The concept of a land bank will be the topic of a roundtable discussion at Monday evening’s Iola city council meeting. A land bank is a community-owned entity established to acquire, manage, and repurpose vacant, abandoned, or foreclosed properties. In essence, the land bank would serve as a means to take neglected land and put it back into productive use within the City of Iola.
The idea arose from an increase in the number of landowners inquiring about the city’s ability to take ownership of land, whether vacant or containing a structure. Real estate developers have also asked city staff about lots for sale or deed via a land bank.
City staff has reviewed land bank regulations from multiple Kansas cities and have applied them to a set of proposed regulations they will present to council members for discussion. City Administrator Matt Redher notes that no formal direction is expected from the discussion, but that it will serve as an introduction to the concept.
COUNCIL MEMBERS will consider a request from Allen County Recycling to assist with their electric usage at the recycling center. The monthly electric charges are an estimated $50. Additionally, they will review four bids for the annual tree trimming project. The council has allocated $100,000 for this project within the Electric Distribution Fund.
Jared Wheeler, Economic Development Director with Thrive Allen County, will also be on-hand at Monday’s meeting to present a 2024 year-in-review for economic development in Iola and the county.
