Kansas Municipal News
Overland Park takes first step toward creation of mental health task force
A mental health task force was not exactly what Overland Park transparency advocate Sheila Albers originally asked for. But she said Wednesday she is pleased that the city council’s public safety committee took the first steps toward a group that will invite diverse public participation on city policies pertaining to mental health.
The added transparency is important, she said, “because with that transparency we are able to identify where systems have not worked for people.” Albers, whose son died in a police shooting, added that she was glad that Councilmember Faris Farassati asked that police use of force be included among the topics the task force will examine.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Columbus schools closed after staff member dies from flu
Columbus Schools USD 493 announced Wednesday that a paraprofessional at Park Elementary had passed away on Sunday. It was learned that her brother is in intensive care for similar symptoms. The only confirmed diagnosis for each of them at this point is influenza type b, the announcement said.
A disease specialist is further investigating any underlying causes of their illness. Due to the fact that this can take 48 hours to get results back, it was decided to close schools for Thursday and Friday to ensure that the proper steps to keep students safe and protected are taken.
(Read more: www.chanute.com)
The stop light debate: City and KDOT disagree about intersection of US 56 and Old US 81
When it comes to the intersection of US 56 and Old US 81 Mayor Tom Brown has some real concerns.
“I don’t want anyone to die out there,” Brown said in a meeting regarding the intersection Monday.
The city has received up to $1 million to improve the intersection, mainly to remove and replace deteriorated pavement and make safety improvements. Currently, the intersection is not well marked and serious wrecks have occurred.
(Read more: McPherson Weekly News » Feed)
39 Kansas towns to receive Community Development Block Grants
Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced today the award of more than $17 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to 39 Kansas communities.
A total of $17,486,103 in federal funds is being made available through the CDBG program this year. Communities receiving grants have presented plans for projects to make improvements toward water and wastewater systems, streets, facilities and housing.
“Quality of life is key to economic development,” Secretary Toland said. “Each of these investments in critical infrastructure helps keep communities competitive as they work to retain and recruit residents and businesses. Governor Kelly and I are proud to support these projects in rural communities across our state.”
CDBG funds are one of Commerce’s primary tools in supporting the state’s small, predominantly rural communities. Each community awarded has a population less than 50,000.
The CDBG program allows the Department of Commerce to distribute federal funds to Kansas cities and counties looking to improve their communities. To receive funds, projects must meet at least one of the following federally mandated criteria:
· The project benefits low- or moderate-income individuals
· The project removes or prevents slum or blight conditions
· The project eliminates an urgent need created by a disaster when local funds are unavailable
Grants in this category are awarded through an annual competition and support a variety of activities in communities throughout the state of Kansas.
The following communities are recipients of Community Development Block Grants:
Rural Basehor man fears annexation, calls on state to crack down
Jim Seeman lives in the farmhouse he grew up in near Basehor, the place where his parents moved in 1947, and he doesn’t like the idea of being swallowed by sprawling urban development.
He also doesn’t like the idea that people he can’t vote for could someday make him a city resident.
Seeman testified Wednesday in a House committee where he urged lawmakers to provide more stringent protection for county property owners. He favors legislation that would remove unilateral annexation from the toolbox of cities looking to expand their boundaries.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Senate panel considers bill requiring paper ballots in Kansas elections
The Senate Ethics, Elections and Local Government committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill that would require all Kansas counties to use paper ballots to count votes.
Ballots would have several requirements, including the voter’s signature. Votes would be counted by hand or using vote-tabulating equipment that would tally the paper ballot.
“At one time, everything was paper ballots, but now Kansas currently has a mix,” said Sen. Richard Hildebrand, R-Baxter Springs. “Once you cast your ballot, you are up to whatever the machine says you voted without the verification from the voter.”
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Insurance agent breaks down statistics on dog bites
Insurance agent Alex Case gave Marion Kiwanis members a view of the problem of dog bite injuries in Marion County and nationwide Feb. 5 when he spoke at the club’s weekly meeting.
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Between 2005 and 2018, 469 people — more than half of them younger than 10 — died from dog bites in the U.S., he said.
The breed most often identified as having inflicted serious injury or death between 1982 and 2014 was the pit bull, but more than 30 breeds and mixed breeds of dogs are incorrectly identified as pit bulls, Case said.
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Pit bulls are three times as likely to be named a culprit in a serious dog attack than the next nine breeds together.
(Read more: PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin)
Marion resident asks for railroad ordinance
Robert Crawford has had enough of running railroad engines and tanker cars full of hazardous chemicals parked on the tracks just yards from his house.
The Marion man spoke to city council members about it Monday, asking for a city ordinance to be passed.
“We are asking that the city of Marion impose a 72 hour limit on parking and leaving a setting diesel engine to run and at the end of 72 hours move it elsewhere,” Crawford said.
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)
City of Topeka hears first plans for improved housing
Topeka city leaders are considering ways to improve the city’s housing market. A St. Louis planning and real estate firm studied Topeka for months and came up with different options.
One option is to renovate existing homes in the city, rather than building brand new ones. They also suggest the city work with local groups to come up with ways to renovating older homes.
