Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Northern Johnson County cities agree to comply with state, county mandate to wear face masks in public

The bigger cities of northern Johnson County have all agreed to adhere to Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide mandate requiring face masks to be worn in public. Starting Friday, July 3, Kansans must wear a face mask in public indoor and outdoor spaces when 6 feet of distancing cannot be maintained. There are exceptions for Kansans who have medical conditions or mental health disabilities, Kansans younger than 5 and athletes in training. Following the governor’s order Thursday, the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners also voted 4-2 to adhere to the statewide mandate. The orders come as local positive cases of COVID-19 are on the rise.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post)

City of Dodge City Reopening of City Hall

The City of Dodge City is set to reopen City Hall to the public on Monday, July 6, 2020. This reopening comes after City administration chose to close the facility to public access on June 11 when an employee tested positive for COVID-19. “We had already implemented health and safety procedures for cleaning public areas when one of our employees was confirmed positive for the disease,” said City Manager Nick Hernandez. “For the safety of not only the staff but the public as well, I felt it was best to close while staff recovered and additional deep cleaning could take place again.” An additional item that has been added to cleaning procedures is the implementation of ultra-violet light sanitizers that are run after business hours in the public lobbies, bathrooms, and other common use areas. An increased supply of hand sanitizer dispensers has also been placed at all building entrances.
(Read more: Western Kansas News)

AG Derek Schmidt provides updated guidance to law enforcement and prosecutors on enforcement of emergency orders

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt today provided updated guidance to law enforcement agencies and county prosecutors statewide on the enforcement of emergency orders, following the passage of House Bill 2016 last month and the issuance of Executive Order 20-52 earlier today. The guidance, in the form of a memorandum, updates previous guidance provided by the attorney general on March 24, April 8 and May 28. The memo reflects changes to the Kansas Emergency Management Act adopted by the Kansas Legislature on June 4, and signed into law by the governor on June 8. Those amendments included changing the violation of an emergency order issued by the governor from a Class A misdemeanor to a civil violation, which may be enforced by a lawsuit filed by the county or district attorney. As such, law enforcement officers may no longer arrest or detain individuals for violations of an emergency order.
(Read more: Kansas Attorney General News Releases)

Hays CVB keeping busy with projects

Despite visitors few and far between in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hays Convention & Visitors Bureau has kept busy. Director Melissa Dixon and her staff have worked on projects they normally have not had time to attend to at the Welcome Center at 2700 Vine. "It was very different for a few weeks because we’re so focused on events and supporting events, then all of a sudden those events disappeared," Dixon said.
(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)

Municipal Bond Trends for July1, 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.

Northern Johnson County cities provide guidance on Phase 3 recommendations

As new COVID-19 cases spike in Johnson County and across the state of Kansas, the cities of Prairie Village, Merriam, Westwood and Roeland Park have publicly posted their plans to stay in Phase 3 of Gov. Laura Kelly’s reopening plan. Phase 3, though only a recommendation framework, limits gathering sizes to 45 and permits the reopening of playgrounds provided physical distancing signs are posted. Prairie Village, Merriam, Westwood and Roeland Park’s individual announcements come on the heels of Gov. Kelly’s recommendation to halt progression in the reopening process. The recommendation does not have the teeth of enforcement, as Gov. Kelly relinquished her authority to formally require this request. The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners has voted to follow the voluntary recommendations from Kelly’s administration. Now, Phase 3 in Kansas will end no sooner than July 6.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

Roeland Park to consider adopting ad hoc committee tasked with police policy review

The Roeland Park City Council last month agreed to consider adopting an ad hoc committee to work with Lexipol, a public safety policy service, to conduct a police policy review. City staff normally conducts periodic reviews of Roeland Park Police Department’s operating procedures, which have historically been developed and maintained in house. Although there is an option for a Lexipol annual review, an ad hoc committee would work with Lexipol’s expert staff for a one-time fee of $11,000.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

Johnson County Commission will hold special meeting to consider Gov. Kelly’s order on face masks

The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners will convene for a special meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday to discuss Gov. Laura Kelly’s executive order requiring people across the state to wear a face mask in public places starting Friday. Johnson County officials had been facing growing pressure from some in the community to issue a local face mask mandate following orders from neighboring Wyandotte and Jackson Counties. A petition started over the weekend asking the Johnson County Commission to issue its own face mask order is now up to nearly 3,700 signatures. As of Monday, however, the county’s health officials were saying they would rely on a “shared sense of responsibility” and encourage people to adhere to voluntary face mask recommendations.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

Reception sees off retiring Hillsboro city administrator Larry Paine

Thirty-five people wished retiring Hillsboro city administrator Larry Paine a warm farewell at a reception Monday at Hillsboro city hall. Others online joined the celebration.
“We’re here to celebrate a lifetime, not just 12 years of public service,” mayor Lou Thurston said.
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

Hillsboro’s loss, Peabody’s gain

Peabody is finding ways to capitalize on a shifting environment of recreation activities, in part by purchasing unused pool cleaner from Hillsboro. Since Hillsboro isn’t opening its pool this year and won’t need its two pallets of pool cleaner, Peabody city council decided Monday to purchase a pallet of 24 containers of cleaner from Hillsboro. They will cost $151 a container.
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)

New Shawnee County COVID-19 rules will require bars to close by 10 p.m.

