Kansas Municipal News
Both Reno County and Hutchinson Regional Medical Center reach new positive COVID-19 highs
Both Reno County and Hutchinson Regional Medical Center are experiencing their highest levels of COVID-19 infection since the pandemic arrived in the county in March, health officials reported on Tuesday. The hospital had 13 patients confirmed with the Sars-CoV-2 virus admitted to ICU or the hospital’s COVID ward, including two people who are on ventilators, reported hospital vice president Chuck Welch. “We’ve had spikes in the past,” Welch said. “We’ve talked about the nature of the different courses of how different people are affected and how infections fluctuate quickly. From Tuesday to Tuesday, we can go from 10 to two. But as of the report today, this is the most in-house patients we’ve had.”
Source: Local – The Hutchinson News
Kansas is a state full of sun, but ranks 43rd in solar generation
Kansas is one of the 10 sunniest states and has comparable solar power potential to Florida, averaging more than 200 sunny days a year. Yet, Kansas ranks 43rd in solar generation this year, with only 0.23% of the state’s electricity coming from solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, a nonprofit trade organization. The state also has little investment in solar generation on the utility-scale, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In a study done for the state Legislature on electric rates, an engineering firm found that solar has many positives for the state, consumers and utility companies, including reducing carbon emissions, lowering bills, and reducing transmission line losses, as the electricity would be locally generated.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
KDOT boosts rural towns, farmers with grants for small railroads
The Kansas Department of Transportation awarded $5 million in grants to 13 small rail road related projects. On Oct. 6, Gov. Laura Kelly and Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz announced the recipients of KDOT’s Short Line Rail Fund program. Four projects were awarded to short line railroads and nine projects were awarded to grain elevators. The program is a partnership between the public and private sector, as applicants are required to provide 30% in matching funds. This year’s selected projects will improve and/or construct nearly 15 miles of track totaling a $7 million investment. “This will help a lot of small towns and small elevators,” said Ron Seeber, president and CEO of the Kansas Grain and Feed Association. “This will allow farmers to get their products onto the rail car and have it sold more efficiently.”
Source: News – The Hays Daily News
Economic forecast out Wednesday as Wichita looks to grow small business
The Economic outlook for greater Wichita 2020 comes out this week and it is expected to show the 4th quarter will start moving in the right direction. City leaders approved a first look at an incentives package for businesses Tuesday. But it’s not the big job creation entities they are targeting with the incentives. “Think small,” said council member James Clendenin. “In a big way.” Clendenin says small businesses are a big push for the city right now to grow the economy and add jobs. Incentives will differ based on how many jobs will be created by each small business and what investments will be made.
Source: KSN-TV
$105,000 city of Emporia grant will expand coronavirus testing
A grant of $105,000 from the city of Emporia will make a collaboration between Newman Regional Health and the Lyon County Public Health possible. The partnership will enable expanded coronavirus testing capabilities for asymptomatic close contacts of coronavirus positive individuals. “Testing is an essential tool in the fight against COVID-19,” said Jennifer Millbern, Environmental Health Director for Lyon County Public Health. “This partnership allows us to quickly identify cases from close contact exposures and break the chain of transmission of the virus.” In accordance with CDC recommendations, Lyon County Public Health’s disease investigation and contact tracing will identify situations that have the potential to turn into an outbreak.
Source: KSNT News
Merriam streamlines solar installation permit process for residents
Merriam residents wanting to add solar installations to their homes will no longer have to go before the planning commission. Three months after the initial discussion, the Merriam City Council last week approved amendments to its solar installation ordinance. The amendments streamline the solar panel collection systems permitting process, meaning residents have more opportunities to take advantage of solar energy. Councilmember Whitney Yadrich, a key player in getting the solar installation ordinance reviewed and ultimately approved, told the Shawnee Mission Post the city is “actively creating equity opportunities” for residents — and she’s ready to see where the city goes next.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Getting ‘uncomfortable,’ OP City Council weighs systemic racism and city policy
Overland Park city councilmembers spent some time reflecting at a workshop Monday on how they can address systemic racism in city policies. As the one-and-a-half hour session ended, they offered a variety of ideas from writing a comprehensive plan to getting more diverse representation on volunteer boards and commissions. “I think it’s very good that we’re having this discussion,” said Councilmember Chris Newlin. The workshop, which took place before the regular city council meeting Monday evening, was led by Shannon Portillo, associate professor of the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs and Administration.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Lawrence City Commission supports extending downtown program that allows expanded outdoor dining, sales
City leaders expressed strong support Tuesday for extending a program that has allowed downtown businesses to repurpose sidewalks and parking near their storefronts for outdoor dining and other uses. As part of its regular meeting, the Lawrence City Commission directed city staff to draft changes to city code that would extend the temporary downtown right-of-way program well beyond its original expiration date of Oct. 31. All four commissioners present — Mayor Jennifer Ananda was absent — agreed that they would like to see the program extended through the end of 2021, and some said they would be interested in making it a permanent option.
Source: LJWorld.com.
USDA Invests $50,000 in Community Infrastructure in Rice County, Kansas
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Kansas Lynne Hinrichsen today announced that USDA is investing $50,000 toward new and improved fire engines for Rice County Rural Fire District No.1. … Rice County will use a $50,000 grant to assist with the purchase of six engine/pumpers and build two additional engine/pumpers out of the vehicles being replaced. These vehicles will be used in Rice County and portions of Ellsworth and Reno Counties. Through mutual aid agreements with surrounding communities these fire engines could serve as far as 150 miles from Rice County. The new fire engines will provide fire protection services for the nearly 11,800 people. This public safety partnership is made possible by the additional contributions of the Rice County Rural Fire District No. 1, contributing $600,000, and Rice County, contributing $777,247.
