Report of average agricultural land value shows increase

Saturday, March 28, 2015
Tammy Helm/Tribune photo Bourbon County Appraiser Judy Wallis, right, talks about the agricultural land average values to Bourbon County Commissioners Friday. Wallis reported the average has increased 13 percent. Also pictured are Commission Chair Barbara Albright and First District Commission Lynne Oharah.

The average valuation of farm ground in Bourbon County has increased, but that doesn't mean every landowner will see the same increase.

Appraiser Judy Wallis attended Friday's Bourbon County Commission meeting and provided a report from the Ag Use Property Valuation Division Kansas Department of Revenue for the average value of agricultural land in Bourbon County.

According to Kansas state statute 79-1476, "valuations shall be established for each parcel of land devoted to agricultural use upon the basis of the agricultural income or productivity attributable to the inherent capabilities of such land."

The county's average agricultural land values have increased 13 percent from 2014 to 2015.

"There's some pretty large increases this year," Wallis said. "It's an eight-year rolling average and it is only taking into consideration through 2013. It takes them a year to do their computations."

Because the county's average has increased doesn't mean every property owner's valuation will increase.

"It is an average of grassland and cropland," Wallis said.

Last year, the county's average value increased 9 percent, she said.

Bourbon County's increase is less than other counties in the state. On the higher end, Decatur County has increased 51 percent, Trego County has increased 42 percent, Graham County 41 percent and Ness County, 37 percent.

On the lower end of the spectrum, Clark is the only county to not have an increase. Comanche, Barber, Hamilton, Morton, and Meade counties have increased between 2 and 6 percent.

Agriculture land is classified into four categories: dry cultivated land, irrigated land, tame grassland and native grassland. Values differ across the state due to the crop mix, differences between landlord share of income and expense ratios, and difference in the agricultural cap rate, according to information on a fact sheet Wallis provided the commissioners.

She also said weather could have an affect on the value. For example, one of the earlier years used in the average may have been a drought year, which would reduce the average until that year is dropped off.

In 2013, "overall the yields decreased in that year because 2013 was coming off of a drought and except for wheat and sorghum, prices increased row crops and the crop mix generally moved from corn and soybeans to wheat," Wallis said. "That was in 2013. So see, every year it changes, depending on what kind of moisture we get, depending on what prices are out there, what mix people decide to plant. And that's why they have this eight-year rolling average, so it doesn't go up and down. But even with that, you see some huge increases in some counties even just dropping off one year at the bottom and adding a new year at the top."

The fact sheet also states expenses increases throughout the state.

She said the price is "per acre, per soil type, per use type," which means individuals may not see the same increase.

She said grassland values will be different than cropland.

"Our total valuation on the ag sector will probably be up somewhat," Wallis said. "When we certify values to the clerk and she does all the assessment comparisons, that's when we can tell what's really going on," Wallis said.

She said when the average ag value increased 9 percent in 2014 in Bourbon County, it did not make a big difference "because we were so flat in every other area."

She said the ag use value is low.

She encourages anyone with questions about the average agriculture value to contact her office at 223-3800.

Wallis also reported change in valuation notices were being mailed Friday. She said changes depend on several factors, although "most neighborhoods are pretty flat."

"So we're not seeing a lot of decreases or increases unless a house has been added on," Wallis said.

New appraiser

Wallis has notified the commissioners of her intent to retire during the summer. The commissioners have discussed the need to hire her replacement in order for that person to be trained on the computer system. However, the county must follow a state statute which sets the requirements of the appraiser.

County Attorney Justin Meeks later said he has reviewed the statute and also spoken with Wallis.

"Finding a replacement is not going to be easy," he said.

Jail issues

Last week, Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center officials reported a water line to a shower was no longer functioning, which forced the staff to reduce the population in one of the pods. Because the area where the plumbing is located is narrow, Jail Administrator Bobby Reed said they were having trouble getting a plumber to do the work.

On Friday, jail staff returned with Information Technology Director Shane Walker, who attended the meeting to report the live scan fingerprint machine is no longer operational.

Eight years ago, after 9/11, Homeland Security funded the equipment so fingerprints could be immediately sent to the FBI to prevent someone on a terrorist watch list from mistakenly being released, Walker said. Within an hour, a fingerprint taken in Bourbon County goes to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, then to the FBI.

