Kansas Municipal News
Topeka road condition study project starts soon
A project to inventory the condition of all roads maintained by the City of Topeka is slated to begin on Wednesday. According to Gretchen Spiker, director of communications for the City of Topeka, Roadway Asset Services has been hired to undertake the project. … Starting on Aug. 10, RAS vehicles will collect imagery on all pavement and above ground transportation-related assets located within the public right-of-way. The vehicles will be traveling on all City-maintained roads, including alleys.
Source: KSNT 27 News
USD 413 to enact stringent new safety protocols
After a few weeks of deliberation and ironing out details, the district will enact a set of new security measures for the upcoming school year and beyond. “I hope this exemplifies that we are taking the situation seriously, because we are,” said Superintendent Kellen Adams. The new protocols coincide with recent upgrades at each of the district buildings, which were partially funded by the state through the Safe and Secure Schools grant. Visitors will now be required to buzz in through a video doorbell prior to entering a district building, and front doors will remain locked throughout the school day. Once inside the corridor area, an intercom will be utilized for front office personnel to communicate with visitors before allowing entrance into the office.
Source: www.chanute.com
Lawrence city leaders to consider putting proposal for directly elected mayor, other changes to form of government on Nov. ballot
Lawrence city leaders will soon consider putting changes to the city’s form of government on the ballot. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider a resolution to put the question of whether the city should transition to a system with a directly elected mayor and a six-member commission elected by districts on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. All terms would also be changed to four years long.
Source: LJWorld
Lawrence board could close schools due to budget issues
The Lawrence school board is looking at another way to solve budget issues that could include cutting schools. The school board is considering hiring a consultant to look at future enrollment and the use of school buildings in the district. The consulting firm is RSP and Assoc. If approved, RPS would provide 5-year enrollment projections, a development and housing analysis and a demographic profile for the district. The team would also include a community engagement process to talk future educational needs, the district’s wants and available financial resources.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
Municipal Bond Trends for August 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.
The child-care choice: Employers and talent alike realize daycare challenges are hindering part of the workforce
Conner Hampton was a stay-at-home dad for about five months because, like many Wichita parents, he couldn’t find an opening at a daycare center for his newborn son. He turned down a few jobs because of it, too. After months of trying, Hampton eventually found an available slot and re-entered the workforce. Now, he’s development director of Center City Academy, a new early child development center planned in downtown Wichita — a role in which he hopes to be part of finding a solution to a growing problem.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Butler Community College administrator sees connections between school and El Dorado
Butler Community College is making good on the “community” portion of its name as it works to connect students of color more directly with El Dorado. “True fulfillment comes through involvement,” says Aletra Chaney-Profit, director of career services at the school. “So when our students can become more involved, they have a better educational experience.” Chaney-Profit says community engagement is a priority for a variety of groups at Butler, including its Inclusion Council, Black Student Association (for which she is an advisor), Hispanic American Leadership Organization and CARES team.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Fed Governor Bowman sees ‘similarly sized’ rate hikes ahead after three-quarter point moves
Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman said Saturday she supports the central bank’s recent big interest rate increases and thinks they are likely to continue until inflation is subdued. The Fed, at its last two policy meetings, raised benchmark borrowing rates by 0.75 percentage point, the largest increase since 1994. Those moves were aimed at subduing inflation running at its highest level in more than 40 years. In addition to the hikes, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee indicated that “ongoing increases … will be appropriate,” a view Bowman said she endorses. “My view is that similarly sized increases should be on the table until we see inflation declining in a consistent, meaningful, and lasting way,” she added in prepared remarks in Colorado for the Kansas Bankers Association.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Olathe schools boost security: All staff will wear button that can lock down building
A months-long internal investigation of the Olathe East High School shooting that left three injured — and a student charged with attempted capital murder — found that the district must improve communication during a school crisis. As a result, the district announced that for this coming school year, all staff will wear a badge equipped with a button that allows them to call for help during emergencies, and lock down a school if needed. The district also will add more safety personnel at high schools.
Source: Joco 913 News
Small Kansas town became a top travel destination after years of decline. Here’s how
Sometimes when Cole Herder has a free moment he likes to get up from behind his cluttered desk at Humboldt City Hall and go stand by the bank of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the town square. He remembers what the view once was: a city hanging by its nails, a downtown with half its teeth knocked out, a decaying hotel whose only guests were ghosts. How things change. These days, downtown Humboldt is tingling with so many projects and new businesses that Herder, the city administrator, struggles to keep track of it all.
