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Linn County signs letter returning $125,000 STARS youth job-training grant after income-verification shortfall
Summary
The county approved a formal letter to return a $100,000 CDBG award and the county’s $25,000 match for a STARS youth job-training project after insufficient income survey responses prevented meeting CDBG low/moderate income requirements.
The Linn County Board of County Commissioners voted May 12 to sign a letter formally returning a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) award tied to the county’s STARS youth job-training program because income surveys showed the required 51% low- to moderate-income threshold could not be verified.
Carrie Spoon of the Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission told the commissioners the award—$100,000 from CDBG and a $25,000 county match budgeted for administration—had not been drawn down and must be turned back because not enough income surveys were returned to certify the required beneficiary income level. “No grant funds have been drawn down for this,” Spoon said. “We did not get enough of the income surveys back … so the grant needs to be turned back.”
Commissioners moved, seconded and approved a resolution instructing the county commission chair to sign the return letter. The motion passed on a voice vote recorded in the meeting as “All in favor, say aye.” No roll-call votes were taken.
Commissioners asked staff to follow up on implications for the STARS program, including whether the county’s $25,000 match (previously budgeted) remains committed and how the county’s prior budget actions affect future payments. An administrator said the county’s contribution had been budgeted from contingency and that STARS had not requested the county check because the STARS board remains in transition with Fort Scott over an MOU.
Spoon advised that returning this single CDBG award would not preclude the county from applying for other CDBG-funded programs in the future, although there may be caveats if the county applies again specifically for the same STARS project.
Ending: The county returned the CDBG award and county match for the STARS program; staff will follow up with the STARS program and the clerk’s office on the county’s budgeted match and any contractual questions about continued county support.
