Kansas Municipal News
‘He was incredible for the people of Columbus’: City mourns loss of their police chief
The City of Columbus is mourning the death of not just one of their own, but also their police chief for the last ten years. Jason Daniels passed away Wednesday (5/8) after a battle with colon cancer. He was 49. Today, Columbus City Administrator, Jake Letner spoke about his long-time friend and colleague. Letner recalled his friend’s love for his wife and three children, and the town he grew up in. Letner commented on Daniels’ career in law enforcement for the City of Columbus. “He Dedicated his professional life to keeping our community safe. He did a fantastic job of running his department and developing leaders. He really cared about the people that worked for him and was always willing to do whatever was necessary to keep his city safe.” – Jake Letner, Columbus City Administrator. 20 years ago, Daniels joined the Columbus Police Department as an officer. In 2014, Daniels became the city’s police chief. Letner says the only thing Daniels loved more than his career, was his family. “He was a good man. He was an honest man. He was a family man. He was a man of integrity and honesty who adored his wife and three kids.” Speaking on behalf of the City of Columbus, Letner continued by saying, “On behalf of the entire city staff and the entire community, we’re so sorry that this happened. Our hearts, our prayers, and our thoughts are with the family in their time of grief.” Several benefits are now planned for the family of Jason Daniels. All proceeds from those benefits will go to the Daniels family. If you’d like to make a private donation, an account has been set up at Commerce Bank in Columbus.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Clay Center gets beautified with large mural
One northeast Kansas community is honoring its town with a custom mural. On Wednesday, May 8 Clay Center celebrated getting a brand new mural, as well as it being the artists’ 30th mural installation. According to a news release form C. Stanley Creative, Christian Stanley created the mural titled “Prairie Thunder”. The mural spans 3,800 square feet of CVA grain bin at the corner of Fourth Street and Grant Avenue. “The completion of the ‘Prairie Thunder’ mural represents not just a beautiful addition to our
town but also a testament to the transformative impact public art has had on Clay Center over the last four years,” Clay Center Mayor Jimmy Thatcher said. “These murals, including ‘Prairie Thunder,’ have become symbols of our community’s creativity. They have sparked conversations, brought people together, and revitalized our streets, making Clay Center a destination for art enthusiasts and visitors alike. We are proud of the artists, organizers, and residents who have made this mural movement possible and look forward to seeing the continued positive impact it brings to our town.” Depicted in the mural is the Kansas state animal, the American Buffalo, storms, sunsets and the burning Flint Hills prairie.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Wichita, county officials commit to municipal IDs in 2025, further action on homeless resource center
Wichita city officials announced their commitment to implementing a county-wide, low-barrier municipal ID program in 2025 as well as an annual $600,000 operating budget for a one-stop homeless resource center to roaring applause at the inaugural Nehemiah Assembly on Thursday evening. The Assembly, hosted by Justice Together, a grassroots coalition of interfaith communities in Sedgwick County, was held to announce the organization’s intent to directly address policy issues in mental health and homelessness. They asked representatives of Wichita and the county to commit to a fully-funded photo ID program in 2025 and to agree to meeting with them and other services providers within the next 30 days to work on a sustainable budget plan for the city’s multi-agency campus center. Officials in attendance — including Wichita Mayor Lily Wu, City Manager Robert Layton, Sedgwick County Commission Chair Ryan Baty and Secretary Andrew Brown of the Kansas Department of Aging & Disability Services — gave a resounding “yes” to each goal.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Bus rides in Wichita are free — for now — while city grapples with cyber attack
Wichita bus rides are free “until further notice,” the city announced Thursday as it grapples with a cyber attack that forced government to shut down many of its payment systems. Wichita’s bus system had initially switched to a cash-only payment system after the city discovered the ransomware attack on Sunday. “Attention Riders,” Wichita Transit announced on its Facebook page. “All Wichita Transit and Paratransit services are fare-free until further notice. If you are looking to request Paratransit services please call 316-352-4824 or 316-352-4810.” Wichita Transit’s Paratransit Division provides accessible van service to people with physical or cognitive disabilities that prevent them from using the fixed route bus system, according to the city’s website. For maps and schedules of the city of Wichita’s buses, visit wichita.gov/1460/MapsSchedules.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Boot Hill Solar Project Announcement held in Dodge City
