Kansas Municipal News
Sedgwick County Health department launches ambassador program
With vaccination numbers slowing down throughout the summer, the Sedgwick County Health Department is taking a grassroots approach to boost numbers. It launched an ambassador program in August, where health officials trained volunteers to go into their communities and speak with unvaccinated individuals, talk to them about any misinformation, and answer any questions. The idea of the program is to help reach people who might be turned off by government or health officials but may be more open to hearing information from friends.
Source: KAKE – News
Burlingame celebrates its place on the Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail is a landmark that is revered throughout history as it helped bring together multitudes of different ethnicities and cultures, as well as help people at the time navigate the new land given by the Louisiana Purchase. Burlingame is positioned on the trail, so the town celebrated the 200th year anniversary of the trail’s formation, and all that it has contributed to current American society as an old commercial highway predating the railroads.
Source: KSNT News
Special Prairie Village task force to tackle housing affordability issues, as home prices keep increasing
With housing prices continuing to balloon throughout Johnson County, a special committee established to examine housing affordability in Prairie Village held its first meeting this week and laid out a timeline for offering its recommendations to city officials. Members of the Prairie Village ad hoc housing committee met on Thursday to discuss the body’s primary purpose — and why it simply exists. Mayor Eric Mikkelson recently announced the creation of the committee, which is charged with developing recommendations to bring before the city council regarding affordable housing strategies.
Source: Prairie Village Post
‘The Rail’s Always Been Here’ So Kansas Towns Want Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer Line Revived
Sitting in the middle of Wilson Park near downtown Arkansas City is a massive, black steam engine from 1910. The city restored the old Atchison Northern Santa Fe locomotive in 2008. It’s a symbol of the importance the rail industry has played in Ark City’s 150-year history. “Rail is part of what our city was built on,” said Andrew Lawson, the city’s public information officer. “The rail’s always been here.” But, like the rest of south-central Kansas, the town hasn’t had passenger rail service since 1979. Amtrak ended its Lone Star route between Chicago and Houston, leaving a sprawling gap from Oklahoma City to Wichita. Some Ark City residents remember when the trains still passed through.
Source: KCUR News
Grant could help bring housing to Zarah
At the request of Great Bend Economic Development Inc. to develop affordable housing in downtown Great Bend’s landmark Hotel Zarah building, the Great Bend City Council Monday night will consider applying for a Moderate Income Housing Grant through the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation. GBED is proposing the city apply for the grant on its behalf, GBED President Sara Hayden said. GBED is eying these funds to be used towards the renovations in the multi-story red-brick Zarah at Main and Lakin. She stressed that this grant does not require the city to kick in any funding to proceed. “These are just funds that would otherwise go to another community,” she said.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Municipal Bond Trends for September 17, 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.
Univ. of Kansas Hosp. Auth. v. Board of Franklin County Comm’rs
Syllabus by the Court…
2. Under K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 22-4612(a), the obligation of one of the statutorily specified governmental entities, such as the city law enforcement agency, to pay for the medical expenses of an indigent criminal offender is initially triggered by the entity having custody of the indigent offender at the time the decision is made to obtain medical treatment for the offender.
3. A person is in custody when under arrest, although arrest might not always be necessary to establish custody.
4. Applying K.S.A. 2020 Supp. 22-4612 to the stipulated facts, no law enforcement agency had custody over the patient at the time the decision was made to obtain medical treatment for the patient.
Source: KS Supreme Court
Nebraska Furniture Mart Could Win Back $1.5 Million From Kansas City, Kansas, In ‘Dark Store’ Battle
Nebraska Furniture Mart, one of the busiest retailers in the region, stands to get a refund on property taxes it paid on its Kansas City, Kansas, location after winning an appeal to a state tax board. The Kansas Board of Tax Appeals ruled last week that Wyandotte County overestimated the value of Nebraska Furniture Mart’s sprawling location in Village West. If the board’s decision holds up — the county could appeal the decision in court — Nebraska Furniture Mart stands to collect a nearly $1.5 million refund. That refund would come from the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas Community College as well as school and library districts in the area.
Source: KCUR News
Edgerton city leaders weigh in on the incorporation of Golden, Kansas
To prevent the expansion of warehouse development across the Miami County, Johnson County line, homeowners in northern Miami County have petitioned to incorporate the City of Golden, Kansas.
“The possibility of annexation and rezoning for industrial development have raised a number of concerns for our citizens. Concerns they believe can only be addressed by city incorporation that would potentially keep Edgerton north of the county line,” County Commission Chair Rob Roberts said. Ahead of the vote to incorporate the city, the Miami County Board of Commissioners are hosting a series of study sessions to get expert testimony about how creating that city could affect the county overall. Wednesday, the commission heard feedback from community leaders from the City of Edgerton.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
Municipal Bond Trends for September 16, 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.
