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.
In an effort to understand current transportation issues that affect citizens and businesses, the City of El Dorado has hired JEO Consulting Group of Wichita to gather information for them, costing $194,420. JEO created a survey that covers all areas of the city and asks questions relating to all modes of transportation, safety issues, maintenance, and the future of city roads. At the end of the study, the City will be able to create a transportation master plan that creates a vision for all modes of transportation over the next 25 years, provide framework to implement a sustainable transportation system, and identify projects that improve safety and mobility as well as future projects that can support El Dorado’s development. The public engagement portion of the study kicked off on Tuesday evening, Jan. 30 at the Civic Center. From 4:30-6:30pm employees from JEO and City Engineer Director Scott Rickard were present to answer questions and guide community members through the graphics displayed and explained what the study will do. Community members were given a questionnaire to fill out that allowed them to voice their concerns and took count of the ways people travel in the city. While the questionnaire is available for citizens to take, informational graphics similar to the ones at the kickoff event will be displayed at City Hall, Bradford Memorial Library, and the Senior Center. All of the questionnaires will remain anonymous and can be done digitally through March 31.
Source: Andover American
The Finney County Historical Museum has a new short-term exhibit in its Front Door Gallery. The exhibit features more than 30 images from the coffee table book “Life and Times of the Buffaloes” by local author Brett Marshall about the history of Garden City High School, as well as a small collection of artifacts from the museum’s own collection, USD 456/Garden City Public Schools and from Mike Wade of Traditions Soda and Sandwich Shop. The exhibit will be on display through the end of April. Marshall wrote the book in partnership with USD 457 over a two-and-a-half-year period, it was released in September 2023. The graphic design of the book was handled by Josh Harbour and much of the research and the early-day photographs came from the museum’s archives. The book has 12 chapters which outline the development of public education in Garden City, dating back to the 1880s, and concluding with the graduation and highlights of the 2022-23 school year. Steve Quakenbush, executive director of the museum, said museum staff decided to make the book and the history of GCHS its theme for the Front Door Gallery because of how comprehensive the book was and its popularity in the community. “We thought why not give people a chance to see some highlights from it?” he said. “It is history, it’s Garden City history that touches the lives of a lot of people, just about anyone who ever attended Garden City High School. It just seemed like a natural thing to do.”
Source: Garden City Telegram
The U.S. Geological Survey says a 5.1 magnitude earthquake Friday was recorded around 11:24 p.m. with the epicenter of the earthquake in Prague, Oklahoma. Residents in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, along with Oklahoma all reporting furniture shaking and cabinet doors opening. Most humans can feel a magnitude 2.5 or higher according to geological experts. If you felt Friday’s earthquake, you can report it to the USGS online.
Source: KSN-TV
People in Reno County may have seen or smelled smoke Friday. The Hutchinson Fire Department had some firefighters start fires as part of its mitigation efforts ahead of wildfire season. They were burning a ditch on Buhler/Haven Road on Friday afternoon. “Every year we go around our territory and pick out four to five places we feel are concerns,” Jeremy Unruh, HFD division chief of operations, said. “We’re looking for the fuel type in the fields, how thick it is, and we compare that against recent incidents we’ve had.” He said burning a ditch gives some protection since many fires start along roadways, possibly from discarded cigarettes or chains dragged along the pavement, creating sparks. The goal is that the controlled fires now will help prevent grass fires from starting in the coming months. The fires also help train crews. According to the Kansas Forest Service, recent moisture helps in the short term but also creates more fuel for fires and causes problems for crews. “When we do have fires that start, and our fire departments try to get out into the fields to put them out, with the ground being so wet, the chances of getting fire trucks stuck and those kinds of things go up a lot,” said Rodney Redinger, Kansas Forest Service asst. fire management officer of operations and training. Another thing that can cause grass fires is when four-wheelers get stuck in tall grass. If that happens, Redinger says to shut the vehicle off to prevent hot exhaust from starting a fire.
