Kansas Municipal News
Emporia Main Street celebrates accomplishments
Emporia Main Street had a lot to celebrate last year, and it’s looking to expand on those successes over the next year. Main Street had its annual meeting at the Lyon County History Center on Wednesday. Main Street Director Casey Woods says successes like the startup of the Fab Lab, a second business going into the Incubator space and upper-story housing are all promises kept to the community, which is important because people are drawn to results. For the next year, he says Main Street needs to “tell a different story.” Main Street also announced its award winners, including the Lyon County History Center for the J Warren Brinkman Preservation Award.
Source: KVOE Emporia Radio
Lifeguard shortages lead to more changes at McPherson Water Park
Lifeguard shortages continue to cause changes at McPherson Water Park. Staffing shortages have led to the water park being closed on Mondays. On Tuesday, the city commission made additional changes to help keep the water park open for the remainder of the season. All swimming parties scheduled for July and August have been canceled. There will be 10 total refunds given, totaling $2,225. Additionally, the McPherson Recreation Commission free swim special event has been canceled for the year. “Right now, the most important thing is to ensure that the greatest priority remains on safety, not just that of our residents but also the safety of our employees,” Wayne Burns, director of public lands and facilities said.
Source: McPherson Weekly News
Cleanup at old Sunflower site still years from completion, but Army says that shouldn’t impact Panasonic factory
Roughly 25 years after its closure, cleanup on the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant south of K-10 highway in De Soto is still forecast to take at least six more years, even as a new $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant is set to be built on the long-abandoned site. At a public meeting Wednesday night at De Soto City Hall, representatives from the U.S. Army gave an update on ongoing efforts to clear the site of explosive and contaminated materials. The U.S. Army has been working on remediation efforts alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and several contractors since 2015.
Source: Prairie Village Post
JoCo homeowners can get money back for sustainable yard projects
There’s still a lot of summer left, Johnson County — leaving ample time for home improvement projects. If you’re undertaking a DIY endeavor especially around your yard this summer, you may consider getting some money back if it’s an eco-friendly addition like a rain barrel, native plantings or a compost bin. There are several Johnson County cities that offer reimbursements for such projects through city or county-sponsored programs. But to be clear, the programs in this story are specifically yard-related and differ from other local sustainability grant programs that reimburse residents for things like solar panel installations.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Lenexa could soon become last big JoCo city to put public meeting videos online
The Lenexa City Council may soon be joining Johnson County’s other larger cities in providing recordings of their regular meetings online. Among Johnson County’s largest cities, Lenexa is the only one that currently does not livestream its city council meetings. Overland Park, Olathe, Prairie Village, Shawnee and Leawood all livestream their city council meetings on their YouTube channels or city websites and also archive videos of past meetings online. Lenexa currently does provide audio clips of meetings on request, but staff members said those requests are infrequent.
Source: Prairie Village Post
JoCo residents seek help from Kansas AG after losing legal challenge to Edgerton warehouse project
In the year and a half since she began trying to stop a slew of warehouses from being built on rural land dotted with single-family homes near Edgerton, Jennifer Williams has gotten used to hearing the metaphorical sound of doors slamming shut. Challenges to city hall on annexation and rezoning, a stab at creating a new city – all failed. But another failure, this time in court, has re-energized Williams and her group, Protect Rural JoCo. On paper, it still counts as a loss, but that matters less to Williams than what the judge said during the hearing. Those comments have convinced her that the annexation of land near her home in south Johnson County that cleared the way for a 600-acre warehouse development is illegal, and at least that one judge agrees.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Drainage concern raises need for city oversight in Scott City
A new asphalt parking lot to the west of the First Christian Church may be a welcome addition for members of the congregation, but not so much for the Scott County Library less than a half block to the south. Concerns with the flow of water off the asphalt surface were raised during Monday’s Scott City Council meeting. Because the library is at a lower elevation than the parking lot, water will inevitably flow in that direction. … The council decided that if there are any issues with drainage they will need to be resolved between the church and
the county since the library is county-owned. However, it also raised the need for large, flat work – parking lots, concrete foundations, etc., to be approved by the city. “At this time the city does not require permitting for flat work, but that’s going to change,” said City Administrator Brad Pendergast.
