Kansas Municipal News
Fed’s Mester says ‘each meeting is going to be in play’ for rate hikes this year
Cleveland Federal Reserve President Loretta Mester laid out an aggressive plan for reducing easy-money policies this year, saying the central bank will be ready to hike rates at any meeting and should be looking at shedding mortgage-backed securities it is holding. “Each meeting is going to be in play,” Mester said at an event hosted by the European Economics and Financial Centre. “We’re going to assess conditions, we’re going to assess how the economy’s evolving, we’re going to be looking at the risks, and we’re going to be removing accommodation.” Her comments come with markets widely expecting the Fed to raise its benchmark short-term borrowing rate at its March meeting. Traders are pricing in at least four more increases through the course of the year.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Osawatomie and Evergy Announce Solar Partnership
The City of Osawatomie will partner with Evergy to explore building up to 3 megawatts of solar to power the Osawatomie, Kan., community. “Osawatomie’s strong leadership shows their investment to continued growth in renewable energy and commitment to our partnership,” said Lloyd Jackson, managing director, Evergy Energy Partners. “Our Evergy team is proud to partner with Osawatomie as they expand their energy sources that will continue to serve the community.” City of Osawatomie Deputy City Manager Bret Glendening said, “We are very excited to work with Evergy and KMEA on this solar project, and they have been great partners to work with in the development process. This project is a great opportunity to diversify our municipal electric utilities’ generation portfolio even further, and one of the best parts is that it’s within the city limits of Osawatomie.
Source: City of Osawatomie
Garden City names Assistant City Managers
After a nationwide search and an extensive assessment center process with five outstanding finalists, the City of Garden City has hired Danielle Buschkoetter and Derek Ramos as the new Assistant City Managers. Danielle and Derek will begin their employment with the City on March 28. “The goal of our Assistant City Manager search was to identify one, or possibly two, highly talented professionals to add to our team to not only fill recent senior management team vacancies but to also build capacity for where we are heading as an organization,” City Manager Matt Allen said. Allen said the assessment center process, which involved many city staff, elected officials and community members, revealed that Buschkoetter and Ramos were the right fit. “They both bring skills and experience to the City that will help us right away. They both also have a strong desire to learn and grow as local government professionals and servant leaders, which suggests an even greater upside for the City in the coming years,” Allen said. Both individuals will help lead a group of departments while also overseeing special projects.
Source: Greater Garden City » Feed
Bird Scooters Available in Atchison Starting Thursday, February 10th
The City of Atchison is pleased to welcome Los Angeles, California based, environmentally friendly electric transportation company, Bird Rides, to the Atchison market. Bird intends to bring their shared e-scooters to the city in the coming days. The scooters are available through a mobile phone application and riders pay to use the scooter per minute, at no cost to the city. Mayor Bartlett stated, “Our 2020 Strategic Plan specifically calls out the exploration of alternative and emerging modes of transportation. I think they’ll be a great addition to the community.” The electric scooters can be used on roads and in bike lanes and have a maximum speed of 15mph. Scooters must be parked out of the way of pedestrians and never blocking driveways. Riders are required to be 18 years-old and above to access the scooters. They are also encouraged to wear a helmet on every ride and required to obey all standard rules of the road.
Source: City of Atchison
City of Atchison has been the recipient of numerous grants for the coming 2022 and 2023 cycle
Grants play a big part in Atchison being able to keep up with its needs has a Strategic Plan that identifies five areas of focus: Quality of Life, Housing and Neighborhoods, Economy, Downtown and Infrastructure and Transportation. There were projects that fit within the scope of the plan: Infrastructure and Transportation areas with increasing the quality of public streets and alleys; Housing and Neighborhoods with reducing blight, Downtown focus on improving the appearance and continuity of the downtown area and Quality of Life by improving public facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. Several grants have been written to help complete the above projects. The K-7 Mill and Overlay (Phase II) project is expected to cost about 700,000 (600,000 CCLIP grant awarded) and is included in the 2022 CIP. Construction will begin later this summer.
Source: Atchison Globe Now
Sedgwick County Commission adopts food master plan
Sedgwick County commissioners voted Wednesday to adopt a food master plan for the community. The Wichita City Council voted to adopt the plan last month. The Health and Wellness Coalition of Wichita worked with the city and county and other agencies over the past year to develop the plan, and a 14-member steering committee was created to gather input and draft a final plan. Sedgwick County Health Director Adrienne Byrne said the plan has three goals: to foster food system coordination and education, improve access to healthy food, and increase local food production. She said about 25 percent of the people in Wichita do not have access to healthy food. She said residents have an interest in developing a robust local food system for the city and county, but the community needs a road map to guide the process.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Burrton becomes regional hotspot for cornhole enthusiasts
People from all over central Kansas have been coming to Burrton every Monday night for the past few months. Their purpose? To play cornhole. “We get people from all over,” Allen Bonde said. “Wichita, Hutchinson, Salina, McPherson. Just all over.” Bonde, who lives in Burrton, has been organizing a weekly cornhole league for the past few months inside what he calls The Machine Shop. They had a record 30 people playing on Monday of this week, which was up from 26 the week before and 18 the week before that.
Source: Harvey County Now
Bentley police chief shares experiences at Olympics
Bentley Police Chief James “Tim” Bryan has been to the Olympics twice. Not as a spectator, not as an athlete, but as a security officer. He was at the 1996 summer games in Atlanta and the 2002 winter games in Salt Lake City. “It was a really good experience, and I was happy I got to do a winter and a summer,” he said. Bryan had been a state trooper in 1996 living in Valley Center at the time of the Atlanta Olympics. “They did a nationwide call for assistance,” he said. “The highway patrol for the State of Kansas was very supportive of it and allowed me to go.”
