Derby Planning Commission considering changes for accessory structure regulations

3 Friday, November 3

Derby Planning Commission considering changes for accessory structure regulations

info2023-11-03T13:35:38-05:00November 3rd, 2023|

Following discussion among the Derby City Council and an official addition to its list of priorities earlier this year, changes to the city’s zoning regulations for accessory structures came to the Planning Commission for consideration in October. Presenting on the history of zoning regulations, City Planner Scott Knebel said none existed in regards to accessory structures for single-family or two-family dwellings prior to 2022. However, leading up to that, several large, agricultural-style metal garages/barns were constructed on single-family residential lots, which led to “a lot of complaints.” Starting Jan. 1, 2022, the zoning regulations were amended to state that any accessory [...]

3 Friday, November 3

Governor Kelly Announces $85M for Two New Water-Related Grant Programs

info2023-11-03T13:36:03-05:00November 3rd, 2023|

Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Water Office announced that $85 million over five years will go toward water projects with the launch of the Technical Assistance Fund Grants and Water Projects Fund Grants programs. Both grant programs provide funding for up-front technical assistance and on-the-ground actions needed to address water quantity and quality issues around the state. The grants were made possible when Governor Kelly signed Senate Substitute for HB 2302, a bipartisan bill from the 2023 legislative session that increased funding for the State Water Plan Fund and established these two grant programs. Source: Governor of the State of Kansas

3 Friday, November 3

Municipal Bond Trends for November 2, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-11-03T09:01:50-05:00November 3rd, 2023|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. 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.

2 Thursday, November 2

Municipal Bond Trends for November 1, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-11-02T08:51:44-05:00November 2nd, 2023|

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS "investment grade" yields. 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.

1 Wednesday, November 1

Mayor Mike Boehm: 32 years of celebrated service

info2023-11-01T12:54:33-05:00November 1st, 2023|

Lenexa’s longest-serving mayor, Michael Boehm, will soon wrap up an exceptional career in service to our community. After five consecutive terms as mayor, he decided not to run for reelection in November. A lifelong resident of Lenexa, Boehm’s career in public service began on the Lenexa Planning Commission in 1991. He was then elected to the City Council in 1995 and became mayor in 2003. “It has been an honor to serve Lenexa as mayor for the past two decades, and I believe that now is the right time to step aside,” said Boehm. “What we have accomplished over the past [...]

1 Wednesday, November 1

Buhler USD opening up daycare in 2024 to help with childcare crisis

info2023-11-01T12:53:25-05:00November 1st, 2023|

Deanna Herron has been teaching math at Buhler High School for 4 years. Its easy for her to take care of her students, but for a long time it was hard to find someone to watch after her own because there wasn't a lot of daycare options. "Finding daycare that was reliable, that I could trust with my kids and just leaving them in general with anybody, you know, you always have that sense of anxiety with it.” Herron’s kids are now old enough to be in school but her experience is one still many people are dealing with across Kansas. [...]

1 Wednesday, November 1

At the ‘UFO capital of Kansas,’ a celebration of the weird and wonderful

info2023-11-01T12:51:48-05:00November 1st, 2023|

Welcome to Dimension G. Once you enter the Geneseo City Museum, it takes a few minutes to adjust to the high strangeness contained within. Never mind the creepy ventriloquist dolls in the corner staring at you with their dead eyes. What you’ll really want to concentrate on is the UFO Room, where you’ll find hair of a dog from Venus, spring water preferred by interplanetary travelers, and blueprint-like drawings from an entire fleet of craft from Venus, Mars and beyond. At least that’s what the man who collected these things believed, and the museum has done its best to preserve the [...]

1 Wednesday, November 1

Osawatomie power outage was ‘worst-case scenario’

info2023-11-01T12:51:05-05:00November 1st, 2023|

Power was restored to all Osawatomie residences and businesses shortly after midnight Saturday, Oct. 28, ending a three-day nightmare for 250 to 300 residents who were left in the dark. A critical failure at the city of Osawatomie’s power plant substation caused the initial power outages in the overnight hours of Tuesday, Oct. 24, into Wednesday, Oct. 25. On Wednesday morning, power was restored to some neighborhoods through the city’s generators, but a secondary equipment failure impacting the generators triggered another outage, according to the city’s updates. Source: Local News | republic-online.com

1 Wednesday, November 1

Southeast Kansas town is almost out of water, and signs of crisis are everywhere

info2023-11-01T11:01:04-05:00November 1st, 2023|

It’s hardly a question of whether the water will run out for one town on the Kansas-Oklahoma border. It’s a matter of when. The stubborn drought that has hung over southeast Kansas for close to two years has brought Caney, a town of less than 2,000 people, within weeks of reaching the end of its water supply. Without rain, Caney could run dry by Christmas. “This is the worst it’s been since any of us have been alive,” said City Manager Kelley Zellner. Signs of the crisis are everywhere. At Eggbert’s, a diner at the edge of town, the price of [...]

1 Wednesday, November 1

How Leawood plans to regulate pickleball noise in neighborhoods

info2023-11-01T10:45:24-05:00November 1st, 2023|

Leawood residents looking to build private sports courts in their backyard have new requirements to keep in mind. At last week’s meeting, the Leawood Planning Commission approved an amendment to the city’s development ordinance adding new guidelines to the approval process for building new tennis or pickleball courts. The amendment follows multiple planning commission work sessions after residents began raising concerns about noise and bright lights coming from residential pickle ball courts last year. The city explored several ways of addressing the problem, such as cutting back permitted court lighting hours and raising the minimum distance from neighboring property lines. Before last [...]