Kansas Municipal News
Shawnee Mission teachers, admin set final negotiations session in hopes of reaching contract accord
The state assigned fact finder who heard testimony from the Shawnee Mission School District administration and National Education Association-Shawnee Mission earlier this month has issued the report with his recommendations on terms for a contract agreement, setting the stage for one final negotiation session between the parties.
The NEA-Shawnee Mission announced to its members over the weekend that the union and administration will meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28 at the Center for Academic Achievement. The session will be open to the public.
However, the parties have agreed not to release the fact finder’s report until after the negotiations session has concluded, a decision permitted under Kansas’s Professional Negotiations Act.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)
Lenexa entering encroachment agreement with Magellan Pipeline Company for public improvements
The city of Lenexa is entering an encroachment agreement with Magellan Pipeline Company to make infrastructure improvements near Old Town.
The encroachment agreement will authorize Magellan Pipeline Company to construct curb and gutter, storm sewer, street lighting, sidewalk and trail improvements along Santa Fe Trail Drive between 95th Street and Pflumm Road.
City staff noted that the encroachment agreement with the pipeline company was necessary because a portion of the project (sidewalk, trail and curb and gutter) will cross over the existing Magellan pipeline and easement.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)
County, NextEra finalize haul route
After approving the term sheet and site plan for the Soldier Creek Wind Farm in August 2019, the Nemaha County Commissioners announced Monday, Jan. 13 — following a 1-1/2 hour executive session — that they have finalized the haul route for the project.
The commissioners – Tim Burdiek, Gary Scoby and Dennis Henry – have been in negotiations with NextEra Energy Resources, through the county’s hired wind farm attorney James Neeld, on the definitive agreements since the term sheet and site were approved last year. While the haul route has been finalized, the road use agreement is still being negotiated.
Burdiek said township officials met with the commissioners on Friday, Jan. 10, at the Pioneer Building in Seneca. The township officials received maps of the haul route for their township. Burdiek said he encouraged the township officials to drive the roads.
(Read more: Sabetha Herald)
Riley County losing out on $661,000 in revenue since mortgage tax phase out
Riley County lost out on $661,000 in tax revenue in 2019 mortgage registration fees after the Kansas legislature voted in 2014 to begin a five-year phase out of fees, said Debbie Regester, the county’s register of deeds.
“I guess I’m the only register of deeds in the state of Kansas that still continues to gripe about this or bring it to the board,” Regester said. “In counties that are much larger than ours, I can’t even imagine how much revenue they’ve lost.”
In 2018, the last year of the tax’s phaseout, the county collected $200,792 in mortgage registration tax fees. No tax was collected in 2019, but Regester said that if the 0.026% mortgage registration tax were still in place, the county would have collected $661,000.
(Read more: Atchison Globe Now)
WSU Innovation Campus developer seeks up to $33 million in IRBs for new NetApp site
Six years after first announcing it would partner with Wichita State University and move onto its Innovation Campus, NetApp is finally doing it.
Innovation Campus developer MWCB LLC is seeking up to $33 million in industrial revenue bonds to build a 168,000-square-foot Wichita headquarters for the global data storage and cloud management company.
NetApp would move from its current location at 37th and Rock Road — which MWCB is buying with plans for redeveloping it — to the northwest corner of 17th and Oliver.
(Read more: Carrie Rengers: Business Columns & Blogs |)
Gov. Laura Kelly’s budget calls for refinancing KPERS, pay raise for state workers
Gov. Laura Kelly revealed her proposed blueprint Thursday for $7.8 billion in government spending on state services next year, including social service investments, aid for higher education and a pay raise for state employees.
The Democratic governor again asked lawmakers to lower state contributions to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System by extending payments for 10 years and adding $4.4 billion in interest payments, a proposal met with swift condemnation by her Republican adversaries.
Republicans also scoffed at Kelly’s ideas for providing $53.2 million in credits to low-income families for sales tax assessed on food and placing $54 million in a defunct program that lessens the burden of local property taxes.
(Read more: Community – Cherokee County News Advocate)
Municipal Bond Trends for January 17, 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.
Spirit layoffs could stress Wichita, Sedgwick County finances, Moody’s cautions
One of the world’s top credit rating agencies has issued a report expressing concern about potential stress on Wichita-area governments if Boeing’s troubled 737 Max jetliner doesn’t get back in the sky sooner rather than later.
