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.
Placing unregulated signs on Shawnee County property could soon be illegal. “Unregulated signage on county property has direct and secondary effects that are harmful to the safety and general welfare of the county as a whole and to its individual citizens,” read a resolution introduced recently by Shawnee County Commission chairman Bill Riphahn. … Commissioners will hear public comment on the resolution, and Riphahn said there is a chance commissioners will vote on it Monday. His proposal limits the size and design of signs and indicates signs can only be single- or double-sided, and not inflatable or “air-activated.”
Source: Local Government – The Topeka Capital-Journal
The Lawrence city commission in a special meeting Thursday passed an ordinance cracking down people who violate COVID-19 health orders banning mass gatherings, the city announced in a release. City commissioners took up the issue to address community health concerns after recent videos showed crowded parties on weekends near the University of Kansas in violation of the emergency order issued earlier this month. That order, an attempt to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, in part banned gatherings of more than 45 individuals. Those guilty of violating the order will face a fine of $500 and up to a month in jail. Cases will be prosecuted in municipal court.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
Ellis County is preparing for expansion of the county landfill, including with the purchase of 180 acres of land adjacent to its existing landfill. The new acreage will make room for the growing amount of construction and demolition trash brought to the landfill just northwest of Hays at 1515 W. 55th St., according to county public works director Bill Ring. The county struck a deal a year ago to buy the rocky pasture from John and Susan Karlin for $380,000 or $2,111 an acre. They wanted to sell the entire pasture, or not at all, Ring said. “We’re doing a buy-out on it, paying him over the course of a few years. That’s how he wanted to be paid,” Ring said, noting the county just made the first residual payment.
Source: News – Butler County Times Gazette
A plan to tax businesses along Wichita’s most important downtown street appears to be doomed after eight months of controversy and a chaotic petition process. Opponents of a Business Improvement District for the Douglas Design District are within two validated signatures of overturning a City Council decision to levy a special tax on all businesses in the area to pay for promoting the commercial avenue from Washington to Oliver. They’re expected to get confirmation of the signatures they need sometime before an Oct. 15 deadline, when the Planning Department plans to wrap up a process of verifying that the people who signed the protest petition against the tax district are either the business owners or the authorized representatives of owners.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
The city council wants to encourage AT&T in their desire to build a cell tower in Sedgwick, but they have concerns regarding the company’s choice of locations. City Administrator Joe Turner told the council at their meeting on Sep. 8 that he preferred to keep the tower on city owned land and proposed to AT&T the following potential locations: waste water and retention dam, industrial park and parcel north of industrial park, and the land near the east water tower. Their engineers said the east water tower location is the one that will work for them, that the Industrial Park is too far south.” Turner told the council.
Source: Harvey County Now
Amid a pandemic that has drastically impacted the way rural hospitals provide services, telehealth has provided patients and staff at Smith County Memorial Hospital desperately needed services and support. Allen Van Driel, CEO of the northern Kansas hospital, said medical professionals been able to connect with specialists from distant sites to provide services to their local patient base. The added hands were especially critical at the beginning of the pandemic when patients were scared to come in, he said. “Telehealth has been especially effective in providing access to providers in the emergency department,” Van Driel said. “We now have a backup system in place of distant-site ER physicians available, so it greatly enhances our ability to deliver services.” Van Driel was among half a dozen rural hospital administrators from across Kansas who joined Gov. Laura Kelly Wednesday to discuss the unique health care challenges faced in remote areas of the state, and what has and can be done to overcome them.
Source: Kansas Reflector
Leavenworth’s mayor said the city will not be granting additional authority to the county health officer by approving a provision in the 2020 Uniform Public Offense Code for Kansas Cities. “The city of Leavenworth has no authority to grant power to the county health officer,” Mayor Mike Griswold said. … Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens reviewed changes to the UPOC with commissioners last week. He noted that the 2020 version includes language he said clarifies a law enforcement officer’s authority to enforce a public health order…. Griswold also mentioned sections of the Uniform Public Offense Code that the police chief has recommended not be adopted.
Source: Leavenworth Times
The owners of a grocery store will get another look at a proposed contract for the sale of their business to the city of Erie. Slight changes were made to the agreement for the city to buy Stub’s Market after input from the Erie City Council. The contract was ready for approval at the council’s Monday evening meeting, but City Attorney Seth Jones told the council that David “Stub” and Shirlene Mahurin should look at the changes before the council votes on the agreement. City Clerk Cindy Lero said Jones wanted to make sure the Mahurins didn’t want to suggest any other changes to the contract. Lero said the council could vote on the contract during the next regular meeting on Sept. 28.
Source: Parsons Sun
City leaders have voted to approve an ordinance that gives Lawrence police more power to enforce local health orders put in place to deter the spread of COVID-19. As part of a special meeting Thursday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 4-1, with Mayor Jennifer Ananda opposing, to approve an ordinance that makes endangering the public health, safety, or welfare against municipal code. The ordinance uses existing state public nuisance law to give Lawrence police the authority to issue up to a $500 ticket to those who violate health orders, which include limits on public gatherings.
Source: LJWorld.com.
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