The Kansas Water Authority (KWA) will meet Monday, June 16 and Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at the Hutchison Community College-Fire Science Center located at 3211 E 4th Ave, Hutchison, KS in the Multi-Purpose Room.
The meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. on June 16 and 9:00 a.m. on June 17.
For additional meeting information and the online meeting link, visit the Kansas Water Office website calendar at kwo.ks.gov or call (785) 296-3185.
The KWA is responsible for advising the Governor, Legislature and Director of the Kansas Water Office on water policy issues. They also ensure that water policies and programs address the needs of all Kansans as well as serve as advisors of the Kansas Water Plan. The KWA was established in 1981 and consists of 13 voting members who are appointed by the Governor or Legislative leadership. State agency directors serve as ex-officio members.
If accommodations are needed for a person with disabilities, please notify the Kansas Water Office at 900 SW Jackson Street, Suite 404, Topeka, KS 66611-1249 or call (785) 296-3185 at least five working days prior to the meeting.
As Missouri lawmakers prepare to debate a counter offer to keep the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City, economists say Kansas’ proposal to use STAR bonds may not be financially feasible. “You are not going to generate enough net revenue to cover one of the facilities, let alone two,” one expert says.
Kansas is the only state or local government to pass a plan to fund a Kansas City Chiefs or Royals stadium project.
Dysfunction in the Missouri General Assembly might also mean the Show Me State has nothing to offer. A last-minute plan by Gov. Mike Kehoe to help finance stadium projects for the Royals and Chiefs wasn’t even debated in the Senate.
Missouri lawmakers return June 2 for a special session to, among other things, pass a stadium proposal. But as it stands now, Kansas is in the driver’s seat to get, in theory, both the Royals and Chiefs. Notably, an affiliate of the Royals recently purchased a mortgage in Overland Park secured by the Aspiria campus, which is at 119th Street and Nall Avenue.
But economists say Kansas can’t afford both teams.
“You are not going to generate enough net revenue to cover one of the facilities, let alone two,” said Geoffrey Propheter, an associate professor of public finance at the University of Colorado Denver.
Propheter did say there’s a way Kansas could afford both stadiums, but that requires “cannibalizing activity from other businesses.”
A majority of Kansas lawmakers disagree, and say getting the Chiefs or Royals is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But whether STAR bonds can support one or two teams depends on who you ask.
The Kansas STAR bonds proposal
STAR bonds, or sales and tax revenue bonds, are bonds that are paid by taxes generated in a bond district — hence the name. In a stadium proposal, taxes collected from bars, restaurants or any other businesses in the bond district would pay back the debt. Typically, STAR bonds are paid off in 20 years.
“(Kansans are) not going to pay a dime unless they visit the district,” Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican, said last year.
That’s the logic behind the state’s proposal. Lawmakers last year approved a plan that would authorize Kansas to finance up to 70% of stadium costs with the bonds.
Supporters say the Chiefs and Royals would spark an economic boom that will bring new dollars into Kansas. All that economic activity would literally and figuratively pay off in the long run.
Almost 80% of STAR bonds projects are on track to be paid off early, the Kansas Department of Commerce said in 2024. STAR bonds have been used to finance other sports stadiums like the Kansas Speedway and Sporting Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Park.
But STAR bonds have never been used for projects of this magnitude. A Chiefs or Royals stadium would be by far the largest project in the program’s history. And previous STAR bonds have only funded at most 50% of construction costs, not 70%.
The Kansas Speedway’s original bond was $24.3 million for a stadium that opened in 2001. That’s equivalent to about a $47 million bond when adjusted for inflation. Children’s Mercy Park received a $150 million bond before its 2011 opening.
Those figures would only cover a small fraction of the construction for a new Chiefs or Royals stadium. New stadiums for the Texas Rangers, Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers opened in 2020. They had $1.2 billion, $1.9 billion and $5.5 billion price tags, respectively.
A 2021 audit from the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit found questionable returns from some STAR bonds. Notably, the Prairiefire project in Overland Park defaulted on its STAR bonds last year.
Topeka Heartland Park and the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City, Kansas, also failed to pay back their bonds. And Strataca, the Hutchinson salt museum, is only projected to break even in 43 to 118 years.
Economists concerns
Propheter, the University of Colorado Denver associate professor, knows a lot about stadium funding plans. He said they don’t always work as advertised.
He said risk is unavoidable with these types of projects and they never start off profitably. It takes years to build the stadium and the surrounding district. That’s years of debt not being paid back.
Propheter said most of the money generated from the stadiums won’t be new to the metropolitan area. The Royals aren’t going to bring in tens of thousands of out-of-town fans for a Tuesday night game. But they will bring out tens of thousands of people who would already be spending money locally. These fans are spending money at the stadium instead of at a movie theater, bowling alley, restaurant or other local business.
