[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6662817,"mediaKeyId","2392264-b87c48bc662b51c8c97d9569214330b9","parentId",2392264,"title","Rail-trail group reports rising use, bridge projects and monthly volunteer days","audioSeconds",644,"startMs",2927000,"endMs",3571000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2392264-b87c48bc662b51c8c97d9569214330b9&start=2927&end=3571","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2392264-b87c48bc662b51c8c97d9569214330b9/thumbnail_2927000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6662817/Andover/Butler-County/Kansas/Rail-trail-group-reports-rising-use-bridge-projects-and-monthly-volunteer-days","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6662817-9faab4821b95c1ff67adb8a4c48789ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1773768161&Signature=BsaCVhBUArhh17b737IDXkvPwuVs~6L9~oM6-~PwdMy0z8KETjIuxZpAAkizKItxszT3PoTzVcCpVaiEQRolXKF1djHFf70Xir1de9hb3CRN525XIP4k-wtEa1XKk3xH16t6brb4FvI7wsjlr4wTAq-S42RjDvhi6KuCu-bL~CHTl6E-8UtxG-XeuOxHWNSmmdHCusYBqYsoTfehNVvbqQodeJNWwo6gT5R5mvtc1hylU9rzmHDcKSgJKko3~F3-oJifHf3z3qSyEwrF-MQZ0htLeQvUq2dL2aggE8-X7oeokyNHrebVWxO1o1U~23pYRICesS3VX99LQoeAKFrVbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Andover, KS","date","2025-02-26T03:47:42.737Z","article","Representatives of Artie (the Augusta-Andover Rail Trail Initiative) briefed the Andover City Council on Feb. 25, reporting rising trail use, volunteer opportunities and planned bridge projects that will connect additional miles of trail.

Kim Austin, speaking for the group, said installation of electronic counters last year allows Artie to track usage more precisely. She told the council the highest single-day counts recorded were 646 users on the paved section and 330 on the gravel section. A city-provided daily average for the monitored period (May 7 through Nov. 18, 2024) was 257 daily users on the paved portion and 143 on the gravel portion, Artie representatives said.

Austin said construction on a bridge over U.S. Route 400 is expected to begin in March, and that a separate bridge over the Whitewater River is fully funded without a local match. Artie plans a capital campaign to fund additional trail segments and infrastructure over the next several years and said it will coordinate closely with the cities of Andover and Augusta during construction and maintenance.

Volunteers: Artie said the group organizes a regular volunteer workday on the second Saturday of every month for vegetation trimming, trash pickup and trail maintenance; the council was told that the city parks department frequently partners on those workdays and provides chipping equipment.

Austin thanked city staff and council for past grants and partnership and said she expects 2025 to be an active year for both building and maintaining trail miles. She invited residents to the monthly cleanup days and said the group will post specific locations and times on its Facebook page.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting 2/25/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representatives of the Artie (Augusta-Andover Rail Trail Initiative) told the council the trail saw daily averages of 257 (paved) and 143 (gravel) users during a recent period, reported its highest single-day counts and said two funded bridge projects are expected to advance trail construction in coming years.","taxTitle","Andover, Butler County, Kansas","taxId",55200,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6662822,"Developer says $76 million senior living campus planned at Andover roundabout; tentative 2027 opening",228,1920000,2148000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2392264-b87c48bc662b51c8c97d9569214330b9&start=1920&end=2148","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2392264-b87c48bc662b51c8c97d9569214330b9/thumbnail_1920000.jpg","/articles/6662822/Andover/Butler-County/Kansas/Developer-says-76-million-senior-living-campus-planned-at-Andover-roundabout-tentative-2027-opening","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6662822-7bafc7a177edcb017e8061209189dd33/orig.mp4?Expires=1773768161&Signature=HO35ejA67lUGP2VDnW7bxVB31GiwX-4eI1TFcYezpiWw9OvHrmQRefw9fWewh0fFCsVWhST6RQFOwKDWTjjJ8u9e6wGsdDbG37gq4E0PXIN2bXfYdrDaoSnh-IK8wUyomxnJecbHDKv3n05e6u8UzHoi4qVVHEgkPzWpHj7fgp8vTyVLKaUGpp5X6SoU7Qod4BHA6WvL9qxfudTW91dnP75y46DB9N4Nr0DQ2jZ2Bz86OJhqZvE5RUKSW7YFwOZtWe2UVnSdAtuLvuEV3vr1Pq2y9j6mqVG6~Pt64gSHW8UCJAYFeyjXNHPycVQLWwNQ-aTu50jrmXyfIsTRc79pQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A developer told the Andover City Council on Feb. 25 that a proposed senior living campus near the roundabout on Cloud will include independent living, assisted living and memory care units and represents roughly a $76 million private investment in the city.

The presenter, who identified himself as being based in Iowa and representing the project team, said the facility will function as a campus where residents can transition from independent living to assisted living and memory care without relocating off-site. He described unit counts in the presentation slide deck: the project includes independent-living apartments, approximately 49 assisted-living units and about 20 memory-care units; the presenter said the overall bed count would be about 55 (some units designed for couples). He announced a total development investment of $76,000,000 and said a financing partner that had previously withdrawn is now committed, allowing earthwork to resume in the coming weeks.

When asked for an estimated opening or move-in date, the presenter said he expects a construction timeline of about 18 months and estimated an opening in March 2027. He said the project is unchanged from the prior plan the council has seen and that staff would provide the presentation materials for the council packet on request.

Several council members and attendees commented that the campus concept's continuity from independent living through memory care would be attractive to local families. One resident in the audience said the timeline would match their personal needs for family housing.

No formal action was taken; the presentation was informational. The developer said he would return with periodic updates on site work, leasing and other milestones.

","A developer briefed the council on plans for an independent living, assisted living and memory care campus near the roundabout on Cloud; the presenter said financing had been delayed but that a committed partner is now on board and construction could begin in the next few weeks with an estimated opening in March 2027.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6662826,"City attorney outlines how a land bank could help Andover manage blighted or remnant parcels",2584,3709000,6293000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2392264-b87c48bc662b51c8c97d9569214330b9&start=3709&end=6293","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2392264-b87c48bc662b51c8c97d9569214330b9/thumbnail_3709000.jpg","/articles/6662826/Andover/Butler-County/Kansas/City-attorney-outlines-how-a-land-bank-could-help-Andover-manage-blighted-or-remnant-parcels","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6662826-83c8486004651a37e4084509e54a97ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1773768161&Signature=T7IQ2GnWEqZWNWSmwbXoGh6piuQnvDCboc4HQC4qY-EduAfJP5Iz~U2qaJMROAV05ADd2E8jWM0HIRa-~Ha~zyPN5sfMCfbsKdpWX1-PeL4g5wwLtOlw8WpMv4F3328zmj-bEej0B9x0MQPa6qCIj6CqlNDI4m~Ca5fw0f031NHwuu7GpZTk~vk3FNpfu6qlSgC4tGbK08X0Js~n3mABW2hVQy2p9uug8ZiE8DYEQWIxrZmIUTWU4xMvFp~r62404Tz4mYgHNJbdkmbK~8MMPPFO3WEsf7nNazeJF3vftNU3gQWXZ3z0d3kF8c-gBPsHVydEUfYjKKWjlIf61vwcFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Attorney JT Glass told the Andover City Council on Feb. 25 that a municipal land bank is a statutory tool the city could use to hold underutilized, blighted or remnant parcels until they can be returned to productive use.

Glass described a land bank as a separate, quasi-governmental corporation that can own, buy or receive land and then sell or repurpose it. \"Think of the land bank in the same context of which you might think of a bank where you put your money and hope someday to have enough of it to place it back into productive use,\" Glass said. He said Kansas law permits the city to create a land bank by ordinance and to have the city's governing body serve as the land bank's board of trustees.

Glass outlined key effects and limits of land bank ownership: placing property in a land bank exempts the property from state and local ad valorem taxes and tolls special assessments while the land bank owns it, though federal tax liens (IRS) are not erased. He said the land bank cannot itself levy taxes and that it must publish an annual budget and file an annual report. Glass cautioned the council that a land bank must maintain a public inventory of properties and manage and maintain property it owns to meet city code.

Glass also described the sale process for land bank properties: before selling, the land bank must publish notice for 30 days. He said the land bank may place restrictive covenants in sale contracts, record options allowing the land bank to repurchase a parcel for the original price if conditions are not met, or otherwise require that buyers put a property into the intended productive use.

Council members asked practical questions. Mike Warrington asked whether property taxes are erased when the land is transferred into a land bank; Glass said state ad valorem and local property taxes are erased on land bank ownership but federal tax liens remain. Warrington asked whether a land bank could have been used in past acquisitions (for example, property taken for a park or right-of-way); Glass said yes, in some cases placing a remnant in a land bank can stop ongoing tax and assessment accrual while the city plans future use.

Glass described examples from other Kansas cities, including a Mulvane downtown case in which a land bank acquired multiple dilapidated buildings, accepted the tax burden at acquisition, cleared back taxes through land bank ownership and then sold buildings under covenants that required renovation and productive use. He noted, however, that forming a land bank requires extra annual accounting, audits and meetings and that counties and appraisers sometimes need explanation about how tax exemptions apply.

Glass recommended a cautious next step: he suggested staff inventory city properties and other targeted parcels that might benefit from land bank placement and present a recommended startup funding amount and ordinance language for council consideration. \"If you decide it is something you want to do, encourage staff to take a hard look at what properties they have that might benefit,\" Glass said.

