Kansas Municipal News
Law enforcement officers, legislators resist House bill banning no-knock warrants
Advocates of Kansas House legislation imposing a prohibition on no-knock search warrants by law enforcement officers Monday triggered indignation and rebukes from legislators with professional experience as investigators, attorneys and judges in Kansas. Rep. Brett Fairchild, a St. John Republican, joined with Republican and Democratic peers in the House to seek support for the bill endorsed by representatives of the Libertarian Party and the ACLU of Kansas. It would require officers to be in uniform and to announce their presence before breaking down doors of a residence in a quest for suspects or evidence. A collection of law enforcement organizations testified against House Bill 2133. … McPherson Police Chief Mikel Golden, representing the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, told the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee the legislation was unnecessary. No-knock warrants for high-risk suspects were rare and didn’t give officers a license to be reckless, he said. This type of warrant did enable officers to get inside a residence swiftly and improve odds of avoiding the threat of violence at home entrances, he said. “Officers will be announcing “police department, search warrant” as they go through the residence,” Golden said. “They just do not have to sit in the fatal funnel at the door for 10 seconds or more announcing “police department, search warrant,” when the reasonable response would be to get in the residence as quickly as possible to protect lives and property.”
Source: Kansas Reflector
Parsons Splash Pad enters Phase Two and is about to begin construction
Major progress has been made for a community project in Southeast Kansas. The Parsons Area Splash Pad has officially passed its phase one fundraising goal of $75,000. The committee behind the Forest Park project has ordered the equipment which is scheduled to arrive in February, with construction beginning in March and a potential grand opening during KT days in May. “We’re pretty much going to be getting all of this concrete out and starting to bring in fill and everything,” says Breanna Nush, Parsons Area Splash Pad Chair, “Our next bit is officially called Phase 2 and we are working for benches, awnings and fencing.”
Source: KSNF/KODE
Surprise removal of iconic Riverside tree stirs anger aimed at Wichita City Hall
What could be the biggest and oldest hackberry tree in Wichita was getting chopped down without warning on Monday, sparking anger and frustration directed at City Hall, including by a new member of the City Council. While acknowledging that the tree — in the median on Museum Drive near the entrance to the Old Cowtown Museum — is “iconic,” city officials said it has significant weaknesses and has to come down to accommodate water pipe installations connecting the existing city water-treatment plant with the new plant under construction. Maggie Ballard, sworn in as a City Council member two weeks ago, said City Hall botched it by tearing down the tree without any input from or explanation to the neighborhood.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
White House forms coalition with local governments to pursue building performance policies
President Joe Biden on Friday announced the launch of a Building Performance Standards Coalition, a partnership between more than 30 city and county governments along with the states of Colorado and Washington. The announcement came during the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual winter meeting. The administration describes the effort as a “first-of-its-kind partnership” committed to “cleaner, healthier, and more affordable buildings,” and said participating governments cover nearly 20% of the country’s building footprint. The ultimate goal is to advance legislation or regulation in each of those jurisdictions by April 22, 2024.
Source: Smart Cities Dive – Latest News
Rising Interest Rates Hit Municipal-Bonds Market
Municipal bonds are off to their worst start since 2011. The early-year bond rout has dragged returns on the S&P Municipal Bond Index to minus 1.1% through Jan. 20, counting price changes and interest payments. The loss is an early sign that rising interest rates could make 2022 rockier than last year, when federal stimulus and elevated demand from homebound savers led to record low volatility and historically high prices. Now investors are eyeing those prices more warily. Muni bond mutual and exchange-traded funds took in a net $830 million through Jan. 19, compared with $6.1 billion last year …
Source: WSJ.com
Smart meters allow for intermittent utility disruption on delinquent accounts
Although municipal utilities – such as Gardner – are not subject to the Kansas Cold Weather rule, the city tries to work with those customers who are behind on their bills during the winter months. “We are working closely with customers to get them into contact with the agencies that offer assistance to help them with the hardships brought on by the COVID 19 Pandemic,” said Daneeka Marshall-Oquendo, public information officer.
Although the Kansas governor suspended late fees and penalties during the pandemic, that order was lifted in Oct. 2021. At the end of the pandemic order, 1518 customers were delinquent, which Marshall-Oquendo said was 306 percent higher than the usual 300 scheduled disconnects. Due to the installation of “smart” meters last year, customer utilities can now be disconnected from the city office. Customers delinquent on more than $100 will receive a notice, and disconnects will only take place on Wednesdays.
