Municipal News & Jobs

Kansas Municipal News

Officer recruitment, community policing, youth programs: Cochran discusses plans for Topeka Police Department

Nearly two years into his role as chief of the Topeka Police Department, Bill Cochran said he is staying the course by placing a high priority on community relations and actively recruiting officers that will help the department achieve its goal of being more diverse.

He also continues his efforts to reduce crime in the capital city by assigning officers to areas determined to be hot spots for crime, while also taking guns out of the hands of criminals.

Cochran on Thursday met for nearly an hour with nine members of The Topeka Capital-Journal’s editorial board, where he provided an update on the police department’s policies and goals for 2020 and entertained a wide range of questions that covered areas such as domestic violence; human trafficking; reorganizing community officers’ duties; and enhancing programs for youths in the city, including the Police Athletic League.

Topeka to consider proposal regarding panhandling

The Topeka City Council on Tuesday will consider banning pedestrians — including panhandlers — from interacting with people in vehicles at 23 of Topeka’s most dangerous intersections, though not at any other crossings.

“We’re just essentially asking people to choose intersections that are not as dangerous as others,” Councilman Brendan Jensen said last month.

Jensen was chairman of a committee of council members and community leaders who voted 5-0 on Dec. 9 to recommend the council approve the measure, which is among items on the agenda when the mayor and council meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in their chambers at 214 S.E. 8th.

Shawnee County considers proposal regarding recycling of glass

The Shawnee County Commission on Monday will consider taking a step toward removing the recycling of glass from the county’s current single-stream recycling operations to be carried out separately.

The proposal involved is among items on the agenda when Commissioners Bill Riphahn, Kevin Cook and Aaron Mays meet at 9 a.m. in their chambers in Room B-11 of the County Courthouse, 200 S.E. 7th.

“Glass is a major component of the recycling costs in our current single-stream recycling program,” Sutton told commissioners in a recent memorandum, which is part of that meeting’s agenda packet. “By removing the glass from the current single-stream recycling operations and transitioning to a separate glass recycling program, we will have a slight financial gain as well as recycling our glass in a more environmentally sustainable way.”

Winfield residents respond to survey

Housing, sidewalks and blighted properties are some of the top issues for Winfield residents, according to answers collected from a survey conducted in November.
Surveys were mailed to residents and were also available electronically on the city web site. The survey received more than 900 responses.
Some questions focused on future development. When asked if they would like more big box stores and chain restaurants, or locally owned businesses, over the next 20 years, 65.5 percent said they would like the local businesses.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)

Low Rates Could Get Even Lower, Senior Central Bankers Warn

The already low level of interest rates in the U.S. and the rest of the industrial world could fall further, three senior central bankers said on Sunday.

Speaking at the American Economic Association’s annual meeting, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams, European Central Bank chief economist Philip Lane, and Bank of England Deputy Governor Ben Broadbent all saw a possibility that so-called R star — the neutral level of interest rates that neither spurs nor restricts growth in their economies — might drop in the future.

“You could see R star go lower because of demographics,” Williams told the audience in San Diego.

(Read more: Bloomberg)

Ellis County grateful for Corridor work

Northwest Business Corridor, a $10.8 million project that became a reality in early November when Ellis County got word it had won a U.S. Department of Transportation grant, was celebrated recently and officials thanked for their efforts.

We look forward to this,” said Ellis County public works director Bill Ring last week, one of many thanking Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran for $6.5 million in federal highway money to build a Northwest Business Corridor around Hays. “We have a lot of what’s called superloads. It’s a couple-of-hundred feet long and it weighs 567,000 pounds. There’s two of those came through last week.”

Moran presented the Ellis County commissioners with an oversized cardboard check facsimile from the DOT.

Commission Chair Dean Haselhorst recalled the phone call from Moran in early November informing him Ellis County’s application had won the highly competitive BUILD grant.

(Read more: News – Salina Journal)

Company may get office space in city building

A new engineering firm may move into a city of Parsons building.
During Monday evening’s regular meeting, the city commission will consider a one-year lease on office space in the Business Incubator Center in Industrial Park No. 1.
Jim Zaleski, economic development director, is proposing the lease for Project Automation Group. Rent would be waived for the first six months of the lease, and the fledgling company would pay $200 for the remainder of the lease, which would begin on Feb. 1. The lease could be extended for an additional year.