Source: KSN-TV
The Honeywell aerospace manufacturing facility in Olathe is planning an $84 million expansion, expected to create more than 150 new jobs, officials announced on Friday. The Olathe plant is just south of the intersection of Kansas Highways 7 and 10. The 560,000-square-foot facility manufactures parts for avionics, safety and flight control systems, radio frequency systems and weather radar, according to a news release. “Expanding this facility will enable the development of a strong and resilient domestic supply chain for next-generation avionics and printed circuit board assemblies that our commercial and military customers can rely on,” Honeywell Aerospace Technologies President and CEO Jim Currier said in the release. “At Honeywell, we are in constant need of highly skilled employees, particularly in engineering and advanced manufacturing, and our decision to expand one of our U.S.-based facilities is a testament to the confidence we have in the U.S. economy and its talented workforce.” Last month, the Olathe City Council approved an agreement with the Kansas Department of Commerce for a company — which at the time was unnamed and only dubbed “Project Amber” — to receive money from the state’s Job Creation Fund. Honeywell will receive $4 million over several years, including $500,000 from city real estate taxes generated on the site. The company agreed to create 156 jobs in the first five years of the agreement.
Source: Joco 913 News
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.
While many American cities are struggling with large numbers of newly arrived migrants, Topeka is inviting anyone and everyone with permission to work in the U.S. to come its way. Like a lot of smaller cities, the Kansas capital is grappling with near-stagnant population growth and an unemployment rate well below the national average, according to city and economic-development officials. Finding people to fill its roughly 6,600 open jobs has been a struggle, they say. The Greater Topeka Partnership, an economic-development group, has been trying to sell people on the city with its “Choose Topeka” marketing campaign, which it started in 2019. Last year, it decided to direct those efforts toward immigrants, especially those from Spanish-speaking countries.
Source: Wall Street Journal
The second round of Johnson County’s Landlord Incentive Pilot Program began Feb. 1, 2024 following its approval by the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 18, 2024. The program will be available until funds are exhausted. The pilot program provides landlords with financial incentives to rent their units to low-income tenants using federally funded housing subsidy vouchers. The Board approved $200,000 in federal funds to continue the program. The first round of funding was available from July 1-Nov. 15, 2023, before the federal grant funds were successfully expended. In the first round, the county recruited 23 new landlords to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher program and six returning landlords who previously left the program. A total of 41 landlords participated. As a result, the program provided 83 families with long-term, stable housing – including families with disabled members, working families with children and families experiencing homelessness. A survey gathered feedback from landlords who participated in the first round of the Landlord Incentive Pilot Program. The survey found that 96% of landlords indicated they offered units to the program that they would not have because of the incentive. Additionally, 90% of new landlords stated they would not have tried the program without the sign-on bonus. Find more information on the survey. While families with vouchers are no more likely than any other tenant to damage units, the county also offers landlords reimbursement for tenant-caused damages. Landlords who participated in the incentive program have indicated the damage reimbursement fund was important for continued partnership with the Johnson County Housing Authority. To date, the damage reimbursement fund has not received any claims for tenant damages. “People on our program tend to be long term renters, so that one-time initial investment to get landlord partnerships will lead to vulnerable populations having stable housing for a long period of time,” said Jessa Molina, landlord liaison for Johnson County. Since the incentive program’s inception, the Housing Choice Voucher program has seen an increase in its utilization rate of vouchers by 4% to 89%. The goal is to continue to raise the rate to 93% by the end of the second round of funding.
Source: Johnson County Kansas
Johnson County has released its Market Study Analysis for the Assessment Year 2024, examining the real estate market in the county – including both the residential and commercial markets. The analysis is completed by the county’s Appraiser’s Office, using data from its annual valuation process. During the process, the office reviewed the sale of more than 19,000 residential properties, completing a sales comparison analysis to developed market values. The study found that nearly 90% of residential properties increased in value for 2024. The median single-family residential sale price rose 7-8% from 2022 to 2023, leading to an average increase in residential values in the 7-9% range. Commercial real estate also remained steady, with commercial values increasing at a rate of 6-10%. The commercial market includes the following sectors: Industrial: The industrial market remained steady in 2023, with more than six million square feet of industrial new construction permits issued. Multifamily: The multifamily market continues to perform better than many markets in the country, with mixed-use development and vertical construction remaining popular. Office: Office market rental rates remained stable. Vacancy is slightly up for some properties, but vacancy rates were well below national averages. Retail: Retail remained stable due to continued redevelopment and mixed-use development – including the Metcalf corridor and Bluhawk in Overland Park. Hotel/Motel: Hotels and motels are generally operating at or above pre-pandemic levels. The daily rate growth outperformed recent forecasts, and occupancy continues to climb.
Source: Johnson County Kansas
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