Kansas Municipal News
LaHarpe tech center keeps growing
Interest in the Regional Rural Technical Center in LaHarpe continues to grow, with a record 87 students taking part in five areas of study, and two new teachers who are familiar faces to Iola High School students. Welding continues to be the most popular program at the tech center, USD 257 Superintendent Stacey Fager said. In fact, the class has become so popular that it expanded to three sessions. Three adults also are taking classes. “I think a lot of kids just like doing it. They like welding,” Fager said. “And I think it has caught on as a financial consideration for a future career.” Welders remain in high demand. The average annual salary is about $42,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Source: The Iola Register
Audit: Inadequate IT security at Kansas schools leaves vital information exposed
A legislative audit revealing many school districts are not practicing basic security measures for information technology systems raised eyebrows Tuesday from a panel of legislators. According to the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center, security incidents at schools have increased by 18% since last year. The limited-scope audit focused on how schools were approaching IT security, which contains sensitive data including grades, medical records and financial information. Members of the Legislative Post Audit Committee expressed disappointment upon hearing that most respondents to a survey of all Kansas school districts do not have adequate IT security measures. “I can’t believe in this day and age that we’re this far behind. It’s gonna take two or three years just to get up to par,” said Sen. Rob Olson, an Olathe Republican. “I think the Legislature should pick this up and set some minimum standards, but it’s really up to the state school board to pick this one up.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Hackers demanded $1 million from Pott. Co.
Hackers who gained control of Pottawatomie County computers Sept. 17 demanded a ransom of $1 million, according to County Administrator Chad Kinsley, who released the information Monday afternoon, though the county ultimately paid far less than that. “Following a successful negotiation, the ransom paid included $71,250 to the threat actor and $356.25 in exchange fees to facilitate the cyber currency payment,” he said in the prepared statement. “This was paid from the general fund, and a substantial portion will be refunded by our self-insurance pool.” The statement also noted the county spent $5,000 to purchase the enhanced decryption software needed to unlock the files the hackers had encrypted.
Source: themercury.com
Emporia Public Library receives $12,000 grant
The Emporia Public Library has received a grant from Humanities Kansas worth more than $12,000. The SHARP Recovery Grants are awarded to Kansas cultural organizations providing humanities programming that are facing financial difficulty as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Emporia Public Library was one of 121 organizations to receive a SHARP Recovery Grant. The $12,080 grant will be used for general operating support, staff retention and needed digital and/or operational transitions for cultural work in the post-pandemic era. “Humanities Kansas is honored to be able to support Kansas cultural organizations as we recover from the impact of Covid,” said Julie Mulvihill, Humanities Kansas executive director in a written release. “This past year has demonstrated that Kansans lean into the humanities during challenging times. Kansas cultural organizations that do work in the humanities provide important social connections and contribute to the economic well-being and strength of our communities.”
Source: Emporia Gazette
New data shows Kansas school districts with highest COVID-19 rates among children
Smaller, rural school districts are home to some of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in Kansas, new state health department data shows. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Friday released a new dashboard tracking vaccination rates and COVID-19 cases among children by public school district. The dashboard includes all cases among school-aged children, ages 5 to 17, over a 14-day period.
Source: Wichita Eagle
This tiny town got the first big Kansas wind farm 20 years ago. Here’s what happened
“I like them,” said Orville Williams. “They’ve been a very great economic boost for this area.” Williams has lived in Montezuma in Gray County since 1961. He was one of the first people to lease part of his land to the company now known as NextEra Energy. … Counties who let them go up get paid too. While wind farms are tax-exempt in Kansas, counties generally work out separate payment agreements with the energy companies to make up for some of the property tax losses. The Gray County Wind Farm, for instance, meant $5.3 million in payments to the county. And it’s just one of four in the county that, combined, meant $15 million since 2001 for a place that’s home to barely 6,000 people. … Meanwhile, in Montezuma, Mayor Grant Salmans said he’s heard there’s a company looking to bring more turbines to the county south of town. … “We hear somebody in a certain part of the state that doesn’t want one,” he said. “And we’re kind of like that doesn’t really make much sense to us.”
Source: KCUR News
Municipal Bond Trends for October 1, 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.
To attract convention business, do you need to spend money to make money?
