Kansas Municipal News
Eilert stresses community relations in new role as Hesston chief
New Hesston Police Chief Chris Eilert was studying business at Butler Community College when he rode along with a friend who had joined the Wichita Police Department. He said he caught the bug of public service. “Just the whole aspect of helping people,” he said. “I like to help people when I can. This job makes it very easy to do that.” Eilert changed his major to administration of justice and graduated from Wichita State University in 1995. He first got on with Hesston in March 1999. He had been working in Hoisington and wanted to be closer to home. The 1990 Remington High School graduate also wanted to work for Curt Ford, who was police chief at the time.
Source: Harvey County Now
Sedgwick historian shares about postmaster scandal, bank robberies and more
A couple dozen people joined local historian Jim Loyd for a walking tour through downtown Sedgwick last Saturday afternoon to hear tales of the city’s early days. Loyd detailed the history of many of the buildings in downtown Sedgwick, sharing some interesting anecdotes along the way. Loyd said OY Hart had a general store on the west side of the 500 block of Commercial in 1872. Hart served as the city’s second postmaster, but a few months into his appointment, he was fired. “The town was outraged,” Loyd said. “They liked OY Hart. What’s going on? Why? No reason was ever given.”
Source: Harvey County Now
As the Fed sticks to its near-zero rate policy for now, here’s what that means for you
Even though the Federal Reserve didn’t raise its benchmark rate Wednesday, your borrowing costs may still start to head higher. Rising prices brought on by the economic recovery are paving the way for the central bank to unwind last year’s bond buying. While the central bank said that interest rates will stay near zero for now, the tapering of bond purchases is seen as the first step on the way to interest rate hikes. And that, alone, may impact the rate you pay on your mortgage, credit card and car loan. “Tapering itself is going to increase yields in the medium- and long-term horizons, which will translate into higher borrowing costs,” said Yiming Ma, an assistant finance professor at Columbia University Business School.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Sedgwick County will move COVID-19 testing to larger space, citing increased demand
Sedgwick County will move its COVID-19 testing site from a park in west Wichita to a larger location on the south side as the need for testing increases and the delta variant of the coronavirus spreads in the community. “Since the week of June 28, COVID-19 testing at the (Sedgwick County Health Department) testing site has increased by 600%,” Pete Meitzner, chairman of the County Commission, said in a statement. “With things continuing to change daily, this new space will allow us to meet the needs of our community as we move to slow the spread of COVID-19.” The new county testing location will be at 4115 E. Harry, near Harry and Oliver. The clinic is in the former Wichita Mall between Big Lots and COMCARE Adult Services. It will relocate on Oct. 4.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
23 railroad crossing tickets issued in Wichita
Twenty-three railroad crossing violations were issued Wednesday as part of “Operation Clear Track” a law enforcement safety initiative. Local law enforcement joined Kansas Operation Lifesaver for the event in south Wichita. Officers were stationed near Seneca and Walker and McLean and Walker looking for crossing violators. Aaron Mays, with Kansas Operation Lifesaver, said they weren’t issuing citations at all the locations. Instead, law enforcement handed out safety cards to motorists and pedestrians, and warnings and tickets were handed to violators. The goal of Operation Clear Track and Rail Safety Week is to raise awareness of the importance of making safe choices near railroad tracks and trains.
Source: KSN-TV
Overland Park lays out process for finding outgoing city manager Bill Ebel’s replacement
Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach set the wheels in motion this week to find a replacement for retiring City Manager Bill Ebel. Gerlach notified the council at Monday’s meeting that he will initiate a process similar to that used in previous city manager searches, with a special screening and selection committee taking the first steps to find a search firm this week. Under Gerlach’s timeline, that selection committee would find and recommend a search firm by November to the full council and then disband. Councilmembers, including the ones newly elected on Nov. 2, would begin their work with the search firm on Dec. 6, culminating in a final decision, which Gerlach projects to occur in March or April.
