Kansas Municipal News
Moody’s says 737 MAX layoffs threatens talent migration from Wichita
Moody’s Investors Services says the fallout from the 737 MAX layoffs in Wichita threatens to zap the region of vital talent in an already-tight local labor market and have other, broader impacts on the local economy.
In a research note provided to the WBJ, the firm listed the 737 MAX layoffs as “credit negative” for both Wichita and Sedgwick County, adding that the near-term future of the MAX will have an important impact on the longer-term prospects for the area.
“Most Wichita area local governments would be able to weather a short-term economic slowdown stemming from reduced aerospace employment,” Moody’s says. “But if lower staffing at Spirit and its downstream suppliers continues for an extended period, and without substantial hiring by other aerospace companies in the region, out migration will likely occur as workers seek employment in the sector elsewhere.”
(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)
Why Kelly wants to extend Kansas pension obligations and pay down other debt
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s $7.8 billion budget calls for an extension of pension obligations while paying down other debt and boosting reserves.
For the second consecutive year, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is seeking to refinance the state’s pension debt, pushing maximum annual debt service of $1 billion in 2032 to a decade later.
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Kelly’s goal is to lower annual payments by $130 million to $160 million over the next four years as the state builds budget reserves and restores funding for schools. The pension payments would still top $1 billion, but not until 2041.
“Kansas’ re-amortization of KPERS to make smaller payments in the short term is akin to making the minimum payment on a credit card bill,” according to the nonprofit Kansas Policy Institute. “In other words, the lower the contributions Kansas makes today, the higher contributions must be tomorrow."
(Read more: Bond Buyer: Feed)
Morrowville store served community for 70 years
For nearly 70 years people in the Morrowville community could run downtown to the grocery store to buy everything from fresh cut meat to dry goods. Beer, fresh doughnuts, infant formula and home grocery delivery were available in later years. But times changed, and like many other rural areas, the community got smaller and older. Morrowville’s only grocery store closed in the late 1980s.
Source: Washington County News.
Washington County and the City of Washington have policies in place to guide snow removal
Both Washington County and the City of Washington have snow policies that are used to guide the plowing of snow and the application of salt and sand. Those policies didn’t work well with last week’s rain-sleet-snow mix, according to those who administer the policies, inpart because of the cold that followed.
Justin Novak, who is Washington County’s Road and Bridge supervisor, said a salt-sand mix is often applied to hard-surface (blacktop) roads ahead of winter storms. Sand-only is applied to concrete surfaces including Washington’s new B Street.
No salt is applied to gravel roads, though, Novak said, because too much salt on gravel creates an unstable base, which leads to mudholes.
Source: Washington County News.
Reno County sees little new damage from Sunday’s quake
He was nervous about returning to the courthouse following Sunday’s earthquake, based on the severity of the event and the damage done by a similar quake in August.
Reno County Maintenance Director Harlan Depew, however, said the quake – rated a magnitude 4.6 by the Kansas Geological Survey – appeared to have had little new impact on the 90-year-old building.
“There are a few items still being evaluated, to figure out the extent of it,” Depew said, such as the main courthouse elevator now out of service because counterweights in the elevator “jumped the track.”
“It took significant movement to cause that to happen,” Depew said.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Hutch chips in $50,000 for detox center
The Hutchinson City Council voted 5-0 Tuesday to contribute $50,000 toward converting a New Beginnings Inc.-owned building into a social detox and inpatient treatment center for people with addictions. New Beginnings will ask for a matching $50,000 from Reno County during the Feb. 4 Reno County Commission meeting.The Hutchinson-based social services housing agency needs approximately $200,000 to improve Meadowlark Commons…
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Municipal Bond Trends for January 21, 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.
Stronger security and a new school: Blue Valley asks JoCo voters for $186M bond issue
Voters will decide whether Blue Valley schools can issue $186 million in bonds to tighten security throughout the district and build a new elementary school — with no tax increase.
Residents of the south Johnson County district should have received mail-in ballots, which are due by noon Jan. 28. If approved, the funds will also allow the district to improve aging facilities and add classrooms to keep up with growing enrollment, said incoming superintendent Tonya Merrigan.
