I have been told that the city doesn't plan on trying to annex any of the area north of town. And with them doing all the work out to the hospital I am having a hard time believing they won't want the revenue from the area out there. I am a home owner in that area. And I DON'T want the city to dictate to me what I will pay monthly for water, trash or sewer for that matter. They already have areas in this town they have annexed they can't even offer sewer too. In the grand scheme of things you would think they would fix the old, offer to sewer to the people that are already in the city limits, and build a hospital in the city so they can save the money on building new sewer lines out north. The money it will cost for sewer lines will more than buy the property to build on. Ya think?
Has anyone ever really seen ANY work be done to where the new hospital is planned to be? Oh I forgot the sign saying it was gonna be built. I doubt that if or when the hospital is built that anyone would go there because the with the exception of a few Doctors there isn't any good ones! As a former CNA for the hospital I was told many times they couldnt get new equipment until they got into the new building yet they havent even built it as of yet.
I find it ironic that Arkansas City has to raise our water and sewer bills and cannot or will not replace our own underground water and sewer mains which are putting out dirty water, are constantly being flushed, or are backing up into people's homes on a regular basis-because 'there is no money to replace them'-but they can sure lay new ones for the hospital. Well, when it says in an article in the newspaper that the city is 'volunteering' these services, you are being lied to. There is no 'volunteering' of services, as volunteering of services doesn't cost money. It costs a lot of money to hire engineers and contractors to do this kind of job. Go to your next commision meeting and ask the city how much it will cost to 'volunteer' the water and sewer mains all the way to Strother Field for the new hospital, which by the way, most people you ask will say is NOT a good idea-they couldn't even get the loan because it was a bad idea. And, why is Strother Field Water or Rural Water not 'volunteering' the services? Why are the doctors building it not paying for it? This will cost you, the taxpayers, a lot of money that could be spent fixing YOUR aging water and sewer lines right here in the town you live in, but you are told there is no money to do so, all while they continually raise your water and sewer rates and 'bandage the complaints' of dirty water and sewer back ups-compare around in the State of Kansas, and you will be suprised at just how high our rates really are! I bet a good ballpark figure of what this will cost the taxpayers would be at least around the $500,000 mark if not closer to $1,000,000. This money could be spent on replacing the very, very, very old mains right here in town that they just keep putting off for years and years and years. Check it out people, and the newspaper should do some investigative articles on this subject also.
From what I have been hearing they have been having these studies being done on zoning before they can get the county commissioners to allow it to be zoned city. One of the problems is financing I am told. I was told from an uncomfirmed source that the banks won't go the financing as it is too big of a risk. I am not sure if this is fact of fiction. I was also told that the Doctors would have to finance it themselves. If anyone can shed any light on this I would be interested in knowing for fact what is in the making.
One thing I do know however with it being put in the general area of my property the 77 corridor plans are going to directly effect my property. I am currently trying to get an answer from county commissioners on this. So far I haven't heard anything positive, or negative for that matter. But from the corridor plans I have seen, the future plans for rural developement will develop my tract of land into nothing but a tiny parcel of property. This is land that has been in my family for many generations. I am standing by and listening for any information I can get on this proposal. I will get photos when I can and post them. If anyone has any information on this please let me know!
