Kansas Municipal News
New street sweeper gets clean sweep from commission
Arkansas City streets may soon appear cleaner, due to the purchase of a new street sweeper. The commission gave its approval Tuesday to buy a 2021 Ravo Vac Sweeper from Red Equipment in Independence, Mo., at a cost not to exceed $255,000. Public Services Superintendent Tony Tapia said that the new sweeper is a much-needed replacement, and will do a much better job than the current unit.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Sedgwick County leaders push for state mental hospital to be built in Wichita
“The folks that that are waiting to go to Larned is 22. I think our longest one waiting here is right around 180 days.” That is how many people are sitting in the Sedgwick County jail waiting for a mental health evaluation, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter. Its a situation he says highlights a problem here in Kansas, a lack of bed space at the state’s two mental health hospitals. A problem with a potentially simple solution.
Source: KAKE – News
Harvey County issues burn ban, seeing an increase in fires this year
Harvey County is under a burn ban until Sunday, and fire officials said it’s to try and help ease the stress firefighters are feeling. The Chief of Newton Fire and EMS Steve Roberson says, the department has seen three times as many fires this year compared to last. It is also seeing a recent increase in daily calls due to grass fires. “When we start dealing with increased fire loads due to grassland indexes going up…like yesterday, we were working on four different incidences, that’s on top of our regular 12 calls a day,” Roberson said.
Source: KAKE – News
First Johnson County Whataburger about to open. It will pay police to direct traffic
The first Kansas Whataburger will open at 11 a.m. Monday in Johnson County. The location, at 8420 W. 135th St. in Overland Park, was formerly a Salty Iguana Mexican Restaurant. Whataburger has opened two other metro locations that have attracted lines of cars stretching for blocks for the grand openings. The company said it will pay for Overland Park police and private security to help manage traffic flow during the latest opening.
Source: KC Star Local News
More than 97% of Johnson County homes increased in value this year. Here’s why it matters
Market values for homes are increasing in Johnson County. The county sent out valuations to homeowners earlier this week, and if it seems like your home’s appraisal value went up, it probably did. These kinds of assessments are based on statistics that indicate the ongoing trends in the market area, and they affect how much you pay in property taxes. When evaluating property, the county appraiser looks at a number of homes sold in the area and considers factors like the square footage, location, additions like porches, patios, garages, the finish of the basement and more to see how much a home is worth, according to Johnson County Appraiser Beau Boisvert.
Source: KC Star Local News
Municipal Bond Trends for March 3, 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.
Save the Sunflower ramps up in Peabody
A small town is getting a grant to save the Sunflower. “This grant pretty much assures that we are serious about what we are doing,” said Susan Mayo, local artist and musician. The Sunflower Theatre is a bit of living history in Peabody. Built in the 1920s with art deco and Spanish Colonial revivalist influence, it was all the rage when it opened. But, unfortunately, the theatre was converted to a bowling alley in the 1950s. “We are bringing it back,” said Mayo. “Out-of-towners will probably appreciate it more than the in-towners,” said Marilyn Jones, local historian.
Source: KSN-TV
Shawnee buying land near Mid-America sports complexes to expand city’s parks footprint
Shawnee is planning to buy land to expand the city’s parks footprint, a move officials hope will help turn the city into a major recreational destination. After extensive debate, the Shawnee City Council on Monday voted 6-1 to spend $693,000 to purchase about 77 acres at 6403 Vista Drive, just southwest of the sprawling Mid-America and Mid-America West sports complexes. IT security firm LTS Partnership is the current owner of the property, according to Johnson County property records. Here’s an overview of the site.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Miami County’s residential value increase comparable to neighbors
The median value of residential properties in Miami County increased 13.85 percent from 2021 to 2022. County Appraiser Justin Eimers told county commissioners that residential is the assessment class most people will be interested in as they note the change in the property value of their homes from last year. … Eimers provided county commissioners with a 2022 real estate market update during their Wednesday, Feb. 23, meeting that noted Miami County’s 13.85 percent increase in residential values were comparable to some area counties, based on a survey of county appraiser’s offices.
Source: republic-online.com
How soon could Kansas’ food sales tax be eliminated? Timeline for plans vary.
Multiple plans to eliminate or reduce the state’s food sales tax are floating through the legislature. None have made it to the floor for debate, despite lawmakers touting efforts on both sides of the aisle to get a plan passed this year. Kansas governor Laura Kelly emphasized her “Axe the Food Tax” plan while touring Harvesters, a local food pantry in Topeka, on Thursday. The governor is hoping to completely eliminate the state’s 6.5% food sales tax by this summer and, once again, urged lawmakers to send her a “clean” bill.
Source: KSN-TV
Municipal Bond Trends for March 2, 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.
