Kansas Municipal News
Here’s how Sedgwick County epidemiologist ‘disease detectives’ investigate coronavirus
The new coronavirus pandemic has led the Sedgwick County Health Department to more than double its number of epidemiologists, the health care workers who investigate and analyze data on infectious diseases.
“We are the ones that if you come down with chicken pox or whooping cough, we’re going to be calling you to figure out who you’ve been around that could have given it to you and also who you’ve been around that you could have spread it to,” said Kaylee Hervey, the epidemiology program manager for the Sedgwick County Health Department.
“Our goal is always to prevent the spread of disease and protect the health of the public. With coronavirus, we’re essentially doing what we always do. We’re just doing it at a much larger scale.”
(Read more: Local News |)
KHF opens $2 million COVID 19 grants initiative
The Kansas Health Foundation will begin accepting applications next weeks for its 2020 Impact and Capacity Grants Initiative, this year focused on COVID-19 response and recovery.
The $2 million initiative provides one-year grants of up to $25,000 for nonprofits who are mission-aligned with KHF.
Due to the urgency of responding to COVID-19 impacts, KHF is moving up its normal May 1 application launch date to April 13. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 31, or until all designated 2020 funds are awarded.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Topeka city officials take 3% pay cuts while expecting significant revenue shortfall
Topeka’s city government appears destined, because of the coronavirus pandemic, to bring in significantly less sales tax revenue this year than it planned, city media relations coordinator Molly Hadfield announced in a news release.
The city is responding by taking steps that include reducing salaries by 3% for management and executive staff, asking employees represented by labor unions to accept a 3% pay cut and implementing a freeze on hiring, except for jobs for which a critical or citywide operational need exists, Hadfield said in the release put out Friday.
“This type of loss in one budget year is substantial and cannot be made up with minor changes in the budget,” she said. “It will require major changes in expenses.”
Still, city manager Brent Trout said in the release that the city has engaged in sound financial management, which has given it the ability to manage decreases in revenue during this pandemic while still keeping essential services going.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
JoCo begins drive-thru coronavirus tests: ‘No time more important than next week’
At 9 a.m. on Friday, Lee Jarrell of Leawood joined a line of more than 100 cars wrapped around the College Boulevard Activity Center in Olathe.
As she waited, Jarrell meditated on the fact that she will finally know — after days of worrying about her cough and the possibility of infecting her family — whether she has coronavirus.
Jarrell was among the first randomly selected group of Johnson County residents invited to go to the drive-thru testing site on its opening day.
(Read more: KC Star Local News)
Independence announces emergency grant recipients
Within the last few days, the City of Independence has disbursed a total of $355,000 to locally owned brick-and-mortar businesses as part of an emergency relief grant program designed to offset losses incurred during the COVID-19 crisis.
The following 71 recipients each received funding:…
(Read more: Independence, KS – News Flash)
Osawatomie hires new city manager (might be the first city manager ever appointed while in quarantine)
Michael Scanlon said he is eager to begin work as Osawatomie’s new city manager – as soon as he gets out of quarantine.
The 58-year-old Scanlon did not contract coronavirus (COVID-19) but he lived in one of Colorado’s highly contagious counties in high ski country that was on a no-travel list in many states.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) last month issued an advisory that anyone who had traveled or worked in Pitkin County (Aspen, Colo.) should go into self-quarantine for 14 days as soon as they returned to Kansas.
Scanlon made his way from Aspen to Kansas and promptly went into self-quarantine. The veteran city government official, who said he has not exhibited any symptoms associated with COVID-19, will soon complete his quarantine period and is set to begin his new post in Osawatomie on Monday, April 20.
Read more: The Miami County Republic.
Fed muni purchases seen as ‘smart move’ for market’s long-term stability
The municipal market rallied Thursday, with yields declining at least 10 basis points across the curve against a backdrop of the Federal Reserve’s announcement that it would purchase up to $500 billion of short-term municipal notes.
While the announcement signaled the Fed would prop up short-term munis, long-term bonds are not going to be a part of the programs, at least for now.
Many participants said the shift to a more constructive tone was based more on the fundamentals of the municipal market itself than the news that the Fed would selectively purchase up to 24-month securities from states — whose officials would then select which cities would have access to the programs.
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)
Pittsburg Parks & Recreation Department Easter Egg Surprise
Each year, the Pittsburg Parks & Recreation Department hosts its annual Easter Egg Hunt at Lincoln Park, drawing hundreds of children to gather brightly-colored eggs. Sadly, this year the event was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. Since families could not come to us, we brought Easter to them! Our staff got creative and collaborated with Pittsburg USD 250 School District to place eggs inside their school lunches.
(Read more: City of Pittsburg)
Johnson County cuts $20M from budget, furloughs staff as COVID-19 depletes revenues
As the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on local revenue, Johnson County has furloughed more than 260 employees and has a plan to cut about $20 million from its budget, officials announced Thursday.
But Johnson County commissioners warned that those cuts will likely only begin to address the shortfalls as the outbreak continues to overturn nearly every facet of life.
Scott Neufeld, budget director, estimates the county could lose between $18 million and $38 million in tax revenues. Officials project sales tax revenues will take the biggest hit, although the county could also see a significant reduction on investment income due to the Federal Reserve’s emergency cuts to interest rates.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Sedgwick County group limit of 10 remains in effect for churches
One of the biggest church attendance days of the year, Easter, is just around the corner. Combine that with some lawmakers’ concerns about constitutional protections of religious freedom and there’s now a fight at the statehouse over whether Kansas can ban church gatherings of more than 10 people.
