Topeka Fire Department opens Citizens Academy applications

Starting Monday, the Topeka Fire Department (TFD) will be taking applications for the Citizen’s Academy, an event for the community to learn about TFD and to increase fire safety awareness. The Citizen’s Academy is returning “after a brief hiatus” and will hold classes from 6-8 p.m. from Sept. 14 to Oct. 12. Attendees will graduate with a certificate of attendance and learn about CPR and first aid training, fire prevention, home escape planning, fire extinguisher operation, experience an extraction demonstration and more, according to the TFD.
Source: KSNT 27 News

Ranson Financial2023-07-11T00:11:20-05:00July 11, 2023|News|

Shawnee using $90K national grant to support health wellness programming

Throughout 2023, Shawnee has been working to build a program that emphasizes health and wellness in the community and capitalizes on existing partnerships with outside organizations. And, it’s all supported by a $90,000 grant city staff landed last year. The timing was everything for Shawnee’s grant. Last year, Shawnee Parks and Recreation Program Manger Matt Mann heard about a grant opportunity from the National Recreation and Parks Association and the Wal-Mart Foundation called the Community Wellness Hub. He said the timing was perfect since the city had just recently wrapped up its parks and recreation master plan process, which lays out the vision for the city’s park system and programs for the next decade or so.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2023-07-11T00:08:04-05:00July 11, 2023|News|

This Mission park is getting a brand new $306K walking trail

Mission’s Broadmoor Park is on track to get a brand new walking trail later this year. Located at 5701 Broadmoor Street, a full demolition and rebuild of the walking trails at the park is expected to cost the city $306,935. The city council will consider approval at a future meeting. This is a longtime priority for the parks, rec and tree commission. The city began master planning improvements for each of its five major parks in 2019, said Penn Almoney, parks and recreation director. About $2 million worth of conceptual plans for Broadmoor Park were ultimately approved, including a trail improvement for 2023, he said.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Ranson Financial2023-07-11T00:06:10-05:00July 11, 2023|News|

$23 million in IRBs sought to renovate east Wichita apartment complex

The owner of Brentwood Apartments says much work needs to be done for the complex, built more than half a century ago, to be a viable affordable housing option in Wichita moving forward. And it’s asking the City Council for a hand. On Tuesday, Virginia-based CRS Housing Preservation Inc. will request a letter of intent from the Council to issue industrial revenue bonds up to $23 million to finance the costs for Brentwood Place LP, a newly created entity tied to the organization, to purchase and renovate the 196-unit complex at 6602 E. Harry. The request also involves a sales tax exemption on construction materials.
Source: Wichita Business Journal

Ranson Financial2023-07-11T00:02:20-05:00July 11, 2023|News|

Selection process to bring historical horse racing facility to Sedgwick County begins Tuesday

The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission will begin the selection process to bring a historical horse racing facility to Sedgwick County on Tuesday. The Mayor of Park City says that it’s been a 16-year-long battle to bring a facility like this to the area. in 2007, the Wichita Greyhound Park closed shortly after Sedgwick County voters said “no” to slot machines. Now with the possibility of the park being given new life, the Mayor says the City Council is hoping that will happen but says both proposals could mean significant opportunities for the city and south-central Kansas.
Source: KSN-TV

Ranson Financial2023-07-11T00:00:48-05:00July 11, 2023|News|

Lawrence city managers draft 2024 budget includes $2M new homeless programs department

… the City of Lawrence is planning to create a department specifically focused on unhoused people. The Lawrence city manager’s proposed budget for 2024 includes creation of a Homeless Programs Department with a budget of $2 million. The draft budget anticipates about $471.3 million in total expenditures in 2024. “Affordable housing and homelessness were the top identified issues facing our community during the strategic planning process,” City Manager Craig Owens wrote in his 2024 budget memo to the commission. City commissioners will review the draft budget Tuesday during their regular meeting at City Hall. The budget discussion will be a work session, so the commissioners will provide feedback and hear public comment but will not take any binding votes on the budget. There are more than 200 people experiencing homelessness in Lawrence currently, according to the city’s estimates, which city and county staff members have consistently said is likely much lower than the true number. The city is not a service provider. Instead, the city provides emergency and sanctuary shelter, giving providers such as Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) access to the population.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2023-07-10T12:58:52-05:00July 10, 2023|News|

Hillsboro makes plans to honor former city leaders

Honoring two former city leaders who have recently died was a topic of discussion at the Hillsboro City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 27. City Administrator Matt Stiles said, “In the last few months, we have had some pretty big losses for community leaders—Delores Dalke and Larry Paine. Delores spent decades on the council and as mayor. Larry Paine was here for over 13 years and moved a lot of things forward for the city.” Stiles went on to say that he and Mayor Lou Thurston have discussed both leaders’ service and possible ways to honor their impact on the community. “The mayor talked to the families and the ideas kind of bubbled up that maybe we could dedicate some of the projects that they worked on to them. Delores was a really big driving force for getting the swimming pool done. It required a sales tax vote, and it took a lot of effort and a big heavy lift to get anything like that done,” said Stiles. “We would propose maybe looking at naming the pool The Delores Dalke Family Aquatic Center. It would be kind of an appropriate thing. I think her sons would like that based on the conversations the mayor’s had with them.” Stiles said that they also spoke with Paine’s family about naming the splash park after Paine as he was instrumental in getting the splash park and community plaza going as well. One suggestion was the Larry Paine Memorial Splash Pad.
Source: Hillsboro Free Press

Ranson Financial2023-07-10T12:57:55-05:00July 10, 2023|News|

Topeka’s city leaders may toughen rules against retaliatory eviction

A proposal Topeka’s mayor and city council will consider Tuesday would add “the hammer” to city rules regarding retaliatory evictions, says Councilwoman Karen Hiller. The measure would allow for landlords to be fined and/or jailed for committing acts of retaliation against tenants in good standing who are acting within their legal rights. “We’ve got to protect those folks,” Topeka City Councilman Spencer Duncan said at a June 21 meeting of the council’s public health and safety committee.
Source: CJonline

Ranson Financial2023-07-10T12:42:45-05:00July 10, 2023|News|

Auditors assert state law violated on spending of aid for at-risk students

The Kansas Legislature’s auditors produced the second report in four years highlighting violations of state law in distribution by public school districts of millions of dollars in state funding earmarked for students at risk of failing academically. The latest audit concentrated on $406 million appropriated during the 2021-2022 academic year to improve achievement of students who qualified for the federal free-lunch program. The Kansas State Department of Education had provided districts a list of 272 at-risk program options. The new report said none of 40 programs selected at random for review by auditors met statutory criteria. Many programs lacked evidence of success in delivery of academic support useful to struggling students, the audit said.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler

Ranson Financial2023-07-09T22:58:00-05:00July 9, 2023|News|

Derby moving forward on wastewater plant upgrades

As the city of Derby continues to make progress on larger-scale plans to improve the water and wastewater needs of the community, a common issue has come up – long lead times in purchase of construction equipment for projects. With phase one of Derby’s wastewater treatment plant improvements nearing completion, staff and council took action at the June 27 meeting to help keep that process moving, approving multiple equipment purchases for planned future upgrades at the plant. The project is currently scheduled to be bid in late 2023. However, with lead times up to a year (some longer), City Engineer Alex Lane proposed moving up the purchase of some items – like screening equipment and electrical gear.
Source: Derby Informer | News

Ranson Financial2023-07-09T22:56:52-05:00July 9, 2023|News|