Kansas Municipal News
“It’s figuring out who needs it the most”: Reno County community teams up to help distribute COVID-19 vaccine
Kansas is preparing for the next step in the vaccination effort. Hutchinson Regional Health Care leaders are getting ready for their next shipment of vaccines. Vice president for Hutchinson Regional Health Care, Chuck Welch says they have already vaccinated all 256 frontline workers in their facility. Their next step is looking at those who will need the vaccine first. At this point Hutchinson health has received doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine. Last week they received a dose of 850 Moderna vaccine. Welch says he hopes by the end of the month they will be able to start vaccinating people 65 and older. “So now we will move to the 65 and older and the folks who are the most vulnerable if they are exposed and their life expectancies are not necessarily great with them,” said Welch.
Source: KSN-TV
Expert says Kansas’ economic outlook is ‘not good,’ fears worst is yet to come
As some Kansans continue to face financial hurdles, Dr. Donna Ginther, an economic and social policy researcher at the University of Kansas, said she fears the worst is yet to come. “January is going to be bleak in a number of ways,” Ginther said in an interview Thursday. The unemployment rate in Kansas is back on the rise at 5.6%, leading to many frustrated claimants. This has led to more food and housing insecurity, with more than one-third of Kansas households with children not being able to make rent, Ginther said. Without some forbearance on foreclosures and evictions, the state may see a homeless crisis, according to Ginther. She noted that part of that is linked to the end of the economic stimulus programs. A new stimulus bill is needed to get people the help they need, she said.
Source: KSN-TV
Sedgwick County Sheriff pushing for vaccines for deputies, jail medical staff
As vaccines continue to roll out, the Sedgwick County Jail is asking when will they see a shipment? “We’re getting no direction from them whatsoever in fact we’re having a hard time even communicate with them they don’t return a lot of emails,” said Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter. He says his staff has spent the last month and a half asking KDHE for an update for the COVID-19 vaccines. “The fact of the matter is inside the jail is a lot different environment than anywhere else,” Sheriff Easter explained
Source: KSN-TV
Lenexa Fire Using Digital Alerts for Road Safety
Every day, the Lenexa Fire Department responds to emergencies on roads and highways in and around our community. While risk is always a part of the job, roadside incidents are especially dangerous for fire crews. Struck-by collisions are the leading cause of death for firefighters in the field, and according to respondersafety.com, 46 emergency responders have already died in 2020 after being struck on the road during an emergency response. “People typically think structure fires are the most dangerous thing we do,” said Lenexa Fire Department Battalion Chief Bob Welch, “but the reality is, our safety is significantly compromised when we’re working an emergency incident on an interstate or other high traffic road, even for the most minor incidents.”
Source: What’s New News Summary
Roeland Park adopts ‘safe and welcoming’ ordinance that limits police’s work with ICE
The Roeland Park City Council this week adopted a much-discussed ordinance regarding immigration that, among other things, puts new limits on how the city will work with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Advocates have cast the ordinance as a “self and welcoming” measure that will help build trust between the city and Roeland Park’s immigrant community. A similar ordinance is on the books already in neighboring Wyandotte County and has been discussed in other Kansas cities, including Lawrence.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Lowest Muni Bond Yields Aided Covid-19 Recovery
State and local governments can reap the benefits just when they need money most. When the coronavirus pandemic struck the U.S. in early March, among the first reported casualties was the $3.9 trillion market for states and local governments. The yield on municipal debt sold by almost 2,000 borrowers with more than 55,000 outstanding securities hovered at 1.14%, the lowest since at least 1979, when the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Municipal Index began compiling data. … All told, states and local governments this year will match or exceed the decade-high $478 billion of new offerings in 2016. That’s because the appetite for tax-exempt securities shows no signs of abating when the yield on municipal debt remains relatively high.
Source: Bloomberg.
How Muni Bonds Fared in 2020 and What to Expect in 2021
Municipal bonds fared better than expected throughout 2020 despite the global pandemic and subsequent impact on state and local government budgets. With record issuance and strong investor interest, muni bonds posted robust performance during the year and their yields have largely normalized since disruptions in March.
Source: Municipalbonds
With COVID causing Kansas hospital capacity issues, patient transfers can take hours
With the coronavirus pandemic causing capacity issues and staffing problems at Kansas hospitals, many patients at rural facilities are waiting hours to be transferred to bigger medical centers. “We will sometimes have to make 10, 15, 20 calls to find bed availability,” said Dr. Richard Watson of Cheyenne Mountain Software, which is working with smaller Kansas hospitals on the logistics of patient transfers. “There have been times where we have had no beds available in Kansas.” When that happens, they look for beds in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado and Texas.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
At end of ‘extreme’ year, Prairie Village approves 1.5% bonus for city employees
The Prairie Village City Council has approved a 1.5% end-of-year bonus for all city employees, citing their work during the coronavirus pandemic, along with a roughly $1.4 million projected 2020 budget surplus. The bonus is based on city employees’ 2020 base salaries and the payouts will total roughly $101,250, according to council documents. The move was approved at Monday’s city council meeting. Mayor Eric Mikkelson said city employees merited the bonus because they had “made extraordinary sacrifices to keep our city running smoothly this year.”
Source: Prairie Village Post
Sedgwick County gets first doses of coronavirus vaccine
Officials with Sedgwick County says the county’s first allocation of the coronavirus vaccine has arrived. The county is using guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to determine who gets the vaccine. The first doses are going to health department workers who take samples from people who might have the coronavirus. EMS personnel are also among those getting the first doses.
