Kansas Municipal News
Public library delivers new books to Topeka readers
If you’re an avid reader, look no further as this local library brings the books to you. As a part of the Topeka Public Library, the Bookmobile allows you to browse its shelves from anywhere. Community engagement is important for a public library, and that means lending books in any way it can. On Tuesday, the Bookmobile stopped at the Brookwood Shopping Center, giving easy access to those in Southwest Topeka. “The bookmobile goes out so that we can get books in the hands of people that might have trouble getting to the library,” said Dawn Buttery, Outreach Storyteller at the Topeka Public Library.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Resident raises concerns about wind farm to Labette County
Labette County commissioners Monday entertained the idea of putting into effect a moratorium on wind farm construction and development, but no formal action was taken. County resident Lindsey Wilson approached county commissioners about protective opportunities for the county with wind turbines. Wilson and her family live in what would be the footprint of the wind farm if the German utility company RWE moves forward with the development. She asked commissioners to complete research and read about wind farms. “
Source: Parsons Sun
Rolling blackouts possible
While it is unlikely conditions will deteriorate to February 2021 levels, when cities across Kansas were forced to save power amid a historic winter storm, the possibility for rolling blackouts is real. An annual assessment conducted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation said there was a “low likelihood” of emerging reliability issues over the summer and the state’s largest utility said it was prepared. But the NERC report also contained a word of warning. “Load shedding may be needed under extreme peak demand and outage scenarios studied,” the group wrote.
Source: Salina Journal
Garden City Airport terminal project begins construction
The ground has finally broken on the Garden City Regional Airport new terminal project. A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held Friday. Shannon Dick, Garden City mayor, said in researching for his speech at the groundbreaking he found a paper called “The Economic Importance of Air Travel in High-Amenity Rural Areas” by Ray Rasker, et al. The paper found strong correlations to a resident’s per capital income, earnings per job, employment in professional jobs, education and diversity of job types to a community’s distance to major airports, those with 15,000 enplanements or more. Based on that number, GCRA is classified as a major airport. Dick said the paper found that “connected” rural areas, those that are within about 100 miles from a major airport, outperform rural areas that are “isolated”, those further from an airport, and act more like metropolitan areas.
Source: GC Telegram
Drivers beware: 3 bike tours rolling through Kansas
While Biking Across Kansas will send about 600 cyclists streaming through the area this week, the annual non-competitive ride isn’t the only bicycle-related event that passes through central Kansas this month. With three riders killed while traveling through the state over the past five years, cyclists and event organizers are asking motorists to be aware and share the road. State law requires at least 3 feet of space between a cyclist and a vehicle when passing, so drivers should pass like any other vehicle, only when it is safe to do so with sufficient space. Two races — the Trans Am and the RAAM — should reach the western Kansas border around the third week of June, if not sooner. Those races follow different routes.
Source: Hutch News
Fed likely to boost interest rates by three-quarters of a point this week
Markets are beginning to anticipate an even faster pace of interest rate hikes, and Federal Reserve officials apparently are contemplating the possibility as well. Central bank policymakers are entertaining the idea of a 75 basis point increase to the Fed’s benchmark funds rate that banks charge each other for overnight financing, according to CNBC’s Steve Liesman. Changes in the economic outlook, including the likelihood that inflation hasn’t peaked and is running well ahead of the Fed’s 2% goal, could influence a bigger rate move during the two-day meeting that concludes Wednesday. A 75 basis point move is “a real distinct possibility,” Liesman said.
Source: CNBC
As mortgage applications pull back, lenders say housing demand still strong in Wichita metro
As inflation and interest rates rise, local residential mortgage lenders are seeing signs that the white-hot market of the last two years has started its journey to normalization. But that does not mean the housing market is screeching to a halt, they said, as there is still plenty of demand to work through while supply remains tight in the metro area. … Last Friday’s Labor Department report that inflation in May experienced its largest annual increase since 1981 increased expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise benchmark interest rates by 75 basis points when it meets on Wednesday — and expectations that mortgage rates will continue their march upward closer to 6%. Despite those headwinds, Girrens said there is still a high amount of housing demand locally, as many prospective buyers — already qualified for loans — have not been able to land a new home.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Municipal Bond Trends for June 13, 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.
Andover recovery committee begins work on tornado relief efforts
A long-term recovery committee has started meeting in Andover to continue relief and rebuilding efforts after the April 29th tornado. The committee will work to coordinate efforts between the City of Andover and Butler and Sedgwick Counties. The committee includes emergency management officials, business and government leaders and staff from local relief agencies. The committee will be working to share information, simplify resident access to resources, and resolve cases with unmet needs.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
City of Manhattan coordinating week-long storm cleanup
Manhattan’s seen widespread tree damage following a severe storm that gusted the city with 100 mile per hour straight line winds on Saturday, June 11, prompting the city to coordinate a citywide cleanup effort beginning next Tuesday. In a similar fashion to the annual citywide Spring cleanup the City of Manhattan organizes around the beginning of April, the community will be divided into zones with different days assigned for crews to pass through to pick up debris.