Bars and nightclubs in Shawnee County will need to close by 10 p.m. to comply with an emergency order health officer Gianfranco Pezzino issued Tuesday afternoon in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. The order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release put out by Amanda Monhollon, deputy public information officer for the Shawnee County Health Department. Bars and nightclubs will be the only businesses affected by the order, which Pezzino said he issued after a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases here was linked to those types of businesses.
(Read more: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal)

Leavenworth hospital closing because of coronavirus costs

The owners of Saint Luke’s Cushing Hospital in Leavenworth said the hospital will close this fall because of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Saint Luke’s inpatient unit will close July 17 and the rest of the hospital will close Oct. 1. About 70 employees at the hospital will be able to apply for other positions in the Saint Luke’s Health System. Hospital CEO Adele Ducharme said in a news release Tuesday the hospital transitioned to emergency services last year to make it financially viable but was only a few months into the effort when the costs of the virus pandemic hit.
(Read more: KSNT News)

Emporia Zoo begins $4.3 million renovation

The Emporia Zoo is in the early stages of a $4.3 million renovation project. The zoo has opened a temporary entrance on the west end while the zoo’s main entrance undergoes reconstruction. The pond near the main entrance has been drained and dredged. Zoo Director Lisa Keith said the it is getting new rocks and landscaping, as well as an island for ducks and turtles. It’s also being reworked to incorporate a new memorial area. “It’s going to be a nice beautiful area for loved ones to come and remember those that passed on,” Keith said. “The entrance will be a beautiful new entrance. Before it looked like a maintenance gate. Now it will be obvious it’s the entrance to the zoo.”
(Read more: KSNT News)

Wichita Wind Surge owner weighs in on 2020 Minor League Baseball season cancellation

Wichita Wind Surge team owner Lou Schwechheimer says they were ready to play ball. When asked how soon they could be on the field if the season was not canceled. “It could be tomorrow,” says Schwechheimer. But without players which the MLB announced Tuesday. “It was a difficult call but at the end of the day our time will come,” says Schwechheimer. “I was pretty shocked,” said Wichitan Abigail Secondine Secondine is among others who admit they are casual fans of the sport. “Yeah, I think it something that a lot of people were looking forward to,” Krista Phillips.
(Read more: KSN-TV)

Medical center plans to repay $1 million loan from Arkansas City

The City of Arkansas City’s budget may soon receive a much-needed boost if the $1 million it loaned to South Central Kansas Medical Center is paid back. That might happened soon, according to city and hospital officials. The funds were used to help cover medical centers payroll expenses for April, Many and June as revenue dropped due to the coronavirus fallout. When the loan was made in early April, officials were unsure whether the hospital would be able to repay it. City Manager Randy Frazer said that he had visited with CEO Jeff Bowman last week about the possibility of repayment.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Wichita school district gives 3 scenarios on upcoming school year, parents weigh in

The Wichita public school district is one step closer to having a plan for the upcoming school year. The district is putting together what it’s calling a future ready return plan. The academic task force is focusing on 3 scenarios: completely on site at school, a blended or hybrid model, with students alternating days on campus throughout the week, and exclusively online.
(Read more: KAKE – News)

Kansas counties could make governor’s mask order toothless

Gov. Laura Kelly’s planned order requiring Kansas residents to wear masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus could be toothless in many parts of the state because counties can exempt themselves and even those that don’t might not enforce it. Officials in some counties already were signalling Tuesday that they planned to opt out of Kelly’s mandate. The order, which Kelly is expected to issue Thursday ahead of it taking effect Friday, was to make masks mandatory in stores, restaurants and in any situation where social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained, including outside.
(Read more: KAKE – News)

Five police chiefs and sheriffs say they won’t enforce mask order from Kansas governor

Five police chiefs and sheriffs in Kansas have announced that they will not enforce a face mask order that will be issued by the governor later this week. The police chiefs in Sterling, Norton and St. Marys and the sheriffs in Comanche and Bourbon counties said in Facebook posts on Tuesday that their agencies will not enforce Gov. Laura Kelly’s executive order. “There is no law in the State of Kansas that states that you will/shall wear a mask, therefore there will be absolutely no lawful enforcement within Comanche County,” Sheriff Mike Lehl said in a statement.
(Read more: Local News | Wichita Eagle)