In recent years, even destination cities have had to offer significant incentives, discounts and free rent in order to lure convention and trade show business. … Wichita isn’t competing with Atlanta and Las Vegas for convention and trade show business, but the same story of exhibit hall expansion and waning attendance has played out closer to home, too. The Overland Park Convention Center opened in 2002 with consultants estimating the new facility and city-owned hotel would generate 60,000 overnight stays a year. Overnight stays peaked at roughly 58,000 in 2006. By 2015, that figure had dipped to 30,346 stays. In 2018, the last pre-pandemic year with available data, just 23,338 convention-goers stayed overnight in Overland Park. Despite the drop-off in attendance in the past decade, cities keep building new convention centers. The $288 million publicly funded Oklahoma City Convention Center opened in January 2021.
Source: Wichita Eagle
A look at Wichita’s past projects, failed sales tax vote
The city’s latest campaign for a sales tax, championed by many of the same downtown boosters behind the Legacy plan, failed in 2014. The $450 million plan would have funded drought-protection and water infrastructure, transit, and street maintenance, but was rejected largely because of an $80 million “job creation” fund aimed at giving cash incentives to companies, which was seen by many as a giveaway to businesses. How other area businesses and nonprofits might see an uplift from east bank development isn’t clear, but one example floated by stakeholders has been a benevolence fund. … City voters who were interviewed for this article cited several examples of past public subsidization of private businesses that have raised eyebrows, mostly notably in a $22 million local soccer stadium, a $10.2 million subsidy for Topgolf, and 1,000 no-bid contracts worth a half-billion dollars at the state level from 2011 to 2018. That wariness has led to the Riverfront Legacy Master Plan being viewed through the lens of other city projects plagued by accusations of cronyism and a lack of competition.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Pottawatomie County fixing systems after ransomware attack
Computer systems are being restored in Pottawatomie County are after hackers launched a ransomware attack on Sept. 17, county officials said Friday. The county resolved the attack by paying less than 10% of the hackers’ original demands, County Administrator Chad Kinsley said in a statement. The eastern Kansas county did not disclose the amount it paid, WIBW-TV reported. “We are a small county with small resources,” Kinsley said. “With the extraordinary demands that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on local governments like ours, we wanted to make sure that the hackers understood that there was no way we could even come close to meeting their demand.” Technical workers have installed more sensors on all servers to prevent further attacks. The investigation into how the hackers gained access to the system is continuing.
Source: Wichita Eagle
States and cities slow to spend federal pandemic money
As Congress considered a massive COVID-19 relief package earlier this year, hundreds of mayors from across the U.S. pleaded for “immediate action” on billions of dollars targeted to shore up their finances and revive their communities. Now that they’ve received it, local officials are taking their time before actually spending the windfall. As of this summer, a majority of large cities and states hadn’t spent a penny from the American Rescue Plan championed by Democrats and President Joe Biden, according to an Associated Press review of the first financial reports due under the law. States had spent just 2.5% of their initial allotment while large cities spent 8.5%, according to the AP analysis.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Derby holding ‘park hop’ through early November
Encouraging visitation of its more than 30 parks, the city is holding the Derby Park Hop from Oct. 5 through Nov. 5. Individuals who visit the 10 participating parks will receive a Derby Proud prize and be entered for a chance to win a free class at the Hubbard Arts Center. To participate, scan the QR code at each park with any smartphone camera and submit the requested information (name, email address, etc.) on the prompted, secure Google Form. Signs with QR codes will be posted at the parks on Oct. 5.
Source: Derby Informer
Edgerton discusses solar facility zoning
A proposed utility-scale solar facility was discussed by the Edgerton City Council at a work session Sept. 23. Johnson County is currently updating their comprehensive plan and zoning regulations to address utility-scale utility providers. NextEra Energy is considering a future solar facility in an unincorporated area. Area cities have been asked to review plans and provide comments. Following the regular meeting, council member gave feed back regarding the proposed solar regulations. They voiced concerns about the one-mile buffer area from cities which could impact future growth, buffering for neighboring properties, dangers involving battery fires and wildfires, the length of the term of the conditional use permit, environmental concerns about wildlife corridors and storm water, and keeping the solar projects contiguous. “I’d like to see the county solar projects go through the same development process that cities utilize,” said Don Roberts, mayor.
Source: Gardner News
Gardner planning commission meets discusses billboard regulations
The off site signage land development code amendment was tabled for further discussion and vote at the Sept. 27 meeting. Commission members said they needed more information and time to decide height requirements for billboards after hearing from citizens at the public hearing. David Knopick, community development director, said it would be easy to strike out the one sign per parcel requirement maximum from the code and could be flexible moving the setback distance from 50 to 15 feet. Knopick said he would suggest and look into a conditional use permit process for signs wanting to be over 30 feet. “We could look at each individual situation,” he said. “But it can never be higher than 50 feet because of the state requirement.” Knopick said he would err on the conservative side because he doesn’t know where Gardner’s future development is going to grow for residential, industrial and commercial use on the east side of I-35.
Source: Gardner News
Area history comes alive in Baxter Springs
Community members and history buffs alike brought the area’s past into the present. “We think history is important, we think people should know the real history of what happened here in the Civil War,” says Larry Rhodes, 22nd Arkansas Unit C Captain. That history was on display in Baxter Springs, where re-enactors from all over the Four States gathered to help bring the past back to life for a Civil War encampment. Mary Billington, Baxter Springs Heritage Center & Museum Director, says, “It is a fantastic tribute to the amount of work that goes into planning these things to have these people come out and enjoy it, and have a good time, for the weather to cooperate with us.” On top of displays, dances and soldier camp life, event goers were able to see the city turned into a battle ground once again.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Kansas schools settle natural gas lawsuit
Several Kansas schools have settled in a lawsuit against a natural gas company over high energy costs during the February freeze. Many schools signed onto a class action lawsuit against Symmetry Energy Solutions after the February price spike. … Last week, KASB and Symmetry announced “a mutually satisfactory resolution of issues surrounding high market prices for natural gas supplied to Kansas schools.” The joint news release said Symmetry was “a willing partner” as they worked “in concert” with KASB to find solutions, noting the “long-standing relationships” between schools and the company. … The settlement agreement discounted gas prices on the February bill from what the school energy consortium claimed were “exorbitant, excessive, and or unconscionable rates.”
Source: Hutch News
September U.S. employment report, coming Friday, is expected to show whether people who had exited the job market during the pandemic are ready to return
Many economists would welcome a small rise in the unemployment rate. They are troubled by the rate’s swift decline from its pandemic peak because it partly reflects a lack of job seekers—effectively limiting the amount of fuel in the economy’s engine. The Labor Department’s official unemployment rate—the most well-known gauge of the labor market’s health—counts as unemployed only those who aren’t working but are actively seeking a job. That leaves out millions who stopped working and looking for work since the coronavirus hit the economy in early 2020, leaving many businesses struggling to hire.
Source: WSJ
Garden City Finance Director calls it a career after 30+ years
Thursday was designated “Melinda Hitz Day” in Garden City, a tribute to the longtime Finance Director who retired after more than 30 years overseeing the City’s financial health. Hitz began working for the City on April 22, 1991. After graduating from Fort Hays State University with a bachelor’s degree in business and an emphasis in accounting, Hitz went to work for Lewis, Hooper and Dick in 1979. From 1981 to 1990, Hitz performed the annual municipal audit of the City of Garden City making her well familiar with the city’s finances, and things she wanted to improve, when she then started working for the City in 1991. Hitz and her husband Bob, a local general contractor who will also be retiring soon, have two adult children, Kristen Schultz and Jack Hitz, and two grandchildren, Mack and Hallie.
Source: Greater Garden City
Osawatomie Welcomes Deputy City Manager
The City of Osawatomie welcomes a new deputy city manager to its leadership team next week. Bret Glendening will take on the role of deputy city manager effective Monday, October 4th, 2021. The deputy position is part of the City’s ongoing structural reorganization meant to strengthen leadership capacity and better serve organizational and community needs. The newly created role is designed to assist the city manager with departmental oversight and to coordinate internal and external initiatives, specifically in the utilities and public works departments. In his new role, Glendening will oversee the City’s infrastructure and improvement projects, including water treatment and distribution, wastewater facility repairs, street repair, and solar array initiative. Glendening brings 10 years of large-scale project management experience, including solar projects and financial management, for Kiewet Corporation.
Source: City of Osawatomie
Canton Township Carnegie Library to celebrate 100 years
The Canton Township Carnegie Library is turning 100 in October. To celebrate, they will be holding an event from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 at the library. In addition to serving homemade ice cream from old-fashioned crank operators, the staff and board members will have games that were popular in the 1920s available to play and they will have a silent movie playing during the event to feature additional 1920s technology. “We are going to go with the 1920’s theme,” said Kim Witt, library board president. “People can dress in 20s costume if they would like and we’ll have a photo opportunity for that.” The library has three stenograph viewers, a turn of the century technology that displays 3D images when looking through a set of lens that will be set up in stations for guests to use. The viewers were purchased by the library when it opened.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press