Kansas Municipal News
New law requires escort vehicle drivers in Kansas be registered
A new law went into effect Jan. 1 that requires escort vehicle service providers working with overwidth or overweight vehicles be registered with the state, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.
The statute states that escort vehicle drivers must be registered with the Kansas Secretary of Transportation, successfully complete an escort vehicle training course and have a valid driver’s license.
There is no fee to register or to renew a registration. Registration is valid for one year.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)
Lenexa advances plans for new commercial building at 91st and Santa Fe Trail Drive
Plans for a commercial office/warehouse building are in the works for a vacant plot of land at 91st and Santa Fe Trail Drive in Lenexa.
The Lenexa planning commission on Monday recommended approval of preliminary plans for Rick Ramsey Building, a commercial project at 12904 Santa Fe Trail Drive. The proposed project would allow for a speculative building for a mix of office/retail and warehouse uses, with a parking lot of 12 spaces to be built on the west side of the site.
City planning staff member Karen Gable said the property previously included a building occupied by a landscape service, but that building had been destroyed by fire and razed in 2007.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post – Community news and events for northeast Johnson County)
Petition drive to save Century II in Wichita starts Monday
A group that wants to save Century II from plans to raze it and replace it with new performing arts and convention centers is putting together a petition drive. Members want city action to have a public vote.
(Read more: Local News |)
Roe 2020 project update reflects nearly $670,000 cost increase, completion date pushed into 2021
The Roeland Park city council on Monday evening heard the most recent update to the Roe 2020 project, which included a 9.7% increase — $666,000 in total — to the construction cost estimate and extending the construction into 2021.
Roeland Park’s Roe 2020 project aims to improve the thoroughfare within city limits, and will be the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history clocking in at a little over $10 million after the recent increase. The city’s engineer, Dan Miller, said there has been significant progress behind the scenes to get the project started.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post – Community news and events for northeast Johnson County)
Wichita City Council approves stadium CID
The Wichita City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to pass the ordinance establishing the Multi-Sport Stadium Community Improvement District.
It is a 2% sales tax that will help cover the cost of the stadium. It will be in effect for 22 years. It includes areas west and east of the Arkansas River.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Topeka City Council OKs ordinance regarding panhandling
Topeka’s city government will ban pedestrians — including panhandlers — from interacting with people in vehicles at 23 of Topeka’s most dangerous intersections, though not at any other crossings.
City council members voted 8-1 Tuesday evening to approve an ordinance putting those rules in place.
Council members Sandra Clear, Sylvia Ortiz, Tony Emerson, Mike Padilla, Brendan Jensen, Neil Dobler, Jeff Coen and Mike Lesser voted in favor of the proposal. Councilwoman Karen Hiller voted against it.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Parsons honors Vietnam War hero
Outgoing City Commissioner David Larsen received a pleasant surprise as he arrived for his last meeting on Monday.
The city staff organized a reception for the highly decorated Vietnam War era Navy veteran in the lobby of the Parsons Municipal Building to honor him with the renaming of a city street.
Shortly after the short reception, the city commission renamed Conference Boulevard as Larsen Boulevard. The street runs east and west just south of the newly built Parsons Conference Center.
(Read more: Parsons Sun)
Galena Fire Station to be named after longtime fire chief
Galena Council members approve naming the city’s fire station after longtime Fire Chief Bill Hall.
He has been a loyal member of the department since the 1950’s.
It will be named Galena Fire Department, Bill Hall Station #1.
Hall has been the fire chief since 1983.
(Read more: KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com)
Decline in global recycling markets could affect Lawrence residents’ utility bills
If the market for recycled materials remains low, the city’s costs for processing recyclables could go up — and so could residents’ utility bills.
The City of Lawrence contracts with the Hamm recycling facility to process recyclable materials, but changes in global markets have led to a significant decline in the value of those materials over the past couple of years.
The city already has been feeling the effect of those changes — it’s received tens of thousands of dollars less in rebates from Hamm’s sale of the materials it processes. But the city will need to negotiate a new contract with Hamm soon, and there could be even more of an impact if Hamm decides it needs to charge more to make up for the sluggish market. The current contract expires next year.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for January 6, 2019
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.
Mystery drone sightings spread to Kansas
The Federal Aviation Administration is working with state and local authorities to determine who’s behind a series of mysterious nighttime drone flights over northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska. A few sightings have also come from northwest Kansas, close to the Nebraska border.
A Colorado sheriff hosted a meeting with law enforcement agencies and government officials Monday to talk about the recent rural sightings. The drones reportedly have 6-foot wingspans and fly in grid-like patterns hundreds of feet in the air in groups of six to 10.
