Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Municipal Bond Trends for November 29, 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.

Municipal Bond Trends for November 27, 2024

Wichita City Council to vote on stricter illegal camping enforcement

The Wichita City Council is scheduled to vote Dec. 17 on whether to change a city ordinance to allow for stricter illegal camping enforcement. The move comes months after a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outside and encampments, even if no shelter space is available…. If the Council approves a draft ordinance, police will be able to immediately remove the encampment.
Source: KLC Journal

Kansas Attorney General Opinion 2024-7: Annexation of Ag Land

Synopsis: Absent the consent of the land owner, a city may not annex any un-platted tract of agricultural land that is part of a larger tract of land of at least 21 acres.
Source: Kansas Attorney General Opinions

Little Sweden (Lindsborg) celebrates

Jul is the word typically associated with Christmas in Sweden and for Lindsborg, Jul is a time full of traditions all throughout the month of December in Little Sweden. The city, which was founded by Swedish Lutherans in the 1800s, will have sacred and secular Christmas celebrations including with Bethany College, churches, the Old Mill and Swedish Heritage Museum and more.
Source: Salina Journal

Kansas has the oldest fire code in country. An update was ‘derailed’ by new law

Fire marshal Mark Engholm shared the news during a presentation to the Legislative Budget Committee on Monday … “Kansas has a 2006 version of the fire code,” Engholm said. “We are the oldest fire code in the United States of any state in existence. We were fairly close to getting to a more updated code but were derailed, unfortunately. “We were derailed by some of the the actions in the last session as far as rules and regulations and dealing with the economic impact studies. It’s very difficult for us to say how would a fire code economic impact across the state. So we’re having to back that off and revisit it.”
Source: CJonline

Municipal Bond Trends for November 26, 2024

Governor Kelly Announces More than $320,000 for Seven Kansas Water Plan Partnership Initiative Projects

Governor Laura Kelly announced on Friday that more than $320,000 will go toward seven new partnership initiatives for the second year of funding through the Kansas Water Office’s Kansas Water Plan Partnership Initiative (KWPPI). KWPPI invests State Water Plan Fund resources into projects centered around conserving and protecting the High Plains Aquifer, improving state water quality, reducing vulnerability to extreme events, and increasing awareness of Kansas water resources. “These projects continue the work we are doing to secure our state’s water future,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The investments we make today will affect generations to come. The Kansas Water Plan Partnership Initiative ensures progress on meeting the water needs of communities in our state.”
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

Governor Kelly Announces Nearly $6M in KDOT Cost Share Program Projects

Governor Laura Kelly announced Thursday that $5.9 million will be awarded to seven transportation construction projects through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Cost Share Program for fall 2024. This cost-share investment will leverage $9.8 million in community matching dollars for a total investment of more than $15 million. “Infrastructure projects funded through the Cost Share Program aren’t just about roads and bridges; they are about increasing job growth and retention and strengthening the economic climate across Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “By leveraging this partnership with KDOT, communities are able to address necessary, long-term solutions to their local transportation issues.”
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

City to consider funding park upgrades with naming sponsorships

Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday will consider funding part of the CiCo Park improvement project with a proposed resolution allowing parks and recreation staff to authorize naming rights for new and existing facilities and their amenities. The goal is to reduce the overall tax subsidy of the park upgrades by increasing private funding through donations and sponsorships. If passed, the resolution would allow for sponsorship opportunities ranging from $3,000 to $100,000. Commissioners only will discuss the proposed resolution on Tuesday. The resolution will come to a vote at the commission’s Dec. 17 legislative meeting.
Source: 1350 KMAN

Suit filed against commissioners, solar panel companies

The Board of Bourbon County Commissioners and companies with agreements for solar developments in the county are the defendants in a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday in Bourbon County District Court.
Source: Fort Scott Tribune

Amtrak moving forward on Newton improvements

Amtrak is moving forward on upgrading the train loading and drop-off deck at the Newton depot. As for other projects, such as the Heartland Flyer Extension and the state of the Depot itself, more information should be available in December. Zach McHatton, Blank, said he recently met with Amtrak officials and primarily spoke to them about the project to update the deck at the Depot. The project would add lighting, make the deck ADA-compliant, and generally upgrade the area.
Source: Harvey County Now

Municipal Bond Trends for November 25, 2024

Hillsboro plans for the future

The Hillsboro City Council, along with several other city leaders, spent close to three hours in a strategic planning meeting on Tuesday, Nov 12. The meeting began with City Administrator Matt Stiles explaining that the strategic plan started in January 2020 and has been updated quarterly. Stiles led the group through a review of the vision, values, goals and status of the past five years of the current strategic plan with a promise to work on a three-year plan in the rest of the meeting and another two or three meetings. He said the hope is to have marching orders to work on by the end of the meeting process.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press

Overland Park’s property tax rebate pilot takes shape — Who will qualify?

