Kansas Municipal News
There’s not much city can do with trains blocking crossings
Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis said told the City Council Monday night that he has fielded questions from the public and council members about railroad crossings, and trains sitting across the tracks. One instance included a train blocking South Main for at least a couple hours. But, as it turns out, such delays are out of the city’s hands, he said. “We do have city ordinances in place that limit the timing of that,” he said. However, in 2018, Kansas Court of Appeals said that it infringed on federal law.
(Read more: Great Bend Tribune)
The COVID-19 effects hospitals didn’t foresee: Financial distress
Dr. Bill O’Callahan, an emergency physician, rested his elbows on his desk, his head in his hands. Despite his whirlwind thoughts — a recent COVID-19 patient with failing lungs, a 30% pay cut, the dangers he faced on a daily basis — he still counted himself among the fortunate. He was healthy, and he still had a job — for now. A staggering number of hospital employees have been laid off or furloughed — sent home without pay, waiting to hear whether they can return to work. Now, a fresh look at what lies ahead for hospitals post-pandemic reveals some may not recover from a COVID-19 patient surge that never came. Toward the beginning of the pandemic, initial worries included health systems being overwhelmed. But for most hospitals, novel coronavirus-related admissions have been more than offset by declines in unexpected areas. While fewer outpatient services and elective surgeries were expected, few hospitals anticipated steep declines in emergency room visits and in-hospital stays.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
City of Wichita launches emergency assistance program to help those struggling to pay rent, utilities
The coronavirus pandemic is more than a health crisis—it’s a financial crisis too. The City of Wichita announced Thursday that it had launched an emergency assistance program to help those who live in Sedgwick County and have a financial hardship due to COVID-19. “If you qualify, then we’ll be able to hopefully be able to give you a helping hand when it comes to your rent or utility bills when you fall behind,” Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple said. If you need help with rental and utility payment assistance or foreclosure counseling, and you meet certain income guidelines, you can receive financial assistance from the city.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library announces phased reopening
In less than two weeks, the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library will begin a phased reopening of its facilities. Phase one of the library’s reopening plan will begin on May 18, according to a news release Thursday from the library’s communications director. Though the library will not open to the public on that date, it will begin accepting book returns, and the Engroff Eats food truck will be in the library’s parking lot to offer food normally served at the in-house Millennium Cafe. According to the news release, the library also won’t charge late fees on any items checked out in 2020. Phase two of the library’s reopening is scheduled to begin on May 26. At that point, the library will offer curbside pickup of books and DVDs. Library patrons will be able to pick up reserved items 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Playgrounds, dog parks and bathrooms: What to expect at Wichita parks in the coming weeks
Wichita parks are open but several of the amenities people enjoy in them have been closed since the coronavirus shutdown in March. There are still a lot of unknowns about when all activities overseen by the city’s park and recreation department will resume. But Parks and Recreation director Troy Houtman, in a Thursday afternoon Facebook live chat with council member Bryan Frye, gave a loose outline of what you can do now and what will — and won’t — be opening in the coming weeks.
(Read more: Local News |)
JoCo residents owing property taxes May 11 can take advantage of partial payments, but will accrue interest
Johnson County residents who did not pay the full amount on their 2019 real estate and personal property taxes can take advantage of a partial payment option for the second installment of the tax payments — which are due on or before Monday, May 11. The Board of County Commissioners last month approved to accept partial payments following the economic impact of COVID-19, though residents can expect to see interest accrue daily on any unpaid balance starting May 12. The county does not have jurisdiction to change the property tax due date nor to defer payments, Director of Financial Management Tom Franzen said.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Shawnee will direct federal COVID-19 funding at small businesses, public service providers
The city of Shawnee was awarded $168,955 in federal funds to mitigate the growing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. City leaders Tuesday debated how they wanted to spend the funds — whether to support small businesses or public service providers — but ultimately went with city staff’s recommendation to allocate $56,955 toward public service provider assistance and the remaining $112,000 toward business assistance. The council also supported matching the federal funding with city dollars. The federal funding comes from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which made available $5 billion in Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus funds. Shawnee already receives federal Community Development Block Grant funding and has allocated about $294,000 to eligible projects this year.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post)
Kansans paint their town to spread joy
Residents in one Kansas town are using their creativity to spread cheer during the COVID-19 pandemic. “With all of the residents who have been having to stay home, we thought let’s make a cool project for the town and let’s paint all of the fire hydrants in town,” said Kechi Mayor John Speer. In a matter of weeks, Kechi’s fire hydrants went from drab to fab. “Oh, we have got Pacman down the street. We have got sunflowers and Spongebob. We’ve got the character from The Office, geometric designs, KState, KU, Wichita State,” Speer explained. The creations are a community effort. People of all ages have pitched in.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
KDHE and KU undertake study for COVID-19 detection in wastewater
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) recently teamed up with the University of Kansas School of Engineering (KU) to determine if genetic remnants of COVID-19 can be detected in wastewater. The concept originally tested in Massachusetts and the Netherlands, and now throughout the United States, is that people infected with the virus shed it through their urine and feces. The genetic material can be extracted from wastewater and matched against genetic markers keyed to COVID-19. The virus itself does not survive in wastewater, and therefore wastewater is not a significant means of disease transmission. Detecting the genetic material in wastewater is indicative of COVID-19 being present and may give local health officials knowledge of how widespread it is in their community, allowing them to take proactive measures to mitigate its spread. While drinking water is not part of this ongoing study, they said it’s important to note disinfection by all Kansas public water suppliers inactivates the virus and drinking water remains safe for consumption.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Wichita Public Library begins curbside service May 11
The Wichita Public Library will begin curbside and drive up window service on Monday, May 11. Customers who had holds placed on items before the library closed in March, and any holds in queue that was initiated during the closure, will receive notifications to pick those up beginning Monday. If customers would like to check materials out, they’ll be able to place holds on items through the online catalog at catalog.wichitalibrary.org beginning Monday, May 18. They can also call 261-8500 during regular business hours for staff assistance. Notifications will be sent to customers once their holds are available for pick up. When customers arrive to their designated library branch to pick up materials, they will check-in by calling the phone number on the outdoor signs or proceed to the drive-up window. Library staff will ask for their name and library card number to verify their materials. Staff will bring materials to customers’ vehicles in plastic bags.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Area cities weigh options of opening public pools
Many Kansas communities are weighing when it comes to public swimming pools this summer. Under Governor Kelly’s plan, they can open in Phase II. Taking a dip in the Augusta Municipal Swimming Pool is a big part of things to do for kids in the community. “We’re far enough away from Wichita and Andover that the kids don’t have anywhere that they can just walk and like go to the YMCA or whatever,” said Mike Rawlings, Mayor of Augusta. Rawlings said that was a big reason the city council voted to open the pool this season. He said staff is using the delayed start to finalize social distancing and safety guidelines. Rawlings said he expects the pool to open by mid June. “There’s just so many moving pieces right now it’s hard to put a definite date,” said Rawlings. “We’ll do it as quickly as possible and still be safe.”
