Riley County schedules public hearing on Valleywood sewer-district expansion; county awaits water-project funding decisions

Riley County planning staff told commissioners on Jan. 2 that a public hearing is scheduled next week on a petition to expand the Valleywood combined sewer and stormwater benefit district to include additional lots in that subdivision.

Amanda Webb, planning director, said property owners and a developer had requested inclusion for lots where sewer infrastructure already exists. Planning staff and legal advisers told the commission the developer constructed sewer infrastructure at the developer’s expense, so the district never paid for the original installation; the district has historically collected user fees and modest assessments for maintenance. If the commission expands the district, newly added properties would be responsible not only for sewer user fees but also for shares of required stormwater improvements.

Commissioners and staff discussed the long-running stormwater problems affecting existing Valleywood properties. Staff noted prior modest improvements were completed about 25 years ago but are no longer functioning; fully resolving stormwater flooding would require significant engineering work and substantial funding. Officials said the needed capital work could exceed what current property owners could afford via special assessments and that resolving the problem likely requires state or federal funding.

Separately, planning staff updated the board on a multi-year water and sewer project: engineering and on-site work are underway, and staff continue to pursue grant funding. Webb said the county applied for a Kansas Water Office technical assistance grant (already in use and reimbursed) and later applied for a construction grant through the Kansas Water Office’s Water Projects Fund; those awards had not been announced. The county is also working with USDA Rural Development on underwriting; the overall project cost is about $4.7 million, with roughly $3.7 million in identified funding and a remaining gap the county hopes to cover with federal/state grants. Webb said construction would largely occur in 2026 with completion in early 2027, pending funding.

The commission scheduled the Valleywood public hearing for next Monday; staff will provide background materials and a resolution for the board’s decision at that meeting. No final assessment amounts or exact project scopes were adopted during the Jan. 2 session.