The details for Overland Park’s new city property tax rebate pilot program are starting to firm up. On Wednesday, the Overland City Council Park Finance, Administration, and Economic Development Committee voted unanimously to recommend an agreement with the Community Capital Fund to administer the pilot. The action also effectively endorsed the pilot program’s eligibility rules and extra priority criteria. Previously, the city set aside $200,000 for the rebate pilot program as part of its 2025 budget, but at the time, the parameters for it were unclear. The decision to start a pilot of this sort followed several months of sometimes heated discussion — some dating back to 2023. Multiple other Johnson County taxing jurisdictions, including neighboring cities and the Johnson County government, have also started property tax rebate programs of their own in the last few years.
Source: Johnson County Post

JoCo OKs $6M for 5 projects addressing housing and homelessness

After months of talking about how best to tackle homelessness in Kansas’ most affluent county, the Johnson County commission on Thursday allocated $6.35 million in federal funds for various proposals intended to increase affordable housing and support services for individuals experiencing homelessness. Commissioners took separate votes on five items that ranged from building new houses and apartments to expanding space and providing supplies for county homeless shelters. The vote secured the final destination for federal coronavirus relief funds that earlier this year had been pegged to be spent on a homeless shelter and services center at the La Quinta Inn and Suites in Lenexa.
Source: Johnson County Post

Panasonic aims to hire 200 more workers ahead of March production start

Panasonic is ramping up hiring efforts as it prepares to begin electric-vehicle battery production in De Soto this spring. Workers will begin producing lithium ion batteries at Panasonic’s 4.7 million-square-foot plant in March, though an official opening date has not been announced. The Japanese manufacturer announced its executive leadership team for the De Soto facility in September 2023 and began hiring for plant jobs last fall.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

Olathe approves STAR bond plan for $320M entertainment hub

With public financing secured, developers are set to break ground this summer on an all-abilities theme park in Olathe. On Tuesday, the Olathe City Council unanimously voted to approve a series of tax incentives to support the development of a $320 million entertainment district called Olathe Gateway. The project will get about $104 million in state and local tax incentives. Developers plan to begin construction by July 15. On Sept. 17, the City Council approved creating a sales tax revenue (STAR) bond district on roughly 130 noncontiguous acres at the southwest and northeast corners of 119th Street and Renner Boulevard for the mixed-use project. STAR bonds provide upfront cash for a project and then are paid off using sales tax revenue from the development once it’s finished.
Source: Kansas City Business Journal

Economic push in Reno County brings funding, new ideas

A process that brought together local stakeholders to try new methods for growing the Reno County entrepreneurial ecosystem is considered a success. According to StartUp Hutch Director Jackson Swearer, one of the Reno County Heartland Together program’s original advocates, the energy provided by the program led to the acquisition of $120,000 in funding over two years from the K-State 105 initiative. Founded last year, the university program aims to reach residents in all 105 Kansas counties through various extension programs, including entrepreneurial ecosystem support.
Source: KLC Journal

Efforts in Liberal solidify link between leadership and growth

If the southwest Kansas community of Liberal has learned anything over the past few years, it’s to not settle. The city of just over 19,000 people has a dynamic economic development office that has spent the past year rolling out small-business loans, announcing major industrial growth and helping small businesses. In 2023, business leaders and community members in Liberal gathered for a program called Heartland Together, funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and designed by the Kansas Leadership Center, which publishes The Journal. Liberal residents discussed how to stay engaged in the community and how to make the city’s entrepreneurship ecosystem better.
Source: KLC Journal