“If this bond were to not pass, we wouldn’t be able to do many of these things,” said Merrigan, who will take over as district superintendent in July, replacing retiring Superintendent Todd White. “There aren’t other sources of money for us to fix our buildings, so this is a crucial time for us to make sure we invest in buildings and infrastructure to provide the best education to our students.”
Read more: KC Star.
Should you pay a fine for not shoveling your sidewalk? KC area advocates want change
Driving on a busy four-lane intersection in Overland Park a couple of weeks ago, Rebecca Crowder noticed a woman wrapped up in a wool poncho and scarf, pushing a walker through inches of snow and slush on the sidewalk.
It wasn’t the first time Crowder had stopped her car to make sure an elderly or disabled resident walking on icy, snow-covered sidewalks could make it to the bus stop or home safely. Last winter, she remembers seeing a man using a wheelchair, trying to navigate down 95th Street without a clear path.
“That upset me a lot,” said Crowder, an Overland Park resident. “I was like, I have to do something about this. It just upsets me. I’m frustrated that we don’t do better.”
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Leavenworth County approves new Port Authority agreement
When they met Wednesday, Leavenworth County commissioners approved a new agreement to govern the operation of the Leavenworth County Port Authority.
The agreement now will need approval from the Leavenworth City Commission before it can go into effect.
The city and county governments were the parties to a 1969 agreement that established the Port Authority, which is an economic development organization.
“The agreement remains unchanged since 1969,” Senior County Counselor David Van Parys.
(Read more: Leavenworth Times)
Manhattan officials reflect on economic issues highlighted during annual leaders retreat
Manhattan city officials took part in the annual Flint Hills Leaders Retreat, held in Olathe last weekend.
The event featured a variety of speakers touching on key economic issues facing Kansas, including migration to the state and employment growth. The state ranks near the bottom in both categories. Kansas Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Patty Clark provided statistics on these categories during Friday’s meeting.
On KMAN’s In Focus Tuesday, Mayor Usha Reddi said hearing Clark speak to these issues caused her to reflect, noting that in order to recruit and retain businesses, the state needs to build its workforce.
(Read more: 1350 KMAN)
Deardoff: Hutch’s Atrium hotel/convention site ‘front and center’
Hutchinson city manager John Deardoff has about 10 weeks remaining on the job, and “front and center” as he wraps up work is a hotel/convention center — or rather lack of one — in Hutchinson.
The Atrium Hotel and Conference Center, 1400 N. Lorraine St., closed its doors Dec. 20. Deardoff learned of the closing from the media, but it was “underperforming for years,” he said, so the closing was not a complete surprise.
The shutdown occurred, however, before a clear strategy had emerged from City Hall for an alternative hotel/convention center.
“This is really frustrating for me,” Deardoff said in Wednesday’s State of the City comments, as he recounted the lack of enthusiasm from private developers and the slow progress in talks about a solution.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Kansas in dire need of state energy plan
Consultants hired by the Legislature to examine Kansas’ unusually high electric rates bullet-pointed the obvious: Kansas has neglected to develop a comprehensive plan defining the state’s energy future. Interests as diverse as the Kansas Municipal Utilities association to the Climate and Energy Project of Kansas praised London Economics International for urging Kansas to craft the type of benchmark plan operational in more than two-thirds of states.
(Read more: News – The Garden City Telegram)
Pittsburg Police and Fire Departments host Battle of The Badges Chili Cook-Off
The Pittsburg Fire and Police Departments battle it out for a good cause.
Today kicked off the fifth annual Battle of The Badges Chili Cook-Off.
Every year the event is ran in collaboration with the American Red Cross as a blood drive.
After participants donate blood they are encouraged to taste each department’s chili and vote on whose is the best.
With this being the area’s largest blood drive, they are hopeful to collect 100 pints of blood this year.
Paul Lyle, American Red Cross, said, “So we really appreciate the volunteers and of course the Red Cross personnel and our donors, they’re wonderful.”
If you didn’t get a chance to stop by today, the event will be held again tomorrow at the Frisco Event Center from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
(Read more: KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com)
Leaders looking for feedback on new police-community relations initiative
People in Topeka are invited to learn more about a new police-community relations initiative Monday night. The meeting will focus around a new “steering committee” that law enforcement officials hope will be a place for tough conversations.
