Kansas Municipal News
‘We are all in this together’: Shawnee mayor issues statement on community response to COVID-19
In a message Tuesday evening to Shawnee residents and businesses, Mayor Michelle Distler offered empathy to the community and provided updates on the city’s action plan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Distler recommended everyone heed the advice from the CORE 4 partner governments in the Kansas City metro area as well as federal and state guidelines.
And in bold text, Distler urged residents to continue shopping at local businesses, utilizing curbside pickup and other social distancing measures, in order to keep the local economy intact as much as possible. A complete copy of her address is below.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
AG Derek Schmidt: New rules to keep government meetings transparent during COVID-19 ‘social distancing’ limitations now in effect
New rules for state and local governments to comply with the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA) during ‘social distancing’ emergency restrictions have been approved by the State Rules and Regulations Board and are now legally binding, Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today….
Overall, the new regulation advises public bodies to keep the need for transparency prominently in mind if stay-home orders or other pandemic-response requirements prevent the public from attending meetings or cause members of public bodies to meet without physically gathering in person. Public bodies subject to the KOMA should “take any actions as may be necessary and reasonable under the circumstances of the emergency declaration to advance the state policy that ‘meetings for the conduct of governmental affairs and the transaction of governmental business be open to the public.’”
(Read more: Kansas Attorney General News Releases)
MHK Together raises over $100K in grocery assistance
More than $100,000 has been raised by the community to support grocery assistance to those experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
MHK Together, a collaboration between the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, 502 Media Group, Konza United way, and Shepherds Crossing began raising money Friday with a goal of matching the $150,000 donations supporting the initiative from the Ward & Brenda Morgan, Lincoln & Dorothy Deihl and Mary Vanier Donor Advised Funds.
By Wednesday afternoon, the donations amounted to $105,000. Blade Mages with the 502 Media Group explains the purpose of MHKTogether.org
(Read more: 1350 KMAN)
$5 million of HIRE Fund loans have been awarded to Kansas hospitality businesses
Within 48 hours of Governor Laura Kelly announcing the establishment of the Hospitality Industry Relief Emergency (HIRE) Fund, all $5 million allocated for the loan program have been awarded.
“The hospitality industry in Kansas was one of the first to be hit financially by the COVID-19 crisis,” Governor Kelly said. “Department of Commerce Secretary David Toland and the teams at Commerce and NetWork Kansas moved swiftly to stand up the HIRE Fund program and process applications in a short period to help us quickly get these critical dollars into the hands of hospitality businesses across the state.”
The initial response to the HIRE Fund program was overwhelming. More than 1,400 applications for funding were received, with more than 800 submitted within 24 hours of the program being announced.
(Read more: hiawathaworldonline.com)
Old-time gas stations beloved landmarks of Marion County’s past
From Tampa to Florence, old gas stations throughout Marion County stand as a reminder of American days gone by.
David Mueller owns a renovated gas station in Tampa that has been around since the 1950s.
“It had always been kind of a landmark,” he said. “The problem was it was in such disrepair. It was a matter of visualizing what it used to look like and what it could look like again.”
(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)
What businesses and residents need to know about Sedgwick County’s stay-home order
The essential activities and essential businesses outlined in Sedgwick County’s stay-at-home public health order offer many reasons why residents can leave their homes for the next 30 days.
County commissioners, acting as the Board of Health, approved the draft 3-2 on Monday and sent it to public health officer Garold Minns, a physician at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, who signed it Tuesday morning.
(Read more: KAKE – News)
Douglas County leaders to consider paid leave for all employees not working under stay-at-home order
Douglas County leaders will soon consider approving paid leave for county employees who will not be working because of the coronavirus outbreak.
As part of its meeting Wednesday, the Douglas County Commission will consider a proposal to pay employees regardless of whether they must report to work under the stay-at-home order issued by local health officials in response to the virus. Department heads have identified essential and nonessential staff, the latter of which would be put on administrative leave with pay for the duration of the shutdown under the proposal, according to a county agenda report.
Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health has issued a stay-at-home order beginning Tuesday, and that will remain in place through April 23. The order closes all businesses and functions that are deemed nonessential.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Kansas residents hunker down amid virus’ economic fallout
Aircraft parts maker Spirit Aerosystems temporarily suspended production work for Boeing at its Wichita facility on Tuesday amid the coronavirus outbreak that has been sending shock waves through the economy and has more than half of Kansas residents under shelter-in-place orders.
The move came after Boeing announced Monday that it was suspending operations at its Seattle-area facilities.
Gov. Laura Kelly announced Monday that she was limiting public gatherings to 10 people or fewer, after originally instituting a 50-person cap. She said she wasn’t issuing a statewide shelter-in-place order as some other governors have done because 89 of Kansas’ 105 counties had yet to see a confirmed coronavirus case as of Monday morning. But she warned that such an order could become “unavoidable in the coming days.”
Read more: LJWorld.com.
White House and Senate strike a deal on historic $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill
The White House and Senate leaders reached a deal early Wednesday on a massive $2 trillion
relief bill — said to be the largest rescue package in American history — to combat the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
“At last we have a deal,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said after 1:30 a.m. ET from the floor of the Senate.
