Category: Business

Antiquated law causes problems for small business

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Opinion column

by Murrel Bland

Greg Shondell was shocked when he prepared to file his Kansas income return. Normally he would pay Kansas taxes based on 85 percent of his revenue and pay Missouri based on 15 percent of revenue.

Unfortunately, Kansas is one of only a few states that would force Shondell’s company, Heathwood Oil, to pay Kansas taxes based on 130 percent of revenue.

Shondell told of his dilemma at a meeting of the Legislative Committee of the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce Friday, April 9, via Zoom. Shondell is a longtime member of the chamber and its Legislative Committee. Heathwood Oil can trace its roots to 1926. The family owned company in Kansas City, Kansas, spans four generations.

Mike Smallwood, the chairman of the Legislative Committee, said unfortunately it was too late to do anything during this session of the Kansas Legislature. However, he assured Shondell that the Legislative Committee would include this issue in its 2022 agenda.

One of the major concerns of the Kansas Legislature has been the problems that have besieged the Kansas Department of Labor. A 1970s computer system has failed as thousands of Kansans have complained they cannot receive payments from legitimate claims. In the meantime, fraudulent claims from unknown sources estimated at more than $600 million have been paid out to those who hacked KDOL files. The Kansas House and Senate approved a compromised bill aimed at correcting the problems at KDOL.

The Legislature has failed to pass a major overhaul of Kansas education that included about $5.8 billion in funding for schools. The measure narrowly passed the Kansas House, but failed on a tie vote in the Kansas Senate. Critics of the bill, including the Kansas State Board of Education and the National Education Association, charged that the bill would divert public funds to private schools. Legislators will face the issue when they return next month.

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is executive director of Business West.

Assistance now available to venue operators

Venue operators who have had to shut down now are eligible for additional federal funding, according to U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist.

Rep. Davids helped secure additional federal funding through the American Rescue Plan for venue businesses that have been hurt by COVID-19. The program includes over $16 billion in grants for shuttered venues.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Venue Operators to close their doors, forgoing revenue that they rely upon to pay their bills and employees,” Rep. Davids said. “With the passage of the American Rescue Plan, these businesses now have access to funding through the Venue Operators Grants program which, along with our national vaccine plan, will help return our economy to normal. This federal funding will help venue operators open their doors once again and provide paychecks for employees.”

Among those who can apply are live venue operators or promoters; theatrical producers; live performing arts organization operators; relevant museum operators, zoos and aquariums that meet specific criteria; motion picture theater operators; talent representatives; and each business entity owned by an eligible entity that also meet the eligibility requirements.

Applicants must have been in operation as of Feb. 29, 2020. A venue or promoter who received a PPP loan on or after Dec. 27, 2020, will have the SVOG reduced by the PPP loan amount.

Venue operators may use their grants for payroll costs, rent payments, utility payments, worker protection expenditures and more.

In order to highlight how the American Rescue Plan is already helping Kansas, this week Rep. Davids is on tour visiting local vaccination sites, health clinics, small businesses, and schools in her district. The American Rescue Plan, which Rep. Davids voted to support, is putting shots in arms, money in pockets, children in schools, and people in jobs, according to the congresswoman.

The SVOG grant portal is at https://www.svograntportal.sba.gov/s/. Those interested are asked to register for an application account while the grant application portal is preparing to open.

More information about SBA assistance programs for those affected by COVID-19 is at https://www.sba.gov/.

New Aldi store to open Thursday on 110th

A new Aldi grocery store will open on Thursday at 1945 N. 110th St., Kansas City, Kansas, in The Legends Outlets.

Piper area residents have been asking for their own free-standing grocery store for a number of years, and finally one will open on Thursday, April 1, at The Legends Outlets.

Aldi will open a grocery store Thursday at 1945 N. 110th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

It will be the first free-standing grocery store at The Legends Outlets, also. The store is located to the west of Penney’s in the Legends area, near 110th and Parallel.

Until now, The Legends and Piper area only has had grocery aisles or departments in Walmart, Sam’s Club and Target. For a long time, residents of the area have driven to grocery stores near 81st and Parallel, 77th and State, Bonner Springs or across the county line into Basehor.

According to a Legends Outlets spokeswoman, the new Aldi at the Legends Outlets features environmentally friendly building materials.

It is almost double the size of an average Aldi store and will have open ceilings, natural lighting and 20,000 square feet of fresh groceries, according to the spokeswoman.

The store offers a curated selection of Aldi-exclusive brands, and Aldi is known for its affordability and reasonable prices, according to the spokesman.

More than 90 percent of the grocery store’s items are Aldi’s exclusive products.

The new location also will offer curbside pickup and grocery delivery, according to the spokeswoman.

Aldi operates another Kansas City, Kansas, grocery store at 48th and State Avenue.

According to the UG’s property records, the new Aldi store is in the Piper school district.

Aldi has about 2,000 stores in 37 states and is on track to become the third-largest grocery retailer by the end of 2022, according to the spokeswoman.

The Legends Outlets have more than 100 designer outlets, retail, dining and entertainment destinations, including the newly opened 1 Million Cuts Barber Studio, Sephora, Puma and Tory Burch outlet stores.

Hours of the new store will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday.