Council addresses Derby Fire and Rescue staffing needs

Both recent efforts and looming deadlines led the Derby City Council to move forward – on multiple fronts – in pursuit of hiring more firefighting personnel at its meeting on March 8. Firstly, the city council approved authorization of a contract for a fire staffing study through AP Triton (at a total cost of $29,831), something City Manager Kiel Mangus reported has not been done since Derby shifted to a full-time department in 2005. In 2021, the city applied for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from FEMA to hire three additional full-time firefighters with the intent of adding a position at Fire Station 82 and expanding the total full-time firefighters on shift to nine. Currently, eight full-time firefighters serve per shift – five at Fire Station 81 and three at Fire Station 82.
Source: Derby Informer

Ranson Financial2022-03-16T07:33:17-05:00March 15, 2022|News|

More than 96% of Wyandotte County homes increased in value this year

Property owners in Wyandotte county can expect to see their home appraisal values in the mail soon, and most can expect the value of their property to go up. According to Wyandotte County Appraiser Matthew Willard, 96% of homes in the county will see an increase in value. The county’s overall median home price went up 17% in 2021 in comparison to the previous year. The average home sale price is $206,176 and the year over year increase is 13.20%. … The market is hot. One of the main factors driving up home values is the lack of supply in the housing market. Willard said that on average a healthy market should have around six months of residential supply, but in 2021 the county’s market had less than one month in residential inventory.
Source: KC Star Local News

Ranson Financial2022-03-16T07:33:35-05:00March 15, 2022|News|

Topeka receives $1.7M for homeless housing program

The City of Topeka will receive $1.7 million to help fund its homeless housing and service program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to a City of Topeka spokesperson, along with an additional $51,737 in planning funds, this cash will go to Topeka’s Shelter Plus Care program. This announcement comes just one day after the city said their homeless population had increased since 2021 with its Point in Time Homeless Count. “Shelter Plus Care helps around 240 households on a given month,” Corrie Wright, Division Director of Housing Services for the City of Topeka, said. “This renewal of funding can help some of those unsheltered individuals in the community, as that number is increasing.”
Source: KSNT News

Ranson Financial2022-03-15T22:11:42-05:00March 15, 2022|News|

City of Topeka to discuss redistricting plans due to population shifts

City of Topeka leaders are meeting tonight to discuss drawing new city council districts. Each district in the city needs to have around 14,000 people in it. Two city districts don’t have enough to meet that number at the moment and three of them have too many. Districts 1 and 2 in Topeka each need an additional 600 people to balance out the map. District 1 Councilwoman Karen Hiller says redistricting is about more than the numbers. “That redistricting commission looks at the numbers but they also look at what are the natural boundaries,” Hiller said. “Whether it’s the river or the interstate or neighborhood areas that are contiguous that we want to keep together if we can.”
Source: KSNT News

Ranson Financial2022-03-16T07:27:22-05:00March 15, 2022|News|

Johnson County police departments say they face challenges filling officer vacancies

With fewer people applying to become police officers than in years past, unfilled positions remain a major concern for some local departments in Johnson County. The problem is due to a variety of factors, according to officials the Post talked to. Some agencies attribute their vacancies to the typical cycle of attrition as officers retire and transfer to other departments. Others are growing their forces and adding new positions that have yet to be filled. Still others say that fewer people want to become police officers for various reasons, including negative perceptions of the profession, which are exacerbating staffing challenges.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2022-03-16T07:34:41-05:00March 15, 2022|News|

Lifeguard shortage could leave some Overland Park pools closed this summer, city warns

An ongoing lifeguard shortage could crimp city pool operations in Overland Park this summer. City officials say they are currently short the number of lifeguards they need, creating the possibility that some city pools might operate on reduced hours or remain closed entirely. This isn’t a new problem locally. Last summer, several Johnson County cities — including Roeland Park, Prairie Village and Shawnee — struggled to fill lifeguard positions and reduced pool hours as a result. That coincided with broader lifeguard shortages across the country, an issue attributed at least in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2022-03-15T22:00:30-05:00March 15, 2022|News|

Incentive could lead to more apartments in Paola

Paola City Council members recently expressed their support of an incentive that could help with the development of six apartments inside a building on the west side of Paola’s Park Square. Acting Interim City Manager Randi Shannon … said the owner is installing a fire suppression system for the apartments, which will require a 4-inch water line to be brought in through the foundation, as well as a 2-inch line for the second-floor apartments. The owner requested an incentive to help ease the financial burden because the total cost would be $5,500 just in connection fees — $1,500 for the 4-inch line and $4,000 for the 4-inch line. Council members previously had discussed, during their Feb. 1 work session, considering a 50 percent reduction of the connection fees because they realize the need for alternative housing options and the importance of supporting rehabilitation projects.
Source: The Miami County Republic

Ranson Financial2022-03-16T07:36:28-05:00March 15, 2022|News|

Pittsburg area economy continued to improve in 2021

Despite the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pittsburg area economy continued to improve in 2021, according a new report from the Kelce College of Business at Pittsburg State University. The recently released 2021 economic summary and projections for the Pittsburg Micropolitan Area, also known as Crawford County, shows that for the most part, Pittsburg has made progress on its economic development goals over the last several years. According to the report, Pittsburg “is gaining a reputation nationwide for economic growth and a high quality of life.”
Source: Pittsburg Morning Sun

Ranson Financial2022-03-15T11:26:35-05:00March 15, 2022|News|

Salina’s new fire chief starts work today

New Fire Chief Anthony “Tony” Sneidar Jr. may be coming from a big city, but he knows and loves everything about the small-scale and country feel of a city like Salina. Sneidar, who officially begins as the head of the Salina Fire Department Tuesday, spent 28 years in the Philadelphia Fire Department, working his way up the ranks of that department before retiring as an assistant fire chief in 2020.
Source: Salina Journal

Ranson Financial2022-03-15T08:51:48-05:00March 15, 2022|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for March 14, 2022

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 Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.

Ranson Financial2022-03-15T08:49:56-05:00March 15, 2022|News|

Services

Company