(Read more: KSN-TV)
USDA brings broadband to two rural Kansas counties
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced on Thursday the USDA is investing $71 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Kansas and Oklahoma. This funding is part of USDA’s round one investments through the ReConnect Pilot Program. Just under 60 farms in Kansas and Oklahoma will be affected by this broadband service. “The need for rural broadband has never been more apparent than it is now – as our nation manages the coronavirus national emergency. Access to telehealth services, remote learning for school children, and remote business operations all require access to broadband,” said Secretary Perdue. “When rural America thrives, we all thrive.”
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Florence approves plan for employees
Florence city council made a commitment to city employees Monday, approving a plan to pay employees’ salaries if they contract COVID-19 or another pandemic in the future. “It’s a good thing for the employees,” councilman Matt Williams said. “It shows our employees that we’re looking after them.”
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)
Shawnee will direct federal COVID-19 funding at small businesses, public service providers
The city of Shawnee was awarded $168,955 in federal funds to mitigate the growing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. City leaders Tuesday debated how they wanted to spend the funds — whether to support small businesses or public service providers — but ultimately went with city staff’s recommendation to allocate $56,955 toward public service provider assistance and the remaining $112,000 toward business assistance. The council also supported matching the federal funding with city dollars.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Roeland Park residents can apply for property tax assistance program through May 22
The city of Roeland Park’s property tax assistance program is accepting applications from residents who qualify for a full reimbursement of the city’s property tax, with exclusions for special assessments. The program has $15,000 budgeted from the city’s general fund that can be used for the most recent tax year, and refunds are “issued per household on owner-occupied homes only,” according to city documents.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Overland Park committee recommends keeping pools closed for the season
After weighing the prospects of a shortened season, face masks, restrictions on distancing and the future uncertainties of the pandemic, an Overland Park City Council Committee has reluctantly recommended that the city not open its outdoor pools this summer. The Community Development Committee considered the possibility Wednesday of only opening one of its five pools, the Tomahawk Ridge Aquatic Center. But that could only happen with a long list of restrictions on staff and patrons due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Training the staff for the new procedures would delay the opening to July 1, meaning that the pool would only be open for about 45 days.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Municipal Bond Trends for May 6, 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.
Cowley County might open facilities next week
Cowley County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to keep all county buildings closed to the general public until May 10 or until it is appropriate to open. The decision was made Tuesday morning at during a virtual meeting on Zoom. Because of the coronavirus, the buildings have been closed to the public for several weeks unless someone calls in and makes an appointment at a particular office. “People can’t just walk in and out of the buildings,” said county administrator Lucas Goff. But he also said many people have taken advantage of the appointments policy and have taken care of business in certain offices. “I had about a dozen people in my office today,” Goff said.
(Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com)
Emporia State to receive roughly $1.7 million in CARES Act funds
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress with bipartisan support and signed into law by President Trump on March 27 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has since impacted communities across the nation. While the more than $2 trillion economic package mainly strives “to protect the American people from the public health and economic impacts” of the virus, it has also been used during this time to support numerous businesses, organizations and educational entities. In an online forum Monday, Emporia State University President Allison Garrett announced initial details of what the CARES Act could mean for the campus’ students, faculty and staff heading into the fall semester.
(Read more: Emporia Gazette)
Roeland Park begins phase one improvements to R Park, on track to complete phase two by late 2020
The city of Roeland Park on Monday began site work for phase one of improvements to R Park, 5535 Juniper Street. After approving the three-phased, multi-year plan in March 2019, city councilmembers and city staff celebrated the beginning of construction with a socially-distanced groundbreaking last week. Mayor Mike Kelly said times like these make it clear as to why resources are dedicated to outdoor spaces, and that he thinks it’s a great time to improve the park. “Given the challenges of today, it’s nice to have some good news to report to Roeland Park residents,” Kelly said. “This park’s plan was made through the consideration and hard work of a lot of different people — elected, volunteers, residents — and I am proud of the plan that we put together, I think it will help make our community more vibrant and improve the quality of life for Roeland Park residents.”
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)