Peabody seeks grant for middle-income housing
Staff writer
Peabody City Council on Monday approved a land purchase tied to a housing grant that will help bring new apartments to the city.
Council members approved spending $6,941 from Peabody Land Bank money to purchase property at 510 E. 7th St. for a housing development tied to the Kansas Moderate Income Housing grant program.
The project is for two quadplex buildings, creating eight two-bedroom apartments aimed at moderate-income residents.
The units are expected to be between 800 and 880 square feet, Peabody Land Bank representative Brian Simmonds said.
“If we aren’t growing, we’re dying,” Simmonds said while explaining the need for additional housing.
The project is intended to expand housing opportunities for residents who often fall outside traditional assistance programs, city administrator Paul Leeker said.
“This is moderate-income housing,” Leeker said. “It’s going to help the housing stock in Peabody at all levels.”
The project is being coordinated with the South Central Kansas Economic Development, which assisted with the grant application and will help administer the program.
Firearms, dogs
During public comment Monday, municipal court clerk Pandea Smith addressed concerns circulating in the community about how police weapons and evidence are stored.
Firearms had not been left unsecured as some claims suggested, Smith said. Long guns historically had been kept in a supply room, and evidence sometimes is placed in padlocked lockers before being processed
“If there is a claim that a weapon is missing, I would like to know what inventory list the weapon was missing from and whether transfer documents were reviewed before making that statement,” she said.
Resident Charles Orcutt also told council members loose dogs continued to pose safety concerns in his neighborhood. He had seen a dog chase motorcycles and had experienced the problem himself..
“It is a very dangerous situation,” he said.
He urged the city to consider hiring a dog catcher and enforcing fines for owners whose dogs run loose.
Council members discussed a request from CK Pharmacy to designate two parking spaces in front of the store for pharmacy customers during work hours. The proposal will require legal review.
Leeker also reported problems with the city’s tornado warning siren system, which activated about eight minutes late during a recent test. The issue is being investigated.