Kansas Municipal News
Valley Center police, fire make children’s birthdays special during COVID-19
Public safety departments in Valley Center and Garden City are trying to bring joy to children’s lives in the midst of uncertainty.
In Valley Center, the police and fire departments say they know the stay-at-home order makes it difficult to throw birthday parties for kids, so they’re pitching in to help out.
Safety-department leaders in Valley Center say if you’re throwing an at-home birthday party for your child, just let them know and they’ll “drive by with the lights and sirens to wish your child a special Happy Birthday.”
(Read more: KWCH News)
Johnson County wants to launch random sample testing program for COVID-19 — but lab capacity poses hurdle
An unusual plan to test a random sample of Johnson County residents for COVID-19 will have a delayed launch, since one of the testing labs the county had planned to use had to drop out. But county commissioners said Monday they will continue to look for other vendors so the testing can begin within the next month.
If and when it does get up and running, the testing plan may be unique in the metro area. The county would use the donated services of ETC Institute, an Olathe-based marketing research firm, to come up with random sample of test subjects based on age, gender, and geographic location, among other things, said Dr. Samni Areola, director of the county Department of Health and Environment.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post )
Johnson County health department advises grocery stores on best practices for physical distancing
As grocery stores remain open as essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment has shared advice with stores on physical distancing best practices.
In a document provided to the Shawnee Mission Post last week, the county department of health and environment recommended several guidelines that would space customers apart while shopping and going through checkout lines.
Some of the department’s recommendations include creating physical barriers between employees and customers, spacing apart customers when entering the store and, ultimately, providing structure and direction for everyone in the store during this unprecedented time.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post)
Johnson County Community College loans ventilators to KU Hospital to help treat COVID-19
Johnson County Community College recently donated life-saving equipment to the University of Kansas Health System.
The college said it’s doing its part to help fight the coronavirus by loaning nine ventilators and donating unused lab supplies.
“We wanted to help because we’re educators. We’re no longer in the field practicing as respiratory therapists. My whole team really wanted to do something to help,” said Renee Portmann, JCCC’s director of respiratory care and neurodiagnostic technology.
(Read more: fox4kc.com | FOX 4 – WDAF)
With restaurants, libraries closed, Johnson County’s homeless population lacks daytime shelter
It’s one thing for a homeowner or renter to follow a stay-at-home order. It’s entirely something else for someone without a home, and with all the libraries, coffee shops and indoor gathering spaces closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson County’s homeless population is running out of places to go.
It’s been about a week since the CORE 4 governments put a stay-at-home order in place for the Kansas City metro area. The libraries have been closed even longer than that. Restaurants, coffee shops, bars and breweries have shuttered their dining and drinking spaces, operating on curbside pickup, takeout and deliveries. Those were the only places left for homeless people to go indoors.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post)
Law enforcement still taking steps to make citizens law-abiding
Police and sheriff’s officers will not let the coronavirus stop them from enforcing the law, despite changes in procedures over the past two weeks.
Neosho County Undersheriff Greg Taylor said the jail is maintaining numbers so it can quarantine an inmate if necessary. He said some prisoners on misdemeanor charges without bond were released after a judge reviewed charges, and officers continue to make arrests.
“We’ll use some common sense as to who we bring in,” Taylor said.
(Read more: www.chanute.com)
National Association of Bond Lawyers asks for laws, regulations to deal with coronavirus
The municipal bond industry could benefit from several federal actions to provide regulatory relief as well as additional legislation from Congress to deal with the coronavirus emergency.
That’s the message from the National Association of Bond Lawyers in separate letters it has sent to congressional leaders on legislative suggestions and to the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service on regulatory actions.
…The $2 trillion emergency spending bill signed by President Trump on Friday authorized the Federal Reserve to begin purchasing municipal securities on the secondary market within 10 days. It also provides several tranches of financial assistance to state and local governments, the education sector, airports and transit systems.
NABL suggested that the federal government also be allowed to purchase new issues of tax-exempt bonds to allow access to the primary market by state and local government.
(Read more: The Latest)
Offer made for new Ark City manager
Arkansas City commissioners hope they have found their man.
The next person to replace City Manager Nick Hernandez, that is.
Commissioners met last week to interview the four candidates recommended by Osenbaugh Consulting, a firm hired to solicit, screen and recommend candidates.
Read more: Cowley CourierTraveler.
State, JoCo election planning continues largely unchanged amid COVID-19
State election officials and the Kansas Democratic Party are forging ahead – albeit with caution – on election plans this year that have become focused on mail-in ballots and recruitment of high school and college students to run the polls.
Johnson County officials hope to use a simple on-line request form for advance ballots by mail. But that idea and any bigger changes must come from the secretary of state’s office, said Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt.
And as of last week, that office was calling for business as usual, with the caveat that things could change.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post)
Harvard study outlines readiness for Topeka area
“Flattening the curve” is a term we’re constantly hearing about almost every day now, but how will it actually play out in the end?
“We are going to continue to have more cases until we peak out and then it will slow down,” said Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman.
A new study from Harvard University breaks down a few possible scenarios for areas all over the country, including the Topeka area.
It’s worth pointing out that this study bases the finding on a very high infection rate, one that is much higher than what is currently projected.
(Read more: KSNT News)
Hospitals in rural Kansas challenged as coronavirus cases increase
Hospitals across the country are facing challenges while treating coronavirus patients: a limited amount of tests, personal protection equipment and bed space.
Out of the 105 counties in Kansas, 37 have confirmed cases of coronavirus. Those with no reports are mainly in rural parts of the state, but healthcare staff in those areas are still preparing for an influx of patients.
