Kansas Municipal News
Gov. Kelly signs bill to ban local ‘sanctuary city’ ordinances
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday signed a bill pushed by state Republicans to overturn three communities’ policies that could help immigrants stay in the state illegally. The bill was filed after Wyandotte County passed a “sanctuary” ordinance in February that would provide local identification cards for immigrants and other residents and would prevent local law enforcement from helping the federal government enforce immigration laws unless public safety is threatened. Lawrence and Roeland Park have similar ordinances. Kelly said in a statement announcing that she would sign the bill that immigration policy is a federal responsibility which can’t be resolved at the local level.
Source: KAKE – News
Topeka named as ‘Zoom Town’ in online report
The City of Topeka made a top 25 list for “Zoom Towns” in the U.S. which have a lot to offer to remote workers. The report, released Monday by the online real-estate website Ownerly.com, examined 1,488 cities across the U.S. to come up with a list of 25 which offer the most amenities to remote workers. Amenities include affordable housing, high-speed Internet, outdoor green space, childcare options and more. Topeka made the list, coming in at number four thanks to a variety of factors. These included things such as affordable housing, good access to public Wi-Fi, a high broadband score and ready access to public parks and trails. The report showed more than 70% of Topeka residents have access to a park within a 10-minute walk from their homes, compared to 60% of people from other Midwestern cities. Locations like Lake Shawnee draw in thousands of visitors every year, while other places, such as the Combat Air Museum and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, offer opportunities for people to learn about culture and local history.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Salina government facing issues of hiring more employees
Employers across the nation are having a difficult time hiring right now, and one area where that is apparent is the shortage of workers in government. The City of Salina is facing issues hiring new employees. As of April 5, the city’s jobs website showed a total of 51 available openings in fulltime and part-time positions. There have been a number of factors leading up to this workforce issue, but the pandemic has made things much worse and more pronounced, even as studies have been showing this might be an issue in the public and municipal sector. “In city management circles 20-plus years ago, publications were predicting, demographically that the day was going to come,” said Salina City Manager Mike Schrage. “That shift of baby boomers leaving the (workforce) population was anticipated.”
Source: Salina Journal
Tasty H2O in Ark City
Who has the best tasting water in Kansas? According to the judges at a contest sponsored by the Kansas Rural Water Association last week, Arkansas City does. That honor is a repeat performance for the new water plant that opened in 2018. Ark City won the same award during the previous KRWA conference in 2019. “Congratulations to our water professionals,” City Manager Randy Frazer said. “They did a great job of producing the best-tasting water in the state of Kansas.” Water samples from more than 20 communities were judged by a team of professionals. Frazer said the judges narrowed the competition to five finalists.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Chanute Housing programs explained
Some residents do not understand how the Chanute Housing Authority assists people with rent, and there has been upset over increases in rental costs. The authority offers Housing and Urban Development programs, Executive Director Nicci Wiltse said, but some applicants and taxpayers might be confused about how they work. CHA has two programs. Section 8 is a voucher program, where tenants rent from landlord owners. Tenants in the other program live in city-owned housing with rent options of either a flat rate or based on 30 percent of the participant’s gross annual income. Although different, many applicants confuse the two programs.
Source: www.chanute.com
Here’s how the Fed raising interest rates can help get inflation lower, and why it could fail
The view that higher interest rates help stamp out inflation is essentially an article of faith, based on long-held economic gospel of supply and demand. But how does it really work? And will it work this time around, when bloated prices seem at least partially beyond the reach of conventional monetary policy? It is this dilemma that has Wall Street confused and markets volatile. In normal times, the Federal Reserve is seen as the cavalry coming into quell soaring prices. But this time, the central bank is going to need some help. “Can the Fed bring down inflation on their own? I think the answer is ‘no,'” said Jim Baird, chief investment officer at Plante Moran Financial Advisors. “They certainly can help rein in the demand side by higher interest rates. But it’s not going to unload container ships, it’s not going to reopen production capacity in China, it’s not going to hire the long-haul truckers we need to get things across the country.”
Source: CNBC
Fed’s Bullard says interest rate policy is ‘behind the curve,’ but it’s making progress
The Federal Reserve needs to raise interest rates substantially to control inflation but may not be as “behind the curve” as it appears, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said Thursday. One of the Federal Open Market Committee’s most “hawkish” members in favor of tighter policy, Bullard said a rules-based approach suggests the central bank needs to hike its benchmark short-term borrowing rate to about 3.5%. However, he said bond market adjustments to the Fed’s more aggressive policy, in which yields have surged higher, suggest rates are not that far askew. “If you take account of [forward guidance], we don’t look so bad. Not all hope is lost. That is the basic gist of this story,” Bullard said in a speech at the University of Missouri.
