The first action session of the year for the Emporia City Commission saw a number of major items approved Wednesday afternoon.
Following a brief public hearing, commissioners unanimously approved the establishment of the Pleasant Point Subdivision Rural Housing Incentive District. The subdivision will stretch from Oak to Elm Street and will essentially be an infill project for the city of Emporia according to City Consultant Jim Witt.
The area was approved for RHID eligibility by the state of Kansas on Nov. 18th 2019. With the approval, the item will now enter into a 30 day waiting period during which time city staff will be available to answer any questions or address concerns regarding the development before officially going into effect.
Incentive districts, such as Pleasant Point, capture all the incremental property taxes created by a housing development project for up to 25 years and then reinvest that money into improvements like site preparation, sanitary or storm sewers, sidewalks or water mains.
A timeline for the project has yet to be announced. In other business, commissioners approved a grant agreement with Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka in the amount of $240,800.
The grant will provide funding for the city to conduct repairs on 30 homes within the city limits. All of the homes included in the project are occupied by owners with household income less than 50 percent of the area median income.
After returning from one executive session, outgoing Mayor Jon Geitz delivered the annual state of the city speech where he provided his assessment of the city’s achievements over the past year. Amongst the items outlined in the speech, Geitz highlighted the commission’s focus on the financial strength of the community as well as the numerous improvements to the city’s infrastructure.
Geitz says both of these items are crucial to one another.
Additionally, Geitz pointed to improvements at local parks, including the installation of the new splash pad at Peter Pan Park and the upcoming construction of a new basketball court at Eastside Park, as major items the commission plans to build off of in the new year.
Following the action session the commission then moved into its yearly business meeting which saw each of the recently reelected commissioners, and its newest member Susan Brinkman, take the oath of office. Brinkman has served as a member of the USD 253 Board of Education and replaces Bobbi Mylnar on the commission.
Brinkman says her biggest priority in her first year on the commission will be listening and learning.
Following Brinkman’s swearing into the commission, Mayor Jon Geitz officially “passed the baton” to new Mayor Danny Giefer. Giefer says “we’re gonna have an exciting year coming up.”
Commissioner Rob Gilligan was also elected and approved as the Vice-Mayor of Emporia, this will be his third time serving in the position during his time on the commission. Gilligan says he is looking forward to the coming year with a newer commission now in place.
According to Gilligan, change is often a major contributor to success, however, he credited the work of former commissioners, such as Mylnar, for helping lay a strong foundation for that success.
Additionally, commissioners approved surety bonds for the City Manager, Clerk and Treasurer and designated financial institutions. The commission also appointed members to serve on various boards including the Regional Development Association, JEDAC, Emporia Recreation Commission and others before officially adjourning the meeting.
The Emporia City Commission will reconvene next Wednesday inside city conference room 1AB at White Auditorium.
