Private investment has outpaced public investment in downtown Wichita by more than 6 to 1 since a plan for downtown revitalization was unveiled in 2010, according to numbers released Thursday by city officials.

Private investment downtown totals $194,012,200 since 2010, according to sales and valuation data from the city of Wichita and Sedgwick County. Public investment is $30,631,921, a ratio of approximately $6.30 in private investment for every dollar spent by the city on public infrastructure.

The investment numbers, contained in the 2012 Downtown Economic Report released Thursday by the Wichita Downtown Development Corp., included $564.8 million in private investment and $396.8 million in public investment dating back to 2003. None of the figures include the $190 million spent by Sedgwick County to buy land and build Intrust Bank Arena downtown.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle: News Updates)

…Ben Jones, a Lawrence resident who is part of a group of about dozen or more people who have started meeting about the drone issue. He said the group will ask the city to consider an ordinance that would limit the city’s use of drones — such as for police department surveillance and other such activities — until standards can be developed. He said the ordinance would be modeled after one passed in Charlottesville, Va..

The group does plan to speak at Tuesday night’s City Commission meeting. Jones said the group, which crosses political lines, isn’t expecting Lawrence to get into the drone business any time soon, but it thinks a resolution would be a good opportunity for the city “to get ahead of the curve.”

(Read more: Town Talk Feed)

Senate Republican leaders say they want the House and Senate to vote simultaneously on competing tax proposals to see what level of sales tax each chamber has a majority to support.

Meanwhile, Wichita Republican Sen. Les Donovan indicated a third and yet unseen compromise plan proposed by Gov. Sam Brownback lurks in the background as a potential solution.

The showdown proposed by the Senate comes after months of disagreement over whether to extend the six-tenths of a cent sales tax lawmakers approved in 2010 in the wake of the recession. That’s due to expire in July. Brownback wants to keep the sales tax going as part of a plan to draw in more revenue to pay for the income tax cuts he signed into law last year and help pave the way for more reductions.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle: Top Stories)

The Kansas Legislature has approved a bill that makes several changes in alcohol laws.

The bill allows alcohol tastings at events put on by nonprofit groups to support the arts. It also will permit hotels to distribute drink coupons for use on site or at certain licensed clubs, and allows the sale of 64-ounce pitchers of mixed drinks.

The House approved the bill Wednesday, after the Senate approved it last week. It now goes to Gov. Sam Brownback.

(Read more: Wichita Eagle: News Updates)

Wichitans may be forced to shut off the water this summer, and the plan confuses many users.

“It’s going to be a challenge for people to keep track of water usage, we realize that,” says Ben Nelson with Wichita Public Works.

The proposal would basically fine you a $1,000 if you go over 310% of your average winter water usage.

Not only is the formula confusing to many, they’re asking why after several years of drought are we just now hearing about restrictions.

(Read more: News – kwch.com)

Augusta Middle School Art Teacher Johnna Smith received $200 from the governing body Monday night so that she could help the City Council solve a longstanding problem.
For years, the council has considered doing something to the wall behind the members that makes a rather unsightly backdrop for the council meetings.
Smith will work with Deann Triboulet of the Augusta Arts Council and Augusta High School Art Teacher Audra Schelite to lead a summer arts program in which local students will create a mosaic to improve the view for visitors and television viewers.

(Read more: augustagazette.com)

An observant and understandably curious reader noticed the following flier on a lamppost at 91st and Delmar in Prairie Village…

(Read more: Prairie Village Post – Neighborhood news and events for Prairie Village, Fairway, Mission Hills)

Kansas’ population is growing ever so slightly, but nearly two thirds of the state’s 105 counties are continuing a decades-long decline.

…nearly half the state’s population growth occurred in two counties – Johnson and Sedgwick. Johnson County grew 15,734, or 2.89 percent, to 559,913, and Sedgwick County grew 5,524, or 1.1 percent to 503,889. Combined the two counties have nearly 37 percent of the state’s population, and that percentage is growing.

Areas where population is declining were concentrated in southeast Kansas, across the northern border and most counties west of Interstate 135.

…
Across Kansas’ northern border, 12 of 13 counties lost population. The sole exception was Rawlins County, which gained 1.6 percent to 2,560.

(Read more: Hutch News)

Two Hays city commissioners have spoken out against the city developing a Rural Housing Incentive District policy, but in early June, commissioners will vote on whether to approve such a policy.
Asked by commissioners in February to draft an RHID policy, Assistant City Manager Paul Briseno brought the policy before commissioners at their May 16 session.
The use of an RHID was noted in the Ellis County Economic Development Coalition/Realtors Association Housing Needs Assessment as a way to reduce housing costs.
An RHID captures 100 percent of incremental real property taxes created by a development in an attempt to reduce overall costs. The developer, in essence, pays taxes only on the value of the undeveloped land prior to improvements.

(Read more: The Hays Daily News)

After 90 days in session the Kansas Legislature did not leave Topeka Thursday afternoon.

The Senate is debating a major tax item and an ending point for the legislature may not come until the following week.

Both the House and Senate are trying to come up with a tax plan that Democrats and Republicans can agree to.
…
The major hang-up has been Republicans who want to continue the 6.3 percent sales tax in effect instead of letting it fall to 5.7 percent as now set by law. They proposed to lower the sales tax on groceries only to 4.95 percent, but keep the 6.3 percent on all other items. House Republicans had offered a compromise to 6 percent.

(Read more: WIBW – HomePage – Headlines)