ALLEN COUNTY, Kan. — Allen County Commissioners have taken under advisement a proposed Neighborhood Revitalization Plan (NRP) that would cover the unincorporated areas of the county. This plan provides a rebate of property taxes on the increased valuation resulting from designated improvements on properties including residential property.
County Appraiser Danielle Louk presented the proposal to the Commission at Tuesday’s meet that she, County Clerk Shannon Patterson, Treasurer Cricket Maley and Commissioner David Lee developed. Louk said in developing this plan they reviewed other existing NRP’s including those now in place in Humboldt, Iola and La Harpe.
The County plan as proposed would require improvements resulting in a valuation increase of at least $10,000 to be eligible. This would not include routine maintenance or such things as swimming pools, hot tubs, driveways and such also would not be eligible for the program.
One item that is yet to be finalized is the “staggering” of rebate percentages. Typically, they start out at a 100 percent rebate of taxes on the increased valuation for a period of time, then phase down for the remainder of it. Some grant the rebate for the full ten-year period.
Properties that have delinquent property taxes will also not be eligible. The Commission will discuss the plan at next week’s meeting.
Moran resident Arlyn Briggs discussed an issue that came up in that community when valuation notices were sent out, in which a number of people received valuation notices for property they do not own. Briggs said in talking to city officials this appears to be a rather widespread issue.
Another issue came up involving a property he transferred to his daughter that was listed under an entity he’s never been involved with. Briggs told Commissioners there are also some issues involving a title company that have reached the “top partner” level and it’s also getting some attention in Topeka. Briggs has asked to sit down with the County Counselor to discuss this in more detail.
Two bids were awarded by Commissioners during Tuesday’s meeting. It gave final approval to a $22,350 bid from FN Construction of Yates Center for a road project at the Monarch Cement entrance in the vicinity of 1600 and Delaware Roads near Humboldt. Monarch is providing the concrete for this work. It also awarded a $38,450 bid to Marquez Building and Construction, the low bidder of three, for sidewalk work around the Courthouse.
Building and Grounds Supervisor Ron Holman also reported on a plumbing issue that developed at the Courthouse last week, where a leak had developed and when a plumber tried to turn a valve to shut off water to make repairs that valve basically disintegrated. That has been repaired, but Holman said he expects more issues to develop given the age of plumbing in the Courthouse, lines which he said are not in good shape.
In his weekly report Road and Bridge Supervisor Jeremy Hopkins said weed spraying work has begun, and he’s been advised by Bettis Asphalt and Construction they should be starting on the mill and overlay of 1150 Road south of US 169 by around the first of April. This ties into a project just across the Neosho County line last year on Elk Road, or the old US 169 alignment. Hopkins said he’s still working on specific plans for 2026 asphalt and chip seal projects.
Public Works Director Mitch Garner said concrete has been re-poured for one of the hangars at Allen County Airport and crews should be back on that project later in the week. He also reported a taxiway extension project at the airport will be bid out in April.