(Read more: KFDI 101.3)
Riley County commissioners take next steps for the RCPD firing range project
Riley County commissioners took the next steps necessary to begin construction on the Riley County Police Department firing range project.
County Counselor Clancy Holeman walked the commissioners through what a design/build and design-bid built process would look like in comparison. The public works department recommended the design/build concept.
“You can use design/build on some projects, but you cannot use it for most of what public works does,” says Holeman, “You can use it for certain facilities and improvements to real property.”
(Read more: 1350 KMAN)
Long-time employee retires from city of El Dorado
After nearly more than four decades, Robert Simmons recently retired from the city of El Dorado, leaving his position as the Chief Operator at the Water Treatment Plant.
Simmons dedicated his life to providing clean, safe water to the citizens of El Dorado. That part of his life came to an end, as after 46 years he retired from his position at the El Dorado Water Treatment Plant.
His career started more than 46 years ago, on Oct.1, 1973, working on the night shift and continuing his education part-time until finally earning a teaching degree. As part of his job, he helped teach fourth and fourth graders from Butler County about water.
(Read more: andoveramerican.com)
Governor appoints local foundation executive to Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board
Governor Laura Kelly appointed Johnna Norton, executive director of the Mount Carmel Foundation, to the state’s Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board on Friday.
According to a release from the governor’s office, the mission of the board is to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare from unlawful or unprofessional practitioners who fall under the board’s jurisdiction. The board establishes educational and experience-based requirements, as well as rules and regulations for applicants seeking credentialing, the release said.
Norton said she is looking forward to serving on the board.
(Read more: Community – Morning Sun)
County moves toward removing glass from single-stream recycling
Removing glass from Shawnee County’s single-stream recycling operation will bring the county a slight financial gain while allowing for more glass to be recycled and not wasted, county solid waste department director Bill Sutton told commissioners Monday.
Commissioners Bill Riphahn, Kevin Cook and Aaron Mays subsequently took a step toward removing glass from that stream.
They voted 3-0 to authorize the solid waste department to seek quotes from companies interested in designing and building a 75-foot-by-50-foot concrete pad and a 25-foot-by-25-foot precast block bunker at the county’s north annex at 1515 N.W. Saline.
(Read more: Political – The Topeka Capital-Journal)
Lawrence City Commission to consider city’s legislative priorities, including support for state tax relief measures
City leaders will consider adding five issues to their list of legislative priorities, including support for a measure that would effectively freeze property tax rates for low-income seniors and a measure that would provide rebates for sales tax charged on groceries to low-income residents.
As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission will consider approving its Lawrence Legislative Priority Statement, which it provides annually to the local state legislative delegation and which guides input on proposed legislation, according to a city staff memo to the commission. The newly seated commission provided initial direction at a meeting last month to add support for the tax relief measures and several others, and the commission is scheduled to consider finalizing the statement Tuesday.
Read more: LJWorld.com.
Municipal Bond Trends for January 3, 2019
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.
Rural Kansas struggles to attract psychiatrists
Psychiatrists are so hard to come by in some rural parts of Kansas that out-of-state doctors now commonly treat patients through video conference.
The Kansas News Service reports that Kansas is seeing an increase in patients seeking mental health treatment and the state can’t find enough doctors, nurses and therapists to treat them.
One measure from the federal government suggests only nine Kansas counties have enough psychiatrists, and they’re mostly in or near populated areas.
The state passed a law in 2017 adding psychiatry to the medical student loan program, but it’s too early to tell how well it’s working.
(Read more: KSN-TV)
Fearing noisy concerts, Johnson County residents take arboretum protest to next level
The Overland Park Planning Commission last month approved a $12.4 million expansion at the venue, off U.S. 69 and 179th Street. But neighbors — who organized over shared concerns and hired a lawyer — have filed a protest petition, sending the project to the City Council for a final vote.
Many people opposed to the project are angry the vote has been tacked on to the end of a long agenda planned for a special City Council meeting Monday night — one week before new council members are sworn in.
(Read more: Joco 913 News)
Former Herington officer apologizes for coffee cup hoax
A former Herington Police Department officer issued an apology for making up a story that a fast food worker wrote an expletive on his coffee cup.
William Darling, who resigned his position after admitting the hoax, issued a statement late Friday to The Herington Times.
“I want to express my deepest, most sincere apology to McDonald’s (in Junction City), the law enforcement community, the citizens and law enforcement officers in the Junction City area, the citizens of Herington and the Herington Police Department,” Darling wrote.
Police Chief Brian Hornaday posted a photo to social media Dec. 28 showing a McDonald’s coffee cup and a receipt with the words “f***ing pig.” Hornaday said Darling told him he got the coffee from a Junction City McDonald’s on his way to work that morning, and discovered the receipt with the words.
(Read more: KWCH News)