Baldwin City Council Reassure Benefit District Property Owners

Kevin Surbaugh

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At the August 1, 2017, meeting the council approved resolution 2017-12 which would pave a portion of First Street, which is currently graveled. It will not pave the portion of First Street that runs alongside the Wagon Wheel Restaurant and senior apartments. The text of that resolution is as follows:

Reconstruct N 1st Street/E 1750 Road from its intersection with State Lake Road (Route
12; N 400 Road) to the northeast corner of Signal Oak Estates to provide 24’-wide asphalt pavement and open ditch drainage improvements meeting current standards. Work will include grading, culvert replacements, hot mix asphalt base and surface courses, and erosion control.

The estimated costs of the work will be split-up as follows:

• DOUGLAS COUNTY 0.4 $172,000.00
• BALDWIN CITY 0.3 $129,000.00
• PALMRYA TOWNSHIP 0.1 $43,000.00
• PROPERTY OWNERS 0.2 $86,000.00
• TOTAL COSTS 1 $430,000.00
• TOTAL PER RESIDENT COST $12,285.71
• PER RESIDENT COST PER YEAR 10 YEAR ASSESSMENT $1,228.57

Residents in the said benefit district wanted assurances, that they will not have to pay a larger amount when the work actually begins in 2018 or 2019.   The City Attorney, Matt Hoy drafted a resolution on the fly to assure the seven residents in that area as follows:

"...as it relates to resolution 2017-12 the portion to be paid by the property owners will not exceed $86,000."

The council unanimously approved the new resolution 2017-14.
In Other business the council...

heard from Bill Neuenswander of Baldwin City Senior Wheels reported to the council, that the program provided 274 trips between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017.  July trips were down compared to the same period in 2015, however, as the new year begins, this July's numbers look to be the best year since they began six years ago.

received a report from Hank Booth on the activities of Economic Development Corporation (EDC), who told the council of a number of efforts were under way to sell and develop the various vacant lots along Highway 56. "We don't need to be a boom town, with 100 new homes, but we do need to grow faster than we have the last few years,"  Booth said.

heard from John Devine, who delivered a report regarding the recent council retreat.