Kansas Municipal News
Rose Hill Police Stuff the Squad Car
The Rose Hill Police Department hosted a donation drive on December 7 to stuff a squad car as their 19th annual holiday event. The crew collected donations at the local Dollar General from 10am-2pm that included food, toys and cash or check. The cash received, which totaled $991, was used to purchase extra food and toys before dropping off all donations. Detective Melissa Tharp said the food and toys were halved between the local food pantry at Hope Connections located at the Rose Hill United Methodist Church and Sunlight Children’s Home in Andover. The agency is still collecting donations until December 19 for those unable to make it to Stuff the Squad Car. Food and toys can be dropped off at the Rose Hill Police Department located at 125 W Rosewood during business hours.
Source: Andover American
City of Emporia provides updates on response to Tyson Plant and Holiday Resort closures
The City of Emporia has provided several updates concerning efforts to assist displaced workers in finding new employment and receiving financial assistance following the announcements of the Tyson Plant and Holiday Resort closure last week. The two closures – one expected in February and the other expected within 30 days – will result in potentially over 900 job losses in the Emporia community.
Source: Emporia Gazette
This JoCo city is moving to a single trash hauler. What happens next?
The city of Merriam is seeking a single citywide waste hauler. On Monday, the Merriam City Council unanimously approved an organized collection plan that outlines a request for proposals — a formal call for bids — for a contracted single waste hauler to serve the entire city. This comes after months of discussions, including three separate single waste hauler committee meetings, exploring what options are available for a citywide waste hauler. “We don’t know how much it’s going to cost, we don’t know who the hauler is going to be, and we won’t know that until we get those bids back,” Assistant City Administrator Caitlin Gard told the city council on Monday.
Source: Johnson County Post
Westwood voters will weigh in on controversial park sale, settling months-long dispute
Residents of Westwood will vote this spring on the sale of a city park as part of a controversial commercial development project, a win for citizens who had pushed for the effort to get voter approval through a petition and a months-long legal battle. Westwood City Council members voted Thursday to put the question of whether the city would sell Joe D. Dennis Park before the public on the April 1 ballot. The election will take place by mail, city officials said.
Source: KC Star Local News
Western Kansas farmers are wrestling with how to save their water source — and their future
State lawmakers want farmers in western Kansas to take action by 2026 to halt declines in the Ogallala aquifer. But the region’s whole agriculture system is built to produce irrigated grain at a high volume. The state is asking them to slow the decline of the source of this hidden water – the Ogallala aquifer, which supports most of the economy and towns in western Kansas. The region relies on irrigation for agriculture, but after 70 years of pumping, that water source is starting to come up dry, causing concern. It’s been an ongoing debate over how this area will approach the depletion of the Ogallala aquifer. And now, the state of Kansas wants action from the groundwater management districts that cover western Kansas.
Source: KLC Journal
Wichita finds about 6,000 water lines that will need to replaced under new federal lead pipe rules
The city of Wichita has alerted about 6,000 water customers that their pipes could be at higher risk for lead contamination and will need to be replaced under the federal government’s new lead pipe rules. The new rules, laid out by the Biden-Harris administration in October, require drinking water systems to identify and replace lead and some galvanized steel service lines between 2027 and 2037. Exposure to lead can harm children’s growth and development. Wichita completed an inventory of its water service lines in October, finding 16 lead pipes and 5,958 galvanized pipes that require replacement. Galvanized pipes are iron or steel pipes that have been dipped in a coating that can contain lead; lead particles can also attach to the surface of galvanized pipes.
Source: KLC Journal
Kansas does not have a dental school. How that could soon change
In Kansas, over 70 counties are considered by the federal government to be a dental desert. It’s been a serious issue for decades. Dr. Gregory Hand, Wichita State University’s president and the dean of health professions, says the problem goes beyond dentistry. “We do have dentists that are here that are getting extra training, but in terms of having a dental school where students from colleges come in and train and get licensed as dentists, Kansas does not have that,” said Dr. Hand. That’s why WSU asked the Kansas Board of Regents for permission to ask the state for $5 million.
Source: KSN-TV
‘It’s very emotional’: Shawnee County neighbors confront local leaders over plan to build new duplexes
A group of neighbors and farmers in Shawnee County took a stand against the local government in a failed bid to keep an area of farmland from turning into new housing. Developers are looking to transform plots of land near Soldier Township into duplexes and new housing for locals in the Seaman School District. The move is not sitting well with some area residents who aired their frustrations at the Thursday, Dec. 12 Shawnee County Commission meeting.
Source: KSNT 27 News
The Fed’s Game Plan on Interest-Rate Cuts Keeps Shifting
Investors widely expect a third-in-a-row rate cut this week. Officials are ready to slow—or even stop—lowering rates after that.
