Lindsborg pursues RHID to jumpstart new housing market

The City of Lindsborg is in the process of establishing a Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) for a new housing development called Stockholm Estates that will break ground this spring.

The Stockholm Estates subdivision, with 150 planned lots, will be located on the east side of Lindsborg to the west of Elmwood Cemetery between Wells Fargo Rd and E. Saline St.

RHIDs allow cities of less than 60,000 population to use tax dollars to reimburse developers for the cost of installing new infrastructure. These districts are eligible for residential uses only and can only be used for the addition of public infrastructure projects.

(Read more: McPherson Weekly News » Feed)

Ranson Financial2020-01-16T07:49:47-06:00January 16, 2020|News|

Goessel Schools closed Thursday and Friday due to widespread illness

The Goessel school district (USD 411) closes for the rest of the week and cancels activities through the weekend “due to high numbers of ill students.”

Superintendent John Fast tells Eyewitness News the district is dealing with Influenza A, B and what’s commonly known as the “stomach flu.” He says 61 out of 291 students are sick.

Fast says the district called in the Marion County Health Department for an on-site consultation. After that, the district felt it was best to keep kids home.
(Read more: KWCH News)

Ranson Financial2020-01-16T07:46:05-06:00January 16, 2020|News|

City of Wichita seeks public input to improve transit

When it comes to getting around your community, Wichita’s leadership seeks input for improvement.

A survey conducted by Wichita Transit, in coordination with the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WAMPO) aims to identify local interests “in an effort to better align routes, bus stops, and amenities with ridership patterns and regional priorities for walkability.”

A public open house and mobile meetings are set from noon to 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Wichita Transit Center, 214 South Topeka Street.
(Read more: KWCH News)

Ranson Financial2020-01-16T07:45:45-06:00January 16, 2020|News|

Wichita Police Department sees record number of women in latest recruiting class

A dozen woman will soon start on a new career path and in that process, set a new record for the Wichita Police Department. The department says this group of future female officers is the most women it’s ever had in a recruiting class.

“it’s our time to shine,” WPD recruit Vanessa Campos says.

She says she’s pursuing a career with the department to give back to the community where she grew up. She says she decided that joining Wichita’s police force is the best way for her to help keep her city safe.

Wichita Police Sgt. Jeremy Vogel says adding diversity to the force can make the department more successful in keeping the community safe.
(Read more: KWCH News)

Ranson Financial2020-01-16T07:45:04-06:00January 16, 2020|News|

Coming Soon to Pittsburg: New Schlanger Park Attraction

Pittsburg city commissioners dive right into the first meeting of 2020 by giving the green light on a new project at Schlanger Park that is sure to make a splash.

The city recently was awarded a grant through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism called the “Land and Water Conservation Fund.”

That funding will go to a project that will remodel the old swimming pool at Schlanger Pakr into a splash pad.

It was the city commission who officially accepted the grant Monday night.

But the Parks and Rec Department announced that thanks to the Everybody Plays Committee along various city staff, contractors, and donors across the community, the grant had been matched.

(Read more: KSNF/KODE – FourStatesHomepage.com)

Ranson Financial2020-01-16T07:01:01-06:00January 16, 2020|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for January 15, 2020

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 Advisors.

Ranson Financial2026-10-22T10:29:43-05:00January 16, 2020|Finance|

Shawnee launches hotline for odor complaints about landfill

The city of Shawnee has launched a new hotline phone number for people to call if they have a complaint about odor from the landfill. …

This makes a slight change to the Citizen Service Request system that the city has in place for addressing issues. Previously, the city had taken odor complaints linked to the landfill through an online system or through the city’s Shawnee Connect app.

Julie Breithaupt, communications manager for Shawnee, said the reason behind the change is to allow landfill management to address odor concerns more quickly and efficiently.
(Read more: Shawnee Mission Post – Community news and events for northeast Johnson County)

Ranson Financial2020-01-16T07:54:40-06:00January 16, 2020|News|

Understanding Electric Franchise Agreements

An electric franchise agreement is a negotiated contract between a municipality and an electric service provider which among other stipulations grants the utility the right to serve customers in the city’s jurisdiction. In exchange for that right, these agreements often have a fee passed to the city’s general fund. These agreements typically exceed 20 years and many city personnel and elected officials may not have experience negotiating these agreements.

Join the National League of Cities and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to learn more about what franchise agreements are, how to prepare for a new agreement, and how they can be used to help meet your energy objectives.

And stay tuned for part two of this series, where we will investigate how cities have integrated renewable energy objectives into their agreements with lessons learned for other cities with similar goals.

(Read more: nlc.org/contents/rss-feed)

Ranson Financial2020-01-15T20:12:05-06:00January 15, 2020|News|

Riley County commissioners begin process for new planning and development director

The Riley County Commission has started the process to find a new planning and development director, after learning Monday that current director Monty Wedel plans to retire in September.

Human Resources Manager Cindy Volanti says a summary was used in the past for previous department head hiring processes. They will advertise the position on various websites, which Volanti says won’t cost too much. The price ranges from around $1,000 to $1,500.

As for the timeline to fill the position, Volanti says the job posting will be online for a whole month from April 1 to May 1, conducting primary interviews in May before moving onto secondary interviews. If those candidates do not meet their requirements, they will post the listing again for another month.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Ranson Financial2020-01-15T20:10:08-06:00January 15, 2020|News|

Manhattan working on updated bike, pedestrian system plan

Manhattan planners are envisioning a future with improved bicycle and pedestrian routes, including additional bikeways and protected cycletracks alongside city streets.

City commissioners Tuesday discussed an update to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Systems Plan, which lays out potential future projects to improve biking and walking around Manhattan. The previous plan was adopted in 1998.

City administration created the plan, with input from Kansas State University, USD 383, RCPD, the Chamber and area developers. Feedback was also sought from stakeholders such as Downtown Manhattan, Inc. and the Aggieville Business Association as well as the Rotary Club. Manhattan paid $40,000 to formulate the plan, leveraging a nearly $150,000 KDOT grant to assist as well. Funds for various projects will be sourced from the 2017 voter-approved Parks and Recreation sales tax, the City-University fund and an assortment of federal and state grants. In recent years, Manhattan has been able to leverage $1.6 million from $270,000 of city investment for trail projects.

(Read more: 1350 KMAN)

Ranson Financial2020-01-16T06:57:22-06:00January 15, 2020|News|