Kansas Municipal News
Fed’s Waller sees likelihood of multiple half-point interest rate hikes ahead
Getting inflation under control will require raising interest rates at a faster pace than normal even though the pace of price increases probably has peaked, Federal Reserve board member Christopher Waller said Wednesday. That means the central bank likely will hike short-term rates by half a percentage point, or 50 basis points, at its meeting in May, and possibly follow it up with similar moves in the next several months, Waller told CNBC. The Fed normally increases in 25-basis-point increments. A basis point equals 0.01%. “I think the data has come in exactly to support that step of policy action if the committee chooses to do so, and gives us the basis for doing it,” he said during a live “Closing Bell” interview with CNBC’s Sara Eisen. “I prefer a front-loading approach, so a 50-basis-point hike in May would be consistent with that, and possibly more in June and July.”
Source: CNBC
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Largest Economic Development Investment in Kelly Administration History (Manhattan)
On Monday, Governor Laura Kelly announced her administration’s most significant economic development project to date. Scorpion Biological Services, a subsidiary of Heat Biologics, Inc., is commencing on a planned development of a new 500,000 square foot biomanufacturing facility in Kansas. The $650 million business investment project will create 500 new, high-paying jobs in Manhattan within the next seven years. “Kansas is the center of the country, with quick access to either coast, a strong workforce and a growing economy—so there’s no better state for Scorpion to locate to address potential threats to public health,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Scorpion’s selection of locating this facility in the state reinforces what many have come to learn—Kansas is open for business.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
According to new survey, nearly all residents feel good about living in Johnson County
In Johnson County’s annual community survey, residents again gave high marks for the county’s quality of life, services and programs, and voiced their opinions on the services most important to them. Results from the 2022 community survey were shared Thursday, April 14, with the Board of County Commissioners during a Committee of the Whole meeting. The six-page survey consisted of 25 questions and was conducted in January and February by ETC Institute of Olathe. “When it comes to being a place to live, raise children, work and retire, Johnson County is head and shoulders above the national and other large community averages,” Chris Tatham, president and chief executive officer of ETC, said.
Source: Johnson County Kansas
More than $1.6 million in federal grant funding to help support Johnson County’s older adults
Federal grant funding of more than $1.6 million and a new staff position for the Johnson County Aging and Human Services Department were approved Thursday, April 7, by the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners by unanimous vote. The funds are provided to the department through the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 by the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services. The ARPA provided federal funding to states, including grants through the Older Americans Act, to help communities provide services for aging adults. A BOCC priority is to strengthen and finance the appropriate level of service to meet the needs of the county’s vulnerable populations and create conditions that promote community health.
Source: Johnson County Kansas
Roeland Park could be impacted by new Kansas immigration law
Roeland Park’s “safe and welcoming” ordinance, which has been on the books for more than a year, could be impacted by a new state law recently signed by Gov. Laura Kelly. HB 2717, among other provisions, prohibits municipalities from “preventing the enforcement of federal immigration laws.” Under the law, local law enforcement agencies are now required to notify officers of their “duty to cooperate with state and federal agencies in the enforcement of immigration laws.” The law also bars the use of municipal IDs for any state purpose, such as voting.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Haven residents thankful to be home after evacuations from gas plant fire
It has been a long 24 hours for a lot of the residents on 6th St. and Westland Dr. in Haven. Around 1:30 Thursday afternoon, Catherine Harber says she was at home when she starts to hear a rumbling above her house. “Oh my gosh, I didn’t know what happened, it was so loud and then I stepped out and see flames.” Those flames were coming from the Tenawa Natural Gas plant just down the road. Fire crews spent most of the afternoon and evening working to put out the flames. Down the street on 6th and Kansas, Verbena Strasner says she was on her way home from work in Yoder when, “We did get a call yesterday to evacuate, but by the time I got home, it was rescinded. So I thought we were in the clear.”
