Kansas Municipal News
Fed holds rates near zero, says economy has gotten better even with pandemic worries
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held its benchmark interest rate near zero and said the economy continues to progress despite concerns over the pandemic spread. As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee concluded its two-day meeting by keeping interest rates in a target range between zero and 0.25%. Along with that, the committee said in a unanimously approved statement that the economy continues to “strengthen.” Despite the optimism about the economy, Chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed is nowhere near considering a rate hike. “Our approach here has been to be as transparent as we can. We have not reached substantial further progress yet,” he said. “We see ourselves having some ground to cover to get there.”
Source: Economy
USD 465 considers employee child care
Childcare facilities could be coming to Winfield USD 465 buildings in an attempt to help retain staff. The USD 465 board of education discussed the issue at their Monday meeting, said Tom Fell, the district’s business and finance director/board clerk. Board members discussed the pros and cons of offering daycare, how to meet code requirements set by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and ways to reconfigure rooms at existing buildings into daycare facilities. The proposal under discussion would establish daycare centers at Irving and Country View elementary schools, and possibly also at the district office, Fell said. Those facilities would initially be open for district employees only, but could be expanded in the future to accept children from the wider community.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Emporia continues wage discussion
The Emporia City Commission returned to a discussion of wage increases for city staff during its study session Wednesday morning. In a previous discussion held on June 23, human resources director Jo Lynne Herron informed the commission that the last official compensation study was completed in 2007, and in that time the consumer price index had increased by 24%. There was only one wage increase for city staff during that period, a 2% cost of living adjustment in 2014. A modest 12% increase in the wage scale was proposed in order to combat difficulty with the hiring and retention of city staff. Such a measure, however necessary, would come at great cost to the city.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple and City of Wichita facing a lawsuit over violating the Americans with Disabilities Act
A former political candidate and current deaf activist is suing the City of Wichita and Mayor Brandon Whipple claiming he is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the complaint, Chris Haulmark of Olathe claims Whipple’s live streams on Facebook exclude members of the deaf and hard of hearing communities because those live streams do not have captions. The lawsuit claims Whipple’s use of his Facebook page to discuss public matters, like the pandemic qualify as a public forum that deaf and hard of hearing people cannot participate in. On top of that, the suit claims Whipple banned Haulmark from the page over requests for captioning. The City of Wichita said it will not comment because it is pending litigation.
Source: KSN-TV
Shawnee City Council considers new code of conduct, including provisions against ‘personal attacks’ and ‘bullying’
Following a string of tense meetings over the past year, which at times have included raised voices and heated debates, the Shawnee City Council will consider a new code of conduct f0r c0uncilmembers that includes provisions against “personal attacks” and “bullying” on the dais. City staff this week formally proposed changes to Policy Statement 7, the rules governing the conduct of city meetings. Of note is an entirely new proposed section that spells out the “do’s and don’ts” of city leader conduct. The proposed rules were discussed during the city governing body’s retreat in February 2021, according to city documents.
Source: Prairie Village Post
RCHD, community entities offering incentives for vaccines
In an effort to encourage residents to get vaccinated, the Riley County Health Department and other entities are hosting vaccine events with incentives in August and September. Mall clinic The health department and Manhattan Town Center are hosting a vaccine clinic for those 12 years and older from 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 14 in the mall across from Foot Locker. The first 50 people will receive a $15 mall gift card. In addition, those first 50 will get 45 points for an elementary of one’s choice for the Grand for Grade school points program. Nurses will administer the Pfizer vaccine. Walk-ins are welcome. People can schedule appointments by calling the department at 785-565-6560.
Source: themercury.com
Kansas hospitals reporting surge in COVID-19 patients
A COVID-19 surge in Kansas fueled by the faster-spreading delta variant is filling up hospitals in some areas. A survey from the Kansas Hospital Association said four times as many patients with confirmed COVID-19 infections were hospitalized this week as were hospitalized in early June. The association said that 116 Kansas hospitals surveyed this week reported having 399 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. For early June, 125 hospitals reported having 99. For about a month, the Salina Regional Medical Center has sometimes has been near full capacity and its chief medical officer says it has struggled to find beds for patients who have needed a higher level of care.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
As cases surge in Kansas City metro, here’s when Johnson County will decide on masks
The Johnson County Board of Commissioners is expected to vote next week on whether to issue a new countywide mask mandate, although Chairman Ed Eilert made clear Thursday he is reluctant to do so. Eilert requested that health officials make recommendations to the board at their meeting next Thursday on how to best address the surge in COVID-19 cases. Commissioners would vote on whether to follow any recommendations, such as a mask mandate, or to issue new guidelines to school districts to determine how to open classrooms safely next month.
Source: Joco 913 News
Damage from May storms in Kansas tops $76 million
The Kansas Insurance Department said severe storms in May caused more than $76.4 million in damage across the state. The estimate is based on a reported 12,745 insurance claims in 101 counties. Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt said the storms affected thousands of businesses, farms and residents. The estimates for May, 2021 property loss payments are up more than $15.8 million from a year earlier. So far in 2021, storm losses in Kansas have added up to more than $99 million in reported damage.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Why Electric Cars Could Take Off In Rural Kansas, And Why They Might Not
Electric cars and trucks might prove a perfect fit for rural Kansas. “They’re better vehicles. They’re more reliable. They’re less costly. They’ll save people money,” said Peter Zalzal, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Fund. “They’ll clean up the air and they’ll help to address climate change.” While the building of charging stations has come mostly in urban areas, Zalzal said rural areas have built-in advantages — along with some hurdles that urban areas don’t. Most people in rural areas live in single-family homes. That gives them easier access to electricity in a garage or carport to charge overnight than someone living in an apartment complex or high-rise. He said people in rural areas also on average drive longer distances than their urban counterparts. That actually makes a plug-in car more attractive.
Source: KCUR News
Erie, KS received a loan to help operate the Erie Market
Erie is getting some help operating a fixture in the community. It’s received a $480,000 Rural Economic Development loan from the USDA. The money will help the city operate the Erie Market on West State Street, formerly Stubs Market, which the city purchased last year. The loan is part of a $14,000,000 investment by the USDA across 10 states, including Missouri and Illinois.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Reno County Commission may expand; decision will be on November ballot
The Reno County Commission voted Tuesday to place a question of whether to expand the county commission from three to five members on the Nov. 2 ballot. However, the board also agreed to ask the governor to allow the county to leave the two new seats vacant for a year, until the following year’s general election. The delay in seating the new commissioners would allow people to run for the office, rather than having partisan precinct committees select who would be on the ballot, which is the process spelled out in state law if there were a special election.
Source: Hutch News.
Fed holds rates near zero, says economy has gotten better even with pandemic worries
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held its benchmark interest rate near zero and said the economy continues to progress despite concerns over the pandemic spread. As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee concluded its two-day meeting by keeping interest rates in a target range near zero. Along with that, the committee reiterated its view that the economy continues to “strengthen.”… With the Fed likely on hold relative to interest rates at least until late-2022, investors have been looking for clues as to when the monthly bond purchases might start to be pulled back. … Heading into this week’s meeting, markets were pricing in zero chance of any rate increases this year, and a 54.4% chance of an increase before the end of 2022, according to CME’s FedWatch tool.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
A more vibrant street life the goal for an OP corridor that’s not pedestrian-friendly
After reducing the number of traffic lanes on a mile-long section of College Boulevard — while adding 100 on-street parking spaces — Overland Park is preparing to take the next step toward making the College business corridor more inviting to visitors and the people who live and work in the area. Although highly regarded when developed, the College Boulevard corridor turned out to be rather sterile. Companies got a prestigious, high-visibility address, and employees could drive to the office doorsteps at 45 miles an hour and be assured of free parking. But the layout proved unwelcoming to pedestrians and discouraged the development of the restaurants and other venues that foster a vibrant street life.
Source: Joco 913 News
Plans for a giant solar farm in southwest Johnson County are advancing
County planners and landowners are getting ready for a radically different type of farm planned for the area west of Gardner. Once it’s operational, the West Gardner Solar Project by NextEra Energy will be the largest such solar farm in the state, and a new type of energy-producing sight for Kansans more accustomed to seeing spinning wind turbines and nodding oil pumpers on the prairie. Some 2,000 acres have already been signed for the project, which is expected to generate 320 megawatts of power and could be online by 2023. The idea of such a massive solar farms is new enough to Johnson County that county planners had no rules governing things like setbacks and screening in place before being approached by NextEra.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
$5M tiny home village proposed to help Topeka’s homeless situation
A proposal for a $5.7 million “tiny home transitional village” could hold up to 200 beds for the homeless at the former site of Topeka’s tent city. Each tiny home costs less than $5,000 and could last 20 years, said Barry Feaker, executive director of the Topeka Rescue Mission, when he presented the plan to city council Tuesday night. The units would be around 64 square feet, have electricity and a heater and air conditioner. He said it’s too early in the process to estimate when something could be completed — Tuesday was the first time he presented the full plan to city council.
Source: CJonline.com.
With limited interest from residents, Douglas County leaders have no immediate plans to expand commission from three members to five
Unless they hear from more Douglas County residents interested in the idea, county commissioners will not move forward with an election to increase the number of seats on the commission. As part of its meeting Wednesday, the commission discussed increasing the number of seats from three to five, which would require holding a public election. Commissioners said they had gotten limited feedback from the community on the topic, and unless that changed they did not think it warranted an effort to ensure the question got on the November ballot.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for July 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.
Governor Kelly issues new mask order for state facilities
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has issued a new order requiring state employees and visitors to wear masks inside state buildings and facilities. The order goes into effect Monday, August 2nd. The governor announced the order at a news conference Wednesday, and she said it was in response to new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control that call for fully vaccinated people to wear masks indoors in areas with increasing cases of COVID-19. The governor’s order applies to all state employees and visitors regardless of their vaccination status. The governor said the order is being issued because the delta variant of COVID-19 is significantly more contagious than other variants.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Overland Park begins speaker series to prepare for comprehensive plan update
The city of Overland Park is beginning a speaker series on July 28 to prepare residents for its upcoming comprehensive plan update. Several speakers will discuss planning topics and receive feedback from residents prior to embarking on the comprehensive plan update, according to a city press release. The series details are as follows, as outlined online: Community revitalization and shifting suburbs on July 28 with speaker Ed McMahon of Urban Land Institute. The economics of land use in August 2021 with speaker AJ Fawver with Verdunity. Transportation in September 2021 with speaker Jason Scrieber with Stantec. Small-scale development and the role of density in October 2021 with speaker Matthew Petty with Incremental Development Alliance.
Source: Prairie Village Post