Wichita looks to install two dams, remove nearly 500 acres from flood plain
In a move intended to remove 212 homes and nearly 500 acres from a flood plain in west Wichita, the City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to seek federal funding to install two dams. The area in question starts at Calfskin Creek west of Maize Road and extends for four to five miles east and three to four miles north and south of Kellogg. After the dams are in place, the homes would no longer be in the flood plain and residents would no longer have to buy flood insurance, said Don Henry, assistant director in public works and utilities.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Rural Kansas nurses say strain of new COVID-19 surge has taken a ‘significant toll’
With limited resources, hospitals in rural areas of Kansas have struggled in recent weeks as COVID-19 cases have surged and hospitalizations are on the rise. In Great Bend, nurses say they’re struggling to keep up. One-third to half of the patients coming to the University of Kansas Health System’s Great Bend campus are there for COVID-related reasons, said Peter Mick, an emergency room nurse. “Working in the emergency room the past several weeks, we’ve seen a significant uptick in the number of patients that we see daily,” Mick told The Star in a video interview.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Wichita unveils redesigned park honoring civil rights icon at entrance to med school
City officials have begun showing off the planned design of a downtown park being rebuilt as the entryway to Wichita’s new osteopathic medical school, while continuing to honor the legacy of civil rights luminary Chester I. Lewis. The proposed redesign of Chester I. Lewis Reflection Square Park features a small stage, the floor of which will be a tinted concrete rendering of the “redline” map of Wichita. It shows the pattern of segregation in the city caused by overtly racist policies from the 1930s to the 1960s, which limited the places African Americans and immigrants could buy housing.
Source: Wichita Eagle
EPA begins environmental cleanup project in Pittsburg
The US Environmental Protection Agency began a cleanup project this week on the East 4th Street field across from the Mission Clay Products property in Pittsburg. Pittsburg Deputy City Manager Jay Byers says the EPA is working in conjunction with the city and the church that owns the property to remove lead and other contaminants found in the soil. “Given the history of the area and its proximity to old smelter sites, the city felt it was necessary to test for possible contamination,” says Byers. The site is also immediately adjacent to a city park and several businesses. “We conducted environmental testing using an EPA-certified lab and the results revealed high levels of lead and other contaminants,” Byers added. “Once the EPA learned of our findings, they undertook their own analysis and committed to a cleanup as a brownfields project.”
Source: City of Pittsburg
Overland Park commission weighs concerns over height of proposed LUX Senior Living complex off Quivira
Concern over a proposed senior living apartment complex brought concerned neighbors from the surrounding area to the Overland Park Planning Commission meeting this week. Developers of LUX Senior Living apartment, set to be built on the northwest corner of 137th Street and Quiviria Road, presented their request for the lot to be rezoned from RP-5, which allows up to four-story buildings, to RP-6. Under that new designation, the complex would be able to build three buildings, ranging from five to six stories based upon grading. The change would also allow developers to more than double the number of units on the 5.9-acre property, from the original 104 units to 236 units. The additional one to two stories was the primary concern raised Monday by the residents, who live in two neighborhoods near the proposed complex.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Prairie Village’s new and improved Harmon Park skate park is now officially open
The revamped skate park at Prairie Village’s Harmon Park, 7710 Mission Road, is officially open. After a summer of reconstruction, the new and improved park welcomed skaters from across the Kansas City metro on Wednesday, Sept. 15, to celebrate the opening. The concrete from the original 2005 park — which was created with the help of then-eighth graders Jake Shepard and Andy Peterson — had been deteriorating for years, and the city decided to work with Canadian firm Newline Skateparks to design a new one. Kanten Russell, former professional skater and Newline’s lead designer, flew in from San Diego to attend the event. Russell said being present at the ribbon cutting allowed him to “be in the trenches” and get feedback from the local skate community.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Johnson County school districts deal with ‘unprecedented’ classified staff shortages
The school year is underway, but many classified staff positions remain unfilled within the four public school districts serving northern Johnson County. The shortage of classified workers is hindering some district operations at the start of a school year already plagued by the spread of the Delta variant, contentious disagreements over school mask requirements and the challenge of catching up on educational ground lost through online learning. Officials in Blue Valley, Olathe, Shawnee Mission and USD 232 in De Soto all reported experiencing a higher number of classified staff vacancies in their district compared to recent years. This includes shortages in custodians, lunch room staff and classroom aides.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
City of Lawrence considering long-term expansion of parklet program
Last summer, Lawrence city officials took measures to allow downtown businesses more room for safety against COVID-19 by allowing outdoor seating to occupy some downtown parking spaces — temporary “parklets.” Now the parklets may be here to stay for a while longer. The temporary right-of-way program is set to expire on Dec. 31, but the city is considering implementing a long-term parklet program after this one expires, according to a city news release Thursday. The long-term program would include several changes to the current regulations for parklets, including “fire code, safety regulations, right-of-way permits, historic design guidelines, equity among local businesses, parking and more.”
Source: The Lawrence Times
Party in Park offers variety of services for Paola seniors
Senior citizens got to find out more about services available to them while enjoying music and ice cream during Party in the Park. Live music was provided by Gale and Friend’s, including “Annie’s Song” by John Denver and “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin. The folk style band featured four guitar players, a banjo player and a violin player. Ice cream was offered by Endless Mercy Baptist Church. Water was provided by Price Chopper. Party in the Park, sponsored by the Miami County Council on Aging and the Paola Senior Center, was Sunday, Sept. 12, on Paola’s Park Square.
Source: The Miami County Republic
Reno Commission approves moratorium on wind farms
The Reno County Commission agreed in a surprise move Tuesday to issue a moratorium on the development of commercial wind farms in Reno County through the end of the year and look at banning them in the zoned areas of the county. In a pair of motions Commission Chairman Ron Hirst introduced, the board also directed the county planning commission and planning staff to draft regulations creating an overlay zone to regulate wind development in unzoned parts of the county. The motions required scheduling public hearings on both proposals, which the commission will take up on Dec. 27.
Source: Hutch News