Kansas Municipal News
Moody’s downgrades Wichita’s debt credit rating as city faces coronavirus fallout
On Monday, Moody’s Investors Service released a new credit rating for the city of Wichita that reflects the far-reaching impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak on the local economy. The national credit ratings agency downgraded the city’s general obligation bond debt by one notch, from Aa1 to Aa2. In its report, Moody’s says the pandemic is a key driver for the new rating, particularly its impact on Wichita’s aerospace industry. “We currently anticipate that it will take a number of years for the industry to reach pre-pandemic levels,” the report says.
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Cancellation of Greater Andover Days not “an easy decision”
Greater Andover Days, an annual festival held in Andover, has been cancelled. In a statement, the Greater Andover Days Committee said that cancelling the event “was not an easy decision to make” but that the safety of guests and staff was more important. “[The] health and safety of our citizens, staff, volunteers and vendors is our top priority,” the committee said. Additionally, Ottaway Amusement, which puts on the carnival, as well as a number of vendors had already pulled out of the festival. Losing Ottaway and the vendors would have had a huge financial impact on the festival, the committee said.
Source: Derby Informer | Area
New development pursued as part of Derby comprehensive plan
As City Planner Scott Knebel put it, to make sure Derby has all the tools available in its toolbox, mixed use development was an important concept to pursue in the new Vision Derby 2040 comprehensive plan (officially adopted by the city last week). “Mixed Use Development allows both commercial and residential uses to occur within the same development and, in some cases, even within the same building,” Knebel said. Knebel noted mixed use developments are becoming increasingly popular in suburban communities like Derby. With the intent of Vision Derby 2040 to grow the community, he said it made sense to pursue that development method – and citizens agreed.
Source: Derby Informer | News
Saliva coronavirus tests make it possible for thousands of Kansans to get quick tests
One lab has helped seven Kansas universities test tens of thousands of students, faculty and staff for COVID-19 for the fall semester. And all anyone needed to do was spit. Saliva lab work has the potential to dramatically increase testing of asymptomatic Kansans with no known COVID-19 exposure, state health officials say. That’s a critical ingredient for stopping the pandemic. Last week, Kansas Health Secretary Lee Norman suggested the state partner with labs such as Lenexa-based Clinical Reference Laboratory and a second Lenexa company that does saliva and other COVID-19 testing for major hospitals, MAWD Pathology Group. “Anybody can spit into a tube. That would be a game changer,” Norman told a state task force. “That would really open up the floodgates.”
Source: Derby Informer | News
Kansas Department of Commerce now accepting Online Community Development Block Grant applications for Housing, Sewer and Water
The Kansas Department of Commerce is announcing today that the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program applications for Housing and Water and Sewer are now available online at kansascommerce.gov/cdbg. The move to online-only applications is intended to simplify the process for applicant communities, as well as streamline the review and approval process for added efficiency. Applications for Housing and Water and Sewer are due September 25 and Community Facilities are due October 30.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Need assistance with grant application and administration? Contact Rose Mary Saunders or Crystal Hinnen.
Municipal Bond Trends for September 1, 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.
Survey finds Johnson County’s need for affordable housing is growing, but ‘NIMBY’ opposition remains
Increasing affordable housing stock, access to public transportation and access to jobs and investment opportunities are all areas of growth in Johnson County. But although the number of cost-burdened households in Johnson County is on the rise, there remains a pushback from single-family homeowners resisting denser housing solutions that would support those goals. That is one takeaway from the 2020 Human Services Summit last week, when members of United Community Services of Johnson County revealed some initial findings of a countywide study on housing. Led by UCS, Johnson County and local municipalities, the Johnson County Municipalities Housing Study is currently underway. Preliminary findings already reveal some notable trends, particularly regarding teardown-rebuilds and homeowner opposition to multifamily housing.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Reno County working to enable more widespread COVID-19 testing
Reno County health officials hope by early October to have both a system and funding in place to allow testing of residents who are not showing any symptoms of COVID-19 for the novel coronavirus. The goal, interim health officer Karen Hammersmith explained, is to have at least 3.6% of the population tested monthly, which is about 500 to 600 people per week. That would provide a more accurate picture of what’s going on in the community and allow officials to use a “gating criteria” recommended by both state and federal health officials for keeping local schools open and potentially reopening nursing homes to the public.
Source: Local – The Hutchinson News
Drug dog makes a big difference in St. John
Just seven months on the job and the statistics for criminal activity stopped by St. John’s K-9 officer Glenn, a Belgian Malinois dog certified in narcotics, suspect apprehension, tracking, evidence recovery and patrol work, are worth noting. In the small, rural town of St. John, Glenn, assisted by his handler Police Chief Allen Adams and fellow St. John officers, conducted another car stop in August, bringing the SJPD’s total number of 2020 narcotics cases to 11, which includes three distribution cases.
Source: News – Dodge City Daily Globe – Dodge City, KS
Attorney general awards local grants in Dodge City
Recently the Kansas Attorney General’s office awarded $51,000 in grants to three Dodge City organizations. Of those organizations were ones providing services for victims of crime. According to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the following grants went to CASA – Children Worth Saving, Inc., in the amount of $8,771. The non-profit organization serves the 16th Judicial District counties of Ford, Clark, Comanche, Gray, Kiowa and Meade.
