Kansas Municipal News
3,000 small Kansas businesses received nearly $57 million from COVID Relief Fund
Governor Laura Kelly announced Monday that roughly 3,000 small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic received nearly $57 million in Small Business Working Capital (SBWC) grants. The grants were funded by the Coronavirus Relief Fund. Kansas businesses with less than 500 employees were eligible to apply for the SBWC grant funding. The funds could be used to pay working capital expenses such as payroll, insurance, rent, mortgage payments, utilities, inventory and more.
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas wind energy supporters defend local control, economic investments
Kansas wind energy representatives and advocates guaranteed a senate panel Tuesday a bill currently under consideration would end industry investment and development in the state if approved. Senate Bill 279 would establish state regulation of wind generation facilities, replacing county commission discretions on the establishment of these sites. State law would define turbine setbacks from business, homes and parks, among other areas, and set caps on sound and light emitted by turbines. Proponents of the bill have urged legislators to give them leverage to block these projects, but opponents backed a decision-making process and zoning laws they said have worked well for years.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Kansas hopes to receive 100,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week
Kansas is hoping to get as many as 100,000 added doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as early as next week. Health officials said 100,000 more doses of the single-shot vaccine would be roughly a two-thirds increase in the state’s weekly vaccine supply. “The ramp up in production has been a big goal of the Biden administration and I’m hopeful, from what I hear from the folks in Washington, translates for more vaccine for Kansas,” said Dr. Marci Nielsen, Kansas’ COVID-19 vaccine advisor.
Source: KMBC.com
House advances bill expanding alcohol sales on Sundays, lawmakers cite Chiefs as big reason
Lawmakers are moving forward with a bill that increases access to beer and liquor in the state of Kansas. The House advanced a bill that would allow alcohol sales to begin at 9 a.m. on Sundays instead of noon. It also removes Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day from the statewide banned sales list, though it was allowed in some areas already. For Sunday, even with expanded hours, liquor stores would still need to close by 8 pm. For the other six days of the week the hours can be 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Supporters said a main reason for earlier sales in Kansas is because of the football team in Missouri.
Source: KSNT News
Lenexa bringing back many community events this year
Lenexa is planning multiple community events through July to bring people together safely this year. The “City of Festivals” has brought back many of its events for the first half of this year, although many of them have been reformatted for COVID-19 mitigation protocols. Logan Wagler, director of parks and recreation for Lenexa, said his team is excited to bring the community together again. At the same time, health and wellness of the community remains a top priority. “Given the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and public health orders we have had to reimagine how we can continue to provide our services safely,” Wagler said. “It’s important to understand that large events require lots of advanced planning and coordination to be successful. Because the pandemic has been a very fluid situation, decisions for all of our programs, services, and events can only be made on the information that is currently available.”
Source: Prairie Village Post
KCK school board votes to return to in-person classes March 31
The Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education voted Tuesday night to return to in-person classes on Wednesday, March 31, earlier than previously decided. Students still will have the option for remote learning, if their parents choose. District officials explained that the reason for changing from the earlier approved April 5 return date was that the Kansas Legislature had passed a bill requiring the March 31 return date. Different forms of the bill are expected to go to a conference committee before final approval, and after that, the bill would be signed or vetoed by the governor.
Source: Wyandotte Daily
Library District reminds OP residents about power of words to inspire and console
Did you know that Overland Park has a Library District? It’s a neighborhood that extends south and east from Johnson County’s Central Resource Library at 9875 W. 87th St. Now, thanks to a project completed in time for spring walking weather, pedestrians can be reminded of both the area’s identity and the power of words to inspire and console. Ten plaques, each with a quote from a children’s book author, have been installed alongside the sidewalks on 91st and Farley streets. Starting near the library at 87th and Farley, the mile-plus route takes pedestrians south on Farley to 91st and then east almost to Antioch Road — past Strang Park and Pawnee Elementary School.
Source: Joco 913 News
Overland Park task force would review chip seal, stormwater and other infrastructure needs
Overland Park needs an advisory board to consider the best ways to maintain and pay for streets, sidewalks and stormwater improvements, three city councilmembers say. …The ongoing controversy over chip seal – a road surfacing method that presses crushed rock into a sticky layer of asphalt – would likely be on the list of things to consider, as would stormwater and landscaping practices to minimize environmental harm… Chip seal has been an issue because of its unpopularity with some residents who say it is dangerous for playing children or bicyclists who may fall on the surface, in addition to posing a hazard to cars that can be hit by small chunks of debris kicked up by another vehicle’s tires.
Source: Prairie Village Post
City of Manhattan could lose funding if defined as a ‘micropolitan’ by federal government
The federal government is considering changing what it considers a metropolitan area. A new proposal would raise the minimum population from 50,000 to 100,000 people. If this change moved forward, 144 cities across the country would be considered “micropolitan” by the federal government. In Kansas, this would affect Manhattan and Lawrence. Manhattan Assistant City Manager Dennis Marstall said this would put the city at risk of losing federal funds for a variety of programs.
Source: KSNT News
Bill would limit wind farms in Kansas
Forty-one percent of the state’s electricity is coming from wind energy. That’s second most in the nation, but some people are saying that’s high enough. A new bill would put major restrictions on wind farms in Kansas. The bill would put restrictions on where wind turbines can go, and how construction is approved. Many wind energy advocates are against the bill.
Source: KSNT News
Municipal Bond Trends for March 22, 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.
