Title
PUBLIC HEARING ON PETITION FOR WITHDRAWAL OF LAND FROM THE BEECH-WICHITA INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.
Presented by: Robert W. Parnacott, Assistant County Counselor.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Open the public hearing; receive testimony; close the public hearing; make the necessary findings.
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On July 30, 2014, the Clerk received a petition signed on behalf of Beechcraft Corporation, which owns as successor in interest to Hawker Beechcraft Corp. more than 75% of the area included in the district. On August 13, 2014, the Board set a hearing date for September 3, 2014; notice of the hearing, as required, was published in the official county newspaper on August 16, 2014.
At the hearing, the Board is required to: 1) determine the require notice has been published; 2) hear testimony from all interested persons; 3) make findings that: A) the petition meets all statutory requirements, and B) all statements in the petition are true. The Board then may issue an order withdrawing the land from the district.
The Beech-Wichita Industrial District was formed by order of the Board on August 1, 1979; the Board previously approved petitions for withdrawal of other land from the district in 2002 and 2005. The City of Wichita and the District have an agreement that land in the district is not subject to annexation; following the withdrawal the land will be subject to annexation and the landowner has already consented to annexation.
Industrial districts are governed by an elected board of directors; the powers of the district’s board are set out in K.S.A. 19-3801, et seq., and include, but are not limited to: the power to use and be sued; plan for and construct improvements such as water, sewer and other infrastructure; hold and sell real and personal property; exercise eminent domain powers within the district; levy general taxes and issue general obligation and revenue bonds.
Alternatives: None. The Board is required to hold the public hearing, make the required findings, and issu...
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