Source: KAKE – News
Topeka ranked as top summer destination for remote workers
The capital city of Kansas is receiving more attention from a growing list of outlets that are recognizing Topeka for its many benefits, including those offered to remote workers. Topeka recently received praise from Hola! which ranks as one of the U.S.’s top Latino entertainment websites. In an article titled, “The Best Summer Destinations for Remote Work: For Beach Lovers, Nature Explorers or Restaurant-Goers,” Topeka is rated alongside Honolulu, Hawaii; Petaluma, California; Tucson, Arizona; and Ithaca, New York.
Source: KSNT 27 News
City falling short on some of its public safety goals, update for Lawrence City Commission shows
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will hear an update on some measures of the city’s performance in safety and security. Some of the city’s progress indicators in Tuesday’s meeting agenda still include baseline data from the city’s 2019 community survey, according to Interim Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Chief Tom Fagan. One of those indicators is the percentage of residents who perceive Lawrence as safe or very safe. At 82%, the city was below the target of 90%. The city’s strategic plan website currently shows that the percentage of residents who rate their trust in emergency services from the police department as “satisfied” or “very satisfied” was 81%, below the target of 85%; and from LDCFM, the rate was 91%, below the goal of 95%. However, those numbers are substitutes using 2019 data that asked residents about the “overall quality” of those services rather than their trust in them.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Riley County approves EPA order to bring sewer benefit district into compliance
Riley County Commissioners on Monday unanimously agreed to an Environmental Protection Agency order that sets a compliance timeline for the University Park Sewer Benefit District. The University Park Sewer Benefit District treats domestic wastewater from district residents and landowners that is discharged into Tuttle Creek Lake. According to meeting documents, the EPA has found that the facility is failing to comply with sewage limitations and failing to conduct analysis properly. During an inspection, an EPA representative found that the pH standards of the chlorine secondary standards in the facility laboratory were out of date, the facility’s analytical equipment was not calibrated according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and facility personnel did not keep records of when the equipment was calibrated.
Source: themercury.com
KCK/WYCO hit by cybersecurity attack over holiday weekend
This weekend the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, was subject to a cybersecurity attack to its data centers, a UG spokesman stated. The Unified Government has been working diligently to restore services and data access, a UG news release stated. Community members may visit the UG’s website at wycokck.org or call 3-1-1 for updates on services that have been affected. According to the UG spokesman, this is a fluid situation with an ongoing assessment of the damage underway.
Source: Wyandotte Daily
Hutchinson artist and his friends collaborated on a new mural on a South Main Street building
Hutchinson artist and mural painter Brady Scott and his friends collaborated on a new mural on a South Main Street building. The mural focuses on Kansas imagery and graffiti, bringing splashes of color to the building’s outside walls. “It’s nice to have that place, and that wall to go to, and paint and, you know, practice our craft and have fun together,” said Scott. The artwork on the mural contains Scott’s painting of a fox. The rest of the mural is designed graffiti.
Source: Hutch News
Hutchinson will have its own license plate
Hutchinson residents — and out-of-town community supporters — will now be able to display pride in their community when on the road while also supporting local parks. The Kansas Legislature approved a license plate featuring the Hutchinson flag as one of eight new distinctive license plates that motorists can order in Kansas. Proceeds from sales of the tags will go to the Hutch Rec Foundation. Under the legislation, which passed both the House and Senate nearly unanimously and was signed by the governor last Friday, the plates may become available on Jan. 1, 2023.
Source: Hutch News
Explosion risk at burning gas plant forced overnight evacuation for some in Reno County
Reno County residents within a mile and a half of the Haven gas plant that caught fire Thursday were directed to evacuate their homes overnight due to the risk of an explosion. Officials say the threat was posed by approximately 3,000 gallons of liquefied natural gas being held in a vessel with relief valves that may have been compromised. Residents around the plant were originally told to prepare for a 72-hour evacuation, but on Friday, Reno County Emergency Management posted on Facebook that residents could return home.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Kansas property tax bill signed into law
A bill that backers say will provide some property tax relief to Kansans was signed into law Thursday by Gov. Laura Kelly. House Bill 2239 increases the state’s exemption for residential property taxes from $20,000 to $40,000 of appraised valuation. The bill also allows some personal property taxes to be prorated and gives county commissioners more authority to abate property taxes in cases of property destroyed by disasters. “Our fiscal responsibility has put Kansas back on track,” the governor said in a press release. “We’ve been able to fully fund our schools, fix our roads and bridges, balance the budget, and cut property taxes, providing relief for Kansans.”