Source: KSN-TV
Horton police chief to retire at end of the year
The City of Horton announced Tuesday Police Chief John Calhoon will retire on Dec. 31. Calhoon is not only Chief of Police but also works as City Administrator. After 35 and a half years of working in law enforcement, he will retire from his chief position, but will remain with the City of Horton as the City Administrator.
Source: KSNT News
Municipal Bond Trends for December 22, 2020
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.
Across Kansas, communities getting creative with federal COVID-19 relief funds
In northern Lawrence, the city set up 20 white and gray tents in a park to house people who are homeless. It’s not health care or COVID-19 tests, but federal coronavirus tax dollars are paying for the camp. “If we put our homeless population into the shelter, there’s a higher chance that they’ll get the virus and then they’ll spread it across the community,” Douglas County Commission Chair Patrick Kelly said. The camp marks but one example of the creative ways communities are using the federal money. They scrambled to spend the cash before a deadline at the end of December, but Congress is now giving them more time. Restrictions also mean that money can’t go to some of the top priorities in local budgets.
Source: LJWorld.com.
Lawrence police department marks ‘historic occasion’ with opening of its nearly $20M headquarters
Wearing dress uniforms complete with white gloves, Lawrence police department command staff unfolded the U.S. flag and sent it slowly up the flagpole in front of the department’s new headquarters Monday, officially marking the building’s opening. In the crowd gathered along the road in front of the nearly $20 million headquarters were former police chiefs, city staff members, city commissioners and other local leaders. Interim Police Chief Capt. Anthony Brixius thanked all those who worked on and supported the project, and he said the building and the long-discussed goal of uniting police staff under one roof would benefit the department and the community. “This is such a historic occasion for us, and it will forever change the way that we are able to serve our community,” Brixius said.
Source: LJWorld.com.
“I can’t imagine”: Rural hospitals and staff straining as they fight COVID-19
Hospital workers in northeast Kansas are being strained as they battle the coronavirus, including those working in rural hospitals. Lacey Niehues is the nurse manager for the Community HealthCare System in rural Onaga. Her nurses work in multiple departments, unlike larger healthcare facilities. “Our nurses are taking care of not just the floor patients or the patients that are on the medical floor,” Niehues said. “They also take care of the ER patients, the outpatients, the OB patients. Our nurses, they wear many hats.”
Source: KSNT News
Rose Hill FD receives state aid
Through the efforts of the SPARK (Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas) Task Force, Butler County Fire District #3 was able to purchase and install the following equipment – to address health and economic challenges inflicted by COVID – at Fire Station #1 in Rose Hill using $38,041.94 in state funds. “With this equipment, we will be able to provide additional protection to our firefighters from the COVID-19 virus by having the ability to wash contaminated turnout gear and to also perform respirator fit tests to ensure respirators fit each firefighter properly,” said Fire Chief Kevin Webster.
Source: Derby Informer | Area
Douglas County dissolves drug enforcement unit
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is ending operation of a special drug-focused unit, calling its structure outdated as the department moves away from focusing on “low-level users.” Sheriff’s office spokesman Jenn Hethcoat told the Lawrence Journal-World that the decision to dissolve the unit that works with Lawrence police was finalized in November. Hethcoat says the office will continue to operate a special investigative unit but with a focus on crimes related to drug activity, “not low-level users who would benefit more directly from behavioral health support than incarceration.”
Source: KSN-TV
Governor Kelly to deliver State of the State Address virtually
Governor Kelly is planning a virtual presentation of the annual State of the State Address to the Kansas Legislature. In a press release, the Governor’s Office said the address would be delivered virtually to ensure the safety and well-being of the Legislative Branch, Judicial Branch and Executive Branch, along with the guests of the attendees. Governor Kelly said the coronavirus pandemic has changes many traditions, and with case numbers continuing to increase, gathering the entire Legislature and Supreme Court Justices into one chamber would be an unnecessary risk to their health and safety.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Missouri offered double the incentives, but Urban Outfitters chose to build in Kansas
When Kansas City lost its bid to land a massive Urban Outfitters distribution center this summer, Mayor Quinton Lucas wrote to city staff, congratulating the negotiating team for holding the line when negotiating incentives with the company. The mayor said the Port Authority of Kansas City, which led those talks, was determined to “not give away the farm,” even with competition from other cities. What was not publicly known at that time were details of the various incentive packages offered on opposite sides of the state line. In Kansas City, Port KC offered about $125 million in total incentives to lure the $400 million project.
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For years, the watchdog group Good Jobs First has tracked government incentives, arguing that they are overused and often ineffective. Executive Director Greg LeRoy said the Urban Outfitters example — in which the company selected the lower offer — is just further evidence of that. “It’s a textbook example of our mantra that incentives don’t matter. They rarely determine where companies expand or relocate,” he said. “And there’s a very clear reason why: in the broad scheme of things they’re too small.” LeRoy said state and local taxes represent just a tiny portion of a big company’s cost structure, so incentives are just icing on the cake, not usually foundational to making a project work.
Source: KC Star Local News
Sedgwick Historical Society honors police officers
When Dixie Parker Anderson grew up in Sedgwick in the late 1950’s and early 60’s, sometimes she had to go into the pool hall late at night to find her dad. She called it “embarrassing.” Anderson’s dad, Edward Parker, was the City of Sedgwick Marshal from 1946 until 1964, and in those days he didn’t have a radio in his car. One of the ways he received police related messages was through people calling his home and his wife or daughter relaying the message. The pool hall was the only place open late at night, according to Anderson. That made her dad easy to locate.
Source: Harvey County Now