To address the housing shortage, the Barton County Commission Tuesday morning, allocated funding to the City of Hoisington to support a residential development project.
The Commission authorized up to $125,000 in economic development funds to the city to assist with the installation of street infrastructure for a new residential subdivision, which carries an estimated cost of $170,000. This amounts to about 20 percent of the total $600,000-plus cost of the initiative, which will include 12 new houses on the northern edge of the community.
The money is designated for the installation of curb, gutter and a concrete street as an extension of Vine Street, providing access to the development. The allocation is a reimbursement program, meaning Hoisington will be repaid after the work is completed.
“As you know, housing is a major challenge in Barton County, and sometimes you just need a little boost to get it going,” said Hoisington City Manager Jonathan Mitchell.
“I just think it's fun to see what happens when cities and counties work with various partners to improve their communities,” Mitchell said. “I think it's pretty cool to watch all these guys come together and make things happen.”
In thanking the Commission for its support, he said the housing assistance is another example of this cooperation. He also mentioned the county’s Façade Improvement Grant program, which has given several businesses in Hoisington a facelift.
“It's good to see this moving forward,” Commissioner Barb Esfeld said of the development.
“I think this is exactly what we were looking at when we went this way with economic development dollars, looking at things on a project-by-project basis,” said Commission Chairperson Tricia Schlessiger. “This is what we were hoping for, and this is a great partnership.”
Mitchell detailed the city’s initiative to convert the former Windgate Apartments property into a site for new home construction. This was part of an ongoing effort to address blighted properties in the city.
The city manager said Hoisington has already invested substantially in the project, having purchased the property, addressed environmental concerns, razed the previous structures, handled zoning issues and developed a plat. To date, the city has spent $549,338.69 on the endeavor, and including estimated costs for sanitary sewer extensions, the total city investment approaches $691,000.
Mitchell said the city researched grant opportunities but found that the timelines did not coincide with the construction schedule, which hopes to see the first new homes begin construction in late 2025 or early 2026.
He also highlighted Hoisington’s proactive approach to community needs, including its role as an E-Community and Land Bank participant. He specifically mentioned the successful Facilitating Revitalization and Enhancement of Substandard Housing (FRESH) initiative, which provides $10,000 grants to support the renovation of vacant residential structures. The city has completed two homes through the FRESH program, with two more in progress.
All about growth
“I have been saving this until we finalized an agreement with Hoisington, but now, today, we can announce that Barton County has been in collaboration with three different housing developments throughout our county,” Commissioner Shawn Hutchinson said. “If we were to announce one housing development in one city, it would be a big deal to our community. In this case, we are announcing three different and unique housing developments in three different communities, potentially totaling over 40 new homes in Barton County.”
Hutchinson said when he first started this job, one of his most trusted allies in the county confided in him that she didn't like the county’s motto, “Barton invests in growth.” “I asked her to hang on for a while and see if her opinion changed.”
This has stuck with him. “I loved the slogan but understood maybe it wasn’t always accurate. Today, between the facade improvement Main Street grants, the economic development efforts and now the potential for 40-plus new homes to be built, I would say Barton County Invests in Growth is not only accurate but a very appropriate slogan.”
“This kind of announcement can only come from exceptional collaboration with community partners,” Hutchinson said. “A huge shout-out and thank you to the Ellinwood City Council and (City Administrator) Chris Komarek. They are now offering 14 lots for sale with city utilities. I believe they will get listed this week.”
He also thanked the Claflin City Council and the Millers of Claflin. “We are working on a massive water treatment grant and there are already 16 lots for sale, many already sold and construction has begun.”
“And last but not least, thank you to the Hoisington City Council and Jonathan Mitchell for their own 12-home development,” he said.
“These three cities also partnered with the county on the Façade Improvement Grants FIG 3.0 2025 with amazing results.”
“I cannot finish this without thanking our Barton County employees and commissioners; it seems as though everyone has had a hand in these collaborative efforts,” he said. “Everyone stepped up and everyone said yes to growing our communities.”
This brought him to his final point. “Without growth, we are dying on the vine. Out here in Central Kansas, we need more of this type of collaboration and cooperation. No one is coming to save us; we have to save ourselves.”
“Local folks must innovate, inspire and get creative to incentivize growth. After all, we don’t need more taxes in Barton County; we need more taxpayers in Barton County.”
He said there are only two ways to lower taxes: cut from the budget and services or grow.
“I believe both can happen at the same time and today, we proved it. With five consecutive years of lower property tax reliance, investing in our downtowns getting a face-lift, complete renovation of our 100-year-old courthouse and now investing in new homes,” Hutchinson said. “Maybe our next focus should be creating jobs? I believe we are ready.”
“Thank you to the citizens who have put their faith in us and we hope you are as proud of your county as we are,” he said.