Kansas Municipal News
‘Get your plans in place’: Shawnee Mission warns of imminent return to online classes
Shawnee Mission district officials warned families Tuesday night that a shortage of teachers and substitutes could soon force schools to transition back to online-only classes. An unusually high number of staff members have resigned or retired this year, and as COVID-19 cases continue to soar in Johnson County, dozens of others are out after being exposed or testing positive, Michael Schumacher, interim associate superintendent for human resources, told the school board during a special meeting. Officials worry that a shrinking pool of substitute teachers will soon make it too difficult to keep classrooms open.
Source: Joco 913 News
Kansas lawmakers call for ‘serious debate’ on marijuana
It’s an issue some lawmakers can’t seem to agree on, but as more evidence on the benefits of marijuana is made available, marijuana supporters in Kansas may finally see some change. “It’s taken a long time to build up the familiarity, education and inform the public about it,” said Wichita Representative Gail Finney, who introduced a bill on legalizing medical marijuana in 2009. While the bill died in committee, Finney is one of few lawmakers who have made the push for legalizing some form of marijuana in Kansas, despite an increased level of support for legalizing the drug across the state.
Source: KSN-TV
Pittsburg City Commission approves funding for wireless program
The Pittsburg City Commission approves additional funding to a wireless internet program. Dragonnet will provide about 500 Pittsburg community schools students and their families with internet in their homes. The project was initially funded through a $1.1 million grant from the state. The city will now be contributing an additional $100,000 to help get the project done. And that money will come from sales taxes. Jay Byers, Deputy City Manager, Pittsburg, said, “The sales tax has been coming in very strong. So, we’re able to take half of that from the public safety sales tax fund balance. And it’s a public safety feature we will definitely use it to enhance our public safety efforts. And the other one is our utility funds.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Shawnee County may create public health advisory board
Helping the Shawnee County Commission replace outgoing health officer Gianfranco Pezzino would be among the duties of five medical professionals serving on a public health technical advisory board the commission will consider creating Thursday. … The proposal, sponsored by Riphahn, comes forth at a time when the county is looking to replace Pezzino, who is leaving the health officer’s job he has held for nearly 14 years effective Dec. 31.
Source: Local Government – The Topeka Capital-Journal
Tampa transplant reinvigorates neglected homes
John Bichelmeyer eyed Tampa’s the old lumber building on Main St. and fell a little more in love with its potential every day he walked by. A native of Kansas small towns, Bichelmeyer’s job building wind farm turbines with RES had him traveling from New York, to Canada, and the very bottom of Texas, until he blew into Tampa about year ago. Not really intending to stay, Bichelmeyer surprised himself by buying the rundown structure, rescuing it, and moving in along with girlfriend Michelle Wilson.
Source: Marion County RECORD
Roeland Park, Leawood residents approve sales tax increases
Roeland Parkers on Nov. 3 approved a special sales tax that will fund the city’s infrastructure projects beginning in 2024. The question — which asked if the city should replace its one quarter of one percent sales tax with a new half percent sales tax — gained approval from nearly 60% of voters, according to Johnson County’s unofficial election results. Roeland Park Mayor Mike Kelly said the city will ensure the funds collected are used efficiently. “We’re very grateful that the people of Roeland Park trust us to represent this community, and we appreciate their support of our plan to utilize these additional resources,” Kelly said. “We will ensure they are put to good use.”
