Emporia City Commissioners continued to work out an updated Rural Housing Incentive District policy during their recent study session Wednesday.
Commissioners received a presentation from former Dodge City Finance Director Nanette Pogue regarding Dodge’s successful RHID program. In recent weeks the city has been looking closely at Dodge City’s policy as a blueprint for developing an Emporia-specific policy.
Pogue says in Dodge City they utilize three different funding options for RHID projects, special revenue bonds, special assessments and pay as you go with special assessments being the most common strategy. The special assessments option would see the city become the main financial mechanism in an RHID project giving developers more financial flexibility allowing for the construction of more units.
Once the development is complete, the city would utilize property tax revenues to pay off the debt of the project. City Special Project’s Coordinator Jim Witt says there is one major risk with this option.
According to Mayor Rob Gilligan, the city’s final document will likely have multiple funding options included in it, like Dodge City’s, to allow for a wider range of developers to apply for projects.
The next step in the policy development process will be further revision and clarification work with a formal document possibly being ready for commission approval by late April.
In other business, commissioners discussed an ordinance that would see an extension to the hours which licensed drinking establishments would be permitted to serve alcohol in the city limits. City code currently permits the sale of alcohol in licensed drinking establishments from 9 am to 2 am. The change would see the hours extended from 6 am to 2am.
Approval of the change in hours would bring the city into conformity with state law.
The Emporia City Commission will reconvene for an action session Wednesday, Apr. 7 at 1:30 pm inside the Municipal Courtroom at White Auditorium.