Source: Scott County Record
Lawrence approves regulations, fees for long-term program to allow patios in downtown parking stalls
After some debate about increasing the fee beyond the proposed $1,000 per parking stall, city leaders adopted the proposed long-term regulations for a program that has temporarily allowed downtown businesses to construct patios and outdoor dining areas in downtown parking stalls. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 4-1, with Vice Mayor Lisa Larsen opposed, to adopt an ordinance that establishes limitations, design criteria and other regulations for the “parklets,” and charges businesses $1,000 per year per parking stall used. Though a few commissioners said they would consider increasing the fee, ultimately commissioners decided to stick with what was proposed, noting that fees could be increased in the future if appropriate.
Source: LJWorld
Concerns grow about blocked crossings in Marshall County
Union Pacific trains blocking crossings in Marshall County has gained more attention in recent years as trains have gotten longer, some extending beyond two miles. The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office issued a reminder to the public last week to contact the Federal Railroad Administration through their website if they have concerns about long waits for trains to pass at highway, town or county road intersections.
Source: The Marysville Advocate
A look at Iola’s Past — Riverside Park shaped local sports legacies
The one constant through all the years of Iola sports has been Riverside Park, from harness races in the early years of the 20th century, to track meets ball games and swimming competitions today. Riverside Park once looked nothing like it does today. Not even close. Longtime Iolan Donna Houser and Riverside Park aficionado gave this newcomer an overview of the park’s history and its significance. In fact, the stadium’s Mustang locker room is named after her late husband, Ray, a longtime football coach. The Iola High School class of 1987 was instrumental in its removation. “We moved to Iola 68 years ago,” said Houser. “I had a teaching job and he loved football and teaching history and that’s what he did… We were the smallest school in the league in ‘66. We played Coffeyville and Pittsburg and they were a lot bigger.” On Feb. 26, 1938, it was announced a levee would be built around Riverside Park. The stadium was constructed in 1939.
Source: The Iola Register
Municipal Bond Trends for July 20, 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.
Animal board recommends banning Wichita pet stores from selling dogs, cats from breeders
A recommendation to ban pet stores from selling dogs and cats from breeders gained approval from Wichita’s Animal Control Advisory Board on Wednesday. Board members said the recommendation will be sent to the Wichita Police Department and then to the City Council. The two Wichita Petland stores both sell animals from breeders. Owners of both the east and west Petland stores spoke against the recommendation at the meeting.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Silver Lake PD issues statement on Uvalde shooting ahead of school year
Silver Lake Chief of Police Marc McCune took to social media to make a statement on the school shooting that took place in Uvalde, Texas on May 24. McCune said he has studied the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that killed 19 children and two teachers in detail, reviewing law enforcement-only information releases and that what he has seen has sickened him. … McCune reassured parents ahead of the start of the school year, which is August 17, that Silver Lake officers have a great deal of knowledge, training and experience in active threat response and will deploy without hesitation or awaiting authorization/backup in the case of an active school shooter scenario.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Lawrence police embrace ‘less-lethal’ shotguns
The Lawrence Police Department has now fully transitioned to the use of “less-lethal” shotguns. According to the LKPD, the traditional shotguns that have been in use since the 1970’s have now been fully retired and all ammunition has been safely disposed of. Officers on the force will complete training with the new shotguns this week. “Since I began my journey to reimagine policing in Lawrence, I knew this change would take place. When they’re able, officers already utilize safer compliance options such as pepper spray and tasers, so this decision was essentially a no-brainer,” said LKPD Police Chief Rich Lockhart. “No one wants an incident with a deadly outcome; not the police, not the community, and certainly not the person in crisis nor that person’s family.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Registration Open for 2022 Kansas Renewable Energy Conference
