Kansas Municipal News
3D printers in Greensburg help local hospital with supplies
Mike McBeath of Greensburg has been making things on a 3D printer for years. … As the world continues to change and medical supplies become more and more needed due to the spread of COVID-19, McBeath decided to use his printers to help those in need.
“I was listening to the news and heard a story of a couple in New York using their printer farm to print face shields. I did some research and found a Facebook group dedicated to crowdsourcing designs. I reached out to Mary Sweet at the hospital and she said they were already struggling to find supplies. We started out experimenting with masks, but quickly realized it was really difficult to get a solid mask to fit every face with a tight seal. We also struggled to find good filter material. So instead we focused on the shields which are being used with the cloth masks people are also making,” said Mike.
(Read more: Pratt, KS – Pratt Tribune)
A new tradition: Folks of all ages cruise Main
Beverly Metcalf and her husband Pat Johnson met in 1973 while cruising the streets of Hutchinson in 1973.
“We loved muscle cars,” Metcalf said. “He had a ‘68 Charger, and I had a ‘67 Chevelle. You know, wide tires, jacked-up rear ends and loud pipes and big engines. Now, we’ve settled into more practical rides, but we’re again looking for our perfect muscle car.”
It seems fitting, then, the Newton residents have taken part in the Main Street cruises the past couple of weekends in downtown Newton. The cruises are providing a short relief from people being cooped up inside so much because of the COVID-19 scare. This past Saturday night, people in a variety of vehicles drove up and down Main Street, Newton, from Sonic to Sonic, forming lines to be able to pull into the drive-through restaurants. When the vehicles were downtown, they honked at each other, and people waved. It was a chance to be out with people, but not be near them.
(Read more: Harvey County Now)
Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office delivers essentials to encourage residents to stay home
A Kansas Sheriff’s Office is going the extra mile to serve and protect its county in the fight against coronavirus. Greenwood County deputies are helping people get their essential items without ever leaving home.
Deputies are delivering prescriptions, groceries, and medical supplies to homes throughout the county. Sheriff Heath Samuels said the goal is to encourage Greenwood county residents to stay home and stay healthy.
“We’re just trying to support our community in this time of need,” said Sheriff Samuel.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Gardner giving residents free month of electricity to ease financial burden
Gardner city leaders have decided to help out their residents and business owners with one of their monthly bills as coronavirus causes some to struggle financially.
In a meeting Monday night, the City Council voted to eliminate the electricity charges that were billed in March for residential customers.
Commercial customers won’t be left out though. They’ll be credited for the use of their first 5000 KW/h of electricity, according to the city of Gardner.
“We are fortunate that we own our utilities, so we can authorize these changes and provide this much welcome relief for all in our community while they wait for federal government assistance,” Gardner Mayor Steve Shute said in a news release.
The generous actions will result in approximately $790,000 in lost revenue for the city.
(Read more: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF)
As COVID-19 threatens revenue, Overland Park furloughs 200 workers, freezes pay raises
Anticipating a significant loss of revenue as the community remains shut down during the coronavirus outbreak, Overland Park has moved to furlough 200 part-time staff members and postpone pay raises for all city employees.
Now, some City Council members, plus the Overland Park Fraternal Order of Police, are calling on the city to reverse course and dip into reserves to support its employees.
City spokesman Sean Reilly confirmed that part-time employees at both of Overland Park’s community centers will be furloughed, beginning Sunday. The 200 workers — which include front desk attendants, life guards and class instructors — will be paid through Saturday, although many have not been working since the centers closed on March 15.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Rising interest rates suggest recent municipal bond rally overdone
The municipal market weakened Tuesday with AAA benchmark yields rising by as much as 15 basis points on the long end of the curve, signaling that the massive rally that began a week prior was overdone. Treasuries were also on the rise as stocks sold off near the close.
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)
Reno County implements hiring freeze
Reno County has implemented a hiring freeze and county department heads were advised to begin looking at how to cut budgets – this year as well next – due to the anticipated impact on revenues from the novel coronavirus.
County Administrator Randy Partington advised the Reno County Commission during its regular Tuesday session that he’d already implemented the hiring freeze “other than public safety positions and any positions in the process where a job offer has been made.”
The community is still at the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, Partington said, so it may be some time before its full impact will be known. But he’s reviewed some initial figures with internal county auditor Leslie Roederer.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
All 50 playgrounds will be locked by Wichita Public Schools during coronavirus pandemic
Children staying home all day after schools were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic will no longer be able to play at any Wichita Public Schools playground.
Superintendent Alicia Thompson said during a Tuesday news conference that all 50 school playgrounds will be locked this week “based on guidance from the Sedgwick County Health Department.”
“Believe me, I recognize the angst and unhappiness this will create with our communities,” Thompson said. “But the reality is that we cannot assure that our playgrounds won’t become a harbor for community spread of the coronavirus.”
(Read more: Local News |)
Hutchinson Police to add patrol for closed businesses, EMS looks for volunteers to aid roster
This content is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism by subscribing to your local newspaper. The Police Department plans to initiate a special security patrol by this weekend to drive by businesses that have shut down due to the novel coronavirus, the police chief reported during a daily conference call.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
‘There is light at the end of the tunnel’: Scott City woman joins social media trend to uplift the community
A Scott City resident is using her home as a billboard to share positive messages with members in her community during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I wanted it to be able to be an inspiration, to be positive in everything that we are going through and be a reminder that there is light at the end of the tunnel,” Scott City Resident, Elizabeth Kopfmann said.
She was inspired by an online trend where people wrote positive messages on their sidewalks, fences, and driveways. Kopfmann used her home as a canvas to write inspirational messages to her kids who were having a difficult time adjusting to the guidelines set in place as a result of the coronavirus.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Public Finance Network urges Fed to act quickly on municipal bond purchases
Members of the Public Finance Network are asking the Federal Reserve to expedite its purchase of municipal securities to help restore equilibrium to the market.
