BELOIT CITY COUNCIL – Wednesday, January 3, 2024

By Terry Bailey

City Council Rejects Senior Citizen/Low Income Housing Proposal
The Beloit City Council conducted its first meeting of 2024 at City Hall on Wednesday, January 3. All Councilors were present as well as Katie Schroeder, City Attorney, and Amanda Lomax, City Clerk/Interim City Manager.
Byron Andrian representing the Mennonite Housing Renovation Services, Inc. of Wichita was on hand to provide a detailed proposal for a housing project for the city of Beloit. Andrian was present at the last Council meeting with a preliminary plan for a senior citizen/low-income housing project on the north edge of Beloit. He was returning to give a more detailed plan as the Council requested.
The timeline for proposal was for a preliminary plan to be submitted to the state by January 5. Notification of the approved plans would be give by July, 2024. If the plan is approved, building could commence by the end of December 2024 and occupancy could happen by July of 2025.
A major part of the proposal would be for the City of Beloit to donate the land for the development and for property taxes to be paid in the development area.
Mitchell County Commissioner Tom Claussen was present and voiced his opposition the project. Claussen recently built a home just south of the proposed development area. Claussen's biggest concern was the provision to not collect property tax on the housing in the developed area.
Claussen said, "The provision to not collect property taxes is unfair. I pay around $1,800 a year in property tax. I even pay for a streetlight that does not illuminate my property. I think if I pay property taxes, which I am willing to pay for all that I get for my money, the folks owning the land should pay the same."
A lively discussion of the proposal followed, with the various pros and cons of the plan examined.
Beloit resident Joe Walter mentioned that the City took deed to the North Campus thirteen years ago and virtually nothing has been done to the develop the old Youth Center land.
After significant coverage of the topic, Mayor Tom Naasz called for the question, asking if there was a motion for or against the proposed housing project. After asking three times for a motion and with none forthcoming, he declared the issue closed. There will be no housing project on the north edge of Beloit at this time.
In other related actions:
Councilor Lee McMillan reported a citizen had asked him about parking on East 8th Street. He was told when folks park on both sides of the street at the same location, it gets dicey when two people meet at that spot going east and west. The person suggested parking on only one side of the street on East 8th.
Chief of Police Chad Lackey said they were aware of this situation, and he was going to suggest action being taken to solve this problem.
Lackey also reported that "we go through the New Year's celebrations" okay and were reloading the new year ahead of them.

Other News

Beloit, KS 67420, USA