Kansas Municipal News
Sedgwick Co. Commission opposes bill that would reimburse some businesses’ property taxes
The Sedgwick County Commission is against a bill that would force counties to reimburse some business owners for actions taken during the coronavirus pandemic. Some counties have forced businesses to shut down or limit the number of customers during the pandemic, but those businesses still had to pay property taxes during that time. Kansas House Bill 2142 would let the businesses request and get reimbursed. On Tuesday, Feb. 9, the Sedgwick County Board of Commissioners is submitting testimony in opposition to the bill. The county said in a letter it appears to undermine the efforts, as the board of health, to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The commission also said in the letter it could affect tax dollars retroactive to Dec. 31, 2019, that were received, spent, and used to provide county services to residents and businesses.
Source: KSN-TV
Salina moves Smoky Hill River Festival to September
Mark your calendars for a new month for the popular Smoky Hill River Festival in Salina. It will now be Thursday to Sunday, September 2-5, Labor Day weekend. The Salina Arts and Humanities consulted with City of Salina staff and officials before making the change. It was originally scheduled for June 10-13. Uncertainty about the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccinations played a part in deciding to move the festival to September. The concern was that public-health conditions might still be in flux in June.
Source: KSN-TV
Wichita schools drop Redskins mascot from North High
Wichita North High School will drop the use of its Redskins mascot. The Board of Education, in a unanimous vote, decided to end the mascot’s use over a two-year period. “We have a wonderful opportunity to correct a past wrong,” said board president Stan Reeser. A committee created by Wichita Public Schools to study the mascot determined: “the term is offensive to Native Americans and the Native American Culture. The term is racially and culturally insensitive.” Starting next school year, the district will start removing “Redskin” from athletic and fine arts uniforms, jerseys and facilities, as well as school-related activities and school apparel. Trophies and statues are exempted from the removal.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Cold snap could bring longest stretch of subfreezing days since 1983, NWS Wichita says
If the frigid weather continues into next week, portions of Kansas including Wichita could see their longest stretch of subfreezing days in nearly 40 years. The National Weather Service in Wichita tweeted Monday that below-freezing temperatures are “looking probable” through at least Feb. 17. If that happens, “it’ll be the longest number of consecutive sub-freezing days for many locations across central and eastern Kansas since December 1983,” the tweet says.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Sedgwick County lowers age restrictions on COVID vaccine; appointments open all week
The Sedgwick County Health Department has opened its COVID-19 vaccination program to anyone 75 or older and is scheduling appointments for walk-in or drive-through vaccines all week, county officials announced Monday afternoon. Sedgwick County is offering first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to anyone in that age group who lives or works in the county. All vaccines by the county health department are by appointment only. To book an appointment, visit sedgwickcounty.org/covid-19/vaccine/schedule/ or call 316-660-1029.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Labette County commission sets wind farm meeting
Labette County commissioners agreed to meet with the public in two weeks to hear concerns about or support for the proposed development of a wind farm in the western half of the county. … RWE, a German utility company, is exploring the development of a wind farm that would have 50 to 75 turbines generating between 200 and 250 megawatts of power. The turbines could be 500 feet tall at the tip of the blade. RWE is collecting wind and weather information now and this data will help determine turbine location, height and the number of turbines needed.
Source: Parsons Sun
As bitter cold approaches, City of Lawrence to open recreation centers as drop-in warming spots
With bitterly cold weather forecast for this weekend and next week, the City of Lawrence will be opening its recreation centers and other facilities for use as drop-in warming spots. … The city is funding an overnight cold-weather shelter at local hotels and helping operate a campsite with heated tents in Woody Park, and it stated in a news release Friday that the warming centers would continue the city’s work to provide safety and shelter for all residents.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for February 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.
Johnson County mayors reflect on COVID-19, racial unrest and business development in 2020
Northeast Johnson County mayors reflected on 2020 — a year notably filled with coronavirus-related challenges — at the 2021 NEJC Chamber State of the Cities luncheon last month. The luncheon itself served as an example of a COVID-19 challenge, as the annual event went virtual with an afternoon Zoom call. While racial unrest, the 2020 election and big city projects were all hot topics, COVID-19 sat atop everyone’s list, including Overland Park Council President Kurt Skoog — who stood in for Mayor Carl Gerlach.
Source: Prairie Village Post
City preps next step in privatization of Century II operations
The city of Wichita is taking the next step in a plan to outsource the management of Century II. The Wichita City Council on Tuesday will vote to authorize the release of a request for proposal (RFP) that will be sent to prospective private building management companies later this month. The move to private management has been envisioned as a cost-saving measure, with Robert Layton, city manager, having previously said it would considerably reduce — if not eliminate — the roughly $2.5 million the city spends on the building’s operating costs each year.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
First of Johnson County’s big districts to allow all students in classrooms full time
For the first time this school year, the Olathe school district will allow all students to return to the classroom full time, starting next month. It’s the first of Johnson County’s largest districts to announce that students in middle school and high school will be allowed in classrooms five days a week, just like elementary school students have been doing. The smaller Spring Hill district and De Soto district allowed secondary students to return to full-time, in-person learning on Feb. 1.
