Kansas Municipal News
Got coronavirus symptoms in Johnson County? You can now sign up for a free test
As Johnson County lifts more coronavirus restrictions, it is expanding testing for residents with symptoms of the disease. Beginning Monday, they can make an online appointment to get a free test with the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment. But testing supplies and appointment times remain limited.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Libraries in Johnson County take steps toward reopening; Overland Park celebrates 60
The Johnson County Library, which serves the entire county, with the exception of Olathe, set a May 18 date for reopening its book drops at the Blue Valley, Lenexa City Center and Monticello branches only. Starting May 26, the drive-thru windows will open at those three branches for patrons to pick up held materials. Go to jocolibrary.org to place a hold on that book you wish you could have read during the coronavirus stay-home order. The Olathe Public Library was working on a phased plan to resume holds and checkouts by the end of May.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Topeka’s Polk-Quincy viaduct redesign plan called ’a win-win’
Creating a six-lane freeway on Interstate 70 from MacVicar to 4th Street in downtown Topeka is one of 40 highway expansion projects Gov. Laura Kelly and the Kansas Department of Transportation announced Thursday. Kelly, KDOT secretary Julie Lorenz and Sen. Carolyn McGinn revealed the projects as part of the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, a 10-year engineering initiative approved in March by the Kansas Legislature. The IKE program will target major highway projects for modernization and expansion every two years rather than once every decade under previous programs. “Working alongside local officials and stakeholders through the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, we can build a transportation future for Kansans that meets the needs of our communities, helps grow our economy and creates jobs,” Kelly said.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Wichita officer refuses $10 coffee treat — then surprises woman with free Starbucks
A Wichita police officer received a public compliment after buying Starbucks for the woman who had offered him free coffee. The Wichita Police Department received a note this week that Police Chief Gordon Ramsay shared in a Facebook post. “Officer compliment of the week — highlighting the good things our officers do every minute of everyday. … Nice work Officer Kevin McKenna!” Ramsay said.
(Read more: Local News |)
Wichita mayor outlines plan to open city facilities and programs
The City of Wichita will begin reopening city facilities and programs in phases, Mayor Brandon Whipple announced Thursday. A news release from the city said the plan is aimed at being responsive to the community’s needs for programs and services but is flexible to prioritize the health and safety of staff and residents. The city is coordinating with the county and state to best formulate reopening regulations, the release said. “Employees are working hard to prepare buildings and programs and institute robust health and safety processes.”
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Gov. Laura Kelly to allow barbers, gyms to reopen Monday; delays full relaunch of bars, sports
Gov. Laura Kelly signed an executive order transitioning the economy next Monday to a less-robust-than-anticipated phase of her statewide COVID-19 recovery plan for reopening businesses and facilities shuttered during the pandemic. Kelly said Phase 1.5 — not the full Phase 2 contemplated previously — would retain the 10-person maximum on gatherings of people. It would allow barber shops, tattoo parlors, hair salons, tanning shops and nail salons to open for customers by appointment only. Also Monday, fitness centers and health clubs can open for business but cannot offer in-person group classes and or make full use of locker rooms. She said this phase lasting through the month of May would allow for indoor graduation ceremonies if limited to no more than 10 persons who maintained social distancing. Comparable outdoor drive-through celebrations will be acceptable, she said.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Mission council approves phased COVID-19 plan that will keep aquatic center closed this summer
The city of Mission is the latest in Johnson County to decide not to open its municipal pool for the 2020 season. The Mission city council on Wednesday evening approved a resolution outlining the city’s reopening plan, which included not opening the Mission Family Aquatic Center this summer due to limitations brought on by COVID-19. City Administrator Laura Smith said among the deciding factors were the lack of lifeguard applicants and the inability to “flip a switch and open up these facilities” to coincide with the fluid dates of reopening plans. “It becomes this waiting game and this guessing game about when is the right time to fill a pool, can we get our guards certified, can we get open,” Smith said. “I think we came to the conclusion that we would not really be able to effectively do that.”
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Overland Park EMS Chief survives COVID-19, thanks his caregivers at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission
Jason Green, the emergency medical services chief for the Overland Park Fire Department, spent more than a month at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission — including 18 days on a ventilator — fighting COVID-19. Green’s prognosis wasn’t great, and at one point intensive care staff thought he wasn’t going to make it. Now, after recovering from the virus and being reunited with his wife and two daughters, Green wanted to show appreciation for his critical care team. Thursday morning Green and his family surprised his caregivers with a special show of appreciation in front of the hospital. Green said he wanted to thank the team that gave him the opportunity to see his oldest daughter off to Kansas State University in fall 2020.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Shawnee outlines re-opening plans for parks and recreation
The Shawnee Parks and Recreation Department on Wednesday afternoon unveiled its re-opening plan for facilities that closed and services that discontinued during the COVID-19 shutdown. The plan outlines a phased approach for the Shawnee Civic Centre, programs, classes and camps, rentals of park shelters and courts, and Shawnee Town 1929. Additionally, city staff reiterated tentative plans to open the Thomas A. Soetaert Aquatic Center this summer. “Thank you for bearing with us as we navigate and adapt to continuing recommendations from local, state and national health organizations,” city staff wrote in the announcement. “We are eager to fill our parks, programs, facilities and museum site with energy and laughter again.”
