Seward County and City of Liberty reach consensus to offer $500,000 over Fifteenth Street fire station dispute

Seward County elected officials and City of Liberty leaders at a joint special meeting reached a consensus to offer $500,000 from sales-tax funds to resolve competing claims and future use of the Fifteenth Street fire station, and agreed to pursue an appraisal before filing formal documents.

The decision responds to a long-running memorandum of understanding between the city and county about shared use and disposition of the station. County staff provided the commission packet of historical documents and cost estimates, and the meeting included extended discussion of staffing, building history and the cost to replace or expand lost space.

The offer was described as a ‘‘clean break’’ by meeting participants: the city’s stated proposal would include no right of first refusal or ongoing percentage claim tied to future sales of the property. Officials also agreed the offer and related details will be reviewed by the city attorney and returned as a formal motion at the next city commission meeting.

Why it matters: County officials said the county has a longstanding financial investment in the property and that a strict reading of the memorandum of understanding would tie the buyout price to an appraisal process and a 40 percent payout formula. The county’s valuation notice included in the meeting packet listed $2,346,320; that figure, commissioners said, underlies why some county members urged a formal appraisal before any final vote.

Background and discussion: County and city staff summarized the facility’s history, including the construction and opening in 2008 and earlier contributions. City and county fire chiefs described how both departments have grown since the station opened, and said the two agencies now have different staffing and operational footprints that make simply returning both departments to the same building complicated without renovations or additions.

Packet materials shown at the meeting included an historical cost estimate and an architect attachment describing square footage and build components; county staff recited prior cost shares (including a county check for $80,000 in the earlier project) and a county estimate of roughly $271,800 as the county’s share of some project costs. Estimates for adding vehicle bays or expanding alternate stations were discussed: meeting materials included a 2023 estimate of about $423,000 to add a single bay at Fifteenth Street (a figure the presenters said had been adjusted) and a separate updated estimate of about $313,000 for a different (Eighteenth Street) addition.

Legal and procedural points: The memorandum of understanding between the city and county was cited repeatedly. Meeting discussion summarized the MOU’s termination formula: if the city initiates termination, the city hires an appraiser; if either party disagrees they may hire additional appraisers and an average of up to three appraisals becomes the price, with the county receiving a 40 percent payment under the existing language. Meeting participants said the proposed $500,000 offer seeks to resolve the parties’ relationship without invoking that appraisal-and-40%-pay formula; county officials requested time to obtain an independent appraisal to inform their decision.

Actions and next steps: Commissioners moved into an executive session under KSA 75-4319(d)(6) for preliminary discussions related to acquisition of real property, then reconvened in open session. After the executive session, meeting participants stated a consensus to present $500,000 funded from sales-tax revenue, with no right of first refusal retained by the county, and directed staff to pursue an appraisal and to draft formal motions for each jurisdiction’s next meeting. City staff indicated the $500,000 proposal would remain on the table while county due diligence (including an appraisal) proceeds.

Operational context: Both chiefs and several commissioners said consolidation studies done in earlier decades weigh against a simple recombination of city and county fire services today: growth in call volume, changes to apparatus and staffing levels, and the need to preserve city ISO rating were cited as reasons the two departments operate separately. Participants also discussed practical constraints at the Fifteenth Street site (surrounded by Light Park and other parcels) that limit further expansion, and contrasted that with more room at Eighteenth Street.

What happens next: City and county staff agreed to expedite an appraisal (meeting participants named Evan Winchester as the county appraiser they would contact) and to return to respective governing bodies with formal motions and drafted contract language. The city will present a formal ordinance/motion for consideration at its next meeting; county members said they would complete due diligence promptly so the matter is not delayed further.

The discussion drew frequent references to historical documents going back decades and to the memorandum of understanding’s paragraph 12 (termination/appraisal procedure) and paragraph 13 (the right-of-first-refusal/percentage payout language), both of which were focal points in the negotiation. Officials said the public has expressed interest in resolving the matter and that both agencies aim to protect taxpayers while making space available for growing department needs.