Source: Wall Street Journal
How much will city charge to park in Old Town and downtown? Council to revisit plan
The city of Wichita plans to start charging visitors a dollar an hour to park in downtown Wichita and the Old Town entertainment district starting in summer 2025. Parking in those areas is free now, with a few exceptions. The Wichita City Council is expected to vote on whether to approve that plan for paid parking downtown at its meeting Tuesday. City Hall launched a public relations campaign in the summer after significant pushback to its announcement of the changes, but the new plan is essentially the same as the old plan.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Ark City mulling pet registration program
Arkansas City officials are considering animal registration requirements in response to concerns about loose pets and limited space at the Humane Society shelter. Loose and aggressive dogs roaming through neighborhoods has become a major problem. Some residents report that their own animals have been attacked and even killed. Others have been threatened by the animals. While the registration system won’t keep the animals from getting loose, it will help determine ownership and allow warnings or fines to be issued to the animals owners.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Rose Hill seeks Purple Star designation
At its school board meeting on Dec. 9, Rose Hill USD 394 officially started the process of becoming a Purple Star district. The school board approved a resolution in support of military-connected students and families to move forward with the district’s application (due Feb. 1, 2025). Through the Kansas State Department of Education, the Purple Star Designation is assigned to schools and districts that support military students. As part of its efforts, district staff is looking to enhance current measures in support of military families, with 136 military students (8.6%) currently enrolled in Rose Hill schools.
Source: Derby Informer | Area
More than $2.5M spent on Salina utilities maintenance
In an interview with the Journal, Martha Tasker, director of utilities for Salina, said that much like a car or house, parts of the municipal water system must be maintained on a regular basis. The department budgets just more than $2.5 million each year to keep up this regularity, Tasker said.
Source: Salina Journal
Local leaders don’t want other communities to make Lawrence’s homeless problem worse, and they’re asking the state to act
When a small community in Kansas has a homelessness problem, what’s stopping it from just dropping people off on the streets of a bigger city like Lawrence? … The law the city is asking for would prohibit any organization that receives state funding — including local governments — from dropping homeless people from one county off in a different county…
Source: LJWorld
On new e-bikes, Lawrence police officers approach their work from a different perspective
Because the bikes aren’t what people typically associate with police presence, Officer Steven Alvord said they often go unnoticed by motorists, which makes for a very different dynamic when officers are on patrol…. the bikes, he said, are “stealthy.” And that means motorists might commit traffic infractions, like running a stop sign, right in front of a bicycle officer without even thinking about it.
Source: LJWorld
Municipal Bond Trends for December 12, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Kansas broadband internet disparities persist despite huge investments
KHI developed an interactive digital divide dashboard to provide an overview of computer ownership and broadband availability in each of the state’s 105 counties. … The challenge of responding to the state’s technological divide has been more difficult in rural communities due to insufficient infrastructure that elevated the cost of adding high-speed internet service.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Topeka, Shawnee County leaders vote for downtown innovation center
Some Topeka and Shawnee County leaders are in favor of an innovation center coming to the downtown area. The Joint Economic Development Organization (JEDO) between Topeka and Shawnee County met Wednesday and approved Innovation Center 2.0. It’s a catalytic project to help meet the needs of the area’s growing innovation ecosystem. The center is a “bold step forward in developing downtown Topeka’s ASTRA Innovation District”, according to a news release from GO Topeka. The innovation center is being planned to be located at 220 SE 6th Street.
Source: KSNT 27 News
New police chief gets situated with Topeka
Before we know it, the capital city will officially have its new Police Chief in Chris Vallejo. Vallejo doesn’t officially start until Jan. 20 2025, but he’s currently in the capital city looking to get situated before starting his role. After being named one of the final four candidates to be the next chief, Vallejo, who is coming from Austin, TX, ultimately beat out TPD major Russ Klump for the job. While Vallejo said he understands policing, he said he wants to better understand policing in Topeka. So, for the first couple months he plans on “observing, listening and learning”.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Private wells in Kansas: Safe location and maintenance guidelines
Water supply to rural residences and agricultural operations without rural or public water systems is usually obtained from a private well or surface water supply. In Kansas, more than 73,000 individuals rely on private wells for a water supply. When public and rural water systems that use well water are added to the private well numbers, 34.6% of the Kansas population relies on groundwater for their water supply. Municipal and rural water systems must maintain water quality standards specified by local, state, or federal requirements; however, owners of private wells are responsible for the water quality of their wells. Permanent contamination of groundwater can decrease property values, affect human and animal health, and involve legal liability.
Source: Great Bend Tribune