Homeless Wichitans dream of shelter beyond four walls

Wichita’s homeless face temperatures below freezing at a time when local officials are still working to open this year’s emergency winter shelter. Once set for a Thanksgiving opening, the shelter is now scheduled to open Dec. 2. Seeking shelter can be complicated for many of those who live outside. Over months of meeting and conversing with homeless Wichitans (many of which who claimed to be chronically homeless), few saw themselves taking a shelter bed. Why? Some cited past poor experiences. Others couldn’t stand the idea of being separated from their partner or pet. (Wichita’s new shelter is supposed to have kennels eventually, but not when it first opens.) A few cited social limitations: they hated feeling cooped up with dozens, if not hundreds, of strangers.
Source: KLC Journal

A new court program offers mediation instead of eviction. Officials want more people to use it

The program manager estimates around 50 landlord-tenant cases in Sedgwick County had been mediated as of late September, more than a year after the program begun. Meanwhile, the county typically sees around 5,000 eviction filings, or more, per year. The mediation program offers landlords and tenants an alternative to eviction: a neutral mediator – approved by the court system – brings both parties together in an attempt to work out an agreement.
Source: KLC Journal

Child care experts weigh in on state subsidy program and potential improvements

Child care support in Kansas needs to be simplified and amplified. That was the gist of a recent conversation among providers and administrators of child care service agencies who met to discuss a report from Kansas State University and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. Their findings highlight the barriers families face as they attempt to apply for state child care subsidies through the Kansas Department for Children and Families. The process for applying is seen as a barrier in itself, with strict eligibility requirements, excessive documentation needs and a reimbursement method that is almost always delayed.
Source: KLC Journal

Wichita working to bring fresh produce to neighborhood ‘food desert’

More fresh fruits and veggies will soon be offered in Wichita’s food desert areas under the Healthy Corner Store Initiative. Neighbors in north Wichita say the community is well overdue for this.
Source: KSN-TV

The city of Wichita is selling its public housing. Where are the tenants going?

About one-third of the city’s 352 single-family public housing units were still occupied as of last December. The city is offering housing vouchers to the tenants who have to move. As of last December, 110 of the city’s single-family public housing units were occupied. By the end of June, about 60 of those households had been impacted by the city’s sale of public housing, according to the city of Wichita. Each had the option to receive a voucher to help with rent, and a city contractor recommends an available housing unit to tenants and also pays for moving assistance.
Source: KSN-TV

Dickinson County wind farm project approved

Dickinson County Commissioners are moving forward with the Hope Ridge Wind Project. The commission voted 2-1 to approve the plan, which will be located in the southeast part of the county near Hope. The permit states that the windmills cannot be taller than 600 feet and must be 1,300 feet from the road.
Source: KSN-TV

Shawnee County considers adding new walking trails

Shawnee County officials are looking at increasing walking opportunities for locals with the addition of new trails and sidewalks. Shawnee County Parks and Recreation (SCP+R) is working to update its trail systems and Greenway Master Plan. This plan would connect the current trail network in Topeka to parts of the county without sidewalks. Shawnee County commissioners were hesitant given the cost and number of master plans already in the works. However, a planner with the county said this could give more people a safe place to walk.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Historic Topeka theatre asks for $5 million from city, county

A historic local theatre nestled in downtown Topeka is asking for several million dollars from the county to help it stay running. The Jayhawk Theatre has long been a staple of the Capital City’s downtown area ever since it opened its doors for the first time in 1926. Now, theatre representatives are asking for $5 million from the City of Topeka and Shawnee County to help keep it going. Jayhawk Theatre Director Joanne Morrell asked city councilmembers on Tuesday, Nov. 19 to consider a contribution to the theatre which is currently undergoing its first phase of renovation work. The theatre received a $5 million grant in May 2023 from COVID-19 relief funds.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Emporia residents to decide on new recreation center

Emporia voters will be the ones deciding whether or not a new recreation center will be built. Wednesday, Nov. 20 the Emporia City Commission decided to let the public get the final say on the future of a new recreation center. The facility would cost taxpayers by increasing the sales tax by a half-cent. The project is expected to cost $59 million and includes renovations to the soccer fields.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Iola council to consider solar purchase Monday