Fed Chair Powell notes ‘highly uncertain’ Ukraine impact, but says rate hikes are still coming
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell still sees interest rate hikes coming, but noted Wednesday that the Russia-Ukraine war has injected uncertainty into the outlook. In remarks prepared for dual appearances this week before House and Senate committees in Congress, the central bank chief acknowledged the “tremendous hardship” the Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing. “The implications for the U.S. economy are highly uncertain, and we will be monitoring the situation closely,” Powell said. … Powell and his fellow policymakers have been indicating for weeks that they plan to start raising benchmark interest rates to tackle inflation. He reiterated the stance Wednesday that the process will involve “interest rate increases,” along with indications that the Fed eventually will start reducing its bond holdings.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Governor Laura Kelly Announces Kansas Ranked First in Nation for Most Economic Development Investment Per Capita
Governor Laura Kelly today announced Kansas won Site Selection Magazine’s 2021 Governor’s Cup for the state with the most economic development investment per capita in the country. This is the first time in state history that Kansas has received this national economic development award. “The Governor’s Cup demonstrates the extraordinary economic strengths of Kansas and the confidence of the business community to make major investments in our state,” Governor Kelly said. “It’s also proof our efforts to secure a strong foundation for economic growth by staying focused on the issues that Kansans elected us to take care of – like fully funding our public schools, strengthening our roads, bridges, and high-speed internet – have paid off.” Site Selection magazine’s coveted Governor’s Cup award goes to the state with the most capital investment and the most economic development projects per capita. In 2019, Kansas was ranked 20th out of all the 50 states for capital investment per capita in, and in 2020 Kansas moved up to 10th.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Maize draws from Mulvane to hire its new school superintendent
An assistant superintendent in the Mulvane school district will become the new superintendent in Maize. The Maize school board voted unanimously Tuesday to hire Raquel Greer to replace Chad Higgins, who is leaving at the end of the school year. Greer has a doctorate in educational leadership from Wichita State University. She has worked as a third-grade teacher, elementary counselor and principal, and has been assistant superintendent in Mulvane since 2018, according to a Maize news release.
Source: Wichita Eagle
State, county mourn fallen Marion County sheriff
As it was when Rob Craft’s body was returned to Marion after his death, a large crowd of emergency responders lined streets Saturday and attended his Saturday funeral to bid him farewell. More than a dozen fire trucks from all Marion County lined E. Denver St. at the entrance to the cemetery. Trucks from Butler, Chase, and Morris County also parked along the street. A large flag dangled from a boom on a Hillsboro truck.
Source: Marion County RECORD
Riley County fire crews contain 700-plus acre wildfire
Fire crews on Monday finished a two-day battle to extinguish a 700-plus acre wildfire in north Riley County. Officials said no one reported injuries or structural damage from the fire. Riley County Fire District No. 1 responded to reports of a large outdoor fire at 10 a.m. Sunday near Carlson and Rosehill Road by Tuttle Creek Lake. Fire crews worked until 7 p.m. Monday to contain the fire.
Source: themercury.com
Manhattan gives initial OK to STAR expansion for Museum of Art and Light
The Museum of Art and Light is one step closer to reality. Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday unanimously gave their initial approval for expanding the sales tax and revenue (STAR) bond district boundary for the proposed museum, which would be west of Manhattan Town Center on Third Street. Bob and Tracey DeBruyn, the museum developers, asked for the district expansion because they want to use sales tax revenue from the city’s STAR bond district to generate $23 million for the project. The DeBruyns have secured $21 million in private donations.
Source: themercury.com
Newton Fire/EMS sees triple the fires for 2022
Newton Fire/EMS has seen the number of fires it responded to triple in the first two months of 2022. Since Jan. 1, the department has responded to 35 calls involving fire compared to 12 from the same period last year.
“We’re seeing everything from car fires, building fires and grass fires,” Fire Marshall Andy Harder said. He added that the department didn’t know why there’s been an uptick. “I don’t want to say I’m superstitious. Nothing has stood out as this is what’s causing them.” Harder said he’d be interested to look at weather data to see if that could in part be driving more fires.
Source: Harvey County Now
Hiawatha Commission bids farewell to City Clerk
At Monday’s meeting of the Hiawatha City Commission, City Clerk Tish Sims, who has been with the city for nearly four years, made it official that she will be leaving the position, thanking the commission for her time in Hiawatha and saying that she has appreciated her time here. Mayor Bill Collins, City Administrator Mike Nichols and members of the Commission all praised the work Sims has done with the City of Hiawatha and wished her well in future endeavors.
Source: hiawathaworldonline.com
Sedgwick County commissioner with personal knowledge of Ukraine asks for prayers for the people
The chairman of the Sedgwick County Commission has a unique perspective on the situation in Ukraine. Commissioner David Dennis is a veteran. He says he spent three years in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. During the Board of County Commissioners meeting Wednesday, he asked the people of Sedgwick County to keep Ukraine in their prayers. “What is going on over in Ukraine right now is absolutely tragic,” he said. “They are some of the finest people that I have ever met.” KSN spoke to him after the meeting about his remarks. He said the conflict in Ukraine hits close to him and many Kansans. “Here in this state alone, we’ve got about 4,000 Ukrainians. We have about 1,000 here in Sedgwick County,” Dennis said. “They are people that have a very large love of their country just as the United States has a love of our country, and they’re fighting for their freedom right now against a despot.”
Source: KSN-TV