[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6168303,"mediaKeyId","5408260-c493cccaf0f74541883323c2cc8d303d","parentId",5408260,"title","Commission sets potential cap to 6 mills for Consolidated Fire District No. 1; staff to refine plan before final adoption","audioSeconds",1191,"startMs",3733000,"endMs",4924000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5408260-c493cccaf0f74541883323c2cc8d303d&start=3733&end=4924","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5408260-c493cccaf0f74541883323c2cc8d303d/thumbnail_3733000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6168303/Kansas/Commission-sets-potential-cap-to-6-mills-for-Consolidated-Fire-District-No-1-staff-to-refine-plan-before-final-adoption","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168303-295d9128cfdee7e06c584ac1756a0db0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770611217&Signature=Na~N~S9kmnXQgCKQQhstoB3alOk-q-IiLWIhSreqpKjSVLeaGbweycJMZk~Mxw3bARNdoUKgfVuQlLtDIRb7nntMIm~R6KLOy6JkfWYw90hwM95OuzCvoE1JWvNKiv1AHNZnxyVffAw0MKAMxJa4BlrKp1F5ComxrqCQW54k4toPinjv5zL8XIqEP3u-NnP-DK7wjvMl-xH5eMyLoDeVwMHwnc~xE3-yv1eie76zNciCDgqP4FsUKV~pUQSPnLT1W7vO2NxgMB7iEQmq-StUg4omwUOku9iw4SEFp5APLkXWpS2B928wy5czYqcd~J2yeTdZk6DdyUohHYSGQSgUIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Douglas County, KS","date","2025-07-17T03:23:57.79Z","article","The Board of Douglas County Commissioners voted to authorize staff to notify the county clerk that Consolidated Fire District No. 1 (CFD 1) may adopt up to a 6‑mill levy for 2026 and established Aug. 27 as the hearing date for the revenue‑neutral and budget hearings.

County staff and commissioners discussed a recently received consulting report on CFD 1 needs, including personnel, vehicle replacement and station service levels. Staff said the district was established under a consolidation agreement and that the district has been operating under a 5.5‑mill levy as the organization stood up. Officials said the consultant’s recommendations describe a multiyear implementation with significant resource needs.

Sarah (county administrator) and Brooke (budget staff) explained the mechanics: the value of one mill for CFD 1 is smaller than a countywide mill because CFD 1 covers a portion of the county (staff cited a one‑mill value around $315,996 for CFD 1), while one county mill was roughly $2.2 million. Commissioners discussed the tradeoffs of increasing the cap now to give CFD 1 flexibility to implement portions of the consultant’s recommendations and to allow staff and the commission more time to build a prioritized implementation plan.

Commissioners debated timing: staff said a full work plan to implement consultant recommendations will take additional time, and that July 30 will include a review of the five‑year capital improvement plan and CFD 1 budget; commissioners suggested using a modest lid increase as a ceiling the district could work under while a more comprehensive plan is developed for 2027. One commissioner proposed and later withdrew a motion, then reintroduced a motion to set a potential cap of 6 mills; the final motion was seconded and approved on the record.

Public comment was solicited for the item; no speakers were recorded on the public record for that item. Commissioners emphasized that authorizing the notice to exceed the revenue‑neutral rate creates a ceiling, not an obligation to collect or spend at that level, and that future budget or levy decisions will require additional commission review and public hearings.

