Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Chase County explores federal and state grants for Middle Creek Road bridges and safety plan
Summary
County commissioners heard a briefing on pursuing federal bridge and road-safety grants, including the Rural Bridge Assistance pilot, Build Kansas funds and the federal Safe Streets for All program; staff will pursue technical assistance and prepare applications.
County commissioners discussed options April 30 for funding repairs and replacements along Middle Creek Road, including two bridges and multiple culverts, and directed staff to pursue technical assistance and grant opportunities.
A county presenter said the Kansas Infrastructure Hub and Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) staff are aware of the Middle Creek Road needs and a technical-assistance contact, Laura Leidy, has agreed to convene a working group with KDOT, the Infrastructure Hub, and local participants to explore funding options. The presenter said two federal bridge-related grants recently opened and that the county has already submitted at least one bridge for KDOT consideration.
The presenter outlined a three-part strategy: (1) seek state and federal pre-construction and preliminary-engineering funding (the Rural Bridge Assistance pilot was cited as one source for 100% pre-engineering costs), (2) use Build Kansas (state) funds as a potential local match when federal grants require matching funds, and (3) apply for Safe Streets for All (SS4A) planning funds to develop a formal safety plan that would be required before applying for implementation money.
Staff said the county already has some preliminary engineering work done for the bridges and culverts; the estimate to complete a full safety plan was discussed in the range of $30,000–$50,000 (with a full plan estimate sometimes cited near $100,000) and the presenter said the SS4A notice of funding opportunity has specific planning and implementation components and a June 26 grant deadline for the current round. The county would be expected to provide a local match — the presenter said Build Kansas money could be used for that purpose but noted the county would likely need to contribute around 5% of the project cost in some funding scenarios.
Commissioners expressed support for pursuing technical assistance and encouraged staff to solicit an engineer’s bid or cost estimate as input to grant applications. No formal vote was taken on grant submission at the meeting; the presenter asked for commissioners’ informal support to pursue the planning grant and further coordination with KDOT and the Infrastructure Hub.
Staff said they will send meeting invitations to county participants and follow up with the technical-assistance contact; commissioners will be notified when grant applications are ready for formal approval if required by procurement or funding rules.
