Kansas Municipal News
Salina to break ground on multi-family housing
Work on new multi-family housing will begin soon in Salina. The complex will be built near Magnolia and Interstate-135. The City of Salina says the location will offer future residents access to shopping, dining and entertainment. Funding for the apartment, $25,000,000, was awarded through Kansas HB 2510 and Kansas SB 267 by the Department of Commerce to help accommodate housing expansion needed for new employees in the area. “Phase 1 will offer 254 modern apartments, featuring spacious floor plans, Basketball Court, Children’s Playground, Pickleball Court, BBQ grilling area, Clubhouse & in-unit laundry. We are confident that these apartments will appeal to a wide range of residents, from young professionals to families,” said Jeremy Hurt, lead contact for Salina Destination Development. Salina Destination Development was selected through a competitive RFP process and approved by the Salina City Commission.
Source: KSN-TV
New license plate cameras are catching criminals in Pittsburg
New license plate recognition cameras installed across Pittsburg are quickly starting to pay off.
In February, 14 license plate recognition or LPR cameras purchased from Flock Safety out of Atlanta, were installed with the hope of catching criminals coming in and out of Pittsburg.
The cameras send real-time alerts to law enforcement when it recognizes a stolen vehicle — or one associated with a missing persons case from an “Amber” or “Silver” alert. Within two months of implementing the LPR cameras, Pittsburg Police are already seeing positive results.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Artist building largest ‘I Like Ike’ button in Abilene
The cattle town of Abilene is embarking on another “world’s largest” tourism project this year focused on honoring one of its most famous residents.
The Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau announced in a press release Thursday, May 2 it plans to construct the world’s largest “I Like Ike” campaign button in honor of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. A $22,000 Kansas Tourism Attraction Development grant will be used to fund the project along with donations collected from more than 200 sources.
Julie Roller-Weeks with the visitor’s bureau says the inspiration for this project comes on the heels of the success of the new world’s largest belt buckle constructed in Abilene in 2022. This new attraction is being constructed by local artist Jason Lahr of Fluters Creek Metal Works who was responsible for making the massive belt buckle.
Source: KSNT 27 News
An Emporia park is saved, after community rallies together
The controversy over an Emporia park is over. On Wednesday, May 1, Quaker Park in Emporia was removed from the surplus property list. The City was trying to sell the park for a housing development but now says Quaker Park will not be turned into housing. The city gathered to make this decision during the City Commission Agenda Meeting. By starting a petition, people in the community collected more than 800 signatures to save the park, with only 462 signatures needed. The city commission validated the advocate’s efforts today in the meeting.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Heavy flooding leaves parts of Fort Scott underwater
Fort Scott, Kansas is hit the hardest with flooding from the weekend storms. According to city officials, most of the flooding is north of town and along Highway 54 east towards Uniontown. Most of the clean-up around town should take less than a week. Damaged roads will be repaired.
Source: KOAM News
Public hearing for Shawnee Co. solar and wind farms
The Shawnee County Planning Commission will consider a wind energy ban and a one-year solar energy moratorium. “This public hearing process is a very important step to take as Shawnee County considers banning wind farms, and a moratorium on solar farms,” Director of the Shawnee County Planning Department Joni Thadani said. “We look forward to hearing from the community. Even if you are unable to attend in person, you can watch the meeting on the Shawnee County YouTube livestream.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
Municipal Bond Trends for May 2, 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 1, 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.
Fed keeps rates steady as it notes ‘lack of further progress’ on inflation
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held its ground on interest rates, again deciding not to cut as it continues a battle with inflation that has grown more difficult lately. In a widely expected move, the U.S. central bank kept its benchmark short-term borrowing rate in a targeted range between 5.25%-5%. The federal funds rate has been at that level since July 2023, when the Fed last hiked and took the range to its highest level in more than two decades. … With its the decision to hold the line on rates, the committee in its post-meeting statement noted a “lack of further progress” in getting inflation back down to the central bank’s 2% target.
Source: CNBC
Crawford County landowners speak out against wind, solar
The Crawford County Commission room was packed on Friday as dozens of local landowners were present to show support for a moratorium on any further development of wind and solar farms in the county. Calling themselves the Crawford County Coalition Against Industrial Wind and Solar, county resident Ray Huff spoke on their behalf. Huff said he is not “anti-green” or a conspiracy theorist, but focused on the potential detrimental effects wind turbines have on local wildlife.
Source: Morning Sun
Historic Johnson County village is falling apart. Will Panasonic plant save or kill it?
