(316) 264-3400|info@ransonfinancial.com
FacebookXLinkedIn

Municipal News & Jobs

Municipal News & Jobs2018-08-05T16:28:50-05:00

Kansas Municipal News

Louisburg’s FLIP for residences & businesses

FLIP, or Facades of Louisburg Improvement Program, provides matching funds from the city to assist in facade improvements. New for 2021 is a change in the appraised value of a residential home to $197,750 from $175,000. Under FLIP Residential provides residents a one-time reimbursement grant of 50% of the project costs. However, the city’s reimbursable amount shall not exceed $500. For example, if your project costs $500 then the reimbursable amount will be $250; a $750 project will award $375 and a $1,000 project will earn you the full $500 allowed. Eligible projects include concrete work such as a new driveway, stoop or sidewalk or foundation repair, exterior window or door replacement, painting, siding or roofing, landscaping or lighting.
Source: Louisburg, KS-Newsflash

‘We’re waiting on it.’ Vaccine arriving slowly

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is going to be as slow as getting COVID-19 test kits, according to Thomas Langer, City-Cowley County Health Department director. “Remember back in March we couldn’t get enough tests,” Langer said. “Now we have all the tests we need. That’s the way it is with the vaccine.” Cowley County does not have nearly enough vaccine, Langer said. “We’re waiting on it.”
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler

Relief funds keeping SCKMC in the black

After months of struggling with reduced staff and financial shortages due to COVID-19, South Central Kansas Medical Center is starting to get back on its feet, hospital trustees were told during the December meeting. CFO Debbie Hockenbury reported that the hospital saw a gain of $1.15 million in November, giving it a year-to-date total of $7.9 million more revenue than expenses. Much of the gain was due to a large adjustment in deprecation expenses. Board Chair Dan Jurokovich said Monday that the $7.9 million surplus was largely due to $10,808,496 in funds received through the CARES Act relief money, and Medicare and Medicaid advances. He said without those funds, the year to date loss for 2020 would have been more than $3 million. The medical center broke even in December.
Source: The Arkansas City Traveler

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly says Sunflower State exceeded goal of 1 million COVID-19 tests in 2020

Gov. Laura Kelly said Tuesday that Kansas exceeded its goal to conduct 1 million COVID-19 tests in 2020. “In October, we launched our Unified Testing Strategy with a goal of testing one million Kansans by the end of the year, and I’m excited to announce that we exceeded that number,” Kelly said.  “This coordinated partnership between state health officials and local providers, in addition to a majority of counties’ decision to adopt face covering requirements, led to the control of the spread of the virus in Kansas for the first time since the stay-at-home order was lifted in May.” Kansas conducted over 1,001,000 tests in 2020, and as of Monday, it reported that 1,024,129 people have been tested since the start of the outbreak.
Source: KMBC.com

Harvey County Commission extends local mass gathering limit

The Harvey County Commission voted to extend a local health order limiting mass gatherings in Harvey County to 10 individuals. The order remains in effect until rescinded, superseded or amended. The commission, which serves as the local board of health, and in consultation with Public Health Officer Dr. Doyle Detweiler, approved the extension at its Jan. 5 meeting. The order requires gatherings be limited to 10 individuals where six feet of distance cannot be maintained. It does not limit the occupancy allowed in a facility or event if six feet of distance can be maintained between groups at all times.
Source: KSN-TV

Wichita State University releases Wichita and Kansas employment forecasts as coronavirus pandemic continues

The Wichita State University Center for Economic Development and Business Research released the 2021 employment forecast for Wichita and Kansas. For Wichita, unemployment spiked in April 2020 to 17.7% due to the coronavirus pandemic. The economy began to recover in the third quarter as unemployment dropped back to 6.8% in October 2020. Recovery is expected to continue in the fourth quarter of 2020 and job growth is expected into 2021. Average employment growth is forecast to be 0.7% in 2021, which would add more than 2,000 jobs back to the Wichita economy.
Source: KSN-TV

U.S. municipal bond sales hit record $451.2 billion in 2020

U.S. states, cities, schools and other issuers sold $451.2 billion of municipal bonds last year, the highest amount on records that date back to 1980, according to Refinitiv data on Monday. With the U.S. Federal Reserve pushing interest rates to historical lows to combat the economic fallout from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, muni bond sales were up 11% compared to 2019.
Source: Reuters.

Back to school means majority in classrooms for Derby USD 260

Back to school means mask up and keep your distance. Derby schools is seeing roughly 75-percent of the kids in class with the rest in remote learning. “We are excited to be back,” said Katie Carlson, Director of Communications for USD 260 Derby Schools. “And optimistic we will be able to remain there. But that’s why we review every couple of weeks.” Gating criteria for in-class learning is reviewed by the Derby Schools gating criteria committee. “To make informed, current decisions with the safety of students and staff at the forefront,” said Carlson. Surveys are going out to parents and families starting Tuesday for decisions about the next nine weeks.
Source: KSN-TV

Wichita council poised to name new library for leader of 1958 desegregation sit-in

