Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

‘Can I afford staying in Kansas?’ Soaring property taxes prompt calls for state help

When Mary Coffman and her husband moved to Overland Park from Oklahoma City in 2014, they found a comparable home – and expected their property taxes to be about the same, too.

They were wrong.

The retirees went from paying around $2,600 a year in Oklahoma to $3,200 in Kansas. Six years after their move, Coffman said they’re handing over $5,600 a year, more than double their Oklahoma tax bill.

(Read more: Politics & Government News |)

Kansas City suburbs slowly lift their pit bull bans. But a few haven’t budged

A couple of decades ago, suburbs across the Kansas City metro rushed to ban pit bulls — or dogs that even looked like the breed — after some highly publicized attacks.

But now, as animal rights advocates and dog owners argue that such laws amount to discrimination, one by one those cities are lifting their bans.

Kansas City, Kansas, and Liberty both removed their ordinances this past year, following the lead of Shawnee, Roeland Park and Fairway.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Owning LED streetlights is saving Shawnee Mission area cities money compared to other Kansas towns

This is a tale of two types of Kansas cities: Those who had the foresight to own their own streetlights and those who do not.

Those who do have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars — even, they say, with the added maintenance. And they’ve been able to save more money by switching to LED bulbs. The energy-efficient lights cost more upfront, but pay for themselves over time, eventually leaving more money in city coffers.

The other cities’ streetlights are owned by Evergy, which charges the same flat monthly rates for LED bulbs as older less-efficient lights. In these situations, the cities say there is virtually no savings, neither in the short-or long-term.

(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)

County discusses wind farm funding windfall to Galesburg and Thayer

As part of a road use agreement, developer Apex Clean Energy will provide Payments in Lieu of Taxes that would be created by the Neosho Ridge Wind electric-generation project in the southwest part of the county during the time the project is tax-exempt. Commissioners want some of the funds to benefit the two towns that are within the approximate area of leased and non-participating properties roughly described as the “footprint.”

Representatives of rural fire departments have asked for support, and Commissioner Gail Klaassen has offered $80,000, an amount provided by other wind farms to nearby communities. Commissioner David Orr said he wants Thayer and Galesburg to be treated equally.

(Read more: www.chanute.com – RSS Results in news,news/* of type article)

Municipal Bond Trends for January 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 Advisors.

Senate bill requires state to pay for recount of close municipal races

State Sen. Randall Hardy knows agony of defeat and joy of victory of a razer-thin municipal election.

The Salina Republican prevailed in a 2015 race for Salina City Commission after a recount of ballots resolved in his favor a 2,141 tie that was temporarily broken with a flip of a coin for his opponent. A recount revealed 40 ballots hadn’t been properly counted, and allocation of those votes provided Hardy the margin of victory.

“There was a jam in a counting machine,” he said. “It was kind of a fluke thing, but fortunate in my case.”

Ranchers, landowners battle feds over conservation, property rights

Ranchers in Oregon, Washington and Kansas have been battling the federal government over property rights and conservation efforts for decades.

The states argue that in most cases, land owners know best how to manage their own land, not bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.

In Kansas and Washington, ranchers filed a motion to intervene over recent changes to endangered species’ policies proposed by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Salina Police launch alert system to help first responders with emergencies involving those with special needs

A Kansas dispatcher is paving the way for how police respond to emergencies involving those with special needs.

Amber Pfiefer, lead dispatcher with the Salina Police Department, has answered many emergency calls over her 12 year career but there’s one call a few years back she’ll never forget.

“We responded to a call with a citizen with special needs,”said Pfiefer. “At that time we didn’t realize he was special needs and he was being just non communicating, not responding to what the officers were wishing him to do.”

(Read more: KSN-TV)

Moderate income housing comes to a rural community

Its been almost 13 years since Greensburg was hit by a tornado, taking out homes and the towns’ population. Now, like most rural communities, they’re working to build more affordable housing to try and bring people in.

Greensburg and a dozen other communities were given a grant from the Kansas Moderate Income Housing Program to build housing that is affordable for those on a limited income.

With 400,000 dollars given to Greensburg, they have recently laid the foundation for two new duplexes, with the hope to have them completed by the end of summer 2020.

(Read more: KSN-TV)

New proposed KDOT program to help communities with construction

A new proposed Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) program, FORWARD, will help counties across the state with projects to improve their transportation needs.

That is, if the program is passed by the Legislature this session.

“KDOT wants to be a problem-solving partner with communities, with industry,” Deputy Secretary of Transportation Lindsey Douglas said. “We want to be able to respond to their needs sooner.”