The Moody’s investment firm report identifies the 2,800 recently announced layoffs at Spirit AeroSystems as a potential catalyst that could cause future financial issues for local government.
“The (Spirit) layoffs are credit negative for the city of Wichita, Sedgwick County and surrounding communities because the workforce reduction threatens to result in weaker retail sales, lowering sales tax revenues that support local government budgets,” the report said. “The reduced work orders and layoffs at Spirit are likely to ripple out to smaller aerospace suppliers in the Wichita area, increasing layoffs in the region.”
(Read more: Local News |)
Commerce study critical of incentives offered in Rural Opportunity Zones
A new report from the Kansas Department of Commerce concludes a state program that provides cash incentives for those who move to rural areas failed to influence relocations or curb systemic population declines across the state.
Commerce secretary David Toland told lawmakers in hearings this week that rural communities would be better served by offering a menu of region-specific incentives that have yet to be identified.
Kansas between 2012 and 2018 spent about $12 million on the Rural Opportunity Zones program. More than 2,000 individuals received either income tax credits or student loan assistance.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Wichita street projects for 2020 total $215M, mayor says
The city of Wichita has 16 street and bridge projects — either underway or planned — for the coming year that total more than $215 million.
Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple highlighted some of the projects during his first briefing for media.
He showed slides of the Kellogg and Webb bridge with new aesthetic lighting. The LED lights will include different colors for each season, he said, as well as designs for holidays such as an American flag for Memorial Day. The same lighting will be installed for the Greenwich bridge, he said.
Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple talks about street projects for 2020
The inauguration of Brandon Whipple as Wichita’s 102nd mayor marks a new era in local politics.
A lot of questions are on the table as the 37-year-old Democrat assumes the “non-partisan” position at the helm of City Hall.
But one big question stands out: How the hell did this relatively unknown, brash, outspoken, non-traditional politician displace an incumbent mayor who was backed by all the traditional power centers in local politics?
(Read more: Local News |)
Gardner’s plans to annex Hillsdale Water Plant in Miami County stalls
Last September, the Gardner City Council adopted a Consent for Annexation for the Hillsdale Water Treatment plant, located at 22705 South Moonlight Rd., in Miami County.
The Gardner City Council voted to start the process of annexing the city’s water treatment plant during a Sept. 3 meeting. At that time, Ryan Denk, city attorney, told council members that because the property was owned by the city, it did not have to go before the Miami County Commissioners and could be approved by the city council at the next meeting.
Miami County commissioners apparently disagreed, and the property has yet to be annexed by the City of Gardner. It will next be considered Jan. 15.
According to posted minutes from the Gardner Sept. 16 meeting, “Attorney Denk said no, the initial communication with Miami County was that an island annexation has to go before the county commissioners, except on city-owned land. If it’s city-owned property, we approve a consent or petition to ourselves. At the next meeting, you’ll approve an ordinance, and per Kansas Statute KSA 12 5282, an ordinance is all that’s needed, not county commission approval.”
Miami County Commissioners had a different interpretation.
According to an article in the Miami County Republic, Rob Roberts, Miami County commission chair, asked Denk, “How do you folks explain the fact that you began building your project prior to even receiving any oversight from the county and prior to us even having your annexation request?” Roberts asked. “Is it because you just simply don’t want to be under the county’s jurisdiction?”
Denk replied that the annexation petition was filed before the work began
(Read more: Gardner News)
‘Long time coming:’ After 15 years, a building rises at Mission Gateway in JoCo
For the first time in 15 years, something new is rising from the dirt and weeds of the long-vacant site of the former Mission Mall in Johnson County.
After years of false starts, construction is well underway at the Mission Gateway development — a $225 million project that’s highly visible for commuters along Shawnee Mission Parkway, just west of Roe Avenue. It will include a massive entertainment complex, food hall, apartments, offices and shops.
“It’s been a long time coming, that’s for certain,” Mission Councilman Ken Davis said. “I am glad that we’ve persisted and we’ve kept our relationship with the developer on track. He has stuck with it, and we’re grateful for that. I think it’s going to be a real benefit for the city.”
(Read more: KC Star Local News)
Power restored in Hays after outages amid falling ice
The power has been restored in Hays Friday evening.
The city of Hays, as well as other parts of Ellis County, had been affected by a power outage Friday. Officials say that falling ice caused some of the breakers in the area to blow.