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Governor Laura Kelly Announces $2 Billion in New Capital Investment in 2020
Governor Laura Kelly today announced that the State of Kansas has officially surpassed $2 billion in new capital investment in 2020. This investment is brought by new economic development projects driven by Governor Kelly’s administration and the Kansas Department of Commerce. “The arrival of COVID-19 threatened to undermine the significant progress my administration has made to rebuild Kansas’ economic development recruitment efforts,” Governor Kelly said. “But with the assistance of Secretary David Toland and the dedicated team at the Department of Commerce, we have continued to bring in new projects or grow existing businesses. This significant milestone in investment illustrates our strong momentum, which will allow us to continue creating jobs and strengthening our state’s economic foundation.” As of Tuesday, Governor Kelly’s administration has closed 86 projects in 2020, worth nearly $2.15 billion in capital investment and creating more than 8,100 jobs. Since Governor Kelly has been in office, her administration has closed 179 projects worth more than $3.47 billion in capital investment and which promise to create nearly 19,000 jobs.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Sedgwick County to enforce new health order
Sedgwick County commissioners have approved a resolution that will allow the county to enforce a new health order that went into effect Wednesday. The health order puts a limit on mass gatherings of 100 people or 50 percent of the fire code capacity, whichever is less. This will apply to restaurants, bars, nightclubs, fitness and health centers that have patrons not wearing masks for a longer period of time. Bars and nightclubs will have to close at 11 p.m. but they can continue carryout and curbside services past midnight. Retail stores are not considered mass gatherings but they would be limited to 50 percent of fire code capacity, with concerns about social distancing and the approaching holiday shopping season. There are exemptions for religious events, weddings, funerals, schools and school activities, licensed child care facilities and courts.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Kansas counties, biggest school district set new COVID rules
Kansas’ largest public school district has scrapped plans to allow its middle and high school students to attend some in-person classes and three counties have imposed new restrictions inspired by the coronavirus pandemic. The moves by local officials come as the state works to expand its overall testing capacity so under a “unified” statewide strategy announced by Gov. Laura Kelly in late September. The strategy calls for regular testing of at-risk populations, including first responders, prison inmates, nursing home residents and K-12 students and staff, as well as more aggressive testing in virus hotspots. The state plans to spend at least $53 million in federal coronavirus relief funds on contracts with private laboratories.
Source: Derby Informer | News
As nurses, instructors and recruiters, these Kansas women served in WWII
As World War II raged across the globe, some 350,000 American women joined the armed forces, serving in branches including the Women’s Army Corp (WAC), the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARS), the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP), the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve (WR) and the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES). Earlier this year, The Eagle asked the community to share stories about Kansas women who answered the call to serve in the war in any capacity. In honor of Veterans Day, here are some of them, as told by their families and friends.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
More schools in Wichita area move students to online classes as COVID rates spike
More schools in the Wichita area are sending at least some of their students to fully remote learning as the coronavirus pandemic worsens. The local school decisions come as Kansas Department of Health and Environment data shows Sedgwick, Reno, Butler, Harvey, Sumner and Cowley counties above the red zone thresholds for the positive test rate and the rate of new COVID-19 cases. Many district created their own reopening guides based on the Kansas State Department of Education’s gating criteria. The red zone calls for online only classes for all grade levels and no sports or other activities.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Humboldt helps Our Market
Humboldt council members approved investing $20,000 with Amy and Scott Welch to put toward the renovation of Our Market, their up-and-coming grocery store that will partner with their butcher shop. “We’ll recoup that money in a year,” predicted Nobby Davis, mayor of Humboldt, at Monday’s council meeting. Scott Welch said the city could expect to net $31,000 a year and the county $22,000 a year in sales tax revenues, “if we meet our goals.” The Welches did not request a specific amount of funds Monday evening, but rather explained their situation, which is that “we are rather short of funds” when it comes to bringing the former Moon’s Market up to snuff. The grocery has sat vacant for 21 months.
Source: The Iola Register
Municipal Bond Trends for November 10, 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.
Wichita to be part of ‘grand partnership’ for 2021 Sundance Film Festival
This summer, Sundance Film Festival announced a new idea that festival director Tabitha Jackson called “a grand partnership of communities” that will host films for the 2021 festival. Now, it looks like Wichita will be a part of that. No one with Utah-based Sundance or Wichita’s mama.film microcinema is commenting yet, but there is material circulating around the community about festival sponsorships through mama.film. The material, which explains several sponsorship levels, says mama.film is a partner hub for the festival.
