Kansas Municipal News
Williamsburg holds second annual Mardi Gras Parade
Williamsburg held its annual Mardi Gras Parade over the weekend as an early celebration of the holiday, which falls on Tuesday, March 1 this year. Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, originated as a way for Christians to have one last day of feasting before Lent begins the next day. The city of New Orleans holds a world-famous Mardi Gras celebration each year, but for those who couldn’t make it to the Big Easy, Williamsburg held its very own mini-parade, complete with a Cajun feast. All proceeds from the dinner went to the Wellsville Community Building. The event was sponsored by the Williamsburg Community Club.
Source: The Ottawa Herald
Grant allows county to replace aging bridge at reduced cost
A state grant announced on Thursday will allow Reno County to replace an aging bridge in the southwest part of the county this year at a significantly reduced cost. The bridge on Fairview Road, crossing Smoots Creek some 7.4 miles west and 2.7 miles south of Pretty Prairie, is one of 29 around the state that will share more than $5 million in state funds as part of the Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program. The current 76-foot-long bridge, consisting of four spans, was built in 1959, said Reno County Public Works Director Don Brittain. The bridge is still open, but it’s in poor condition and has a weight limit of a 7-ton single-unit truck.
Source: Hutch News
Treasury yields fall sharply, 10-year rate drops to 1.74%
U.S. Treasury yields dipped on Tuesday morning, as investors remained focused on Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell 3 basis points to 1.8044% at 4:40 a.m. ET. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond moved 3 basis points lower to 2.1435%. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has entered its sixth day. The attack has roiled global markets and seen investors look to safe haven investments like U.S. government bonds, pushing yields down. … Investors will be watching Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s testimonies to Congress this week, for any indication on whether the Russia-Ukraine conflict will affect the central bank’s plans for tightening monetary policy.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Municipal Bond Trends for February 28, 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.
Liberal celebrates International Pancake Day
March 1 is international pancake day this year. The small Kansas town of Liberal celebrates it like no other. It all started back in 1445 in Olney, England, when a woman was making pancakes to use up her cooking fats before lent. While making the pancakes, she heard the church bells ringing for the shriving service. She ran 415 yards to the church, skillet and pancake in hand. In the following years, it became a race as neighbors joined in to see who could make it to the church first to collect a kiss of peace from the bell ringer. It was brought to Liberal in 1950 when a magazine showed a picture of Olney women racing to church. Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete contacted the Vicar of St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church in Olney, Reverand Ronald Collins, challenging their women to race against the women of Liberal. The prize of the race in Liberal is also a kiss of peace from the bell ringer.
Source: KSN-TV
BP seeks to appeal Kansas town’s lawsuit over gas price hike
The energy company BP says in new court documents that it wants to appeal a judge’s ruling allowing residents of Mulberry to sue over sharp hikes in natural gas prices last February. The Wichita Eagle reports BP filed two court documents in the last week that indicates it wants the lawsuit dismissed. One seeks permission to appeal Chief District Judge Lori A. Bolton Fleming’s decision on Feb. 8 to let the lawsuit proceed. The second document outlines BP’s belief that it cannot be sued by residents of the town.