“We could be potentially looking at 935 people in our county needing to be hospitalized from this. There’s no way we can handle those numbers,” said Cloud County Health Officer Dorothy Breault.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Main Streets around Kansas are packed as residents take part in a Social Distancing Cruise
While the state of Kansas is limiting gatherings to no more than 10 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a gathering Friday evening in Garden City’s downtown area far surpassed that number — sort of.
A Social Distancing Cruise, organized by Rosie Rodriguez-Swick and friends on Facebook, brought locals out for a Friday evening of cruising Main Street through the downtown area, while keeping the safe social distance from each other by staying in their vehicles.
“I saw surrounding communities doing this, so I ask a few friends and could we do this,” Swick said. “I created a Facebook event along with some friends and invited 40 friends and boom. Somehow it went viral.”
Indeed.
Vehicles filled with individuals, friends and families, waving at passing motorists, filled Main Street in both directions, bumper to bumper, on the slow cruise from Fulton Street to Kansas Avenue.
Some, when stopped at stop lights, would jump out and do fire drills around the vehicle. Others carried signs with words of encouragement to passing motorists.
(Read more: GC Telegram)
With over 100 coronavirus cases, Johnson County poised to spend $400,000 for tests
The Johnson County Board of Commissioners on Monday agreed to allocate $400,000 to purchase thousands of coronavirus tests — despite a shortage of testing supplies creating a major hurdle.
At least 116 people in Johnson County have now tested positive for COVID-19, the most of any county in Kansas, according to statistics released Monday by the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment. Two have died. Statewide, the total number of cases was 368.
Because of statewide shortages, the Kansas health department is only testing Johnson County residents who are high-risk and need to be hospitalized. But county health officials argue limiting testing will make it more difficult to get a clear picture of how the virus is spreading in the community.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
CARES Act & Local Government
Your government may have heard that the US Congress recently passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Perhaps you are interested in what this means for your state and local government and why you should care.
Relevant to State and Local Governments, the CARES Act provided $150 million toward the Coronavirus Relief Fund. After carve outs for outlying territories and tribal entities, $139 million is left to State and Local Governments.
The distribution is based on the latest Census data available, with a $1.25 billion small state minimum. The United State Treasury administers the funds to the State Governments. If your local government is 500,000 or greater, you may petition the Treasury for a direct payment. Direct payments to local governments is capped at 45% of the State allocation. The State’s receive the remainder of the allocation (55%) which may also be used for local payments as well.
(Read more: ELGL)
How’s Kansas doing with social distancing? Not very well, data say
As the coronavirus continues to spread, Kansas isn’t doing a good enough job social distancing to flatten the curve, data show.
Human mobility company Unacast uses anonymous data from cellphones to determine the average distance people are traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the average distance they traveled prior to the outbreak. The data is entered into a color-coded map that is updated daily.
Kansas earned a D ranking. The United States as a whole garnered a C, as of Monday morning.
(Read more: Kansas City Breaking News, Crime & Sports |)
Goessel City Council encourages census count
The Goessel city council met on March 16 and heard from city clerk Jennifer Bliss that it is important for city residents to fill out the census form and send it in. She said the census affects how much grant money the city can receive.
Turning their attention to another matter, the council mentioned the Coronavirus situation. The council will monitor the situation and make decisions accordingly.
The city is asking residents to take precautions, to prepare for what might come to ensure each household’s health and well-being, and that of the community.
(Read more: Hillsboro Free Press)
City of Lawrence will continue to pay all employees, but some will be assigned new duties
The City of Lawrence employs more than 800 people, all of whom will be getting paychecks regardless of whether they’ve been able to work their full hours or perform their usual duties.
Though the coronavirus pandemic has led to the closure of city buildings, cancellation of recreational functions, suspension of most municipal court dockets and a hiatus for parking enforcement, the paychecks for city employees will keep flowing for at least the next couple of months.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Lawrence’s resident survey shows increased dissatisfaction with infrastructure, diminished perceptions of downtown
As Lawrence residents filled out the city’s recent citizen satisfaction survey, streets and utility infrastructure seemed to be on their minds, and many were not happy.
Though a large majority of respondents to the city’s 2019 survey said they were satisfied with city services overall, only 37% said they were satisfied with the maintenance of streets and utilities. Since the 2015 citizen survey, satisfaction with the timeliness of street maintenance repairs and the condition of streets also significantly decreased. Another area that saw a significant decreases in ratings since the last survey was perceptions of downtown Lawrence.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Trump approves Kansas disaster request, allowing state to receive federal funding
President Donald Trump has approved a federal disaster declaration for Kansas, a move that will make federal assistance available to the state as it fights the new coronavirus.
The White House announced Monday that Trump approved the declaration on Sunday. The decision comes as hundreds of additional Kansas cases are expected in the coming days.
The White House statement said Trump declared a “major disaster” exists in Kansas. The declaration means that federal funding will be available to the state government, along with tribal governments, local governments and certain non-profit organizations “for emergency protective measures” for all areas impacted by COVID-19.
Read more: Wichita Eagle.
Municipal bond interest rates continue to come back down
Municipal benchmark yields were five to 10 basis points lower Friday, extending the market’s recent rally through the end of the week.
The municipal market has weathered an unprecedented, volatile month during which the market swung from record-low yields to a 200-basis-point selloff before erasing much of the losses as the impact of the coronavirus ravages the global economy.
The virus led to unprecedented Fed interventions in the markets. For the first time ever, it will buy VRDNs and short- and long-term municipal bonds — a move the Fed did not even consider in the 2008 financial crisis.
…
The Federal government will provide $2 trillion through a stimulus package passed Friday that will give direct cash payments to governments, industries and individuals to attempt to prop up the U.S. economy.
Read more: Bond Buyer.