Kansas Municipal News
Johnson County loses ‘dark store theory’ appeal involving Bass Pro’s property tax bill
Johnson County has suffered one more loss in its battle with big box retailers over property valuations. The Kansas Court of Appeals has sided with the landlords of Bass Pro Shops in Olathe, who contended the county overestimated its property value by millions of dollars in 2016 and 2017, resulting in a sudden jump in property tax the company owed. In an opinion filed Friday, April 2, the court upheld a ruling by the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals that substantially reduced the property taxes the Bass Pro landlords owed for those two years. The panel said Johnson County failed to make a compelling case for its argument for a higher valuation on the property.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Pit bull bans in Leawood, Overland Park receive scrutiny as more cities drop similar laws
The kids were at home when animal control and police arrived at Kristi Bond’s Leawood residence. The order was direct and to the point. The family would have to remove Lucy, the Bonds’ dog especially beloved by their young daughter, from the city. Lucy’s crime: resembling a pit bull, a breed outlawed within Leawood city limits. Had Bond lived in just about any other city in the metro area, Lucy’s looks wouldn’t have been an issue. One by one, other municipalities have dropped laws that target pit bulls – a catch-all term for breeds that look a certain way – with restrictions or outright bans. Leawood and Overland Park are the last major cities holding on to such breed-specific ordinances.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Issuing $500 million in new bonds for KPERS: Savvy investment or kooky gamble?
The Kansas Senate waded into the world of high finance Tuesday with fiery debate primarily among Republicans on a bill issuing $500 million in bonds with proceeds invested under the premise earnings would help the bottom line of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. The state in 2004 and again in 2015 approved similar maneuvers that involved a total of $1.5 billion in bonds for KPERS. … Sen. Tom Hawk, D-Manhattan, said the bond option was a wise strategy that took advantage of KPERS’ impressive record of sustained positive return on investment. … From another vantage point, however, Hutchinson Sen. Mark Steffen, bonding represented nothing more than legal gambling at the possible expense of taxpayers. He said bond debt would be an albatross if KPERS’ investment portfolio were hammered in an economic crash during the next 30 years.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Gove County dramatically improves situation after being among hardest hit by COVID-19
In November, COVID-19 hit Gove County as hard as nearly any other county in the U.S. Because of its small population, a couple dozen deaths caused the western Kansas county’s death rate to skyrocket. Fast forward to today, Gove County is leading the state in vaccinations and is far ahead of the national average. A lot can change in four months. In December, national news outlets called Gove County one of the “deadliest” in America. A handful of deaths in a rural county has a big impact, both on its COVID-19 statistics and its citizens. But now Gove County is statistically one of the safest against COVID-19 in Kansas with 30.3 percent of its people vaccinated. It’s the state’s second highest vaccination rate, following its neighbor, Graham County.
Source: KWCH.
Newly considered rules could hinder Kansas wind farms
Wind now cranks up more kilowatts than any other power source in the state. Yet even as towering turbines and their slow-churning blades come to increasingly define the Kansas landscape, a counter movement seems to take hold. A bill pending in the Kansas Legislature would all but outlaw the erection of more of those giant turbines by saying that companies couldn’t place them within a mile and a half of an existing building. The legislation would also bar new wind farms within three miles from any airport and one mile from the property line of anybody not participating in the development.
Source: The Chanute Tribune
Municipal Bond Trends for April 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.
Wichita applying for grant to purchase electric buses
The Wichita City Council has approved a grant application with the Federal Transit Administration to purchase 24 electric buses. Wichita Transit Director Mike Tann said the buses would replace 24 gasoline buses that are beyond their prescribed useful life of six years. He said the gasoline buses have operated over 700,000 miles a year, burning more than 92,000 gallons of gasoline and emitting over 1.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide into the air. Tann said the electric buses would have a low floor for easy access, they will reduce costs and energy consumption.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
City of Larned receives credit on electric bill
Unlike many municipalities across the state and nation, the City of Larned will receive a credit to its February energy bill. The welcomed news comes in the wake of the February polar vortex that locked itself over western Canada and the central, south central and western United States creating a record-setting energy crisis. Larned’s electric credit comes to the tune of $160,000 from Midwest Energy, the city’s electric provider. City manager Bradley Eilts said the city-owned power plant produced more electricity than the city consumed. “The net result is that instead of receiving a huge bill for energy costs during the cold snap, Larned customers are going to get a sizeable credit,” said Eilts.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Wichita renews water conservation rebate program
The Wichita City Council approved $100,000 to continue the Water Conservation Rebate Program. The program encourages residents to purchase water-saving household devices by offering rebates in the form of a credit to their water account. This is the ninth consecutive year of the program. Seven devices and appliances are eligible for rebates. General guidelines and eligible items are listed below. There is a limit of five rebated items per water account. Rebates will not exceed the purchase price.
