Kansas Municipal News
Parsons PD welcomes their newest member to the force
Officials from a national nonprofit were in Southeast Kansas today to witness their efforts in action. The Parsons Police Department opened its doors to Canines for Cops. Based out of Houston, Texas, this was the first chance its representatives got to see the newest member of the police department, K-9 officer Morgan. The organization played a role in getting her on the force. It reached out following the December murder of a puppy belonging to a Parsons police officer. It also provided more than $12,000 to help purchase and train K-9 officer Morgan.
Source: KSNF/KODE
‘Someone could die,’ trains slow response time in Marshall County
The fear in Marshall County is someone could die, a house could burn down, or a first responder could need help, that concern is coming from Sheriff Tim Ackerman following numerous complaints from citizens about blocked train crossings. Ackerman is frustrated. “There’s nothing we can do, we are just hoping no one dies, no house burns down because they can’t get through,” Ackerman told KSNT 27 News. In the past, the sheriff’s office would ticket the trains, some up to three miles long, but eventually, the railroad stopped paying the tickets and invoked a federal loophole in the law that let them block roads for five minutes to an hour, according to Ackerman.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Emporia’s transient guest tax receipts 15 percent above 2019 record
Emporia’s transient guest tax receipts are doing quite well. Visit Emporia Director LeLan Dains says the 7-percent tax on each room night stay at local hotels has led to some impressive totals as the local economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dains says it’s important for Emporia to have large-scale events that bring people to the city from a regional, national or international basis. He also says travel numbers are higher than expected with gas prices elevated for at least three months, and that is a good trend for Emporia.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio
Common Ground adding 11th community garden in Lawrence
A new garden site is set to join the list of urban gardens located throughout Lawrence as part of the Common Ground community gardening and urban agriculture program. The new garden site at Broken Arrow Park, located at 31st and Louisiana streets, will be the 11th garden established as part of the program. Common Ground is facilitated through the Lawrence-Douglas County Sustainability Office, and the program’s new manager, Umut Bayramoglu, told the Journal-World earlier this year that the program hoped to add another garden site sometime during 2022.
Source: LJWorld
What’s black and white and cool all over? Tesla vehicles join Leawood police fleet
The Leawood Police Department has added a Tesla Model Y electric vehicle to its fleet of black-and-white patrol cars. The department began researching electric vehicles last year after finding unfavorable reviews of the hybrid patrol cars that were available then. An early cost comparison — done more than a year ago when the city could buy gasoline for $1.75 a gallon — put energy costs for the city’s current Ford Explorer Patrol SUV at roughly $4,500 a year.
Source: KC Star
Resident revitalizes downtown Pittsburg building
Over the past several years, downtown Pittsburg has been receiving a facelift from many business and community members in the area. What started out as a simple investment for Pittsburg resident Ian Youvan developed into a project of renovation, creativity, and hard work on a building on Broadway. When Youvan received his first COVID-19 stimulus check in 2020, he decided to invest the money into a rising cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, he said. After having success with it, he purchased the building 117 N. Broadway from the city’s landbank, and began cleaning it out and restoring the building last year. Youvan said the building was full of trash when he bought it.
Source: Morning Sun
Municipal Bond Trends for July 28, 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.
Radio towers handed over to Claflin, Ellinwood
As County Communications continues its move to the system, the county’s Claflin and Ellinwood repeaters are no longer needed, 911 Director Dena Popp said. It was suggested the UHF TAC 11 (Ellinwood) and 18 (Claflin) be transferred to the cities for their utility and public works departments. Under the proposed agreements, the cities would be responsible for the transfer of the repeaters and utilities, if any, and assume all licensing, maintenance and other costs. Both were established over a decade ago and are atop the water towers. Popp said for the county to remove and get rid of them wasn’t cost effective and this was a good alternative.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
KPERS moves ahead with refinancing to avoid volatility of employer contributions
Trustees of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System relied on their authority to refinance the system’s unfunded liability in a bid to stabilize public employer contribution rates during a period in which investment earnings were expected to shrink. The KPERS board simultaneously cut the porfolio’s investment return assumption to 7% from 7.75%, which had been the highest among the nation’s large public pensions. The decision to lower the portfolio’s annual earning estimate added $1.8 billion to the system’s unfunded liability, but had no influence on retiree benefits. The board in May also committed to reamortization, a process of refinancing billions of dollars in unfunded liability held by KPERS. Amortization is a financial tool comparable to refinancing a home mortgage, because it spread KPERS’ liability over a period of decades.
Source: Kansas Reflector
JoCo, De Soto and Kansas add millions more in incentives toward Panasonic battery plant
Johnson County will add another $15 million to a growing pot of incentives dedicated to Panasonic’s new $4 billion factory planned for De Soto. The Board of County Commissioners on Thursday voted to spend $7.5 million on local road improvements and commit another $7.5 million toward building a new fire station with hazmat capabilities for the factory. Kansas officials have already committed $829 million in incentives to lure the Japanese electronics maker to De Soto. That includes $500 million in refundable tax credits, which allows the firm to not only reduce its tax burden, but receive cash directly from the state.
