Kansas Municipal News
County commission approves property tax relief policy
The Cowley County Commission approved a change to property tax procedures at their Tuesday meeting, which allows property owners to request a waiver from paying taxes if their property is destroyed during the tax assessment period. Property tax valuations are set on Jan. 1 every year, so “if your house burned down Jan. 5, you would be charged for the whole year” under the previous policy, said Cowley County Clerk Karen Madison, who presented the resolution to the commission.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
County-wide housing study announced
The City of Arkansas City, the City of Winfield and the Cowley County Economic Development Partnership announced a new collaborative effort Friday to update the Cowley County Housing Study, last completed by Hanna:Keelan Associates of Lincoln, Neb. in 2014. The updated study will provide essential insights to guide future housing development throughout Cowley County. The Comprehensive Housing Study will help create a strategic framework for future housing development that meets the needs of residents across all income sectors. The updated plan is set to be completed by April 1.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
Valley Center rec ready for opening
The Valley Center Recreation Commission is preparing for the opening of a new recreation and aquatic center. The facility, located at 1050 N. Meridian in Valley Center, is set to open on Feb. 22, and there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the milestone. The grand opening will include tours from 9 to 11 a.m., with the ribbon cutting at 11 a.m., which will officially open the facility.
Source: Derby Informer | Area
City looking to launch housing repair assistance program
At Tuesday’s work session, Manhattan city commissioners will discuss a housing rehabilitation and repair assistance program. Commissioners in October expressed interest in funding a housing rehabilitation program with the workforce housing sales tax, according to city government documents.
Source: 1350 KMAN
Edgerton to unveil community center, town’s first new downtown building in 100+ years
The first new brick building in over 100 years in downtown Edgerton will open Saturday, Feb. 22. Located at 404 E. Nelson St., The Greenspace is an approximately 13,000-square-foot community center that will open a year and a half after the city first broke ground in August 2023.
Source: Johnson County Post
City of Wichita set to pay $250,000 to settle case where driver was injured amid police pursuit
The City of Wichita is poised to pay $250,000 to a motorist who was hit and injured on Dec. 1, 2020, by a man fleeing police in a stolen vehicle. Wichita City Council will vote on the settlement Tuesday. Kelly L. Sandwell, who was 64 when the wreck occurred, was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries from the wreck, police previously said. The suspect who was fleeing police, Donald Tucker Jr., 36, of Chanute, was thrown from the vehicle and died after he clipped the 2014 Toyota Corolla Sandwell was driving.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Public comments return to Johnson County commission’s online livestream
Public comments at the beginning of Johnson County commission meetings are once again being streamed live along with the meeting. The policy reverses a decision made two years ago by county Chair Mike Kelly, which was later approved by the commission. The decision not to stream public comments became a flashpoint, particularly for conservatives who have made a habit in recent years of showing up to opine on everything from the county’s COVID-19 response to the 2020 election.
Source: Prairie Village Post
Municipal Bond Trends for February 7, 2025
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.
AG Opinion 2025-4: County attorney serving as county counselor
When a county has established the position of county counselor and there is a temporary vacancy in that position, a county attorney is not prohibited from receiving a fee in addition to the county attorney’s salary for performing the duties of the county counselor on an interim basis.
Source: Kansas Attorney General Opinions
AG Opinion 2025-3: Incompatibility of office
The common law doctrine of incompatibility of office precludes a person from concurrently holding the positions of a county hospital board member and a physician in the same hospital.
Source: Kansas Attorney General Opinions
Municipal Bond Trends for February 6, 2025
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.
Manhattan Regional Airport sets several new passenger milestones in 2024
Manhattan Regional Airport (MHK) is pleased to announce 2024 set new records for passengers using the airport. One such record was enplanements, with 81,712 total passengers boarding a flight out of MHK in 2024. The previous enplanement record of 77,553 was set in 2019. Last year saw a 5.3% increase when compared to 2019. Similarly, the airport also set a new record for deplanements, with 81,971 total passengers exiting a flight in Manhattan for 2024.
Source: Manhattan – News Flash
Prairie Village keeps teardown-rebuild home design rules untouched for now — Here’s why
The potential to rehash a once-fraught debate over neighborhood building rules is not moving forward in Prairie Village. The Prairie Village Planning Commission on Tuesday agreed there is no need to update neighborhood design guidelines first enacted in 2019 that lay out rules dictating what the city wants to see in single-family neighborhoods. Commissioner Jon Birkel was absent from this week’s discussion.
Source: Johnson County Post
Big projects, new top cop and road work — Top takeaways from OP mayor’s ‘State of the City’
Big investments in Overland Park are starting to come to life, and city leaders expect to see more in the coming years. That was the overarching theme of Mayor Curt Skoog’s annual State of the City address Tuesday, given before a crowd gathered on the Johnson County Community College campus at an event hosted by the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce.
Source: Johnson County Post
Lenexa might expand its winter homeless shelter months after rejecting permanent plan
Despite cries that Lenexa would become “the Mecca” of homelessness, the city’s Planning Commission approved a change that could allow its temporary cold weather homeless shelter to serve more people — just months after the city rejected a plan for a permanent shelter. The commission also recommended a cap on the total number of individuals that can be served within city limits as well as stricter enforcement protocols if participants break the rules. The City Council will make the final decision during its Feb. 18 meeting.
Source: KC Star Local News
Abilene Votes Yes to Sales Tax Question to Fund Recreational Facility Improvements
Abilene residents voted to add a 0.35% sales tax to help fund multi-sport recreation fields and other recreational improvements during the February 4th Special Election held at Holm Automotive. The question, which was previously denied during the primary election, garnered a total of 741 voters. Of the 741 votes, 425 voted yes, with 316 no votes. Of the total registered voters in Abilene 16% participated in the Special Election, either at the polls or in early voting.
Source: KCLY Radio
Historic Kansas school built in 1904 set to reopen with new purpose
Workers are transforming an old school in Chase County into additional housing for the community. 27 News reached out to Frontier Development Group (FDG) to learn more about its work to transform historic structures in Kansas into modern living spaces. One major project underway this year is at a former school located in Cottonwood Falls. Tyler Holloman with FDG said this property is currently under construction, with a grand opening set for sometime in early 2025. He said more than a $2 million investment is being made in the old structure to bring it in line with the modern era and turn its inside into a place people want to live in. The end goal is to reopen the school as the Cottonwood School Lofts.
Source: KSN-TV
Pittsburg initiative aims to strengthen neighborhood identity
The city of Pittsburg is making efforts to bring a community’s touch to neighborhood names. Now hitting one year, Pittsburg’s Neighborhood Advisory Council has continued its efforts of connecting neighborhoods in the area. Also known as the “NAC,” one of its completed projects was establishing a neighborhood map that defined boundaries of neighborhoods and established names for each.
Source: KSNF/KODE
Homeless camps in Topeka could be cleared with ordinance changes
Topeka city leaders made changes to a camping ordinance Tuesday night, setting the stage for additional homeless camp cleanup operations. The Topeka City Council approved changes to a local camping ordinance on Feb. 4, paving the way for the removal of additional homeless camps. An estimated 20 homeless camps are now under threat of being cleared out under these changes.
Source: KSNT 27 News
Solutions Summit: Ellis County needs to tell its story better
Ellis County has many assets, but it’s not always the best at telling its own story. About 30 community members met Tuesday in Hays … From those discussions, the group identified four action items. The chief among those was developing a marketing plan for Ellis County.
Source: Hays Post