Source: News – Dodge City Daily Globe – Dodge City, KS
The Life of William Inge
He was known as the “Playwright of the Midwest,” and being a Kansas native, he something to say about Dodge City. In March 1967, the “New York Times”, quoted William M. Inge; “The fact is, Dodge City and the other rip-roaring towns of the Old West were the Las Vegases of their day in employing the best talent of the East at fabulous salaries.” The “Times” article was about Inge working on his first musical screenplay, “The Lady Gay,” a fiction based on facts about Dora Hand, who was murdered while sleeping in Dodge City Mayor James Kelley’s home.
Source: News – Dodge City Daily Globe – Dodge City, KS
Just days into semester, Silver Lake USD 372 closes after COVID-19 cases
Four school days into the fall semester, Silver Lake USD 372 is closing for in-person learning again after several classified staff tested positive for COVID-19, superintendent Tim Hallacy announced Monday evening. “This small outbreak will impact our ability to properly clean and prepare each of the buildings for students and staff,” Hallacy said in a social media post. “We need some time to work with our partners at the SNCO Health Department and work with contact tracers to ensure that we have a grasp of those who may be impacted.” Hallacy said the district does not know of any cases among teachers or students.
Source: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal
Shawnee library temporarily closes after potential termite found in materials
Johnson County Library temporarily closed its Shawnee branch Tuesday, after potentially finding a termite in returned materials. The book return is still open. “Termites love cellulose, whether in wood or paper, so they are a concern for libraries,” says Adam Wathen, Associate Director of System-Wide Services. “The last thing we want to do is send termites home with one of our patrons, so we’re taking an abundance of precaution in this situation.” The branch, located at 13811 Johnson Dr, will undergo an insect inspection and Library materials will be heat-treated. Pending the inspection’s results, the library plans to reopen Wednesday.
Source: Prairie Village Post
The Fed could be locked into zero rates for five years, or even longer
Interest rates near zero likely will stay in place not for months but instead years as the Federal Reserve seeks to re-engineer an economy characterized by low inflation and an uneven labor market. Wall Street is prepping for a return to the post-financial crisis days, when rock-bottom short-term rates prevailed for seven years before the Fed even tried moving them higher. Fed officials have outlined a revised policy in which it now will target “average inflation,” meaning a higher tolerance for inflation above 2% before hiking interest rates from current levels. In the past, the Fed would look to rate cuts when unemployment began to fall as a sign that inflation would not be far behind. In the present circumstances, then, the remaining question will be how deep the Fed’s commitment to inflation will run, what will be considered full unemployment, and how many years that will mean for zero interest rates.
Source: CNBC – Bonds
Municipal Bond Trends for August 31, 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.
History revealed during demolition of Irene B. French Community Center in Merriam
Construction workers found an unexpected treasure while knocking down the Irene B. French Community Center in Merriam. The oldest part of the building was a school dating to 1911, and workers found a time capsule inside the cornerstone placed that year. The contents included a “Laws Relating to the Common Schools of Kansas” pamphlet from 1909, a list of those present when the cornerstone was set, and the signatures of students and other Merriam residents, including descendants of the city’s founder, David Gee Campbell, who settled the area in 1864. (Merriam was originally called Campbellton but later renamed for a railroad official.)
Source: Joco 913 News
State grants ’once-in-a-lifetime’ chance to boost broadband — if applicants win race against time
Most rural hospitals have fallen on hard times — but not in Atchison. Atchison General Hospital has seen a growth in the number of patients it served in recent years, and the hospital has even been planning to grow, buying the assets of a shuttered facility in Horton. But there is at least one barrier still remaining, according to assistant city manager Justin Pregont: broadband internet connectivity. While the hospital, like the city itself, is served by AT&T and Vyve Broadband, they both use one set of cables. That means if there is an outage, both the hospital and Atchison residents alike are in trouble if they’re looking to get online. And residents say they are unhappy with the customer service provided by AT&T, while fear about a lack of competition looms.
Source: Leavenworth Times
Merriam resident group calls on city for traffic calming measures along Knox Avenue
A group of Merriam residents last week asked the city to work alongside them for traffic calming measures along Knox Avenue between Johnson Drive and 55th Street. The group of residents submitted a letter for public comment during the Aug. 24 city council meeting to express frustration with speeding on Knox. The 14 residents acknowledged the city’s 2019 and 2020 speed and traffic studies, which came to the conclusion that not enough people were speeding to merit a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Knox Avenue and 57th Street.
Source: Prairie Village Post
New partnership will give Crawford County inmates access to mental health services
After noticing inmates in the Crawford County Jail weren’t getting adequate treatment for mental health issues and substance abuse, a new partnership was born. Crawford County Sheriff Danny Smith, said, “It’s vital that we address mental health.” Crawford County inmates will now have access to a mental health treatment program. Eric Thomason, Director of Behavioral Health Services, Community Health Center SE Kansas, said, “There’s a subset of populations that just aren’t getting adequate treatment and after meeting with Sheriff Smith, we recognized that the Crawford County jail population is one of them.”
Source: KSNF/KODE
Suffering casinos: Kansas loses 20 million dollars in revenue and counting
State-owned casinos in Kansas are losing out on millions of dollars because of the coronavirus pandemic. Compared to last year’s revenues, casinos are down more than 90 million dollars since the crisis began. Casinos closed in March and were shut down for all of April. They began reopening in late May. The state gets 22 percent of what a casino makes in revenue, which means Kansas has lost about 20 million dollars from casinos alone. That money could be spent on paying down debt and infrastructure improvements or to help reduce taxes. As the number of cases started to decrease in May and casinos began to reopen, officials noticed a different trend among pent-up gamblers.
Source: KSN-TV