Municipal News & Jobs

As a city-operated campground for the homeless has grown on the edge of downtown, business owners in recent weeks have begun protesting that the central business district is no place for such a campground…. they may have a powerful document on their side: the city’s own zoning code… the city’s director of planning acknowledged that a campground is not a permitted use in what’s known as the “CD downtown commercial district.” The zoning code — which has the force of law — allows for campgrounds in several types of commercial business districts, but the busy central business district is not one of them. Now, the question becomes whether the city is violating its own law by erecting a campground housing more than 80 people on city-owned property near the Kansas River levee next to Johnny’s Tavern. The city says … [it] isn’t actually a campground.
Source: LJWorld

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.

Saying it hurts students, the Kansas State Board of Education is calling on the state’s public schools to eliminate Native American-themed mascots within five years. The board endorsed a recommendation from an advisory group on Thursday that included representatives from all four federally recognized tribes in Kansas. … “We’re just asking them to start the conversation, do the research,” said board member Ann Mah. “When we say we don’t want bullying, we want equity, we want the best education for every child, then this absolutely fits with our mandates.” More than 20 Kansas schools still use mascots with names like Indians, Braves or Red Raiders.
Source: LJWorld

With more than 100 short-term rentals now licensed in Lawrence, city code enforcement believes its tactics are working for identifying people renting properties by the night without the required license. After falling amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of short-term rental listings in Lawrence is on the rise again, with a little more than 150 properties listed on the popular site Airbnb. Code Enforcement Manager Brian Jimenez said there are currently 108 licensed properties in Lawrence, and because his office has found several properties listed more than once, he believes the city does not have many unlicensed rentals. He said he thinks the reviews conducted by code enforcement staff are catching those who try to operate without a license.
Source: LJWorld

The interest rate table above illustrates recent changes in a sample of MBIS “investment grade” yields. Every issuer’s credit is different. For rates that may be applicable to your municipality, contact our Municipal Bond Advisors, Larry Kleeman and Beth Warren.

The Pittsburg manufacturing industry continues to buck national trends, according to the latest Pittsburg Micropolitan Area Economic Report. The quarterly economic update published by economist Dr. Michael Davisson of Pittsburg State University Kelce College of Business shows the local manufacturing industry has not only recovered from the COVID downturn, but is one of the region’s fastest-growing sectors. Pittsburg manufacturing has outperformed the national manufacturing industry, which has not yet fully recovered from the pandemic. Davidsson’s report states that roughly $579 million has been invested in Pittsburg over the past nine years, which includes $102 million in industry infrastructure. … Manufacturing in the Pittsburg micropolitan area contributes to 21.5 percent of all private-sector jobs, and represents the second-largest non-government employment sector in the local area. According to the economic report, manufacturing contributes far more to the local gross domestic product (GDP) than any other industry, at $276 million annually.
Source: City of Pittsburg

In Tuesday’s general election, Douglas County voted to add two more County Commission districts, increasing the size of the county’s governing body from three seats to five. As of 9:45 p.m. Tuesday with about 60% of precincts reporting, 18,631 votes were in favor of the ballot question, good for 61.17% of the vote. The change will cut the number of constituents that one commissioner represents from around 42,000 to around 25,000. With the vote, the next step will be drawing a new district map. The commission will have to adopt the new districts prior to Jan. 1, 2023. From there, selecting commissioners for the two newly created districts would likely involve holding a special election, with the winners serving until the next general election in 2024.
Source: LJWorld

Lawrence business owners, residents, social service providers and people experiencing homelessness spoke to city leaders Tuesday evening about the city’s response to homelessness and the management of a camp in North Lawrence. During the public comment portion of the Lawrence City Commission’s meeting Tuesday, commissioners heard from about 20 people, with a few times that number gathered in the lobby of City Hall, about the issue. Some called for additional support for the camp, and city staff said at the end of the meeting that the city was in the process of hiring additional people to provide more monitoring at the site.
Source: LJWorld