Hays commission to weigh Lincoln School housing incentives, new debt collection rules

HAYS, Kan. — The Hays City Commission is set to review significant housing and infrastructure incentives during its Thursday, Aug. 13, afternoon meeting, highlighted by a proposal to transform the former Lincoln Elementary School into a 54-unit apartment complex.

Developer Michael D. Graham Rentals LLC is requesting a 25-year Reinvestment Housing Incentive District that would capture an estimated $1.08 million in property tax increments to help reimburse $4.3 million in eligible costs for the $6.35 million project. The development plan includes remodeling the former school building into 26 apartments and constructing seven new fourplexes on the property.

Commissioners are also scheduled to vote on establishing a $1.6 million special benefit district to fund infrastructure improvements for 24 new lots in the Tallgrass First Addition Phase 6 development.

Additionally, the commission will consider a new ordinance allowing the city to hire a private agency to recover more than $30,000 in unpaid utility and property abatement bills. To avoid taking on extra legal or court costs, the proposed rule would pass the collection agency's fees directly onto the delinquent customers, mirroring a system already successfully used by the city's municipal court.

The commission's agenda also includes a proposed five-year right-of-way agreement with broadband provider Nex-Tech, which would pay the city a $50,000 annual occupancy fee following the company's transition away from traditional franchise services.

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