Kansas Municipal News
Humboldt competes by raising pay
Humboldt council members raised the base pay for city employees from $11.84 an hour to $15 an hour at their meeting Monday evening. The increase “puts us back into a place where the city is a viable option to earn a living wage,” said Paul Cloutier, council member. Increasingly, the city has been losing employees to better-paying jobs, said Cole Herder, city administrator, “for which I can’t blame them. I can’t blame anybody looking for work elsewhere to earn more money.” The city currently has five openings on its maintenance crew. Cloutier said the significant increase makes Humboldt competitive against not only local markets, but across the state.
Source: The Iola Register
After years-long legal battle, Shawnee to buy 20 acres off Johnson Drive for new city parks and rec HQ
After months of negotiations, the city of Shawnee has agreed to purchase a piece of property near the Johnson County landfill to use as a new hub for the city’s parks and recreation department. The Shawnee City Council on Monday voted 7-0 to approve a real estate agreement and purchase the property for $3 million from Wayne Developers LLC. The 20 acres of property are located at 18750 Johnson Drive, just west of I-435. Councilmember Mike Kemmling was absent for the discussion and vote. There was no public comment. The unused site includes a 30,000-square-foot-warehouse and shares a driveway with the city’s public works headquarters. The city has budgeted $5.5 million to renovate the warehouse and turn the site into a home base for city parks and recreation.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
American Solar Challenge stops in McPherson on Santa Fe Trail route
The American Solar Challenge race made an overnight stop in McPherson last Tuesday on its five-day trek from Independence, Mo. to Las Vegas, Nevada. The race followed the route of the Santa Fe Trail in honor of the trail’s 200th anniversary. The American Solar Challenge is a multi-day, cross-country endurance rally across North America that is open to collegiate-level teams. The first race took place in 1990 and the competition is held every other year, but was postponed in 2020. This year’s Single Occupancy Vehicle (SOV) winner was the MIT team, which finished with an official time of 32:01:46 with an average speed of 32 mph. The MIT entry is a single passenger vehicle that measures about 42 inches at its tallest point and looks more like a boat than a car. The top is covered in a solar cell array that charges the battery. It tops out at around 62 MPH and can cover nearly 350 miles on a single charge on a cloudy day.
Source: McPherson Weekly News » Feed
Wichita police chief Gordon Ramsay tells the department he won’t be headed to Texas
Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay will not be taking over the troubled Austin Police Department in Texas, city officials said Wednesday. Mayor Brandon Whipple said he was informed by City Manager Robert Layton that Ramsay will be staying in his current job for the foreseeable future. Whipple said he was delighted by the news and that Ramsay’s community policing initiatives have “really brought us closer to the goals of what other cities are trying to do as well. Chief Ramsay has done a really good job of setting that standard.” Ramsay emailed the department Wednesday that he was no longer in the running for the Austin position, saying he’s “forever grateful for the support and kind words of those of you who reached out. It means a lot.” “This process confirmed to me WPD (Wichita Police Department) is way ahead of others in many, many ways – due to the efforts of many of you,” he wrote. “While of course it is disappointing, I have way too much to be grateful for to give the news much energy.“
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
$433,720 sought from wind farm
A new offer approved Monday seeks to resolve months of dispute over road damage in and around the Diamond Vista wind farm in northern Marion County. After a 15-minute closed-door session with counselor Brad Jantz, county commissioners voted to send the wind farm’s owner, Enel Green Power of North America, a letter demanding payment of $433,720 to settle all claims relative to the wind farm’s road maintenance agreement. Nearly two years ago, independent engineers estimated it would cost $473,020 to repair damage to 340th, 350th, 360th, Chisholm Trail, Diamond, Indigo, Limestone, and Pawnee Rds.
