Kansas Municipal News
Former hospital building officially belongs to the county
Bourbon County is now officially the owner of the former Mercy Hospital building. On Tuesday, Bourbon County Commissioners and Bourbon County Counselor Justin Meeks discussed finalization of the donation agreement between the county and Mercy Health Southwest Missouri/Kansas Communities that will transfer ownership of the former hospital building and $600,000 to the county.
Source: Fort Scott Tribune
Shawnee County health officials monitoring Delta variant as cases in Kansas rise
Cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant are on the rise throughout the state. There are currently 358 total cases in Kansas. Twelve of those are confirmed cases within Shawnee County, but health officials said they are pretty confident there are more. The Shawnee County Health Department is monitoring outbreaks in the area, but they can’t confirm them as the Delta variant just yet. Positive COVID-19 tests that check for the variant have to go through genome sequencing, which means they are tested a certain way in a lab and that takes more time. “They take that and they look at the whole viral genome which is everything that makes up the virus,” Derik Flerlage, the Infectious Disease Manager with the Shawnee County Health Department, said. “Compared to the positives that are occurring and the amount of testing that is going on we can’t sequence one hundred percent of the specimens.”
Source: KSNT News
Municipal Bond Trends for July 6, 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.
Tourism getting better in Newton
Faith & Life Bookstore Manager Bethany Martin sees Newton as a meet-in-the-middle town for some customers. She said if a couple of friends want to see each other, with maybe one living in Andover and another in Lindsborg, they can meet in Newton, in the middle. When they meet in the middle, they spend money by shopping and eating in restaurants. Like recently, Martin said there was a group of women from out of town who had lunch together and shopped. Now that the pandemic is getting better, it’s helping with tourism in many towns across the nation, including Newton. … Regarding tourism, Martin said they’ve definitely seen more people from out of town. “I feel like this is the first time we’re consistently getting people from Wichita and the surrounding areas,” she said.
Source: Harvey County Now
Hillsboro officially opens new walking trail
Local kids walk along the new paved walking trail in Hillsboro. The trail provides a safe place for people to walk in town. Hillsboro has had plans for several years to have a paved walking path and this spring the path was completed. The new paved walking trail runs on the north end of town from Main Street between Hillsboro State Bank and Central National Bank to the front doors of Hillsboro Community Hospital. While the trail has been completed for several months now, it became officially recognized last week when the City of Hillsboro hosted a “Trail Gate Party” on Friday, July 2 to dedicate it. The event included information about the hospital’s Walk with a Doc program and healthy snacks from local restaurants. The event was sponsored by Hillsboro CVB, TCW, Hillsboro Community Hospital and Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press
Wichita Fire Department issues 88 fireworks citations over holiday weekend
The Fourth of July weekend was popping for many people, but it kept both the Sedgwick County Emergency Management and the Wichita Fire Department busy. “There was a lot more fireworks going on,” said Denise Bashline. “Just quite a bit of fireworks. A lot of fireworks going up in the air and a lot of individuals have a lot of fun,” Nicholas Bennington. An explosive end to a Fourth of July weekend after the COVID-19 pandemic stunted celebrations in 2020 and Wichitans noticed a boom in fireworks popping off.
Source: KAKE – News
Allowing minors to attend late-night events: Wichita approves first reading of measure
On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council approved the first reading of a measure that allows minors to attend late-night events where alcohol is served. The measure will be placed on first reading and still needs final approval. “This creates a category that allows us to work within our business model,” said Jessie Hartke, operating partner at WAVE. Qualifying venues must provide entertainment, have a capacity of at least 850 people, provide a stage, and allow minors to be on the premise until midnight. If an event goes past that time, they must ask minors to leave. Businesses must provide advance notice to Wichita police of any event that caters to more than 500 people. “This will help by just allowing all members of our community to be able to come out and enjoy the culture and the arts,” said Hartke.
Source: KSN-TV
Local leaders, state officials connect on broadband needs
City, county and school district officials stressed that affordable broadband infrastructure is critical to continued growth when they met with Lt. Gov. David Toland during his recent visit to Miami County. “We’re in an extremely good pattern of growth right now in Spring Hill, and we’re very excited about it, but broadband is a critical part of that growth. It’s as important as water,” said Jim Hendershot, Spring Hill’s retiring city administrator. He was joined by other city and county officials, school superintendents, and local service provider MoKan Dial for a meeting with Toland and state broadband officials June 17 at Louisburg City Hall. The roundtable discussion was organized by Miami County Economic Development Director Janet McRae.
Source: Local News | republic-online.com
In Wichita, more fireworks tickets & complaints but fewer ER visits this July 4
Emergency and medical crews in Wichita saw a mixed bag in the week leading up to and on the July 4 holiday, with fewer people reportedly visiting local emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries but more citizens receiving citations for banned items and more nuisance complaints phoned into 911 dispatchers compared to last year. It was also a better year for house fires during the nine days fireworks could be legally discharged in the city, with fewer than half the number reported in 2020. Fire crews monitoring the city for illegal fireworks over the July 4 holiday weekend wrote a total of 88 citations and confiscated several items banned under local ordinance, Wichita Fire Department Battalion Chief Jose Ocadiz said Tuesday during an afternoon news briefing held at downtown’s Fire Station No. 1. Mortars and artillery shells were confiscated most often, he said. Some illegal fireworks taken had been discharged while others were unopened.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Mission residents to vote on citywide sales tax increase in special mail-in election this September
The city of Mission will ask residents to increase the current one-quarter cent sales tax to a three-eighths cent sales tax with a special election in September. Why it matters: The city uses the current one-quarter percent sales tax for budget items related specifically to transportation, according to city documents. Mission residents have repeatedly identified streets and maintenance as a top priority, prompting the conversation about a sales tax renewal, according to the city. Background: Mission’s quarter-cent sales tax will sunset in March 2022 and is currently used to pay off previous street improvements.
Source: Prairie Village Post
As Shawnee’s western half grows, resident-led group aims to preserve city’s open spaces
Shawnee resident Jim Magaziner has started an advocacy group dedicated to conservation efforts and preserving open space in his growing city. His group, Shawnee Open Space, urges city leaders to consider implementing ordinances that support “Conservation Subdivision,” a design concept that, in general, advocates for developers to dedicate part of their project sites — up to 50% of more in some cases — to natural, open space. The result would preserve the natural beauty of Shawnee’s countryside, protect wildlife and allow space for a comprehensive trail system throughout the city’s neighborhoods, Magaziner says. The main point of “Conservation Subdivision” is to shrink the size of each plat in a residential subdivision, and dedicate the extra space to preserve the natural landscape and allow contiguous green spaces throughout the city.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Wichita passes anti-discrimination ordinance after marathon hearing on religious liberty
For the second time in three weeks, the Wichita City Council has approved an anti-discrimination ordinance by the barest of majorities, after five hours of debate and dozens of residents saying it would infringe their religious liberty. The ordinance is designed to prevent discrimination within city limits on the basis of “age, color, disability, familial status, gender identity, genetic information, national origin or ancestry, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other factor protected by law.” It bans discrimination in employment, housing and businesses that serve the general public. The new ordinance would replace an anti-discrimination law that mysteriously disappeared from the city code in 1999.
Source: Wichita Eagle
New brewery opens in downtown Great Bend
Although Kevin Burkey and Ryan Fairchild have brewed beer for years, last month the two men took a gigantic step and opened a brewery, Dry Lake Brewing, on Main Street in Great Bend. They wanted to open the brewery last year, but because of COVID-19, the opening was postponed. After visiting breweries around the state, ripping up carpet, drilling into the concrete to make drains, and building a kitchen in the town’s old shoe store, the two were ready to go. … Burkey and Fairchild wanted to open their brewery in downtown Great Bend. Staying local and becoming an anchor was crucial to their business plan. Along with breweries in the main hubs of Lawrence, Manhattan, Topeka, Wichita and the greater Kansas City area, these hometown businesses can be found in Beloit, El Dorado, Ottawa, and Pittsburg.
Source: Salina Journal.
Wichita drops mask mandate in City Hall, libraries, rec centers and other facilities
In a sign of a continuing return to normalcy, the city of Wichita on Friday dropped the mask mandate that has been in effect in municipal facilities since early in the COVID pandemic. “City employees and members of the public who have been fully vaccinated by one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines and are not otherwise at-risk, are no longer required to wear a mask within City of Wichita facilities,” the new policy states. Masks will still be “strongly encouraged” for the unvaccinated, but “there’s not an outright mandate, City Manager Robert Layton said.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Mapping out a vision for Paola’s future
A vibrant downtown shopping area with family-friendly restaurants… a bustling town Square full of apartments and businesses… a variety of entertainment options ranging from bowling and miniature golf to a movie theater. These are just a few of the things on the wish lists of Paola residents who attended an interactive workshop Tuesday, June 29, to help the city update its comprehensive plan. The update process has been dubbed “Planning Paola 2050,” and city leaders are working with the consulting firm Confluence to map out a vision that will help guide the city’s growth and development over the next three decades.
Source: The Miami County Republic
‘Our Market’ debuts in Humboldt
Residents of Humboldt now have a new option when debating where to purchase groceries, as Our Market made its debut with a soft opening Thursday. The grocery market is housed in the same building as the town’s only other former grocery store, Moon’s Hometown Market, which closed in 2019. “It’s huge for Humboldt,” said City Administrator Cole Herder. “I’ve seen so many people making comments about the opening on (the city’s) Facebook page, and that this is something they should not take for granted.”
Source: The Chanute Tribune
Municipal Bond Trends for July 2, 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.
Real estate agents sometimes fail to disclose pending specials, frustrating home buyers
Kansas law requires that sellers disclose impending liabilities like special tax assessments to buyers before a sale. Across the region, most real estate agents use a standardized seller’s disclosure form created by the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors when marketing existing homes. In addition to asking about home repairs and damage, the form includes questions about bonds, assessments and special taxes. In addition to those disclosures, most title companies would find the tax liability upon researching a home for potential buyers, said Max Gordon, an Overland Park real estate attorney. “If a title company missed that, that’s another issue. But it’s pretty rare in my 40-some year career doing this,” he said, “especially because in our metro area and Johnson County in particular, subdivisions are platted and that information is pretty readily available.”
Source: Joco 913 News
Lifeguard shortage forces these Kansas City area pools and beaches to close this year
Last year, most Kansas City area pools closed because of the pandemic. This year, several pools and beaches can’t open for a different reason: a lifeguard shortage. Jackson County Parks + Rec couldn’t hire enough lifeguards this summer to staff both Blue Springs Beach and Longview Lake Beach. As a result, only Longview is open. Overland Park did not open the Bluejacket and Marty pools for the same reason. “Overall the effect is that pools are closed. Beaches are closed,” said Tina Spallo, Jackson County’s superintendent of recreation. “Therefore the general public doesn’t have as many aquatic centers to choose from.”
Source: KC Star Local News
Local businesses seek loans from Parsons city program
A new day care and preschool facility may get to borrow additional money from the city, while another local business wants funding from the same pool. The Parsons City Commission will consider the two loan requests during its regular meeting on Tuesday. The commission is meeting on Tuesday instead of Monday because the city offices will be closed Monday for the Fourth of July holiday. The commission already had approved a $60,000 loan for Kandy Rushing, owner of Grow at Eden LLC, 1503 22000 Road, through a revolving loan program. Now she is seeking an additional $30,000 because of underestimated construction costs, Jim Zaleski, economic development director, said during a Thursday work session. Rushing and her husband, Kyler, bought an empty building at the southeast intersection of U.S. 59 and 22000 Road. They remodeled the building and added about 2,000 square feet to double the space. The Rushings also had landscaping work done.
Source: Parsons Sun