Kansas Municipal News
Newton considering land bank
The Newton City Commission will vote to establish a land bank at a coming meeting. A land bank functions as a land holding organization aimed at helping deal with blighted and problem properties in the city. Properties can be donated to the bank. The bank has the power to forgive back taxes on the properties as part of the donation process. The bank can then turn around and sell the properties to be redeveloped or reused. “You guys have seen here lately with condemned and blighted properties it’s an issue in Newton we’d like to get addressed,” City Manager Kelly McElroy told the commission.
Source: Harvey County Now
Rental housing program delivers $41.5 million in aid to struggling Kansans
Olathe residents Sheryl and Gary Evert were among thousands of Kansans struggling to pay their rent during the COVID-19 pandemic. They eventually sought assistance under the Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance program authorized by Congress and financed through federal coronavirus relief legislation. Under KERA, the Kansas Housing Resource Corporation, or KHRC, has granted $41.5 million in rental, utility and internet assistance to 7,800 eligible households across the state since March. “My wife Sheryl and I are in our 70s, and before we received our KERA funding, life was really stressful,” Gary Evert said. “We didn’t know when we would be able to pay our landlord, but we remained patient.”
Source: Derby Informer | Area
Excitement building for Rose Hill Fall Festival
After a year off, the Rose Hill Fall Festival is set to make its return Oct 8-10, 2021, and according to festival chair Lovina Finders the community is more than ready for it. “This is probably the most excited the town’s been about it,” Finders said. “Last year was the first one since the ’70s that we’ve missed. We’ve had a tornado, we’ve had a snowstorm, we’ve had 90-degree weather; we’ve never cancelled until last year.” While there will be a handful of traditional activities like the parade, craft fair and family-friendly fun (i.e., turtle races, pony rides, petting zoo, etc.), a new year will bring new events.
Source: Derby Informer | Area
Railroad ‘quiet zone’ improvements set to start near Belle Plaine
A railroad crossing safety improvement project will close K-55 at Belle Plaine for up to five days starting Oct. 4. The project involves installing a non-traversable median at the crossing on the west side of Belle Plaine. … The new median will be designed to prevent someone from driving around crossing bars at the crossing. The modification will allow trains not to blow their horns as they approach the crossing, part of the new “quiet zone” being implemented in Belle Plaine.
Source: Derby Informer | Area
Municipal Bond Trends for September 29, 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.
Bourbon County to receive grant for bridge replacement
Bourbon County will receive state grant funding for a project to replace a county bridge in need of repairs. On Sept. 21, Public Works Director Eric Bailey said the county had applied for a grant to replace a bridge located one mile west and about three miles north of Pawnee Station. The bridge project is part of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Off-System Bridge Improvement program.
Source: Fort Scott Tribune
Winfield event will feature big trucks and food trucks
A new event hosted by the Winfield Recreation Commission will bring together big trucks and food trucks. Trucktoberfest is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6 at the Winfield Fairgrounds. A variety of vehicles will be on display, Candi Fox said, assistant superintendent of the WRC. Vehicles include a fire truck, ambulance, combine, tractor, dump truck and bucket truck. Fox said staff is working to find other vehicles to feature as well. Kids will be allowed to touch the vehicles and get into them with the owner’s permission, while learning about what each vehicle can do, said Fox. There will also be food trucks on site during the event where people can buy refreshments. Fox said the WRC is still gathering food trucks to participate.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
Osawatomie to seek federal funds to fix water lines around OMS
The city of Osawatomie will seek American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to help fix the water distribution system that supports Osawatomie Middle School. City Manager Mike Scanlon, Mayor Mark Govea, and USD 367 Superintendent Justin Burchett appeared before county commissioners earlier this month to request up to $200,000 of the county’s ARPA funds to fix 100-year-old water lines that are failing to provide adequate water pressure to half of the school building’s fire suppression system. Scanlon told the Osawatomie City Council at its Sept. 23 meeting that the school district received a letter from the Kansas Fire Marshal the first of September that asked how the district intended to correct the problem, and the fire marshal placed the building on fire watch.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
Overland Park residents want to see farmers’ market grow but differ on how that should happen
A community discussion on the future Overland Park Farmer’s Market revealed some common themes Tuesday night — flexible design for growth, sustainability features like solar panels, composting and glass recycling, accessibility and off-season use. There was also some discussion of whether the market should remain an open-air event, as it has been in its temporary spot at the Matt Ross Community Center parking lot over the last year. About 45 people turned out at Matt Ross on Tuesday to give their input about a reimagining of the market, which is the latest step in a multi-year process. Overland Park officials had asked for community feedback on the project, which is intended to upgrade the original pavilion site off Marty Street.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Shawnee Mission School District will pay fraction of $1.6M gas bill from February cold snap
The Shawnee Mission School District has finally settled with a Texas-based natural gas company and will pay a fraction of its original $1.6 million invoice received after February’s winter storm. Why it matters: After a record cold snap in February, Symmetry Energy Solutions, a third-party natural gas distributor the district contracts with to supply its energy needs, hit Shawnee Mission with the $1.6 million bill — a single-month total nearly three times the district’s natural gas budget for the entire 2020-21 school year. But it wasn’t just Shawnee Mission dealing with this issue. Most of the 180 school districts in Kansas were impacted in similar ways, according to the Kansas Association of School Boards.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Halstead city manager warns to expect higher gas prices this winter
Halstead City Manager Ethan Reimer says people should be prepared for higher natural gas prices this winter than what they’ve normally seen the past few years. “To be clear, I’m not talking about pricing approaching the levels like they did in February, but normal base prices are almost twice as high and trending higher than what we’ve seen as long as I’ve been with the city,” he said during Monday night’s city council meeting. The most recent prices he’d seen from KMGA were $3.88 per MMBtu, compared to $1.97 per MMBtu a year ago at this time. For context, when prices skyrocketed last February, they peaked at $622 per unit.
