Riley County Police have issued the first citation at a commercial business for violating the Manhattan mask ordinance. In a letter to the community Friday, RCPD Director Dennis Butler announced the violation was issued Thursday for failure to comply with the July 7 ordinance after education and voluntary compliance requests were ignored. Butler says nearly a dozen businesses were visited in Manhattan Thursday, with only the one citation issued.
via 1350 KMAN

As part of the county’s ongoing COVID-19 Recovery Plan, the Unified Government Commissioners approved an emergency resolution and ordinance on July 30 that allows food trucks, farmer’s markets, and mobile markets countywide with certain standards. Specifically, the ordinance allows mobile vending (such as food trucks, pushcarts, and mobile markets) and farmer’s markets in all zone districts with additional and specific standards.
via Wyandotte Daily

The saga over what to do with Century II and Wichita’s former downtown library continues. After asking staff to prepare policy language that could authorize a public vote on the issue, the City Council on Tuesday is expected to decide whether to move forward with an election, which could help determine the public’s opinion on the future of two prominent buildings. But at the time, there were still questions regarding whether that public vote would be binding.
via Wichita Business Journal

Chanute city commissioners have named the interim city manager to the permanent position. Commissioners voted unanimously Monday evening after an executive session to name Todd Newman as city manager under the existing contract with a review in 90 days. Newman took over as interim in May after Jeff Cantrell left to take a position in Hutchinson. Newman was previously Parks Director and Interim Recreation Commission Director.
via The Chanute Tribune

Shawnee Mayor Michelle Distler has asked the city council to revisit discussions about Tidy Town, the city’s bulky item pickup program. City staff earlier this month presented some potential revisions to the program that would have put more control in the hands of the trash haulers and would have essentially removed the city as the “middle man” in the process. Representatives of two licensed trash haulers raised concerns that their companies lacked the manpower and equipment to complete Tidy Town pickups during the program’s timeframe, which in previous years has been spread out over three spring weekends. 
via Shawnee Mission Post

Columbus school district Superintendent Brian Smith has spent the week hauling furniture out of classrooms to make more space for social distancing as students prepare to return next week after a five-month COVID-19 imposed break. “It is almost like you are preparing for war,” Smith said. “And there is so much that can go wrong and so many unknowns.” His 950-student district is among several dozen mostly rural Kansas school systems to resume classes next week after a handful tested the waters this week.
via Derby Informer

Roxy Callison grew up on a farm in Mayfield, and though she’s lived in Winfield many years, she loves open spaces and the wide skies of the prairie. The west side of her home on East Eighth Avenue is probably big enough to be another house lot. But to keep the area open and to satisfy her love of prairie, she is turning the area into what she calls a “prairie garden.” “I’ve wanted to do it since I lived here,” Callison said. She said she’s often thought she is “without purpose,” and developing the prairie garden is providing that purpose.
via Cowley CourierTraveler

A small town in Texas is going up against streaming giants Netflix and Hulu with a class-action lawsuit over utility fees. New Boston, Texas says the streamers use broadband infrastructure to reach their residents, and should in turn pay the town 5% of the revenue generated from those residents as a fee. “When a Netflix subscriber wants to view Netflix programming, the subscriber’s Internet service provider will connect the subscriber to the closest Netflix Open Connect server offering the fastest speeds and best video quality,” writes attorney Austin Tighe in the complaint. “According to Netflix, that means that most of its subscribers receive Netflix’s video programming from servers either inside of, or directly connected to, the subscriber’s Internet service provider’s network within their local region.” New Boston’s argument is based on the state law that video service providers are required to get certified with an application to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and that neither Hulu nor Netflix has filed the application. Failing to file doesn’t mean they are exempt from paying the quarterly franchise fee to the cities in which they operate.
via Cord Cutters News

Governor Laura Kelly has announced businesses will soon be able to apply for a total of more than $130 million in grants to serve those most affected by the pandemic and for companies that can expand broadband access in the state. Information on SPARK economic development and connectivity grant programs can now be found online at kansascommerce.gov/covidrelief. Grant applications will be accepted beginning at 12:00 p.m. Wed., Aug. 19, 2020. “These funds will both provide necessary immediate relief to businesses and contribute to a more strategic, competitive Kansas economy in the future,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “I want to thank the SPARK Taskforce for recommending these strategic investments and the State Finance Council for approving the use of these funds.”
In addition to providing financial relief, grants will be available to businesses whose products and services will be needed in greater volume to help combat the virus and its effects. Funding is also being made available to expand broadband access both through infrastructure improvements and by partnerships with internet service providers to serve low-income households. These grants are funded through the Coronavirus Relief Fund of the federal CARES Act.
via Kansas Department of Commerce

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.