Source: KSN-TV
Kansas first responders seek to normalize, provide relief for job-induced mental trauma
Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister says first responders carry a lifetime of scars, mental and physical, from experiences in the field that require years of healing. It is the mental traumas from the day-to-day sights that are most hazardous and difficult to overcome, he said. Armbrister testified in support of Senate Bill 491 last week, which would secure workers’ compensation for first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and shared his traumas. He shared how the emotional damage of seeing the body of a dead child dwarfs the physical injury suffered after smashing a window in a submerged vehicle. He shared on the Kansas Reflector podcast he would tell his story to make clear why supporting first responder wellness is critical, no matter how many scars it rips off. “It is absolutely worth it in order to get the legislators to understand exactly what it is that they’re talking about,” Armbrister said. “It’s really about destigmatizing the terms but also understanding that day to day, our local first responders are dealing with some s*** that ain’t nobody supposed to be dealing with.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Lieutenant Governor Toland Announces Public Comment Period for the Broadband Acceleration Grants
Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland announced the opening of a public comment period for the Broadband Acceleration Grants. The Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD), a division of the Kansas Department of Commerce, has opened a public comment period for the state’s Broadband Acceleration Grant Program. The open comment period is part of an extensive review of the 36 applications submitted to KOBD that are competing for $5 million in available grant funding. The public and other interested stakeholders can participate by reviewing proposed service areas and expressing either support or specific concerns about the proposed grant projects. The program funds 50% of the total project amount, with a 50% match that results in $10 million in total investment in broadband infrastructure projects targeted for completion by October 2023.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Pott County to cover $26,000 gap to St. Marys Fire after state error on valuations
Pottawatomie County commissioners have agreed to cover a nearly $26,000 gap in funding to the St. Marys Fire Department, caused by a change up at the state level for assessed utilities. The result, which county officials say the state plans to correct in fiscal year 2023, led to a $6 million drop in valuations for properties around the Jeffrey Energy Center, in what is now the former Fire District No. 1. The county has an annual agreement with the city fire department to provide service to the rural area surrounding St. Marys. County Clerk Dawn Henry says the county received utilities in June, which is when they noticed a problem. She says the new company handling valuations for the state took over and changed how they report those values to the state.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Change of command begins for Wichita Police Department
Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay steps down this week after six years of service to the community. He told KFDI News it has been an honor to serve Wichita and he has made lifelong friends. Chief Ramsay has worked to improve relations between the police department and the community and he has put innovative methods in place to reduce crime. He said the community policing effort has made great progress and the Crime Stoppers has been a good measure of that with a record number of tips to help solve crimes. He said Wichita has been way ahead of other cities in the U.S. with regard to community policing, use of force, and how crimes are solved, and he is proud of the men and women of the department.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Nearly 90% of Sedgwick County residents can expect their property values to increase
Most homeowners is Sedgwick County can expect to see an increase in their property values after the Sedgwick County appraiser estimates nearly 90% will. Mark Clark, Sedgwick County appraiser, cites COVID-19 and supply chain issues as the other main reasons for the increase. Clark said Sedgwick County is nowhere close to a normal housing market because of how much demand there is and not enough supply. The high cost to build is contributing to that. He said 88% of Sedgwick County residents will see their property value increase. During a typical year, that number is around 7%. Many of the Sedgwick County Commissioners said they receive the most feedback from residents about this conversation and property taxes.
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas broadband developers seek applicants for $5 million in grant funding
The Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD) opened a public comment period for the state’s Broadband Acceleration Grant Program. The open comment period is part of an extensive review of the 36 applications competing for $5 million in available grant funding. Interested stakeholders can participate by reviewing proposed service areas and expressing either support or specific concerns about the proposed grant projects. “The intense demand for this program across Kansas reflects the widespread need for more robust broadband access in unserved areas of Kansas,” said Commerce Secretary David Toland. “We are committed to being transparent and making the best possible investment decisions for Kansas broadband infrastructure, and we invite the public to comment on these highly competitive investment decisions.”
Source: KOAMKOAM
Junction City citizens raise concerns over proposed slaughterhouse
Residents of Junction City are concerned about a proposed slaughterhouse to be built near residential housing areas. Not only would the slaughterhouse process nearly 1,000 cattle per day, but it would be two miles away from the Spring Valley Elementary School. Kelsey Mann and Susan Kamm are third and fourth-generation Junction City residents. Mann is in the process of building a house within a mile away from the proposed space. “It has taken a majority of joy away from building our house,” Mann said. “We were very excited this was going to be our forever home. Now we’re wondering if this will be forever.”
