Kansas Municipal News
Lenexa adopts new rules for homeless shelters, making way for Project 1020 to stay open
After a year of collecting public input, weighing regional needs with public safety concerns, and deliberating among city leaders, Lenexa has adopted new city codes that regulate homeless shelters. The Lenexa City Council on Tuesday briefly discussed the new regulations before unanimously agreeing to adopt them as part of the municipal code. City councilmembers said the codes strike the right balance between meeting the needs of folks without a roof over their heads and the concerns about public safety in areas around shelters.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Mission launches $15,000 rent-mortgage assistance program
The Mission City Council Wednesday evening unanimously approved working with Catholic Charities to administer $15,000 to residents who need help paying rent or mortgage bills. City Administrator Laura Smith has been working on the program, and reached out to the United Community Services of Johnson County which helped the city identify Catholic Charities as a housing support provider. Councilmember Hillary Parker Thomas thanked Smith for “massaging” the rent-mortgage assistance idea into a program that she thinks “is going to make a difference for at least a few” Mission families.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Soaring into the future
Allen County Regional Airport may soon be expanding. But what does that mean exactly? To find out more, this Register reporter sat down with Jonathon Goering, economic development director at Thrive Allen County, and Allen County Commissioner, Jerry Daniels, both of whom have been closely involved with the project. To begin, they suggested that the phrase “airport expansion” is a bit tricky, since the primary goal at this stage is to simply have utilities installed on 24 acres in the northwest corner of the airport property (which is owned by the county). Bids are currently being sought to see what those utilities might cost, and if the price is right, the next step will be to develop an Airport Master Plan, and to more assertively court those entities that might be interested in building.
Source: The Iola Register
Midwest Energy joins electric vehicle charging collaboration
Midwest Energy announced it has joined a collaboration group with nine investor-owned utilities, promoting the construction of a multi-state network of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the Midwestern U.S. Midwest Energy signed a memorandum of cooperation with the other utilities, pledging that the co-op would pursue the completion of a foundational electric vehicle (EV) charging network, to soon allow EV owners to drive from Detroit to Colorado, or from northern Michigan to Texas, knowing they can charge their vehicles along the route. “Automakers worldwide are committing huge investments in electric vehicles, with some signaling they’re phasing out fossil fuel engines by 2030,” said Patrick Parke, Midwest Energy’s CEO. “EVs are coming quickly, and by joining this group, Midwest Energy is better positioned to serve not only our customers once EVs become commonplace here, but also visiting drivers across western Kansas.” Midwest Energy does not currently own or maintain any EV chargers, but has worked with private companies, including Electrify America and Tesla, to install fast chargers in parking lots along Interstate 70.
Source: Great Bend Tribune
Housing an issue in Salina
Housing is a complicated and important issue in Salina right now. With companies like Kubota, Schwan’sandothersmovingor expanding manufacturing and business in the community, new workers and their families need places to live. But that is becoming more difficult with the current state of the economy and other factors. Todd Welsh, the owner and broker of SalinaHomes.com, spoke during the Salina Community Economic Development Organization (EDO) board meeting Thursday about the current situation and how the industry is dealing with it. … He said the reason for the low number of listings is that people are buying as soon as houses come on the market, with three days being the average of time a home spends on the market before being sold.
Source: Salina Journal.
Pittsburg to host Pittcation in place of Spring Break
Spring Break is a little different this year because of the pandemic, but one city is trying to make the best of it. Brittan Brenner, Pittsburg Community Development Specialist, said, “We just started talking about events that should happen and we were like “Well there’s no spring break, maybe we could play off something like that, and then it just kind of blew up.” Now the city of Pittsburg is hosting its own version of Spring Break. “We’re planning a week long event called Pittcation starting this Saturday March 20th through Saturday March 27th.” Pittcation is designed to give the mid-semester break so many are craving, whether they’re a student or teacher.
Source: KSNF/KODE
City puts a stop to KCK homeowner’s Chiefs mural, ordering him to take it down
A bit of fun is turning into a bit of a fumble for a Kansas City, Kansas, homeowner after the city threw a penalty flag for the Chiefs mural painted on his house. “We don’t have any HOA here. We don’t have any restrictions that I know of. I just thought I’m going to paint my house, so let’s have some fun,” artist Chris Chancey said. But according to city code, that kind of artwork isn’t allowed in residential areas. Now Chancey has a deadline to take it down. “I told my wife I was going to be painting the house in the spring anyway, and she let me do this,” Chancey said.
Source: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF
Conway Springs City Council appoints new city clerk
The City of Conway Springs has a new city clerk. Courtnie Louia has been named to fill the position that has been vacant since earlier this year. Louia was officially appointed as city clerk at last week’s meeting of the Conway Springs City Council. Louia, who lives in Viola and has a background in business management, takes over the position previously held by Aubrey Hill. Hill resigned to take a position in the private sector.
