Kansas Municipal News
ICT Community fridge project hopes to help city’s food insecurity issues
With issues of food insecurity growing in Wichita during the coronavirus pandemic, a new group is trying a grassroots idea to help. The concept is called a community fridge. How it works is a local business or organization acts as a host site. Then members of the community stock the fridge with fresh produce, other food and supplies for anyone to take. ICT Community Fridge project started earlier this month and has already placed their first fridge at Dead Center Vintage in downtown.
Source: KAKE – News
Wichita-area school plans remain ‘a big question mark.’ Answers expected Thursday
As Wichita Public Schools and surrounding area districts grapple with starting classes during a pandemic, they have adopted a patchwork of strategies that have left some parents, teachers and students on standby weeks before the opening bell. Even the Sedgwick County health officer isn’t quite sure what to expect. “I would say that opening the schools is a big question mark,” County Health Officer Dr. Garold Minns told the County Commission on Wednesday. “It’s hard to predict what will happen. I think everyone appears to be committed to at least giving it a try.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Municipal Bond Trends for August 19, 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.
City of Olathe launches data portal
The City of Olathe recently launched the new Open Data Portal, the city’s central location for interactive maps, data sets and more. Through this portal, members of the public can visualize city data in maps, charts and dashboards, and developers can also tie their own applications and services into city data. Interactive maps available to view on the Open Data Portal include: Capital Improvement Projects; Planning and Development Map; Road Construction Map; Crime Map; and Snow Plow Tracking Map. Each of the maps include filters that let residents find the exact information they’re looking for. This is particularly useful when looking at construction detours, finding out what’s being built in Olathe, learning about upcoming major projects, and more.
Source: Gardner News
Grant money aimed at transportation for the most vulnerable Johnson County residents
Johnson County Transit has received more than $1 million in state money to, among other things, find ways to get the neediest residents to the critical places they need to go. The one-time grant of $1,027,278 comes from the Kansas Department of Transportation. It will support two equipment purchases as well as four pilot programs designed to help the county’s most vulnerable residents: Expansion of the county’s ride-hailing microtransit service area to include places with a higher prevalence of older adults and people dealing with tight budgets or a disability.
Source: Joco 913 News
Current Sedgwick County COVID-19 numbers could mean remote-only for 6-12th grade; Wichita BOE will vote Thursday
With school just around the corner, there’s a big piece of the puzzle that’s still missing for the Wichita Public Schools Board of Education. What will its gating criteria be? The BOE is expected to discuss and vote on this during its 6 p.m. meeting Thursday. Gating is simply a set of metrics that districts put in place and use to determine when and how schools will operate, depending on how bad COVID-19 is in the area. “We went through three different matrices, which was through the KNEA, the Kansas Department of Education, and then Sedgwick County. And so we use those as guidance to basically create our own gating criteria,” said Ron Rosales, Wichita BOE District 6.
Source: KAKE – News
Coronavirus cases on college campuses worries state’s top doctor
There have been 723 new coronavirus cases and 6 new deaths in Kansas since Monday. With Kansas schools reopening, the state’s top doctor is expressing his concern about the virus spread. Since Monday, 12 new coronavirus clusters have popped up in Kansas, 5 of those new clusters come from colleges and universities in the state. Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman says the substantial cases on college campuses isn’t surprising, but it is occurring much earlier than expected. Most schools began classes just this week but are already seeing positive cases. Secretary Norman says this is likely because students were already sick before going to school. Norman adds this is a further reason for schools to not hold large gatherings, like sporting events or large lectures, right now.
Source: KSN-TV
Duxler takes development skills to Salina to help with downtown initiative
Former Douglas Design District executive director Renee Duxler begins a new job next week, but it’s not in Wichita. Duxler will be the director of economic and workforce development for the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce starting Monday. “The Douglas Design District was about entrepreneurship and stewardship and advocacy for small businesses, and attracting and retaining talent,” Duxler said. “This is going to be a broader scope of that for the city of Salina.”
Source: Wichita Business Journal
Case against restaurant owner dropped by state
Municipal authorities have dropped their case against the owner of a local restaurant in Emporia, Kansas after he was criminally charged for operating his business in violation of Governor Laura Kelly’s shutdown orders. The case was the only known attempted criminal prosecution in the state conducted pursuant to the Governor’s COVID-19 orders. The City of Emporia decided to prosecute the restaurant based on a local ordinance that made it a crime to violate a local health order. The City contended a local order had broadly incorporated the Governor’s shut-down orders. The criminal action was dismissed in its entirety after legal counsel for the business owner filed a motion to dismiss highlighting the lack of due process and detail associated with the Governor’s orders.
Source: News – The Topeka Capital-Journal
Prairie Village City Council approves zoning changes to allow backyard hens, though HOA rules can still restrict the animals
The Prairie Village City Council voted 11-1 Monday night to approve a zoning amendment allowing residents to keep backyard hens — though a homes association’s deed restrictions prohibiting chickens would override a city ordinance. Ward 1 Councilmember Chad Herring said at Monday’s meeting that he would have preferred an approach to license residents wanting to keep chickens and that the council might consider doing that if problems arise. He suggested posting information on the city’s website about safely handling backyard chickens and including links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s online publications “Healthy Pets, Healthy People” and “Healthy Families and Flocks”. Deputy City Administrator Jamie Robichaud said city staff would post information on the city’s site describing in plain language what the new ordinance allows and prohibits, and that an article about the new ordinance would be included in an upcoming edition of The Prairie Village Voice.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Municipal Bond Trends for August 18, 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.