Iola City Council members will decide whether to enter a solar agreement to provide up to 3 megawatts of power via solar energy produced in Pratt County. The allocation would price the 3 megawatts at $50 per megawatt hour. City administration will present Iola City Council members with documents for the final approval of a 3-megawatt solar allocation at their 6 p.m. meeting Monday. At the Nov. 12 meeting, council members agreed to diversify the city’s energy profile by entering into a solar agreement with the Kansas Municipal Energy Association (KMEA).
Source: The Iola Register

Lawrence parents weigh advantages, concerns of cell phone-free schools; school board to vote on policy

A new policy imposing a cell phone-free school day is on the table, and though some Lawrence parents believe it would better support teachers and students’ mental health, others said they’re worried about the safety implications. The Lawrence school board will consider approving a cell phone policy draft that says personal cell phones and devices must be “turned off and stored out of sight at all times during school hours” across the district. Ann Hossler is the parent of a Free State freshman who previously attended Raintree Montessori School, which enforced a strict cell phone ban. “There is hard evidence that links social media and smartphones to the decline of, you know, teenagers’, especially women’s, mental health,” Hossler said. “Even emotionally, you have some kind of struggle that you have to work with, but we distract ourselves with phones instead of processing the emotion.” The response from Hossler’s students has been mostly positive. Device-free zones help ideas flow and promote professionalism and social engagement, she said. Typically if students breach the device-free zone, Hossler opts to make a general announcement and then start reminding students directly. She said other professors may give out unexcused absences after the first reminder.
Source: The Lawrence Times

City rezoning debate pits older neighborhoods against need for housing

A question about rezoning on Tuesday brought to the forefront a larger philosophical debate: should Manhattan prioritize preserving older residential neighborhoods or allowing mult-unit buildings to increase housing stock? Manhattan city commissioners on Tuesday approved rezoning two adjoining lots, each with three-unit dwellings that the owner wants rezoned so he can make improvements.
Source: themercury.com

Commerce Announces New Housing Workforce Development Grant

The Kansas Department of Commerce today announced the launch of the Fostering Residential Advancement through Mentoring and Education (FRAME) grant program, a groundbreaking initiative that will address both housing needs and workforce development in Kansas. This new opportunity will provide up to $2 million to qualified Kansas technical and community colleges to build and renovate residential homes, while training the next generation of well-skilled trade workers.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Governor Kelly Announces More than $1.4 Million Investment for Safer Streets and Roads

Governor Laura Kelly announced Monday that four Kansas communities have secured over $1.1 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). “Leveraging federal dollars to supplement state and local investments in vital infrastructure is essential to economic growth,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The Safe Streets and Roads for All program provides our communities with the resources needed to build, operate, or maintain critical infrastructure. I appreciate the Legislature’s continued support of this initiative, as it represents a true bipartisan win for Kansas.” Combined with nearly $265,000 in matching funds from the Kansas Infrastructure Hub and Build Kansas Fund, and over $22,000 in local community match, the total investment in Kansas for this round of SS4A grants exceeds $1.4 million.
Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

Program offers help for utilities

The City of Iola is working with local churches and organizations to remind utility customers of a program that helps neighbors in times of financial hardship. When paying your utility bill, you have an option to round up to the nearest dollar or make an additional donation. With cooler temperatures rolling in, the City of Iola wants people to know they can help their neighbors keep their house warm this winter. “If you choose, you can round up your utility payment to the nearest $1, $5, or $10 and it can go towards someone who needs assistance with their bill,” explained City Clerk Roxanne Hutton. The City of Iola Clerk’s office is working in collaboration with Humanity House, Wesley United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church, and the Family Resource Center to continue the Community Utility Relief Bank (CURB) fund. The program is dedicated to assisting local families with their utility bills during times of financial hardship.
Source: The Iola Register

Making a masterpiece: Thrive honors achievements in leadership

The theme of Thrive’s 17th annual awards ceremony, “Creating a Masterpiece, Together,” recognized individuals, businesses and organizations that create a healthy, vibrant community. After 17 years, Thrive Allen County’s vision is more clear than ever. In fact, some might call it a masterpiece. Thrive CEO Lisse Regehr said that’s exactly what her team hoped to create as they celebrated the organization’s anniversary with an annual awards banquet Friday evening at Allen Community College. The theme was “Creating a Masterpiece, Together.”
Source: The Iola Register