Directly across from Clearview, spread along more than a half-mile of West 103rd Street, Panasonic’s $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant is rising on the grounds of the old ordnance works. Scheduled to open in 2025 with some 4,000 workers, nothing since World War II has so impacted De Soto, a mostly rural town of 6,500. That includes fueling rumors on the fate of Clearview and its 500 or so residents.
Source: KC Star Local News
Evinger feels call to serve leading fire/EMT reserves
For nearly 20 years, Mike Evinger has been a dedicated volunteer and mentor to the Arkansas City Fire/EMS Department, a role he never imagined would become such a significant part of his life. When he’s not rushing to aid in emergencies as the reserve captain for the department, Evinger can often be found caring for yards throughout the community. As the reserve captain, Evinger is responsible for coordinating and leading the reserve team, ensuring their readiness for emergency response. It’s hard to imagine that these two worlds could merge as one, but for Evinger, being a volunteer for the department is rooted in personal experience.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Digging deep into the history of Olathe, this documentary filmmaker discovered gems
Gregory Sheffer thought he knew Olathe history. After all, he grew up in the Olathe school system and earned a history degree from MidAmerica Narazene University in Olathe. There was, Sheffer discovered, more to know about Olathe’s history. And through a documentary film project, he’s learned a lot more — and so have the people of Olathe.
Source: Kansas City Breaking News & Sports | The Kansas City Star
Governor Kelly Announces Kansas Moving Forward with $451.7M High-Speed Internet Deployment Plan
Governor Laura Kelly announced federal approval of the state’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume 2, providing an investment of more than $450 million to expand Kansas’ high-speed internet infrastructure. Funding will be granted to areas that have been identified as underserved through a competitive application process that will begin in July. … Eligible homes and businesses within the predetermined funding areas will be made public for 60 days before the application process opens. This transparency ensures that applicants have adequate time to become aware of opportunities and to prepare for the process. Preregistration for BEAD applicants is set to begin Monday, May 13.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Pittsburg area growth continues
The Pittsburg State Kelce College of Business has released its economic summary for the first quarter of 2024. Overall, the Pittsburg Micropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) is still growing, often at rates above the state and national averages. According to the summary, Pittsburg’s economy relies on small businesses, those with fewer than 50 employees, which make up more than 94 percent of all businesses in the area. Supporting these businesses requires a healthy local banking industry to supply capital for growth and expansion. On average, small, local banks approve 82 percent of small business loans, while larger, national banks average a 68 percent approval rate.
Source: Morning Sun
De Soto tackles major infrastructure upgrades amid development boom
Upgrading public infrastructure is the first hurdle De Soto must clear as city leaders navigate a generational boom in economic development. Panasonic’s plans to build an electric-vehicle battery manufacturing facility in De Soto kicked off a tight deadline to make water, sewer, road and electrical infrastructure upgrades before the plant’s production start date, City Administrator Mike Brungardt said.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal
Fort Scott Fire water rescue stay busy; Near record flooding City Manager says
Due to the heavy rains across SE Kansas the past two days the Marmaton River [pron: Mar-muh-ton] has grown out of its banks, cutting off a portion of Fort Scott to nearby Missouri and north to US-54. But it’s nothing new. It just doesn’t happened all the time. The Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin stated Sunday morning, “the city has had about 10-inches of rain in the past 48 hours and we have a lot of flooding.” He continued by asking citizens to stay home Sunday.
Source: KOAM News
Kansas AG says Johnson County didn’t break open meetings law after commissioner complaint
The Kansas Attorney General’s Office has found the Johnson County Commission did not violate the state open meetings law last year when it discussed salary raises for three top employees behind closed doors. But, the office did call for Johnson County to implement some changes after discovering a few technical issues with how the commission has called closed meetings.
Source: Joco 913 News
Governor Kelly signs train setback bill
The train safety bill originally pushed by State Senator Carolyn McGinn was signed by Governor Laura Kelly. House Bill 2501 requires trains in Kansas to park 250 feet back from the railroad crossing, unless the Department of Transportation requires a different distance at a location. “I am glad that we were able to pass the set backs for trains,” McGinn said in an email. “The 250-foot setback will help drivers have the opportunity to see approaching trains.”
Source: Harvey County Now
Olathe puts finishing touches on ‘significant’ trail project’s latest phase
Olathe recently put the finishing touches on the much-anticipated second phase of its Cedar Creek Trail. Last week, city leaders officially celebrated the completion of this phase of the trail with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This most recent round of work on the Cedar Creek Trail fully connects the nearly 260-acre Lake Olathe Park on the city’s western side to Cedar Lake Park in southern Olathe.
Source: Johnson County Post