He spent his entire career selflessly helping others during their greatest times of need. Now, retired fire chief Jim VanSchaik has taken on a different form of community service: that of city council member. VanSchaik took the oath of office on April 22 to fulfill the final 20 months of Brody Flavin’s term. Flavin resigned from the council on April 11.
Source: Harvey County Now
Prairie Village is considering imposing a 30-day minimum stay rule on short-term rental properties, a rule that, if adopted, would effectively bar AirBnbs and Vrbos in the city. On Monday, the Prairie Village City Council became the latest Johnson County municipal government to take up the short-term rental issue and discuss imposing new restrictions on the properties.
Source: Johnson County Post
A Douglas County judge has ruled against a group of landlords who sued the City of Lawrence over an ordinance that bans discrimination against some prospective tenants. The Lawrence City Commission in February 2023 approved an ordinance change that creates a protected class based on renters’ source of income… Local housing advocates have said that the protections could significantly help lessen Lawrence’s housing and homelessness crises, because many families who qualify for housing vouchers are unable to find landlords who will accept them. The full memorandum decision is here.
Source: The Lawrence Times
Westmoreland residents got some relief this week when the city government announced it was reducing utility bills. “In effort to hopefully give some relief, the city has cut this month’s utility bills in half!” officials wrote in a post on social media. The announcement came Tuesday in the wake of an EF-3 tornado that hit the city last week.
Source: themercury.com
Some Kansas lawmakers want to use STAR bonds to finance new stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. After Jackson County voters rejected a county sales tax for the teams in April, a Kansas proposal would authorize STAR bonds with 30-year terms to pay up to 100% of the cost of building a new stadium across the state line. Fully financing a Chiefs stadium could mean issuing $2-3 billion in STAR bonds, and potentially $1.5 billion to $2 billion for the Royals. Never before have STAR bonds of that size been issued. As of 2020, $1.1 billion total in STAR bonds had been issued in total, according to a state audit. The Chiefs-Royals proposal could triple that.
Source: Kansas City Star
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland announced $400,000 is available under the Residential Opportunities on Main Street (ROOMS) grant program to support new upper-floor housing in commercial buildings in Designated Kansas Main Street communities. … Upper-floor investments create new housing opportunities and can play an important role in addressing the shortage of quality housing, which regularly is identified as a major issue throughout Kansas.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce
Kelly says she will veto the bipartisan tax bill lawmakers passed in the last hours of the 2024 legislative session. A special session to pass tax relief less impactful on future state budgets will be called, but a timeline is not yet confirmed.
Source: KCUR
The director of a Russian ransomware group named in a federal indictment this week is likely responsible for a cybersecurity attack on the city of Wichita. The U.S Department of Justice charged Dimitry Khoroshev and his company, LockBit, in a 26-count indictment on Tuesday. The counts include numerous charges of extortion and fraud.
Source: KCUR News
Prairie Village is considering a 30-day minimum stay rule for short-term rentals, which would essentially ban most Airbnb and Vrbo properties. It’s the latest city in Johnson County to take up the issue. Fairway, Shawnee, and Merriam have all considered the issue in recent months, especially as local governments look towards the potential influx of visitors to the Kansas City metro for the 2026 World Cup. Up To Date’s Steve Kraske discussed short-term rentals with reporter Juliana Garcia, who has been covering the story for the Johnson County Post.
Source: KCUR News
Voters in Valley Center and Haysville have approved ballot questions on a school bond issue and a sales tax. In unofficial results from a special election on Tuesday, Valley Center voters approved a $59 million school bond issue that will provide for a new elementary school and improvements to Valley Center High School and the Valley Center Intermediate School. The improvements are planned to address higher enrollment in the district. The bond issue received 1,173 yes votes and 1,031 no votes in the special election. Valley Center Superintendent Greg Lehr issued a statement on social media, saying “Members of the communities we serve have determined that now is the time to provide adequate space for learning for current and future students. Once the ballots have been canvassed and the results finalized, we will move forward with the planning and implementation phases, ensuring fiscal responsibility and transparency throughout the process.” In Haysville, voters approved the extension of a one cent sales tax that was about to expire. The tax will be used to improve local streets, parks and recreational facilities. The city also plans to use 10 percent of the tax revenue for property tax reduction. The extension received 557 yes votes and 387 no votes. The results are unofficial until they are certified by the Sedgwick County Election Office.
Source: 101.3 KFDI
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