Variance for manufactured home approved, Property tax rate unchanged, Budget line item increased $40,000

The Alexander City Council approved a variance request that will allow a manufactured home to be place on a lot with less than the required square footage. However, placement of the home will still meet all the setback requirements.

What started out as a large single lot went through a variance process in 2024. Back then property owner H. Erick Montoya received permission to have the single large lot divided into two smaller lots. The variance was needed because the minimum lot size allowed is 8,000 square feet. Splitting the lot left one half with 6,916.5 square feet and the other 6,901.5 square feet.

The two lots are located at the corner of Regency Drive and Charles Street in South Alexander. One lot only fronts Regency Drive, while the other faces both Regency Drive and Charles Street.

At the 2024 variance hearing Montoya proposed building two site-built homes. Because of unforeseen drainage issues he now wants to place a manufactured home on the lot at 14916 Regency Drive. He plans to leave the second lot, which borders Regency Drive and Charles Street, vacant. Since the zoning in this area allows both site-built and manufactured housing a change in zoning will not be needed.

At the August 17 council meeting Council Member Angela Griffin expressed concerns that something else may come up later concerning the proposed vacant lot, requiring another variance.

“When you're saying that you're probably, eventually put (sic) another home with that other lot, I'm just a little hesitant because something different came up this time,” Griffin said.

At the time of the 2024 variance request an old-style trailer/mobile home sat in the middle and to the rear of the large lot. Montoya said it hid the drainage area.

“Well, the drainage difference,” Montoya said. “When there was the old home (trailer) that was there, it was almost sitting back almost where the drainage is.”

At the previous July council meeting Montoya told council members he attempted to level the property with multiple dump truck loads of dirt. However, in his written request for the variance, he has come to the conclusion the amount of water run-off expected will not be suitable for a site-built home. Because manufactured homes are designed to be setup above ground, he feels this would be a better solution.

Prior to the August council meeting a public hearing was held to give residents the opportunity to express any concerns they may have about the requested variance. No one from the public spoke in favor of or against the variance. Mayor Crystal Herrmann reported that no one submitted any comments in writing. This portion of South Alexander is mostly made up of manufactured housing.

Other agenda items at August 17 meeting

Real Estate and Property tax rate unchanged

Two ordinances were approved setting the annual real state and property tax millage rate at 1.5 mills. The ordinances establish the millage rate to be collected by Saline County and Pulaski County in 2027 for the 2026 taxing year. The 1.5 rate, lower than the maximum five mills, was reduced while Paul Mitchell was still mayor in exchange for passage of a 1-cent city sales tax for the General Fund in 2017.

Budget line item increased $40,000 to replace HVAC units

Council members approved amending the general fund portion of the 2026 budget to pay for replacing five HVAC units in several city buildings. The Building Maintenance line item will be increased from $10,000 to $50,000.

Three of the buildings include the courtroom at the Alexander Municipal Complex and two cottages at the former Alexander Human Development Center (AHDC). The courtroom HVAC system crashed right before the July council meeting, which caused the meeting be moved to the Community Center #2 at the AHDC property.

Mayor Herrmann said the HVAC units didn’t breakdown at the same time. The requested $40,000 increase is an accumulation of repairs over several weeks. She said bids were submitted for each project.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Alexander City Council is Monday, September 21, at 6:00 PM in the courtroom of the Alexander Municipal Complex (City Hall). Meetings are open to the public.