Source: Business Columns
Butler County health officials say resources are at capacity due to COVID-19
The Butler County Health Department said Tuesday that local resources are at capacity because of the number of COVID-19 cases in the area. The department is asking Butler County residents to take the following steps: If you have received notification that you tested positive for COVID-19, please isolate for ten (10)days from symptom onset or, if asymptomatic, your test date. A person who tested positive forCOVID-19 will need to be in isolation for at least ten (10)days. If you are a household contact(close contact)to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, your quarantine will continue for fourteen (14)days once the positive person is released from isolation.
Source: Country 101.3 KFDI
Sedgwick County sets new COVID rules on bars, stores, restaurants, sports; up to $500 fines
With hospitals full and coronavirus infection at its highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Sedgwick County’s health officer has issued a new order tightening limits on mass gatherings and setting an earlier curfew on bars, nightclubs and restaurants. County commissioners also added enforcement provisions to what had been a nearly unenforceable set of rules, establishing a maximum fine of $500 for repeated violations. Kansas had 56 new COVID outbreaks in one week. KDHE names 45 of 261 active clusters Dr. Garold Minns’ new health order limits wedding receptions and other family gatherings to 100 persons, or 50 percent of the venue’s fire code capacity, whichever is less. Church weddings are exempt as religious activities.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Kelly warns of hospitalization rise but says mitigation policy will be up to counties – for now
Hospital capacity and staffing shortages remain acute concerns, Gov. Laura Kelly and Lee Norman, secretary of health and environment, said Tuesday, although statewide mitigation tactics aren’t yet on the cards. As facilities from Topeka to Wichita are seeing a shortage of available workers, Norman said the “competition for beds is getting stiffer.” And staff shortages remain a problem as doctors, nurses or technicians contract the virus or await test results. Some hospitals in Kansas had adopted a bonus structure to encourage staff to take on more shifts, Norman said.
Source: News – Wellington Daily News – Wellington, KS
State school board looking to give schools relief, but no plans yet to lower minimum hour requirement
With schools struggling to adapt to the ever changing COVID-19 situation in the state, the Kansas State Board of Education is looking for ways to relax some of the requirements school districts must follow. However, the board will not yet decide on potentially lowering the number of required instructional hours Kansas schools must provide for students.
Source: Education – Morning Sun
Kansas exceeds 100K coronavirus cases as mask debate rages
Kansas on Monday reported another record seven-day spike in coronavirus cases, pushing the state past 100,000 for the pandemic as officials wrestled with getting more residents to wear masks. The state Department of Health and Environment added 5,920 new confirmed and probable cases to the state’s tally since Friday, bringing the total to 103,553 since the pandemic began. The state averaged 2,047 new cases a day for the seven days ending Monday, 15% higher than the previous record average of 1,779 for the seven days ending Friday. The state health department also reported another 15 COVID-19-related deaths over three days, bringing the pandemic total to 1,081. But Johns Hopkins University put the number of deaths in the state at 1,101.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Tax revenues hit double-digit percentage points
The State of Kansas continues to see revenue growth over the same month of the last fiscal year. October’s total tax receipts were $596.6 million, an 11.7 percent or $62.6 million increase over the estimate. That is 7.9 percent or $43.6 million, more than October of Fiscal Year 2020. “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact Kansans and threaten our state’s economic uncertainty, Congress must pass an economic relief bill,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “While the positive revenue trends are encouraging, the future of this revenue growth will be tied to the support we get from Washington and to every Kansas community using the tools we know work to slow the spread of COVID-19.” Individual income tax collections were $283.6 million, a 9.1% percent or $23.6 million, increase from the estimate. That is 9.1 percent or $23.6 million, more than collected in October of FY 2020. Corporate income tax collections were 74.0 percent, or $11.1 million, more than estimated with $26.1 million collected.
Source: Gardner News