The City Commission on June 2 authorized staff to prepare an engineering feasibility report and a resolution of advisability for internal improvements to serve a proposed commercial subdivision in the Interstate District southwest of I‑70. The request was filed by developer Roger Bacta on behalf of Bacta Construction.

Deputy director of community and development services Margie Clem told the commission the action is the first of a two‑step special assessment process; approval authorizes staff to analyze costs and life‑cycle estimates for public streets, sanitary sewer and water extensions required to serve two proposed commercial lots west of the Comfort Inn and Suites on Bacta Court. The petitioner’s engineer provided a preliminary opinion of probable cost of $628,450.25 for the improvements; staff supplied lifecycle maintenance cost estimates for streets (30‑year horizon) and utilities (50‑year horizon) for commission review.

Staff reported the proposed assessment would be split equally between the two lots (50% each) and stated no additional off‑site public improvements outside the subdivision boundaries were required for the lots to develop. KDOT previously provided a quitclaim deed that clarified right‑of‑way ownership on the subject street segment, and an existing CityGo Green transit stop serves the nearby North Salina area.

Why this matters: special assessments are a discretionary financing tool that allows property‑level repayment of infrastructure costs; the city does not create a benefit district or issue assessments at this step. Clem said municipal debt levels remain well within policy limits; issuing bonds for the internal improvements as proposed would increase the city’s debt ratio by approximately 0.036 percentage points (from 34.35% of debt limit to about 34.386%).

Next steps: staff will prepare the engineering feasibility report and bring the resolution of advisability back to the commission for a future hearing; that later step would include a public notice and a decision on creating the assessment district. The motion to authorize the feasibility report passed 4–0.