Source: KAKE – News
Belle Plaine holding festival this weekend
Downtown Belle Plaine will be a busy place this weekend, as the city will be hosting its annual spring festival April 9, 10 and 11. In the interest of safety during the pandemic, all events have been moved outside this year to better allow for social distancing. Events going on over the weekend include a barbecue competition, car and bike show, parade, vendor fair, golf tournament, live concert (featuring the Farnum Family and Mountain Deer Revival) and much more. There will also be a food court and carnival operating throughout the entire weekend. Buttons for admittance to the weekend festival cost $3.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Kansas announces web-based written driver’s license exam
The Kansas Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles on Thursday, April 1, launched a web-based version of its driver’s testing exam. The KnowTo Drive Online, powered by Intellectual Technology, Inc. (ITI), gives Kansans the opportunity to take their written test from the comfort of their home. Kansas is the most recent state to offer testing through KnowTo Drive Online. ITI also has self-service kiosks in 13 states. The KnowTo Drive Online testing portal is available 24/7 on the Division of Vehicles’ website. It’s $10 for the first test and $8.50 for any re-test.
Source: KAKE – News
Johnson County Community College will pay employees $250 to get COVID-19 vaccine
Johnson County Community College is offering employees a one-time $250 payment to get the COVID-19 vaccine, as the college makes plans to open up campus more fully for in-person classes in the fall. The announcement comes as vaccines become increasingly available in Johnson County and local health officials project all Johnson County adults who want one should be able to get a vaccine within the next month.
Source: Prairie Village Post
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Lawrence City Commission to discuss funding agreement with county for fire and medical services
Lawrence city leaders will soon discuss an outside study of the city’s agreement with Douglas County to jointly fund and provide emergency medical services, the results of which call for the county to increase how much money it provides toward the service. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will receive a report regarding the EMS study, which was recently completed by The Public Policy and Management Center at Wichita State University. Currently, the city pays about three-quarters of the cost for the service and the county pays the remainder.
Source: LJWorld.com.
As camps in city parks and other locations increase, Lawrence leaders to discuss how to address homelessness
Some of the city’s unsheltered homeless people have set up their campsites along the Kansas River, where the budding trees will soon help obscure them from view. Others, though, seem to have decided the safest place to camp is out in the open. In Watson Park, a handful of tents are pitched among the park’s looping sidewalks. On Thursday afternoon, a jogger makes his rounds, people from the nearby neighborhood walk their dogs, and some of the tents’ occupants gather in the park’s gazebo. Among them is Roy Teal, neatly dressed and clean-shaven, who said he’s been homeless off and on for three years.
Source: LJWorld.com.
The Fed could come under fire for easy policy (low rates) while the economy soars and inflation rises
As the economy booms over the next couple of months, the Fed will have a more difficult time defending its super-easy policies. Economists expect the second quarter to grow by more than 9%, and the monthly jobs reports are likely to show very strong hiring, with job growth averaging more than1 million new payrolls in each of the next several months. … After the data was released Friday, the fed funds futures market began to immediately bring forward expectations for a Fed rate hike to December 2022, from the spring of 2023.
Source: CNBC
Municipal Bond Trends for April 5, 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.
28 Kansas airports receive FAA funding for upgrades, repairs and projects
The Federal Aviation Administration is sharing more than $17 million in funding with 28 Kansas airports such as McPherson, Abilene, and Hays for repairs, upgrades, and other projects. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) made the announcement last week. “Local airports help bring economic opportunities and critical resources to communities across Kansas,” said Moran. “It is vital for Kansans to have efficient ways to reach and connect with the rest of the world, and these grants are an investment into the future of our rural airports.”
Source: Atchison Globe Now
City, county sweeten the deal
The Great Bend City Council Monday night approved providing a portion of the local matching funds not to exceed $220,000 for a joint Kansas Department of Transportation cost-share project with Barton County. This covers the portion of SW 40 Avenue known as Airport Road. The grant application calls for a 50-50% match with the state for the $800,000 project to mill and overlay the 2.5 mile stretch. The city and the county would split that total, with the city paying more since 60% of the road falls in the city limits. Two previous 75-25 match (with KDOT covering 75%) applications for the work have failed to gain state approval, City Administrator Kendal Francis said. Officials hope by increasing the local match the application will be more attractive.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Can Kansas schools require masks? JoCo districts already face challenges under new law
Kansas school districts are bracing for challenges to their requirements that students wear masks, as a new state law empowers parents to quickly sue to overturn local board decisions. In Johnson County alone, Olathe, Blue Valley and De Soto schools have already received complaints as teachers and students navigate the final weeks of the academic year. Educational leaders expect more to arrive under a process they fear could lead districts to abandon such COVID-19 precautions in the face of potentially costly court battles. The pandemic forced district leaders to make agonizing decisions about everything from remote learning and sports participation to quarantine protocols and even whether to hold prom. The new state law means school boards may now have to defend their decisions to judges, not just parents and voters.
Source: KC Star Local News