Source: Gardner News
KCC Announces Program to Help Low Income Households With Internet Costs
The Emergency Broadband Benefit, a federal program that helped almost 9 million low income Americans afford internet service in 2021, ended on December 31st. The Kansas Corporation Commission wants Kansans to know that a new $14.2 billion federal program, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), is available to fill the gap. With higher income maximums, the ACP could help even more families afford internet access for work, school, and health care. Current Emergency Broadband Benefit participants have until March 1 to contact their internet provider and switch over to the new plan with no interruption of service.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Wichita Launches PROPEL Loan Program for Minority and Women-Owned Businesses
The City of Wichita announced the second round of the PROPEL (Providing Resources & Opportunities for Proprietors, Entrepreneurs & Lenders) Small Business Loan Fund today. The low-interest, short-term revolving loan program was developed to make access to capital more readily available to minority-owned and women-owned firms and businesses located in Wichita City Council District 1. Funding of $220,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money has been allocated to the revolving loan fund, along with a generous contribution from INTRUST Bank, to enable the PROPEL fund to extend participation to business owners throughout Wichita on an ongoing basis. The next round of PROPEL funding will accept applications now through Friday, March 18, 2022.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Chase County employees to see wage increases this year
Some Chase County employees will see an increase in pay this year after commissioners approved a 5% increase for elected and appointed personnel, as well as increases in some department budgets. The increase was approved during a lengthy special meeting held Tuesday morning at the courthouse. Jail administrator Larry Sigler came to discuss detention center salaries and wages. He told commissioners that new hires in security will come in at a rate of $18.50 per hour. Tenured employees will move to $19 per hour. Sigler also asked commissioners for “additional compensation” for salaried employees that are on guard duty.
Source: Emporia Gazette
De Soto approves TIF district for majority of Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant land
De Soto’s City Council unanimously approved a 5,877-acre tax increment financing district to help redevelop a portion of the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant. It also voted Thursday evening to re-annex 131.4 acres adjacent to, but outside the TIF district. Earlier this month, officials effectively dropped that land from an initial 6,376-acre annexation after learning it was titled to the Johnson County Park & Recreation District. But the district’s board of commissioners consented to the annexation Tuesday, resolving the procedural snarl.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Legislative auditors skeptical Prairiefire development can pay off $64.8M in bond debt
The Overland Park retail, office, hotel and residential development attached to the Prairiefire museum struggles to attract out-of-state tourists and could default on $64.8 million in bond debt issued through a state economic development program under scrutiny by the Legislature. Auditors with the Legislature said their analysis of the PrairieFire project built with capital raised through issuance in 2012 of Sales Tax Revenue Bonds, or STAR bonds, indicated the project wasn’t generating enough sales tax revenue to repay debts in the required 20-year period. Originally, $64.9 million in bonds were issued for the project. Debt remaining to be paid: $64.8 million. Auditors predicted it could take until 2046 or 2104 to produce sufficient sales tax revenue to retire the PrairieFire obligations held by the city of Overland Park.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Wyandotte County residents turn out in support of proposal to establish a public defender’s office
The Kansas State Board of Public Indigents’ Services held a public hearing Saturday at Kansas City, Kansas Community College on a proposal to establish a public defender’s office in Wyandotte County which currently does not have one. The hearing was attended by close to 200 community members. In her Governor’s Commission for Racial Equity and Justice Initial Report, Gov. Laura Kelly recommends that counties with more than 100,000 residents have a public defender’s office. Wyandotte County has more than 165,000 residents. Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree told the board he thinks a public defender’s office is necessary. “I was a private attorney, and as a private attorney, I was on this list,” said Dupree. “I, at one time, enjoyed the funds that came from this list, but then I realized things need to change.”
Source: KCUR News
Northeast USD 246 working outside the box to fill staff vacancies due to COVID
As Omicron surges and schools close due to staffing shortages, new plans are needed to keep kids in class. We paid a visit to one local district working outside the box to fill open positions. Elementary Principal Kerstin Womble says Northeast USD 246 has been struggling with staffing issues like every other district in our area. “It’s been a little difficult for us as a small town because we share subs with every district in the area.” But you wouldn’t know it if you paid a visit to one of their schools, like we did. That’s because, everyone is stepping up. “It’s been kinda neat seeing teachers that may teach 5th grade or junior high stepping into a kindergarten position for an hour or two, kindergarten teachers experiencing junior high, experiencing custodial duties, it’s been really nice to see them all step up.”
