Rural done right: Cafe, food store keep Tampa alive

Little Tampa might not be a shopping mecca, but it does have items its residents need. That’s why county commissioner David Mueller’s work for his home community, once a stop on the Santa Fe Trail, caught the eye of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University. Muller was subject of a Kansas Profile article by the center last week. Tampa’s Santa Fe Trail Café, operated for the last six years by Pat Dalke and her daughter, Ashley Thornhill, serves lunch every day except Saturday and offers a chicken fried steak meal on Sundays.
Source: Marion County RECORD

Ranson Financial2023-06-08T10:42:02-05:00June 8, 2023|News|

Survey: should the county move to a four day work week

The Riley County commissioners on Monday unanimously approved the launch of two surveys to gauge public and employee interest in new hours of operation and four-day workweek for county departments. The public survey is available at all county customer service locations and on the county’s website at www.rileycountyks.gov until 5 p.m. June 30. County clerk Rich Vargo presented the proposal, which includes suggested hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. This would mean all county public offices would be closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This would still be a 40-hour work week but would allow for the public to come in before or after typical work hours.
Source: themercury.com

Ranson Financial2023-06-08T10:40:37-05:00June 8, 2023|News|

Overland Park says backyard chicken pilot has been success so far

A two-year test program that allows Overland Park residents with at least a quarter acre of land to keep chickens has so far been a success, according to the city department that oversees it. As the program approaches its ending date December 31, the city animal control department noted there have been no documented complaints on properties with chicken permits since the pilot began in March 2022. City councilmembers now will begin to consider whether to make the chicken rules permanent, as some members of the council’s Community Development Committee proposed at a meeting Wednesday.
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Ranson Financial2023-06-08T10:37:36-05:00June 8, 2023|News|

Municipal Bond Trends for June 7, 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.

Henry Schmidt2023-06-08T07:19:27-05:00June 8, 2023|News|

Lawrence city commissioners request some tweaks to plastic bag ban, but most voice general support

Lawrence city commissioners indicated Tuesday that they will likely approve a ban on single-use plastic bags when a revision of the ordinance comes back to them in the near future. The Sustainability Advisory Board has long discussed options aiming to reduce the use of plastics in the city, which in turn could help reduce the city’s dependence on fossil fuels and prevent some pollution from the bags, contamination through microplastics from bags’ degradation, and animal deaths from eating the bags, among other concerns. … Produce bags or product bags used to prevent contamination or damage would still be allowed under the proposed ordinance. Reusable bags would be exempted from the ban, and single-use disposable paper bags would still be allowed. Kathy Richardson, the city’s director of sustainability, told commissioners on Tuesday that the Sustainability Advisory Board also wanted to add language requiring that any paper bags or reusable plastic bags sold or distributed be made of 40% post-consumer recycled content, “which many other cities also require,” Richardson said. Sprouts in Lawrence sells reusable bags that fit that description for 10 cents apiece, she said. Commissioners on Tuesday said they wanted to see the 40% PCRC information written into the ordinance before they consider final approval.
Source: The Lawrence Times

Ranson Financial2023-06-07T13:08:14-05:00June 7, 2023|News|

Leawood Mayor Peggy Dunn will step aside after 25 years in office

The end of this year will mark a milestone for Leawood Mayor Peggy Dunn — her last as an elected official. The city’s long-tenured mayor is not seeking reelection this fall, paving the way for Leawood to get a new mayor for the first time since 1997. After more than a quarter century leading the Johnson County suburb, Dunn says she is ready to step aside and has considered the opportunity to serve Leawood “a tremendous honor.”
Source: Shawnee Mission Post

Ranson Financial2023-06-07T13:07:31-05:00June 7, 2023|News|

How did trains transform Johnson County? Find out at this family-friendly exhibit

The last time you drove on Strang Line Road, you might not have thought about how it connects to Johnson County’s history. A new exhibit at the Johnson County Museum is calling attention to all the ways trains have influenced growth and development since they first rolled through the area in 1867. “Trains: Transportation and the Transformation of Johnson County” will be open through Jan. 13. Although the more permanent displays at the museum do mention trains, this exhibit takes an in-depth look, with maps, photos, artifacts and even a small model railway.
Source: Joco 913 News

Ranson Financial2023-06-07T13:06:58-05:00June 7, 2023|News|

Four mobile mental health teams will soon be responding to 911 crisis calls in Wichita

Mental health professionals will soon be embedded in the Wichita Police Department to respond to 911 calls, providing face-to-face help for people in crisis, rather than relying on officers who may or may not be trained to do that. At least one of four teams will be on call seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. — when first responders say they receive the most mental health-related calls — and the clinicians can be deployed with officers or called to the scene after contact is made.
Source: Wichita Eagle

Ranson Financial2023-06-07T13:06:19-05:00June 7, 2023|News|

Department of Commerce Makes $2 Million Available for COVID Resiliency Program

The Department of Commerce will award $2 million through the Community Development Block Grant – COVID Resiliency (CDBG-CVR) program to enable cities and counties to address issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic when no other funds are available. This is a competitive CDBG grant with an application window that closes July 31, 2023. Funding for the program was made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. … Eligible activities for the CDBG-CVR program include COVID resiliency improvements for businesses such as:

Upgrades to remain open and prevent future closures due to community illnesses and public health emergencies
Technology, hardware, and software upgrades
E-commerce updates
Professional development and training
Other updates that can be directly related to resiliency improvements

Eligible businesses must have at least 51% of their employees meet the low- to moderate-income (LMI) standards. Like other CDBG grants, cities and counties will apply for the funds on behalf of eligible businesses and then make the funds available, administering the program locally. Non-LMI communities can still qualify for this funding if not an entitlement community. The LMI requirement is determined by the business and not the city. For more information on the CDBG-CVR program and to access the application, click here.
Source: Kansas Department of Commerce

Ranson Financial2023-06-07T13:06:02-05:00June 7, 2023|News|

USD 465 voters approve school bond project

A vote to use property taxes to bankroll a $15 million bond project for Winfield schools passed with 59.5% of the vote, according to unofficial figures posted by the Cowley County Clerk on Tuesday. The bond will provide revenue for upgrades to safety and security, air quality and HVAC systems, along with deferred maintenance. Just 13% of voters in the district cast ballots with 676 in support of the bond question and 460 opposed.
Source: CourierTraveler

Ranson Financial2023-06-07T12:59:54-05:00June 7, 2023|News|