Kansas wants projects financed by STAR bonds to attract 30% of their visitors from 100 miles away and 20% from outside Kansas. The 2021 audit of STAR bonds found that only three of 16 projects — the Hutchinson salt museum, Topeka Heartland Park and Kansas Speedway — met both goals.
A Chiefs or Royals stadium would likely draw a fair share of out-of-state visitors because the teams have been based in Missouri for so long. But Propheter isn’t convinced the economic activity will be worth it.
“A lot more people would travel to Kansas,” he said. “Would it be enough to generate the money needed to pay the debt? No.”
Nathaniel Birkhead, associate professor of political science at Kansas State University, also is wary of sales and other tax dollars being used to pay off bonds.
He said STAR bonds have struggled to pay off up to 50% of project costs before. Now, these bonds could pay up to 70% of one or more billion-dollar projects. That’s concerning to Birkhead.
“There’s some logic behind the STAR bonds,” he said. “However, I still fundamentally think it’s dishonest to say that something will pay for itself.”
Birkhead said the Chiefs, for example, are guaranteed no more than nine regular season games. The teams also could host concerts or other events to keep their stadiums busy, but there is no guarantee that happens.
He wonders how busy the STAR bond district will look when a game is not being played that day.
Then there’s uncertain economic projections. Ongoing concern about inflation and uncertainty around federal tariffs could make construction more expensive. A possible recession also would prevent people from spending money on sports events.
Building a stadium district
Brian Mayes, a lead political strategist who also worked on the Vote Yes! Keep the Rangers campaign in Texas, said there was a point in his life where he might have agreed that stadium debt is hard to pay off.
But Mayes, who has worked on the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers stadium funding, said new stadium development is just different. There’s just so much economic development around these stadiums, he said.
Mayes said Rangers and Cowboys games always keep the businesses around the stadiums busy. But so too do the concerts, conventions and other stadium offerings. The Cowboys offer tours of the locker rooms, and people show up.
That’s not to mention mega events like hosting a Super Bowl.
Mayes remembers when the Cowboys left Irving, Texas, for the new stadium in Arlington. The old site of the Cowboys stadium still sits undeveloped. Meanwhile, Arlington now has a booming tourism district that is helping pay off other government projects.
“(We said) put the Cowboys to work for Arlington,” he said. “It was the economic generator, and the additional tax revenue that was made by the Cowboys helped the city pay for roads and parks and police.”
Scott Sayers is a senior technical architect with Gensler Kansas City. Gensler has worked on dozens of sports projects, including the Rams Village in Los Angeles, Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
Sayers said more people want to spend time before or after the game hanging around. Maybe they are talking about what they just saw or wanting to enhance the pregame experience.
Sayers doesn’t have specific opinions on STAR bonds and whether Kansas can afford one or two teams. But he does know that the Chiefs or Royals can create a prosperous stadium district if they work toward it — whether that would be in downtown Kansas City or suburban Kansas.
The state already did that when it created The Legends next to the Kansas Speedway and Children’s Mercy Park. Sayers said that area used to be an empty field before becoming a bustling, dense shopping and entertainment district.
The teams can build thriving entertainment districts when they treat the stadium and its surrounding areas as one cohesive community, he said.
“People have expectations,” Sayers said. “No longer are the days where 7:05, the event starts. I get dropped off at 6:40 … I want to start those experiences at 5 o’clock, at 4:30.”
Cooler temperatures and rain, such as what most of Kansas is experiencing in late May, increases the chances of soil-borne disease in some crops, said a Kansas State University agronomist.
Steady rains that fell on many parts of Kansas in late May highlight a delicate balancing act for the state’s farmers.
On one hand, rain is the lifeblood of agriculture. Many livestock ponds received a timely boost while crop producers – especially wheat growers – needed the rain to increase their chances of a bountiful harvest later this year.
But Kansas State University agronomist Tina Sullivan notes that in some cases, crops can get too much water.
“Saturated soils and standing water can be a concern to corn,” Sullivan said, noting that persistent, wet conditions can be a breeding ground for crop disease.
At this point of the season, much of the state’s corn crop is in the V5 stage, when the plant is 8-12 inches tall but the growing point remains below the soil. “It still has some protection below ground,” Sullivan said.
She added that young corn plants “can really only tolerate a few days of full submersion” before it becomes more likely that there will be negative impacts to yield later in the season.
Soybeans, much like corn, can handle being underwater for a short period, but Sullivan said the longer they sit submerged – especially in cooler weather – the more likely that crop will sustain damage.