Last year, the computer went out and that was replaced, but on Monday, the scanner roller quit working.

He estimated the replacement roller will cost between $18,000 to $20,000. Walker said he is still getting estimates on a new machine, but expects that would cost about $22,000.

Walker said the county will be able to use the computer it has.

Walker said unless the request is for tactical equipment funding, the Homeland Security funding has "dried up."

Martin said the money is not in the budget, but he had turned in about $120,000 of the jail's money not spent in the 2014 budget. There would be no maintenance fee for the first year of the machine.

Albright said if the bond issue passes for the new jail, a portion of that money will go towards jail equipment and could have included a new fingerprint system. Reed said the county could buy the new machine now and move it to the new jail, in addition to buying a second fingerprint machine at that time. Walker said most jails have two live scans.

"That will also increase the efficiency of processing two inmates in at the same time," Martin said.

Commissioners did not make a decision, but deferred to County Treasurer Rhonda Dunn to see if she could determine which portion of the county's budget the money could be taken for the new machine.

In the meantime, Reed said jail staff are doing fingerprints manually and sending the information on to the state.

"And the state hates that," Reed said. "When we did this last year for six weeks when the computer went down ... augh."

The discussion of replacing the live scan machine will continue at 11 a.m. Monday.

Other business

* Commissioners signed two $10,000 rock quarry lease agreements. The county will open a new quarry at the Hubert Thomas property located at 170th Street and Birch Road and open a new pit at the Blake Quarry.

The county has budgeted $50,000 to open a new quarry.

Later, County Attorney Justin Meeks reported he reviewed the agreements.

* Commissioners received copies of a new application policy for culverts. The information will be reviewed and then discussed during the commissioners' April 6 meeting.

If approved, the new policy will establish an application process to allow licensed private contractors to install culverts on county right-of-ways. Later, Meeks said he has learned the city of Fort Scott requires the property owner to buy the culvert, the city installs it and then it becomes the city's property.

* Bourbon County Treasurer Rhonda Dunn, who is a member of the Fort Scott Visioning Committee, passed on a request for the landfill to extend its hours on May 30 to accommodate the Wall Street Blitz project. The project is being led by the Good Neighbor Action Team with the goal of improving the appearance of the east entrance to Fort Scott.

Commissioners asked how long the landfill will need to remain open to accept construction and demolition material. Dunn said she would get back to them with that information.

* Dunn also reported she has not been able to unravel the source of $8,000 in the insufficient funds check fund. Some of the information dates back to 2004 and Dunn said from what she has been able to determine, much of the $8,000 is due to incorrect recording.

"We do not have a bad check problem," Dunn said.

She said there was about $1,600 in insufficient funds checks this year. The county currently has three bad checks totaling $359. The county attorney's office will continue working to collect the money, she said.

Commissioners agreed to allow Dunn to clear the fund up to October 2013 when she took office.

* Commissioners approved a malt beverage carry-out permit for Conoco on Soldier Road.

* A 10-minute executive session was held to discuss non-elected personnel with Kendal Mason. There was no action.

* Commissioners met with Laura Moore, planning and development consultant with the Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission.

She gave a presentation on various types of grants available through her office. Over the past nine years, there have been $3,653,440 in grants awarded to various Bourbon County entities through the organization.

On March 9, USD 235 Superintendent Randy Rockhold approached the commissioners about assisting the district with buying eight light poles, mounting the lights and running the wiring for the baseball complex used by the district and community.

Moore said a new grant has become available that might assist with that project. After leaving the county commission meeting, Moore said she was going to meet with Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin to discuss possible grants for the Wall Street Blitz.

* Commissioners also heard from James "Jim" Nixon, vice president of territory sales for Diebolt LLC, a company that constructs metal buildings.

* John Townsend attended the meeting to report Elm Creek Lake was never a finished project because heavy rains forced workers to abandon the project before work was completed on the south end.

He encouraged commissioners to consider completing the project.

"It could benefit that whole area," he said.

* Meeks gave commissioners a copy of a lease, release and indemnification agreement for those who wish to hunt water fowl with duck blinds at Elm Creek Lake. Meeks said portable blinds belong to the hunters, but any permanent blinds become the county's property.

He said the county will not be liable for any injury incurred while someone is hunting.