Kansas Municipal News
Toland: Emporia’s upper-story RHID project will ‘supercharge’ efforts around state
Lt. Gov. David Toland toured the location of the state’s first upper-story Rural Housing Incentive District Thursday morning, right here in Emporia. The project, located in the 700 block of Commercial Street, was approved by the Emporia City Commission last month. Local realtors and developers Jamie Sauder and Kristi Mohn are bringing 10 loft apartments to the building. They are also rehabilitating the three first-floor storefronts and possibly adding a fourth storefront that would have access through the breezeway. There will be a climate-controlled storage space in the basement.
Source: Parsons Sun
Parsons to review pit bull ordinance
Parsons city commissioners Monday will discuss the city’s animal ordinance. The discussion will pertain to pit bulls and vicious dogs. … Pit bulls are prohibited in the city of Parsons. Commissioners passed the ban in 1997. The city defines pit bull breeds as Staffordshire bull terriers, American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers or a combination of these.
Source: Parsons Sun
Parsons to name industrial park for Wiener
Instead of changing a street name, the city of Parsons is looking at renaming Industrial Park No. 2 in honor of the late William “Bill” Wiener. Laura Moore, the city’s community development director, requested feedback about the idea from Parsons city commissioners Wednesday during the commission meeting. “We looked at several options and this was like a nice way to still honor his memory in changing the name of the industrial park,” Moore said. City Manager Debbie Lamb added that changing the name of a street is expensive. “That costs people a lot of money when you go changing names of streets,” Lamb said.
Source: Parsons Sun
A new exhibit makes its way to Route 66 in Galena
On Thursday Route 66 celebrated its 95th birthday, and today, almost like a birthday present, a new set of wheels was revealed in Southeast Kansas. The Kansas Historic Route 66 Association, unveiled its newest addition to Luigi’s Pit Stop, a replica of the movie Cars main character Lightning McQueen. The exhibit is located on East Front Street in Galena, and features other replicas and paintings from the Cars franchise. The Cars character Tow Mater was inspired after members of Pixar were driving through Kansas and noticed a boom truck at what would eventually become Cars on the Route.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Dickinson Co. deputy tracks down suspect with thermal imaging drone
A Dickinson County Sheriff’s deputy used a drone to track and catch a suspect that had fled from the police. The Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office was called by the Geary County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday morning to tell them they were in pursuit of a 2015 Ford Mustang that had been reported stolen in Wichita. Geary County units had lost sight of the vehicle as it entered road construction near the Chapman exit on I-70. Dickinson County deputies later found the vehicle on I-70 in the north ditch, just before the bridge under construction. A Dickinson County deputy used a drone with thermal imaging and found the suspect one-quarter mile north of the interstate.
Source: KSNT News
Derby bringing back Holiday Lights contest
This holiday season the city of Derby is looking for all the best and brightest holiday decorators, as it will be holding the second annual Holiday Lights contest from Dec. 4 to 25. Participants who register to take part in the contest will be entered to win a prize. Nearly 50 lighting enthusiasts took part in the contest in 2020. Residents are invited to decorate their yard, house or both for the contest. Judges will pick their favorite displays, and the public will vote for the People’s Choice winner on Facebook. Prizes include gift cards to local restaurants and a Derby Proud prize pack. Anyone who lives within the Derby city limits is eligible to participate. Registration for the contest can be completed at derbyks.com/holidaylights. Deadline for entry is Nov. 24.
Source: Derby Informer | News
USDA Invites Applications for Grants to Improve Access to Healthy Foods While Creating Jobs for People Living in Underserved Rural Areas
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small has announced that USDA is inviting applications for at least $4 million in
grants to improve access to healthy foods while creating jobs for people in underserved rural areas. … To apply, applicants must submit a letter of interest by Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. If invited to apply, applicants must submit a full application. Additional information on how to apply is available at www.investinginfood.com. USDA and the Reinvestment Fund are hosting an informational webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 12 Noon for interested parties to learn more about the program.
Source: USDA
Municipal Bond Trends for November 10, 2021
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.
Calling 9-1-1 isn’t just for emergencies anymore (in Cities of Sedgwick and Haven)
If you need to speak to a police officer, call 9-1-1. That’s the message from Chief Brian Daily in Sedgwick and Chief Stephen Schaffer of Haven. Daily said the people call the police department’s landline when they should be calling 9-1-1. Most small towns only have one officer on duty at a time and some don’t have twenty-four-hour coverage, so leaving a message at the police department could mean a delay of hours before that message reaches a law enforcement official. When Sedgwick renovated their police department last year, Daily had them install a call box in the lobby. At the push of a button, a person can reach dispatch, which will notify the officer. The lobby is open whenever an officer is on duty in Sedgwick.
Source: Harvey County Now
Shawnee launching pilot property tax rebate program for low-income residents
The city of Shawnee is officially launching a new city property tax rebate program for low-income residents. After some discussion Monday, the Shawnee City Council unanimously approved the pilot program, which would allow a 100% rebate on the city portion of property taxes, up to $500, for residents who would qualify for the program.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Ready for air taxis? Here’s why Kansas could be a player in the future of aviation
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill sponsored by Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids that would create a working group to study what the federal government needs to do in regards to the fledgling industry. It now heads to the U.S. Senate, where it’s being shepherded by Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran. The bill is an attempt to get the government prepared for what will likely change the future of transportation. It will mean everything from new safety regulations, to infrastructure in the form of “vertiports,” to getting the public onboard with the concept of drone-like planes flying around their neighborhoods. It’s also an attempt to keep Kansas — with its well-established aeronautics industry — at the forefront of the next generation in flight.
