JoCo OKs $3.7M to renovate Lenexa hotel into homeless shelter

24 Wednesday, July 24

JoCo OKs $3.7M to renovate Lenexa hotel into homeless shelter

info2024-07-24T15:12:36-05:00July 24th, 2024|

The proposed homeless services center at a repurposed Lenexa hotel took another step forward last week, as a majority of county commissioners agreed to fund $3.3 million in renovations. The commission also voted to approve a 10-year agreement with reStart Inc., the Kansas City-based nonprofit tasked with operating and ultimately owning the shelter. Commissioners considered whether to use federal Housing and Urban Development funds for the renovations, but rejected the idea because of the added cost and extended time period. Using a HUD grant would require an environmental impact statement that could take up to two years to complete, and the [...]

24 Wednesday, July 24

City of Bentley entering Stage 1 of water conservation plan

info2024-07-24T15:10:08-05:00July 24th, 2024|

The City of Bentley is entering Stage 1 of its water conservation plan. Bentley City Administrator Tim Bryan said the town is one of the few communities to purchase raw water from the City of Wichita. Wichita is planning for Stage 2 status and has been in Stage 1 since January 2023. Gary Janzen, the director of Wichita Public Works and Utilities, said Tuesday that projections indicate Wichita will reach Stage 2 criteria by Aug. 1. If the Wichita city manager issues a public declaration of Stage 2, residents will only be allowed to water lawns one day a week. The [...]

24 Wednesday, July 24

Sedgwick County commissioners looking for new way to fund arts and culture services

info2024-07-24T15:08:45-05:00July 24th, 2024|

A plan to fund arts and culture services in Sedgwick County through a sales tax continues to move forward. Currently, arts and culture services are paid for with property taxes. County commissioners are trying to come up with a way to lower property taxes while funding community-centered programs. Commissioner Jim Howell thinks such a plan may need to get approval from the state legislature but says it could be a way to keep funding going without ever touching property taxes. He says property taxes should only fund core government and public safety services and is proposing a one-eighth-cent sales tax to [...]

24 Wednesday, July 24

The ‘Big Ditch’ prevents major flooding in Wichita. Could it serve another purpose?

info2024-07-24T15:06:34-05:00July 24th, 2024|

Eighty years ago this spring, the Little Arkansas River spilled out of its banks in a way that spelled big trouble. Swollen by heavy rain, the river and nearby Chisholm Creek drove an estimated 5,000 Wichitans from their homes, washed out bridges and covered much of downtown. In Riverside Park, the historic Park Villa building was surrounded by acres of water four feet deep. In the stockyards along 21st Street, workers loaded 4,000 hogs onto railroad cars to keep them from drowning. To the north, Valley Center and a swath of Sedgwick County were under water. Flooding was blamed for two [...]

24 Wednesday, July 24

As drought deepens, Wichita is poised to double rates for biggest water users

info2024-07-24T15:04:49-05:00July 24th, 2024|

Wichita could soon raise rates for its high-volume water users as it ramps up its response to the drought. Next month, public works director Gary Janzen will present the City Council with a proposal to roughly double rates for tier two and three water customers, which would largely affect businesses that get their water from the city. Most residential customers would not be affected by the proposed rate changes. Only 18% of residential customers ever reach tier two (more than 110% of average winter consumption) and only 2% reach tier three (more than 310% average winter consumption), according to data provided [...]

24 Wednesday, July 24

Lawrence Police Department, DOJ to hold community partnership workshops

info2024-07-24T15:02:15-05:00July 24th, 2024|

The Lawrence Police Department, working with the Department of Justice, will hold two half-day workshops “where DOJ facilitators hope to improve trust and develop partnerships between police and community members.” The program’s goals are to improve trust and develop partnerships between law enforcement and the community, engage in dialogue to identify issues and solve problems collaboratively and address longstanding community distrust and historical barriers, according to a flyer about the workshops. “I’ve always said I want our officers to police our community the way the people want to be policed,” Chief Rich Lockhart said in the release. “When I heard the [...]

24 Wednesday, July 24

Lawrence school district administrators say cell phone ban in draft handbook was a mistake; board approves teacher raises

info2024-07-24T15:00:58-05:00July 24th, 2024|

A districtwide cell phone ban was included in a draft of an updated student handbook, but Lawrence school district administrators and board members made some clarifications on Monday. Students aren’t to have their cell phones out while they’re in class across the district. Elementary and middle school policies don’t allow students to use their phones at all during school hours unless granted permission. High school students, however, are still permitted to use their phones outside of class time. The handbook draft originally included in the school board meeting agenda for Monday said that “students found using their phone during school hours [...]

24 Wednesday, July 24

Municipal Bond Trends for July 23, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-07-24T09:52:10-05:00July 24th, 2024|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

23 Tuesday, July 23

Municipal Bond Trends for July 22, 2024

Henry Schmidt2024-07-23T09:17:31-05:00July 23rd, 2024|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of AA rated bond trades reported to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA® system. Every issuer's credit is different, and other financing sources may be available. To obtain comprehensive Financial Advisory services for your local government, contact your Ranson Financial Municipal Advisor, Larry Kleeman, or Henry Schmidt.

22 Monday, July 22

Manhattan city manager candidates to meet with public Monday

info2024-07-22T10:49:23-05:00July 22nd, 2024|

Finalists for Manhattan city manager will meet with residents of the city on Monday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Flint Hills Discovery Center. The list of the four finalists for the position of Manhattan city manager have been released to the public and they’re coming to Manhattan to meet with the public and commissioners next week. ... The finalists are Jacob J. Wood of Salina, Jaime Miller of Paris, Kentucky, Jason Gage of Springield, Missouri and Danielle Dulin of Warrensburg, Missouri. Both Wood and Dulin are K-State graduates. Source: themercury.com