(Read more: Parsons Sun)

Far-reaching boundaries for proposed stadium CID in Wichita include sites for future development

The City Council on Tuesday will consider establishing a Community Improvement District that will help pay for the construction of the $75-million downtown baseball stadium — the future home of the minor-league Wichita Wind Surge.

The boundaries for the proposed CID, which reach far beyond the site of the under-construction stadium, reveal more about where the city hopes to create new economic growth in the area.

If approved Tuesday, there will be an extra 2-percent sales tax added to purchases made within the district.

(Read more: Wichita Business Journal)

END OF AN ERA: Mayor Longwell reflects on his service to Wichita

25 years – that’s how long Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell has served in local politics. In a few short short days, his time in office will come to an end.

He considers his biggest accomplishment during his tenure the city’s economic growth. “We had 100 of thousands of square feet of downtown buildings that were vacant. That’s not the case anymore,” he said.

In 2015, Longwell took on the role of mayor for his hometown. Over the years he has seen the city grow but he says his favorite part was downtown. He said, “It’s not just for events there are people living down here, there are people that are coming and going, and walking the streets. And seeing just a real energy that hasn’t been around for a long time.”

(Read more: KSN-TV)

Frenzy in Muni Bonds Projected to Continue in 2020

Investors are heading into this year still eager for municipal bonds after a 2019 buying binge supercharged returns.
High-income households looking for tax relief drove record inflows into muni-bond mutual funds last year, with the S&P Municipal Bond Index up 7.26% during the 12 months ended Dec. 31.
Some analysts project that muni-bond mutual funds will continue that growth in 2020.
…
In addition to investor demand, a lack of issuance from cities and states has also driven up prices. Following a decade of tight government budgets and new limitations on borrowing, tax-exempt debt outstanding fell slightly in the roughly $4 trillion bond market.
…
Expectations of continued low rates around the world have left investors willing to pay handsomely for muni bonds, including those that don’t throw off tax-exempt interest.
“The market is shrinking against really strong demand,” said David Hammer, head of municipal bond portfolio management at Pacific Investment Management Co.

Treasury bond rates decline Friday morning after deadly U.S. strike against Iran general

U.S. Treasury yields tumbled on Friday after an American drone strike on Iran general Qassem Soleimani raised worries of a U.S. conflict against the Middle East military powerhouse.

The 10-year Treasury note yield slipped 7.3 basis points to 1.809%, while the 2-year note rate was down 4 basis points to 1.535%. The 30-year bond yield retreated 7.4 basis points to 2.266%. Bond prices move in the opposite direction of yields.

Geopolitical risk came to the fore again at the beginning of this year after news reports said President Donald Trump had ordered the assassination of Soleimani in Baghdad, Iraq. Soleimani was the leading commander of Iranian military operations in Syria and Iraq, and his death is expected to escalate tensions in the Middle East.

Municipal Bond Trends for January 2, 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.

Would it be worth spending public money to boost Lawrence’s live music scene? Some in the industry want to discuss it

For some of us, boosting Lawrence’s music scene — especially this time of year — involves looking for our symphonic version of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” But these days, some local music leaders are looking to make even more noise than that.

I had a chance to sit down with two of the larger music promoters in Lawrence recently, and it became clear that they hope to start a conversation about more public funding for live music in Lawrence.

“Let’s think about what we can do if we had $100,000,” said Josh Hunt, co-owner of Lawrence-based Mammoth Live, a production company that books shows in Lawrence, Kansas City and the broader region. “We could do some real game-changing events in downtown.”

Douglas County to launch drug court program on Thursday

A new court focused on helping people overcome substance abuse is set to begin operating this week.

Douglas County will launch its drug court on Thursday by taking referrals for the program, county officials told the Journal-World on Monday. Shannon Bruegge, who will serve as the drug court’s probation officer, said she was excited to get to work to help local residents.

