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Director’s Report to the County
Commissioners January –
February 2002 Business Prospects Initial contacts since 12/7/01: Sabetha, 1; Seneca, 2; Bern, 1; Horton, 1;
Outside, 1 Existing prospect contacts since 12/7/01: Seneca, 4; Sabetha, 7; Corning, 1; Everest, 1; Horton, 4; Powhattan, 1; Hiawatha, 1; Outside, 2 Local
Government Relations The City of Seneca’s CDBG application on behalf of Koch & Co., Inc. was
approved for $500,000. Of that
total, $432,500 will be available to Koch & Co. in the form of a
low-interest loan. The city will receive a grant of $26,250 for infrastructure
improvements for the expansion site, which is directly west of Fort Markley in
Seneca. RDA received the administration bid on the grant, which is worth a
maximum of $15,000. RDA drafted the
approved application, which ranked first among the four economic development
applications submitted for the December round.
The project is expected to create from 50 – 100 jobs in the next two
years. The City of Bern’s CDBG application on behalf of C.J. Foods, Inc. of Pawnee
City was approved for $750,000. The
application, drafted by RDA awards $267,000 in grant funds to the city for a new
sewer lagoon cell to facilitate the business expansion.
In addition, C.J. Foods will receive low-interest business financing of
almost $470,000. The project is expected to create approximately jobs in
the next two years. The City of Goff is continuing with plans to build a community center with
lunch services using the KANSTEP program. KANSTEP
provides CDBG funds to communities who donate volunteer labor to construct
public facilities such as sewer/water replacements, community buildings, and
fire halls. The City of Corning is continuing its plans to replace its water system
throughout the town. We have been
in contact with officials from the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing (KDOCH),
USDA Rural Development, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).
Currently, the city plans to use a combination of USDA grant/loan funds
and either the traditional CDBG program or the self-help KANSTEP program.
As proposed, the total cost of the project with contract labor is
approximately $889,000. RDA has
been helping the city with its income survey and has been contacting government
officials on behalf of the city. The City of Seneca is applying for the March 2002 round of the CDBG program
for a large-scale sewer system renovation.
The city hopes to receive funding from CDBG and KDHE to build two new
lagoon cells, replace a main line in the southeast portion of the city, and
build a new line in the northwest portion of the city to encompass an area that
is currently outside city limits. Last
year, the city’s application (prepared by RDA) to replace the southeast line
missed the funding cutoff by one point. RDA
has been procured to write the grant and administer the project, if approved. The Morrill Fire Department is in the process of the performing an income
survey to determine its eligibility for either the CDBG program or the KANSTEP
program. The department wishes to
construct a new fire hall. RDA has been giving instructions on how to perform the
survey. Nemaha County Fire District No. 2 (Wetmore area) has contacted RDA about
constructing an expansion to its fire hall.
RDA has given instruction on how to perform an income survey for the CDBG
and KANSTEP. I also explained to
the department grants and loans from FEMA and USDA Rural Development. With all of its funding approved, the Everest Housing Authority hopes
finalize contracts soon and break ground by the beginning of May 2002.
Phillips and Associates of Manhattan completed a market study of the
proposed project. The study found
that Everest and the immediate surrounding area had the capacity to support
approximately seven of the twelve total units to be built in the complex. The market in the remainder of Brown County and beyond could
easily fill five more units. I arranged for officials from the KDOCH to speak in Horton on February 21
about the Main Street Program. Main
Street is a technical assistance program offered by KDOCH to help struggling
downtowns to revitalize their community. It is based on the National Main Street program.
KDOCH only awards one or two communities per year.
Officials for the Horton Industrial Development Corporation (HIDC) are
interested in the program and plan to attend the application workshop on March
14. The Sabetha Fire Department contacted RDA about possibly completing a U.S.
Fire Assistance (USFA) grant on behalf of the department.
USFA is authorized through the Federal Emergency Management
Administration (FEMA). Applications
are due April 1, 2002. Miscellaneous The Northeast Kansas Coalition for Regional Economic Development (NEKCRED)’s application to KDOCH for an Enterprise Facilitation pilot program was not approved for funding. Three projects were approved while NEKCRED’s application finished fourth by margin of two points. Gov. Graves proposed budget calls for $1 million of state funds allocated to the Enterprise Facilitation program. If any funding is approved, NEKCRED stands “next in line” to receive funding. Respectfully submitted, Scott M. Huizenga |