This will be the first time organizers are getting community feedback on the new initiative.
Cain Davis, president of the Strategic Leadership Academy, says the new committee will focus on law enforcement matters, but they won’t be the only voice at the table.
“It’s going to be law enforcement, maybe a member of Black Lives Matter, a member of the NAACP, a citizen who is just interested in it,” said Davis.
Davis said the meeting Monday night will be a great chance for people to learn more and shape the conversation. Afterwards, he says they’ll have a better idea of what groups are interested and what groups they need to work towards developing.
(Read more: KSNT News)
Wabaunsee County leaders holding town hall on suicide and mental health
Wabaunsee County leaders are holding a town hall Thursday night about suicide and mental health. This comes after five people died by suicide in Wabaunsee County in 2019.
Wabaunsee County Sheriff Rob Hoskins said he looked back through records and found that the county averaged three to five suicides each year.
“The national average for suicide is 16 per 100,000 people,” said Hoskins. “Wabaunsee County being less than 7,000 people, losing five citizens that puts us a little over 5 times the national average.”
The town hall meeting will include community leaders, school officials, clergy and mental health professionals. Wabaunsee USD 329 Superintendent Brad Starnes says he wants this to be a step toward ending the stigma around mental health.
(Read more: KSNT News)
100 calls to 911 in minutes after earthquake tied up emergency services, Hutch police say
More than 100 calls to 911 in Reno County in the 10 minutes following a 4.6 magnitude earthquake Sunday afternoon delayed emergency services from responding to people who needed help, law enforcement said.
The Kansas Geological Survey reported that the earthquake — tied for the second-strongest in the state in the past year — struck at around 1:08 p.m. about a mile west of South Hutchinson.
“Within ten minutes our 911 center received over a hundred calls,” the Hutchinson Police Department said in a Facebook post. “Of those calls only a handful required emergency services to respond. We want to remind our citizens that during a major incident to not call 911 unless they need to report an emergency.
(Read more: Local News |)
KPERS trustees decline proposal to cut 7.75% rate of return assumption
Trustees of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System on Friday decided to retain the current 7.75% investment return assumption rather than heed a recommendation of consultants to lower the foundational economic measure to more closely reflect national expectations.
The decision to maintain the status quo for three years avoided profound financial implications for KPERS, which serves 300,000 current or former public employees. A 0.25% reduction in the investment-return forecast would have driven up the system’s unfunded actuarial liability by $569 million and shrinkage of 0.5% would have equated a $1.2 billion surge in that unfunded long-term liability.
The decision by trustees was influenced by reports of a preliminary gross total return of 17.5% on KPERS’ assets in calendar 2019. That was a reversal from KPERS’ minus-2.6% in calendar 2018.
(Read more: News – The Garden City Telegram)
KCC explores theory of migrating earthquakes
The Kansas Corporation Commission’s conservation director Thursday said lack of information inhibited declaring a precise cause of earthquakes into Reno County far away from southern Kansas sites where a surge in seismic activity was linked to injection of oil-and-gas wastewater deep underground.
Kansas’ southern tier of counties were rocked by earthquakes starting in 2013 as the oil industry increased fracking to free pockets of oil and gas from subsurface rock. Fracking wasn’t the direct cause of quakes, but the high-pressure injection of millions of barrels of wastewater from the process below the surface was blamed for the sudden seismic activity.
There were 353 earthquakes in Kansas at magnitude 2.5 or greater from 2013 to 2017. That was 10 times the number documented in the previous four decades.
(Read more: News – The Garden City Telegram)
Vintage downtown stoplights get a facelift
Leon Pfannenstiel read the raised lettering on the metal pedestal of a stoplight pole awaiting painting at his shop, Leon’s Welding & Fabrication, on the US-40 highway bypass.
“Eagle Signal Co., Davenport, Iowa,” Pfannenstiel read out loud.
The pole is one of seven in his shop, all of them taken down on Main Street from the corners of 11th and 12th streets in Hays.
The City of Hays hired Leon’s Welding to refurbish the lights, said Public Works director Jesse Rohr.
(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)