Source: Harvey County Now
Spooky fundraisers scheduled for McPherson Museum
’Tis the season for spookiness. The McPherson Museum has an upcoming fundraiser designed to give you all the creepy feelings you crave in the month of October. The McPherson Museum is inviting the public to join a paranormal investigation at the library. The Spirit Hunters Paranormal Society will be investigating at the museum on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 15 and 16, and you can join them to see what goes bump in the night. Carissa Speck with the museum says the investigation will take place throughout the museum, including areas not regularly open to the public.
Source: McPherson Weekly News » Feed
Allen County to help with housing grant
If the county is going to buy land for future housing development, a developer needs to be found first. That was the general consensus of Allen County Commissioners, who got more clarification about a recent proposal from Thrive Allen County. Thrive wants to apply for a state housing grant to purchase between 10 and 12 vacant properties they could use as an incentive to developers. The grant requires the participation of a city or county.
Source: The Iola Register
From Prohibition to pandemic
Once the land of the country’s toughest liquor laws and the birthplace of its most ardent opponents to the evil of the drink, including the hatchet wielding Carrie Nation, Kansas has made strides in modernizing its liquor laws in recent years. Lawmakers are weighing what changes, if any, should come next. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a wave of moves, including the birth of togo cocktails and drive-through drinks, as a way to help out bars slammed by restrictions on operating hours and a declining number of patrons due to the virus. Many of these provisions were made permanent during the 2021 legislative session, bowing to consumer preference for greater access to their favorite drinks.
Source: Hutch News
Coffeyville Sales Tax Ballot Question Information
On November 2, 2021, Coffeyville voters will be asked to vote to impose a ½ cent sales tax for (40%) housing & economic development, (40%) development of public parks & community improvements, and (20%) economic development of the historic downtown.
Source: Coffeyville, KS
Demel honored for 50 years with Barton County
n 1971, the average price of a home was $25,200, an average car cost $3,500 and gas was 40 cents per gallon. Also in 1971 50 years ago, Gary Demel started working for the Barton County Road and Bridge Department. That landmark was recognized by the County Commission Tuesday morning. “I was 2 years old,” said County Works Director Darren Williams, who is now Demel’s supervisor. “That kind of puts it into perspective.” “I’m still here because it’s fun to come to work,” Demel said. But, “I’m looking forward to a good retirement.”
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Proclamation marks MFG Day in Barton County/City of Great Bend
The face of manufacturing may change, but it is not going away. That is the message Great Bend Chamber of Commerce President Megan Barfield had for the Barton County Commission Tuesday morning. It was also the point of joint Barton County/City of Great Bend proclamation approved by commissioners making Friday as Manufacturing Day. Each year, Manufacturing Day is held on the first Friday in October in order to provide students, parents and the public with information on modern manufacturing. Events continue throughout the month, showing the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders, Barfield said.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Wichita tweaks new law to exempt some witnesses to street racing and vehicle stunts
A week after approving an ordinance to punish people who watch street racing, donuts, burnouts, wheelies and other vehicle stunts, the City Council rewrote part of it to try to prevent innocent bystanders from getting swept up in the ordinance’s mandatory fines. In the week between first approval and the final passage that occurred on Tuesday, City Attorney Jennifer Magana recommended changing the ordinance’s definition of a “spectator” to exempt those who are “unintentional witnesses or passersby to events.” While street racing and exhibitions of automotive speed and power were already illegal, the new ordinance makes it illegal for the first time to be part of a gathering to watch an unauthorized race or car/motorcycle stunt, or being present when preparations are being made for such events.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Municipal Bond Trends for September 28, 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.
Muni yields rise to a more ‘normalized’ absolute range
Municipal yields rose as much as seven basis points in spots along the curve Tuesday as municipal investors rode the rapid rise in U.S. Treasuries and a volatile equity market as a time to move the asset class into a higher-yield environment. Triple-A benchmark yield curves cut levels by two to seven basis points. Selling pressure was felt across the curve, but most in the belly once again, where high-grade names were trading off, but bid-side depth was weak, traders noted. Municipals have not tracked directly with the UST moves, where the 10- and 30-year UST has risen 24 and 26 basis points, respectively, from Wednesday. Municipals have seen yields rise by 16 and 11 basis points on the 10- and 30-year, respectively, from Wednesday. Participants are waiting on month/quarter end calendar flip to react fully.
Source: The Bond Buyer