Source: Prairie Village Post
A Free Tool to Help Cities Take Full Advantage of Federal Aid
City leaders around the U.S. have asked dozens of questions in recent months about how federal pandemic aid flowing to their jurisdictions under the American Rescue Plan Act can be used. For instance: “What are some of my city’s obligations and responsibilities to prevent fraud related to ARP funds?” “Can revenue loss from 2020 be used to pay for any budget shortfalls for 2021?” “May cities use American Rescue Plan funds to finance a previous infrastructure project?” Those questions, and hundreds of others, have been asked by local officials and answered by experts on a new website that aims to help officials “identify, obtain and retain billions in federal recovery dollars.”
Source: Route Fifty – All Content
‘Many of us are struggling financially’: Olathe Council rejects property tax increase
The Olathe City Council on Tuesday rejected a proposed property tax increase, which would have helped fund the new downtown library. The council voted 6-1 to reject city staff’s proposal and instead keep the property tax rate flat for 2022. Council members said they had been flooded with messages from residents urging them not to raise taxes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Many of us are struggling financially,” Councilwoman Marge Vogt said. “While I’m not an advocate for kicking the can down the road to other councils or taxpayers, creating a burden for the future, I do believe after really looking at the budget and evaluating it, that we can hold the mill levy and fund the library without the proposed increase.”
Source: Joco 913 News
Kansas middle school student dies of COVID-19, education official says
A Kansas middle school student has died of COVID-19 as the state continues to experience statewide clusters of infection in the classroom, a state education official said Wednesday. Education Commissioner Randy Watson shared the news during a video conference with Gov. Laura Kelly’s Safer Classrooms Workgroup. He said he learned of the death shortly before joining the meeting. “On an extremely sad note I was just informed literally before I walked in this other room to join you, that we did have a middle school student pass away of COVID just in the last, maybe, day,” Watson said.
Source: KC Star Local News
Baxter Springs adds a nine hole disc golf course to Kiwanis Park
The city of Baxter Springs is unveiling a new sport in one of its parks. Today the city finished installing a disc golf course inside Kiwanis Park. The nine hole course cost the city five thousand dollars. The Baxter Disc Golf Club approached the city back in April about installing a course to get more people involved in the sport. “I’m hoping to see a lot of people out here enjoying it. There’s people that come down here for practice and walking. But I think you can do more than that. Once people play it they’ll see and get more population out here enjoying the outdoors. And then in the long run, I would like to see a tournament,” said Charles Rector, President Of Baxter Disc Golf Club.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Wichita mandates $250 fine for watching street races, burnouts, donuts and wheelies
In a crackdown on street racing, burnouts, donuts or other exhibitions of speed, Wichita City Hall is going after the people who watch from the sidewalk. A new ordinance passed Tuesday sets a minimum mandatory fine of $250 for the act of watching a drag race or an illegal car or motorcycle stunt — or being there when someone is getting ready to do one. Street racing and speed exhibitions are already illegal and have been for decades. The new ordinance is the first time the act of standing by and watching is prohibited.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Three East High students hurt in lunchtime shooting across from school, Wichita cops say
Wichita police say they have arrested a 17-year-old boy and two 16-year-old boys in connection with a shooting just off of the East High School campus during the lunch hour Tuesday. Of the students who were injured, two were 15 and one was 17. Both of the boys who were hospitalized for their wounds have since been treated and released, police said in a news release. The 15-year-old boy who was grazed by a bullet in the common areas in front of the school was treated by the school nurse.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Former Commissioner Rod Franz recognized at Salina meeting
After suffering an injury earlier this year that caused him to step down from his position, former City Commissioner Rod Franz returned to the commission chambers to be recognized by the city, mayor and commissioners. Mayor Melissa Hodges offered words of appreciation for Franz, acknowledging the hard work and efforts he has made since suffering a traumatic brain injury in his fall. Hodges read the proclamation, which acknowledged his 20-year career as finance director for Salina before being elected to the commission in 2019 and sitting on it from January 2020 to his resignation in April 2021.
