Kansas Municipal News
Municipal Bond Trends for June 18, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Kansas lawmakers approve massive incentives to attract the Chiefs, Royals
After hours of heated deliberations, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to create special tax incentives for major sports teams to build stadiums in Kansas. The bill will go to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk. While the governor previously said she wasn’t trying to recruit the Chiefs, she praised the plan in a statement, calling it a bipartisan initiative to drive economic growth.
Source: Johnson County Post
Salina Fire Department to install Safe Haven Baby Box
The fire chief in Salina says the department will install a Safe Haven Baby Box at Fire Station 1, and donations are needed to make this a reality. “The Salina Community Safe Haven Baby Box Initiative is crucial project in the community that will offer a secure, anonymous option for parents in crisis to surrender their newborns,” Chief Troy Sneidar Jr. said. Safe Haven Baby Boxes are installed in the exterior wall of a fire station or hospital. An exterior door automatically locks when a newborn is placed inside, and an interior door lets a medical staff member secure the baby from inside the building.
Source: KAKE – News
City names its website Wichita’s official newspaper but will still use print, too
The Wichita City Council has voted to name its own website, Wichita.gov, the city’s official newspaper for the publication of legal notices. But it will also continue to publish the notices in print. City Council member Becky Tuttle introduced an amendment Tuesday to preserve the practice of publishing copies of ordinances and notices of official actions in a third-party publication.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Noise is one of biggest concerns with potential BESS
The Halstead Planning and Zoning Commission returned to its discussion of battery energy storage systems (BESS) after missing the special and regular meetings scheduled in May due to severe weather conditions. The city is considering a request by Concurrent, a company out of Texas that is leasing land in Halstead’s industrial park, to consider amending the city’s zoning regulations to allow for BESS so they can streamline their process of installing one on the leased land.
Source: Harvey County Now
Walton Township doing what it can to combat multiplying sinkholes
It’s still growing. That’s what Walton Township Trustee Mike Spangler said about the sinkholes on Osage Road north of Northeast 72nd Road on Monday. Unfortunately, it’s sinkholes, plural, with one on each side of the road. And yes, both holes overlap with the road. The road has been temporarily closed for nearly two weeks, but people continue to drive between the holes.
Source: Harvey County Now
Investigators find cause of Garden City house explosion
A house explosion that injured a person in Garden City Saturday evening was caused by a natural gas leak, according to investigators. The State Fire Marshal and the Garden City Fire Department say the leak was ignited when the victim turned on the stove. They say the issue was isolated to the gas line inside the home. The investigation is continuing.
Source: KSN-TV
Commerce Announces $390,000 in Emergency HEAL Grant Funding
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced more than $390,000 in Emergency Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (E-HEAL) grants has been awarded to five recipients. More than $770,000 private local matching funds will be added to that total, to help bring rural downtown buildings back from likely demolition or collapse – and rehabilitate them back into productive use. The Emergency HEAL program provides resources to address sudden and urgent needs of communities with buildings that are at risk of imminent loss, that are causing damage to surrounding downtown buildings, and/or have significant damage due to fire, storms, wind, water, etc. are eligible projects. Projects are to be completed within two years.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Kansas Main Street Selects Eight Rural Communities for New Housing Grant
Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland today announced eight inaugural grant recipients of the Residential Opportunities on Main Street (ROOMS) program. A total of eight projects in Designated Kansas Main Street communities are receiving $50,000 each to create a total of 35 new residential units in the upper floors of downtown buildings.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Municipal Bond Trends for June 17, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Merriam homeowners got surprise tax cut last year due to ‘clerical error.’ Will taxes go back up in 2025?
Merriam residents are likely to see a sharp increase in their municipal tax rate next year. The city is considering an increase of 3.736 mills for its 2025 mill levy — or local tax — rate. That would bring the city’s municipal mill levy to 26.665 mills overall, according to early budget presentations from city staff. That relatively sharp increase comes after a “clerical error” on budget forms last year submitted to the county and state unintentionally slashed Merriam’s 2024 property tax rate by more than four mills, from 27.665 mills down to 22.929 mills the year before. Before that mistake, the Merriam City Council had approved lowering the 2024 property tax rate by 0.25 mills to 27.415 mills, the first proposed change to the mill levy the city had approved in more than a decade. But the error made it a bigger change than expected, actually cutting the 2024 mill levy rate by 4.48 mills, a much more dramatic decrease than the city intended. Still, the proposed tax increase for next year will leave the city’s mill levy rate below the level it was at before last year’s unexpectedly large cut.
Source: Johnson County Post
Local task force has been fighting underage drinking and substance abuse
While many in Marion County are unaware of the existence of the Marion County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (SAPC), the group has been hard at work. SAPC serves to support the prevention of underage drinking and substance misuse in Marion County. SAPC’s mission was first birthed in 2010 under the Families And Communities Together (FACT) organization and has since developed into a task force comprised of countywide members from 12 sectors, all working together to produce positive change in the Marion County community. SAPC diligently works within the five school districts of rural Marion County, partnering with the various law enforcement agencies, Prairie View Mental Health Center, Marion County Health Department, K-State Research and Extension and other local, county and state entities. “I think it’s important for the public to know that we do have drug issues whether it be alcohol or substance misuse within the county for the underage population. In the past, a lot of us just buried our heads and thought it doesn’t happen here. But it does,” said SAPC Director Terry Bebermeyer. “I think people are starting to come to realize that. SAPC’s whole purpose is to help people realize that and to do what we can as far as avoiding the problems and preventing abuse or even addiction.”
Source: Hillsboro Free Press
How the Fed Can Cut Rates This Summer Without Cutting Rates
The Federal Reserve has more than one way to work its will on the economy. It could soon start using its more subtle tools to start nudging rates down. That still would have a real impact on businesses and households. The central bank most directly controls short-term rates by setting a target range for the federal-funds rate, the rate at which banks lend money to one another overnight. On Wednesday it left this target unchanged while saying that Fed policymakers on average expect to cut this rate range just once this year, down from an expectation of three times in March. But there are a plethora of other rates that economic players charge each other across the economy, all of which can be indirectly influenced by expectations for what the Fed is likely to do, both in the near term and further out. The Fed can, and frequently does, sway these rates by communicating its future intentions, even without taking action on the fed-funds rate.
Source: WSJ.com: Markets
Humboldt brewery on tap
On April 10, 2015, brothers Tony and Josh Works set a goal. A year from that date, they wanted to sit on the patio at the future Union Works Brewing Co. and enjoy a pint of craft beer. It took nearly a decade to turn that dream into a reality, but last Saturday, they sat on the patio and raised their glasses to celebrate the opening of the brewing company’s tap room. Over the past few years, the brewery quietly continued in the background as A Bolder Humboldt, a local economic development group, finished other projects. Residents and visitors learned to be patient as the building at 919 N. 8th St. morphed from an old bread factory into a signature showpiece. Patience will still be required as the young new business continues to mature. Kitchen staff are training for a limited menu. Eventually, a full menu will cater to all sorts of tastes, both upscale and casual. “We knew Humboldt could use a destination restaurant and thought a brewery would be a nice thing to pair with that,” Tony Works said on behalf of A Bolder Humboldt. The tap room offers 10 craft beers.
Source: The Iola Register
Groundbreaking for 500 million dollar development in Park City
Friday was a day three and a half years in the making. It was the official groundbreaking for Champtown, a $500 million development in Park City, and parts of it could open as soon as next year. Champtown hopes to become Kansas’s newest major tourist destination and spur economic development in the area by providing state of the art amenities and entertainment venues. It’s something that could be exciting for the whole family. “There is not anything like this in Park City right now. Park City is a community that is really growing, we are expanding [in] every direction,” said Dana Walden, Park City administrator. Champtown is a 160-acre development that will be the new home to a one of a kind 80,000 square foot aquarium with more than 1500 animals, a butterfly conservatory, retail, restaurants, entertainment, and a baseball/softball complex with 8 fields and a stadium. “People are always looking for a new place to eat, a new place to go and this is going to give them that opportunity,” said Walden. City officials say Champtown will bring in 2 million new visitors to Park City each year and hundreds of jobs of all pay ranges and skill levels.
