Municipal News & Jobs

The Wichita City Council is scheduled to vote at its Tuesday evening meeting on implementing a city-wide municipal ID program to lower barriers for Wichitans who lack standard documentation for a state-issued ID, such as the homeless. If passed, IDs will be issued at the Multi-Agency Center starting sometime in April. The IDs, also called Air Capital Cards, will display a person’s name, photo, address, date of birth and ID number, making it I-9 compliant to verify an individual’s identity for employment. Lacking ID prevents many homeless people from establishing residency and applying for jobs or housing. It is also harder to apply for benefits, fill prescriptions or open a bank account without any photo identification. Officials committed last May to establishing a municipal ID after Justice Together, a grassroots coalition of interfaith communities in Sedgwick County, lobbied city and county officials on homelessness policies.
Source: KLC Journal

Nitrate levels for the water district that serves the Yoder community are still too high. The Reno County Public Works Department says tests earlier this month show that Rural Water District 101’s nitrate levels remain above EPA guidelines. The EPA recommends that public water supplies have a nitrate level of 10 mg/l or less. The district’s nitrate level is 12 mg/L. High nitrate levels are especially dangerous for infants and can lead to a life-threatening condition called methemoglobinemia. It decreases the infant’s oxygen-carrying blood cells’ ability to transport oxygen across the body. Studies have also shown an increased risk of colon, kidney, and stomach cancer in those who ingest higher water nitrate and eat larger quantities of meat. High nitrate levels are often seen in agricultural communities — runoff from fertilized fields, animal waste, and septic systems can lead to higher nitrate levels in groundwater. Upon request, the county is providing bottled water to all households in the water district for those with increased risk due to nitrate exposure, including infants under 6 months of age, pregnant or nursing mothers, and other at-risk customers served by Rural Water District 101. Reno County has been working on a permanent solution to the nitrate problem.
Source: KSN-TV

Months ago, Lawrence city commissioners approved an increase to the number of adults who can live in a home in most areas of town. With two weeks left before the change is set to take effect, some neighborhoods are pushing back. The city’s new land development code was created over a two-plus-year process, with a 14-member steering committee and several public meetings. Yet when commissioners approved the code in November, many community members said they felt the process had moved too quickly. The code aims, among other things, to improve affordability and availability of housing. One way the code intends to do that is by increasing the occupancy limit in some neighborhoods from three to five unrelated people who can live in a home together. Some neighborhood groups are saying the code change will have the opposite effect, and they’re asking the commission to keep the cutoff at three. Others in the community say that lower occupancy limits are rooted in classism and racism, and that they hurt people’s chances of affording housing and prospering.
Source: The Lawrence Times

As the measles virus spreads around the country, with Kansas’ first case reported in Stevens County March 13, Sedgwick County health officials are preparing for possible cases. “It’s a matter of time before it reaches Sedgwick County,” Adrienne Byrne, the county’s health department director, said in a March 12 interview. If the measles is confirmed in Sedgwick County, Byrne said the agency is planning ways to educate the public on the virus, which hasn’t been widespread in the U.S. in more than two decades. The measles is a highly contagious virus that’s spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The current U.S. outbreak has 301 confirmed cases in 15 different states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been a total of three outbreaks reported with the majority of cases being tied to known outbreaks. One child associated with the outbreak in Texas has died. “It is extremely contagious, and it’s a respiratory illness, and it can really can cause life-threatening illness to anyone who’s not protected against the virus,” Byrne said. If cases do reach Sedgwick County, this will be the first time in eight years the county has seen the measles, Byrne said. The last time the county confirmed cases was in 2017, and before that, 2014. “We’ll be sending out information through the medical society, because … the majority of physicians have not dealt with measles before,” Byrne said.
Source: Wichita Kansas Local News, Crime & More |