Source: CNBC
Exposing the Russian spies who attempted to hack a Kansas nuclear plant
Three young Russian spies, Pavel, Mikhail and Marat, working from computers in a 27-story skyscraper at 12 Prospekt Vernadskogo in Moscow, over five years targeted the Wolf Creek nuclear power plant in Burlington, Kansas. They were on a sophisticated cyber reconnaissance mission to learn about the inner workings of the plant to prepare for a possible precision electronic assault by the Russians. That is the story that broke March 24, when the U.S. Department of Justice suddenly and somewhat mysteriously unsealed an indictment against the hapless trio. The indictment was filed under seal on Aug. 26, 2021, in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kansas, and lay gathering dust for seven months.
Source: KCUR News
Edgerton continues moving forward
Don Roberts, mayor, said there was a lot of fantastic stuff happening for Edgerton and a lot of accomplishments the past year. “Opportunities turn into accomplishments,” he said, at the State of the City address March 31 at Edgerton City Hall. Roberts highlighted 2021 new projects including the 207th Street Grade Separation and Glendell Acres Park renovation. Roberts said the 207th Street project was needed especially for emergency services to be able to cross the railroad tracks. Dennis Meyers, Johnson County Fire District 1 fire chief, said it was a game changer for public safety. “It is meaningful to no longer be held up at the tracks,” he said. Dan Merkh, public works director, said the project wasn’t a financial burden to residents.
Source: Gardner News
Area around this Wichita sewage plant will be more stinky after apparent operator error
Wichitans living around the wastewater plant at 57th Street South and Hydraulic may be smelling “increased odors” for the next two weeks after an apparent operator error, city officials said in a news release. Officials said no health impact is expected from the odors, but the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has been notified about the issue. “Officials at the City of Wichita want residents in the vicinity of the plant to be aware of the likelihood of increased odors caused by a temporary change in process to the treatment of bio solids … Staff is taking steps to bring in extra equipment to expedite the processing and abate the odor as much as possible with the application of lime and other odor control chemicals,” the news release says. “There are no mechanical issues with the plant.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Derby tabs Megan Sneller to be new Director of Finance
On April 7, Derby City Manager Kiel Mangus announced the hiring of Megan Sneller to serve as the new Director of Finance. She will officially assume the duties as of May 15. As Director of Finance, Sneller will serve as a member of the city’s management team and play a vital role for all city operations. In her position, Sneller will oversee risk management, all accounting and budgeting operations for the city, and debt management. Sneller will replace longtime Director of Finance Jean Epperson, who is set to retire on June 14.
Source: Derby Informer
‘The state of our city is strong’: Wichita mayor gives State of the City address
Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple touched on the economic progress the city has made in the past year during his State of the City address Thursday. Mayor Whipple’s address included praise for the city’s approval of a Non-Discrimination Ordinance to protect Kansans. “Wichita is open for business for everyone,” Whipple said in reference to that ordinance. He also addressed the city’s decision to raise minimum wage for city employees to $15 an hour and the PROPEL micro loan program created to help small business owners. “[PROPEL] is filling in the gap,” said Whipple. “And is making sure we can not only invest in our employees in the city but that we also empower those small businesses.”
Source: KAKE – News
Your Community: New season of the Johnson County Library podcast
The 2022 season of the Johnson County Library podcast, “Did you hear?,” kicked off on April 1. In this episode, “Silver and Gold,” the Library asked a new employee and an employee counting the days until retirement the same 10 questions. You’ll want to hear their answers. Regular listeners will notice that there are a couple of new changes to the podcast. First, episodes will be shortened to 30 minutes. You still get the same great content but now in a shorter format. Second, recordings will now be done at the newly renovated Central Resource Library. The Library is looking forward to another great season. The “Did you hear?” podcast is your Library insider and a fun way to hear about what the Library is up to. It pulls back the curtain to reveal how the Library is able to do what it does. It shines a light on services, events and the collection to illuminate how the Library can help you to be your best.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Candidates are in for Overland Park’s city manager- Here’s what’s next
Overland Park is on its way to finding a new city manager. Applications to fill the vacancy created by Bill Ebel’s retirement earlier this year officially closed last month, and the city’s specially appointed screening committee began reviewing candidates this week. What happens next: The pool has been narrowed down to eight candidates, according to members of the committee. Those candidates will be invited to submit video responses to questions the city has prepared. From there, the screening committee will choose four or five candidates to invite for in-person interviews in a couple of weeks.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Manhattan overturns Historic Resources Board on proposed Art and Light Museum
The City of Manhattan looks to April 19 to finalize amended redevelopment plans for the city’s Downtown STAR bond district to account for a private Art and Light Museum proposed to be built at the corner of Pierre and 3rd Street. Manhattan City Commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved the amended redevelopment plan on first reading as well as overturning the Historic Resources Board’s (HRB) vote to deny the project authorization to move forward. “We have expected a development on this piece of property, this area, for a long time – for over 20 years,” says Mayor Linda Morse. “It’s finally come and […] I don’t see a feasible or prudent alternative for another 20 years.” Numerous representatives of the Manhattan/Riley County Preservation Alliance (MRCPA) and an adjacent property owner, though, urged a pause in order for the museum’s developers to reconsider chosen building materials and the planned height of the facility to more align with the Downtown Historic District in which it is planned to be constructed.
Source: 1350 KMAN
City to discuss employee pay study that calls for additional $2.1M in salaries
City administrators recommend giving raises to 77% of city government employees, a move that would cost $2.1 million in additional annual spending. The Manhattan City Commission will discuss that proposal, which comes from a pay study, during a work session at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. In September, the city government hired Allen Gibbs Houlik, L.C. (AGH) of Wichita to conduct a “Total Rewards Study” to examine where compensation for Manhattan government employees rank in comparison to others in the industry.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article
Hutchinson-area labor market remains tight
A job fair at Hutchinson Community College Thursday smashed previous participation records by employers looking for help as the local and regional labor markets remain extremely tight. “We have at least 155 employers signed up,” said Dave Mullins, Director of the Business and Industry Institute at Hutchinson Community College. “We usually have around 100.” The participants are from businesses and industries across the board, he said. “Everyone is looking for employees,” Mullins said. “This is as tight a labor market as we’ve ever seen. There’s definitely upward pressure on wages.”
Source: Hutch News
Groups working to resolve Topeka’s affordable housing dilemma
Affordable housing is defined as housing that takes up no more than 30% of one’s income. In Topeka, the median household income was $49,647 per year between 2016 and 2020. But the per capita income over the same time period was $28,420 per year according to statistics from the Census Bureau. That’s before taxes are taken and translates to $2,368 per month. … Such advocacy groups as Topeka JUMP, Habitat for Humanity and Cornerstone of Topeka try to find and/or provide affordable housing. Members of those organizations say they need more action from the Topeka City Council, however. Some first steps have been taken: In July 2019, the city council unanimously approved a motion that would establish a housing trust fund. This would offer housing developers like Habitat for Humanity and Cornerstone another source of funding.
Source: CJonline
Be Prepared to Submit the ARPA Project and Expenditure Report by April 30, 2022
As a reminder, all Non-Entitlement Units of government (NEUs) that accepted funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) are required to submit the first Project and Expenditure Report to the US Treasury by the deadline of April 30, 2022.
NEUs are required to have an active SAM.gov registration to complete reporting for ARPA funds. Please check your SAM.gov account before the April 30, 2022, reporting deadline to ensure that the registration has not expired. The US Treasury Department is also implementing a transition from DUNS numbers to UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) numbers. An UEI number is automatically assigned to your city when you register with SAM.gov. You can also find this information on your SAM.gov profile.
If you have any ARPA reporting questions such as the identity of the Authorized Representative or Point of Contact (POC), need signed awards documents (to include budget documentation) or have project and expenditure report questions, reach out to the Office of Recovery using the CONTACT US link on the Office of Recovery website.
For issues relating to reporting portal access, changing the Authorized Representative to access the portal or general reporting portal troubleshooting, e-mail the US Treasury directly at SLFRP@Treasury.gov. Reporting resources and technical assistance webinars released by Treasury can be found here.
If you update the Authorized Representative with Treasury, please also notify the Office of Recovery using the CONTACT US link to continue receiving resources and information from the Office of Recovery.
Source: Kansas Office of Recovery
Municipal Bond Trends for April 8, 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.