It’s a fight Sedgwick County leaders see as partisan bickering that does not apply in their county.
“I don’t think there’s a Democrat virus and a Republican virus,” said Pete Meitzner, chair of the Sedgwick County Commission, at a news briefing Thursday morning. “But it kind of gets that way a little bit federally and, obviously, at the state level. And we’re just trying to do what’s reasonable.”
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Meat plants are shutting down as workers get sick
Across the country, major meat processors are starting to shut down plants as employees are getting infected by coronavirus.
Tyson, one of the world’s largest meat processors, suspended operations at its Columbus Junction, Iowa, pork plant this week after more than two dozen workers contracted Covid-19 there. Tyson said it would divert livestock that was headed to Columbus Junction to other pork plants in the region to minimize the impact on its production.
JBS USA, another major meat processor, has stopped operations at its beef plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania with plans to reopen April 16, after two weeks. The company decided to close the facility after several members of the plant’s management team stopped going to work because they were experiencing flu-like symptoms, a company representative explained, adding that all other JBS USA’s plants are still open. Cargill has also paused operations at its protein plant in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, where 900 people typically work.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Sedgwick County approves ‘hero pay’ for first responders, support staff
Sedgwick County leaders have approved “hero pay” for first responders and other critical employees working during the coronavirus pandemic.
First responders will get an additional $200 of hazard pay for the next two pay periods and support workers will get an additional $100. It’s retroactive to March 29.
Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz said the $200 will go to county law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, corrections workers, van drivers, case managers. He estimated there were 630 employees who fall into that front-facing category.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Wichita police distribute hand sanitizer to community members in need
The Wichita Police Department stepped up to make a difference in its community after a local company donated 72 cases of hand sanitizer to the department.
“It helps people out if they are unable to get to the store,” WPD Sgt. Bob Gulliver says. “The last few times I’ve been to the store, they’ve been out of the hand sanitizer. I know there are people in need. It’ll help protect them and hopefully their families.”
(Read more: KWCH News)
City of Mulvane responds to local cruising events, reminds people of ‘stay at home’ order
The City of Mulvane is reminding its citizens of the governor’s stay at home order.
The city says unless you are essential personnel performing an essential duty, are commuting to an essential business or covered under an exemption; you should be at home per the order.
The city says a cruising event took place on April 4 and at some point drivers started speeding and left marks on the street.
“This behavior will not be tolerated, traffic laws and ordinances will be enforced to ensure public safety. Thank you for your cooperation,” said the city.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Sedgwick County plans to increase COVID-19 testing capacity
Another threshold reached in Kansas in the effort to respond to COVID-19. More than 10,000 Kansans have been tested for the disease as of Wednesday.
It’s a number state health officials wish was higher, but in this fight where success is measured in baby steps, a small increase in testing capacity is a win.
That’s what Sedgwick County plans to start doing Thursday.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Cosmosphere cuts jobs, furloughs most staff during pandemic
Shut down by COVID-19 at what is typically the start of its peak visitor season, the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson has permanently laid off four staff and furloughed another 75% of its remaining employees.
“In response to the virus, we decided to shut down operations on March 15,” said President Jim Remar. “It didn’t hit at a good time for any business, but it hit us right when we were getting ready for spring break. Starting with those two weeks, we do a tremendous amount of business.”
That historically carries over into March, April and half of May, when both public and school attendance is high.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Council loosens housing down payment program
The Hutchinson City Council this week agreed to amend a program offering assistance with down payments for buying a home in Hutchinson by removing a requirement participants must already live in the county to qualify.
The board on Tuesday also approved the purchase of another plot of land along Cow Creek as part of an ongoing channel expansion project.
The Hutchinson Housing Commission created the Down Payment Match Incentive program in 2017 using $70,000 allocated by the city council for housing initiatives. About $17,000 remains in the fund, according to city planning director Ryan Hvitlock.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Mayor De La Isla calls on Topekans to worship from home this weekend
Topeka Mayor Michelle De La Isla took to Facebook Thursday morning to call on capital city residents to worship from home this Easter weekend.
“I know that many of our Jewish brothers and sisters are celebrating Passover, and I know that throughout the whole Christian community this is a time of holy week,” De La Isla said. “We are getting ready to approach Easter Sunday, as well, and there has been a lot of confusing information going around.”
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Non-essential Wichita businesses violating coronavirus order can expect enforcement: Cops
The news came in a statement issued Thursday by the Wichita Police Department in conjunction with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, Sedgwick County Health Department and Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office. The warning to businesses follows reports of alleged violations being filed by people in the community.
Law enforcement officials said educating businesses on the stay-at-home order “has been largely successful.”
(Read more: Local News |)
Fed rolls out $2.3 trillion to backstop ‘Main Street,’ local governments during crisis
The U.S. Federal Reserve on Thursday rolled out a broad, $2.3 trillion effort to bolster local governments and small and mid-sized businesses in its latest move to keep the U.S. economy intact as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic.
The Fed said it would work through banks to offer 4-year loans to companies of up to 10,000 employees and directly buy the bonds of states and more populous counties and cities to help them respond to the health crisis.
Read more: Reuters, WSJ, CNBC.