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Augusta council approves several routine grants, abatements, a KDOT resurfacing grant and schedules IRB hearing
Summary
Council authorized a KDOT CCLIP grant agreement for $400,000, approved the special alcohol grant recommendations (total $19,650) and utility abatements (about $85,000), and scheduled a December 15 public hearing to update IRB costs for the Country Club Tower project.
The Augusta City Council approved a series of routine items including grant and abatement recommendations, a Kansas Department of Transportation grant agreement and a notice scheduling a follow-up hearing on industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) for the Country Club Tower rehabilitation project.
Transportation grant: Staff reported the city received a $400,000 CCLIP (connecting link) award from KDOT for resurfacing and restriping on US-54 (407th Street) with construction anticipated in 2027; council authorized the CCLIP grant agreement.
Grants and abatements: Assistant to the city manager Shawna Cortez presented the ad hoc committee's recommendations for the 2026 special alcohol grant program. The committee proposed awarding Sunlight Children Services $2,500 (the amount requested) and dividing the remaining available $16,150 evenly among five other applicants (about $3,430 each), for a total distribution of $19,650; council approved the recommendations.
Utility abatements: The ad hoc abatement committee recommended roughly $85,000 in abatements this year (plus free service for Augusta youth softball), with line items including $9,000 for the Arts Council Theater (and $1,000 for the gallery), $30,000 for the Recreation Commission, $9,000 for the Caring Center, $7,000 for the historical society, $7,000 for the senior center, $10,000 for Mid Kansas Community Action Program and $12,000 for Twisted Oz. Council approved the recommended abatements.
IRB/public hearing: Bond counsel Kevin Cowan summarized a request from the Country Club Tower owner to increase the IRB bond amount from $4,000,000 to approximately $6,000,000 to include acquisition costs so the negotiated payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) will be a fixed annual amount (staff cited roughly $21,000). The council authorized publication of a notice of a public hearing set for 7 p.m. Dec. 15 to receive the updated cost-benefit analysis and consider the amended IRB amount.
Procedural matters: The council then moved into a 30-minute executive session to conduct the city manager's annual performance review pursuant to KSA 75-4319(b)(1); the session concluded with no action reported and the meeting adjourned.