One resident of a Yates Center nursing home did suffer smoke inhalation after Friday’s fire destroyed the facility. The remaining residents, patients, and staff were all safely evacuated following the wildfire. Fire officials say they are not 100% certain what caused the rapidly spreading prairie fire that burned down the Yates Center Health & Rehabilitation facility, in Woodson County, Kansas. According to a news release issued by Mission Health Communities, owners of Yates Center Health and Rehabilitation, they say it was a “swift and coordinated response” by everyone that saved lives Friday. Reports say the fire initially set a group of cedar trees ablaze, south of the facility, and eventually spread to the building’s roof. Dry conditions and high winds drove the fire to quick acceleration, requiring an immediate emergency response. Temporary quarters at Yates Center High School were used to house the 38 residents and patients.
Source: KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com

Residents needing some sidewalk repairs may be able to get some help from the city of Emporia. The city is publicizing its annual Hazardous Sidewalk Program, and City Engineer Jim Ubert says it’s a good way to get portions of sidewalks replaced. Sidewalks are considered hazardous — and thus eligible for repairs under the program — if they have portions deemed unsafe because of “broken or missing pieces, unevenness or upheaval which causes a ½-inch or more difference in height between two adjoining portions of the sidewalk.” Sidewalks are also eligible if they have “an abrupt change in elevation.” As Ubert mentioned, the program is a cost share, where residential owners pay 25 percent of the cost and commercial owners pay 50 percent of repairs. The city picks up the remaining amount in either case. Homeowners can also hire their own bonded contractors for work at set unit prices if approved. Replacing any connected sidewalks and handicapped-accessible ramps is done at no cost to the owner, and the city does not include those costs in the cost-share agreement.
Source: d2430

A bill that would limit local governments’ ability to regulate what is described as a “no-impact” home-based business failed to get out of a Senate committee Monday. The Senate Commerce Committee voted down a bill limiting city regulations on a “no-impact” home based business despite attempts to allow a little more municipal regulation. The bill had been opposed by cities across the state including Shawnee, Topeka, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Liberal and Garden City.
Source: Sunflower State Journal

Riley County is looking to better enforce short-term rental regulations. The county adopted short-term rental criteria in January 2022, when land development regulations came into effect. Because it can be difficult to enforce short-term rental regulations when someone doesn’t have a license, a county can use help from the state’s authority to set rules in place. Amanda Webb, the county’s planning director, said Monday she has been researching how other counties and cities in Kansas and Missouri regulate short-term rental properties. Webb referred to Independence, Missouri’s regulations as an example. The city of Independence limits the number of short term rentals in its code, allowing only one per eight residences within a block. Independence also requires a 500 foot distance from the property line of any existing or proposed STR.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

The Manhattan city government is considering changing its policy to publish legal notices on its own website, taking advantage of a loophole in state law. City governments are required to notify the public about certain legal changes by publishing them in the local newspaper of record. They also go to the newspapers’ websites and the Kansas Press Association website in a searchable database, which is free to access. Kansas attorney general Kris Kobach in 2023 wrote an opinion that small cities (populations 2,000-15,000) could essentially opt out, citing “home rule.” Since then, a few city governments have considered posting legal notices only on their own sites. “It looks like we spend about $17,000 a year putting those notices in The Manhattan Mercury,” city manager Danielle Dulin said. “One of the conversations that we had this evening would be if we started using our website as that official notice instead of using The Manhattan Mercury.” Commissioner Jayme Minton said she sees benefits and potential concerns to changing the publication process. “Really I think that’s just something (that needs) more discussion,” she said. “If the community really wants us to continue with that, then I think that’s what we should do. If there’s not a lot of input from the community on it, if they’re saying, no, please spend our $17,000 somewhere else, then I think we should go that way.”
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.

Kristi Northcutt has been chosen as the next director of the Kansas Public Management Center, which is part of KU’s nationally recognized School of Public Affairs & Administration. Northcutt will begin her new role on May 12.
Source: LJWorld

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.

Registration is now open for the 3rd annual Rural Health and Prosperity Grants 101 Workshop. At the workshop, agencies will share valuable information on grant opportunities to support your community and organization, as well as discuss application best practices. This year’s workshop will be held April 8-9 in Emporia at the Granada Theatre.
Learn more here.

