhood says that no matter what they do or who they call, nothing ever changes. Now, the family is turning to KAKE On Your Side and demanding action. … So, we decided to call the company ourselves. After confirming we were talking to a BNSF employee, who we won’t identify, he said there are “hundreds” of possible reasons this is happening, and says it’s a problem everywhere. When we asked if that means there’s nothing they can do, the worker said “they can build a bridge.”
Source: KAKE – News
Opening of route between Newton, Hesston a week away
Motorists will be able to drive Hesston Road (Old 81) between Newton and Hesston as soon as next week. Construction on the stretch of road has kept it closed since March. This week Harvey County stated in a release that the construction will soon be completed by Pearson Construction on that stretch of road. “Shoulder work, permanent striping and permanent signing on that section will begin later this week and is projected to be completed early next week, and upon completion, will reopen Hesston Road in full between the Hesston and Newton city limits,” the release stated.
Source: Harvey County Now
Wichita passes new pilot program to boost home renovations, construction
The idea from the city’s perspective is simple, by waiving these fees, leaders hope people will use that money to put back into their homes, improving property values, hopefully opening up more current homes to rent or making it easier for new housing to be built. “We need many more affordable units, but we just need housing in general. This helps take care of the stock that we have, hopefully, build on some of those open lots and again, with saving folks’ money on doing that. Hopefully we see a shot in the arm to really help them,” said Johnson.
Source: KAKE – News
Shawnee could adjust zoning to encourage more small, artisanal businesses downtown
The public thirst for handcrafted and artisanal goods has become strong enough that Shawnee officials are considering adding a new land use category in the city’s downtown and eastern gateway districts. Driving the news: The Shawnee Planning Commission Monday night unanimously approved “artisanal manufacturing” for its Town Square and Commercial Highway Overlay districts – a move intended to encourage small businesses like breweries, handmade clothing and food businesses.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Overland Park discusses short-term rentals following community survey
A city-led analysis in Overland Park concludes that problems associated with short-term home rentals are less common than some may believe. Nonetheless, the Overland Park City Council will continue exploring options for regulating or possibly completely banning these types of rentals within city limits in the future. The Overland Park City Council in its Committee of the Whole meeting Monday night discussed how short-term rentals, such as AirBnb vacation homes, could be regulated.
Source: Prairie Village Post
A banner day for Iola
Representatives of USD 257, the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce and others involved in building a new Iola Elementary School gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Tuesday evening. Students and their parents were the first to get to tour the new attendance center, before the public was invited later in the evening. Wednesday is the first day of school for Iola schools.
Source: The Iola Register
Riley County commissioners approve EPA fine for sewer violations
The Riley County Commission on Monday unanimously accepted a fine of $1,750 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failures within the University Park Wastewater system to meet regulations regarding treated wastewater. The fine is the responsibility of the University Park Sewer Benefit District. County Counselor Clancy Holeman presented information to explain the fine before Monday’s vote. “Public Works Director John Ellermann and I were told early in our negotiations with EPA counsel and EPA staff that the Benefit District could face an EPA fine in ‘six figures,’” he wrote. “But during negotiations with EPA, we discovered any fine which might eventually be imposed could be no more than $8,000.”
Source: themercury.com
$230M project will expand portions of East Kellogg heading into Andover
A two-mile stretch of East Kellogg — from K-96 to 159th Street in Andover — will be reconstructed into a six-lane highway, the Kansas Department of Transportation announced this week. The $230-million expansion is expected to begin in 2023 — one of 11 around the state unveiled in a second pipeline of projects under the IKE transportation plan. The state says expanding East Kellogg from the K-96 interchange to about a half-mile east of 159th Street will improve traffic on a busy stretch of highway heading out of Wichita. Currently it’s a four-lane roadway, and there are signs more commercial development is headed to some of the vacant properties fronting Kellogg.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Wichita gets $3.95 million in federal funding for electric vans
Wichita Transit’s goal of moving to an entirely battery-electric fleet has received an assist from the federal government. On Tuesday, the city announced the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration is awarding Wichita $3.95 million in federal grant funding to purchase 10 Vicinity Motor Corp. Optimal S1LF electric vehicles. The funding will also help with the installation of five 150-kilowatt, in-depot charging stations.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Hutchinson opens time capsule, buries another
Hutchinson opened a time capsule that was buried 50 years ago and filled with items important to the community at the time. It included items such as letters with names historic to Reno County and centennial items. City officials say most of the items were in great condition but that there was some water damage. “I think it’s really exciting to be a part of this history and see what’s important to the residents of our community 50 years ago and also to see, or to have the opportunity to place items in the time capsule to be opened during our bicentennial,” said Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho.
Source: KSN-TV
Public Employers and the COLA Conundrum
With government workers’ pay raises lagging the private sector’s, state and local officials will need to navigate through different measures of inflation to fairly calibrate wage and pension increases. Government employees have drawn the short straw lately when it comes to inflation adjustments to their pay. The gap in pay increases could be closed in the coming year if cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are awarded by formula to public employees, but that’s a big if. And don’t be surprised if there are debates about which inflation index to use and how.
Source: Governing
Banner Arts Walk fills downtown Garden City businesses with art
Art was on people’s minds Friday and Saturday as the 2022 Banner Arts Walk returned to Garden City. Twenty-two artists created 23 banners for the Arts Walk and participants in the event Aug. 12 and 13 where they had the opportunity to see all the banners up close before they’re installed on downtown light poles and to vote for their favorite ones. … Katy Guthrie, executive director of Garden City Arts, which partnered with event host Garden City Downtown Vision, said in the past the Banner Arts Walk has been a scavenger hunt, but this year it was changed to a voting competition which included a map of the businesses where the banners were displayed.
Source: GC Telegram
Looking back 150 years at the three men who helped established Hutchinson
Multiple people from Hutchinson helped to establish its 150-year history. Several were known as city founders. From C. C. Hutchinson founding the town in 1871 to Frank Colladay beginning a century-old hardware company, many members of the early Hutchinson community created a city to last.
“(Hutchinson) wasn’t worried about just establishing a town as quick as he possibly could — he was interested in setting up a town that was going to continue to grow without having growing pains,” said Reno County Museum chief curator David Reed.
Source: Hutch News
Municipal Bond Trends for August 15, 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.
How should Wichita school board members be elected? Some Black leaders seek change
Wichita voters may be given the option in November to reshape the way Kansas’ largest school district chooses school board members after community members raised concerns that minority voters aren’t being heard. As it stands, registered voters in USD 259 can weigh in on all school board races in general elections. District-specific primaries narrow the field of candidates before races are decided citywide. Critics of the current system say the board would be more representative if members were elected directly by residents in each of the six school board districts.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Underwriting spreads fall to historic lows in 1H 2022
Heavy competition for a significantly lower volume of municipal bonds drove a sharp decline in overall underwriting spreads to $3.54 in the first half of 2022, the lowest level in 20 years. The latest data from Refinitiv representing the first six months of 2022 underscores what has been a steady and developing trend over the last two decades, the data showed. For the first time in 20 years, gross underwriting spreads — the payment or underwriting discount an underwriter receives to market a deal — fell to under $4 per $1,000 for all bonds, compared with 2003 when spreads were at $5.20, according to the data.
Source: The Bond Buyer