Staff said they will present more detailed options and a proposed phased implementation for the consultant recommendations in subsequent meetings, and that any final levy above the current 5.5 mills would be adopted only after public hearings and further commission action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Douglas County, KS, Commissioners Meeting on July 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission authorized staff to notify the county clerk that Consolidated Fire District No. 1 may exceed its revenue‑neutral rate, setting a potential cap of 6 mills and scheduling the public hearing for Aug. 27; commissioners and staff said more planning is needed to implement consultant recommendations.","taxTitle","County Commission, Douglas County, Kansas","taxId",69828,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6168308,"Douglas County notifies clerk it will exceed state revenue‑neutral rate; hearing set for Aug. 27",922,3002000,3924000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5408260-c493cccaf0f74541883323c2cc8d303d&start=3002&end=3924","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5408260-c493cccaf0f74541883323c2cc8d303d/thumbnail_3002000.jpg","/articles/6168308/Kansas/Douglas-County-notifies-clerk-it-will-exceed-state-revenueneutral-rate-hearing-set-for-Aug-27","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168308-eca0bc0b6f2d87c764556113bd42086e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770611217&Signature=WdspuzkDsnhkOx90rjkvLSJXn7OPNrk4BkY~tcLjJahh0Dw-QJlJcxjMZ6vxMJ2zbdxCueILOSNqTy9E9egh4-jc2YrlFa8matnhxudZ-vK0pON-hcOT5NE0OR-EKvykbob~IfpjYiTyJlq~~gTjkDIwvnwlnSEZWk3F9cX8-OVdMH-vXdpcqYiCWefUZN72wjaMsTBWQ5ypYbp3sVD-oAdUvoO68LHShYKcgdBo~wF2ahziFRCZK84wm9OabKre20EoJMXnrbJXM~t5-yhcbF9KJ-1puRW11pfs4Aaz0wGVnrwJngIGNuWvHRbtAhrHx1MA9AC~k9-rgEm9ZR84dQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Douglas County commissioners authorized staff July 16 to notify the county clerk of the board’s intent to adopt a 2026 mill levy that exceeds the county clerk’s revenue‑neutral rate and to schedule the revenue‑neutral hearing and the budget hearing for Aug. 27.

Brooke (county staff) explained that state law requires notice to taxpayers when a jurisdiction proposes to adopt a budget that results in revenue higher than the prior year’s collection (the “revenue‑neutral” calculation). The county clerk established a revenue‑neutral rate of 39.958 mills for 2026. Commissioners earlier in budget deliberations had worked down from a proposed flat levy of 41.298 mills to a revised proposed levy of 40.669 mills; staff requested authorization to submit the notice using the 40.669 figure so the clerk can publish required taxpayer notices and set hearing dates.

Brooke and Sarah (county administration) reviewed the calendar and deadlines: the clerk must receive the notice to prepare taxpayer mailings; the board must hold the revenue‑neutral hearing before or at the start of the budget hearing; the final adopted budget must be certified to the county clerk by Oct. 1 and submitted to the state by Dec. 31. Staff also reminded the commission that assessed values are provisional until the appraiser finalizes values in November and that final values can change the final mill levy calculation.

Commissioners asked questions about the arithmetic and where the difference between last year and the proposed levy appeared in dollar terms. Staff noted the difference between last year’s levy and the commissioners’ finalized levy was 0.629 mills and that the commission had reduced the original proposed increases in the budget deliberations. Commissioners discussed supplemental requests and budget priorities and said they would provide additional materials ahead of the public hearing.

A commissioner moved to authorize staff to notify the county clerk of the intent to exceed the revenue‑neutral rate using a rate of 40.669 mills and to set the hearings for Aug. 27 at 5:30 p.m.; the motion was seconded and approved on the record.

Public comment on the item was closed with no speakers. Staff said it will file the clerk’s prescribed online notice and publish hearing dates and materials in advance of the Aug. 27 hearings.","The commission authorized staff to notify the county clerk that the county intends to exceed the 2026 revenue‑neutral rate and to hold the revenue‑neutral hearing and budget hearing on Aug. 27; staff used an adjusted proposed mill levy of 40.669 mills for the notice, above the county clerk’s calculated 39.958 mills.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6168313,"Commission approves Douglas County participation in 15‑year, 95% neighborhood revitalization rebate for Nindale Lofts 2",1966,1008000,2974000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5408260-c493cccaf0f74541883323c2cc8d303d&start=1008&end=2974","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5408260-c493cccaf0f74541883323c2cc8d303d/thumbnail_1008000.jpg","/articles/6168313/Kansas/Commission-approves-Douglas-County-participation-in-15year-95-neighborhood-revitalization-rebate-for-Nindale-Lofts-2","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168313-e51065daea9c3b5c85cbbade00c6325d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770611217&Signature=Fb6bqa9Kj310dY-JAm5MGaSyPoXLz6Q2MMvUNILpExDJLXTHJKcjLVGdEd0R-RtfEe6g3QzoGUIGdcLcBhc~t1s5FGOyzKKS5XBkcRhzjpejduh7bTyPt6eqAKskffxUphdOHXc5w2AcfV298o3~Y4COX-2Qml686yoe3D6QNYFVCcPK7~OpwxxBpGefm3bJgmD6o9yhSs9W5K0Xke5mqbXCHrDSDN4~MqHky4cqBYls2JhFnQncG-qIbrMQMXiH-sJkFVuJa6vTZue2v8OXvaQ2tW83g4Jc-fDSv9xzavIZxUG1N1jXZh7RaGUygbyvDfYRX62tndqOvQ9ogBQ73g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Douglas County commissioners approved participation Wednesday in a Neighborhood Revitalization Area (NRA) plan that would rebate 95% of incremental property tax growth for 15 years to support the Nindale Lofts 2 mixed‑use affordable housing project at 716 East Ninth Street in Lawrence.

