Kansas Municipal News
Voters to decide whether to add sales tax for EMS services
The days are dwindling to when Allen County voters go to the polls Tuesday to voice their opinion on a proposed half-cent sales tax. County Commissioners devised the proposal. The proposed tax will generate approximately $1.2 million that will be designated to Allen County emergency medical services (EMS). The county currently pays a $2 million annual contract (August 2024 to July 2025) for EMS services out of its Ambulance Fund. According to commissioners, the additional revenue from the sales tax will lower property taxes, though they have not committed by how much. Source: The Iola Register
Black Squirrel Fall Festival to include parade, costume contest
The 52nd annual Black Squirrel Fall Festival is set to take over downtown Marysville on Saturday, kicking off at 10 a.m. on Broadway. A day of old-fashioned fun, games and community spirit awaits, regardless of weather. The event, which replaces the former Black Squirrel Night, will offer a variety of family-friendly activities, including classic games on the Koester Block and at the historic Koester House Museum & Gardens. Some highlights include pumpkin bowling, a doughnut-eating contest, and an interactive “Unwrap the Mummy” challenge.
Source: The Marysville Advocate
City Park Opens a New Playground
On November 4th this year, the new playground in City Park will officially open. It has slides both tall and shorter in size, climb up ramps, monkey bars, rotating hanging bars, a padded ground and has some shade from the nearby trees.
Source: The Ottawa Herald
KU researchers build interactive atlas that gathers Kansas wind energy regulations, information for all 105 counties
The Kansas Energy Transition Atlas is an interactive, online site that allows people to find wind regulations in one place, learn more about wind policy in their neighboring counties, build their own maps and find detailed information including wind turbine blade length, how many transmission lines are in each county and much more.
Source: University of Kansas
Municipal Bond Trends for October 30, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
Road work is a fact of life in Lawrence. Here’s how the city and business leaders are helping small businesses get through it
With another huge construction project on the horizon for Ninth Street, Michael Leos, the communication and community engagement specialist for the Municipal Services and Operations department in Lawrence, said the city is aiming to improve communication with businesses about construction updates to help provide a heads up during what can be a tough time for businesses.
Source: LJWorld
Solar lawsuit moves back to local court
A lawsuit regarding a large solar project is heading back to Douglas County District Court, but now there are questions about whether the county may act on the controversial development before new county commissioners are seated in January. A federal judge on Monday ruled that a lawsuit filed by area businesses and neighbors protesting the Kansas Sky Energy Center should be heard in Douglas County District Court rather than federal court.
Source: LJWorld
Another Johnson County city is cracking down on short-term rentals like Airbnbs and VRBOs
The Prairie Village City Council voted Monday to ban short-term rentals in the city. The new rules, which require a 30-day minimum stay, go into effect Nov. 1, 2025. The change comes after months of discussion and public feedback landed on a ban. Prairie Village joins communities across the Kansas City metro in placing restrictions or outright bans on short-term rentals. The ban will impact listings on sites like Airbnb, which allows people to rent out private residences for short periods of time, similar to a hotel.
Source: KC Star Local News
Crawford Co. urges people to not burn following small amount of rain
Part of the 4-States received some rain Thursday night, but conditions are still dry throughout the area. The Crawford County Kansas Emergency Management Facebook page is reminding residents to not burn even after receiving small amounts of rain. Burning while conditions are still dry is dangerous and can put yourself and others in danger.
Source: KOAM News
Former Wichita police deputy chief is finalist for top job at Topeka PD
Former Wichita police deputy chief Jose Salcido is one of four finalists for chief of the Topeka Police Department. Salcido was the Wichita Police Department’s first Latino deputy chief. He resigned Aug. 21, 2023, after roughly 28 years with WPD, which included overseeing criminal investigations. He left WPD and became Friends University’s director of security for six months before joining the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a data analyst for the past five months, according to his LinkedIn profile. Salcido retired in 2015 from the Kansas Air National Guard after 26 years, his profile says. He was a major.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Voters to see ballot question on alcohol
Those who have yet to vote will have a chance to decide more than just elected officials in the coming days. There is a ballot initiative on the Harvey County ballot, asking voters whether or not to remove a county rule requiring establishments with a liquor license to earn at least 30 percent of their sales from selling food. The ballot question follows successful campaigns to remove the requirement in many counties across Kansas recently, including Reno, Butler and McPherson counties. Harvey County is the only county with such a requirement, compared to its neighbors, outside of Marion County. A vote yes on the ballot would remove the requirement. A vote no would maintain the requirement.