Source: Salina Journal.
Municipal Bond Trends for September 21, 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.
Cracking down on street racing, new Wichita ordinance up for discussion
The Wichita Police Department will propose a new city ordinance that looks to stop street racing. Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple said if police were looking to crack down on street racing, the current ordinance places it under reckless driving. Whipple said the issue is that terminology is too broad, and it’s not effective in cutting down the street racing cases they’ve seen over the last year. The Wichita Police Department has looked to other cities on how they handle it and decided a specific one that targets street racing would be more effective. This ordinance, if passed, would make it so Wichita police can impound your car or motorcycle. Not only that, but if a person is in a private parking lot and is street racing, officers could step in if it is deemed dangerous. The one that is currently in place only allows officers to ticket the driver.
Source: KSN-TV
Prairie Village extends mask mandate to Oct. 31, moves to hybrid city meetings
The Prairie Village City Council on Monday approved extending a citywide mask mandate through the end of October and also okayed a move to hybrid city meetings. Citing the fact that the CDC still considers Johnson County an area of high transmission of the disease — along with noting the support of the county health department — the council nearly unanimously approved extending Prairie Village’s mask order until Oct. 31. The original mask mandate would have expired on Sept. 30. Prairie Village was the first Johnson County city to enact its own mask mandate amid this summer’s surge of cases spurred by the Delta variant, and still is one of the only ones, along with Roeland Park, to require masks in most indoor public settings.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Wichita City Council votes to rename McAdams Recreation Center after former Mayor Carl Brewer
The Wichita City Council voted 7-0 on Tuesday to rename the McAdams Recreation Center as the Carl G. Brewer Community Center. Last month, the council voted to use American Rescue Plan Funds to renovate the McAdams Recreation Center. Carl Brewer was officially elected the first black mayor in Wichita. He served as mayor from 2007 to 2015. He also spent six years as a member of the city council.
Source: KSN-TV
Here’s A Glimmer Of Hope That The Delta Surge In Kansas Is Slowing
When the delta variant arrived this summer, COVID-19 hospitalizations in Kansas skyrocketed. In just a few short months, hospitals went from serving about 100 coronavirus inpatients a day to treating 800 at a time. But, a month ago, hospitalizations leveled off and finally started sliding slightly downward. The state remains in a bad place, just better off than where it seemed headed. “The fact that we still have so many ICUs full is very concerning,” said Marci Nielsen, chief advisor to Governor Laura Kelly on the state’s pandemic response. “Health care workers are exhausted and burned out.” They spend hours just finding beds for patients. Intensive care units are so taxed with patients in respiratory distress, that it delays medical treatment for others who need it badly, too. The University of Kansas Health System says about one in 10 of its respiratory therapists quit within the past month.
Source: KCUR News
Cowley College trustees approve purchase of 3.5 acres of land to build dorms on Sumner Campus
College dorms are a go at the Cowley College Sumner Campus in Wellington. The Cowley College Board of Trustees unanimously approved the purchase of 3.5 acres of land for the building of a 17-unit dormitory south of the current campus. The dormitory project will be financed through the sales tax funds designated for the Sumner campus and operations of the college. There will be no property tax increase in Sumner County for the project. The last hurdle will be negotiations with the City of Wellington concerning utilities, rezoning, and other developmental details.
Source: Sumner NewsCow
New history guide dives deeper into Ark City building lore
After many hours of searching through old newspapers and other publications, members of the Arkansas City Historic Preservation Board have published a new edition of the historical district walking tour guide. Board President Foss Farrar said that the updated version took a new slant from the previous edition by giving the history of the buildings and stories about the people who built them. “We decided we would want to tell the story of the people behind the buildings, the ones who kept the stores,” he said. “I kind of look at them as the heroes of Ark City during all of those years.”
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler