Kansas Municipal News
Former Shawnee Mission Superintendent Mike Fulton reflects on leading district through pandemic
Mike Fulton officially stepped down as Shawnee Mission School District superintendent Wednesday, June 30, after leading the district for three years. He came to Shawnee Mission in 2018 from Pattonville Public Schools outside St. Louis, where he had been named Missouri Superintendent of the Year in 2016. He replaced interim superintendent Kenny Southwick. Fulton himself is being succeeded by Michelle Hubbard, who served most recently as SMSD’s Deputy Superintendent before formally taking over the district’s top job July 1. At the start of his tenure, Fulton focused on building relationships with staff and school board members in a district that had grown increasingly frustrated with the decision making and lack of transparency in the final years of former superintendent Jim Hinson’s administration.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Crawford County officials are hoping to make Arma a safer place by adding a local school zone
Crawford County officials are working to make a popular intersection safer for travelers. During today’s county commission meeting, officials agreed to work with “K-Dot” to hopefully create a school zone at the intersection of 69 and West South Street in Arma. The highway is near a local school and separates the city from its fire department and a “Dollar General” store, so people often try to cross the road on foot. Officials with “Arma Economic Development” hope a school zone could help reduce speeds and accidents.
Source: KSNF/KODE
If you don’t follow Wichita’s fireworks ordinance, you could get a $250 ticket
Wichita has some of the strictest firework regulations and most expensive tickets for violators in Sedgwick County, but that has not prevented problems, authorities said this week. During the past five full years, there has been nearly $500,000 in property damage and more than 230 injuries from fireworks, according to the Wichita Fire Department. The youngest injury was a 2-month-old.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Survey will help develop plans for Topeka’s arts and culture sector
What is iconic about Topeka? What are the city’s best-kept secrets? What is special and memorable about Topeka? Those are just a few of the questions ArtsConnect is asking in a recently released arts and culture survey. The survey will help the arts organization develop a plan aimed at offering creative solutions to strategic planning and give artists a seat at the table. … Sarah Fizell, executive director of ArtsConnect, said the creative plan isn’t meant to replace such existing plans as Momentum 2022 or the downtown master plan. Instead, it will complement and offer solutions to ideas within those plans. The arts and culture plan will create a pathway for Topeka’s arts and culture sector to continue growing.
Source: CJonline.com.
Douglas County Commission signals support for rural landowners’ request to divide property into residential lots
The Douglas County Commission is poised to allow two rural landowners to convert their 25 acres into residential lots. During their meeting on Wednesday, the commissioners directed county staff to prepare a resolution that would allow property owners Patrick Halpin and Erin Callahan-Halpin permission to divide the land into up to five residential lots. … To allow for the subdivision, the commissioners would need to rezone the land to “cluster preservation,” a zoning designation that allows nonagricultural residential development. Currently the land consists of two parcels; one is zoned as agricultural, or AG-1, and the other is zoned as transitional agricultural, or AG-2.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for July 1, 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.
Spring Hill decides against new justice center after seeing price tag
Now that a study has been completed, the Spring Hill mayor says the city cannot afford a new justice center to house the police department and municipal court. City officials had hoped to go to voters for approval. “Unfortunately, the cost came in considerably higher than hoped and makes this project financially impractical at present,” Mayor Steven Ellis said in a letter to residents. The upside, Ellis said, is that the growing city now has an updated report outlining facility needs for law enforcement. When Spring Hill decides it can afford a justice center, he added, it won’t have to start planning from scratch.
Source: Joco 913 News
Labette County commission may face lawsuit over county attorney budget proposal
The Labette County attorney and county commissioners may end up in court over a budgeting disagreement. Labette County commissioners are reviewing budgets with department heads to meet a July 20 deadline to have budgets complete. Labette County Attorney Stephen Jones met with commissioners Tuesday. … Jones created a new position for one of his employees and wrote a job description for it. Because of that promotion, the other three employees in the office will take on different jobs and duties as well. These changes result in pay raises that exceed what commissioners directed. Jones said commissioners have the authority to set his budget. They lack the authority to tell him how to spend that money as long as he lives within dollars given.
Source: Atchison Globe Now
Johnson County housing costs remain a concern — new ‘toolkit’ pushes cities to find solutions
A so-called “housing toolkit” is now available for cities in Johnson County to use in advocating for more affordable residential development within their jurisdictions. The new document, dubbed the Housing for All Toolkit, aims to provide guidance for cities to think about adding more attainable housing, as affordability and the cost of housing remains a major concern among many Johnson County residents. United Community Services of Johnson County, a local nonprofit that facilitated the recent Johnson County Municipalities Community Housing Study, released the housing toolkit earlier this month at its annual Human Services Summit.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Commission approves pay raises for Shawnee County leaders
Shawnee County leaders are getting pay raises. The Board of County Commissioners voted to approve the increases at their meeting Thursday morning. Nine elected officials received a pay increase. That includes: district attorney, sheriff, election commissioner, county clerk, register of deeds, county treasurer, county commission chair, and two county commissioners. Commissioners said they use standards to determine raises. They look at other county salaries, performance, and payment over the next person in charge in the office. “We’re trying to stay within market, we’re trying to make sure that we’re able to attract and keep the key members of our team,” Commission Chair Kevin Cook said.
Source: KSNT News
Live music has been absent from Eskridge’s bandstand for years. That will change July 10 with a celebration.
