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Augusta council approves KDOT grant, award recommendations for alcohol grants and utility abatements; schedules IRB hearing

Augusta City Council · December 2, 2025

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Summary

Council accepted a $400,000 KDOT CCLIP grant for highway resurfacing, approved an ad hoc committee's special alcohol grant and utility-abatement recommendations, and authorized publication of a public hearing on an amended IRB request for Country Club Tower for Dec. 15, 2025.

The Augusta City Council handled several consent and action items, including authorization to accept a Kansas Department of Transportation Connecting Link Improvement Program (CCLIP) grant, approval of special alcohol grant awards, approval of utility-abatement recommendations, and publication of a public hearing notice for an amended Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) for the Country Club Tower.

CCLIP grant: Staff said the city was awarded a $400,000 CCLIP grant to fund resurfacing and restriping on the portion of state Highway 54 (407th Street) within city limits, with construction anticipated in 2027. Council authorized the mayor to sign the grant agreement so the city can move into design and later construction phases.

Special alcohol grants: Assistant to the city manager Shauna Cortez reported six applicants and the ad hoc committee’s recommendation: Sunlight Children Services receive $2,500 (their full request) and the remaining funds be divided equally among the other applicants at $3,430 each, using a total available balance of $19,650. Council approved the committee’s recommendations.

Utility abatements: Staff summarized the city’s long-running utility abatement program and the ad hoc committee’s recommendations. The committee recommended approximately $85,000 in abatements (plus free service for the local girls’ softball program) to local nonprofit organizations. Council approved those recommendations.

IRB / Country Club Tower: City bond counsel Kevin Cowan told the council that the project’s total eligible costs require raising the previously discussed IRB amount from $4,000,000 to roughly $6,000,000 so acquisition and qualifying improvements are fully covered; that change would preserve a fixed payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (pilot) of about $21,000 per year. Council authorized publication of a notice of public hearing for 7 p.m. on Dec. 15, 2025 to consider the amended bond amount and an updated cost-benefit analysis; staff will return with the updated cost-benefit analysis and formal bond documents at the hearing.