More nice weather in today’s forecast

Today, skies will be mostly sunny, with a high near 81, according to the National Weather Service.

Winds will be from the south at 6 to 8 mph.

Tonight’s low will be around 61.

The nice weather continues this weekend as temperatures will be near 80 Friday with mostly sunny skies. Friday night, the low will be around 61.

Saturday and Sunday are more of the same. Saturday and Sunday, expect sunny skies with a high near 80.

After temperatures near 79 on Monday and Tuesday, there will be a 30 percent chance of showers on Tuesday night and Wednesday.

Digital billboard ordinance on UG’s agenda Thursday

The Unified Government Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at City Hall, Commission meeting room, lobby level, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan.

On the agenda are changes to the ordinances on digital billboards and signs. Changes to the ordinances were worked on by Commissioner Hal Walker and the UG planning staff.

The proposed ordinance permits digital billboards in Kansas City, Kan. There is currently a digital billboard in Wyandotte County on I-70 in Edwardsville, according to the UG.

In order to get permission to have a new digital billboard here, the owner will have to agree to remove twice the amount of square footage in signs that it already owns that are existing nonconforming outdoor advertising signs, according to the proposed ordinance. There are many billboards in the community in disrepair, according to the commission.

Also proposed is an ordinance that sets an occupation tax for all persons engaged in the digital outdoor advertising business.

The proposed occupation tax is $2,500 per year for those working with digital advertising signs of less than 300 square feet, and $10,000 per year for those working with outdoor digital advertising signs of 300 square feet or more.

The UG Planning Commission earlier approved a sign ordinance on a 8-0 vote, but it was returned by the UG Commission to the Planning Commission in order to include Commissioner Walker’s amendments that require removal of twice the square footage of the new digital sign being placed, and to amend the nonconformity section.

Other items on Thursday’s planning and zoning UG Commission meeting include:
• A special use permit renewal for a dirt fill at 7030 Kaw Drive.
• A special use permit for removal of dirt at 3707 Leavenworth Road.
• A special use permit to update exterior signs for The Legends Outlets.
• An ordinance to vacate a tract of land near 800 S. 26th St.
• Appointing two electors to witness destruction of ballots that no longer need to be retained.
• A resolution renewing UMB Bank as a depository.
• A resolution adopting a new cash management and investment policy.
• A resolution authorizing a survey of land to be acquired for the Metropolitan Avenue and 24th Street intersection improvement.
• Reappointment of Joan DeMoss to the Law Enforcement Advisory Board.
• Several Land Bank applications.

Before the 7 p.m. UG Commission meeting, a special session is scheduled at 5 p.m. in the ninth floor conference room at City Hall to discuss labor negotiations and personnel. This special session is not open to the public.

The agenda for the 7 p.m. meeting, which includes the proposed sign ordinances, is online at www.wycokck.org. The 7 p.m. meeting is open to the public.

Kansas revenue decline among steepest in the nation

by KHI News Service

Topeka — A new report from the nonpartisan Rockefeller Institute of Government says that changes in federal tax policy are not the main cause of a steep drop in Kansas revenue collections.

The report says while the federal changes, which caused people to shift when they took capital gains, are the main cause of revenue declines in many states, Kansas and Alaska are exceptions.

“Twenty-nine states reported declines in overall tax collections, with Kansas and Alaska reporting the largest declines at 21.9 and 15.7 percent, respectively,” the report says. “The large declines in Alaska are mostly due to declines in oil and gas severance taxes, while the declines in Kansas are mostly attributable to legislative tax changes.”

At Gov. Sam Brownback’s urging, Kansas legislators cut income tax rates in 2012 and again 2013. When fully implemented in 2019, the cuts will have reduced the state’s top income tax rate by 40 percent and eliminated income taxes for the owners of more than 190,000 businesses.

The Rockefeller Institute report says that income tax collections in the second quarter of this year were down by 43 percent compared to the same period last year. That is the largest drop of any state.

The drop in revenue will lead to a budget shortfall of nearly $240 million by July of 2016 unless lawmakers cut spending in the current budget year, according to projections compiled by the nonpartisan Kansas Legislative Research Department.

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