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Wildlife and Parks urges restoration of $1.9M for dam repairs; ARPA timing disputed
Summary
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks staff asked the committee to reconsider deletion of a $1.9 million reappropriation for dam maintenance, said ~$800,000 has already been spent preparing work, and disputed a staff statement about ARPA spending deadlines.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) asked the committee to reconsider deletion of a roughly $1.9 million reappropriation for one-time dam repairs and clarified that approximately $800,000 has already been spent on inspections and preparatory work.
KLRD presented KDWP’s capital requests and noted the Legislative Budget Committee recommended deleting a 2024-to-2025 reappropriation of approximately $1.9 million for dam maintenance. Acting Secretary Kennedy for KDWP (present in the hearing) told the committee KDWP believed the ARPA grant timeline extends until July of the next year and that the department had already expended about $800,000 to hire divers and prepare the projects for bid. Kennedy said the preparatory work supports the $2.7 million original request and asked the committee to reconsider the LBC deletion.
Committee members—including Representative Ausley and others—expressed concern about dam safety and noted other committees had also prioritized dam repairs. KLRD said the LBC recommendation deleted the reappropriation line, making the committee’s reconsideration the mechanism to restore funding in the capital package. The committee did not take a final vote to restore the $1.9 million during the hearing, but members signaled willingness to revisit the matter with supporting documentation.
Why it matters: Dam maintenance is a public-safety issue; KDWP said some preparatory expenditures were already made and asked legislators to restore funds to ensure timely repairs and to avoid potential liabilities.
Ending: KDWP asked for reconsideration and offered to provide supporting details about the work already completed; the committee agreed to consider additional information before a final recommendation.
