Kansas Municipal News
State grants set to improve broadband
Critically needed broadband will soon be available to more than a dozen Kansas communities after the first-round recipients of a state grant program were announced Thursday. The Broadband Acceleration Grant Program, created in fall 2020, aims to increase broadband access across the state through a 10-year, $85 million investment. The program is operated through the office of broadband development in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Eisenhower Legacy transportation program. The initial round provided $5 million in total grant awards to 14 projects in 18 communities; each recipient company matched the state grant it received.
Source: The Iola Register
City of Lawrence to pay 48 fire, police and other employees nearly $1M total in back overtime because of classification mistake
The City of Lawrence has agreed to pay nearly $1 million in back overtime to dozens of firefighter captains, police sergeants and other city employees. Following both an outside and internal review, the city determined it had mistakenly misclassified certain positions as not eligible for overtime when they actually were, according to a city news release Friday. As a result, the city will be paying back overtime totaling $998,600 to 21 fire captains, 24 police sergeants and three city planners. “The City has a responsibility to ensure employees are paid accurately and fairly,” Human Resources Director Lori Carnahan said in the release. “We are committed to correcting any underpayment of overtime to which our employees may be entitled. This is a complex computation and we have been working hard to get it right for our employees.”
Source: LJWorld.com.
City leaders to discuss potential strategies amid ‘critical’ shortage of homes for sale in Lawrence
As the home-buying season gets underway in Lawrence, those in the industry say the city is facing a historic shortage of homes on the market that requires city leaders to take action. Lawrence Board of Realtors President John Huntington said that in his 30 years of experience, he has never seen such a low inventory of homes for sale. As of this past week, he said, only 44 homes were on the market in Lawrence. “We’ve never come even close to numbers like this,” Huntington said. By contrast, around this time last year there were roughly 400 local listings. The board sent a letter to the Lawrence City Commission this past week stating that the city’s housing shortage had hit a “critical crisis” and that the board is seriously concerned about how it will affect housing affordability as well as other economic factors.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Boutique hotel planned for downtown Hutchinson building
Most of the four-story building, erected in 1910 as a downtown office building, has been vacant for more than 50 years — and it shows, with crumbling plaster ceilings, grime-coated floors and deteriorating plywood in the windows. … Their plans now, [Mark] Davenport said, are to convert the building into a boutique hotel. “It will be like a hotel style, but unique to the building,” Davenport said. “So, not like a hotel chain vibe, but it will present the history and character of the building in the décor and design of the building.” The first floor housed some retail space. Its last tenant, Classic Barber Shop, moved out in 2010 after Davis advised he was marketing the building. The second through fourth floors were all offices, though they’ve been vacant since the 1960s, when the building’s elevator was shut down. “There was a lot of history there,” Davenport said. “It’s still there.”
Source: Hutchinson News
Garden City airport terminal project progressing
The new terminal project at the Garden City Regional Airport is progressing. Rachelle Powell, director of aviation at the GCRA, said the initial investigation into the project began in 2016. … The new terminal will be built in the same foot-print of the existing facility but will nearly triple in size, Powell said. It will be longer and wider and will also have a partial second story that will house the restaurant facility as well as extra seating where people can come watch airplanes and will include a baggage belt and a larger hold room. Once constructed the new terminal will have two gates, one will have a jet bridge that can accommodate anything from a regional jet with 50 seats up to a 747 with 150 seats, Powell said. Additionally there will be a ground-boarding option that can accommodate any size aircraft.
Source: Garden City Telegram
Salina bus manufacturing company closing
After being in central Kansas since the 1950s, ElDorado Bus, a division of Forest River Inc., will close its facility in Salina. Forest River issued a Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification (W.A.R.N.) Act Notice to employees this week telling them the operation at 1655 Wall St. in Salina will close. The notice said the closure is because of a reduction in business caused primarily by the COVID-19 pandemic. The facility is set to close during a 14-day period from May 10 to May 24 and termination of employment will occur during this time as well.
Source: Salina Journal.
Municipal Bond Trends for March 11, 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.
Grants available through Main Street
When Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly reinstated the Kansas Main Street program in late 2019, 25 communities that had been part of the program — including Holton — were “grandfathered back into” the program, according to Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce executive director Ashlee York. Last year, however, plans to give the state program and its participating communities a boost were hampered by COVID-19. But now that the pandemic appears to be leveling off, Chamber officials have announced their intent to utilize the state program’s “resources and tools needed to breath new life into our community and district.” That’s according to a statement issued Monday morning by the Chamber board that Kansas Main Street is offering three new grant programs to benefit upper-floor housing, arts programs and new business development in downtown districts.
Source: Holton Recorder
Banks and mutual funds increase their holdings of municipal bonds
Banks and mutual funds increased their holdings of municipal bonds in 2020, followed by a strong increase of holdings by exchange-traded funds. Bank holdings increased to $513 billion from $472 billion from 2019, an increase of 9%. That was among several growth trends that stood out from the Federal Reserve’s flow of funds report covering the final quarter of 2020, released Thursday. “That’s consistent with a long-term trend of banks increasing their appetite for municipals and keeping more municipals on their balance sheet,” said Michael Decker, vice president of policy and research at Bond Dealers of America. “That’s the biggest part of the answer of who is buying these bonds.”
Source: The Bond Buyer
Every Johnson County teacher who wanted a COVID shot has gotten one, officials say
As more students return to classrooms, Johnson County health officials report that all educators who want to receive the COVID-19 vaccine have gotten their first dose. Since the county began vaccinating school staff at the beginning of February, 15,000 educators and child care workers have received the first of two shots. In public schools, more than 74% of staff members have been vaccinated, along with 72% of private school staff and 65% of child care workers, the department said Thursday. Health officials expect those numbers to grow as more teachers and staff members indicate interest in receiving the vaccine, which is voluntary.