“Plants need to breathe, particularly their root system,” Sullivan said. “The more it’s submerged, the less the roots can take up oxygen.”
Cooler temperatures, such as what most of Kansas is experiencing in late May, increases the chances of soil-borne diseases, Sullivan said. One of particular concern for soybeans is Pythium root rot, while in warmer temperatures Phytophthora and Rhizoctonia root rots occur.
“Seed treatments offer protection, but after a couple weeks of submerged or constantly saturated soils, the protection is no longer effective,” she said. .
“If you think you have a soybean seedling disease or other issue, always feel free to reach out to your local K-State Research and Extension office, or get in touch with our diagnostics lab in K-State’s Department of Plant Pathology at www.plantpath.k-state.edu/extension/plant-disease-diagnostic-lab/.”
Farmers need to wait until standing water recedes before checking for crop damage. For soybeans, Sullivan said the best check is to split the stem at the tip and look at the growing point.
“Healthy growing points will be firm, white or cream-colored,” she said. “A soft, dark spot indicates injury within that plant.”
Sullivan recently spent time touring Kansas on the state’s annual wheat tour. She said many experts are predicting an average 40-45 bushels per acre for Kansas wheat this year.
“But that was not considering at the time if we were going to get a rain or not,” said Sullivan, indicating yields could be even better than the original prediction. “Throughout the state, we’ve seen a good amount of rain. Is that going to really make the wheat yield? We’ll have to wait and see.”
More information on Kansas weather and its impact on agriculture is available online through the Kansas MesoNet, a network of weather stations around the state.
Parents seeking fun activities for their school-aged children during summer break may not need to look any further than the kitchen cabinet.
Think cornstarch, water and liquid food coloring.
“A really easy activity that you can do with young children is make your own chalk paint,” said Tristen Cope, a family and youth development agent in K-State Research and Extension’s Chisholm Trail District.
Equal parts cornstarch and water, a dab of food coloring, mix it all up in muffin tins or a small cup…easy as that, you’ve got summertime fun.
“It’s a great activity to get outside and play and explore with your kids,” Cope said. “You can even do it on your driveway because (the paint) will wash off.”
Cope said a series of publications available online from the K-State Research and Extension bookstore contains a wealth of simple ideas for parents and kids to play this summer.
The series, titled Suddenly in Charge, includes 11 titles, each with at-home activities that parents, older children or other caregivers can put together for younger children.
Some examples:
Create a ‘calm jar.’ Fill a jar three-fourths with water, add clear glue (or corn syrup), and any number of random items – sequins, glitter, butters, food coloring and more. Tighten or tape down the lid and shake the bottle. Watch the items shimmer. “That’s your sense of calming as you maybe think about your next activity or before you get up and go play,” Cope said.
Backyard camping. Set up a tent, cook dinner, build a small campfire, plan smores, bring a flashlight, read a book. Cope says even if you don’t end up sleeping outside, adults and children share a memorable experience being outside.
Masking tape freeways. Use the tap to create lines all around the house, perhaps up and down furniture, across the floor, through the kitchen. Then use whatever toys you have on hand to ride the freeways, or play Follow the Leader.
Build an indoor fort. “I love the magic that happens when you put together your traditional fort,” Cope said. Some use furniture, chairs, part of a bed or table, then spread blankets over the top and lots of pillows inside. “You make it all cozy and comfy,” Cope said. “The opportunities are endless.”
Read a book. Simple, right? But one of the most simple activities is also one of the most beneficial. “Reading with young children is one of the most foundational things you can do as a parent or caregiver,” Cope said. “I think when you have those experiences – whether it’s in a tent or under a tree or inside your pillow fort – you have created a magical moment and are really engaged with your child.”
Cope also encourages parents to include children in preparing and serving meals. Measuring ingredients helps to teach math skills, as well as learning an important life skill. Making cold snacks – such as popsicles, smoothies or frozen fresh fruit – is also a fun activity on hot days.
“I believe it’s so important that we have routines during the summertime,” Cope said. “Children thrive when they have a routine that is set. It doesn’t have to be as structured as what you would have during the school year…but having a routine when you get up in the morning and brushing your teeth and planning some order of events that will happen for that is very helpful in keeping a child on track.”
They say the best things in life are free, and they’re right.
Sunflower Summer is back to offer Kansas families a get out of the house free card you can carry in your pocket. A chance to have free rein (and free admission) visiting museums, zoos, historical attractions, and nature centers. An app for free family fun!
From July 12 – August 3, 2025, all Kansas students (including public, private, and homeschooled students) Pre-K through 12th grade can take advantage of the program.
Parents and guardians can register their students by downloading the Sunflower Summer app from either Google Play or Apple app stores.
