ORIGINALLY WRITTEN DON RATZLAFF
Hillsboro city leaders expressed concern Friday about the affordability of the proposed justice center for Marion County, particularly how county leaders are proposing to pay for the estimated $15 million project.
Steve Garrett raised the issue in his city administrator’s report during a special meeting called primarily for other agenda. Garrett was among the 50 or so people who attended the county’s public hearing on the project three days earlier.
“I understand they have to upgrade their facilities, like we do-but this is a big commitment,” Garrett said, referring to the condition of the current county jail.
“I think this thing requires some discussion because it’s a big investment and I’m not being convinced (that it is fiscally responsible).”
Members of the council and Mayor Delores Dalke echoed similar concerns about the effect a sales tax increase and a property-tax increase would have on Hillsboro businesses and potential homeowners.
“I’m not against a new jail, but I’m against how they’re going to finance it,” Councilor Byron McCarty said.
Dan Baldwin, Hillsboro city attorney who lives in Marion, asked if the presenters at Tuesday’s meeting provided proof that housing prisoners outside of the county would be less economical than building a new justice center.
“You can haul a lot of prisoners to Chase County for $15 million,” he said, referring to the pay-to-stay facility in the neighboring county.
Garrett said that sort of information had not been presented.
More than one person expressed skepticism about the pay-to-stay plan proposed for the justice center here.
“What is the guarantee that it will be profitable and not lose us money?” asked Councilor Matt Hiebert.
Added Baldwin: “If you’re going to spend $15 million, you’d better be generating real revenue, not just breaking even.”
Garrett said given the city’s objections to some county issues in the recent past, his concern is that new challenges to the justice center plan may not be “heard.”
“I’d like for the discussion to be productive,” Garrett said. “But we do have a case that needs to be presented in such a way that we’re not ignored or that we’re not dismissed as ‘a-ginners.'”
Property issues
In other matters, the council agreed to proceed with the sale of 40 acres of city-owned land to Unified School District 410 and Tabor College-pending approval of a bond issue regarding the renovation of athletic facilities as a partnership between the two educational institutions.
The land to be sold lies directly between Reimer Field and the city’s current waste-water treatment plant. It would be used for additional parking and for expanding athletic facilities.
The selling price would be $35,800, which Mayor Dalke said was the price the city paid when it purchased the property.
The council also authorized Garrett to formalize for presentation a financial incentive program regarding the 10 residential lots the city recently acquired in the Willow Glen housing development.
Garrett said he had spoken to a Newton official about the incentive plan that city had implemented several years ago.
The plan, which had the city paying interest up to $3,000 on the construction of a new home valued as high as $125,000, was deemed “quite a success” by the Newton official, Garrett said.
A plan for Hillsboro will be presented at the council’s Feb. 6 meeting.
Jan. 16 agenda
At its Jan. 16 regular meeting, the council approved an ordinance authorizing the city to issue $4,552,500 in general obligation bonds to build a new sewer lagoon system east of town.
A Rural Development grant of $750,000 also will be used to pay for the project.
Jerry Rayl, the city’s financial adviser, said the bond package will put the city’s direct-debt ratio “well over” the recommended 65 percent.
Councilor Matt Hiebert noted it wouldn’t be likely the city would be taking on another major construction project anytime soon.
“If you recommend another larger project, I’ll probably be back to recommend you not do it,” Rayl said.
In other business, the council:
— passed a resolution declaring a public hearing for 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, to hear comments on a tax-abatement request from Flint Hills Industries, doing business as Hillsboro Industries.
— accepted the bid of Central National Bank to host the city’s financial resources for 2007. CNB bid an interest rate of 0.11 percent above the federal treasury bond rate.
Emprise Bank and Hillsboro State Bank submitted bids slightly below the treasury bond rate.
— heard Garrett report that officials representing the state’s Heritage Trust Fund will visit the Schaeffler House museum as part of the city’s application process to receive funding to repair the structure’s roof and chimney.
— heard Garrett say the police department is going to try a different model of dashboard camera in its police vehicles as part of a test run to explore the effectiveness of using them all the time.
— appointed water-plant supervisor Morgan Marler as the city’s delegate to the Kansas Rural Water Association meeting in March.
