Kansas Municipal News
Governor signs bill to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed a bipartisan bill Wednesday to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries. The governor signed the bill in a ceremony at a grocery store in Olathe. The bill will phase out the sales tax starting this year, and it will be eliminated by 2025. The governor said House Bill 2106 will provide Kansas residents with financial relief, especially as costs continue to rise. Kansans currently pay more for groceries than residents of almost every other state, due to the state’s 6.5 percent tax on groceries.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Local and state leaders focus on safe driving in Sedgwick County
The Kansas Department of Transportation is working with state and local leaders to promote a safe driving campaign in Sedgwick County. Over the past year, Sedgwick County has seen a rise in crashes, several of which have resulted in deaths. This campaign is stressing the importance of seatbelts and other good driving habits. Speakers at a conference Wednesday morning also highlighted the dangers of speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence. In Sedgwick County, more than 23% of fatal crashes involved some kind of impairment. When looking at seatbelt use, 41% of traffic fatalities were found to involve a driver without a seatbelt, highlighting how important seatbelts are.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Crawford County enters new highway pilot program
Keith Browning, a road engineer with the Kansas Association of Counties, spoke Tuesday with the Crawford County Commission about a new pavement management system. Browning, recently retired as the director of Douglas County Public Works with over 25 years of experience, facilitates communication and education between counties and the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) on road issues and transportation matters. “I am trying to encourage this around the state,” said Browning. “A lot of money is spent to maintain our roads, and the goal is to have the best pavements possible with the resources available.” According to Browning, his system is simply a spreadsheet program designed to optimize maintenance funds and influence short and long-term budget needs. By breaking up each road into smaller segments determined by its shape, structure, amount and type of usage, county road crews can track the amount of maintenance required for each segment, which can vary in length between a few hundred feet to several miles.
Source: Morning Sun
Pittsburg discusses fund allocation and Section 8 payment standards
The Pittsburg City Commissioners met today to discuss the allocation of Revolving Loan Funds and Section 8 payment standards. Primarily, the commissioners discussed allocating $30,000 from the RLF to support infrastructure improvements to Blue Spoon Properties. Commissioners also voted to raise the Section 8 payment standard as rent prices rise in the area. Quentin Holmes, Director of Community Development and Housing stated: “It’ll really open up opportunities for those who need the program and the landlords in town who had to increase their rent.”
Source: KOAMKOAM
Girard outdoor projects are in the works
City officials in Girard are planning to make it a healthy summer. A number of outdoor projects are in the works. This first is a new disc golf course located between the Crawford Hills Municipal Golf Course and the County Fairgrounds. Also, the city pool, which is set to open Memorial Day Weekend, is getting a new splash pad. And, city crews will soon begin work on resurfacing the tennis courts at the skatepark, which will then be used for pickleball. “I’m glad to see, we want to give people some exercise, basically for health type purposes, get out and get exercise and everything and I believe we’ve shown a pretty good interest in it,” said Mickey Pyle, Mayor of Girard.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Brown County takes steps to protect county as wind energy topic heats up
The Brown County Commissioners took steps to protect the county as the wind energy topic heats up. Clif Heiniger presented the commissioners with a letter signed by 143 residents who were concerned about wind turbines being present in the county. Heiniger told commissioners most of the signees were rural resident and cited everything from visual, noise, electronic interference to reasons they didn’t want the turbines. He also noted that property values would suffer with large wind turbines in the area. A member of the Brown County Glade Watch – as the group of concerned citizens has named themselves – Heiniger told the commission that the group was concerned with the progression of the Pony Express Wind Project, which consists of 320 turbines that will primarily be located in Nemaha County but also encompass an area of Brown County near Fairview.
Source: hiawathaworldonline.com
Brown County takes steps to protect county as wind energy topic heats up
The Brown County Commissioners took steps to protect the county as the wind energy topic heats up. Clif Heiniger presented the commissioners with a letter signed by 143 residents who were concerned about wind turbines being present in the county. Heiniger told commissioners most of the signees were rural resident and cited everything from visual, noise, electronic interference to reasons they didn’t want the turbines. He also noted that property values would suffer with large wind turbines in the area.
Source: hiawathaworldonline.com
Miami County Clerk’s office invites public to attend ‘Election 101’
The public will have the opportunity to learn more about what goes into putting on an election in Miami County during “Election 101” as the 2022 election draws closer. The Miami County Clerk/Election Office is holding the information session at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, in the commission chambers at the Miami County Administration Building, located at 201 S. Pearl St. in Paola. County Clerk/Election Officer Janet White said after a short presentation, the public will have the chance to ask questions and cast a fun ballot. Elections, ballot boxes, redistricting and other related topics have been in the news of late at the state and national level.
Source: republic-online.com
JoCo planners rebuff county commission’s urging to make solar farm rules less restrictive
A set of rules that would govern how utility-scale solar farms are planned in Johnson County was bounced back to the county commission Tuesday by planning board members, who insist their tighter regulations – and not the commission’s suggestions for less restrictive measures – are the right way to go. In so doing, the Johnson County Planning Commission rejected most of the county commission’s recommendations made at a public hearing in April. It’s the latest turn in a much-watched back-and-forth that has taken on political overtones as the county considers regulating a growing industry for which it currently has no guidelines.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Shawnee rejects Sundance apartment project after hearing neighbors’ opposition
A 239-unit apartment complex proposal that has drawn the adamant opposition of its nearest neighbors was unanimously denied rezoning Monday night by the Shawnee City Council. The Sundance Shawnee project, at Johnson Drive and Woodland Drive, would have consisted of a mix of one- two- and three- bedroom apartments on 21 acres in a mostly undeveloped field near a former quarry in northwest Shawnee. Its developer, Minnesota-based Timberland Partners, characterized it as designed for young professionals who eventually want to own their own homes. Ryan Sailer, vice president of real estate development with Timberland, said the company took pains to design the project so it would fit in with surrounding single-family homes. His presentation also addressed the many concerns neighbors previously brought up about traffic, water drainage, environmental impact, school crowding and potential for crime.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Allen County health leader reflects on pandemic
Health department officials tackled a lot of extra responsibilities because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rebecca Johnson, director of the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department, told county commissioners on Tuesday. Johnson submitted her department’s annual budget request, asking for $115,000 from Allen County. That’s the same amount received last year. With her request, Johnson also provided an update on the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced her staff to take on numerous additional duties, but the department received state and federal grants to offset much of the costs of that increased workload.