Municipal Bond Trends for October 5, 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.
Kansas coronavirus hospitalizations set new pandemic record
Kansas health officials report a new pandemic record for average daily hospitalizations. The state had an average of 26.29 new coronavirus hospitalizations per day for the seven days ending Monday. The previous high was 23.86 for the seven days ending Friday. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment also reported that the state saw 1,597 new confirmed and probable cases since Friday, an increase of 2.5%, bringing the total cases to 62,708. The state health department also reported eight new COVID-19-related deaths since Friday, bringing the total to 706.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Kansas’ rural legacy needs participation
The state’s Office of Rural Prosperity and the Kansas Sampler Foundation announced an important partnership over the summer that may have gone overlooked by some. Kansas Power Up and Go is targeted at young professionals and aims to collect information about how they want to live and work — all with the goal of revitalizing our state’s rural areas. It’s a most worthwhile goal. After all, Kansas is a state with a storied legacy of farms and frontier families, folks braving the odds to create new lives for themselves on the plains. Our state’s history is one of determination and bravery, and of embracing this unique, windswept place.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Tourism takes a hit in Wichita metro area from COVID-19
Visit Wichita is reporting tourism is down roughly $18 Million. But there is room for optimism as some of it is bouncing back after taking a hit from COVID-19. The Allen House in Wichita, a rare Frank Lloyd Wright home completed in 1918, is seeing tourism come back. But they have taken a hit on both fundraising and fees from visitors. “It’s coming back, yes,” said Amy Reep, Ops Manager at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Allen House. “We are doing events, but won’t have a couple hundred people at a time here to enjoy the home.”
Source: KSN-TV
Committee to review Topeka police policies
The Police and Community committee will begin reviewing police training procedures as it highlights four key areas of police policy to focus on. Committee members Karen Hiller, Sylvia Ortiz and Mike Padilla all agreed to review Topeka police’s use of force training, standard interactions and bias profiling, escalation and de-escalation tactics, and duty to intervene. Ortiz said these are the first four topics and is not the full scope of what the committee will review. “We have good officers, we have bad officers. We have good individuals, we have bad individuals,” said Ortiz, who also serves as the committee chair. “I am just tired of the back and forth and pointing of the finger… Let’s dig into this and see what the outcome is going to be.”
Source: Local Government – The Topeka Capital-Journal
More Kansas counties enter COVID school red zone — but case rates improved statewide
More Kansas counties have moved into the red zone of the school reopening criteria due to high numbers of coronavirus cases. The addition of more counties to the list comes as the Wichita area and statewide rates for new cases compared to population improved last week. Sedgwick County is one of 75 counties in the red zone of the incidence rate, Kansas Department of Health and Environment data shows. That is 10 more counties in the worst school reopening zone than a week ago. Only three of the state’s 105 counties are in the least-restrictive green zone, which had seven counties last week.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s money will help run Sedgwick County’s 2020 elections
Sedgwick County is turning to private funds to help run its 2020 election. Sedgwick County, the second-largest county in Kansas by population, has been awarded $816,458 from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit foundation, to boost the efforts of the county election office to hold an election in the midst of the pandemic. The money comes from a $250 million donation by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, and his wife, Priscilla Chan. The billionaire married couple said in a news release that they hope the money helps “ensure that every voter who intends to cast a ballot is able to, and ultimately, to preserve the integrity of our elections.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Harvey County speeds up voting equipment upgrade
Thanks to a grant, the Harvey County Clerk’s Office was able to take a bite — about 12 percent — out of a planned upgrade to voting equipment upgrades planned for 2021. The Center of Tech and Civic Life awarded a grant of more than $67,629 to the Harvey County Clerk’s Office to use for elections. The county commission will be asked to consider a purchase of $45,475 — new ballot tabulation and auditing equipment — Oct. 6. That purchase comes early, and removes the equipment purchase from capital improvement funds for the county clerk’s office.
Source: Newton Kansan
Sabetha sees increased sales tax distributions
Sabetha’s sales tax distributions are above last year’s distributions for September. This is according to the September County/City Local Sales Tax Distribution Report released by the Kansas Department of Revenue. The state issues these distributions two months after collection, so the September distribution is a reflection of July sales. Sabetha saw increased sales tax distributions in the month of September alone — with distributions of $40,202.07, a 7.3 percent increase from the $37,480.93 distributed in September 2019. Sabetha’s local sales tax rate is 1 percent.
Source: Sabetha Herald
It’s a ‘new normal’ at Iola High School
It’s 7:57 on a Monday morning, and Brett Willis and his friends are walking up the sidewalk to the high school. Brett forgot his mask. He throws his water bottle into the courtyard and stomps away, while his friends make their way through the line of fellow students waiting to get their temperatures checked before they can enter. “It made me really mad because I had to go back out to my car,” Brett says. This is just a “new normal” day at Iola High School during the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought several changes in terms of safety and hygiene to prevent its spread.
Source: The Iola Register
Neosho County’s economic recovery stumbles
Neosho County’s economic recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic suffered a hiccup during August in unemployment numbers and sales tax totals. In August, Neosho County had 5,772 people working and 527 unemployed for a preliminary rate of 8.4 percent. Revised figures for the previous month showed 71 more jobs but 58 more people unemployed for a higher rate of 9.1 percent. Since April, the county has recovered 313 jobs, but the number of people out of work is still more than twice what it was before COVID-19.
Source: www.chanute.com