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October 2023 |
REGIONAL NEWS |
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Mike Ekey to lead new Belton department — Belton has created a new community development department to better meet the needs of the community and named Mike Ekey as its assistant city manager of economic development and community engagement. Ekey was the city administrator for Blue Springs and an assistant city manager with Raymore. Read more.
Region represented inaugural cohort of “Innovative Infrastructure Initiative” (i3) — Kansas City, Missouri, and Johnson County, Kansas, are among 10 localities selected to participate in the Innovative Infrastructure Initiative, or i3, by Accelerator for America. The initiative aims to help cities deliver modern infrastructure projects to strengthen families, communities and economies. Learn more.
Jackson County freezes property tax — The Jackson County Legislature voted last month to enact property tax credits for seniors whose homes are valued under $550,000. This action comes after Gov. Mike Parson passed Senate Bill 190, allowing counties to optionally take this action. The credits will freeze the property value for eligible Jackson County residents at the 2023 rate beginning in 2024. Read more.
Johnson County celebrates 166th anniversary — Last month, the Johnson County government celebrated the 166th anniversary of its first meeting. The county's first court met Sept. 7, 1857, in what is now Shawnee, Kansas, then called Gum Springs. Learn more about the county’s history.
New COVID-19 vaccine boosters now available — Vaccine booster appointments for the new COVID-19 variant are now available in the Kansas City region. Residents can text their zip code to 438829 to schedule appointments. More from KCUR.
Green Commute Challenge enters its 15th year — Way to Go, formerly RideshareKC, is holding this year’s Green Commute Challenge from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31. This free competition promotes commuting and rewards commuters who use alternative transportation options such as bikes, walking, scooters, carpools, vanpools, transit or telework. The grand prize for the competition is a brand-new e-bike. Register here.
Right to Counsel program deemed success — Kansas City, Missouri, launched their Right to Counsel program on Sept. 1, 2022, to offer attorney representation for those facing eviction. More than 1,000 were resolved through dismissal, judgements for the tenant or settlements. Read more about the program. |
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MARC NEWS |
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Regional public service workforce development system support — MARC received an award from the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation to launch a new workforce strategy to fill high-demand public sector jobs and create opportunities for disadvantaged workers. MARC is recruiting staff and will work to build a pilot coalition of local government employees. More information will become available in the coming months. Contact Lauren Palmer at lpalmer@marc.org for inquiries.
ICS course for executives and senior officials — The Regional Homeland Security Coordinating Committee is offering a four-hour, in-person introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS) for public sector executives, administrators and policy makers. The course covers basic ICS principles and how they support effective emergency management. It will be held on Thursday, Oct. 26 from 1–5 p.m. Register today.
Kansas City Regional Purchasing Cooperative (KCRPC) news —The contract for generator repair and maintenance services was awarded for 2023–2026 and is open for cooperative purchasing. The auto/truck tires contract is currently under review for the rebid process and is open to any agencies wanting to participate. Contact KCRPC if interested in participating. Please visit the public contract database (powered by Pavilion) to view all available KCRPC contracts.
MetroKCGovJobs.org launches — MetroKCGovJobs.org is a new resource that connects people looking for public sector jobs with public sector entities in the KC area. It is part of the Government-to-University initiative and will help bring top talent to public sector organizations in the region. To learn more, visit MetroKCGovJobs.org.
Local collaboration addresses housing shortage — The Kansas Housing Conference, held last month, showcased Johnson County’s efforts in developing affordable housing solutions. The county brought together health care service providers, employers, business leaders, school districts and faith communities to help address the county-wide issue. The partnership created a “Housing for All Toolkit” with best practices to help municipalities act in their own communities. Learn more.
Age-Friendly Middle Housing Workshop — This workshop will provide guidance to local officials on how to support middle housing in their communities. Middle housing is a type of housing that can accommodate walkable, socially connected neighborhoods for the aging population. The workshop is led by consultants from ECONorthwest and co-sponsored by Communities for All Ages (CFAA) and the Regional Housing Partnership (RHP). Read more and register here.
Manager’s Roundtable — The final Manager’s Roundtable of the year is nearly upon us! The event will take place on Nov. 17 from 3:30–5 p.m. in Lenexa, Kansas. Registration required.
Save the dates — Dates for next year’s Manager’s Roundtables are:
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STATE & NATIONAL NEWS |
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Topeka offers incentives for migrants — Topeka recently received attention for its approach to workforce development that offers relocation incentives for migrants. The initiative, sponsored by GO Topeka, covers changing demographics in Kansas and could spark similar ideas in the state. Read the full article.
Sports boost community development — From developing new professional sports complexes to building state-of-the-art youth fields, sports provide an excellent opportunity to bring a community together. This blog post by ICMA discusses best practices for local governments to consider when developing a new sports complex.
Outdated zoning hurts economic development — Many municipalities have zoning codes that haven’t been updated in years. Without these codes in proper shape, it becomes difficult to address important issues such as housing shortages and sustainability goals. This Boston case study examines an extreme situation and how the city plans to tackle the severely outdated and lengthy zoning code.
Cyber security is vital for local government — Technology is becoming more integrated into local government operations, but it also brings more risks from cyberattacks. Cybercriminals can access private information and disrupt public services from outside city hall. Even the biggest cities in the country can fall victim to these threats. Read this case about Dallas to learn how prevent cyberattacks in your community.
How to reboot climate messaging — Coming off one of the hottest summers on record, acting on climate change is more important than ever. At the same time, as issues become more and more discussed, the single nail turns into a bed of nails and people begin to care less when they need to care more. The antidote to this issue is changing messaging around climate change to re-emphasize its importance. Learn more on how to frame the issue more effectively.
LA converts offices to housing — Affordable housing is an issue across the country, but that is especially true in Los Angeles. The city accounts for 44% of California’s unhoused population. To combat this issue, Los Angeles has been at the cutting edge of a new, post-pandemic opportunity: commercial-to-residential conversions. With more remote work, there is more office space available. Read about how Los Angeles is creating new housing for its most vulnerable populations by using this opportunity. |
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES |
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Grant Spotlight — Urban and Community Forestry Grants
Visit our Grant Opportunity web page for current grant opportunities open to local governments. |
Save the dates:
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For information and to register see the GTI Calendar of Events. |
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