Russell gets over $2 million from FEMA for power upgrades

7 Thursday, September 7

Russell gets over $2 million from FEMA for power upgrades

info2023-09-07T12:08:04-05:00September 7th, 2023|

The city of Russell has been awarded over $2 million from a grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's "Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities" program. A news release from FEMA says the grant program is intended to help states, local communities, tribes and territories fund projects that reduce the risks from disasters and "emphasize the need for resilient infrastructure." Russell received a total of $2,039,650 to fund the project's second phase, which will rebuild the entire power distribution system from north Russell city limits from St. John Street to Culp and 9th Street to the 1900 block of North Main. In all, 124 [...]

7 Thursday, September 7

Wichita considering policy for fines regarding retaliatory landlords

info2023-09-07T12:06:03-05:00September 7th, 2023|

Wichita is considering fines for landlords who retaliate against tenants who are otherwise in good standing. The proposed ordinance introduced Aug. 22 to City Council would penalize landlords who evict or raise rent within six months of a tenant’s complaint to the city or landlord about housing conditions. It would not apply to tenants who are late on rent or fail to uphold other tenant responsibilities. The council has not yet voted on the ordinance. State law makes it technically illegal for landlords to retaliate against tenants for complaining to city inspectors. But there is no agency to enforce the rule. [...]

7 Thursday, September 7

Kansas $451 million project to spread high-speed internet statewide

info2023-09-07T12:04:02-05:00September 7th, 2023|

Jade Piros de Carvalho sits in the control center of an ambitious $451 million, five-year initiative to deliver high-speed connectivity to tens of thousands of Kansans left behind by an internet revolution intersecting commerce, education, health care and entertainment. Piros de Carvalho, director of the Kansas Office of Broadband Development, was appointed in 2022 after working for internet service provider IdeaTek and serving on the Hutchinson City Council, including three terms as mayor. Her job with the state is to facilitate growth in affordable, reliable internet for homes and businesses. Passage of federal legislation prompted the National Telecommunication Information and Administration [...]

7 Thursday, September 7

Local residents paint-by-the-numbers to create latest community mural Friday night

info2023-09-07T13:15:17-05:00September 7th, 2023|

If turnout for the latest community mural project in downtown Emporia is any indication, the city is quickly becoming a destination for artists around the area. At least, that’s the hope of local painters and owners of A&A signs Alex and Andrea Polzin who facilitated the paint-by-the-numbers mural at Trolly House Distillery as part of Emporia’s latest First Friday Art Walk Friday evening. The mural encompassed much of what makes up Emporia from depictions of the Flint Hills to a space dedicated to local veterans. The mural was separated into sections and local residents all had the opportunity to paint said sections giving [...]

7 Thursday, September 7

Celebrating three signs of progress in Garden City

info2023-09-07T12:01:12-05:00September 7th, 2023|

The City of Garden City is celebrating progress on several long-term projects. There were three ribbon-cutting ceremonies on Tuesday. Kansas Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed, Garden City Mayor Deb Oyler, and other community leaders participated. The first ribbon-cutting ceremony was at the new traffic signal at Kansas Highway 156 and Jennie Barker/Mary Street. The busy intersection previously had stop signs. Reed said KDOT doesn't usually hold ribbon-cutting ceremonies for traffic signals. "But this is a particularly important one, as it really marries the growth in the city system along with traffic on our state system," he said. "We're making investments in your community to [...]

7 Thursday, September 7

The toys are back in town: JoCo libraries restart this unique children’s program

info2023-09-07T11:59:44-05:00September 7th, 2023|

Stripes will never be eligible for a library card but will be a very important patron Sept. 12 at the Lenexa City Center Library. Stripes is a toy — an orange tabby cat from Shawnee — signed up for the first of the Toys Night Out events offered this fall at Johnson County Library locations. Toys will be dropped off at a branch in the afternoon and picked up the next morning. In between, the toys will be doing what librarians do: working at a desk, going through the book sorter and shelving books. All the while, library staff will be [...]

7 Thursday, September 7

Judge rules 2 of 3 Prairie Village petitions can’t go on ballot — Here’s the one that can

info2023-09-07T13:16:37-05:00September 7th, 2023|

A Johnson County judge says two of three resident-led petitions in Prairie Village don’t meet the legal requirements to be put on this November’s ballot, but ruled that a third petition could go before voters. Johnson County District Court Judge Rhonda Mason issued her ruling in District 4 court Wednesday morning, saying both a petition aimed at limiting development in single-family neighborhoods and a petition that would have remade the city’s form of government — removing six current councilmembers in the process — did not pass muster to be placed on the ballot. However, Mason ruled that a third petition that aims to abandon the [...]

7 Thursday, September 7

Overland Park wants to require concrete on some new streets — Here’s why

info2023-09-07T11:52:43-05:00September 7th, 2023|

Overland Park wants to require developers to pave new residential and collector streets with concrete. The potential change, which city leaders and staff have discussed over the past few months, would likely cut down on the disturbance from street maintenance over time and reduce the city’s use of chip seal as a road resurfacing and maintenance tool. “It’s a small step, but it’s a step in the right direction,” said Public Works Director Lorraine Basalo late last month. Since Overland Park north of Interstate 435 is mostly built out, the concrete street requirement would primarily impact new neighborhoods being built in the southern [...]

7 Thursday, September 7

In JoCo city feuding over housing, voters to decide on abandoning form of government

info2023-09-07T11:50:58-05:00September 7th, 2023|

Prairie Village residents in November will get to vote on whether to abandon the city’s mayor-council form of government, a Johnson County judge ruled Wednesday. But if that were to pass, nothing would change, according to the city’s legal counsel. City Attorney David Waters said state law requires a city’s form of government to remain in place until a new one is adopted. It’s a complicated next step in a protracted political battle in the northeast Johnson County suburb, where a group of homeowners has sought to restructure the city government, limit mayoral powers and cut the number of City Council [...]

7 Thursday, September 7

Municipal Bond Trends for September 6, 2023

Henry Schmidt2023-09-07T08:30:26-05:00September 7th, 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.