Source: Joco 913 News
Strong City Opera House awarded $90,000 Heritage Trust Fund grant
The Strong City Opera House has been awarded a $90,000 Heritage Trust Fund grant by the Kansas Historical Society, Saturday morning. The funds are a much needed boost for the Strong City Preservation Alliance to continue renovations on the historic building located at the corner of 5th and Cottonwood streets. “It’s been a very emotional day,” said Ross MacTaggart, SCPA member, of the announcement.
Source: Emporia Gazette
Emporia area officials committed to hosting 2021 slate of community events
While the pandemic is sure to continue altering plans for months to come, local officials say they’re committed to providing as normal — and as entertaining — of a year as possible moving forward. During a brief joint city/county luncheon Wednesday, officials discussed the general impacts COVID-19 has had on the community thus far, with one of the chief among them being the cancellation of numerous popular local events and celebrations. In speaking on the importance of providing residents something to look forward to, Mayor Rob Gilligan encouraged attendees to do everything in their power to promote a return to normalcy.
Source: Emporia Gazette
New Health Order helps bars and restaurants prepare for BIG GAME
New Sedgwick County Health order started at midnight last night, just in time for local restaurants to prepare for fans to enjoy the big game in person. KSN talked with bar and restaurant staff this weekend who say they’re excited for some safe social interaction. Staff at The Rusty Nail and Hurricane Bar and Grill say it’s been quite some time since they have been able to host events like these because of the pandemic. So, they are very excited about it. Both locations have sanitized their restaurants several times and say they have enough space for people to watch the game, and still be socially distanced.
Source: KSN-TV
Speeding up the Sedgwick county vaccine process
Waiting for vaccine doses — if you have been heading to either of the two Sedgwick county sites providing vaccines you may have had to wait. Friday morning at the drive-thru clinic at the Wichita City Transit Office on 777 E. Waterman, things were running smoothly with very little wait. The night before, however, the lines were longer. The Sedgwick County Health director said one reason for the longer lines is that many people are showing up early.
Source: KSN-TV
Logo is no go at Winfield school district
Winfield USD 465 is holding a contest to find another Viking logo. The familiar, lushly bearded Viking set sail for colder waters after the district learned that it is the one used by Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D., and has been for years. According to USD 465 Superintendent Nathan Reed, last year he was contacted by an Augustana alumnus irate that USD 465 was using the university’s logo.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler
‘Bring Back the Boulevard’ group plans major improvements along S.W. Topeka Boulevard
In July 2019, local businessman and longtime Topekan Kent Lammers sent a letter to Topeka’s mayor and city council asking whether improvements were being planned for the southernmost stretch of S.W. Topeka Boulevard. “With several new and exciting attractions, such as the Heartland Stampede and the downtown Evergy Plaza, is there a plan to address the condition of the South Topeka Boulevard corridor?” he wrote. “As a main gateway to Topeka from Forbes and a major thoroughfare to and from Heartland Park and downtown, the first impression of Topeka when arriving from the south is not good.”
Source: CJonline.com.
Housing coalition planning tiny house village in McPherson
There is a new, unique housing project coming to the city of McPherson, put together by the McPherson Housing Coalition over the course of the past several months. The coalition is looking to build several “tiny homes” under the banner of “Oak Harbor Cottages” on the corner of S. Oak and E. Skanke. The 10 homes — about 460 square feet each — will be there to help people get back on their feet after life changes render them homeless or near homeless. It is a response to the phone calls that come in too often — a family sleeping in their car because they have no place to go. The coalition can help, but sometimes there is a struggle and a wait. “We often have no place to put them,” said Chris Goodson, coalition member.
Source: Hutchinson News.
New muni bonds deal see ample demand, as rates remain low
“There is a lot of money on the sidelines going to work on new issues,” a New York municipal manager said. However, a lot of the demand is intermediate and long focused. “It’s still a challenge in the front of the market with the low yields. Once you get to below the 0.20% level you lose retail,” he said. … And rates should not rise anytime soon, as inflation should remain “subdued” this year, although higher than it’s been in a while, according to Ned Davis Research Senior U.S. Economist Veneta Dimitrova. The firm expects inflation to rise about 2.2% this year, despite a “temporary spike” in the spring as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on inflation last spring.
Source: Bond Buyer.
Pandemic relief funding slated for Kansas infrastructure
Kansas plans to invest the nearly $85 million the state received in federal coronavirus relief funding for infrastructure programs and services in every county, leaving no part of the state behind, Gov. Laura Kelly said Thursday. The governor was joined by Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz at a street paving project in Newton to announce plans for the statewide distribution of the federal COVID-19 relief money. In deciding how to best invest the money it received, the state also decided on an approach that would invest the maximum amount of dollars into the economy in the least amount of time. It also is targeting additional economic opportunities in communities that have been hardest hit during the pandemic, Kelly said.
Source: KAKE – News