> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.citizenjournal.us/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Riley County Commission Summary - URL: https://www.citizenjournal.us/riley-county-commission-summary-46/ - Published: 2026-08-07T10:23:28.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-07T10:23:28.000Z - Description: Week of August 7, 2026 - Author: Cronkite - Tags: ksu, #summary, dnn # Remote worker incentive program expands following initial success # Appraiser warns of tax base erosion from legislative exemptions # New emergency services facility nears completion # County fairgrounds relocation discussions advance # Keats sewer project prepares for groundbreaking # Commission briefed on battery energy storage fire risks # Health department implements new financial controls --- ### Remote worker incentive program expands following initial success RILEY COUNTY, Kan. — The Board of Riley County Commissioners approved a new contract and grant application for the "Make My Move" program Tuesday after successfully reaching its initial goal of attracting 20 new remote workers to the area. The commission authorized a $195,870 grant application to the state's Home in the Heartland program to incentivize an additional 15 remote workers to relocate to the county. If awarded, the county will provide a 20 percent match, which includes a $26,304 cash contribution drawn from local economic development funds. --- ### Appraiser warns of tax base erosion from legislative exemptions RILEY COUNTY, Kan. — Riley County Appraiser Anna Burson warned the commission that an increasing number of legislative property tax exemptions are eroding the county's tax base and shifting the financial burden onto other taxpayers. Burson noted her office is currently participating in several exemption hearings at the state Board of Tax Appeals involving local properties, including a city of Manhattan parking garage and the Flint Hills Community Accelerator. Burson also updated the board on the local housing market, reporting that the county's median residential sale price currently sits at $280,000. --- ### New emergency services facility nears completion RILEY COUNTY, Kan. — The county's retiring Emergency Management Director, Russel Stukey, delivered a final staff update, announcing that the new Riley County emergency medical and fire facility will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Aug. 27\. Final touches, including landscaping, 911 dispatch equipment installation and emergency operations center technology, are scheduled for completion later this month. Stukey, who is retiring after roughly six years of service, emphasized that recent tabletop exercises with city and county staff have successfully tested the new facility's disaster response capabilities. --- ### County fairgrounds relocation discussions advance RILEY COUNTY, Kan. — Discussions surrounding the potential relocation of the Riley County Fairgrounds took a step forward Tuesday as County Counselor Jacob Hansen announced the receipt of a proposed memorandum of understanding. Hansen told the commission he will review the document with the volunteer Fairgrounds Task Force, which recently proposed a $20.5 million plan to relocate the fairgrounds from CiCo Park to a new county-owned site west of Manhattan, before bringing it back to the board for further discussion and negotiation. The proposal remains in the early stages of legal review. --- ### Keats sewer project prepares for groundbreaking RILEY COUNTY, Kan. — Following years of planning, the unincorporated community of Keats will officially break ground on its new sanitary sewer project on Aug. 13\. Planning Director Amanda Webb announced that construction equipment will mobilize next week to begin the long-awaited infrastructure project, which is currently 87 percent funded by federal and state grants. The county is still awaiting word on an additional Environmental Protection Agency grant that could further offset the remaining local costs. --- ### Commission briefed on battery energy storage fire risks RILEY COUNTY, Kan. — Planning Director Amanda Webb briefed the commission on Battery Energy Storage Systems and their associated fire risks as the county continues its zoning moratorium on data centers and BESS developments. Webb detailed how the lithium-ion batteries require rigorous testing and National Fire Protection Association certification to prevent large-scale fires from spreading between battery cells. The commission discussed concerns over local volunteer fire departments' capacity to handle potential battery fires and requested further information on emergency response plans and long-term environmental disposal. --- ### Health department implements new financial controls RILEY COUNTY, Kan. — Human Resources Director Elizabeth Ward reported on ongoing efforts to stabilize the Riley County Health Department, highlighting the implementation of new financial controls and a comprehensive clinical billing system. Ward stated the department had previously identified vulnerabilities in its chain of custody for cash handling and lacked a unified system connecting medical clerks, nurses and billing personnel. The human resources department is also working to finalize new job descriptions and actively recruit a permanent health department administrator. --- [Click here for local obituaries](https://cjus.me/ksu-obit?ref=citizenjournal.us) --- --- Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below: [Contact Us](https://www.citizenjournal.us/contact/) --- [![Job Board](https://rosebud-ads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/JOB.png)](https://gregl72.github.io/job/?ref=citizenjournal.us)