Recent highlights include:
City of Parkville makes list of 20 best places to live in Missouri — The city of Parkville, Missouri, was ranked number 18 in Money Inc’s 20 best places to live in Missouri. Money Inc recognized Parkville for several features including its downtown access, schools and cultural events.
Johnson County receives AAA bond rating — Johnson County, Kansas, received a AAA/Stable bond rating from all three rating agencies — Fitch Ratings, Standard and Poor’s, and Moody’s Investor Services. Fewer than 30 counties nationwide earned this top rating from all three rating agencies.
Cities of Olathe and Overland Park among the safest cities in America — According to SmartAsset, the cities of Olathe and Overland Park, Kansas, are among the safest cities in America, ranking fourth and 12th respectively. Rankings were based on several metrics, including each city’s violent crime rate, property crime rate and air quality index.
Center for Digital Government recognizes metro cities — The Center for Digital Governance recognized Shawnee, Kansas, and Independence and Kansas City, Missouri, as finalists in its Digital Cities Survey. The survey recognizes cities that are making investments within smart technology such as infrastructure, data storage, cybersecurity and citizen engagement.
Overland Park receives high Municipal Equality Index score — The city of Overland Park, Kansas, earned a high Municipal Equality Index (MEI) score of 86 out of a possible 100 points. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) provides a MEI score after analyzing the inclusivity of municipal laws, policies and services for LGBTQ people in the community. HRC recognized the city for its nondiscrimination ordinance, inclusive practices as an employer, involvement in hate crime law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ equality.
Grandview wins Popular Annual Financial Reporting award — The city of Grandview, Missouri, won a Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) award from the Government Finance Officers Association. The award recognizes governments that produce high-quality popular annual financial reports that are understandable to the general public or those with no financial background.
Shawnee and Independence win 2019 Design-Build Projects of the Year Awards — The city of Shawnee, Kansas — in partnership with the firms McClure Engineering and Emery Sapp and Sons — won the horizontal Design-Build Institute of America’s 2019 Project of the Year Award for the mid-America region for its Flint Street improvements from Johnson Drive to 62nd Terrace. Independence, Missouri, received the vertical award for their Uptown Market. They partnered with McCownGordon and Hollis + Miller on the project.
