Kansas Municipal News
Coffeyville Municipal Light & Power Recognized for Reliable Electric Service
Coffeyville Municipal Light & Power has received national recognition for achieving exceptional electric reliability in 2021. The recognition comes from the American Public Power Association (APPA), a trade group that represents more than 2,000 not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities. APPA helps electric utilities track power outage and restoration data through its subscription-based eReliability Tracker service. Once per year, APPA’s Reliability Team compares this data to national statistics tracked by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for all types of electric utilities. “Once again, public power utilities have demonstrated their commitment to providing highly reliable power to their customers.” said Alex Hofmann, APPA’s Vice President of Technical and Operations Services. “We commend these utilities for their hard work when it comes to keeping the lights on in their communities.”
Source: Coffeyville, KS – News Flash
The Main Street Approach helps entire community
When a new program is introduced into a strict environment there can be many misinterpretations of what the program is or what it does and that can be harmful if not clarified. For instance, the Main Street program is only for downtown. That in itself is erroneous. Main Street was a program born out of the “downtown depression”. The program is over 40 years old and will invest 25 million dollars in the next five years into America’s downtowns. When a community’s downtown thrives, so do other businesses. Think of it this way, you don’t treat a toothache by taking aspirin. You want to get to the root of the ache. Well, that is the same approach this program takes.
Source: Atchison Globe Now
Valley Center Police report increase in car burglaries across city
Valley Center Police have arrested a juvenile in relation to an ongoing investigation into an increase in car break-ins across the city. Police said suspects have stolen one car and one firearm and broken into several other vehicles in three main areas over the last week. They believe all the incidents are related. Dannielle Ritter’s rental car was stolen from her house. She said it was a reminder not to get too comfortable in a small town. “It was a little bit more stressful since it wasn’t our car,” Ritter said. “We were worried about what exactly that… would… the repercussions would be.” Police are asking residents to lock their cars and take their valuables inside, including their keys. Captain Matt Vogt said they believe the suspects are targeting unlocked vehicles and firearms.
Source: KAKE – News
Border truce ‘didn’t include the Chiefs,’ Kansas governor says amid relocation talk
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Thursday the state’s economic border war truce with Missouri “didn’t include the Chiefs,” after the team president disclosed it has considered stadium options in Kansas. The Democratic governor’s comment signals Kansas would be willing to use economic incentives to lure the Chiefs, who have been in Kansas City since 1963, across the state line. When initially asked about the possibility of relocating the NFL team, Kelly quipped that she was “on speed dial with Lamar Hunt,” referring to the Chiefs’ late founder and owner. His son Clark Hunt is the team’s chairman and CEO.
Source: The Kansas City Star
Olathe schools to cut $20 million, eliminate jobs
The Olathe school district is planning to cut about $20 million from next year’s budget and eliminate some positions, officials said, due to declining enrollment during the pandemic and other challenges. The move could be a sign of what’s to come for some other districts that face similar obstacles as they launch into their budget deliberations. In Olathe, while reductions in department budgets are expected across the board, the district has confirmed it will cut library clerk positions next school year — about 15 total at middle and high schools, spokeswoman Becky Grubaugh said.
Source: KC Star Local News
Don’t burn in April, officials remind residents of Sedgwick and 15 other counties
Here’s an annual reminder: Sedgwick County and 15 others are under an open burn ban for all of April. Restricted activities include “burning trees and brush from land clearing, crop residues, construction debris, yard waste and the use of backyard chimineas and fire pits,” a city news release said. Starting April 1, no new burn ban permits will be issued and previously issued permits will be suspended until May 1. Exceptions to the ban include “outdoor cooking apparatuses, ceremonial fires, or open burning for the purpose of crop, range, pasture, and wildlife or watershed management,” the release said.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Solar power plan takes the spotlight
Iola City Council members have two weeks to once again chew on a proposal that would integrate solar power into the city’s energy portfolio after hearing a proposal Monday for a 4-megawatt solar plant on the west edge of town. Iola’s energy consultant Scott Shreve and Rick Borry of Priority Power Management LLC — the company that would build the plant and control it for at least the first five years — explained the advantages to the city, namely the ability to secure a block of electricity for a known amount for at least 30 years. The cost would vary, depending on the timeline explained, from $4.5 million due in five years, or $3.6 million in 10.
Source: The Iola Register
New downtown Wichita schools could bring big boost to area
The first Osteopathic Medical School in Kansas is slated to open its doors in Downtown Wichita this August. Right next to it on Broadway, WSU Tech is building its Institute of Culinary and Hospitality Education, also opening in August. The two places of higher learning at their enrollment peaks could combine for over a thousand students, plus faculty, and staff. It’s something that has Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple very excited. “You can’t have that type of, I guess, activity in a central area like this without seeing a ripple effect of economic opportunity.” Whipple says many small towns are built around colleges that are similar sizes, and those colleges are the “economic engines” of the area. He says being able to put something is “a huge step in the right direction when it comes to diversified our economic blueprint for downtown.”
Source: KAKE – News
Pittsburg City Hall is making changes to improve accessibility
Pittsburg plans to spend upwards of $300,000 to improve the accessibility of its City Hall building. Sprouls Construction Inc. out of Lamar, Missouri will spend the upcoming weeks installing new ramps and making the buildings entrance more level and accessible. The $284,187 project was approved by Pittsburg’s City Commissioner last week. Officials say the funding for this project comes from federal relief grants.
Source: KOAMKOAM
Museum exhibit focuses on history of Arma
The second quarterly exhibit at Miners Hall Museum, “Little Balkans Coal Camp: Arma,” will open Friday and continue through June 26. The exhibit will feature the history of the coal camp now known as Arma. Arma was incorporated as a city on May 18, 1909. Previously the city had been known as Rust, Armiton and Armacost, a small coal camp that was laid out in 1886. The city was named for William F. Armacost, one of the owners of most of the land north and east of the camp. Admission to the museum is free; donations are accepted. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The museum is located at 701 S. Broadway in Franklin.
Source: www.joplinglobe.com
Columbus hires Jake Letner as new City Administrator
The City of Columbus, Kansas hired Mr. Jake Letner as their City Administrator. Mr. Letner will assume the City Administrator position on Monday, April 4th, 2022. “Mr. Letner will be a great asset to our team as City Administrator.” says Columbus Mayor Grant Spieth. “Jake is dedicated, hardworking, and is heavily involved in our community. The City of Columbus is looking forward to a lengthy and rewarding relationship with Mr. Letner.” … Mr. Letner holds a Bachelor of Arts from Pittsburg State University and Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. For the last two years, Mr. Letner has been employed with the City of Columbus as the Community Development Coordinator and managed securing over $260,000 in grants for the City of Columbus. His focus was writing and administering grants on behalf of the city, managing the Columbus Land Bank, and working on special projects and initiatives. Letner is a member of professional organizations, including the Board of Directors for the CHC/SEK as the representative for Cherokee County, the treasurer for Columbus PRIDE, and as a volunteer firefighter with the Columbus Fire Department. Jake Letner and his wife Sean Gilmore live in Columbus.
Source: City of Columbus
Russell City Manager Jon Quinday Discusses How Increased Valuations Impact Property Taxes
A few days ago, I was asked if the City receives more tax money when valuations increase. The answer is, “It depends.” Property tax is the most criticized and misunderstood source of government revenue. The citizen was interested in recent media reports indicating statewide increases in property valuation. While in Russell County, we have not yet seen our valuation notices, it is probable, based on media reports across the State, we will experience the same. Naturally, we are all concerned about an increase’s effect on our property tax. Different property classes – residential, agriculture, commercial – have different assessment rates, adding to the difficulty of answering the concerned citizen’s question. The straightforward answer is this: Your taxes increase if your property valuation goes up and all the local taxing entities keep the mill levy the same, or the combination of levies remains unchanged. Conversely, a decrease in the overall levy should offset an increased valuation. If the taxing entity’s budgeted revenue from property tax remains the same as the prior year, then the mill levy for that taxing entity would go down if values go up (more on that below).
Read more: KRSL
‘It’s pretty cool stuff’: Large hotel and sports facility under construction in Goddard
The Genesis Sports Complex will be one of the premier complexes in all of Kansas and hopefully the Midwest. The complex in Goddard has five functional high school-sized baseball fields being played on and five more fields under construction – not to mention a water park, sports bar, hotel, Genesis Health Club, daycare and a large indoor swimming pool also in the works. The pool will be used to host future swimming events, such as the state swim meet and other large meets. There are big plans to have the fullblown, near-100-acre complex all ready by summer.
Source: Hutch News
From rivals to frontmen: Council member chooses opponent for redistricting panel
Brett Kell and Marcus Clark were political opponents Nov. 2, when Kell beat Clark to win the District 5 seat on the Topeka City Council. But last week, Kell appointed Clark as that district’s representative on the commission assigned to redraw the boundary lines for the city’s council districts. “We may have been opponents in the recent election, but I believe he had a great message and was running for the right reasons,” Kell said. He said that Clark, the pastor of Love Fellowship Church, will make “the decisions that are best for Topeka.”
Source: CJonline
City of Lawrence gives details for why it claims strip club cannot legally operate at its current location
The City of Lawrence has shed more light on why it is trying to shut down a local strip club that it says has been operating illegally. In a lawsuit filed Feb. 2 in Douglas County District Court, the city alleged that Allstars has been operating without the license required for a sexually oriented entertainment business… The city also claimed Allstars is ineligible to receive such a license .. There are various provisions in city code that would make a business ineligible or disqualify it from being provided a city license for a sexually oriented entertainment business, and previously the city had not specified which of the code’s provisions it believed Allstars had violated. But in a recent court filing, the city stated that Allstars was in violation of a provision that prohibits such businesses from being located within 1,000 feet of certain properties, including schools, churches, city parks, residences and certain businesses.
Source: LJWorld.com
Residents of unincorporated community in Douglas County file petition to be incorporated as a city
Residents of the unincorporated community of Clearfield in Douglas County have filed a petition in hope of being incorporated as a city, Douglas County commissioners heard at their meeting Wednesday. Clearfield is an existing unincorporated community in Douglas County located 9 miles northeast of Baldwin City within Palmyra Township. The proposed incorporated city limits, however, would be within five miles of Baldwin City, Edgerton and Eudora and encompass 18.2 square miles of land in roughly the shape of a backward letter P.
Source: LJWorld.com
County leaders are interested in using land for both solar energy and agriculture, but some worry about technical challenges
Douglas County leaders indicated Wednesday that they’d like to continue to consider how land in the county could be used for solar power generation and agriculture simultaneously, but they had some concerns about the technical challenges that could arise in such a system. At a study session on Wednesday, the Douglas County Commission heard from a panel of guests who explained how that concept, called agrivoltaics, could be implemented in the area with proposed solar farm regulations that the commissioners will consider at a future meeting. Agrivoltaics can include land uses like growing crops, grazing livestock or planting pollinator plants.
Source: LJWorld.com
Municipal Bond Trends for March 30, 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.
New superintendent chosen for Garden City Schools
Dr. Mike Dominguez has been hired as the new superintendent of Garden City Public Schools, following action by the USD 457 Board of Education on Tuesday night. Dominguez will take the reins on June 1 after the retirement of Dr. Steve Karlin at the end of the 2021-22 school year. Dominguez has broad education experience and is in his fifth year as superintendent of schools for the Stratford Independent School District, Stratford, Texas. Previously, Dominguez served as Assistant Superintendent of Premier Charter High Schools in Lewisville, Texas for two years and principal at Vernon High School for two years and assistant principal role for 10 years. He has 32 years of experience in education. USD 457 Board President Jennifer Standley said Dominguez emerged from a very thorough search process as the right candidate to lead Garden City Public Schools.
Source: Greater Garden City
Kansas is on path to make it easier to get your seized property back from police
Police can keep seized property “as long as necessary,” state statute says, if they believe it could be evidence in a trial. A proposed change to state law would require police to give items back. Police hold the power to seize property believed to be used in a crime. Some cases stall or charges don’t move forward and critics of existing state law said getting back property even when it doesn’t link to criminal activity is too hard. “Many (people) opt not to fight the forfeiture and reluctantly give up their property, rather than rack up legal bills exceeding the property’s value,” Alieen Berquist, community engagement manager for the ACLU of Kansas, wrote in testimony to lawmakers.
Source: Andover American