Prairie Village boosts pay for city employees

The Prairie Village City Council earlier this month unanimously approved a 1.8% increase for employee compensation ranges. The increase comes as some candidates for city council candidates this year have expressed concern about the city’s spending habits. But the 1.8% increase approved by the current council on Monday, Oct. 18, is below the recommendation from a consultant to increase compensation ranges by 2.5%, which as made, in part, to account for ongoing staff shortages nationwide due to the pandemic. “As we all know, there are many, many people looking to hire,” Cindy Volanti, the city’s human resources director, told the council. “We’re all fighting for the same people.”
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2021-10-26T07:00:30-05:00October 25, 2021|News|

This is when you’ll have to start paying to park in downtown Topeka

There’s a new start date set for when visitors to downtown Topeka will have to begin paying for metered parking. The City of Topeka announced Monday, Nov. 1 as the start date when all side street parking downtown will go metered. Parking a car in side street spaces will cost $0.50 per hour or $1 per hour depending on the meter, and drivers can look at the meters to see their specific hourly price, according to the city. To accompany this change, the city has also partnered with the Passport Parking app to offer a modern way to pay on the meters. Drivers can also pay with coins the old-fashioned way. The change affects all side streets one block east and one block west of South Kansas Avenue between 6th and 10th avenues. The city said not all parking spaces in the area will go metered, however. The parking spaces directly on Kansas Avenue through downtown will stay free for up to two hours during business hours each day, and all parking downtown will stay free on weekends and also between 6 p.m. and 7:59 a.m. on weekdays.
Source: KSNT News

Ranson Financial2021-10-26T07:00:48-05:00October 25, 2021|News|

Manhattan to discuss Sunday morning liquor sales

The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday will discuss a proposal to allow retail liquor sales on Sunday mornings. … City administrators are proposing liquor sales from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Currently, sales are allowed from noon to 8 p.m. In May 2021, Gov. Laura Kelly signed House Bill 2137 into law, giving cities the ability to allow retail alcohol sales on Sunday with the earlier time. The idea has generated mixed responses from the retailers. Last month, Hy-Vee sent a letter to city manager Ron Fehr and the commission that requested the change locally.
Source: themercury.com

Ranson Financial2021-10-26T07:01:16-05:00October 25, 2021|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for October 22, 2021

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 Financial2021-10-25T06:50:16-05:00October 25, 2021|News|

City of Wichita plans multi-million dollar pickleball complex at popular Wichita park

City officials are looking to turn Wichita into a regional destination for pickleball, a game that’s growing in popularity, by building a $3 million “Pickleplex” in south Wichita. The pickleball complex would host regional tournaments and draw new tourism dollars into Wichita, said Troy Houtman, director of parks and recreation. The proposed Pickleplex would be built at South Lakes Park, just north of Campus High School near 55th South and Meridian.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2021-10-25T06:48:03-05:00October 25, 2021|News|

Pandemic-inspired investment in broadband signals new era of internet access in Kansas

Daniel Friesen doesn’t want geography to be the determining factor of whether Kansas communities have access to high-quality broadband service. He started a company in Buhler dedicated to providing fiber-to-the-home internet and was prepared to leap when the COVID-19 pandemic exposed service gaps in education, commerce, health care and at home in Kansas. That’s when the federal government began pouring CARES Act relief money into states, and Kansas officials earmarked $50 million of that largess for broadband expansion.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2021-10-25T06:46:26-05:00October 25, 2021|News|

The Quivira water fight continues. Birds, farmers and government entities are trying to come up with a resolution.

Finding an equitable solution to what becomes of Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and its impact on the central Kansas water table is once again on the table. This week, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Audubon of Kansas to honor the senior water rights of the 22,000-acre refuge.
Source: Dodge Globe

Ranson Financial2021-10-25T06:44:44-05:00October 25, 2021|News|

Sidewalk program makes mile of progress in Newton

More than a mile of broken sidewalks have been repaired through Newton’s sidewalk program. The program is up for renewal at Tuesday night’s city commission meeting. According to a city memo, the program is responsible for helping property owners repair 13,208 square feet of cracked and decayed sidewalk. According to a city memo, the program has been used on 67 out of compliance sidewalks so far. The program reimburses property owners $3.50 for each square foot of sidewalk, up to $800. Sidewalks must be at least four feet wide and follow construction guidelines. Currently, the program has expended $41,680.
Source: Harvey County Now

Ranson Financial2021-10-25T06:40:15-05:00October 25, 2021|News|

Table is Set to Continue Seller’s Market for Issuers of Muni Debt

The municipal bond market’s current dynamics — scarce supply, low rates, tight spreads and a stable credit landscape — means issuers are enjoying one of the strongest markets in modern history. … The level of demand is likely to remain as a wave of muni bonds are set to come due in the next five years, Fabian said. Roughly 22% of all outstanding tax-exempt debt will mature or be called by the end of 2024, he said. That’s roughly $800 billion of “reinvestment pressure.”
Source: Bond Buyer

Ranson Financial2021-10-25T06:27:48-05:00October 25, 2021|News|

Wind farms whip up controversy as they spread across Kansas, changing the rural landscape

Developers have spent more than $11 billion bringing wind farms to more than 30 of the state’s 105 counties. Just drive across Kansas, and the changing landscape is inescapable: What once were wide open spaces, reserved for crops or cattle, are now home to wind farms, with turbines towering over the vista. In the past 10 years, more than 30 new wind farms — including several in eastern Kansas — have been built or proposed across the state.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2021-10-25T06:38:20-05:00October 25, 2021|News|