…
Section 4003(b)(4) of the bill, also known as the CARES Act, gives the Fed and Treasury up to 10 days to begin purchasing municipal securities on the secondary market…. that deadline is Monday, April 13.
The letter urges speedier action.
“Stability in our $3.8 trillion municipal bond market is particularly important during this crisis as state and local governments and the municipal bond market provide critical support for the infrastructure — including hospitals — needed to care for and support our citizens,” said a letter.
Market participants are expecting significant and broad-based relief from the Fed and Treasury delivered on an expedited basis.
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)
Derby approves emergency response resolution
Navigating through the current state of emergency has been a fluid process, according to Derby City Attorney Jacque Butler.
“We are responding as quickly as possible to this,” Butler said.
Measures of response to the coronavirus pandemic are changing daily, though, if not hourly. Considering that, Butler brought a resolution before the Derby City Council March 24 to help in those efforts.
Butler noted that while many municipalities have emergency powers built into their city codes, Derby does not. When an emergency is declared (as was the case in Sedgwick County as of March 16), those emergency powers are then granted to city administration to handle day-to-day operations in a broader scope.
The resolution Butler brought forward at the council’s most recent meeting would grant emergency authority to City Manager Kathy Sexton to close city facilities or suspend city operations; amend, extend or suspend policies and procedures … in response to COVID-19.
Under the resolution, the city council would still retain oversight over the city manager’s actions (as is currently the case), but it could allow Sexton the opportunity to take more immediate action and not have to wait for council approval on each individual decision. Currently, there are exemptions to that process, but they are allowed more on a case by case basis.(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)
Officials deal with confusion over activities allowed by statewide stay-at-home order
After closing temporarily last week because of a countywide safer-at-home order, Topeka Country Club reopened Monday afternoon while asserting that golf is permitted under a statewide stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Laura Kelly.
Kelly’s order, which supersedes a countywide order issued last week, apparently doesn’t prohibit golf or otherwise address golf courses, Shawnee County Commissioner Bill Riphahn said.
“So as far as I know, they’re good to go,” he said of TCC.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Officials getting better handle on local COVID-19 expectations
Looking at best- and worst-case scenarios for the potential impact of COVID-19 on local medical facilities, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center vice president Chuck Welch said Monday that officials there “feel better and better every day about our readiness.”
“We’ve had an outpouring of health care professionals willing to come in and work,” Welch said during a morning conference call. “Many who may be retired, if the governor passes a reactivation of licensure, they’re ready to help.”
“Projections are projections,” Welch said. “There are worst-case and best-case and a range in between. We’re planning for the worst-case and exploring opportunities to split ventilators if we had to, and flex up with an offsite area for support.”
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Municipal bond market steadies as it enters new normal
Yields in the municipal market declined slightly Monday as new-issue market showed some signs of activity.
Municipal credit is beginning to emerge as more of an investing consideration as the market deals with the coronavirus-led selloff and subsequent Fed-led rebound.
These moves are starting to make participants pick winners and losers from a credit perspective as they look at the underlying worthiness of municipalities after an extended period of significantly low rates and a supply/demand imbalance.
For now, the market is settling into a new normal, though caution still pervades.
(Read more: The Bond Buyer)
Municipal Bond Trends for March 30, 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.
Kansas health providers face financial strain from COVID-19. ‘We need help now’
A pandemic is sweeping Kansas, but Lawrence family physician Chad Johanning isn’t seeing a ton of patients.
“Even with tele-health visits, I’ve seen a 50 percent drop in visits during this and I have heard of other clinicians who are closer to 80 percent drops,” Johanning said.
The novel coronavirus has forced healthcare providers in Kansas — and across the country — to suddenly pivot to confront an insidious disease that threatens to overwhelm hospitals in a matter of weeks. But it’s also meant a sharp drop in the number of patients seeking routine and non-emergency care.
(Read more: Kansas City Government & Politics News |)
New Johnson County health director describes first week on job dealing with coronavirus pandemic
Sanmi Areola started his new job as Johnson County director of health and environment in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. …
From the moment he walked in the door of the public health department in Olathe on March 18, the coronavirus has been his life.
He had a say in crafting the metro’s stay at home order. He asked Johnson County leaders to buy more tests kits for the county’s residents. He filmed a coronavirus YouTube video. He’s trying to take care of his staff’s own health and mental well-being and, oh yeah, the media want to talk to him, too — at least 80 interview requests since he got into town.
The day before the Union Station press conference, it fell to him to announce the county’s first coronavirus death.
(Read more: KC Star Local News)
Thousands of coronavirus test kits coming to Kansas
As of Monday, 65,000 coronavirus test kits are coming to Kansas.
“We’re talking about a different scale,” Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman Norman said.
On Monday, Norman gave an update to members of the media on the coronavirus outbreak in the state. At the time of the press conference, Kansas had seen 368 cases of coronavirus.
Norman announced that the state will receive thousands of kits, likely by the end of the week, that will be able to test for coronavirus in about 45 minutes.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Economic fallout from coronavirus casts pall over budget planning for Johnson County government
As the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic continues, Johnson County Commissioners have begun to cast a wary eye toward what may be in store for the next year’s budget.
The county budget, which surpassed $1 billion two years ago, has been bobbing along in recent years, buoyed by steady increases in property values and low unemployment. But the rosy outlook has fallen into question the past year as officials have grappled with a possible major loss of commercial property value due to challenges to the way it was appraised, nicknamed the “dark store theory.” Last year they also puzzled over lagging sales tax returns.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post)