The Midwest Energy Inc. outage viewer said about 500 customers in the area had been affected.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Topeka City Council may undo previously approved move to outsource
Topeka’s governing body has three new members as it prepares Tuesday to consider rescinding the action it took last month aimed at outsourcing the city’s program that provides grant funding to social service agencies.
The governing body, which consists of the nine city council members and Mayor Michelle De La Isla, plans to meet at 6 p.m. in its chambers at 214 S.E. 8th. The Shawnee County Commission won’t meet Monday because of the Martin Luther King holiday.
New Topeka City Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala proposed last week that the city’s governing body rescind the action it took Dec. 17 in a 7-2 vote to authorize city staff members to solicit proposals from anyone interested in operating the program through which the city provides grant funding to social service agencies. Votes from six governing body members would be needed to undo that.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
4.4 magnitude earthquake shakes ground near Hutchinson. Did you feel it?
A 4.6 magnitude earthquake shook the ground near South Hutchinson Sunday afternoon, geologists said.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the earthquake at around 1:08 p.m. about a mile west to southwest of the town in Reno County. The USGS initially recorded the quake as a 4.4 magnitude, but the Kansas Geological Survey later reported it was a 4.6 magnitude.
Geologists ask those who felt the ground shake to report it online. A USGS map shows the quake was felt in Wichita, Dodge City, Hays, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lincoln and elsewhere.
(Read more: Local News |)
Roeland Park looks to move forward on historical markers, Roe House replica in 2020
The Roeland Park city council this month set plans to work toward completion of two unfinished projects from its 2019 agenda: the Roe House replica at Nall Park and historical markers regarding the Roe family as well as the city’s general history.
“There’s a few items that were budgeted for and that staff and the governing body has undertaken, but for a myriad of reasons, were not accomplished in 2019,” Mayor Mike Kelly said.
The goal of the historical markers is to honor and recognize the Roe family, after whom the city is named. Councilmember Jennifer Hill, who was tasked with overseeing the initiative, said that although there are plenty of ideas, she and the others working on the project want to ensure the final product hasn’t been neglected.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)
Recycling report tops Pratt County meeting
The Pratt County Recycling Center continues to reduce the total amount of waste going into the Pratt County Landfill. Jason Winkel, county landfill manager, said the average ton per day of 14.9 tons at the landfill in 2019 was down one ton from 15.9 tons per day in 2018. The total intake for 2019 was 10,497 tons and that was down 521.58 tons from the previous year. Winkel presented recycle center and landfill stats to the Pratt County Commissioners at their regular Monday meeting. Commissioner Glenna Borho was absent from the meeting.
At the recycling center for 2019, plastic totals were up 1.7 tons, glass up 4.9 tons, aluminum up 1.3 tons and tin up 2.8 tons. Newspapers were down 11.0 tons, chipboard up 22.2 tons, office pack down 9.5 tons, magazines up 6.12 tons, phone books up 3.5 tons and cardboard down 5.5 tons. The total fiber intake for 2019 was up 5.9 ton from 2018.
While many bring their cardboard to the recycling center, the center also has a cardboard route covering 12 businesses and that route brought in 27.3 tons of material.
(Read more: Pratt, KS – Pratt Tribune)
Property Taxes Sink Farmland Owners
Policymakers in Nebraska, Iowa and other agriculture-intensive Midwestern states prioritize property tax cuts, Loughead said. “But real, lasting property tax reform is difficult to accomplish, so these debates can take years to play out.”
Nebraska also would use excess state revenue to increase state aid to K-12 education so school districts are less reliant on property taxes. In his budget address this week, Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts recommended putting roughly $500 million over the next three years toward property tax credit relief by controlling local and state spending. Ricketts increased the property tax credit relief fund by more than 20% last year.
(Read more: Route Fifty – All Content)
Mysterious drone sightings reported in Marshall County
At least two sets of drones flying in formation were reported in Marshall County in the past week. They’re among several reports of groups of drones flying in Nebraska, northern Kansas and northeast Colorado in December and January.
Marshall County Sheriff Dan Hargrave said Monday that a caller reported a set of drones over a farm about a half mile south of Bremen about 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
Hargrave said no action was taken. Marshall County Undersheriff Tim Ackerman said Tuesday that the agency didn’t report it to the Federal Aviation Administration because they were waiting to see whether more reports were made.
(Read more: The Marysville Advocate)