Haysville approves temporary notes to fund Lakefield infrastructure after neighborhood objections

The Haysville City Council on March 10 voted to authorize the offering of general obligation temporary notes to finance infrastructure work for the Lakefield Addition, a 59-lot housing development on Meridian and 70th Street South.

The action moves an estimated $2,700,000 in temporary borrowing forward to pay for paving, sanitary sewer, stormwater drainage, water distribution and sidewalks for the project. Brett Chobrin, financial adviser with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, told the council the preliminary estimate for the infrastructure is $2,000,472 and that the temporary notes will be converted to bonds when the projects are completed.

The resolution authorizes city staff to prepare a preliminary official statement, submit for an underlying rating and solicit bids; the sale is scheduled to be bid on April 14 with a projected closing May 1. Chobrin said unpaid assessments will be collected as special assessments over a 20-year period at interest; the council packet stated the total cost will be spread over the 59 lots but did not specify what percentage, if any, the city would absorb.

Neighborhood residents spoke during public comment to oppose the density and express concerns about property values and stormwater capacity. Betsy Carlos, who said she lives adjacent to the planned Lakefield site, asked the council to “reconsider packing so many small houses in the Lakefield addition” and suggested platting larger lots to fit neighboring Southampton and Country Lakes homes. Steve Howerton, who lives near Meridian, told the council his appraiser warned that his house value could fall “$100,000 to $150,000” if the development proceeds as planned and cited worries about drainage and increased crime risks in higher-density, lower-cost housing.

Council debate was split. Councilman Walters said he would vote no and objected that moving ahead with the notes continues a plan he has opposed; Walters said the recent volume of neighborhood feedback shows continued concern. Councilman Crow countered that the development is intended to provide smaller, new homes for people starting out or downsizing and said Haysville should be “a welcome place for everybody.”

Councilman Brown moved to approve the resolution; a second was recorded. The motion carried on a roll-call vote with a majority in favor and two members recorded as opposed.

What happens next: staff will finalize the preliminary offering documents, seek a Moody’s underlying rating, and solicit bids. The council was told Stifel will return to present sale results at a later meeting before finalizing issuance.

Why it matters: authorizing the notes unlocks funding for the Lakefield infrastructure and schedules construction work tied to the developer’s plat. If special assessments are not prepaid, property owners in the new subdivision will carry the assessments over 20 years with interest, which residents and some councilmembers said could affect neighborhood character and property values.

Details recorded at the meeting are limited: the packet gave the project cost and the estimated note size and said assessments would be spread over 59 lots with 20-year repayment; the precise city share of assessments was not specified in the materials presented.

The council approved the resolution and scheduled staff to return with the sale results at a future meeting.