Kansas Municipal News
GCCC to Distribute Over $640,000 in CARES Act Funds to Students
Garden City Community College will distribute $641,003 in federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to qualifying students in order to alleviate financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The disbursement from the U.S. Department of Education is intended to reach as many students as possible and assist with expenses related to the pandemic and disruption of classes this semester. Eligible students are not required to complete any application or paperwork to receive CARES Act funding and will be identified by the institution automatically if they have filed a 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student (FAFSA) and are deemed eligible for federal aid.
(Read more: Western Kansas News)
Prairie Village, Roeland Park will not open municipal pools for 2020 season
Saying public health considerations, logistical hurdles and staff certification concerns would make operations difficult if not impossible under COVID-19 restrictions, the city councils of Prairie Village and Roeland Park on Monday voted to cancel their 2020 municipal pool seasons. Administrative staff from both cities made the recommendation to close the pools for the year after working through the statewide phased reopening guidelines released by Gov. Laura Kelly’s office last week.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Reopening rules “enforcement” discussed by Reno County
Reno County has created a specific email and will continue with its 1-800 phone number to field public calls or questions about enforcement of the governor’s plan for reopening businesses and institutions within the county during the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak. While the governor’s reopening plan carries the force of law, officials plan a “philosophy of education” approach, said Reno County Health Department Director and local Health Officer Nick Baldetti.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Walgreens in Arkansas City closing shop after 12 years
The Walgreens store and pharmacy in Arkansas City will close in early June. Store Manager Rachelle Tagg confirmed on Monday the rumors swirling around social media. The store has been at the corner of Summit Street and Radio Lane for 12 years. It opened in May of 2008 and has 16 employees. “We are closing and our last day to be open is June 3,” Tagg said.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)
Atchison County starts COVID-19 reopening plan
It is with caution that Chief Health Officer Lori Forge, RN and county health officials presented the four-phase, 12-page reopening plan in wake of the coronavirus pandemic to county commissioners last Friday. “This is our guide now,” said County Chairman Jack Bower of the plan’s Phase one that came effective Monday, May 4. The public can view the plan in its entirety at https://www.atchisoncountyks.org/DocumentCenter/View/2224/Master-Plan-Document-5-1-2020. Atchison County health officials Forge, Medical Director Dr. Bonnie Tackett, MD, of Atchison Hospital, and Emergency Management Director Wesley Lanter devised that plan. All agreed COVID- 19 is a virus is something medical professionals and experts are learning something new about on a daily basis.
(Read more: Atchison Globe Now)
City of Dodge City Phased Plan to Reopen City Facilities and Operations (English/Spanish)
The City of Dodge City has developed a three-phase plan for reopening city-owned facilities and operations that uses the baseline of Governor Kelly’s Ad Astra Plan to reopen the state. The first phase will begin on May 4 and will see a continuation of the operating procedures followed during the Stay-At-Home order. The re-evaluation date to potentially move into the following phase will also follow the data guidelines set in Governor Kelly’s plan by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Over 14 days the disease spread must be stable or declining, the number of new COVID-19 hospital admissions must decline, and there must be a downward trajectory of COVID-19 deaths within a 14-day period. “We all need to continue to be cautious and work hard to honor the social distancing and health guidelines,” said City Manager Cherise Tieben. “If numbers of cases keep growing, the 14-day timeline could be pushed out. We need help from all of our citizens to flatten the curve. We all want our lives and our work to be back to normal.”
(Read more: Western Kansas News)
Up Long Before Sunrise, Alta Vista Native Still Going Strong Serving Rural Hometown
It’s four in the morning need to be at work an hour down the road, tire is flat, oil’s low.” No worry Virgil Ziegler is at McDiffett Service on Main Street in Alta Vista ready to help out.
Modern days’ self-service, nearly impossible to get tires fixed, oil checked, gas filled, yet those old traditions do still exist. “I’m up at 3:30, have my oatmeal and here so people with city jobs get there on time,” Ziegler said. Serving his Wabaunsee County hometown has been the life for the energetic, heathy, outgoing 89-year-old most congenially acknowledged as Virgil. “I live in the same house where I was born, never got far from home,” Ziegler smiled. “Worked in the garage business, grocery stores and mowed lawns, it’s been my life.”
(Read more: WIBW News Now)
Municipal Bond Trends for May 4, 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.
Muni issuance may fall 3% to 7% this year due to coronavirus pandemic, S&P says
As the human toll and financial fallout from the COVID-19 spreads across U.S. states, counties and cities, S&P Global Ratings Research expects municipal bond issuance to shrink considerably this year. “At this time, we expect issuance [in the public finance sector] to contract between 3% and 7%. We see depressed issuance among the long-term debt we track to continue as we have seen in March and so far in April, at least through the near-term,” S&P said in a report released Friday. “That situation could change if relief passes through Congress, or a major change in the trajectory of the COVID-19 outbreak occurs.” S&P cautioned that its 2020 supply forecast was volatile because “so much depends on how quickly economic activity resumes and where, as well as what aid is made available to state and local governments by the Fed or by Congress.”
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)
Atchison Area Community Foundation announces $100,000 of COVID-19 Recovery Fund grants
In response to the COVID‐19 pandemic, the Atchison Area Community Foundation (AACF) created the 2020 COVID‐19 Recovery Fund. The fund was initiated with a $25,000 matching grant from the Courtney S. Turner Charitable Trust just one month ago and has since received donations from dozens of local businesses and individuals throughout the Atchison area. The 2020 COVID‐19 Recovery Fund received applications from 18 local non‐profits in their relief and recovery efforts. Funds will support things such as emergency food distribution, shelter and long‐term housing, emotional and spiritual care, rental and utility assistance, childcare and mentorship programming, healthcare, and much more.