Governor Laura Kelly today announced that registration for the 2022 Kansas Renewable Energy Conference is now open. The conference is an annual event held by the Kansas Department of Commerce to showcase the latest industry trends and developments. … The conference will be held October 3-4 in Manhattan and will be in-person for the first time since 2019. The day-and-a-half conference will feature three general sessions and several breakout sessions focused on solar energy and storage, hydrogen, wind energy and transmission, transportation innovation, and an overview of how the public and private sectors are working together to advance the renewable energy industry in Kansas. Attendees will include industry experts, wind and solar developers, manufacturers, utilities, community leaders, and related business representatives. …A complete itinerary and online registration is available at www.kansascommerce.gov/renewable-energy-conference.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Albuquerque and Wichita Took Different Approaches to Pandemic Court Closures. They Got Different Results
…Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, suspended such trials for much of 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, new cases kept pouring in, partly as a result of the surge in violent crime that accompanied the pandemic. … Six hundred miles east of Albuquerque, in Wichita, Kansas, authorities had worried from early in the pandemic about the effect of closing courtrooms. They decided to do something about it. Violence had surged in the spring and early summer of 2020, as it had in so many other cities. Wichita police saw a sharp rise in drive-by shootings. And officials noticed something else, said then-police chief Gordon Ramsay: Many suspects arrested in the shootings were defiant, suggesting that nothing would come of the charges against them because the pandemic had shut down most of the court system. Defendants were, as a result, disinclined to take a plea deal. Why plead guilty to avoid a trial when there were no trials happening anyway? Ramsay contacted the Sedgwick County district attorney and others about the need to get the system back on track as soon as possible. He found allies in the county’s chief judge, Jeffrey Goering, and in Kevin O’Connor, the presiding judge of the court’s criminal department.
Source: Route Fifty
Drone helps catch Topekans accused of stealing from Kansas salvage yard
Two men were taken into custody on Tuesday following a break-in at a salvage yard in Jackson County. … The Kansas Highway Patrol, Kickapoo Police Department, Holton Police Department, Brown County Sheriff’s Office and the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office joined the deputies on the scene with the search for the two men. Both a drone and a K9 unit were used during the search. The drone was able to locate one man just east of the salvage yard lying down in a field. Shortly after, the second man was found by the drone in a soybean field east of the property and east of U.S. Highway 75.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Johnson County hosts Contain the Rain Stormwater Solutions Workshop
Johnson County’s Contain the Rain Program invites you to attend a workshop on stormwater containment, hosted by Bridging the Gap and Johnson County Community College Center for Sustainability. Learn the tools and solutions to help capture stormwater and mitigate runoff. Hear about the benefits of stormwater capture and its impact on the community. Reimbursement opportunities provided by cities of Johnson County are available to residents for implementing stormwater solutions.
Source: Johnson County Kansas
Symposium invites landlords to discover benefits of affordable housing partnerships
More than 70 local households have been approved for housing vouchers but can’t find a rental unit that matches their needs. To help alleviate that shortfall, the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority will host a symposium July 28 to educate landlords and property owners about the incentives and support available for those who partner with the agency. Slated to become an annual event, the inaugural landlord symposium also has been designed to recruit and retain participants, said Mariel Ferreiro, landlord liaison manager for LDCHA. It’s part of a targeted effort led by Ferreiro and Gabi Sprague to increase landlord engagement with the housing authority and agencies within the Housing Stabilization Collaborative.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Around 100 cats taken from Mulvane hoarding situation, fosters needed
On Thursday, July 19, Sedgwick County Animal Control (SCAC) became aware of a potential hoarding situation in Mulvane. Since then, they have taken around 100 cats, an unknown number of dogs, and a pig, from the property. According to Sedgwick County, “They were living in unsanitary conditions that posed a clear and demonstrative threat to their health.” All animals are being seen, evaluated and treated by veterinary partners for a variety of illnesses related to living in what Sedgwick County is calling “squalid conditions.”
Source: KSN-TV