Halstead approves official partnership with economic development council

After months of discussion between the parties involved, Harvey County Economic Development requested an official agreement from the City of Halstead. Beth Shelton, executive director of the economic development council, addressed the council. “Since the EDC was established, it’s always been an informal agreement that we’ll do what our mission is for each one of the communities,” Shelton said. “This just puts it into writing.”
Source: Harvey County Now

Hesston dog park finally opening

Finally, after several delays, Hesston’s four-legged friends will have access to the Ridge Pointe Dog Run. The new dog park will officially open with a ribbon cutting on Friday, Dec. 6, at 12 p.m., and dogs and their humans are invited to attend.
Source: Harvey County Now

Talks of moving AGCO production to 32-hour work weeks in 2025

There is discussion in the works for the AGCO workforce to move to 32-hour work weeks, starting when calendar rolls over to 2025. The reason for the cut back in hours is the downward trend in agricultural equipment buying. Local USW 11228 President Ray Salas said farmers just aren’t buying the equipment, and the company is looking to save costs. “The union hasn’t agreed to this,” Salas said. “We’re negotiating it, because our contract is for a 40-hour work week. There has to be a stipulation that 32-hour work weeks are full time so we can keep the insurance.”
Source: Harvey County Now

Wichita officers and firefighters hand out Dillons giftcards to shoppers

The Wichita Police and Fire Foundations teamed up with and to give some help this holiday season. They handed out gift cards purchased by the Wichita Police and Fire Foundation for its “Holiday Hand-Up” program. It was like a scavenger hunt, with officers following prompts like “find someone wearing a veterans cap” and then giving them the gift. One officer says it was great to relieve some shoppers’ stress. “Seeing the reaction to a lot of these individuals we’re going out and contacting, they get to see, ‘Oh boy, all of the sudden, this police officer’s coming up to talk to me, and what’s going on?’ Then it’s like, ‘Oh wow, oh wow, this is cool,’” said Officer Tyler Kaus. Officers and firefighters had several thousand dollars in gift cards to hand out.
Source: KSN-TV

KDOT to give update of Passenger Rail Development plan

The Kansas Department of Transportation will soon give an update on the development plan for restoring passenger rail service to other parts of the state.
Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer connects Ft. Worth, TX, to Oklahoma City, OK. KDOT is exploring options to extend the service from Oklahoma City to Arkansas City and Wichita to Newton, where passengers could connect to the Southwest Chief, which connects Chicago, IL, and Los Angeles, CA. A live virtual meeting will take place Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 1 to 2 p.m. CST. It will then be available 24/7 as a virtual open house until Jan. 1, 2025.
Source: KSNF/KODE

JoCo commissioners consider 23% raise for themselves, first in over a decade

County commissioners are considering raising their salaries 23% next year for their first salary increase since 2011 — a move some said would make it easier for people from all financial backgrounds to serve in office. In an afternoon committee meeting Thursday, a 5-2 majority of commissioners voted to bring the proposed increase to the regular agenda, though no date was set. The increase follows a recommendation by an ad hoc advisory committee set up last summer to study the issue. The committee recommended the commission chair’s salary be increased to an annual $92,500 from its current $75,000. County commissioners’ pay would go from the current $47,349 to $58,300.
Source: Johnson County Post

Olathe raises concerns about KDOT’s plan to improve K-10 — Here’s city’s main worry

Olathe city officials are concerned about some changes coming to Kansas Highway 10, especially the impacts of a potential new interchange at Lone Elm Road. City staff and Olathe city councilmembers worry a new interchange there could make school zones nearby less safe along with other potential issues, including increased stormwater runoff and traffic noise.
Source: Johnson County Post

Lawrence school board gives cell phone policy initial approval after district suggests ‘guidance’ in opposition

Lawrence school board members on Monday gave initial approval to a draft cell phone policy, despite district administrators proposing guidance that directly conflicts with the draft as it’s written. Board member Anne Costello said she was “a little surprised” when reviewing a two-page document that was attached to the board’s agenda sometime after Saturday but before the meeting Monday. The document offers guidance for implementing the policy, including permitting middle schoolers access to their phones during lunchtime and high schoolers during lunchtime and passing periods. The policy draft says personal cell phones and devices must be “turned off and stored out of sight at all times during school hours.”
Source: The Lawrence Times