Source: Marion County RECORD
Issue of flag with profanity heads to Blue Rapids court
Blue Rapids resident David Sain recently flew a flag with a profane statement in his front yard for three months before a neighbor complained to the city. Soon a petition to remove the flag was circulated and signed by 21 neighbors. City officials told Sain to remove the flag. Sain complied, taking it down. Then he placed it in a window in his home. The flag includes profanity against President Joe Biden and against those who voted for him. When Sain re-posted the sign in his window, police cited him and a trial before Judge Gerri Wybo was set for Sept. 7 in Blue Rapids Municipal Court. Sain has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge of violating the city’s Uniform Public Offense Code, Article 11, which deals with “offenses against public morals.” The violation is in regard to promoting obscenity, said Mayor Jerry Zayas. City officials say they want the flag removed because enough neighbors signed a petition noting there are children in the neighborhood who could see the profanity. … Sain disagrees and said it’s his right under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to display the flag. … Max Kautsch, who often handles First Amendment questions as an attorney with the Kansas Press Association, said the city faces a high bar in convincing a judge the flag should be removed.
Source: The Marysville Advocate
LKM general counsel departing
Amanda Stanley is stepping down as general counsel for the League of Kansas Municipalities later this month to take a job as the city attorney for Topeka. “My time at the league is coming to an end,” Stanley wrote in a Facebook post. “It has truly been the privilege of my life serving cities and being your voice for the last five years,” Stanley wrote to her Facebook friends. Stanley, who has a background in law and medicine, lobbied at the Capitol on behalf of cities on a variety of issues. She had been the league’s general counsel since December 2017. She started as counsel at the league in April 2016.
Source: Sunflower State Journal
Evel Knievel Museum reportedly leaving Topeka for Las Vegas
t appears the Evel Knievel Museum will be jumping from Topeka to Las Vegas. A Las Vegas newspaper reported Monday the museum dedicated to the career of Robert Craig Knievel, who became known for his death-defying stunts and tricks on motorbikes, will move to the Las Vegas Arts District. Amanda Beach, the museum’s marketing director in Topeka, said Tuesday the report was “a bit premature” but the deal is “imminent.” The museum opened in Topeka in 2017.
Source: LJWorld.com.
In wake of ‘boom’ in rural neighborhoods, proposed change would bar more housing near Lawrence until the city expands
Among the many factors working against the City of Lawrence’s efforts to have denser, more environmentally sustainable and ultimately more affordable housing is a development trend happening on land just beyond the city’s boundaries. Recent decades have seen a boom of rural neighborhoods with multi-acre lots near the city’s boundaries, precluding denser city expansion in those areas and creating other problems for both the city and the county. Newly proposed regulations would put a halt to such developments and encourage what planners say is a smarter way for the community to grow.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Lawrence adopts revised version of downtown plan that will shape development for next 20 years
After making a couple of changes, city leaders have approved a plan that will shape development in the downtown district for years to come. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 3-1, with Commissioner Lisa Larsen absent and Commissioner Stuart Boley opposed, to adopt the Downtown Lawrence Plan with the changes agreed to during the meeting. Commissioners voted to change the wording of the plan to make a stronger commitment to increasing housing downtown, and they also added a reference to an existing plan that would serve as a guide for arts and culture efforts.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for August 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.
Blue Valley extends mask mandate to everyone, following other Johnson County schools
Following the lead of most other Johnson County districts, the Blue Valley school board on Monday decided to extend its mask mandate to everyone at all grade levels. Last week, the district announced it would require masks inside elementary and middle schools, abiding by a county health order mandating masks for all private and public schools that teach students as old as sixth grade. But most Johnson County districts decided to go further than the county’s order and require masks for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, worried that low vaccination rates among unmasked high schoolers would lead to mass quarantines and outbreaks.
Source: Joco 913 News
Wichita hospitals out of ICU beds
If you’re familiar with the Sedgwick County COVID-19 dashboard, you’ll notice there are 208 total ICU beds at Wesley and Via Christi combined. But, just because that’s now maxed out again for the first time since February, doesn’t mean they’re turning people away. At least not yet. “They’ve had to hold hands with patients, repeatedly with patients who are dying and having their last breath,” said Sedgwick County Health Officer Dr. Garold Minns. Minns said Wesley and Via Christi are at max capacity as COVID cases continue to climb. “It’s a little complicated. It’s not just base. It’s also staffing. And you can’t just put these patients in a room on a ventilator and walk away. You have to have staff that are monitoring them every minute,” said Minns.