Where there’s sunlight, there are boundless possibilities. Sunflower Electric Power Corp., Alluvial Power, National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO), and The Victory Electric Cooperative hosted more than 100 elected officials, media, and other guests on April 17 in Dodge City, Kan., for the official announcement of the 150-megawatt Boot Hill Solar Project. Construction of the state’s largest solar facility by Sunflower’s partner, Alluvial Power, will begin later this year and is expected to be operational in 2026. Alluvial will design, own, and operate the facility, which will include approximately 300,000 solar panels on single-axis tracking. “The Sunflower board analyzed the costs, risks, and benefits, ultimately determining that additional solar will complement our already diverse electric generation portfolio,” said Steve Epperson, Sunflower’s president and CEO. Sunflower is a generation and transmission cooperative providing wholesale energy to its seven member distribution utilities in central and western Kansas. Sunflower’s members use the most electricity in July or August. Because this project will provide maximum output on the hottest days of summer when demand for electricity is at its highest and market energy prices can be volatile, energy from Boot Hill Solar will replace market energy, helping stabilize the cost of electricity for Sunflower’s member-utilities.
Source: Sunflower Electric Power Corporation
USD 383’s Food Service Program to keep local children fed in the summer
The USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden Summer Food Service Program is keeping local children nourished while school is out by providing free meals and snacks. From May 28 to Aug. 2, several schools in the USD 383 district will offer free meals to children aged 1-18. Stephanie Smith, the director of child nutrition for USD 383, said the program fed more than 1,000 children last summer. When Smith began working for USD 383 16 years ago, she said there were five feeding sites. The program has since expanded to nine as of this year. Children don’t need to be USD 383 students to get a meal. “Sometimes we’ll have kids visiting grandparents, and they bring their kids, and that’s fine,” Smith said. “We feed anyone ages 1-18.” The sites will give out hot meals like the ones served at the schools during the school year. They’ll be eaten on-site. “It’s to make sure kids are fed during the summer,” Smith said. “Once school’s out, it doesn’t mean kids aren’t still hungry, so they still need to be nourished.” (…) The site will serve breakfast from 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Source: themercury.com
Traffic tickets in Kansas can cost low-income drivers their licenses. There’s a new law to help
Frank Meade originally lost his driver’s license nearly 40 years ago. When he was young, Meade was fined for driving drunk. But he couldn’t afford the cost and the state suspended his license. That didn’t stop him from using his vehicle for the many years following, and he wound up racking up a load of debt from traffic violation fines and court fees. He would need to pay those if he ever hoped to have a legal driver’s license again. “I just continued driving and continued driving and they just stacked up,” Meade told the Kansas News Service. “I had more fines and fees than I could even begin to deal with.” It’s a cycle many people get stuck in. They lose their license and can’t afford to pay the fines to get it reinstated. That means they drive illegally to places like work or risk losing their jobs and livelihoods. But that might become less common under a new law. Meade, a 62-year-old Topeka resident, is now retired and lives on a fixed income. He said at one point his debt was up to $3,000 — an amount he would never be able to cover. Kansas Legal Services, a nonprofit law group serving low-income clients, helped Meade resolve his remaining traffic violations and the state fees required to reinstate a driver’s license. Finally, for the first time in decades, Meade is driving with a legal license. He can now easily travel to important meetings with his probation officer and to Alcoholics Anonymous to help him remain sober. Otherwise, he would have had to spend hours using public transportation each day. “It’s already made my life so much simpler,” Meade said. Kansas Legal Services plans to help more low-income Kansans get similar help reducing fines, resolving court cases and getting their driver’s licenses back in good standing.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Municipal Bond Trends for May 13, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Municipal Bond Trends for May 10, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Assistant city manager for Dallas chosen to be Topeka’s next city manage
Robert Perez, assistant city manager for Dallas, has been picked to be Topeka’s next city manager…. “The governing body invested considerable time and effort into their selection process, and we’re excitedthat Dr. Perez has been selected,” Mayor Michael Padilla said in the release. “I have full confidence in his ability to lead the city of Topeka and guide us toward our strategic goals.”