Source: KOAMKOAM
Biden’s Infrastructure Czar Offers Tips for Cities Seeking Grants
The senior White House advisor tasked with overseeing the recently approved $1.2 trillion infrastructure package says there are immediate steps cities can take that could help them compete for grants federal agencies will award under the law. “You don’t have to wait,” Mitch Landrieu, former mayor of New Orleans, told members of the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Friday. For instance, he said city leaders should make sure proposed road and bridge projects are part of their regional planning organization’s transportation improvement plan. Additionally, he said, they could determine where they’d like to install electric vehicle chargers, map and inventory lead pipes that need to be replaced, and work with states to identify broadband gaps.
Source: Route Fifty – All Content
Company seeks Iola’s help with fiber optics
Iola City Council members will hear a request Monday from KwiKom Communications to help the company expand its fiber-optic service in Iola. KwiKom already provides such service to portions of Iola, primarily north of U.S. 54. It would cost roughly $640,000 to cover much of the rest of Iola, the company noted. It is hoping the city would pay up to half — $320,000 — to extend the private company’s reach to an additional 1,700 residences and 100 businesses The funds would be repaid through a franchise fee payment of $37,500 annually, plus another $7,000 to $10,000 for pole rental to hang fiber-optic cable on city poles.
Source: The Iola Register
Company provides fiber internet for Garden Plain
Like many technological advances in modern society, several local rural communities owe their ability to access the internet to high school kids with a passion for making technology accessible. IdeaTek has recently made a deal with the city of Garden Plain to bring fiber internet to the residents of the town. The company also provides fiber technology in Goddard and high-speed wireless internet, called AirLight, in Cheney.
Source: Times-Sentinel Newspapers » Feed
Candidates attend meet and greet for Atchison City Manager
Thursday evening the city hosted a meet and greet for two candidates seeking the office of City Manager. Joe Warren the current Assistant City Manager for Atchison and Amy Finch, City Manager from Cookston, Minnesota were on hand to greet members of the public. Joe Warren is well known to most citizens for his role at the Atchison Globe and has a newspaper background. Warren comes from New Mexico but is a transplant to the Midwest. He earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Kansas University. While in Atchison he was an Adjunct Professor. In 2018 he became Director of Administrative Services for the City of Atchison. Warren was elevated to Assistant City Manager just seven months ago.
Source: www.atchisonglobenow.com – RSS Results in news/local_news of type article
New York Times: For Small Towns With Small Work Forces, Omicron Means Small Margins for Error
“Small as we are, if we get one phone call, that can cause a ripple,” said Sean Pederson, the city manager of Bonner Springs, Kan., a community of about 7,800 residents some 20 miles west of Kansas City. Mr. Pederson said he has found himself mopping floors during the pandemic when city hall janitors were out with the virus. Over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, a snowstorm blanketed the region. With multiple employees out on the city’s public works staff, other departments scrambled to find workers to plow the streets. … It’s a familiar story in small towns across the country, where the spike in infections from the Omicron variant hit local governments with particular force. The virus has ripped through big cities like Los Angeles and New York, sidelining thousands of police officers and transit operators. In many, leaders have rushed to reassure residents that firefighters and paramedics will show up when they call amid record absences. But in small communities, the people responsible for keeping crucial public services up and running say the strain is acute: With bare-bones workforces already stretched thin, there is no margin for error when multiple workers have to call in sick.
Source: NY Times
Municipal Bond Trends for January 21, 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.
Topeka to consider setting aside at least $35M in ARPA money for infrastructure work
Topeka’s mayor and city council will consider setting aside at least $35 million to be used to finance infrastructure projects out of the federal COVID relief funding the city will receive. That body on Feb. 1 will take up a proposal that would take that step while directing the council’s policy and finance committee to create a process to distribute the rest of the $45,676,831 the city has been awarded through the American Rescue Plan Act. “Once developed, this process will be brought back to the full body for its consideration,” says the proposed resolution, which is sponsored by interim city manager Bill Cochran.
Source: CJonline