Source: Harvey County Now
Jackson County Sheriff outlines, praises work of county’s dispatchers
Public safety dispatchers are the “true first responders” to any emergency in Jackson County and are “the vital link between those in need and emergency services,” according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse. Sheriff Morse and Undersheriff Darrel Chapman recently presented an annual report to the Jackson County Commissioners. Part of that report highlighted the important role of dispatchers, which have been difficult positions to fill this past year. “The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office communications division is the central answering point for 911 in Jackson County,” Morse said. “The communications center dispatches for five law enforcement agencies, eight fire departments and two Emergency Management Services (EMS).”
Source: Holton Recorder
Axtell grocery store meeting slated Feb. 16
A community meeting to discuss the possibilities of a new grocery store in Axtell is set for 7 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Axtell American Legion. Topics will include a recap of the work completed to date, a vision of the community steering committee and discussion of investor opportunities. … A grocery store steering committee consists of members from Axtell Economic Development Corporation and members from the Axtell community. The committee was formed to gather information on how to get another grocery store in Axtell.
Source: The Marysville Advocate
Small voter turnout imposes 1/2 cent countywide sales tax to build new Osage County jail
Osage County voters approved a countywide 1/2 cent sales tax in Tuesday’s election, which is proposed to pay for design, construction, and furnishing costs, and the first years’ payments on a 35-year bond, for a $20 million detention center and law enforcement center. With a vote of 1,149 yes votes to 505 no votes, the sales tax will go into effect July 1, 2022, to pay for the construction and startup costs of the proposed $20,295,000 facility.
Source: Osage County News
Municipal Bond Trends for February 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.
Amy Finch is Atchison’s Next City Manager
The City Commission is pleased to announce Amy Finch as Atchison’s next City Manager. The one-year contract hiring Ms. Finch was approved at the February 7th City Commission meeting and she is expected to begin her duties on April 4, 2022. Finch, originally from Ottawa, Kansas, is coming to Atchison from her current position as City Administrator for Crookston, Minnesota. Finch is a graduate of Ottawa University and has a Master’s in Public Administration from Wichita State University. “It is my honor to serve as Atchison’s next City Manager and be part of the team that has achieved so much success and continued momentum,” said Finch. “I am happy to get back home to Kansas after spending some time in Minnesota. We will work hard to achieve a smooth transition and keep moving forward. I look forward to meeting the citizens of Atchison over the next few months.“
Source: City of Atchison
Sensory overload: Overstimulated people can check out room in OP Convention Center
Going to a trade show or convention can be fun and exciting, but for many people, the environment can also be overwhelming. That’s why the Overland Park Convention Center recently installed a sensory room to help. The room opened Jan. 21. A sensory room usually is more quiet and has different lighting, along with various fidget activities that can help stem issues people have when their senses are overstimulated. People with autism, PTSD, attention deficit disorder, dementia and other conditions can experience this in places that are crowded, noisy and have bright lighting.
Source: Joco 913 News
Ark City Downtown Visioning
More than 50 people showed up at the Burford Theatre on Saturday to voice ideas for the revitalization of downtown Arkansas City. The brainstorming session was conducted by students and instructors from Kansas State University and the South Dakota State University. After a brief introduction, the participants broke up into several small group sessions to exchange ideas. The students, who are majoring in landscape architecture, interior and graphic design, served as facilitators and will use those suggestions and their own observations to create visual renderings that illustrate future possibilities.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Local hospitals say capacity crisis has eased
Officials at both local hospitals in Cowley County said their capacity issues have improved since late January, when they appealed to the public for help alleviating packed emergency and ICU departments. Sarah Johnson, spokesperson for William Newton Hospital in Winfield, said officials have seen a drop in COVID activity and the facility’s capacity problems had diminished, at least for this week. “We are seeing significant improvements,” Johnson said. As of Monday, the hospital had no COVID-positive inpatients. There was one COVID-related death last week, Johnson said, and a patient is recovering in the hospital after a COVID infection.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Scooter and e-bike company Bird will flock to Overland Park this spring
A flock of electric scooters and bicycles will offer Overland Park residents a new way to fly around town starting as soon as early March. The popular scooter and bikeshare company Bird inked a two-year deal with the city this week to offer a fleet of its small, electric shared vehicles across Overland Park as a trendy alternative for residents hoping to zip around town without a car. The scooters and electric bikes are fun to ride, but city officials also hope they can offer residents or students without a car the opportunity to get around town more easily and cheaply, while also reducing at least some traffic and its associated pollution.
Source: Joco 913 News
USD 232 school board may urge county to lift mask mandate for K-6 schools
As COVID-19 cases trend downward in Johnson County, USD 232 school board members in De Soto may ask the county to lift a public health order mandating masks be worn in all school buildings serving students up to and including 6th grade. At the school board’s meeting Monday night, most board members expressed interest in each writing letters to the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners asking them to remove the school mask requirement for younger grades. The board of county commissioners is set to revisit the mask order at its regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 17.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Douglas County Considering New Mask Mandate
The Douglas County Commission will consider a new emergency public health order during its meeting Wednesday. The new order would require individuals to wear face coverings at indoor gatherings in which 500 or more individuals are in attendance in a single space. That would include concerts, sporting events, trade shows, or conventions. Local health officers are recommending the new order specific to large crowds to help prevent spread of COVID-19 in Douglas County where cases and hospitalizations continue to be high, putting a strain on staffing in schools and the healthcare system. If approved, the public health order would start Thursday, and remain in effect until March 9th unless otherwise rescinded or modified by County Commissioners.
Source: WIBW News Now
Municipal Bond Trends for February 7, 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.