Eskridge Park’s bandstand in its prime was a place for the community to gather and listen to live music. When the bandstand was constructed in the early 1900s, it was the park’s prominent feature. But for many years, the bandstand was in disrepair. Until now. The Eskridge Park Foundation recently finished refurbishing the bandstand, and the structure will be rededicated later this month. The free event will feature musicians after several years of no live music in the bandstand.
Source: CJonline.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for June 30, 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.
Area’s housing costs remain less than other states
There’s a growing gap here and nationwide between income levels and the median house price but, despite that, the region and state remain an affordable place to buy a house, say local housing professionals. A recent study by QuoteWizard, a division of the Lending Tree LLC mortgage company, found that in Kansas the median income increased by 24.17 percent since 2012, but that the median home price increased by 44.58 percent during that same time. That led to a difference between wage increases and housing costs of $109,966. Not good – but the good news is that it’s not as bad as other areas of the country. In Rhode Island, the difference in increase was 32.41 percent and in Massachusetts, the difference was $404,869 between income and costs.
Source: Parsons Sun
Broadband internet is the new electricity: The expansion of broadband to U.S. homes in focus
“Generations ago, the federal government recognized that without affordable access to electricity, Americans couldn’t fully participate in modern society and the modern economy. Broadband internet is the new electricity,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “It is necessary for Americans to do their jobs, to participate equally in school learning, health care, and to stay connected,” Vilsack said last week during a group announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications, and Information Administration. The three groups have entered an interagency agreement to coordinate the distribution of broadband deployment federal funds. In accordance with the Broadband Interagency Coordination Act, agency leaders pledged that they will consult with each other and share information about the distribution of the FCC’s rural broadband programs; the USDA’s Rural Utilities Services grant/loan programs; and NTIA programs.
Source: Parsons Sun
Mission dog park plan at Broadmoor Park prompts tense debate among residents
The city of Mission is in the midst of a conceptual redesign for Broadmoor Park — and a one-acre dog park included in the plans is sparking debate. At a public meeting Tuesday night about the park’s future, residents got into a tense back and forth about the proposed dog park, which is something the city and some residents have been working to bring to Mission for nearly seven years. … some residents expressed concern about the proximity of a dog park near a playground with children, as well as worries about the need for maintenance, the potential for noise with increased activity, safety and the amount of land being dedicated to a dog park.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Kansas City’s housing crisis forced this couple into Overland Park hotel — and it’s only getting worse
Night after night, Stephanie Murray sits up late in a recliner, searching the internet for help. It’s not her recliner; just one in an Extended Stay America hotel in Overland Park, Kansas. Murray, her husband and two dogs have lived there for 17 months. At $56.72 a day, she needs charitable assistance to pay the room bill. She also needs help finding an apartment that will accept the federal housing voucher she recently received after a five-year wait. “I’m 56 years old, and I feel like I’m 106,” Murray says. The pandemic didn’t introduce housing insecurity into Murray’s life. She’s struggled to find a safe, affordable place since at least the Great Recession of 2008.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Scatter cemetery planned at edge of city limits
Reviewing a conditional use permit for a scatter cemetery near the 79th Street South/127th Street East intersection (east of Derby), the Derby Planning Commission took action to allow the special use at its June meeting. The cemetery would be located at the northwest corner of the intersection, along the northern and western edges of a 40-acre tract land. The cemetery itself would take up roughly five acres of the tract owned by the Sunflower Land Trust. While the land in question is part of Sedgwick County, it falls in Derby’s area of influence, triggering the review by the planning commission.
Source: Derby Informer | News
RCPD, county and city commissioners cut ribbon on new firing range
The director of the Riley County Police Department said he has never fired his weapon in the line of duty in more than 40 years on the job. “For most police officers, that’s the norm,” RCPD director Dennis Butler said, adding knowing when not to shoot is one of the points of the department’s new gun range. Butler made the remark while standing in the new RCPD firing range Wednesday. The police department, along with Riley County and Manhattan city commissioners, held an open house to welcome people to view the new range and take tours of the facility. About 30 people came to the open house to see the site where officers will practice marksmanship and pass the tests required for them to use guns on the job.
Source: themercury.com
New opportunities for the aerospace industry are taking flight in Wichita
New opportunities for the aerospace industry are taking flight in Wichita. On Wednesday, Kansas Senator Jerry Moran toured several facilities with a company that could make a big impact on the economy. Owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the company Blue Origin is an innovative aerospace manufacturer that builds reusable launch vehicles, rocket engines, and is a significant partner with the United States in its efforts to remain a leader in the space domain. The company manufactures New Shepard, a rocket you’ll see take off and go to space on July 20. Blue Origin CEO, Dr. Bob Smith, toured several Wichita aviation businesses, even sending out a proposal to work with a Wichita company.
Source: KSN-TV
NASCAR Drivers Set To Race In Garden City
Two NASCAR drivers will be making an appearance in Garden City. The KansasLand Klash powered by KansasLand Tires is set to take place July 9th at Airport Raceway in Garden City. Airport Raceway, KansasLand Tires, and the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association (RMMRA) have teamed up to bring in two NASCAR drivers that night as well. Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the #21 Woodbrothers Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series, and Ryan Ellis, a part-time driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series will be “slinging” the mud under the lights. The Drivers will race in the RMMRA 600s nonwinged series. The race track will also run a WINGED 600s series that night as well.
Source: Western Kansas News