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Paola Family Pool will not open this year due to pandemic
Local youths and adults won’t be able to use the Paola Family Pool this summer, as it will remain closed throughout the 2020 swim season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city announced Thursday, May 14. “For us, late February started as usual. City staff solicited advertisements for pool concession workers and lifeguards,” city officials stated in a news release. “Then, the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and forced city staff to rethink the typical timelines, processes and procedures for the pool.” During the past two months, city staff members have evaluated the city’s ability to safely and effectively open the municipal pool for the 2020 season, and the issue was discussed at length during the Paola City Council meeting Tuesday, May 12.
(Read more: The Miami County Republic)
Municipal bond yields continue to drop after large deals get done
The municipal market saw yields grind lower Thursday by as much as seven basis points on the short end. Triple-A benchmark yields on the long end declined four basis points. Yields on all triple-A benchmark curves out to nine years are now below 1%. The largest bumps were again on the very short end of the curve. Utah brought a surprise AAA general obligation deal that saw yields bumped six or seven basis points in a repricing while more inflows were reported. Refinitiv Lipper reported municipal bond funds inflows of $581.943 million in the week ended May 13 after experiencing $408.424 million of outflows in the previous week.
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)
Emporia discusses potential budget cuts
City Finance Director Janet Harrouff gave Emporia City Commissioners recommendations on potential budgetary cuts that could be made as the city continues to navigate the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday morning via Zoom. The recommended cuts are a proactive measure at this time, Harrouff said, to help mitigate any lost tax revenue in the coming months. So far, the city has not seen a decrease in property tax or sales tax revenues because of how they are distributed. “With property taxes, we receive a distribution in January and a distribution in June from the county for the big ad valorem payments,” she said. “The distribution we received in January was higher than what we had budgeted, so we really won’t know the exact amount of the decrease in ad valorem taxes until we get our payment in June.”
(Read more: Emporia Gazette)
Wichita mayor announces phased-in approach to reopen city, local programs
Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple announced Thursday the city’s four-tier plan to reopen the city amid the coronavirus pandemic. Whipple said city employees are preparing safety protocols, supplies, information and signage for city hall and other city buildings. “We want to not only to get back to the services that people expect but also make sure that we are having extra emphasis on public safety,” said Whipple.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Some Lawrence leaders open to idea of tolled express lanes on SLT as long as existing lanes remain free
City leaders indicated they were more open to using tolls to fund the expansion of the western leg of the South Lawrence Trafficway as long as some lanes would still remain free. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission received an update from the Kansas Department of Transportation on the study to expand the western leg of the SLT using both open-access lanes and tolled express lanes. Decisions on whether any portion of the potential expansion will be tolled have yet to be made, but consultants with HNTB, who are working with KDOT on a study for the project, told the commission the tolled expressway was an option they want to consider.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Lawrence leaders say they favor budget cuts over tax increases in the face of revenue loss due to COVID-19
Lawrence city commissioners said they were largely uninterested in raising taxes to make up for the millions in revenue that the city projects it will lose because of the coronavirus pandemic, but they aren’t ruling out any options right now. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the City Commission received updated 2020 revenue projections to account for the pandemic and resulting economic slowdown and directed city staff regarding several policy decisions impacting the budget. Those included how much of the city’s savings commissioners are willing to spend down
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Some restaurants look to provide outside dining; city to consider more flexibility for downtown restaurants
When restaurants begin to reopen for in-house dining, some of those dining options will actually be outside. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to approve changes to the city’s temporary special event permitting process that allow businesses more flexibility in how they use their properties, and additional options are being discussed. Interim Planning Director Amy Miller told the commission that her office has been in contact with a lot of businesses, specifically restaurants, that are looking at ways to use their private parking lot to serve customers.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for May 13, 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.
KDHE updates travel-related quarantine guidelines
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) will issue regular mandates on travel-related quarantines for international, domestic, and cruise-related travel. People in Kansas are asked to quarantine for a period of 14 days starting from the day they arrive in Kansas. Regularly check this list to stay up-to-date on travel-related guidance. Please refer to the KDHE Isolation and Quarantine FAQ for additional information. (Note: these mandates do not apply to critical infrastructures, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, including healthcare and public health, needed to continue operations during this pandemic.)
(Read more: Atchison Globe Now)
‘He’s going to be so very missed’: Community remembers fallen Overland Park officer
Overland Park Police Officer Mike Mosher was laid to rest Wednesday. People came from near and far to pay their final respects. “I want to make it very clear that my dad is not gone. He’s just not here,” Mike’s daughter Tyler Mosher said. Things came to a standstill Wednesday afternoon, as family, friends, law enforcement and community members gathered to remember the Overland Park police officer. “He’s going to be so very missed,” Christy Zeeff said.
(Read more: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF)
Marion County Commissioners continue planning for summer
Marion County Health Department Health Administrator Diedre Serene explained to the Commissioners during their May 11 meeting that cases will not be taken off the case count once they have recovered. The number will not go down. “At this time all of our cases are out of quarantine (minus the one death) and they pose no risk to the community at this time,” said Serene. “The KDHE has very good guidance for business owners as well as families. As we learn more about the virus, the guidelines change as well as while we move through these phases. And don’t forget to wear masks, uses good handwashing, and practice good social distancing.” Serene explained that the suggestion to wear the mask is only a suggestion but a very strong one.
(Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)