(Read more: Atchison Globe Now)
City of Pittsburg limits facility use, cancels events, offers virtual programs this summer
As some area businesses and local government facilities begin to reopen, others are getting creative in finding new ways of offering their services – or having to make the tough decision not to in some cases where doing so while following guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19 would be impossible or impractical. “Our staff has diligently reviewed all possible scenarios to safely host events and open facilities,” Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Director Kim Vogel said in a press release. “The bottom line for us is how to best protect the public and our staff, while following mass gathering guidelines. We encourage citizens to maintain social distancing while visiting parks and utilizing the trail systems, and we will continue to develop new ways to engage the public to keep everyone active throughout the summer.” To align with state and county orders, the Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Department is limiting the use of some park facilities, modifying summer programs and cancelling special events.
(Read more: Community – Morning Sun)
Reopening starts with small steps for city of Derby
As of May 4, Gov. Laura Kelly’s phased reopening plan for Kansas is officially in effect. Over the course of the next month, businesses across the state will slowly start to return to normal operations. During its most recent meeting on April 28, the Derby City Council discussed how that reopening would look for city services and amenities. Given that all city departments stayed busy (some more than others) while the stay-at-home orders were in effect, City Manager Kathy Sexton said staff saw no rush to reopen the doors to city hall – as that would actually bring on more work in terms of preventative measures. Given that city staff are still balancing what work can be ongoing and what can be delayed in the face of COVID-19, and the ability to get a majority of work done while closed, they are in favor of keeping the doors locked for the time being.
(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)
Modified Operations Continue for Garden City Facilities
Through at least May 15th, City facilities will operate predominantly in the same manner they have been operating since prior to the Governor’s Stay‐At‐Home Order. Doing so allows us to continue delivering virtually all the critical public services requested of us by the community while building resiliency through modified work environments and staffing schedules. As we’ve been doing since mid‐March, each department may make some adjustments to work environments and staffing strategies, but the basic description of operations at each worksite will be as follows…
(Read more: Greater Garden City » Feed)
Sedgwick businesses are responsible for new sales tax whether they collect it or not
On April 1, Sedgwick’s 8.5 percent sales tax increased to 9.0 percent, but it seems that local business hadn’t received notice from the state and were thus still charging to lower 8.5 percent.
City Administrator Joe Turner told the city council last week that he had visited several businesses and only one—Dollar General—charged the correct sales tax amount. In an e-mail exchange with Amy Kramer of the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR), she explained to Turner how KDOR notifies business of tax increases. Quarterly sales tax rate changes are published at least 60 days prior to the tax being imposed, notice is included under the “Current News” section of the Customer Service Center home page, and the Department of Revenue updates the splash screen text for the sales and use tax accounts to advise users of every quarterly tax change.
(Read more: Harvey County Now)
Municipal Bond Trends for May 1, 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.
$400 million in aid offered to Kansas hospitals
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) Friday announced $400 million to Kansas hospitals financially impacted by COVID-19. The assistance comes from the Department of Health and Human Services, delivered through the Provider Relief Fund,established in Phase III of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act…. Moran says the first grant for $18 million “will be distributed to a high-impact hospital in Kansas that has treated a large number of COVID-19 cases. The additional $382 million will be distributed among 201 rural healthcare providers impacted by COVID-19.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Finney County extending stay-at-home order 7 days
Finney County added 99 more positive confirmed COVID-19 case, bringing the total to 503 as of 7 p.m. on Friday. The second and third deaths were confirmed by the Finney County Health Department on Friday. …At the inception of the FCHD’s drive thru testing site, there was a capability of testing 50 individuals in a day. Since then, testing supplies have increased and now allow 140-160 individuals to be tested each day. FCHD has issued an emergency public health order for Finney County, extending the governor’s stay at home order, through May 10.
(Read more: GC Telegram)
COVID-19-related restrictions challenging for rural KS counties with few or no cases
Some communities across Kansas haven’t seen any confirmed cases of COVID-19, but still feel the impact of the statewide stay-at-home order. In Russell County, among several rural counties that hasn’t seen its first COVID-19 case, county commissioners are eager to start reopening. When Phase One of Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s reopening plan starting Monday (May 4), counties in the state decide if they want to incorporate additional restrictions. Russell County Commissioner Steve Reinhardt says having zero cases in the county made it difficult for some to follow the stay-at-home order.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Shawnee County announces reopening plan
Shawnee County officials are using the governor’s plan for reopening Kansas as a model for local efforts to begin opening businesses as the coronavirus pandemic wears on. In a news conference Friday afternoon, Shawnee County health officials, local leaders and emergency management personnel revealed “A Guide to Re-opening Shawnee County, Kansas,” which will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, May 4. At that time, the county’s stay-at-home order, which went into effect March 26, will be rescinded by Shawnee County health officer Gianfranco Pezzino. That will allow phase one of the local reopening plan to begin. Phase one of the county’s plan mimics phase one of Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide reopening initiative, which she revealed Thursday evening in a televised address to Kansans.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Reno County produces local reopening plan
Over the last two weeks, the Reno County Health Department has been working with the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce and the Reno County Economic Recovery Taskforce, or RCERT, to present recommendations for reopening Reno County. On Thursday evening, Gov. Laura Kelly outlined the first phase of the reopening plan for Kansas local governments. This framework allows Kansas counties to retain the ability to enact more restrictive orders, but not less restrictive. Reno County, at this time, does not plan to place any further restrictions over and above that which is outlined in the Governor’s phased plan timeline. Those phases and timelines are summarized in the attached spreadsheet and the full plan can be found at covid.ks.gov.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)