Source: KAKE – News
Whataburger confirms expansion plans include Wichita
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is now an investor in a franchise group that plans to open more than two dozen Whataburger locations. At least one of them will be in Wichita, Kansas. The burger chain said in a news release that it plans to expand in the region through KMO Burger, a new investor-led franchise group that includes Mahomes. “In the next seven years, KMO Burger will open 30 Whataburgers spanning from Wichita, Kansas to St. Joseph, Missouri and includes a concentration in Kansas City,” the release said. The first restaurants in the new group will open next year in Kansas City, Missouri. There was no word on an opening date for a Wichita location.
Source: KAKE – News
Agreement commits Kansas to improving mental health services
Kansas has committed to expanding mental health services to help move more than 600 people from adult care homes into their communities, advocates and state officials announced Tuesday. The promises to improve services over the next eight years result from a 13-page agreement among two state agencies and five organizations. The agreement heads off a potential lawsuit by the organizations and follows a Disability Rights Center of Kansas report in 2019 alleging that the state violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by keeping people in adult care homes unnecessarily. “They have known this has been a problem for decades,” said Rocky Nichols, the center’s executive director.
Source: KAKE – News
Wichita City Council votes 7-0 on resolution supporting the extension of Amtrak services
The Wichita City Council voted on a resolution Tuesday supporting the extension of Amtrak service. The vote was 7-0. Amtrak hasn’t had service in the city since 1979. The proposal would extend the Heartland Flyer from its current Oklahoma City service into Wichita and Newton, connecting passengers to the current Southwest Chief. “We are probably the closest we have been to seeing the return of Amtrak,” said council member Cindy Claycomb. Claycomb added that rail service is important for attracting young people and cited Wichita State University as an example.
Source: KSN-TV
Berger resigns as Atchison City Manager
Atchison City Manager Becky Berger is resigning from her position. Berger, who has worked for the City since 2012, started as the Assistant City Manager/Finance Director until 2017, when she was named interim City Manager. Berger became the official City Manager in 2018. “I have enjoyed having the opportunity to serve the City and the Atchison community for the past nine years, and will miss the work and all of my colleagues at the City,” said Berger. “I wish the City of Atchison continued success and will always cherish the relationships and experiences I’ve gained in my time there.”
Source: News | atchisonglobenow.com
Shawnee approves $300K in public funds to help redevelop Shawnee State Bank Building downtown
The Shawnee City Council on Monday unanimously approved a $300,000 grant to spur redevelopment of the Shawnee State Bank Building, a prominent property downtown at Johnson Drive and Nieman Road that has seen frequent tenant turnover in recent years. Why it matters: City leaders say the grant will help revitalize the 100-plus-year-old building that’s directly across from Shawnee City Hall and at the heart of the downtown district the city has been working to reinvigorate for several years. However, the building has struggled to keep tenants in place.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Shawnee Mission approves $3.5M in outside contracts to fill dozens of staff vacancies ahead of new school year
The Shawnee Mission board of education on Monday unanimously approved four separate contracts with outside agencies costing more than a combined $3.5 million in an effort to address staffing shortages heading into another school year that will begin under the cloud of COVID-19. Students start returning to classes Thursday, Aug. 12, and the district continues to struggle to fully staff both certified teaching positions, especially in special education, and classified positions, most notably among custodial workers. District officials confirmed Monday night that they are planning to start the 2021-22 year on Thursday with 20 teacher vacancies.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
‘Nice lettuce and soft-serve ice cream’: What keeps young adults from rural Kansas?
If Kansas wants to keep and attract young adults to its rural communities, state residents should figure out how to better support access to child care, affordable housing and broadband, or risk continued population loss of those young people, according to a new report. The report, Power Up and Go, was produced by the state Office of Rural Prosperity and the Kansas Sampler Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for preservation of rural culture. It aimed to gain a better understanding of the obstacles that keep young adults and their families from staying in rural Kansas, as well as the opportunities that small communities can offer.
Read more: Wichita Eagle