","City Attorney JT Glass briefed the Andover City Council on the statutory authority, benefits and limits of forming a municipal land bank, suggesting staff evaluate city-owned or targeted properties that could be held in a land bank to stop tax and assessment accrual while they're placed back into productive use.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":91,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":94,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6662831,"Andover council awards $47.44 million contract for wastewater plant improvements",4829,8538000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2392264-b87c48bc662b51c8c97d9569214330b9&start=3709&end=8538","/articles/6662831/Andover/Butler-County/Kansas/Andover-council-awards-4744-million-contract-for-wastewater-plant-improvements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6662831-b1ab27b518e9a09a55044b920f58b949/orig.mp4?Expires=1773768161&Signature=bWz~i3yBeHs5awXTDynR36u5b69QqDoxW~sK9~Q~uOrDHgM6Wp0EWdyf6aeMZBdt6Bn0wI3hpE0k6FmfjQR4yWXyz-cimQ~7tgld9Q4kbAjy1xjlbcHfZGlG6TGspXVVlXeEnomKBRJSnHqDbqLnioLmGE8o5uGaflhtL6GTAmm8Fp9MgD-2dSN2iaRAAXmUUjqJLoGRCc8TLAJrDVjjsUIGk7KhXZ79QT7ctOjpodbI929UXlddBBt2OQZJk9xW4uva01~pfSraDkUEDck6dEzxAr8osZiR0xBH4JKsfn3VWQy9NAY8KeDjkfRNxGuedMdZSyhgrPAu4FfER62SlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Andover City Council voted 5-0 Tuesday to award the contract for major improvements to the city's wastewater treatment plant to Walters Morgan Construction Inc., of Manhattan, Kansas, in a not-to-exceed amount of $47,440,188.

The project follows a 2020 comprehensive study and subsequent design work led by PEC with Burns & McDonnell as a partner. Rick Lance, Andover's director of public works and utilities, told the council the work will touch nearly every facet of the existing 1977 plant to meet capacity needs and anticipated state and federal regulatory requirements. \"We're basically building a new plant,\" Lance said during the presentation, adding the design team attempted to reuse major concrete structures where feasible to reduce cost.

The bid process drew three bidders. Lance said the low bid was about 5% over the engineer's estimate; the two lowest bids were within roughly 5% of each other. Lance and the consulting engineers told the council they planned to award to the low bidder and then pursue value-engineering discussions to trim costs without undercutting long-term performance. \"We can then work on towards some value engineering that could potentially negate some things that are coming up,\" Lance said.

PEC lead engineer Sarah (last name not specified) and city operations staff described several potential cost-savings items the contractor flagged, including alternate instrumentation and SCADA options and material substitutions for some piping and site work. The consultants said those substitutions would be vetted for operational impact before any changes were approved.

Council members pressed for assurances about contractor experience and oversight. Sarah said Walters Morgan has experience working in wastewater facilities and that PEC and Burns & McDonnell were comfortable with the contractor's qualifications; she also said the design team has ongoing contact with operators who have used similar equipment to understand practical issues. City staff noted they would closely monitor construction and operations during startup. Brian Wall, a city wastewater staff member, was identified as the on-site operations lead who will oversee construction coordination and start-up work.

The council motion as recorded: \"Accept the lowest qualified bid from Walters Morgan Construction Incorporated, Manhattan, Kansas, in the not-to-exceed amount of $47,440,188 and authorize the mayor to sign the contract for Andover wastewater treatment plant improvements.\" The motion passed on a recorded vote of five in favor, none opposed.

Lance and the engineering team said the contract includes an owner's contingency to cover unforeseen conditions in the existing plant and site; they described it as a tracked allowance that requires owner approval before funds are spent. Consultants warned that work in an existing facility commonly reveals unexpected buried piping or construction conditions that require change orders, and that the owner contingency helps avoid frequent return trips to the council for small adjustments.

The project team said the work is intended to position the plant for at least another multi-decade service life and to meet evolving KDHE and EPA requirements. Lance called it likely the single largest project the city will undertake in the near term and said staff and consultants would continue to seek ways to reduce cost without compromising the plant's long-term operability.

Action and next steps: the council authorized execution of the construction contract. Staff and the design team will proceed with pre-construction meetings, subcontractor and supplier coordination, and the value-engineering discussions described in the presentation. The city will continue to report to the council as construction advances.

Votes at a glance

- Contract award: Walters Morgan Construction Inc.; amount: $47,440,188; motion carried 5-0.

","The Andover City Council on Feb. 25 voted 5-0 to award a $47,440,188 contract to Walters Morgan Construction Inc. for a comprehensive renovation of the city's wastewater treatment plant after a multi-year planning and bidding process.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Rail-trail group reports rising use, bridge projects and monthly volunteer days

Developer says $76 million senior living campus planned at Andover roundabout; tentative 2027 opening

City attorney outlines how a land bank could help Andover manage blighted or remnant parcels

Andover council awards $47.44 million contract for wastewater plant improvements