Brandon McGuire, assistant city manager for the City of Lawrence, introduced the project and said developer Tony Kresnick is applying for a 9% Low‑Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and that the project team expects state and federal housing credits and grants to be part of the financing. McGuire said the proposed building would include 24 affordable one‑bedroom units targeted at 30%, 40% and 60% of area median income, 12 market‑rate units and six live/work units on the ground floor.

Tom Calico of Baker Tilly reviewed the NRA mechanics for the commission and emphasized that the rebate is a performance‑based rebate of incremental taxes: jurisdictions set a base assessed value, new assessed value from the completed project produces an increment, and a percentage of that increment can be rebated to the owner after taxes are paid. City staff and Baker Tilly described the NRA plan in the meeting packet; the city requested county participation through a cooperative agreement. Calico said the project is roughly a $14 million development, has a 30‑year affordability requirement in the LIHTC program, and also seeks a sales tax exemption on construction materials via industrial revenue bonds (IRBs).

Commissioners asked several procedural and fiscal questions, including why the rebate level is 95% and the 15‑year term. Calico and city staff said the developer’s pro forma and the typical financing structure for LIHTC projects informed the request; they said they reviewed the pro forma for reasonableness but did not prepare a formal “but‑for” analysis because LIHTC financing and other credits typically make such projects infeasible without subsidy. The City of Lawrence had already taken initial steps: a resolution of intent to issue IRBs and a first reading of an ordinance establishing the NRA.

County staff and the county appraiser explained administration details: the county appraiser sets the base and calculates annual incremental value for rebate eligibility; the cooperative agreement allows the county an administrative fee (stated in the packet) to cover the appraiser’s and treasurer’s work. Baker Tilly presented a present‑value fiscal estimate showing the county would receive about $43,000 in present‑value tax receipts without the project and about $107,000 with the project over the 15‑year period (present values), and the county would also receive the unrebatable 5% share of the increment.

During the public comment period there were no speakers on this item. A commissioner moved to approve county participation and to authorize the county administrator to sign a cooperative agreement with the City of Lawrence and USD 497 for administration of the NRA; the motion was seconded and passed 5–0.