The Marion County Board of Commissioners met on Monday, March 10 to discuss the Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) lighting in the Sunflower Wind project area, which is located between Marion, Peabody and Florence. Planning/Zoning/Environmental Health Director Sharon Omstead opened the session by giving background to the packed room which included the board, Marion County Administrator Tina Spencer, Country Attorney Brad Janz, Orsted (the company that handled the Sunflower Wind project) representatives Danny Sears-Greer, Jase Sherwood, Joshua Svaty and Zoe Weinstein and members of the public. Omstead explained that the wind farm was required to install the ADLS lights and use them, which they did. “However there was a warranty issue, and the lights weren’t working as we had hoped. And so they default to blink so that’s a safety factor,” said Omstead. “This has been going on for a while, and Orsted has been kind of battling out this warranty issue. It’s a new technology, it’s just taken a long time to work out the kinks. So the commission requested that Orsted come in and talk about why it has taken so long.”g.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press

The Kansas Supreme Court, overturning decisions by two lower courts, has ruled in favor of a developer who sued the city of Shawnee five years ago over the city council’s denial of a large apartment project. The high court announced its ruling on Friday in favor of Austin Properties, a development company that wants to build the 29-acre Woodsonia West multi-family development off Kansas Highway 7. The decision throws the project’s fate back to the city, though it’s unclear when Austin might bring the plan back before the city council. The decision stems from a lawsuit Austin Properties filed in 2020, alleging the city acted unreasonably and unlawfully by denying the Woodsonia West plan.
Source: Johnson County Post

Iola has an official flag. Councilman Max Grundy helped design the flag, which incorporates blue and white stripes emanating from a clock face, styled in the manner of Iola’s distinctive courthouse clock. The time shown on the clock — 3:04 — was set to note Kansas was the 34th state inducted into the Union, Grundy said.
Source: The Iola Register

The Kansas Department of Commerce made a deal with officials in Peabody to allow completion of a $1.5 million infrastructure improvement project designed to spark economic renewal in the central Kansas town. The community of less than 1,000 people was deeply shaken six months ago by alleged financial mismanagement of economic development aid and the mysterious death of a local consultant involved in monitoring state grant funding awarded to the Peabody Main Street Association.
Source: Kansas Reflector

Retaining and recruiting young, aspiring teenagers and adults looking to enter law enforcement can be a tough challenge for any rural police department. Looking to tackle the challenge, the Girard City Council and Girard Police Department have continually explored several options in an effort to grow its force.
Source: – Latest Stories

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.

Across the globe, Women’s History Month is traditionally celebrated each March. And in this corner of the world, there is certainly some history to take note of – particularly on the Derby City Council. For the first time ever, the Derby City Council features three female council members – with Elizabeth Stanton, Kristi Truitt and Jenny Webster all serving out terms currently. Per the city’s records (dating back to 1961), they make up three of the 14 total female city council members in Derby’s history – accounting for 12% of all council members who have served in that same timeframe.
Source: www.derbyinformer.com – RSS Results in news,news/* of type article

Starting this week, Lenexa voters will begin receiving ballots in the mail to determine the future of a key funding stream for some of the city’s most visible infrastructure projects. From March 12 to April 1, residents will be able to vote on renewing Lenexa’s 3/8-cent sales tax through a mail-in ballot. Originally approved by voters in 2008, the sales tax has served as a funding source for some major city projects over the past decade-and-a-half. Revenue generated by the tax has helped fund ongoing street maintenance projects, park improvements, city facility renovations and trail construction.
Source: Johnson County Post

A new year turns over a new page for the Towanda Public Library who welcomed a new director last month. The rural town of Towanda grappled with drama over the winter as residents filed complaints against the Towanda Public Library with claims of rude staff and minimal operating hours. During a heated City Council meeting, it was agreed upon by the residents’ demands that change needed to be made to ensure the library is inclusive, welcoming and open during times that residents are able to access it. In addition to the resignation and reappointing of the board’s president and a board member, a new director was hired. Since then, the library has taken on new hours and expanded their activity offering with aspirations to host even more. These steps were taken to secure the library’s future and to work towards bringing the community together.
Source: Butler County Times-Gazette

