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Commission open to exploring formation of improvement district for troubled private water and sewer system
Summary
County staff and the Kansas Corporation Commission have discussed forming an improvement district to address a private water and sewer system with longstanding service problems; commissioners expressed tentative support but said residents must be engaged and bear appropriate costs.
Saline County commissioners agreed to explore the feasibility of forming an improvement district to address a small private water and sewer system that has experienced service problems, including a loss of water service earlier this year.
County Administrator Philip Smith Haines told the commission the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) and county staff have discussed several options: the private owner could invest in repairs, sell the system to another private operator, the system could be annexed into a surrounding rural water district, or an improvement district could be formed to manage both water and sewer service. He said the KCC favored considering an improvement district because it could address both water and sewer needs, whereas the nearby rural water district handles only water and would leave the sewer as an "orphaned" system.
Haines said formation of an improvement district would be a multi-step process that could include signatures or petitions from property owners, conveyance of the system into the district's ownership, grant and loan eligibility, and county administrative responsibilities similar to the existing KIPP district. "The advantage...to having an improvement district is that it would be eligible for grants and loans from the state and federal sources, which a private water system is just not eligible for," Haines said.
Commissioners described the service problems as long-standing and affecting roughly 70 customer accounts (Haines referenced "70 customer accounts") and about 120 people, with vulnerable residents among those impacted. One commissioner described the water as "atrocious" and said residents were still not comfortably drinking the water after earlier repairs. Commissioners asked whether the county would be responsible for billing and collections; Haines said the county could perform billing and collection work similar to KIPP, with some staff time required but not necessarily a full-time position.
Commissioners and staff discussed several implementation questions: whether the current owner would agree to convey the system (Haines said the state had discussed the possibility and that the KCC has regulatory leverage but not unlimited authority), what staff and department workload would be required (county administration, planning and zoning and treasurer involvement), and whether residents would accept assessed charges or bonding to pay for improvements. Haines said grant and loan programs, including Department of Agriculture programs and long-term bonding models like KIPP's 40-year bond, are potential funding pathways; he emphasized that residents in the district would typically pay for improvements through assessments or fees rather than the county general fund.
County staff said the state planned to hold community meetings in the affected area, and commissioners generally supported further exploration so long as residents are part of the solution, sign petitions if required and accept potential costs. No formal action was taken; staff will hold additional conversations with the state and affected residents and follow up with the commission.