Almost $57 million went to Kansas small businesses through Coronavirus Relief Fund
Nearly 3,000 Kansas small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic received nearly $57 million in Small Business Working Capital grants, according to Gov. Laura Kelly. The Coronavirus Relief Fund assisted some of the hardest-hit businesses in the state when they needed it most, according to the governor. “We’ll use every resource we can to support small businesses as we recover from COVID-19,” Gov. Kelly said. “SBWC is just one of many programs we mobilized over the last year to strengthen and protect our businesses affected by COVID-19, so our businesses and our economy emerge from the pandemic stronger than before.” Kansas businesses with fewer than 500 employees were eligible to apply for SBWC grant funding made available by Governor Kelly’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Taskforce through the federal CARES Act. Grant funds could be used to pay working capital expenses such as payroll, insurance, rent, mortgage payments, utilities, inventory and more.
Source: Wyandotte Daily
Counties to receive funding for bridge replacement projects
Six additional projects that will replace rural deficient bridges in Kansas have been selected for funding through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Off-System Bridge Program. The counties receiving projects include Atchison, Wabaunsee, Phillips, Franklin, Wilson and Reno. Projects in the first round of KDOT’s off-system bridge program were selected in fall 2020. With addition federal funds recently made available to Kansas through the Highway Infrastructure Program, additional projects were chosen as part of the state program. These projects will receive $3.94 million in federal funding and will total approximately $5 million in construction costs. “Atchison County is very excited about being selected for this program for a bridge replacement over Stranger Creek,” said Joe Snyder, Atchison County Road and Bridge Superintendent. “Without these KDOT programs, it can be difficult for counties like ours to have sufficient funding for replacement of these off-system bridges.”
Source: Atchison Globe Now
Sedgwick County likely to drop mask mandate this week; say state’s forcing its hand
Sedgwick County will likely have to drop its COVID-19 mask mandate this week because of action in the state Legislature, county commissioners said Monday. A bill that passed in Topeka last week essentially strips the commission and the local health officer, Dr. Garold Minns, from placing any restrictions on businesses for the remainder of the coronavirus pandemic, commissioners said. Dropping the mandate is not on the county’s official agenda at this point, but could come up at the county staff meeting on Tuesday and/or the regular meeting Wednesday.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Kansas forms public-private council to tackle workforce improvement
Education and business leaders across Kansas will team up in an effort to develop, retain and attract talented workers to the state. Gov. Laura Kelly signed an executive order Monday creating the Advantage Kansas Coordinating Council (AKCC) with the targeted goal of improving the state’s workforce. “As we recover from the pandemic, we must rebuild a stronger, healthier workforce that can meet the demands of our growing economy,” Kelly said in a statement. “The Advantage Kansas Coordinating Council will empower education and industry leaders to collaborate on long-term solutions, develop the most skilled workforce in the Midwestern region, and recruit new businesses to our state.”
Source: Parsons Sun
Legislative Post Audit: Evaluating County Government Procurement and Contracting Practices
Audit objective was to answer the following question: Do a selection of county governments have adequate procedures and controls to manage conflict of interests in the procurement and contracting processes?
Read the audit report here.
Municipal Bond Trends for March 19, 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.
40 years after its only doctor died, a tiny Kansas town refuses to do the same
In normal times, this past weekend would have been a climactic one for the tiny town of Cuba, Kansas. The third weekend of March was traditionally their annual Rock-a-Thon, which is not a week-long dance party to classic AM radio hits. It is literally people in rocking chairs 24 hours a day for seven days. This tradition started in the basement of a laundromat back in the 1970s as something fun to do while everyone waited for spring — and raise a little money in the process, maybe break some world records. “People would come over from all over Republic County and bring their frying pans and make hamburgers at 3 in the morning until the next crew came over, then go to work. It was that community spirit,” says Jim Richardson, the National Geographic photographer who lives an hour and a half south of Cuba in Lindsborg, where he operates the Small World Gallery. Richardson spent 40 years documenting the life of Cuba, a project that earned interest from places like CBS Sunday Morning.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Are alcohol drinks to-go here to stay? A Kansas bill is bringing a mixed reaction
A year after Kansas made a temporary memorandum to allow businesses to serve alcohol to-go, some lawmakers are wanting to keep the option on tap. The exception was created to help businesses survive the pandemic. Both restaurants and drive-thrus have taken advantage of the to-go option. There is a bill that has already passed the House that would make the alcohol to-go sales permanent. “There will always be a group of individuals that will want to take takeout, and it just makes sense that their takeout should be paired with the beverage of their choice, and I think it’s been hugely popular,” said Rep. Kristey Williams. With many of the to-go drinks sealed by a plastic bag, some people like Bob Recchio have concerns.
Source: KSN-TV
Bootleggers Vs. Badges is now a new exhibit at a Crawford County Historical Museum
The Crawford County Historical Museum is running a new exhibit. The exhibit is called “Bootleggers Vs. Badges” and it tells the story of when Kansas implemented Prohibition. Kansas was the first U,S, state to adopt a constitutional amendment prohibiting the manufacturing and sale of alcohol. The exhibit takes you through when alcohol was prohibited and what law enforcement did during that time and what bootleggers and their families did to survive. Amanda Minton, Executive Director and Curator, says, “Many were too proud to ask for charity. They relied upon their own devices many women even made whiskey on their stovetops. They did what they had to do to put food on the table and put a roof over their head.”
Source: KSNF/KODE