(Read more: KSN-TV)

Hutchinson landlords: City’s response to building-code violations goes too far

Some landlords in Hutchinson say it’s time for an end to what they say is the city’s overbearing enforcement of building code violations.
The city says the program in place is meant to keep tenants safe and rental properties maintained. Wednesday, Eyewitness News spoke with landlords on and off camera about why they say something needs to change.
“It’s all treated like a criminal matter,” Hutchinson rental property owner Robin Jackson says. “I think that’s a problem. I think that causes a lot of antagonism.”

(Read more: KWCH News)

Recruiting efforts looking up for the Topeka Police Department

After several years where it was nearly impossible to find people willing to consider a career as a Topeka police officer, things are on the upswing.

Lead recruiting officers for the Topeka Police Department credit a shift in strategies for their newfound success.

Sgt. Matt Cobb, lead instructor for the Topeka Police Department Academy, said recruiting officers now target prospective candidates in much the same way a college coach or military recruiter would try to sell his or her program to a prospect.

County, lawmakers battle secretary of state over law saying where you can vote

Sedgwick County is turning to the state Legislature to try to force Secretary of State Scott Schwab to let county voters choose their own polling place in this year’s upcoming elections.

A Republican lawmaker has agreed to introduce a bill to let the County Commission change the voting procedure without Schwabb’s blessing.

Meanwhile, the top Senate Democrat says he may take Schwab to court in an effort to make him comply with a law passed last year.

(Read more: Local News |)

Pratt takes action on regional fire-training facility

Pratt City Fire Department Chief David Kramer’s vision for a regional fire-training facility in Pratt moved from the drawing board to an action plan at the regular Pratt City Commission meeting, Monday, January 20, when Pratt City Commissioners unanimously approved $13,360 for the purchase of four storage containers, which includes delivery to Pratt from Kansas City.
“This is one of our priorities,” Kramer said. “We really don’t have any other big target items in this year’s budget.“
Each of the containers is 40 feet long by eight feet wide by nine feet tall and, when situated with three containers running lengthwise with the fourth forming a T-shape at one end, will provide approximately 1,200 square feet of training space, according to Kramer.

(Read more: Pratt, KS – Pratt Tribune)

City of Winfield begins census outreach

The City of Winfield is beginning in earnest the local outreach effort related to the upcoming census.
To kickstart the effort, the city worked locally with Cardinal Sign in Winfield to produce custom magnets displaying the Kansas Census Logo and Winfield to attach to 75 of the city’s various fleet vehicles in code enforcement, police, fire, water, wastewater, natural gas and electric departments.
Beginning in mid-March, households can respond to the census online or by phone. About one-quarter of households will receive a follow-up paper questionnaire at that time. Beginning in mid-April, households that have not responded will receive a paper questionnaire.
(Read more: www.ctnewsonline.com)

Municipal Bond Trends for January 23, 2020

Overland Park council will look into request for stricter enforcement of code on sidewalk snow removal

City council members say they are willing to look into an Overland Park resident’s request for stricter sidewalk snow removal enforcement. But any action, if it comes at all, won’t happen this year.

The city council’s public works committee asked staff to look into how other communities enforce sidewalk shoveling after hearing concerns from Rebecca Crowder. Crowder had asked that the city take a stricter approach to snow shoveling by requiring residents to remove snow and ice from their walks within 48 hours and businesses within 24 hours.

(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)

Program details founding of Chanute

It started with a cluster of communities competing for the economic benefits of a railroad line.

“Each town site represents the belief of where the two railroads were going to cross,” [historian Jim] Whaley said.

Where the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad tracks met would be the prime location for development.

“Town buildings was something of an art,” Whaley said, and entrepreneurs wanted to be in early. He said there are 17 different stories about where people believed that junction would be.

(Read more: www.chanute.com)

JoCo will pay half cost of controlling dust in front of homes in unincorporated areas

Starting this year, Johnson County Government will pay half the cost of controlling dust in front of homes on the 135 miles of gravel roads in the county’s unincorporated areas. Residents must pay the other half.

Dust generated by traffic can be a headache, finding its way onto parked vehicles and inside homes. For the first 100 residents who sign up for the program, the county will spray magnesium chloride on a 400-foot-stretch of roadway in front of the home. The substance creates a cement-like surface, but the road will retain its gravel look. The applications are tentatively planned for May and June.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)

Olathe-based Docs Who Care aims to offer help in rural areas

When you live in Johnson County, it might be hard to imagine a hospital that only has one doctor present at any given time.

For rural hospitals, that’s just a fact of everyday life. It gets rough when they have trouble filling that position.

That’s where Olathe-based Docs Who Care comes into the picture. The 25-year-old organization matches doctors and advanced practice providers, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who want more non-traditional schedules and rural hospitals that need healthcare providers.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)