A Senate bill seeks to prohibit conflicts of interests by banning local government officials from voting on major development projects in which they have a “substantial interest.” Senate Bill 66, introduced by Republican Sen. Mike Thompson of Shawnee, attempts to increase local-level transparency. Thompson, and other proponents, argue that local officials often vote on projects that would personally benefit them because they’re not required to recuse themselves. Supporters see the bill as increasing government transparency and constituents’ confidence, while opponents see the bill as overly broad with its definition of “substantial interest” and hypocritical, since the Legislature would not have to follow the same rules.
Source: Butler County Times-Gazette

When former Harvey County Administrator Anthony Swartzendruber announced his resignation in November, he still had an eye for working in government. Swartzendruber accepted the position of Finance Director for the City of Hesston, officially beginning back on Jan. 6. “In the preceding months, I had heard that there may be a future staff transition in the City of Hesston’s Administration department,” he said. “In turn, I started a conversation with City of Hesston and let them know that if a public finance position was available in the future, I would be interested.”
Source: Harvey County Now

Members of a House committee on Monday scrutinized a Senate plan to expand the use of STAR bonds to redevelop struggling malls. The proposal is part of Senate Bill 197, which would extend the state’s STAR bonds program through 2028 with revisions that include the elimination of eminent domain authority and new requirements for recording visitor data. The Senate passed the bill 32-8 on Feb. 19, with eight Republicans opposed. Sen. Jeff Klemp, R-Lansing, testified before members of the House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee, where he revealed that he was responsible for adding the mall development provision to the bill. He said he had the dilapidated mall in Leavenworth in mind, and that more than a dozen other malls across the state would meet the criteria for a STAR bond project.
Source: Kansas Reflector

Property tax relief is something people are pushing for across the state. The legislature is considering putting new caps on property tax increases. How much you pay in property taxes depends on how much money your local taxing entities need for their budget. Sedgwick County, the City of Wichita, and Wichita Public Schools are all examples of tax entities. The state is considering reform that would limit how much those property taxes can go up year over year. There are two bills to highlight here. Both roughly cap property tax at the previous year’s levels plus inflation.
Source: KSN-TV

Cowley College and the City of Arkansas City are teaming up for a Community Cleanup Day on April 5 from 8 a.m. to noon. Volunteers from across the community will join forces to beautify Arkansas City by removing debris, bundling branches, and assisting residents in need. Community members, student organizations, and Cowley College employees are encouraged to participate and join us in making a difference. Volunteers will gather at Wilson Park at 7:30 AM for assignments and return at noon to wrap up the event. Participants are asked to bring their own rakes and garden gloves to assist with cleanup efforts.
Source: Local – Cowley Post

A pair of electric-powered school buses, acquired by USD 257 through a $690,000 EPA grant, have been online since January. “Is it running?” USD 257 Transportation Director Aaron Cole says this is a frequent question when people first see the district’s new electric buses in action. “They are very quiet,” he said, compared to the traditional diesel models. Thanks to a $690,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USD 257 has adopted clean energy for its school transportation. The district used the funding to purchase two electric buses, along with a dual charging station. The grant was made possible by the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, which was created through former President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The initiative, designed to modernize the nation’s school bus fleet, prioritizes electric vehicles (EVs) in an effort to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Source: The Iola Register

The Lawrence school district will make up snow days this year by tacking minutes onto the end of school days and adding a day and a half day to the end of the year. So far during the 2024-25 school year, the district has canceled nine full school days for inclement weather, and an additional day for Deerfield Elementary School last week because of a power outage. The Kansas State Department of Education forgives local districts the same number of inclement weather hours or days they build into their calendars and use.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Lawrence school board members on Monday approved a contract with Jeanice Swift to serve as the permanent superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools. Swift was named the district’s 10th superintendent last month, pending a formal contract. The negotiated contract, which runs from July 1 of this year through June 30, 2028, includes an annual salary of $235,000, with 2% raises each year “unless there are major (exceeding 0.5% projected annual revenue) reductions in local, state or federal revenues or an unforeseen financial crisis which adversely affects the funding of schools.”
Source: The Lawrence Times

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.