Efforts to pass the measure have taken on urgency as hospitals, companies, states and individuals have all pleaded for needed resources to battle the pandemic.
Read more: CNBC.
Municipal Bond Trends for March 24, 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.
Municipal bonds rally on hope of stimulus, Fed action from Washington
The municipal market rallied significantly Tuesday as participants placed bets that a stimulus package from Washington was coming closer to being reality and news that the Federal Reserve may be given authority to buy longer-dated municipal debt made its way around the Street.
The short end in particular was rebounding from the extraordinary sell off of the past two weeks after the Fed yesterday announced it would include variable rate demand obligations as well as short-term paper to its balance sheets.
While there was still no definitive answer from Washington on what the stimulus package might fully entail and whether the Fed would buy longer-term munis even if given that authority, the market was baking it into secondary trading on Tuesday.
(Read more: The Latest)
Reno County Commission challenges community to respond to avoid ’shelter in place’ order
While there were no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Reno County on Tuesday, county leaders called on residents to be even more vigilant in staying home and away from public places to avoid having to impose formal restrictions on movement.
The county’s number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 remained at two, despite results from 22 tests coming back from state labs overnight.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Sedgwick County health official signs stay-home order; it starts at midnight
Local officials are urging people not to panic as Sedgwick County enters the hunker-down phase of the coronavirus pandemic.
The county’s health officer signed a stay-at-home order Tuesday to fight the spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19. Sedgwick County joins nearly half of the United States population in being urged to stay home.
“There’s no need to panic; there’s a need to be careful right now,” Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz said.
(Read more: Local News |)
AG Derek Schmidt provides guidance on law enforcement duties and authorities during COVID-19 declared emergencies
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt today provided law enforcement agencies and county prosecutors statewide with legal guidance to assist in performing their duties while emergency declarations related to the COVID-19 pandemic are in effect.
The guidance, in the form of a memorandum, has been produced by the Attorney General’s Office in response to questions from law enforcement agencies and officials about their duties and authorities arising from emergency orders issued by federal, state and local officials. The memorandum explains the legal framework of the different emergency authorities and describes how they may interact. In particular, it provides guidance for law enforcement agencies on their role in enforcing emergency orders from the federal government, the governor, local mayors or county commissions, and state and local health departments. In some local jurisdictions, as many as six separate emergency authorities may have been invoked and be in effect concurrently.
A copy of the attorney general’s memorandum for law enforcement and prosecutors is available at https://bit.ly/2WEkbIQ.
(Read more: Kansas Attorney General News Releases)
Saline County approves temporary leave directive for COVID-19
The Saline County Board of Commissioners approved a temporary policy for county employees affected by the coronavirus. The policy that was voted on at the board’s 9 a.m. Tuesday meeting allows 80 hours of advanced leave by the county to county employees who have depleted their paid leave or have not earned leave because they are new employees. Marilyn Leamer, human resources director for the county said this would provide relief to employees who are quarantined …
(Read more: News – Salina Journal)
Labette County discuses local response to coronavirus
Labette County commissioners met in special session Monday afternoon to hear updates on the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commission Chairman Lonie Addis was in the commission room in the county courthouse and Commissioners Doug Allen and Fred Vail attended via phone.
So far, Labette County has no confirmed cases of the disease caused by the coronavirus.
(Read more: Parsons Sun)
Shawnee County health officer issues stay-at-home order in campaign against coronavirus
A Shawnee County stay-at-home order will require everyone to remain home except to meet essential needs, such as getting food, caring for a relative or friend, receiving necessary health care, working at an essential job or engaging alone in outdoor activity, such as walking or running.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Franklin County issues stay-at-home order
Franklin County Health Officer Dr. Bud Ransom issued a stay at home order Tuesday for the county in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
All non-essential businesses should be closed effective at 12:01 a.m. March 26. This order will last for 30 days….
The health department said everyone should stay at home except for essential duties for business continuity or government functions, to get food, care for a relative or friend, get necessary healthcare or perform activities related to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
(Read more: KSNT News)
Saline County has no positive coronavirus cases, no shelter-in-place order
Saline County still has no confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, according to a news release from the county at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The release said, however, that no positive cases reported does not mean that there isn’t a potential for a positive case to exist in the community. It is possible that a person hasn’t met the requirements for testing set by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and has been advised by a medical provider to self-quarantine.
(Read more: News – Salina Journal)
Shawnee council works to hold meeting within parameters of social distancing, 10-person limit
An air of uncertainty hung about the Shawnee council chambers last night, while city leaders and staff conducted a council meeting in line with social distancing guidelines and a 10-person limit.
Some cities in the Shawnee Mission area canceled their meetings or agreed to conduct their meetings remotely, while other cities’ council meetings took place last week. Shawnee’s meetings fall on the second and fourth Monday each month, and last night’s meeting happened to occur the day before a metro-wide stay at home order for 30 days was to begin.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post – Community news and events for northeast Johnson County)