Wichita’s newest public library will likely be named after civil rights icon and author Ronald Walters, who as a young man led the Dockum Drugs store sit-in that helped end racial segregation in the city. The City Council is poised to accept a recommendation from the Library Board on Tuesday to name the replacement for the Linwood Branch, which is scheduled to close Jan. 15. It’s being replaced with a new library under construction in a building at 4195 E. Harry that housed the former Karl’s Tire Shop in the former Wichita Mall. Walters, who was born and raised in Wichita before becoming a national-level civil rights icon, came in third in a community vote on what to name the new facility. Naming it for former Mayor Carl Brewer or calling it the Meadowlark branch came in at Nos. 1 and 2, according to a city report.
Source: Wichita Breaking News, Sports & Crime |

The biggest projects in Johnson County in 2021: Sports center, arboretum and more

This past year took its toll on several major development projects in Johnson County. The long-awaited, ill-fated Mission Gateway development stalled, once again. For months, the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult for crews across the county, including those working on the Interstate 35 expansion, to finish work due to a shortage of supplies. And when city leaders planned for the financial impacts of the pandemic, several projects were pushed back. But looking ahead to 2021, developers and county leaders are optimistic that this coming year they’ll see significant growth in these Kansas City suburbs. Some projects that have managed to stay on track during 2020, like the new Johnson County Courthouse, are about to reach the finish line. And others that have been in the works for years, such as an expansion at the Overland Park Arboretum and a new sports center, are finally coming to fruition.
Source: KC Star Local News

New lieutenant governor takes office in Kansas

A new Lieutenant Governor took the oath of office in Kansas Monday morning, while the previous lieutenant governor took office as the new state treasurer. David Toland was sworn in at the Statehouse in Topeka as the 52nd Lieutenant Governor for the state. Toland has been the state’s Commerce Secretary, and he will continue to serve in that role while acting as Lieutenant Governor. Toland talked about $2.5 billion in increased investment in Kansas during the past year and he said the state will continue to see aggressive growth in the coming year and beyond. He said “We will continue to work in a bipartisan, collaborative way on Kansas-specific strategies and solutions for the people of Kansas and the future of our state.”
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI

Kansas and Missouri universities could face tough financial choices in 2021

The pandemic has presented a two-sided coin to the four big public universities in Kansas and Missouri. On one side, the dire enrollment predictions of the summer turned out better — in one case, much better — than expected. But on the flip side, falling revenues are still a problem administrators will have to deal with for the foreseeable future, due largely to the loss of money coming in from big events, student-facing services and state funding. Last spring, university officials fresh from the spring break shutdowns were warily predicting major enrollment drops for fall semester. As summer began, most were still assessing whether students would be willing to attend in person in the fall and devising ways to make campus safe if they did.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

AAA store in northwest Wichita adds driver’s license services

Now you can get your insurance and driver’s license all in one place. AAA Kansas is partnering with the Kansas Department of Revenue to offer a remote driver’s licensing unit at its 21st and Maize retail store through the month of January. Starting Tuesday, residents can renew their license, ask for duplicates for lost IDs, change their name, update their address or get a Real ID, which are required by Oct. 1 to fly domestically.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Intrust Bank Arena hosts first event since beginning of pandemic

Intrust Bank Arena is welcoming fans for the first time since the pandemic began in March to watch the Wichita Thunder hockey’s home opener. The arena is operating at 15 percent capacity as the Thunder take on Allen Americans. The reduced capacity allows for at least six-feet distance between between groups of fans. Fans are also required to wear face masks in the arena. Other changes include a self-serving scanner that fans can use to scan tickets and make concession purchases.
Source: KAKE – News

City earmarks $200,000 for 2021 Ignite Emporia housing initiatives

City commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding with Ignite Emporia to roll over $200,000 in unutilized private-public partnership funds from 2020 toward the project’s housing development initiatives in 2021 during a joint study/action session Wednesday. The vote passed 3-1 with Commissioner and Ignite Emporia Director Rob Gilligan abstaining and Commissioner Becky Smith providing the lone “nay” vote. Beforehand, Smith said she was apprehensive on two key points, the first being the perception of favoritism by members of the board and the other being a lack of defined plan for the funds.
Source: Emporia Gazette

Sedgwick County Jail inmates now have tablets they can download music, movies, games on

Inmates at the Sedgwick County Jail have a new way to stay educated, entertained and in touch with their family members. Thanks to a partnership with prison communications firm Securus Technologies, those incarcerated at the jail now have access to handheld electronic tablets they can use to call friends and loved ones, read books, play games, listen to music, watch movies and take part in re-entry training and on-demand learning programs. Many of the options are free to inmates including job search tools, thousands of e-books, self-paced educational materials like Khan Academy and law library access, religious information and ceremonies and dozens of podcasts focused on addiction and mental health.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Resolution would list essential workers

Parsons city commissioners will consider a resolution on Monday to clarify what city employees are considered essential workers. City Manager Debbie Lamb said during a Thursday work session that the resolution would allow certain workers to go through a modified quarantine after coming into contact with someone who has contracted the coronavirus. The employees could still go to work instead of having to quarantine at home. They would have to maintain social distance at work as much as possible and wear a mask at all times. They also would be allowed to go only to work and back home.
Source: Parsons Sun

Toggle Sliding Bar Area
Go to Top