Source: 1350 KMAN
What saying ‘yes’ means in Tonganoxie after Tyson rejection
Four years after fighting off a controversial chicken processing plant, the growing Leavenworth County community approved a deal with little fuss to bring in Topeka-based Hill’s Pet Nutrition with a 10-year, 100% tax abatement. The move culminates a period in which Tonganoxie has worked to become more strategic and open about economic development. It’s also seen an entrepreneurial revival fill nearly all its downtown storefronts. But the community’s focus on wooing big companies to town hasn’t changed, so long as they aren’t named Tyson.
Source: KLC Journal
Why small business is flourishing in Valley County, Nebraska
For heartland communities hoping to thrive, encouraging and supporting entrepreneurs can energize the local economy. Places such as Ord, Nebraska, have emerged as regional poster children for economic development. Peers such as Council Grove in Kansas are seeing green shoots of their own. But such shifts can be difficult to make, and there isn’t a tried and true formula that works everywhere. To figure out what works, communities have to develop their own combination of tactics and be willing to push until they find their version of success.
Source: KLC Journal
City officials ask Columbus residents to vote “Yes” for special election
The city of Columbus is asking residents to vote “yes” on the upcoming ballot. A special election will take place on Tuesday June 14th. It will be a single issue ballot for the continuation of the city’s half percent sales tax, which has been in place since 1997. If renewed, the money generated from the tax will go towards the city’s general fund, which goes to support things like the police department, fire department, streets and other city projects.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Shawnee Co moves forward with 1 solar farm, sends another back for discussion
Two conditional use permits to use land in Shawnee County for solar farms went in front of the Shawnee County Commission Monday morning with two different results. Representatives from Evergy spoke before neighbors who expressed concerns about the potential problems they could have with the solar farm next door. Several residents who would border the property spoke out against giving permission for a conditional permit. According to representatives supporting the solar farm, the panels could produce enough electricity for 550 homes year-round. Evergy called the sites, “the most suitable properties for this project.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
Emergency Declaration issued after GCFD battles mile-wide blaze in Finney County
The governor has issued an emergency declaration for a wildfire in Finney County Monday afternoon. Firefighters got the call around 2:20 PM that a large brush fire was located on Jennie Barker and Quarterhouse road nearing Residental structures. Upon arrival firefighters quickly realized that with the excessive heat and wind, the fire had grown out of control. The fire stretched to over 200 acres in what appeared to be a 600-acre wheat field that had yet been cut. The Kansas Highway Patrol and Finney County Sherriff’s office started a search and evacuation around 2:30 PM as fire units continued to battle the blaze. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Forrest Services responded to the scene as well as the State Fire Marshall. It was determined that a Combine Header was the initial cause.
Source: Western Kansas News
Progress moving along on Saline County jail project
Despite issues facing every construction project right now, including supply-chain problems, work on the Saline County Jail project is progressing well, and if things continue, is still on schedule to be completed next year. Saline County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes said the county is definitely experiencing these same issues, but the contractors, Turner Construction, are working to ease these issues for this project. “I give a lot of credit to the contract team we have in place because they’ve been really proactive,” Smith-Hanes said. One example of this has been ordering supplies well in advance of when they will be needed for the project.
Source: Salina Journal
Hutchinson turns into Superman’s hometown of Smallville Thursday
On the weekend of Hutchinson’s transformation into Smallville, live music, food trucks, family fun events and costumes fill downtown. Nearly the entire town becomes involved, with organizations like Hutch Rec, the Hutchinson NAACP, The Historic Fox Theatre, the Kansas State Fair and Reno County Museum hosting events. More than a dozen businesses also join in through events or sponsorships, turning the city into a bustling metropolis of possibilities.
Source: Hutch News
Osawatomie Announces New Director of Public Works
The City of Osawatomie welcomes a new Director of Public Works to its leadership team this summer following the retirement of incumbent director Bill Roseberry. Local resident Michele Silsbee will assume the role of Director effective July 5th, 2022. In her new role, Silsbee will manage the City’s public works infrastructure and improvement projects, including storm water, street and alley repair and maintenance, parks, cemeteries, and the flood protection system. Silsbee brings over 10 years of public works project management experience, including work with large-scale storm water projects and developing and implementing asset management programs.
Source: City of Osawatomie
Eisenhower Park murals depict cross section of Dodge City history
Passersby Eisenhower Park can finally see what began in a barn in 2011 as a large mural project for Dodge City. Renaissance woman Inga Ojala said the mural was going to be painted directly on the wall at the park but decided to go with four panels instead. It really is a sight to behold in person, however here is what one can look forward to seeing up close should they visit the park, located at 205 Gunsmoke St., in central downtown Dodge City. The south panel of the mural depicts the history of the Dodge City Army Air Field back in the 1940s.
Source: Dodge City Daily Globe
Here are the community members who will help hire Wichita’s next police chief
A group of community members will have a large say in who will take over Wichita’s embattled police department. The group, made up of well-known names, will help in the national search process being done by a California-based company, will interview candidates vetted by that organization and give recommendations to City Manager Robert Layton for a final decision.
Source: Wichita Eagle