Source: Kansas City Star
Prairie Village is getting rid of Bird’s electric scooters in August
The city council’s Committee of the Whole on Monday decided against renewing the city’s one-year pilot program with Bird Rides, Inc., which would have kept the dockless, pay-as-you-go vehicles on city streets for another year… Aside from lack of usage, several councilmembers expressed concerns about safety and negative resident feedback. Some, like Councilmember Inga Selders, said she’s heard from a resident in a wheelchair who was unable to get around scooters parked at the Shops of Prairie Village. Councilmember Chad Herring said he still worries about safety issues with scooters, including riders falling off or getting injured.
Source: KCUR News
New CDC study offers best look at how many people got sick at Kansas park last year
The June 2021 bacterial and viral outbreak linked to Tanganyika Wildlife Park is now a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case study. The CDC’s study is based on survey responses submitted by 404 people who visited Tanganyika last year between May 28 and June 19. The study provides a closer look at what happened, including more concrete figures on the number of people who got sick. The park reopened in July 2021 after implementing the CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code. Sedgwick County’s top health official said he is “satisfied that all requirements (of reopening) are met and that there is no risk of infection.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Century tradition returns to fairgrounds in Southeast Kansas
A century-long summer tradition was back in full force in Southeast Kansas. This week the 106th Crawford County fair” returned to Girard. Since Wednesday the fairgrounds have been full of 4-H and community members showing off their livestock and other projects, like photography or clothes they’ve constructed. Tina Oehme with Crawford County K-State and Extension Office has been helping out at the fair for the past decade, and says it has been a summer staple for the community.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Lyon County constructing new fitness facility for employees
Initial work is underway to provide Lyon County employees with a new fitness center. Last month county commissioners approved the use of $100,000 in American Rescue Act funds for the creation of the center inside the Lyon County Court Annex. According to Human Resources Director Janice Huffman, the center is one way the county is helping staff both improve work-life balance and overcome stress brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bids for equipment are to be presented to commissioners during their Aug. 18 action session. Huffman says once those are approved, given the current state of supply chains, the equipment could arrive by either September or October.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio
Osawatomie Announces Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
On November 8, 2021, the City of Osawatomie was in a consortium of eight businesses and municipalities, working through the Metropolitan Energy Center, that were awarded $5.2 million through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Low Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Vehicle Technologies, Demonstration and Deployment program for electric vehicle (EV) and charging station projects. These businesses and municipalities operate within environmental justice areas, opportunity zones, and other underserved areas. In addition to sedans, they are replacing small and heavy trucks with electric models. These partners will also be building out EV charging stations in various locations.
Source: City of Osawatomie
Leawood approves new citywide crosswalk policy after 6-year-old was hit at intersection last year
The Leawood City Council this week unanimously approved the adoption of a new citywide pedestrian crossing policy, following concerns raised by residents in recent months. The council at its Monday meeting also approved the installation of a new crosswalk at the intersection of 93rd Street and Lee Boulevard. Residents began rallying for a crosswalk at that particular intersection after a 6-year-old Leawood resident was hit by a car there last fall.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Sedgwick County Firefighters Union pushes for higher pay for staff
The Sedgwick County Firefighters Union said if the staff shortage gets worse, they might have to shut down a station. The union president wants staff to get a bump in pay to address the issue. In 2016 previous Sedgwick County Commissioners voted to take away bargaining power from the Sedgwick County Firefighters Union. Now the president of the union is asking for that power back. He said call volume is up, but staffing is not. “Over the last few years, we’ve had people leave here and there. In the last few months, we’ve really had people voice their concerns and say they can no longer financially stay with this department,” said Casey Ingalls, the president of the Sedgwick County Firefighters Union Local 2612. Ingalls said the department has lost 29 firefighters since 2015. He said pay is partly to blame. Staff received a 4 percent raise in January, but he said it wasn’t enough.
Source: KSN-TV
Muni Bond Costs Remain High: Study Says Researchers find dealers mark up prices when customers are less likely notice
Municipal bond dealers set prices well above what they pay for the securities, reaping windfalls at the expense of individual investors despite recent regulation aimed at curbing so-called markups, according to an academic study of trading data expected to be released Thursday. “Dealers appear to use their pricing discretion to charge higher markups to small customers when investors are less likely to notice,” wrote the study’s authors, John Griffin and Samuel Kruger of the University of Texas at Austin, and Nicholas Hirschey of the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Douglas County historical societies band together for ARPA request, aiming for increased accessibility
With the help of more than $700,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding, Douglas County’s six historical societies are hoping to make their sites around the county more accessible for visitors. The team of six historical societies — the Clinton Lake, Douglas County, Eudora Area, Lecompton and Santa Fe Trail historical societies and the Black Jack Battlefield Trust — submitted a joint funding request during the county’s ARPA request process and ultimately was awarded $723,539 to cover capital expenses for a variety of projects at sites throughout the county.
Source: LJWorld
Municipal Bond Trends for August 3, 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.