Commission backs Bronson park CDBG request; county staff flag regional grants and loans

Bourbon County commissioners voted to sign a letter supporting Bronson’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application to improve city-park infrastructure, and received an informational briefing on regional grants and loan programs from the Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission.

Commissioners approved the support letter without objection. The letter was one of several application pieces Bronson needed for a pending CDBG submission.

Greg Motley briefed the board on the Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission, telling commissioners the entity “is really the driver of economic development in the 12-county area in Southeast Kansas” and noting it holds grant and loan programs totaling “$2,900,000 in assets on their books, in grants and loans.” He said three applications involving Bourbon County were in progress: a Bronson parks application, a Fort Scott municipal auditorium project and a potential housing grant to support affordable housing in Fort Scott.

Motley encouraged local officials and residents to work with the regional commission to pursue grants and loans for infrastructure, housing and economic development projects. He listed program areas that have been funded previously, including municipal infrastructure, affordable housing, small-business loans and agricultural grants.

The commission’s letter of support does not commit county funding; it expresses county backing for Bronson’s application to improve park infrastructure and strengthen the city’s chance of receiving CDBG funds.

Why it matters: Regional planning commissions often coordinate grants and loans that smaller jurisdictions cannot apply for alone; county support letters can improve a small city’s competitiveness for state-administered CDBG funds.

The board asked county staff to continue coordinating with Southeast Kansas RPC and to support eligible local applications as they develop.