County staff: $1.9 million congressional request moved to committee; options for Bartlett site roads discussed

County staff told commissioners that a $1.9 million congressional discretionary request for transportation work near the Bartlett site was advanced to committee for review and that the county is considering two possible uses if funded. The staff member said the county submitted two congressional discretionary requests, one for sheriff communications equipment and one for transportation; the transportation request for about $1.9 million was forwarded to the committee for consideration. The staff member said the county can either use the $1.9 million to build road access north from U.S. Highway 160 to the North Field or use the money for engineering, surveying and geotechnical work to reduce a future capital request by roughly $2 million. The staff member said the county expects to begin work on the reapplication or next steps in November and that August will bring reviewer comments on what was successful and what needs improvement. The minutes record no final decision and no formal vote on the funding; staff characterized the comments as planning guidance and next steps for the county's grant efforts.