Small Town News

Commission to seek grant opportunity through USDA

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In their continued quest for grants to help offset projects around the county, Wabaunsee County Commissioners are seeing if they can still get their proverbial foot in the door for stimulus funding.

Commissioners have been looking for funding options to take care of several projects of varying sizes around the courthouse facility and also are researching opportunities for entities needing to do work in the unincorporated county.

Commission Chairman Ervan Stuewe said the commissioners' conversations in the past couple months inspired Commissioner Jim Suber to contact a friend from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, and that contact worked it's way through the chain of command to Dan Fischer, who attended the commission meeting Monday.

Fischer asked commissioners if there are specific projects they are wanting to pursue right now or if they would rather have general information about USDA loans and grants.

Stuewe said some of the projects that have been discussed are restoration of the courthouse's masonry exterior, working for efficiency with the windows, repairing or replacing the elevator at the courthouse and considering options for bridge projects.

"Those are basically contained under our community facilities program," Fischer said.

He said public bodies, non-profits and rural areas with populations up to 20,000 are eligible for these funds, which often are in the form of a direct loan. He said the current interest rate on that loan is 4.125 percent.

"Under that program, we do have the grant program," he said, but added, "it is very limited."

He said the state generally is allocated about $140,000 for these grants. He added there is stimulus money available, but it is going fast.

Stuewe asked whether the county could apply for a grant to cover the $6,800 cost of having a consultant do an inspection of the building's surface, and Fischer said the project could qualify.

He said the offices generally like for all the paperwork and projects to come in together, but added he doesn't see that it wouldn't work.

"I'd be thrilled if we could get the $6,800 out of the stimulus money," Stuewe said.

Please turn to County Attorney Norbert Marek mentioned the elevator project and commissioners expanded on the need.

"This is almost an emergency project, to get our elevator updated," Stuewe said.

Suber added that the elevator is the only way for someone unable to walk the stairs to get up and down to the court and said a project to get the unit working is a need.

Fischer said he likely could package the elevator and study of the exterior together and apply for stimulus money, if the application were filled out within the next few days or a week.

Stuewe asked whether the application was something detailed that would take expertise or whether it would be something the county staff could do with advice from Fischer.

Fischer said it should be doable with a little help from the USDA staff and added the biggest step would be to get environmental letters taken care of. Commissioners said they would like to look at what could be done with the elevator project, the engineer fees to inspect the building's exterior, the front doors of the courthouse and the fire alarm system.

Extension Agent Karaline Mayer asked whether the tax credits still would apply if the county received USDA funds for the project and Fischer said he was unsure.

They also indicated they would like to set a work session for the loan/grant application during their meeting next Monday.

Suber also mentioned concerns with Flint View Sewer District No. 1, which as a 40-year old system and likely will need some significant work.

Fischer said receiving funds from USDA likely will entail having rates at the state average of $40. The district's residents currently pay $20 a month, and began paying monthly fees a couple years ago.

County Clerk Jennifer Savage asked whether multiple counties have ever worked jointly on projects like a bridge, and Fischer said he is not aware of any such projects, but that it could be tried.

Suber outlined the Belvue Bridge situation, in which Wabaunsee County is responsible for 10 percent of the cost of the bridge and Pottawatomie County is responsible for 90 percent, based on assessed valuation.

"This one really needs some attention," he said.

Commissioners discussed the Belvue Bridge at a later point in their meeting as well.

Stuewe said he has received more correspondence on the Belvue Bridge in the past week and asked Savage for the e-mail addresses and phone numbers of the three commissioners and the head of the public works department in Pottawatomie'County. He said he would like to be able to refer people who call with concerns to Pottawatomie County officials.

Both Stuewe and Suber (Commissioner Rodney Allen was unable to attend) expressed frustration with a rumor that Wabaunsee County commissioners are the sticking point in the process.

Suber stated he wanted to officially go on record with a statement supporting repair of the bridge.

"We are supportive of having a working bridge there," he said.

Both talked about meetings with Pottawatomie County commissioners in which they felt Pottawatomie County was not interested in the bridge.

Both also said they have heard from constituents who have said Pottawatomie County Commissioners are accusing Wabaunsee County of being the ones who aren't willing to do their part.

"We're not blocking the bridge," Suber said, reiterating the fact Wabaunsee County is only responsible for 10 percent of the project's cost.

Marek said it is his recollection that either county could force the issue of getting the work done, but advised that the county choosing to do so may have to bear the upfront costs of getting the project started.

"What we've seen with Shawnee County is they tend to begin the projects," Marek said, referring to the Willard Bridge, which is shared by Wabaunsee, Pottawatomie and Shawnee counties.

Marek also said commissioners have enough that is shared with Pottawatomie County that they ought to look at meeting with Pottawatomie County's commissioners at least annually. The two commissions did meet in June last year, and suggestions were made that the meeting could take place at the Belvue Bridge site this year.

In other business, County Health Department Director Janet Wertzberger said several months ago she received grant funding promises because of H1N1.

She said she is reaching the end of that time and has completed Phase I, which helped with vaccinations and advertising and Phase II, which was based on providing weekly reports of school illnesses to KDHE.

Phase III provided up to $21,248, and Wertzberger said she has written up a request for a refrigerator for medications and samples.

The medical specialty refrigerator will cost $3,395, and would be approved by the state, and Wertzberger said it would have a clear front through which supplies could be seen and monitored. This also will allow for much better control over the temperature.

Commissioners approved the purchase and the sale of the old refrigerator on bid.

Wertzberger also said she would like to attend a workshop in June, which would be funded through Phase III funds.

She also invited commissioners to attend a luncheon in Emporia on June 24 to discuss the importance of public health, and she encouraged them to invite their legislators to come at the same time.

Wertzberger said a concern within the public health community is that many people don't know enough about what public health does and is, and this luncheon is intended to be an opportunity to discuss that topic.

Noxious Weed Department Director Tonya Hensley updated the commission on the recycling situation in Alta Vista.

She said Morris County had begun picking up cardboard in Alta Vista, a service Wabaunsee County does not provide, and ended up picking up all of the community's recyclables, so Wabaunsee County dropped Alta Vista off the recycling route.

Morris County has asked that each business wanting its cardboard picked up pay $100 per year to offset the costs, and has made the offer to nine businesses in Alta Vista.

Hensley said one business already has responded, saying that the service is worthwhile, but that ultimately the decision lies with Morris County.

Zoning Administrator David Stuewe said members of the Lake Wabaunsee Improvement District board have been in contact with him asking whether they could have more control over how building permits are issued.

Stuewe said he feels it could be better for LWID to determine its destiny regarding building permits rather than making the decisions himself when his area of expertise is the unincorporated county.



Copyright 2010 The Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise, Alma, Kansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2010 The Wabaunsee County Signal-Enterprise Alma, Kansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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