Source: Atchison Globe Now
Eliminating late fees pays off for Emporia Public Library
The Emporia Public Library became one of the first libraries in the state to eliminate late fines in Dec. 2019. Now, many other libraries throughout the state are following suit. Robin Newell, library director says discussions about removing library fines took place from 2016 to 2018. Those discussions started with staff considering three main issues. The first issue staff considered was how library fines were preventing access for individuals, specifically low-income individuals. “When we looked at it, fines were a barrier, people couldn’t afford the fines and then they weren’t coming back in,” Newell said.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Wichita poised to pump an extra $14.6 million into Riverfront Stadium district
Wichita is poised to pump an additional $14.6 million into its Riverfront Stadium district, including a new parking garage, tax breaks for the Wind Surge owners’ private development company, Arkansas River improvements and a federal-funded skybridge over McLean Boulevard. In return, the Wind Surge’s minor-league baseball team owners’ development companies — WRLP and EPC — would agree to develop two acres sold by the city at $1 an acre in 2019. The plan calls for two new office buildings between the stadium and McLean and a 160-room hotel across the street, overlooking the Arkansas River and downtown Wichita.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Manhattan to celebrate Bridget Everett Day
Bridget Everett’s homecoming is about to get real. And official. The star of a hit television series set in Manhattan, she’s coming back here for an official recognition — Bridget Everett Day — put on by the city government and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. There’ll be a public gathering as well. The details are not entirely nailed down, but the event is planned for May 3, Everett and CVB director Karen Hibbard confirmed in interviews with The Mercury. The idea, Hibbard said, is to recognize and honor Everett, whose show, “Somebody, Somewhere” has been renewed for a second season on HBO. It’s a semi-autobiographical story about a woman who leaves Manhattan but comes back, drawn by family, discovering new layers of the place and new sources of her own strength.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article
Municipalities around Wichita receive $15.5M in state grants for eco-devo projects
While Wichita secured a $5 million grant to fund riverfront improvements surrounding its downtown baseball stadium, other communities in the metro area also received money through the state’s Building a Stronger Economy (BASE) program. Projects in Andover, Augusta, El Dorado and Wellington joined the 35 recipients in the program, which offers matching grants to transformational infrastructure projects statewide that support economic development.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Completed bond projects in Wichita metro area make a big statement
Construction is starting to wrap up on the big-ticket bond projects at school districts in the Wichita area, signaling a new generation of more spacious and modern education facilities. In Derby, work on a new Cooper Elementary finished in the fall, and a new building for Oaklawn Elementary opened at the start of the spring semester. Andover Public Schools’ most recent completion was an aquatics center attached to the new Andover High. Before that, work finished on a new Center for Professional Studies, home to a program that equips students with the employability skills they need to succeed in the workforce. The latest additions to the Maize school district are two intermediate schools for fifth- and sixth-graders, and a trendy new performing arts and aquatics center.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
What will it take to replace the tens of thousands of trees cut down in Wichita?
Harold Schlechtwag has started calling Wichita “Stump City.” But he’s hoping it doesn’t stick. It came to Schlechtwag, one of the founders of a new local environmental group, when he counted the tree stumps in his neighborhood. “In a two-block area around my house, I discovered seven stumps, some of which are quite old trees,” Schlechtwag said. Some of the trees that had been chopped down were on city easements, between a curb and a sidewalk. Others had been on private land. “One of them was removed by the person who flipped a house, before he renovated that house to sell it,” he said. “And that’s another part of the problem here.” Since 2010, Wichita has removed nearly 44,000 more trees than it has planted on city-owned or controlled property, according to city data. That number doesn’t include the trees on private property, which satellite images show are also declining in number.
Source: Wichita Eagle