“It’s been the most rewarding for me to see entire families or an individual’s life change,” said Bruegge, who has worked in community corrections for about 25 years. “We hope to help a lot of folks find a different way to live life and live at their fullest potential possible.”

Horton’s medical future still murky

The people of Horton are waiting for word from Atchison Hospital on its intentions for their closed local medical center.

In March, Horton Community Hospital shut its doors after failing to meet various financial obligations, including employee payroll. Up until that time, it had served as an essential bastion of emergency medical services for southern Brown County, the only center capable of grappling with significant medical emergencies within a drive of at least 20 minutes.

Atchison Hospital purchased the land and facilities associated with the closed hospital at auction earlier this month in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ahead of Horton Community Hospital bankruptcy proceedings, which are expected to continue evolving, Atchison Hospital said it will decline for now to comment on its intentions with its $245,000 purchase. A judge is expected to rule on whether or not the acquisition can go forward on Thursday.

(Read more: Hiawatha World Online)

‘I would love to be a public servant in the future.’ These classes will help

The Johnson County Citizens Academy allows a handful of residents an up-close chance to see how county works each year.

The program is relatively new. Started in 2016 by Aaron Otto, who at the time was an assistant to the county manager, the program’s goals include making citizens better informed about county services and increasing the number of residents who want to be part of local boards and councils.

“There can be a disconnect between local government and residents. I think that this works on lessening that gap — that disconnect,” said Kiley Heine, an intern with the county manager’s office. “It’s also really important that taxpayers are understanding where their money is going and what the government is doing with their money.”

(Read more: KC Star Local News)

City administrator explains Sedgwick’s hesitation with Redbarn Farms

At the last city council meeting, a lengthy discussion between the council and Dru and Dean Held, Redbarn Farms developers, stalled when a motion by council member Randi Tolin failed for a lack of a second.

Council members stated that they weren’t comfortable with the risks and hadn’t been able to read all of the documentation ahead of time, due to e-mail issues and files that wouldn’t open.

“It’s a lot of information taken at one time and I don’t think that they were able to get a clear understanding of the risk parameters,” City Administrator Joe Turner said about the meeting. “I think that’s where some of the reservations come from. So, I just think that was a little bit overwhelming.”

To this point, the city has only had to take baby steps that required little to no risk as they’ve walked beside the Helds and their dream to build five new houses in Sedgwick.

(Read more: Harvey County Now)

Longtime local lawyer: Topeka experiencing ‘a renaissance’

Topeka attorney Jerry Palmer says Topeka is experiencing “a renaissance,” with things here being as upbeat today as they have been in his entire 50-plus years in practice.

“It just feels like there’s an energy in the community,” he said.

Palmer spoke with The Topeka Capital-Journal on Thursday, the 40th anniversary of the founding on Jan. 2, 1980, of Topeka’s Palmer Law Group, formerly known as Palmer, Leatherman, White, Girard and Van Dyk.

Palmer began his law career in 1966 after graduating from the University of Kansas Law School in Lawrence. He said he has seen a lot of change during his time in Topeka, with some of the high points in recent years being:

Chemical spill in Neosho River causes Humboldt to shut down water plant

The city of Humboldt in southeast Kansas asked residents in a public notice Thursday afternoon to conserve water.

“Due to a chemical spill in the Neosho River, the City of Humboldt will not be processing water until the threat has passed,” the notice said. “… Please do not fill containers. Limit water use to essential use. The water in our water towers is safe but in limited supply.”

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said in a news release that the conservation notice includes Allen County Rural Water Districts 9 and 10. The Humboldt Water Plant shut its intake down on Wednesday “as a precaution following possible contamination to the Neosho River,” KDHE officials said.

(Read more: Local News |)

Wichita City Council pay has climbed 24% in 5 years. Voters could get a say in future

Wichita’s City Council members have awarded themselves raises of 24 percent since 2015, increasing their annual salaries from $36,999 to $46,026 for what is considered a part-time job.

During that same time frame, the mayor has gotten an 18 percent raise, bumping his annual salary from $87,712 to $103,560.

The latest bump came in December, when elected officials gave themselves a 1.25-percent cost-of-living raise and a 2.5-percent raise based on merit.

(Read more: Local News |)