Freeman Health System plans to have a new hospital finished in about 24 months as officials break ground Friday morning. Hospital officials had renderings on hand as they put shovels to dirt.
There will be thee phases to the project, starting with utilities and internal roads. Then crews will start construction on an ambulatory surgery center with a medical office building on the second floor. Phase three will be the hospital building itself. The Freeman hospital will be near the intersection of East 600th Avenue and North U.S. 69, north of Frontenac.
Source: www.koamnewsnow.com – RSS Results in news/local-news of type article

The City of Topeka is reviewing how it does homeless camp abatements after a man was injured with machinery during one of the city’s cleanups. City of Topeka staff are reviewing policies and procedures following the incident. Now, the Behavioral Health Unit and the Property Maintenance Unit will mark all cleared tents with an ‘X’ to let machine operators know they have been checked.
Source: KSNT 27 News

The Kansas House on Friday passed with bipartisan support a bill giving taxpayers a new weapon to fight city and county spending while offering local governments a financial incentive not to raise property taxes. The House voted 115-6 to pass a bill that would essentially recreate a fund that once was intended to help local governments hold down property taxes but empowers taxpayers to fight excessive spending. The bill now goes to the Senate.
Source: Sunflower State Journal

Riley County officials unanimously approved a written testimony in support of the Home Rule Amendment to the Kansas Constitution at Thursday’s meeting. Constitutional home rule has been a legislative priority for Riley County, but it has stalled in the past because of a misunderstanding of what home rule is. County home rule is when a county can govern itself without direct oversight from the state. It means more local control over local issues. This letter addresses misconceptions about what county home rule is.
Source: themercury.com – RSS Results in news of type article

Children and teenagers riding e-scooters and e-bikes in Prairie Village could soon need to start wearing helmets. During its council committee meeting last week, the Prairie Village City Council agreed to formally consider an ordinance requiring people aged 17 and younger to wear helmets while riding e-scooters. The city council amended the drafted ordinance to include e-bikes. Police Chief Eric McCullough told the city council that e-scooter safety has become top of mind, with groups of children and adolescents frequently seen riding the devices around busy areas like Corinth Square and The Shops retail complex, oftentimes while not wearing helmets.
Source: Johnson County Post

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.

Inflation could prove sticky while prices might pick up again, Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler warned, signaling that the U.S. central bank should keep interest rates steady for the time. “I’m actually quite concerned about some of the persistence in inflation that we have been seeing,” she told CNBC’s Silvia Amaro during a fireside chat at the Conference on Monetary Policy Transmission and the Labor Market on Friday. She pointed to a recent acceleration of inflation expectations, which she said she watches closely for their effect on how businesses set prices and how workers negotiate wages. This in turn means they could feed back into inflation.
Source: Bonds

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Friday that the central bank can wait to see how President Donald Trump’s aggressive policy actions play out before it moves again on interest rates. With markets nervous over Trump’s proposals for tariffs and other issues, Powell reiterated statements he and his colleagues have made recently counseling patience on monetary policy amid the high level of uncertainty. The White House “is in the process of implementing significant policy changes in four distinct areas: trade, immigration, fiscal policy, and regulation,” he said in a speech for the U.S. Monetary Policy Forum. “It is the net effect of these policy changes that will matter for the economy and for the path of monetary policy.”
Source: Finance

A federal judge on Thursday ruled in favor of the Lawrence City Commission in a lawsuit that had alleged commissioners violated a frequent public commenter’s freedom of speech. Justin Spiehs, 43, formerly of Lawrence, has been a familiar sight protesting in public places and regularly speaking during local public meetings since mask mandates were put into place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a case filed in November 2023 in federal court, Stilwell attorney Linus Baker detailed incidents of Spiehs being interrupted and asked to leave city meetings by commissioners. The complaint indicated that Spiehs believed he was being targeted for his views.
Source: The Lawrence Times

This appeal concerns three such petitions which sought voter approval by the residents of Prairie Village. The parties argue both procedural and substantive aspects of the statutes and judicial procedure in this case.
Read the decision here.

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. 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.

Våffeldagen, or Waffle Day, is a traditional celebration in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, typically around the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25. For Lindsborg, Våffeldagen falls on the Saturday closest to that day, this year being March 22.
Source: Salina Journal