Source: KSNT News
Shawnee County homeowners may see 13.5% property value increase
Topeka homeowners could see residential market values increase by as much as 13.5%, according to Steve Bauman, Shawnee County Appraiser. During the meeting Monday morning, Feb. 28, it was announced that 2022 value notices will be mailed on March 1. According to authorities mailing the notices saved the county money. This year about 80,000 notices will be mailed, and approximately 89% of property owners will see an increase in the value of their property. Notices will only be mailed if the property owner is seeing an increase in the value of their property.
Source: KSNT News
Johnson County appraisals go out this week, and nearly all homeowners can expect another increase
Homes and apartments are still hot commodities in Johnson County this year, and that heated market is going to mean property value increases for the vast majority of homeowners, according to the revaluation report given last week by County Appraiser Beau Boisvert to the county commission. Some 97.5% of homeowners are going to see an increase in the value the county sets for property tax purposes when notices come in the mail this week. The increases will vary but the overall average for the county is 11%, he said. Only 2.4% of properties will decrease in value.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Remote work might boost rural Kansas
Darin Miller has been involved in remote work since before it was cool. A longtime engineer, Miller saw the evolution of the modern office space first hand, with more and more individuals electing to work-from-home. Coworking spaces were popping up everywhere, where employees from different companies share a common office environment. Everywhere, that is, except Kansas. “I see this and I’m like, ‘This is a huge opportunity,’” Miller said. “It’s also a huge issue if you have a great job, and you just decide to live someplace else. Because now remote work is possible. So you can have a great job located in Kansas, but that doesn’t mean people are going to be located here.” When his engineering career stalled, in 2016, Miller started Iron Clad Coworking in Wamego, which relies on remote workers as one of its core revenue streams.
Source: Salina Journal
Mulvane school board approves land purchase for future district use
After an initial search started five years ago, the Mulvane school district took action on a perceived need recently – with the school board approving a real estate purchase of 92 acres for future expansion at its Feb. 14 meeting. The land purchased sits just east of Mulvane High School (1900 N. Rock Rd.), on the other side of Country Walk Estates, comprising 92 acres of farm ground currently. USD 263 Superintendent Dr. Jay Ensley said the land acquisition would serve for “future development of schools,” with no immediate construction plans on the horizon. While previous reports stated the site would be used for a new high school, Ensley admitted “there has been no determination on what facilities the land will be used for” at this time.
Source: Derby Informer | Area
Development amendment adjusts cap to $17.2 million
Council members passed the second amended and restated development agreement with the Grata Development February 21 at their council meeting. Grata Development received rezoning approval from the Gardner City Council for a $200 million mixed-use development located at the southeast corner of 175th St. and I-35 in Gardner in October, 2019. The first amendment to the agreement was passed Oct. 19, 2020. The second amendment changes include removing the developer’s de-annexation remedy, removing the issuance of CID bonds and the payment associated with the interest, increasing the common CID Cap to allow reimbursable expense in lieu of interest and clarifying the infrastructure milestones with phasing. Tyler Ellsworth, city bond counsel, said they wanted to emphasize the development agreement wouldn’t have a financial impact to the city, and they had just increased the principal and taken the interest away.
Source: Gardner News
$5,000,000 going into Kansas infrastructure
New efforts are underway to improve Kansas infrastructure. Governor Laura Kelly recently announced more than five million dollars will be going towards improving locally owned bridges across the state. This will be part of the Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program. 29 projects have been announced, including two in Southeast Kansas. In Cherokee County this will involve the bridge over Brush Creek on East Maple Street outside Columbus.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Haven names new school district superintendent
Friday afternoon, the Haven Board of Education unanimously agreed to offer Craig Idacavage Haven USD 312’s superintendent position. Idacavage said he readily accepted the position and will begin his 2022-2023 term this fall. … Idacavage is currently the David Brewer Elementary School principal. “I’m at that point in my career professionally, where my family and I are ready for that next step, for that next challenge,” Idacavage said. After serving as a principal for 17 years and a teacher for more, he looked toward the superintendent position at Haven to move up in education and move closer to family in the area.
Source: Hutch News