“From nonprofits to community development corporations to financial institutions as well the city, philanthropy works in a lot of communities,” said Justin Carney with Development Strategies. “They all play a different role and I think these strategies are designed to leverage all of these resources.”
(Read more: KSNT News)
Junction City city manager back at work after being ill for five weeks
For five weeks a local city manager fought for his life. Now he’s back at work and looking to make a comeback.
Junction City’s Allen Dinkel became extremely sick around New Year’s Eve. He was hospitalized with pneumonia and sepsis.
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“My goal is to do a 5K on July 4th at Sundown Salute. I don’t know if I’ll make that,” Dinkel said. “The other day I walked a half-mile and it was enough!”
Dinkel is now back in the office and hard at work again.
(Read more: KSNT News)
As Prairie Village explores plastic bag ban, Kansas Chamber gets behind effort to preempt such bans
Less than a month after the Prairie Village Environmental Committee announced it would be forwarding a proposal on a city-wide plastic bag ban, a bill to prevent such a ban was introduced in the Kansas House Commerce Committee on Monday.
The bill, HB 2625, would preempt individual cities and counties from banning or regulating plastic bags and other single-use plastic items. The Kansas Chamber of Commerce requested the bill’s introduction on the basis that single-use plastic bans in individual municipalities will hurt businesses.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)
Municipal Bond Trends for February 12, 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 Advisors.
Andover city leaders vote to save its municipal golf course
Andover city leaders voted Tuesday night to save the municipal golf course after a majority of the community asked the city to keep it.
The vote comes after the current course operator told the city he is no longer interested in running it.
The city spent the last two months exploring other possibilities for the course, but ultimately entered a three-year agreement with Oak Golf. The company owns several golf courses around Kansas.
(Read more: KWCH News)
Mayor explains advisory board’s role in selecting Hutchinson city manager
The role of a “community advisory committee” in helping the Hutchinson City Council select a new city manager will occur both before and after Thursday’s special meeting of the council.
Members of the seven-person committee were independently reviewing questionnaires and videos this week submitted by the six finalists, and they were to forward their thoughts in writing for the City Council to consider when it meets Thursday, explained Hutchinson Mayor Jade Piros de Carvallo.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Wichita police on ‘COPS’: Driver turns seat belt violation into arrest at gunpoint
A Missouri man who was driving in Kansas without wearing his seat belt turned a minor traffic stop into an arrest at gunpoint that was aired on national television.
The “COPS” episode features Officer Kaleb Brewer of the Wichita Police Department. The scene is part of “COPS” episode 22 of season 32, titled “Too Little, Too Late,” which first aired Monday on the Paramount Network.
Spoiler: The TV show posted video of the scene on Facebook.
(Read more: Local News |)
County compromises on ambulance station
County commissioners compromised with Hillsboro Monday by agreeing to build a new ambulance station in return for land and water and sewer services from the city.
Emergency Medical Service director Travis Parmley suggested a month ago that the county purchase a former gun shop in north Hillsboro and build a two-bay garage for the ambulances.
The following week, Hillsboro city administrator Larry Paine spoke to commissioners about the city’s plan to build a public safety center at the north end of the city to house police, fire, and emergency medical services.
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)
Kansas bill creates civics testing mandate to graduate high school
Attorney General Derek Schmidt endorsed a proposal Tuesday to create a state law requiring that Kansas students pass an examination based on the U.S. citizenship test to graduate from high school.
He said the idea of establishing a test was unassailable because evidence of the nation’s shortcomings in basic civics knowledge was pervasive. A survey released last year showed a mere 39% of Americans were able to name the three branches of government, he said. An appalling 22% could identify no more than one branch. Only 53% of those surveyed knew a two-thirds vote of Congress was required to override a presidential veto, he said.
(Read more: State Government – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Lawrence city leaders express interest in changing illegal camping ordinance
City leaders said they are interested in changing or possibly repealing ordinances that make it illegal to camp or sleep on public land, in city parks and in downtown Lawrence.
As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission discussed ordinances regarding illegal camping and park hours that some say negatively affect homeless people. Several residents spoke out against the ordinances, saying that they gave the city cause to police, ticket and clear the campsites of homeless people who have no other choice but to sleep outside.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Parsons to get $916K for Tri-City taxiway
Only a few days after the announcement of a $225,000 grant for new fuel tanks, the city received notice of nearly a million dollars of new funding for the Tri-City Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration will give the city $916,259 for a new parallel taxiway that will connect the existing taxiway with the airport’s runway.
“Everybody’s excited about it. It’s just a big improvement,” David Christy, airport manager, said.
(Read more: Parsons Sun)
Consultants suggest new Topeka housing strategies
A substantial need for affordable housing exists in Topeka, despite this city’s having what would seem to be a modest median home value of about $110,000, two consultants from a company conducting a housing study for Topeka’s city government said Tuesday.
They shared six strategies they recommend the city consider implementing to deal with the housing challenges it faces.
(Read more: Local Government – The Topeka Capital-Journal)