NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Administrator Randy Partington said as part of the joint meeting this week between the Hutchinson City Council, the Board of County Commissioners and the South Hutchinson City Administrator, the idea of island annexation was discussed.
"The governing bodies discussed island annexation and what that means," Partington said. "Say the City of Hutchinson wanted to annex a portion out in the unincorporated area, you know, the process and who that impacts and what the decision of the County Commission would be."
The City of Hutchinson may attempt to annex the area of the proposed new industrial park to the south of South Hutchinson as part of a plan to get water to the site for future development.
"To get water and sewer utilities to the capacity or the amount that may be needed for big industry, the city of Hutchinson is the only entity that has the ability with water rights and the infrastructure to get that done, so it would make sense for that industrial park to be annexed into the city of Hutchinson, to make that a more cost-effective transaction, to put utilities down there."
If the city is going to take that action, it will likely need to happen soon.
"I think the hope is they can get it done by the end of the year," Partington said. "It doesn't really take another joint meeting to move forward."
The city of South Hutchinson does not have the available water rights to provide to a large industrial park, but Hutchinson does, if they want to have more of their unused capacity perfected.
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