Source: The Iola Register
Allen County community hears placemaking plan
In a small town, everyone always seems to know what’s wrong — and how to fix it. The thousand conversations over coffee, in backyards, or in the grocery store parking lot are all unique but all the same. They’re greeted with head nods, grumbles of frustration. If only everyone else would listen! A thousand kings and queens looking for their subjects. Which is why when several dozen area residents gathered at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center Monday evening to discuss the future of Allen County, the stakes seemed high. Here was a chance to get everyone pulling in the same direction.
Source: The Iola Register
Resident gathers 900 signatures for Pott Co. Commission expansion
Pottawatomie County resident Doug Kern has gathered nearly 900 signatures on the petition to add the question of expanding the Board of Commissioners from three to five to the November ballot. State statute requires 5% of the registered voters sign the petition in order for it to go on the ballot, and Kern has estimated that 900 signatures will meet that requirement. “The statement that would go on the ballot is ready to go,” he said Monday. “I would request a favor from the commission in that we can save the county clerk’s office a whole lot of work if the board of county commissioners by resolution would put this on the ballot.” Adding the question to the ballot by resolution would eliminate the need for the county clerk’s office to verify all the signatures on the petition.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article
Tight housing market not easing up, according to new data, WSU expert
While some national headlines are indicating improvements in housing supply, it could be some time before considerable progress is seen in the Wichita metro area, says one real estate expert who is supported by new data. According to Realtor.com data, U.S. inventory in April was 12% lower than April 2021, the smallest year-over-year decrease since the end of 2019. But Stan Longhofer, director of Wichita State University’s Center for Real Estate, said it is important to understand that movements in national metrics do not mean those changes are seen in everyone’s own region — and that’s the case with Wichita and the surrounding area.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Newton considering change to form of government
At Tuesday night’s meeting, the City Commission began discussion of possible changes to the City’s form of government, including having a directly elected mayor. At Commissioners’ request, City Attorney Chris Towle prepared a memo outlining the different forms of municipal government in Kansas – Commission, Mayor-Council, Commission-Manager, and Mayor-Council-Manager. Newton currently operates under a Commission-Manager form, with five elected at-large City Commissioners…. A mayor is appointed each year from within the Commission. … Commissioners expressed interest specifically in the Mayor-Council-Manager form of government, which is used in our region by Wichita and Derby. The mayor is a directly elected position with some additional administrative authority compared to the Commission-Manager form. Commissioners said they see value in a mayor serving a longer term, providing continuity of leadership and more time to accomplish goals.
Source: City of Newton
10-year Treasury yield jumps back above 3% after hotter-than-expected inflation data
Inflation rose again in April, continuing a climb that has pushed consumers to the brink and is threatening the economic expansion, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. The consumer price index, a broad-based measure of prices for goods and services, increased 8.3% from a year ago, higher than the Dow Jones estimate for an 8.1% gain. That represented a slight ease from March’s peak but was still close to the highest level since the summer of 1982. … The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield jumped on Wednesday after a release of key inflation data showed a faster-than-expected rise in prices. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose more than 3 basis points to 3.023% and the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond ticked up 1 basis points to 3.14%.
Source: CNBC
City of Pittsburg to help low income residents
The City of Pittsburg is helping its low income residents. Tuesday night the City Commission approved something that will help more people afford rent. “Right now we have seen a large increase of rent going up in Pittsburg and so our payment standards are not reflecting that,” said Megan Keener, Housing Manager for Pittsburg Public Housing Authority. Tuesday night, the Pittsburg City Commission approved increasing its Section 8 payment standards. “It would affect the individuals that are currently housed and we would adjust the rent. And we would contact the individuals who currently have vouchers and let them know the payment increased. And then moving forward our applicants will have a better chance,” Keener added.
Source: KSNF/KODE
New affordable housing project in eastern Lawrence plans to build homes as small as 500 square feet
A bigger home is a better home. That is a notion that has won the day many times in Lawrence, but it’s not doing much to help the community win its battle for affordable housing, Rebecca Buford, executive director of Tenants to Homeowners, said. “Some of what has to happen here is a change in mindset,” Buford said. Indeed, Buford’s Lawrence-based nonprofit has filed plans at City Hall for a new affordable housing development in eastern Lawrence that intends to add about a half-dozen new homes to the market but also change some minds about smaller homes.
Source: LJWorld
Lawrence leaders hear update on reforms to municipal court; some suggest additional changes
Lawrence Municipal Court staff says the city has been implementing reforms to how the court operates, and that additional changes will continue to be discussed. … The presentation included trends regarding cash bonds posted, the number of people being held in the jail on municipal offenses, and traffic citation costs, among other data points. Court data indicates that the amount of money the city has collected for cash bonds has decreased significantly in recent years, the average number of people serving time in jail on a daily basis for municipal offenses has declined, and that traffic citation costs in Lawrence are lower than several nearby communities.
Source: LJWorld
Municipal Bond Trends for May 10, 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.