Source: KAKE – News
Wichitans, housed and not, lie in wait about a future homeless campus
In Historic Midtown sits a recently-emptied building, the once-oldest school operating in Wichita: Park Elementary, usually home to about 200 students, empty of the children and teachers that once walked its halls. The decision to close the school this past May hit Midtown residents hard, many of which are families with children. Now, a second government decision is coming their way: transforming the former elementary school into the city’s multiagency campus and center, often referred to as the MAC – a one-stop resource center that would house supportive low-income housing and a low-barrier homeless shelter. The idea isn’t cemented – yet. The June 6 announcement startled many in a neighborhood that felt all-too ready to share the responsibility of harboring homeless resources with other parts of town. Many hoped that the MAC could land at a former hospital on the other side of the river. In a week’s worth of policy announcements and public meetings, Midtown residents showed up in droves, peppering each room with dozens of questions regarding security, cleanliness and how the neighborhood became the hot spot for homeless services.
Source: KLC Journal
City of Pittsburg approves $10 Million funding agreement with PSU
The city of Pittsburg agrees to terms with Pittsburg State University for millions in funding for a new college of business. The Gorilla Rising Project aims to develop the new college, as well as on site parking, at 3rd and Broadway. It would also see the redevelopment of the Besse Hotel on 4th St. The city approved the funding agreement for $10,050,000. They also approved $32,500 in funding for the Kelce College of Business Economic Research Proposal.
Source: KOAM News
Smithsonian Magazine lists Humboldt among best small towns
The Smithsonian Magazine named Humboldt as one of the “15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2024.” It’s an annual list of small towns “that make up the heart of America.” The towns all have populations fewer than 25,000, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Humboldt’s is 1,850. Towns selected offer “vast cultural experiences, superb nature, and a plethora of activities and events, not to mention an anniversary or opening that makes 2024 an especially great year to visit.” Humboldt was selected as “A Revitalized Small Town.” The magazine outlines the work done by A Bolder Humboldt, established in 2016, to “reimagine and rebuild” the local business community.
Source: The Iola Register
Kansas Nonprofits receive more than $4 Million in Community Service Program Tax Credits
Governor Laura Kelly has announced that $4.1 million in Community Service Program (CSP) Tax Credits have been awarded to support the fundraising efforts of 26 nonprofit organizations across Kansas. These funds will enhance local access to quality childcare, healthcare, education, arts and housing services. “These tax credits are vital to ensure our nonprofit organizations have the necessary resources to positively impact communities across Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Community Service Program Tax Credits are a valuable tool that encourages investment and engagement in local nonprofits.” Established in 1994, CSP provides substantial tax incentives to donors. A 70 percent tax credit is available for contributions in rural communities (populations less than 15,000) and a 50 percent tax credit in larger communities. The credits are a direct deduction from the donor’s state tax obligation. Each project addresses unique community needs, from modernizing infrastructure to enhancing cultural and recreational resources. The awarded projects include initiatives such as replacing city pool facilities, expanding and renovating community libraries, historic preservation efforts, and expanding arts facilities and senior care services. Awardees were selected through a competitive, score-based process. Out of 54 applications requesting over $9.8 million in tax credits, 26 projects were chosen.
Source: KRSL Russell Radio
City Manager candidates unveiled
The City of Atchison has announced that the search for a new City Manager for Atchison is advancing into an in-person interview process with four applicants in contention for the position. Three applicants are scheduled for a day of tours, writing exercises, and interviews on Thursday. A fourth applicant will interview in-person in the first week of July. The four applicants are: Celeste Chaney-Tucker, former Director of Financial Management for the Kansas Department of Administration and current Deputy Director of Water Services for Kansas City, Missouri; David Kees, former Interim Assistant City Manager and current Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Duncanville, Texas; Daniel Knoell, former City Administrator for the City of Broken Bow, Nebraska and current City Administrator for St. James, Missouri; and Mark Westhoff, current Executive Board Member of Prowers Economic Prosperity and current County Administrator for Prowers County in Lamar, Colorado. The city said community members are welcome to attend a happy hour style gathering at the Atchison Event Center from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday to meet and greet the candidates. The event is open to the public and will feature hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.
Source: www.atchisonglobenow.com