Topeka homeowners could get $20,000 for home repairs

A grant program in Topeka designed to assist homeowners with bringing their residences up to code has recently received a large amount of funding to benefit local residents. According to the City of Topeka, a total of $750,000 in grant money was received from the Federal Home Loan Bank for the purpose of assisting low-income homeowners in the city. The grant money will be going to the City of Topeka’s Property Maintenance Rehabilitation Program, managed by the city’s Housing Services Division, which aims to help residents to maintain a safe environment in their homes. “Many of the people we serve are not only low-income, but elderly, and sometimes disabled,” Corrie Wright, Division Director of Housing Services, said. “This grant will allow us to help over 50 families with property maintenance rehabilitation on their homes this year.”
Source: KSNT News

Ranson Financial2022-02-11T07:21:42-06:00February 11, 2022|News|

Winfield residents ask commissioners to reconsider golf cart use

A group of Winfield residents are petitioning the Winfield city commission to review an ordinance regulating the use of golf carts in the city limits. The residents are requesting that the ordinance be revised to allow limited golf cart use on city streets, something allowed in surrounding communities such as Udall, Oxford, Cheney and Wellington, according to Winfield resident Stephen Campbell, one of the people trying to get the ordinance changed.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

Ranson Financial2022-02-11T07:19:25-06:00February 11, 2022|News|

Arkansas City board considers new city entrance signs

While Arkansas City officials work to revitalize downtown, beautification committee members think city entrances could be more inviting, too. Public Information Officer Andrew Lawson said the welcome signs at each major entrance to the city are in poor condition. Wooden arches with local club logos and other community information have had to be taken down due to disrepair. Lawson estimated that those signs were put into place during the late 1990s. During a recent meeting, Beautification and Tree Advisory Board member Candace Hendricks said that she would like to see that signage replaced. The board is looking into costs and hiring an architect help with the design.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

Ranson Financial2022-02-11T07:16:43-06:00February 11, 2022|News|

Gardner has a plan for those late on electric bills

Gardner is doing something new this winter with customers who don’t pay their electric bills: shutting off their power for 15 minutes every hour. Utility officials can impose the intermittent shutoffs through new “smart electric meters,” which should be fully deployed by mid-March throughout the city. The intermittent shutoffs were to begin when testing was complete, perhaps as early as mid-February. “The feature allows the city to give utility customers the ability to maintain a livable inside temperature while encouraging them to pay their past-due balance or make payment arrangements,” Amy Foster, business services manager, said by email.
Source: Joco 913 News

Ranson Financial2022-02-11T07:15:30-06:00February 11, 2022|News|

Wyandotte County passes Safe and Welcoming Act, providing municipal IDs for immigrants

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County’s Board of Commissioners passed the Safe and Welcoming Wyandotte Act late Thursday night by a vote of 6-4, a move advocates call a win for immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, elderly residents and the formerly incarcerated. The new measure will provide municipal IDs to residents without legal identification. Yazmin Bruno Valdez, a community organizer for Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation, was among the supporters who attended Thursday’s meeting. Valdez is an immigrant who said she lived without legal identification for more than 20 years. … According to Valdez, 20% of Wyandotte County residents do not have photo identification. … Cross Border Network President Judy Ancel said the ordinance will help establish trust between Wyandotte’s immigrant community and police, by blocking police from cooperating or reporting to Immigration and Customs Enforcement unless there is a public safety emergency or they have a warrant signed by a judge.
Source: KCUR News

Ranson Financial2022-02-11T07:13:52-06:00February 11, 2022|News|

Kansas judge OKs lawsuit that claims gas price gouging by energy titan BP last winter

Residents of the tiny southeast Kansas town of Mulberry have won the first round in a lawsuit claiming energy giant BP gouged them on natural gas prices during the freeze emergency last February. A Crawford County judge dismissed a motion by BP to shut down the lawsuit and ruled Wednesday that several Mulberry townspeople have the right to sue the mega-corporation, formerly known as British Petroleum. “The big issue here is the Kansas Consumer Protection Act and the right of individuals to file a claim,” said James Zakoura, a lawyer representing Mulberry and its municipal gas consumers. “The judge said yes, we have that right under the law.”
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2022-02-10T07:23:40-06:00February 10, 2022|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for February 9, 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 Financial2022-02-10T07:20:05-06:00February 10, 2022|News|

Wichita Public School district keeps mask mandate

The Wichita Public School district’s positive test rate for COVID is about 16%, Sedgwick County is at about 15%. This is one of the reasons that some Wichita Board of Education members voted against dropping the mask mandate in the district, but other members still say parents should be able to decide. After an open discussion Monday night, the BOE voted 4 to 3 in favor of keeping the mask mandate in place for the district. “I’m disappointed that the vote didn’t support looking at the mandate,” said Diane Albert, one of the newest BOE members. Albert made a motion to lift the mask mandate immediately saying that many surrounding districts such as Maize and Derby have already dropped the requirement.
Source: KAKE – News

Ranson Financial2022-02-10T01:25:41-06:00February 10, 2022|News|

Fed’s Bostic says more than 3 hikes possible this year, but needs to see how economy responds

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic said Wednesday he anticipates hiking interest rates three or four times this year, but he stressed that the central bank isn’t locked into a specific plan. Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” the policymaker signaled a view that is less aggressive than the market’s on rates. “In terms of hikes for the interest rates, right now I have three forecast for this year,” he said. “I’m leaning a little towards four, but we’re going to have to see how the economy responds as we take our first steps through the first part of this year.”
Source: CNBC – Bonds

Ranson Financial2022-02-10T01:22:24-06:00February 10, 2022|News|

How the Local Government Credit Ratings Strengthened in 2021

In the midst of the COVID-19 public health emergency and tumultuous economic outlooks, local governments managed to build onto their fiscal strength—credit to federal economic stimuluses and diverse revenue sources that helped them to weather the COVID-19 storm. Furthermore, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) views all local government sectors as having a positive/stable outlook going into 2022, except for high education; these local government sectors were viewed with a negative outlook by S&P ratings in the beginning of 2021. However, the undeniable long-lasting impacts of COVID-19 are likely here to stay: employers adjusting to their workforce working from home, changing travel patterns for domestic and international travel, dynamic consumer behaviors, and students adjusting to remote learning. In this article, we will take a closer look at the fiscal health of local governments going into 2022 and how they will need to adjust to changing market patterns.
Source: Municipalbonds

Ranson Financial2022-02-10T01:20:42-06:00February 10, 2022|News|

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