Source: Joco 913 News
Shawnee County grassfires continue for 5th straight day
The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office is starting traffic control and advising motorists to stay clear of 61st and Shawnee Heights Road after a controlled burn grew untamable. The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Dispatch center confirmed there was smoke over the road. Although the red flag warning has been lifted, the Topeka Fire Department is asking for no burning in Topeka because of the danger of fire spreading.
Source: KSNT News
As Overland Park explores solutions to U.S. 69 congestion, toll road bill faces skepticism in Topeka
Johnson County transportation liaison Josh Powers can make public safety, economic development and convenience arguments for reliance on tolls to pay for construction of express lanes on what might be the busiest four-lane highway in Kansas. He’s talking about U.S. 69 that slices a north-to-south route through Overland Park. It routinely suffers congestion during rush hour. Overland Park officials approached the Kansas Department of Transportation about widening the highway to six lanes. New northbound and southbound lanes would be referred to as “managed” lanes, which would be a first for Kansas.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Governor Laura Kelly visits McFarland to Celebrate $5 million in Grants to Expand Broadband to Homes, Businesses Statewide
Governor Laura Kelly today announced that through the Broadband Acceleration Grant Program, 14 broadband improvement projects totaling $5 million will improve access to high-speed internet for homes and businesses in 18 communities statewide. “Broadband access has been an overlooked problem in Kansas and across the country for years – but my administration knows it’s a game-changer, particularly for rural and underserved areas of our state,” Governor Kelly said. “These grants use an aggressive timeline to support urgent broadband needs that came to light during the pandemic. We’re committed to ensuring every Kansan has access to the connection they need for telehealth, virtual school, and to ensure business can compete in an increasingly digital-focused economy.” The Broadband Acceleration Grant program was created in 2020 to bring critically needed broadband access to Kansas communities. Funded through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program (IKE), the Office of Broadband Development administers the program to make more ‘last-mile’ connections possible across the state.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach urges residents to get vaccinated in final State of the City address
Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach, who has been in office since 2005, gave what is likely to be his last State of the City address earlier this month. Gerlach, who last month said he would not seek re-election this year, used the annual event March 3 to highlight ways the city has tried to overcome hardships created by the pandemic and stay unified in the midst of unprecedented challenges. The speech is normally given at a live, in-person event but was pre-produced this year and put online due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. Gerlach’s address had a valedictory tone as the Johnson County native tried to wrap up a decades-long career in Overland Park city government.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Sedgwick County opens COVID-19 vaccine to postal, grocery and restaurant workers
Sedgwick County has opened up all of Phase 2 of its COVID-19 vaccination plan, now allowing people such as postal, grocery and restaurant workers to get the shot. Phase 2 was previously broken up into three part, 2A, 2B and 2C. As of Thursday, they are all combined. Click here to see if you’re eligible and here to schedule an appointment online. County Manager Tom Stolz said the county has administered about 75,000 doses in the community.
Source: KAKE – News
Kansas communities set for broadband improvements following first round of state grants
Critically needed broadband will soon be available to more than a dozen Kansas communities after the first-round recipients of a state grant program were announced Thursday. The Broadband Acceleration Grant Program, created in fall 2020, aims to increase broadband access across the state through a 10-year, $85 million investment. The program is operated through the office of broadband development in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Eisenhower Legacy transportation program. The initial round provided $5 million in total grant awards to 14 companies in 18 communities; each company matched the state grant it received.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Energy assistance program expanded
The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program is being expanded to help Kansas residents with high utility bills, according to Gov. Laura Kelly. Gov. Kelly announced Thursday that the application deadline for LIEAP assistance is being extended to May 28. Also, income requirements for the program are changing from 130 percent to 150 percent of the federal poverty level, according to the governor’s office. For example, a household of four that makes $39,300 a year or $3,275 a month would qualify for LIEAP assistance.
Source: Wyandotte Daily
Topeka agrees to pay $335,000 to settle lawsuit linked to 2016 police SUV crash
Topeka’s city government has agreed to pay $335,000 to settle a lawsuit over an April 2016 crash in which a vehicle driven by an undocumented immigrant was hit by a Topeka police SUV, which allegedly went through a red light while responding to a call with its lights and siren on. The city paid that amount in the suit pursued by motorist Jesus Meza and his passenger and niece, Meyra Meraz Aguirre, said Molly Hadfield, the city’s media relations director.
Source: CJonline.com.
Garden City applies for state loan for utility help
The Garden City Commission applied for a utility low-interest loan program through the state of Kansas for assistance in financing high utility costs incurred during the extreme winter weather in February at a special meeting Wednesday. The cold weather incurred just over $10 million in additional expenses to the city’s electric utility…. Mike Muirhead, Garden City Public Utilities director, said the loan program is available to any city in Kansas that has incurred extraordinary costs due to the weather.
Source: Garden City Telegram.
Sedgwick’s new flag design unveiled
Sedgwick’s very own flag is coming soon to a flagpole near you. Leigh Charles and Janise Enterkin were chosen as co-winners of the flag design contest from January, with part of each submission appearing in the final design. It primarily uses Charles’s idea, while also including the main element of Enterkin’s. “Mine started out a lot busier, with more things from the community,” Charles said. “But I thought, as a flag, it needed to be simplified and have bright colors.” She chose to incorporate red and black, based on Sedgwick’s school colors, and she made the triangles on either side yellow to match the yellow in the city seal at the center.
Source: Harvey County Now