The staff packet attached to the meeting includes the draft NRA plan, the cooperative agreement template, developer pro forma materials reviewed by Baker Tilly, and a list of other public and private funding sources the project plans to use. County staff indicated the county’s annual administrative fee for appraiser work is to be $1,000 per year under the cooperative agreement. The city and developer will continue the LIHTC application and related approvals, and the project will require final city and school district participation steps before rebates could be disbursed.","The commission voted 5–0 to join a cooperative agreement with the City of Lawrence and USD 497 to participate at 95% for 15 years in a Neighborhood Revitalization Area rebate for the proposed Nindale Lofts 2 affordable housing project at 716 E. Ninth St.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":92,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6168317,"Douglas County approves vacating Lot 5 and rezones parcel to AG‑1 to allow rebuilding on adjacent level ground",751,257000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5408260-c493cccaf0f74541883323c2cc8d303d&start=257&end=1008","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5408260-c493cccaf0f74541883323c2cc8d303d/thumbnail_257000.jpg","/articles/6168317/Kansas/Douglas-County-approves-vacating-Lot-5-and-rezones-parcel-to-AG1-to-allow-rebuilding-on-adjacent-level-ground","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6168317-d0f4d8c3515c9b3f4786105bc1e54bba/orig.mp4?Expires=1770611217&Signature=gkHn~F3hZJK-3RtdTvjkohopnK-HmVqTa0iNPl4-Xk2~AMLZrBYchiIfBQGYJkrlx7utpZ4xaY-pgvg8Bcsaz6dGpe~6OsS13s-T68BEcd2tb7chT~t4X8oZRsIAZJxWhL3ToAOs2YwpkcUmo3RxCN0zlmr-opNGYQvQmh-xWZngb~2PqsUpsyvN5gXH7MhfLHuzkaR9zTSDpwTvi4M1E-TRI-pk9bfqNfk76~rrLnzcbYKizU3oZV~e4nJABF~FlHq30UArm4~gK4T2OYmy5s~bfu2sCEzSA5sNzGcymWZx6klIV3xPZ-kLLRoeBUTniE-N2B7E6BvvENsOjnBLlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Douglas County commissioners voted 5–0 Wednesday to vacate Lot 5, Block 1, Twin Ridge Heights West Subdivision and to rezone an approximately 6.42‑acre area to AG‑1 (Agricultural District) to allow the property owner to combine land and locate a house on a buildable, less steep area.

Mary Miller, city/county planner, told commissioners the two requests are “closely related” and that the owner initially intended to build on the platted lot but discovered “extreme topographical changes” and a ravine that made the lot poorly suited to development. Miller said the owner also owns a larger parcel to the west without road frontage and that vacating the platted lot and rezoning to AG‑1 would permit use of an agricultural subdivision exemption to create a buildable parcel.

The planning staff reviewed alternative options and concluded the Cluster Preservation (CP) district is closed to new rezoning, so expanding the lot under CP was not available. Miller summarized the statutory steps: the applicant filed the petition to vacate, the hearing was noticed at least 20 days in advance, and the board must find no loss or inconvenience to the public nor injury to private rights before ordering the vacation. Service providers contacted — Freestate Electrical and Rural Water District No. 6 — reported no objections and described how service lines would be extended from existing rights of way.

Commissioners cited the site’s steep topography, woodland cover and the location of a more level clearing immediately west of the platted lot in supporting the request. Miller told the commission the request aligns with the comprehensive plan’s environmental and rural‑character chapters because the proposed approach reduces grading and conserves identified steep‑slope sensitive lands while maintaining an opportunity for a single house rather than increasing density.

At the public hearing on the vacation petition no members of the public spoke. A commissioner moved to approve the vacation, including preserving the cul‑de‑sac dedication for public use, and to adopt Resolution No. 25‑28; the motion was seconded and passed 5–0. The board then separately approved the rezoning request (Z‑25‑0006) from the Cluster Preservation district to AG‑1 and adopted Resolution No. 25‑209 by the same 5–0 vote.

The planning staff noted the original platting occurred in 1988 and that the peripheral easements on the platted lot were intended for future urban utilities; staff does not expect annexation in the foreseeable horizon of the county comprehensive plan. The applicant will pay recording costs for the resolution vacating the platted lot, and utility connections will require extensions from mains in the adjacent rights of way.

Commissioners directed staff to record the board’s orders with the register of deeds as required by statute and to proceed with the rezoning ordinance paperwork. No further enforcement actions or conditions beyond those in the adopted resolutions were stated at the meeting.

The county moves next to other agenda items; the vacated parcel and rezoning will be reflected in county records after the required recording steps are completed.","The Board of Douglas County Commissioners voted 5–0 July 16 to vacate Lot 5 in Twin Ridge Heights West and rezone about 6.42 acres to AG‑1, enabling the property owner to create a buildable parcel on adjoining, less steep land after staff found the original platted lot unsuitable for construction.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission sets potential cap to 6 mills for Consolidated Fire District No. 1; staff to refine plan before final adoption

Douglas County notifies clerk it will exceed state revenue‑neutral rate; hearing set for Aug. 27

Commission approves Douglas County participation in 15‑year, 95% neighborhood revitalization rebate for Nindale Lofts 2

Douglas County approves vacating Lot 5 and rezones parcel to AG‑1 to allow rebuilding on adjacent level ground