Source: Kansas City Breaking News & Sports | The Kansas City Star
Fuel, housing costs boosted October’s inflation. Here’s what it means for the Fed’s stance on interest rates
October’s surge in consumer prices was driven by some factors that may linger. Market pros say the Federal Reserve may be forced to move up the timeline on its ultimate inflation-fighting tool: interest rate hikes. The consumer price index jumped 0.9% on a monthly basis, and was up 6.2% year-over-year, the fastest pace in 30 years. According to Dow Jones, economists had expected a 5.9% gain. Excluding food and energy, the increase was still high, up 0.6% or 4.6% year-over-year. CPI measures inflation based on a basket of products from rents and groceries to gasoline and medical services. After the October report Wednesday, Treasury yields rose and markets began to price in more aggressive Fed tightening, or interest rate hikes.
Source: Economy
What Johnson County residents will enjoy in 2022: enhanced bus and van transit
Johnson County residents can look forward to enhanced bus and van transit starting in the second quarter of 2022. On Nov. 4, the county commission approved several pilot programs for transit, paid for by one-time infusion of federal money — $3.85 million annually for four years. “The board has established strategic priorities for transit, which include creating a transit system that is accessible, effective and efficient; is regionally coordinated; and connects housing, workforce and jobs,” Commission Chairman Ed Eilert said in a news release.
Source: Joco 913 News
Douglas County sheriff wants to adapt space at the jail to give women more time outside their cells
Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister wants to consider how to reuse space in the local jail — without adding any new beds — to help address inequities. Men in minimum security at the jail get 16 hours a day of free time within their housing unit, Armbrister said; in that time, they can have visitors, be on the phone or watch TV. Women in minimum security, on the other hand, have about three and a half hours of free time each day, he said. “It’s just not fair, and I can’t fix it,” he told Douglas County commissioners Wednesday. “… This is something that we want to see addressed and rectified.” Women constituted about 15% of the jail’s population as of Nov. 3, according to the county’s data dashboard, and the jail was built to house a small number of women. Having only one pod of 14 cells for women in minimum, medium and maximum security classifications has long been problematic.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Lawrence City Commission approves next steps toward long-term parklet program
Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday unanimously voted to move forward with an extension of the city’s temporary “parklets” while staff develops a long-term program. The temporary right-of-way program, which occupies some downtown parking spaces for outdoor dining, was implemented to help restaurants stay in business amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It was set to expire at the end of this year, but commissioners moved Tuesday to extend the program through March 31, 2022.A “Lawrence Listens” survey, which yielded 2,000 submissions, drew a largely positive response. Lawrence residents who visit downtown comprised 82.1% of respondents, and the survey showed that 85.6% of all respondents said if the city creates a long-term parklet program, they were either somewhat more likely (17.9%) or much more likely (67.7%) to use the businesses that have parklets.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Staffing shortages could impact KDOT for winter
Kansas Department of Transportation offices in northeast Kansas are committed to keeping the highways cleared whenever inclement weather occurs. In line with workforce shortages across the nation, KDOT does not have enough equipment operators – the agency’s primary snowplow operators – in a number of areas across Kansas. These shortages create the potential for highways to not be cleared of snow and ice as quickly as in the past. The agency has dealt with reduced staffing in the past, but the shortages are greater this year. Northeast KDOT offices are about 25% short of snowplow operators needed to be fully staffed, with a 30% shortage of needed equipment operators statewide.
Source: Atchison Globe Now
Sedgwick County looking at impact of proposal to end the food sales tax
Sedgwick County Commissioners had a brief discussion at their regular meeting Wednesday on the impact of a proposed elimination of the food sales tax in Kansas. Commissioner Jim Howell said he favors tax cuts, but he wants to know what the financial impact will be on the county’s budget. The county’s Chief Financial Officer, Lindsay Poe-Rousseau, said legislative research has indicated that there would have been a $4 million loss to the county in 2020 and a $4.3 million loss for this year. County Manager Tom Stolz said the Finance Department began looking at the numbers when Governor Laura Kelly announced her proposal this week. Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who is running for governor next year, recently called on lawmakers to reduce or eliminate the tax during their 2022 session.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Kristi Northcutt selected as the next Lindsborg city administrator
Mayor Becky Anderson and city council members of Lindsborg announced the appointment of the city’s next administrator. Kristi Northcutt, will succeed longtime City Administrator Greg DuMars with the appointment effective Dec. 22, 2021. The city said Northcutt’s career includes extensive experience in community management for the past eight years, serving as Senior Director of Community Relations for Anthem, Arizona – a master planned community with 29,000 residents north of Phoenix.
Source: Salina Journal
The first Fed rate hike is now expected as early as July following the hot CPI data
Traders in the futures markets moved up their expectations for the first Federal Reserve interest rate hike to July from September, following a hotter than expected inflation report. “It’s a very sharp move we’re seeing the back end of 2022,” said Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group. October’s consumer price index came in at a scorching 6.2% year-over-year, higher than the 5.9% expected. Traders are now fully pricing in a first rate hike for September, but they are pricing in much higher odds that the Fed starts to raise rates sooner. The Fed has said it would complete tapering its bond buying program by the middle of the year, and then begin raising interest rates. “The effective fed funds rate is currently at 8 basis points and the fed funds July contract is priced at 27 basis points,” said Boockvar. Each rate hike is assumed to be a quarter of a percentage points.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Governor Laura Kelly Announces $3.5 Million in New Funding for Kansas Tourism Initiatives
Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced Kansas has received $3.5 million in grant funding from the United States Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to distribute to local partners across the state. These funds will accelerate travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation in the state. “Kansas’ tourism industry is an economic driver for our state, which is why my administration relocated the State’s Tourism Division to the Department of Commerce last year,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “This $3.5 million will accelerate our efforts to boost travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation across Kansas – improving quality of life for Kansans and growing our economy along the way.”
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce