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County grant coordinator reports progress on sirens, waterline, truancy program and courthouse HVAC funding options
Summary
The county grant coordinator updated commissioners on several grant efforts including storm-siren funding delays, a Kansas waterline replacement application, a truancy intervention grant application and options for courthouse HVAC funding and related window repairs.
Crawford County’s grant coordinator briefed the commission on Jan. 21 about several ongoing grant pursuits and capital projects, and outlined next steps for a courthouse HVAC replacement and related building repairs.
Gus Burnetti (recorded as county grant staff) told commissioners the Kansas Department of Emergency Management has a backlog that is delaying storm‑siren site work; KDEM staffing changes mean the county must wait several months before construction can start. Burnetti said the county can prepare sites but cannot proceed until the state clears the queue.
Burnetti said he is monitoring a Kansas waterline replacement grant for several local water districts and awaiting award announcements. He also reported work on an application for a restorative‑justice truancy intervention program aimed at ages 5–12; he said application materials are being finalized and the county hopes the state reviewer’s early feedback improves the chance of funding. “From every step, he’s been there reading through the application giving us any sort of comments that may help us,” Burnetti said of a state reviewer advising on the application.
On courthouse-related capital needs, commissioners and staff discussed a large HVAC replacement project with earlier grant funding limited to $80,000 against a multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar overall need. Commissioners asked staff to get detailed quotes and to convene a meeting to determine whether to pursue a lease purchase, apply for grants, or repurpose funds for other building repairs (for example, insulated windows at a road and bridge shop). Burnetti agreed to organize follow‑up meetings and return with specific cost estimates.
Burnetti also said he has fielded community requests for smaller projects — digitizing county appraiser records and addressing pool repairs in some towns — and that he will compile grant options and assist local groups with applications as time and grant cycles allow.