In rural Kansas, Census response rates are ‘very concerning’ as deadline approaches
Kearny County, in the far west reaches of Kansas, has fewer than five residents per square mile on average. By some estimates, its population dropped by roughly 140 over the past decade, to just over 3,800. With so few people, you would think getting residents to participate in the Census would be a straightforward task. Kearny actually has the lowest Census self-response rate among Kansas’s 105 counties, just 39.6 percent as of Aug. 13. Statewide, more than two-thirds of residents have responded so far.
Source: Wichita Eagle
Frustrated by lack of public comment period, Overland Park residents calling for police transparency interrupt council meeting
The Overland Park City Council’s first in-person meeting since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic erupted into chaos Monday night as several people – outraged at the lack of a public comment period – shouted over the council’s scheduled discussion to demand police transparency. Councilmembers had barely sat down after the Pledge of Allegiance before they were called out for controversies surrounding the fatal police shooting two years ago of teenager John Albers and the more recent arrests of four protestors in July. About 20 attendees said they came to the meeting expecting there would be a public comment period where they could express their concerns. But Mayor Carl Gerlach informed them that no comment times would happen until the next council meeting, Sept. 14. That did not sit well with the attendees.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Roeland Park amends city code to allow unlimited political signs in right-of-way
Roeland Parkers can now place an unlimited number of political signs in their yard after a city council approved ordinance amendment. The adjustment brings bring the code into state statute compliance. The Roeland Park City Council Monday evening amended its city code to allow an unlimited number of political signs within unpaved right-of-ways. Previously the city’s code only allowed up to three political signs per residential lot. But this restriction did not comply with 2015 state statute prohibiting municipalities from regulating political signs. A previous Roeland Park city attorney had questioned the constitutionality of the statute but City Attorney Steve Maurer said the statute does not allow the city to limit political speech nor restrict First Amendment speech.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post
Century II’s fate will go to public vote, but a non-binding one, City Council decides
Wichita voters will get a chance to vote on whether to demolish the big blue building at the Century II Convention and Performing Arts Center, the City Council decided Tuesday. But unlike a citizens’ initiative currently being challenged by the city government in court, the vote would be non-binding. It could also include as-yet-undetermined details such as how to finance either renovating Century II or replacing it in a plan to tear it down and build new facilities.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Parsons to step up enforcement of mask law
Parsons police will pivot from an education to enforcement regarding the city’s mask ordinance, meaning that some blatant violators could be fined and arrested and booked. Police Chief Robert Spinks had hoped community responsibility from businesses and individuals would be enough to lead to compliance of the ordinance that took effect on July 9. Instead, a few businesses have been ignoring the law, so officers will begin writing citations for those already warned, Spinks said during a Monday evening city commission meeting. “It’s very unfortunate that we’ve had to come to this point,” Commissioner Kevin Cruse said.
Source: Parsons Sun
Lawrence housing market saw 18% jump in prices in July
Hot, fast, and increasingly expensive is a pretty accurate summary of Lawrence’s housing market in July. Home sales were up by nearly 13% in July, while the median selling price was up by 18% compared to the same month a year ago. Historically-low mortgage rates certainly are playing a part in the rising number of home sales. Rising prices, however, are being greatly influenced by a trend that Realtors have been pointing to for months now — a low supply of homes on the market. In July there were 144 active listings on the market. That was down from 286 — almost a 50% drop — from July 2019, and down 247 in July 2018. “Supply of available homes in Lawrence is critically low,” Ryan Desch, president of the Lawrence Board of Realtors, said in the group’s recently-released monthly report.
Read more: LJworld.com.
100 years ago, women nationwide gained the right to vote; In Kansas, women had that right 8 years prior
People are typically surprised to learn that women in Kansas received the right to vote in all elections — state and federal — in 1912, eight years prior to the 19th amendment, which guaranteed women nationwide the right to vote. That’s according to Diana Carlin, a former University of Kansas professor who taught courses on Kansas women’s suffrage for over 20 years. “We were way ahead of the game,” she said. In 1867, Kansas was the first state to hold a referendum on women’s suffrage. In 1887, Kansas became the first state to grant women municipal suffrage. And it was the first state to elect a female mayor: Susanna Madora Salter.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Lawrence City Commission to consider new rules that limit the number of certain Airbnbs and other short-term rentals
City leaders will soon consider adopting new regulations for short-term rentals where the property owner lives elsewhere that aim to correct concerns regarding the city’s original permitting process. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider adopting a new ordinance for whole-home Airbnb and other short-term rentals that includes restrictions that aim to prevent a concentration of such rentals in residential neighborhoods, among other limitations. The new proposal comes after the commission rejected a plan earlier this year that more broadly allowed for such rentals. This is the second time the commission will consider the licensing regulations this year. In February, the commission voted unanimously to reject the first proposal from city staff that more broadly allowed whole-home rentals and asked staff to bring back a proposal with stricter limitations on the concentration of such rentals.
Source: LJWorld.com.
New bridge connects visitors to natural wonders at this popular Johnson County park
It’s easy for Bill McGowan to visualize the importance of the new bridge at Ernie Miller Park & Nature Center. The bridge is practical and picturesque — and a great example of the improvements going on at the 116-acre park in Olathe, says McGowan, outdoor education manager for the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. The $85,000 fiber-composite bridge is a critical replacement recommended by engineers.
Source: Joco 913 News