Source: Harvey County Now
Halstead considers gas agreement
The Halstead City Council considered a new gas agreement with Kansas Municipal Gas Agency that could potentially lock them into a 30-year agreement. City Manager Ethan Reimer introduced the council to a “pre-pay” proposal he received from Kansas Municipal Gas Agency. Reimer said the proposal was more of a dedicated discount than pre-paying for gas. The proposal would save about $33,000 per year. The length of the agreement would last 30 years, but the city would have the option to re-evaluate after five years.
Source: Harvey County Now
Scam threatens Sedgwick area by impersonating police chief
The latest scam has hit Sedgwick, with several people receiving calls from a person claiming to be Chief Bryan Hall, threatening the person and saying there are outstanding fines. “We received phone calls from a few people that said they didn’t answer for the unknown number and the person left a message, indicating it was a serious legal matter, that they identified themselves as Chief Bryan Hall and the number came in from our main number,” Hall said. “That’s something that people can use computers to clone numbers, but the number they left to call back was a Google number.” If something is suspicious, Hall wants the public to reach out and bring it to the police department attention. These scammers are ever-evolving, trying to steal money by changing tactics, whether it’s by phone or by email.
Source: Harvey County Now
While enrollment drops, Newton District projects more funding
Enrollment dropped for the Newton School District but funding levels are projected to increase for the next year. The Board of Education reviewed a presentation at its Monday night meeting. The district saw a decrease of 99 full-time equivalent students for this school year. Overall enrollment dropped from 3,130 to 3,030 or 3.2 percent. Budget-wise, the general fund is expected to increase from $21.3 to $22.5 million according to information in district documents presented at the Oct. 28 meeting.
Source: Harvey County Now
Municipal Bond Trends for October 29, 2024
The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer’s credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.
5 key points from Olathe Mayor John Bacon’s State of the City
There are big things happening in Olathe this year, and Mayor John Bacon sees more big things to come. That was the central theme of his annual State of the City address, delivered last Friday during a luncheon hosted by the Olathe Chamber of Commerce at the Olathe Conference Center.
Source: Johnson County Post
Survey: Kansans favor housing choices to deal with rising costs
Close to half of Kansans support building wider varieties of housing to help address a statewide affordability crisis according to the annual Kansas Speaks survey released Monday. Yet few residents thought their communities are doing enough to adequately address housing issues. Plans to build apartments near single-family neighborhoods run up against not-in-my-backyard opposition in urban locales such as Wichita and Johnson County. But statewide, most respondents, 62%, said they were comfortable living in a neighborhood with rental properties. Changes that would encourage such arrangements also found support. About 48% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that local governments should ease up on neighborhood zoning restrictions to allow more small, multifamily dwellings.
Source: KLC Journal
Wichita’s new push to educate on homelessness: a Tallgrass premiere
‘Hope in the Heartland,’ a city-produced documentary examining the challenges and triumphs of navigating homelessness in Wichita, premiered Thursday night to a crowd of at least 250 people during the Tallgrass Film Festival. Audience members were clapping, gasping and sniffling throughout the 110-minute film, which interviewed elected officials, service providers, people who were formerly homeless and people currently experiencing homelessness. The film also featured two city housing case managers working to secure housing for 22-year-old Caitlin, who had been homeless for four years at the start of filming.
Source: KLC Journal
Rose Hill voters to decide on $20M for school upgrades
A nearly $20 million bond issue is up for a vote in Rose Hill. USD 394 Superintendent Chuck Lambert says the district desperately needs upgrades. Voters rejected a bond issue two years ago, and Lambert says that put Rose Hill students at a disadvantage. He said a yes vote this time would give the district’s youth better opportunities to succeed. Lambert thinks adding storm shelters and secure entryways to this new bond issue will help it pass this time. He said the current entryways need to be safer. If the bond passes, it would also mean new culinary arts and science classrooms and sports fields, something high school students are excited about.
Source: KSN-TV
Wichita air quality unsafe for some
If you are outside in Wichita, it is pretty easy to see all the dirt in the air. On Tuesday, the City of Wichita advised people that the current Air Quality Index is 154, which is considered unsafe for people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens. Those groups of people should take these steps to reduce their exposure: Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
Keep outdoor activities short. Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.
Source: KSN-TV