Source: KC Star Local News
Wichita firefighters helping in South Dakota
Some members of the Wichita Fire Department have moved north during their two-week assignment with the Kansas Forest Service Fire Suppression Module. They spent two-and-a-half days working on the Trout Fire in northwest Nebraska. From there, they headed north to the Casino Fire in southwest South Dakota. The fire is on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It has burned 12,636 acres and is at least 80% contained. According to the Wichita Fire Department, four hand crews, 10 wildland engines, one dozer, and three water tenders are assigned to the fire. The Wichita firefighters have put in handline, caught spot fires, and have completed mop-up.
Source: KSN-TV
Shawnee Mission boosts substitute pay after schools struggled to cover teacher absences last year
The Shawnee Mission school board this week unanimously approved an increase in substitute teacher pay for the upcoming school year, a move aimed at counteracting the district’s increasing struggles at finding enough classroom subs. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded teacher shortage issues in SMSD and districts nationwide and led to a shrinking substitute pool, especially last year.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Overland Park OKs solar panels for energy-efficient redesign of 75th Street fire station
Plans for reconstruction of Overland Park Fire Station 41 are moving along as the city approved the addition of solar panels to the building. The fire station, which is undergoing an energy-efficient redesign, sits near the intersection of 75th Street and Conser, just west of Metcalf Avenue. Last week, the Overland Park City Council voted to have SFS Architecture, a local firm, design a solar infrastructure for the station and increase the reconstruction project cost by $225,000 to add solar panels to the building.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Inside Look at the Massive Walmart Fulfillment Center
The largest Walmart Fulfillment Center in Kansas celebrated its one year anniversary with a ribbon cutting today. The new facility employs nearly 400 people, which surpasses the original goal of 300. Associates take orders from Walmart’s website, where the items are then picked, packed and shipped directly to customers. Debbie Parkhill, the General Manager of the center, says the employees have been working hard to make sure everything is ready to go.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Topeka Zoo critical to saving Sumatran Tiger
A new pair of breeding tigers are coming to Topeka. With less than 500 Sumatran Tigers in the wild, saving the species is critical. Of the 72 Sumatran tigers in AZA-accredited zoos in North America, seven have been born here at the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center. The Topeka Zoo announced Thursday it has received recommendations to transfer its tigers to other zoos per a Species Survival Plan (SSP), and has been designated a new breeding pair of tigers. The zoo said it will release more information following the quarantine periods which are expected to be complete this fall.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Public forums begin for Wyandotte County community health assessment
The Unified Government Public Health Department of Wyandotte County is holding community forums in July and August 2022 as part of a Community Health Assessment for the county. Forums are open to anyone who lives in Wyandotte County. The forums will gather input from people who live in Wyandotte County about the biggest health challenges facing the county and ways to make Wyandotte County a healthier place to live for everyone.
Source: Wyandotte Daily
Homebuilders around the nation are boosting incentives as they suddenly struggle to sell homes
After two years of not being able to build homes fast enough to keep up with demand, the nation’s homebuilders are now experiencing a slowdown in sales and an increase in supply. Sales of newly built homes fell more than 8% in June from the prior month and were 17% lower than June of 2021, according to a report Tuesday from the U.S. Census. Inventory also rose to a 9.3-month supply, up from 5.6 months at the end of last year. Chief executives of major builders are saying they have to respond more quickly to the sudden turnaround in the market, in part by boosting incentives. Pulte Group, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, reported Tuesday that net new orders for its homes in the second quarter were lower by 23% from last year. The company’s cancelation rate was 15%, compared with 7% in the prior year period.
Source: CNBC
Topeka’s underpaying of engineers results in ‘astronomical’ consulting costs, city leader says
Topeka’s city government’s practice of paying its engineers considerably less than what the market offers is forcing it to pay “astronomical” amounts in consulting fees, interim city manager Bill Cochran said Tuesday evening. The mayor and council will learn Aug. 9 about strategies proposed to help resolve that, they were told during a work session in which they discussed the city’s proposed 2023 budget. The topic came up as the mayor and council heard from Councilman Tony Emerson, who owns a contracting firm that carries out projects that include replacing streets, sewers and water lines.
Source: CJonline
Halstead Police Officer Recognized For Saving Infant’s Life
Some quick thinking—and quick driving—by Halstead Police Officer Logan Miller saved the life of a three-day-old infant, recently. “Officer Miller’s immediate, decisive actions on March 27 resulted in the saving of this infant’s life, and because of him, the family is thriving and the family is whole today,” Police Chief Josh Orem said. Miller was recognized for his actions during the Halstead City Council meeting Monday night, during which Orem presented him with a Life Saving Award plaque and a commendation bar to go on his uniform. The Rutherford family whom he helped was also present to express their gratitude.
Source: Harvey County Now
Municipal Bond Trends for July 27, 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.