Source: CJonline
Municipal Bond Trends for May 9, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Sedgwick County rejects RHID incentives for apartment project in Goddard
The Sedgwick County Commission has vetoed Goddard’s plan to give a developer $3.5 million in state incentives to build apartments at the Genesis Sports Complex. Commissioners voted 5-0 against the incentive package, which would have diverted property taxes from that land to pay for up to $3.5 million in eligible costs for a 108-unit apartment complex. County staff recommended nullifying Goddard’s agreement …
Source: Wichita Eagle
Retired fire chief continues to serve Halstead
He spent his entire career selflessly helping others during their greatest times of need. Now, retired fire chief Jim VanSchaik has taken on a different form of community service: that of city council member. VanSchaik took the oath of office on April 22 to fulfill the final 20 months of Brody Flavin’s term. Flavin resigned from the council on April 11.
Source: Harvey County Now
Prairie Village considering rule that would effectively ban AirBnbs in city
Prairie Village is considering imposing a 30-day minimum stay rule on short-term rental properties, a rule that, if adopted, would effectively bar AirBnbs and Vrbos in the city. On Monday, the Prairie Village City Council became the latest Johnson County municipal government to take up the short-term rental issue and discuss imposing new restrictions on the properties.
Source: Johnson County Post
Lawrence ordinance meant to help people with vouchers find housing survives legal challenge
A Douglas County judge has ruled against a group of landlords who sued the City of Lawrence over an ordinance that bans discrimination against some prospective tenants. The Lawrence City Commission in February 2023 approved an ordinance change that creates a protected class based on renters’ source of income… Local housing advocates have said that the protections could significantly help lessen Lawrence’s housing and homelessness crises, because many families who qualify for housing vouchers are unable to find landlords who will accept them. The full memorandum decision is here.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Westmoreland cutting utility bills for residents following tornado
Westmoreland residents got some relief this week when the city government announced it was reducing utility bills. “In effort to hopefully give some relief, the city has cut this month’s utility bills in half!” officials wrote in a post on social media. The announcement came Tuesday in the wake of an EF-3 tornado that hit the city last week.
Source: themercury.com
Kansas plan to get Chiefs, Royals relies on billions in bonds with ‘high degree of risk’
Some Kansas lawmakers want to use STAR bonds to finance new stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. After Jackson County voters rejected a county sales tax for the teams in April, a Kansas proposal would authorize STAR bonds with 30-year terms to pay up to 100% of the cost of building a new stadium across the state line. Fully financing a Chiefs stadium could mean issuing $2-3 billion in STAR bonds, and potentially $1.5 billion to $2 billion for the Royals. Never before have STAR bonds of that size been issued. As of 2020, $1.1 billion total in STAR bonds had been issued in total, according to a state audit. The Chiefs-Royals proposal could triple that.
Source: Kansas City Star
Upper Floor Housing Grants Available for Designated Main Street Communities
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced $400,000 is available under the Residential Opportunities on Main Street (ROOMS) grant program to support new upper-floor housing in commercial buildings in Designated Kansas Main Street communities. … Upper-floor investments create new housing opportunities and can play an important role in addressing the shortage of quality housing, which regularly is identified as a major issue throughout Kansas.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Governor Laura Kelly will call a special session to pass more modest tax relief in Kansas
Kelly says she will veto the bipartisan tax bill lawmakers passed in the last hours of the 2024 legislative session. A special session to pass tax relief less impactful on future state budgets will be called, but a timeline is not yet confirmed.
Source: KCUR
Feds indict Russian man tied to Wichita cyberattack
The director of a Russian ransomware group named in a federal indictment this week is likely responsible for a cybersecurity attack on the city of Wichita. The U.S Department of Justice charged Dimitry Khoroshev and his company, LockBit, in a 26-count indictment on Tuesday. The counts include numerous charges of extortion and fraud.
Source: KCUR News