Source: Times-Sentinel Newspapers
Wichita is expanding internet access program
The city of Wichita will be expanding a program that provides internet access for low-income neighborhoods. The city began providing hot spot devices through a pilot program in 2019, and each device provides wi-fi access for up to 15 devices within a home. When initial funding ran out, the city used federal block grant funding to continue the program. Megan Lovely with the Mayor’s Office said federal CARES Act funding is now being used to expand the program to more homes.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Douglas County leaders to consider reducing use of chemical herbicides for weed control after environmental groups voice concerns
Following concerns from local environmental groups, county leaders are going to reconsider the county’s level of chemical herbicide use and discuss potential reductions. The Douglas County Commission was scheduled to approve the county’s annual Noxious Weed Management Plan as part of its consent agenda Wednesday, but members of local environmental groups voiced concerns. The county uses chemicals to control weeds in unincorporated areas, has agreements with some other entities for the same purpose, and sells chemicals to the public for weed control.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Downtown Lawrence parking meter rates to increase, and new mobile app payment options to be available
Changes are coming next week to downtown metered parking, including increased parking rates and the option of making payments using a mobile app instead of coins. Downtown visitors will soon be able to choose between using the current coin-operated parking meters or new mobile payment options, according to a city news release. The changes coincide with an increase in parking rates. Meters will be updated to reflect the increased rates, and stickers will be added to meters listing mobile payment options throughout the week.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for March 18, 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.
Kansas Rural Opportunity Zone Program
Economic development in rural Kansas could soon be getting an upgrade. House Bill 2431 is being reviewed by the Kansas House of Representatives. If passed this would add more benefits to the rural opportunity zone program. The program was launched back in 2011 and was designed to incentivize people to move to more rural areas in Kansas. … Right now the program offers up to $15,000 in student loan assistance and tax waivers. If passed, this would also include assistance in making down payments.
Source: KSNF/KODE
10-year Treasury yield surges to 14-month high of 1.74%, 30-year rate tops 2.5%
The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield hit 1.74% on Thursday morning, despite reassurance from the Federal Reserve that it had no plans to hike interest rates anytime soon, nor taper its bond-buying program. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note had trimmed some gains to 1.722% by 5:15 a.m. ET. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was at 2.483%. Yields move inversely to prices. After the Fed’s two-day policy meeting concluded on Wednesday, the central bank said it sees stronger economic growth than previously estimated, forecasting gross domestic product to rise to 6.5% in 2021. This is up from the 4.2% GDP increase forecast in December. The Fed also expected core inflation to hit 2.2% this year, but a long-run expectation of it sticking around 2%.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Kansas schools to receive $1 billion for COVID relief
With passage of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan, Kansas public schools should receive approximately $1 billion to address COVID-19 related expenses, such as learning loss, according to a news release from the Kansas Association of School Boards. The new bill — called the American Rescue Act — nearly $123 billion to K-12 schools. President Joe Biden is scheduled to sign it into law last Friday. Kansas’ share of the legislation will be about $600 million. Combined with early coronavirus packages, Kansas will receive about $1 billion in federal assistance under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund (ESSR).
Source: Holton Recorder
State pumps in $300k to Moundridge company to expand internet access
A Moundridge company is getting $312,819 from the state of Kansas to expand broadband services. The state awarded Moundridge Communications Network a matching 50/50 grant to expand fiber internet service to the community of Elyria and a rural area near Hesston. The $625,000 project will provide internet service with up to one-gigabit download speeds to “108 households, 10 businesses, 11 community anchors and one educational institution,” according to the state release. In the rural Hesston area, the company will build out north of Dutch Ave. and east of I-135. “The areas around Hesston have Century Link and they have basically abandoned their customers,” Sommer Smith, Vice President of Moundridge Telephone Co., stated. “We get calls from people regularly asking if we can just come one mile and get them service.”
Source: McPherson Weekly News » Feed
Kansas casinos push for control over legalized sports wagering
Kansas casino managers are pushing House legislators to pass a Senate-backed bill legalizing and regulating online and casino sports gambling. Since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court Ruling affirmed state’s rights to institute sports gambling, half the country has enacted some regulatory practice. Kansas lawmakers are now considering joining the 25 states and Washington, D.C., in the world of sports gambling under the Kansas Expanded Lottery Act, or KELA.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Some Johnson County residents are going to rural Kansas to get vaccinated — here’s why
Sue Wildgen, a Prairie Village resident in her 70s, began looking for COVID-19 vaccination appointments in early February. Several of her friends on the other side of the state line in Missouri received their first doses in early January, and despite filling out Johnson County’s COVID-19 vaccine interest survey and searching for appointments in the metro, Wildgen said her search for weeks was unsuccessful. Then, she heard that Walmart would begin offering vaccines at select locations, and she began looking for appointments across Kansas. So, like some other frustrated Johnson Countians, Wildgen, her husband Paul and fellow Prairie Village residents Beth and Lloyd Koelker, took to the road. The foursome made a two hour drive to Junction City in Geary County, just west of Manhattan, to get vaccinated.
Source: Prairie Village Post
New station moves closer for Hillsboro
A new ambulance station at Hillsboro is closer to being built. County commissioners Monday heard from emergency medical services director Travis Parmley and Hillsboro city administrator Matt Stiles that Hillsboro has done a site survey of the proposed new EMS building in Hillsboro. The station is to be located near Hillsboro’s police department and also near a planned new fire station.
Source: Marion County RECORD
Garden City ends face covering ordinance
The Garden City Commission voted to not extend the citywide, face-covering ordinance at its regular meeting Tuesday. The commission voted 4-1 to end the ordinance, with Commissioner Deb Oyler dissenting. The ordinance was put into effect to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in the community and has been in effect since the Nov. 17 regular Commission meeting.
Source: Garden City Telegram.